Whose Is This?
They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. Romans 9:4 ESV
Belong – Are you under the false impression that the biblical experience of God belongs to the Church? Do you think God’s promises are promises for the Church? Did you imagine that the bride of the Messiah is the Church? Did you think your relationship with the Father is a result of the Messiah’s accomplishments for the Church? Do you believe that God is glorified by the Church? Do you suppose that it is the Church that worships YHWH? Did you assume that God gave His instructions to the Church? Paul’s single sentence in Romans 9 puts aside all of these false conclusions. In one powerful claim, Paul asserts that it is the Israelites who are the focal point of all of God’s actions. To them belong God’s election from the nations. To them belong God’s glorification in human history. To them belong God’s unbreakable commitments, God’s instructions, God’s directions for worship. To them belong all of the promises of human destiny, cosmic fulfillment and heavenly ecstasy. Paul is quite clear. If you and I want to participate in any of these gifts from God, we must join ourselves to Israel, God’s chosen ones. To put it as bluntly as possible, the Bible was not written for Gentiles. It was written for Jews and for those Gentiles who are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel. The ekklesia of Scripture is nothing more than the extended synagogue.
Paul captures this entire relationship in a single pronoun, hos. It is more than “to them belong.” The English text has to add “belong” to capture the idea, but the Greek literally equates these God-given processes with the Israelites. It is not as if the adoption, covenants, law and promises existed separately and were simply assigned to the Israelites. In Paul’s Hebraic thinking, the adoption, covenants, Torah and promises do not exist without the Israelites. This Hebraic view is critical because it demonstrates that the adoption, the covenants, the Torah, the glory and the promises cannot be re-assigned to some other entity. They are essentially Jewish. Remove their Jewish connection and they disappear!
This is why replacement theology or believing that the “church” stands in primary relationship to any of these themes is completely mistaken. In fact, it is more than a mistake. It is blasphemy. To remove the Jewish nature of any of these events is to deny God’s sovereign purposes. It is to replace God with the authority of the Church, a human organization that was created ex nihilo between 135AD and 325AD. To suggest that the Church is the object of God’s desire is to call Paul a liar and dismiss the Tanakh and all of the Jewish authorship of the New Testament. Paul claims that everything we hold dear in Christian theology is of the Israelites. Are we so arrogant that we can claim Paul got it wrong and that all these things belong to a religion that didn’t even exist when Paul wrote to the synagogue in Rome?
Let’s be very clear about who owns all of these divine gifts. They belong to the Israelites. It’s important to notice that Paul does not say “Jews.” What’s the difference? All of the divine gifts were given to those who follow the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They are the Israelites. We are not Israelites simply because we are ethnically Jewish. We are Israelites because we follow the God of Jacob-Israel.
Let’s add this caution. Judaism today is not the way of the Israelites that we find in the apostolic writings. Lots of things have changed in 2000 years. So we are not arguing that Paul says we must all become followers of Judaism today. What Paul says is that in the first century it was impossible to imagine anything God had done or was going to do without recognizing the essential character of God’s handiwork among the Israelites. That’s where we must begin – again.
Topical Index: belong, covenants, promises, adoption, Israelites, Romans 9:4
Amen!
So God’s sovereign purposes have been frustrated for the last seventeen hundred years? God separates for a purpose; that we will reconcile through love. Having done this we are more than the sum of the parts. We are more than conquerors. We have been changed. All believers were spiritually taken out of Christ. Woman was taken out of man. Jews were taken out of the gentiles. All to be reunited in God’s plan. Women are heart people, men are mind people; Jews are heart people, they want a sign. Greeks are mind people, they want knowledge. Each side has what the other is looking for. Jews have torah (head knowledge of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), and we have Christ (the covenant sign). Wholeness and completion will occur (shalom). Both sides have something to offer. Both sides will be grateful to God and grateful to each other. This is already occurring. There has always been a false church and a true church. Sometimes their both in the same building. God knows who is wheat and who is a tare. I know lots of Christians who love Israel. My own church has a passover seder. All the people i see teaching on prophecy see Israel as key. None of the Messianic Jews I see have any issues with the doctrine of trinity. All things will be reconciled.
God’s purpose for the christian church is no more significant than His purpose for Islam. He has promised to rescue everyone of His children from bondage to idoltary (Ezekiel 36:22-32). Ezekiel 36 seems to say He will even rescue us BEFORE we come around and fully teshuvah, fully realize the depth of our rebellion. Most reading this blog had the Jewish scriptures (Bible) into their hands by way of a false religion misappropriating His words, even corrupting them in translations. Islam and christianity will be illegal when the Messiah establishes his kingdom. One God, one truth, one bride, one people (Israel) who Messiah will rescue. We do our Heavenly Father no favors by continuing to justify the lies of christianity and islam.
God’s purposes have been frustrated since Adam, but that does not prevent Him from accomplishing what He ultimately intends. Delay is not the same as canceling.
By the way, many of your comments seem to be stereotypes that really are unfair to all. Perhaps you might consider thinking less in terms of “block” categories and more in terms of God’s interaction with each one of us.
And while none of the Messianic Jews you know have problems with the Trinity, every Jew I know does and so do a lot of followers who question the origins of a doctrine that depends on Greek philosophical categories and did not arise for 300+ years after the New Testament.
“. . .the origins of a doctrine that depends on Greek philosophical categories”
Perhaps you will be kind enough of provide the Greek categories you refer to, and the evidence from the Church fathers that these issues governed their thinking and not the Gospels themselves.
Thanks.
Let’s start by looking at Chapter 8 of my book, God, Time and the Limits . . .
In that chapter I argue that the idea of consciousness is inherently temporal and that Greek ideas of perfection are at odds with the biblical idea of consciousness and person.
Regarding the jewish belief in the trininty, you might be interested in Daniel Boyarin’s intro to his book. (Daniel Boyarin, The Jewish Gospels; The Story of the Jewish Christ; 2012, p. 1, 5-6)
If there is one thing that Christians know about their religion, it is that it’s not Judaism. If there’s one thing Jews know about their faith, it is that it’s not Christianity. If there is one thing that both groups know about this “double not,” it’s that Christians believe in the Trinity and the incarnation of Christ (the Greek word for Messiah) and that Jews don’t, that Jews keep kosher and Christians don’t.
If only things were that simple. In this book, I’m going to tell a very different story, a story of a time when Jews and Christians were much more mixed up with each other than they are now, when there were many Jews who believed in something quite like the Father and the Son and even in something like the incarnation of the Son in the Messiah, and when followers of Jesus kept kosher as Jews, and accordingly a time in which the difference between Judaism and Christianity just didn’t exist as it does now….
While by now almost everyone, Christian and non-Christian, is happy enough to refer to Jesus, the human, as a Jew, I want to go a step beyond that. I wish us to see that Christ too–the divine Messiah–is a Jew. Christology, or the early ideas about Christ, is also a Jewish discourse and not–until much later–an anti-Jewish discourse at all. Many Israelites at the time of Jesus were expecting a Messiah who would be divine and come to earth in the form of a human. Thus the basic underlying thoughts from which both the Trinity and the incarnation grew are there in the very world into which Jesus was born and in which he was first written about in the Gospels of Mark and John (1-2)
Interestingly, my wife and I “found” Skip’s site, and this community, when my wife was doing an online search for the term “one true church.” This phrase was part of our vocabulary for years. She was surprised, to say the least, when, using a concordance, she couldn’t find it in the Bible. That’s why she went online. Needless to say, “true church” and “one true church” are nowhere to be found. What we do find, however, is “to [the Israelites] belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants…” etc.
I belong to a group with Messianic Jewish ties, actually we consider ourselves as searching for our Hebraic Roots. This group includes individuals from diverse backgrounds including Jewish. We have recently seen many problems with the Trinity Doctrine. I think things will be reconciled back to prior to the Trinity Doctrine.
Personally, as a former member of the Worldwide Church of God I have had issues with this doctrine since 1978. Being part of the evangelical churches for 20 years did not resolve my discomfort with the Trinity.
Amen!!!! Thank you, Skip, for speaking truth!
Very well put! I will be sending this to many people that I am dialoging with about this subject. Thank you Skip!
WOW…what a powerful teaching!! Thank you Skip.
Also, just wondering…was there supposed to be a “Gospel for the Gentiles (3) for yesterday, Oct. 20th?
I didn’t receive any Today’s Word for the 20th…just the picture of the leopard (which is BEAUTIFUL by the way.)
If you took a day off, that’s fine. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t miss something.
I did not take the day off, but I have no way of knowing that it didn’t go out. Look on the web site for #3
Found it. Thanks.
Skip, I get the 325 AD reference as being the first council of Nicaea. I don’t know that I’ve seen anyone peg a hard date for the start of what culminated in 325. Are you choosing 135 AD because of the final destruction of Jerusalem, thus leaving the messianic community without leadership from there? Are there other reasons to choose 135 such as the publication of something?
Thanks.
The Bar Kochba revolt triggered the separation of Messianic Jews from other Jewish communities and began the process of isolating them.
MUST you CONTINUALLY make so much sense?
only if necessary
Did you or Patrick write this?
I write all the Today’s Word editions unless I specifically note otherwise.
Skip
Thanks for my outline for this week…I love when you do my work for me…lol. Good post! Thanks Skip!
Patrick,
Thanks for putting this post up in Skip’s stead. I pray that his trip to Africa was super wonderful and that he is invigorated and renewed and not exhausted. (Hi, Skip! Are you good?)
You ended your post with “we must begin – again”…
Yes, that is what my husband, our small home fellowship and I are doing… one faithful step at a time, pleading with YHVH to deliver us from lies we’ve been brainwashed to believe. The more we pray and discern and study and learn, the more we are believing that this religion called “christianity” is not the Way, the original following of the lovers of Messiah in the 1st century at all.
How scary to think about all the garbage we regurgitated during our leadership posts in Bible studies, Sunday school, etc. OH LORD, forgive us and cause any false teaching to be FORGOTTEN in the learners’ heads. Amen.
LABELS!
God could care less how you label your religion.
He cares about a relationship. You and Him.
That’s why we were created. His Word tells us it’s not what you know
but WHO you know that matters.
“And they shall know that I am the Lord their God . . .” Ex29:46
“Therefore My people shall know My name ” Is 52:6
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them,
and they follow Me.” Jn 10:27
God’s people KNOW God! Just as important, God has to know US!
We have to invite Him into every nook and cranny of our being . . .
our thoughts, our motives, our desires and actions. He’s our Father,
and we are His children.
He’s created us to have the devine knowledge of relationship. A two-way street.
And how does this happen?
Through revelation. God directly reveals Himself to Jew and Greek, slave and free,
male and female. He calls these people Israelites. His people. His beloved children.
This process has been happening throughout the ages.
Jesus said: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you . . .” Jn 15:16
That truth has been around for a long time.
“For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you
to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the people who are on
the face of the earth.” Deut 14:2
NOW HOW COULD YOU LABEL THAT?
I am assuming that when you used the word “Church” Which you capitalized, you meant the organized church, NOT the body of Christ, which Paul speaks about. He says we who have placed our trust in Christ, are grafted in to the tree, and partake of these promises along with the believing Jews. I understand that we receive all Gods blessings because we trust in the God of Abraham, and accept the sacrifice of Christ for our sins. Are we on the same track?
Yes, Church with a capital is the religion of Christianity displayed in the institution of the Church. Now, we partake in those promises because WE ARE GRAFTED IN, not because we inherit them through another stream. If you become part of the commonwealth of Israel, all the promises to Israel are yours.
Very well then, let the Israelites take their proper place to proclaim the gospel to the nations! Let them announce to “whosoever will,” – the long-promised Messiah has come!
Salvation is to “who?” To the Jew? Absolutely. And to the Gentile? beyond any doubt. Salvation/deliverance to the ones who are “out in the highways and hedges..”- who will compel them to come in (and feast!) ? the Israelites? These are the ones to whom the promises have been given. And to whom much has been given (the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises) ~ friends, ~ much shall be required. ~
Yes, He came unto His own. Jesus was (and remains) a Jew. Is Hebrew spoken in Heaven? I don’t know,- I haven’t been there yet. But I will be. He came unto His own, BUT His own received Him not.. Why NOT?? Inquiring minds -(like me) want to know.. Why did His own refuse and reject Him- the ONE whom to know is life everlasting? I don’t “get it..” Has the “church” got in the way of saving faith? Or religion? Or rules? More later.. gotta run.
Now what are we to do with ~ other sheep have I which are not of this fold? ~ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.. ~ Do the Israelites to whom ~ belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises ~, hear His voice? Does He know them and do they follow Him? Yes? Then wonderful! If not, – why not?
Canaan was promised, but not exactly given. No “easy believism” in claiming this land! This was struggle after struggle and certainly no shortage of battles to claim this “promised land!” More later..- gotta run again!..
I remember being at work one day and a Rabbi, the rabbi came to the plant to bless it so we could be Kosher. I was able to have a conversation with the Rabbi, He reached out his hand to shake it because he thought I was Jewish, but I had to tell him I was not and He pulled back his hand from me. The Rabbi didn’t want to become unclean. Are we doing the same thing to the Church today. Yeshua ministered to the Canaanite woman, yes He called her a dog, but if you understand the Torah this story brings tears to my eyes. He loves everyone and wishes that we would all be madly in love with Him.
I was still in the church at this time, the Rabbi had no Good News to share with me. But I had a church telling me over and over again about the Goodness of God and that His Son died for me. Today I have Yeshua as my Savor, the tomb is empty, death has been defeated and the Holy Spirit has led me to a deeper understanding of Torah. It is a blessing and I cherish that He saw me faithful enough to show me more and I was obedient enough to follow Him. I am humble to know the Truth and I pray that others will hear and do.
Patrick, Good post. You sound so much like Skip that not a few were fooled-as was I the first time I read it this AM. My wife picked upon it right away, only because she pays attention to details. I guess hanging out with Skip rubs off in the way we think, write and be…and that is a good thing. (Phil 3:17 & II Thes. 3:7) Keep up the bold testimony and speaking uncompromising words. “To some we are the fragrance of death leading to death, but to others the fragrance of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things”? II Cor. 2:16
“It is to replace God with the authority of the Church, a human organization that was created ex nihilo between 135AD and 325AD. ”
Perhaps you’ll explain the use of the word “ekklesia” in Acts 7:38, quite a bit earlier than the dates you are suggesting here.
Ian,
I believe Skip already has offered an explanation to your ekklesia question, several times I think, among his many TW’s.
A good explanation at that!
Michael, thanks for your comment. But a search of Skip’s blog on Acts 7:38 provides two listings, only one of which is relevant to this discussion. And in that instance, Skip is critical of the NASB translation of the word “ekklesia” to be ‘congregation’, whereas elsewhere it is translated ‘church.’
Which brings us to the purpose of my question concerning ekklesia. Stephen is quite clear: the “church” in the wilderness refers to the Israelites. This not only supports Skip’s contentions against ‘replacement’ theology but it certainly puts the “church” much, much earlier than 135AD.
As I wrote some time ago, the Greek ekklesia is used to describe the “congregation” in the wilderness, clearly a reference to the tribes of Israel. But the translators opted not to use the word “church” in this verse because it implies that Israel is really the “church.” The idea of the Christian “church,” separate from Israel, emerged after the Bar Kochba revolt and it is to this event that I refer in the 135 date. While you are correct that the Greek word is used of an assembly much earlier, the history of the Church, written by the Church, does not follow the actual usage.
The Lord is our Lord! He is our faithful Head! I just wanted to comment on this part because He has brought be out of “the Church” to be still and silent before Him as His own. He is having me to lay down all that I thought I knew and begin “here” with Him. He is teaching me to live in this new heart He has created in me and to trust Him for the union He has established so that I actually have His mind. There is no resentment nor blame for the 65 years here of misinformation by men and women who believed in their hearts they were “doing the right thing”. His written Word is now this letter of love, not a guide to be understood.
Skip I pray that your days will be sprinkled with spaces of intimacy and awareness that you are being ravished by our Lord.
Romans 9:6-8:-But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect.For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham;But “In Isaac your seed shall be called”(Gen 21:12)That is,those who are the children of the flesh,these are not the children of God,but the children of the promise are counted as seed verse 25-As He says in Hosea(2:23)”I will call them(Gentiles)My people who were not My people,And her
beloved,who was not beloved.””And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them(Gentile)(Hosea 1:10)”You are not my people”.There they shall be called sons of God.”