Our mission project for this year was a home for our director in Nicaragua and his family. We so appreciate each of you who support our business, because without you, this would not be possible. Moises and his family are very happy with their new home!
However, please understand that Paul was not saying that the Jews were not sinners as well. He had said as much in Romans 3:23 when he said that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It also needs to be understood that Paul here was not addressing all Jews but only those who know that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ. The language makes it clear that he is addressing those Jews who had placed their faith in Christ and not the Law. This would mean that they were grace believers.
Again, he said that by the works of the law shall no flesh by justified. This has to be referring to the new dispensation of grace because under the old dispensation of Law they were justified by the works of the Law. Paul said in Romans 2:13, For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. This verse is clearly not referring to this present dispensation of grace.
Also, James 2:20-26 also said the exact opposite when he said, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
It is pretty apparent that Paul and James are contradicting each other in these verses. What gives? The men were obviously saying two different things because they were addressing different audiences. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles and James was writing to the Jews who were still under the Law. Like many in the church today, I spent years trying to harmonize the glaring contradictions until I came to realize that.
Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. - Romans 1:24-27
Well, what do you know? These verses are still in the Bible even during the month of June.
A person can be incorrect regarding many biblical doctrines, yet still a Christian.
When I first got saved, all I knew was that I was a sinner and Jesus was my only hope. I didn't yet know Jesus was the son of God, about the Trinity, about baptism, or any number of any other deep and important doctrines.
The bottom line is that we can rebuke and correct bad ideas without calling into question the state of someone's soul in relationship to Christ.
Knowing what belongs to you is just as important as knowing what does not belong to you. If we are going to grow in our knowledge of the Bible, we must understand that it must be rightly divided for it to make sense and not contradict. The church today fails to do this on so many levels. In today's study we are looking at how to divide truth for the nation from truth for the church.
Knowing what belongs to you is just as important as knowing what does not belong to you. If we are going to grow in our knowledge of the Bible, we must understand that it must be rightly divided for it to make sense and not contradict. The church today fails to do this on so many levels. In today's study we are looking at how to divide truth for the nation from truth for the church.
My company, the Network of International Christian Schools, ran this in their monthly newsletter. It is an awesome organization that I am honored to serve with.
Paul makes this abundantly clear throughout his writings. In Galatians 1:11-12, But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. In Ephesians 3:2-4, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ). In Romans 2:16, In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. In Romans 16:25, Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began. In Galatians 1:15-17, But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. And also in Galatians 2:2, And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. And since it was only revealed to Paul, nothing in the Scriptures before Paul could possibly have been referring to the Body of Christ as we know it today.
It was only to Paul that it was revealed that in this current dispensation of grace, salvation was to be offered to both Jew and Gentile purely on the merits of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ apart from the law (Galatians 3:28).
Therefore, since salvation is now offered freely apart from the law, there is no way for the law to bring about righteousness. Our righteousness today comes by faith in Jesus Christ alone. Paul wrote in Romans 3:21-24, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
As a matter of fact, Paul wrote that we do not know any man after the flesh today in 2 Corinthians 5:16, Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Obviously, that is not merely talking about people we know walking around today. Instead, he is saying that the ministry of Christ, while he was in the flesh and walking this earth, had nothing to do with us, but everything to do with the nation of Israel. We only know the resurrected Christ as revealed through the Apostle Paul.
In conclusion, the teaching of spiritual Israel is dangerous, it is not the result of a literal reading of the Scriptures and it hinders far too many from recognizing the important truths for this present dispensation of grace in which we live.
We see this in the Old Testament when Moses wrote in Numbers 23:9, For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations. We see it again when is further wrote in Deuteronomy 7:6, For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
The Bible also says that it would be through the nation of Israel specifically that God would bring salvation to the world. Isaiah 46:13 says, I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory. Also, Zechariah 8:19-23 says, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The fast of the fourth month, and the fast of the fifth, and the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth, shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness, and cheerful feasts; therefore love the truth and peace. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass, that there shall come people, and the inhabitants of many cities: And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.
The Psalmist also prophecies that He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God in Psalms 98:3, i.e., salvation was first going to start with the Jews and then the ends of the earth. It was not God's plan that every Gentile become a member of Israel, but instead that they receive salvation from the God of Israel. There is a difference.
Also, the Psalmist wrote in Psalms 72:1-20, Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.
Plan A was that after Israel's national salvation was offered at Pentecost, the nation would be ministers and priests of the Lord taking salvation to the Gentiles as foretold in Isaiah 61:1-6, The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified. And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations. And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers. But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
In conclusion, to say that we have become Israel denies the very reason that God separated them from among the nations. So, the second thing they must do to see the church as Israel is to reject the significance of God's separation of Israel from the Gentiles.
I remind students of Scripture of the three Principles of Bible study that must always be remembered. 1. It must be interpreted literally unless the text dictates otherwise. Of course, this takes into account normal usage of figures of speech. 2. We should allow the Bible to interpret itself by comparing Scripture with Scripture (1 Cor 2:13). If there is a contradiction, then it is not the right interpretation. 3. The dispensational method must be used (2 Tim2:15).
The word dividing means literally to "cut straight". To do that, we must ask ourselves who wrote it, when did they write it, to whom was it written, and what did they understand was being said at the time. The approved of God study by rightly dividing the Word of Truth. Not truth from error, but truth from truth. There is truth for the nation of Israel that has nothing to do with the church and truth for the church that has nothing to do with the nation of Israel.
One example of many is found in Isaiah where it specifically says that God will establish His house in Judah and Jerusalem from where He will judge the nations one day. Isaiah 2:1-4 says, The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
To spiritualize these passages makes it necessary to spiritualize countless others that go on to describe in detail exactly what that holy city is going to be like as described in eight whole chapters beginning in Ezekiel 40. To spiritualize them makes their natural meaning completely lost! Actually, to do so gives permission to twist them to say whatever they want them to say. That is dangerous! That kind of handling of the Scriptures completely undermines their authority and God's prophetic plan and purpose for Israel.
Much of this spiritualization of the text began in the early 5th century when Augustine, specifically in his work, The City of God, surmised that because the literal kingdom did not come, it must be spiritual. As a result, the church became Israel, we are now living in the kingdom, the pope is Christ's vicar on earth, and Rome is the Holy City, i.e., amillennialism.
So, the first thing you must do to see the church as Israel it to deny the precise fulfillment of prophecy given specifically to Israel.
I strongly believe that the entire "spiritual Israel" teaching is the result of not rightly dividing the Word of God. As such, they fail to see the dispensational shift from God's dealings with the nation and the Body of Christ. Also, for anyone to arrive at the conclusion that the church is Israel in any way, shape, or form, requires a view that the Scriptures should not be interpreted literally. Therein lies the problem.
This erroneous view has led to literally everything promised to the nation has now been given to the church. Again, this teaching can only come from an allegorical reading of the text. By the way, according to the dictionary, allegorical is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning.
To make the Scriptures say that the church is spiritual or true Israel requires three things from those who are doing it. First, they must deny the precise fulfillment of prophecy given specifically to Israel. Second, they must reject the significance of God's separation of Israel from the Gentiles. Third, they must ignore the teaching of Jesus Christ according to the mystery as revealed to the Apostle Paul. We are going to take a look at each of these one at a time over the course of the next few studies.
