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Israel and the Church
There are many who talk about Israel and �The Church� and we rejoice that at
least they are trying to show some difference between them as there surely
is. But there is a problem brought about by the various meanings of the word
�church� and sometimes in our discussion of God�s Word we might not be
thinking the same thing as we use the term.
As we all know, we use the word �church� in a variety of ways. In common
parlance it can refer to a building, the meeting inside the building, the
denomination which owns and runs the system, or to some, it can have some
vague connotation about �all believers�.
In the New Testament the original word is used for the Jewish synagogue
(Matt.18:17), a group of believers (Acts 2:47), a group of believers at a
specific location (Acts 13:1 et al), the Law Courts of the time (Acts 19:39)
and an unruly mob (Acts 19:410). In these last two references, �assembly� is
the Greek word ekklesia but the translators baulked that an unregenerate mob
could be called a "church�.
For too long Bible expositors have injected traditional concepts of �the
church� into every occurrence of the word �church�. This has not helped in
my view. We must examine the context very carefully whenever we see the word
�church�.
For example there have been those who, because they see the word �church� in
Matt.16 or Acts 2 assume that it automatically means us, today, and the
tradition therefore remains that Pentecost was the �birthday of �the
Church�. This concept, after careful examination, must be rejected by all
students of the Word of Truth.
Used in isolation, the word �church� is not specific enough. It is a
confusion to talk about �Israel� and �the church�.
Here are some different �churches� of God�s redeemed. These are not local
assemblies; they are named corporations of believers, groups of God�s
children formed into companies or churches:
The Church of the Firstborn
Heb 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,
Heb 12:23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are
written in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just
men made perfect,
The Church which is His Body
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head
over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
The Church which is Israel
Act 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel
which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the
lively oracles to give unto us:
It surprises some to see that Israel is in fact a �church�, but this is very
true. Israel is a called out company, with a specific inheritance, specific
promises and a specific purpose before God.
Can we see the problem when we talk about Israel and �the church�? We are in
fact talking about two �churches� and we must be more specific in our
language in my view.
Let us be very clear about this. The New Testament must be handled very
carefully. In all its pages are truths which apply to all time, for all
�churches�, but there are truths which are �church� specific.
The Lord Christ said this which is true for all of the Redeemed no matter
what �church� they belong to;
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life! He who
believes in Me, though he die, yet he shall live.
But the Lord Christ also said this;
Mat 5:5 Blessed are the meek! For they shall inherit the earth.
The above statement of Matt.5:5 is �church� specific. It must not be applied
to our �church�. It has nothing to do with us today who live in this present
dispensation of the Mystery. Members of the �church which is His Body� will
never inherit the earth. But the church, Israel, has always been destined
for the earth. See Gen.12:1-3 et al.
And indeed, it offends some when it is suggested that the Lord Christ Jesus
actually came to minister to the church, Israel;
Rom 15:8 And I say, Jesus Christ has become a minister of the circumcision
for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,
And again;
Heb 3:1 Therefore, holy brothers, called to be partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ
Jesus,
Heb 3:5 And Moses truly was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a
testimony of those things which were to be spoken afterward.
Heb 3:6 But Christ was faithful as a Son over his own house; whose house we
are, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to
the end.
In the above passage from Hebrews, the writer uses the word �we� in the
phrase whose house we are. Just because he uses the word �we� does not give
us license to include ourselves. The writer is specifically talking to
Hebrews, not �we� Gentiles who live in this dispensation of the Grace of
God. We must be very careful when we read the word �we� or other plural
pronouns in the Word of God. The Lord Christ was faithful as a Son over his
own house; The Lord had a ministry to Israel as Moses had foretold in Deut.
18:15 and �we� today, are not included in that particular house.
The Lord Christ was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,
�and there is salvation in no other One; for there is no other name under
Heaven given among men by which we must be saved� BUT, His ministry was to
Israel.
Mat 10:5 Jesus sent out these twelve, commanding them, saying, Do not go
into the way of the nations, and do not enter into any city of the
Samaritans.
Mat 10:6 But rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Mat 10:7 And as you go, proclaim, saying, The kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Mat 15:22 And behold, a woman of Canaan coming out of these borders cried to
Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is
grievously vexed with a demon.
Mat 15:23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and
begged Him, saying, Send her away, for she cries after us.
Mat 15:24 But He answered and said, I am not sent except to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel.
The mother of our Lord was told �church� specific truth:
Luk 1:31 And behold! You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you
shall call His name JESUS.
Luk 1:32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest. And
the Lord God shall give Him the throne of His father David.
Luk 1:33 And He shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His
kingdom there shall be no end.
The Lord Christ will reign over the house of Jacob on the earth, this truth
relates to the church, Israel. It must not be spiritualized to mean anything
else. The word of God means what it says and says what it means.
The minister for today, the Apostle of us Gentiles (we are not spiritual
Israel, we do not replace an Israelite), is the Apostle Paul;
Eph 3:1 For this cause, I, Paul, am the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you
nations,
Eph 3:8 This grace is given to me (who am less than the least of all saints)
to preach the gospel of the unsearchable riches of Christ among the nations,
Eph 3:9 and to bring to light what is the fellowship of the mystery which
from eternity has been hidden in God, who created all things by Jesus
Christ;
Col 1:24 who now rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf, and I fill up the
things lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, on behalf of His
body, which is the church;
Col 1:25 of which I became a minister, according to the administration of
God given to me for you, to fulfill the Word of God;
Col 1:26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations,
but now has been revealed to His saints.
The specific truths relating to the �church which is His Body� will only be
found with the Apostle Paul. This does not suggest that Paul is in any way
greater than his Lord. Indeed, Paul tells us very clearly that he is only
teaching the truths the ascended Lord Christ gave him, please see 1
Cor.1:13, 2Tim.1:8, Eph.31, 4:1, and Philemon 1:1.
Here are some �church� specific things which are about us in our �church�,
the Body of Christ, given to us by the ascended Christ through His messenger
for us today;
Our blessings are �in the heavenlies�.
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who blessed
us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ;
Our condition is holy and without blame but our location is �before Him�,
that is, �in front of His Face�;
Eph 1:4 according as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy and without blame before Him
The church which is His Body is seated in the same place Christ is seated;
Eph 1:19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us, the
ones believing according to the working of His mighty strength
Eph 1:20 which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He
seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies,
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love with which He
loved us
Eph 2:5 (even when we were dead in sins) has made us alive together with
Christ (by grace you are saved),
Eph 2:6 and has raised us up together and made us sit together in the
heavenlies in Christ Jesus,
Yes, there are universal, or what I would call fundamental truths in all of
God�s Word which are indeed applicable for all of God�s redeemed, but we
must beware, there are passages in the NT which are �church� specific and
cannot be applied to us today. It is the apostle Paul who warns us of the
shame and disapproval of those who do not rightly divide God�s Words, please
compare the following;
2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
2Ti 3:17 that the man of God may be perfected, thoroughly furnished to every
good work.
2Ti 2:15 Study earnestly to present yourself approved to God, a workman that
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.
Before Paul tells Timothy that all scripture is God-breathed, he warns him
to rightly divide that Scripture.
I appreciate that this is not easy, but it is my view that certain
traditions have made it so, not the rightly divided Word of Truth.
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