Shared by Kelly Crabb
The Church is Israel, we don't replace them, we are grafted into the Olive Tree!
We are the descendants of Abraham by faith.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
...
Here Stephen calls Israel the Church in the wilderness:
Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and [with] our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Here Paul, speaking to Christians, calls the Church the Israel of God:
Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace [be] on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Here the angel tells John that the prophets are our brothers, meaning that we are one people, one faith, one baptism, and one Body of Christ, and all believers, Old Testament and New Testament, are members of one Church.
Rev 22:9Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
One Body, One Faith, God doesn't have two people, the middle wall of partition is torn down in Christ.
The Old Testament saints were saved because they looked forward to the Messiah and the cross. The New Testament believer is saved by looking back to the cross.
There is not two plans of salvation.
and more. . .
From Sean Hoss
Israel and the Church.
July 16, 2010 at 12:27pm
The church does not replace Israel because the church IS Israel! We have this faulty notion that they are radically different entities, and we forget that Christianity is the 'sect of the Nazarenes' (Acts 24:5) That means in early Christianity, the churches of Christ were considered part of Judaism. They are really one entity, though:
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Gal 3:6-7)
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:26-29)
Believers ARE the seed of Abraham, and heirs of the promise.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (Rom 9:6-8)
Not all physical descendants of Abraham are his true seed.
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Rom 2:25-29)
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. (Heb 2:12)
Which quotes this:
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. (Psalm 22:22)
The church is simply the same word as the congregation of Israel, especially as mentioned in the wilderness with Moses:
37 ¶This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: (Acts 7:37-38)
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? (Rom 11:16-24)
Believers are grafted into Israel as it also states in Ephesians 2:
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Eph 2:11-20)
If the Gentiles were once aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, now they are fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God. They belong to the house of Israel, as this next two verses teach:
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (Jer 31:31)
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matt 26:28)
The New Covenant was made with the house of Israel. If we are forgiven our sins because of Christ's blood, and are in the New Covenant, then we belong to the house of Israel. There are many other verses which I could mention, such as Peter calling us like Israel:
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Pet 2:9-10 cf Ex 19:6) or how Paul describes the Gentiles in Christ:
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. (Rom 9:24-26 look at Hosea 2:23 and 1:10)
Suffice it to say the bible shows a continuity between the Old Testament Church (National Israel) and the New Testament Church (Jews and Gentiles who profess Christ) that many today deny. Israel IS the Church and the Church IS Israel!
© 2010 Sean Hoss
Finally, My contribution.
Though the church today is populated by mostly gentiles - the foundation of the church is thoroughly Jewish:
Jesus, the chief cornerstone of the new Temple is a Jew. Eph 2:19-20
The Apostles and Prophets are Jewish - ibid.
The scriptures were written by Jews - Rom 3:2
You could even argue that Luke was a Helenistic Jew living in the Diaspora.
Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and [with] our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Here Paul, speaking to Christians, calls the Church the Israel of God:
Gal 6:16 And as many as walk according to this rule, peace [be] on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Here the angel tells John that the prophets are our brothers, meaning that we are one people, one faith, one baptism, and one Body of Christ, and all believers, Old Testament and New Testament, are members of one Church.
Rev 22:9Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
One Body, One Faith, God doesn't have two people, the middle wall of partition is torn down in Christ.
The Old Testament saints were saved because they looked forward to the Messiah and the cross. The New Testament believer is saved by looking back to the cross.
There is not two plans of salvation.
and more. . .
From Sean Hoss
Israel and the Church.
July 16, 2010 at 12:27pm
The church does not replace Israel because the church IS Israel! We have this faulty notion that they are radically different entities, and we forget that Christianity is the 'sect of the Nazarenes' (Acts 24:5) That means in early Christianity, the churches of Christ were considered part of Judaism. They are really one entity, though:
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. (Gal 3:6-7)
26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:26-29)
Believers ARE the seed of Abraham, and heirs of the promise.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. (Rom 9:6-8)
Not all physical descendants of Abraham are his true seed.
25 For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?
27 And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (Rom 2:25-29)
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. (Heb 2:12)
Which quotes this:
22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. (Psalm 22:22)
The church is simply the same word as the congregation of Israel, especially as mentioned in the wilderness with Moses:
37 ¶This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: (Acts 7:37-38)
16 For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.
17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.
23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? (Rom 11:16-24)
Believers are grafted into Israel as it also states in Ephesians 2:
11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; (Eph 2:11-20)
If the Gentiles were once aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, now they are fellowcitizens with the saints and of the household of God. They belong to the house of Israel, as this next two verses teach:
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (Jer 31:31)
For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. (Matt 26:28)
The New Covenant was made with the house of Israel. If we are forgiven our sins because of Christ's blood, and are in the New Covenant, then we belong to the house of Israel. There are many other verses which I could mention, such as Peter calling us like Israel:
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Pet 2:9-10 cf Ex 19:6) or how Paul describes the Gentiles in Christ:
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. (Rom 9:24-26 look at Hosea 2:23 and 1:10)
Suffice it to say the bible shows a continuity between the Old Testament Church (National Israel) and the New Testament Church (Jews and Gentiles who profess Christ) that many today deny. Israel IS the Church and the Church IS Israel!
© 2010 Sean Hoss
Finally, My contribution.
Though the church today is populated by mostly gentiles - the foundation of the church is thoroughly Jewish:
Jesus, the chief cornerstone of the new Temple is a Jew. Eph 2:19-20
The Apostles and Prophets are Jewish - ibid.
The scriptures were written by Jews - Rom 3:2
You could even argue that Luke was a Helenistic Jew living in the Diaspora.
