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The Relationship between Israel and the Church



National / Physical Israel

Gentiles (= non-Jews)

Jews by birth (Colossians 4)

Gentiles by birth (Ephesians 2)

 

"Salvation: First to the Jew... then to the Gentile." (Romans 1:16, etc.)

 

 

NO DIFFERENCE

All have sinned (Romans 3:22-24)

All may be saved (Romans 10:11-13)

 

 

 

The saved Jew became part of...

The saved Gentile became part of...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The (true) Church

 

 

(Jews)

(Gentiles)

 

Israel according to the flesh

NOT true Jews (Romans 2;

Revelation 2-3) / NOT true Israel,

i.e., "Not all descendants of Israel are part of Israel." (Romans 9:6)

Spiritual Israel

"The Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16)

A true Jew/true Israel (Romans 2, 9)



These are regarded as such

(Romans 2, 9)


Not Jews / Not Israel

Abraham - their physical father

Abraham's physical sons/offspring

Abraham - their physical father

Abraham's physical sons/offspring

Abraham - NOT their physical father

NOT Abraham's physical sons/offspring

Abraham - NOT their physical father

NOT Abraham's physical sons/offspring

NOT "true" offspring

(Romans 9; John 8)

Abraham - their father spiritually (Romans 4)

Abraham's true (spiritual) offspring (Romans 4; 9; Galatians 3)

Abraham - their father spiritually (Romans 4)

Abraham's true (spiritual) offspring (Romans 4; 9; Galatians 3)

Abraham - NOT their father spiritually; NOT Abraham's true (spiritual) offspring.


NOT heirs /sons of the promise (Romans 4, 9-11)


Heirs / sons of the promise (Romans 9; Ephesians 3; Galatians)

In the past separated; now "brought near" (Ephesians 2)

Now heirs with Israel (Jews) (Ephesians 3; Romans 9;

Galatians 3:28)

Separated from Christ, without hope, without God (Ephesians 2)

Circumcised externally (only)

Regarded as NOT circumcised (Romans 2)

Circumcised externally AND in heart (Romans 2)

Regarded as circumcised (Romans 2)

Called "uncircumcised" by the Jews (Ephesians 2)

 

External circumcision regarded as no longer important (Galatians)

 

Covenant - on stone - only external

Scriptures - given to them (Romans 3); they disobey the Scriptures

Covenant - in hearts - internal

Scriptures - given to them

à (also true of the saved Gentiles)

Do not have the Law, though it's requirements are written on their hearts (Romans 2)

 

"We uphold the Law" (and the rest of Scripture) (Romans 3)

 

Law's motivation - only external

Law's motivation - internal

à (also true of the saved Gentiles)

(Like the unsaved Jews)

Hearts not changed / old nature

They don't live by faith (trust) in God; therefore are condemned

Hearts changed - a new creation (2 Corinthians 5)

Live by faith (trust) in God; therefore are saved (Romans 1; Galatians 1)

(Like the unsaved Jews)

Reject Jesus Christ

Saved by Jesus Christ and his work on the cross (Ephesians 2)

Saved without distinction based on race (Romans 3)

(Like the unsaved Jews)

Not in Christ

In Christ

(Like the unsaved Jews)

 

The body of Christ

Barrier between Jew/Gentile destroyed by Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2)

One group (instead of two) (Ephesians; John 10)

United with Jesus Christ as its head (Ephesians 5, etc.)

 

May be zealous for God, but it's not based on knowledge (Romans 10)

Knows God (implied).

Have come to know God (= known by God)

(Galatians 4:9)

Does not know God

(1 Thessalonians 4:5)

As a group:

A "natural" branch, "broken off" the tree (Romans 11)

- hardened at the present

- if they repent... then rejoined

to the tree


A "natural" branch, attached to the tree (Romans 11)

As a group:

"Wild" branches, "grafted" into the tree

- standing by faith (Romans 11)


"Wild" branches, not belonging to the tree (Romans 11)

Romans 11:26+

Prophecy: When this group (all living at the time described) turns to Jesus Christ... à


... then "all Israel (the whole race living at that time) will be saved."

 

 

They have been "hardened in part" until... à

 

..."the full number of Gentiles have come in."

 

 

The Righteous (= saved)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Unrighteous (= unsaved)

 



Dennis Hinks © 1985, 2010
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