RCM
Active member
Hello RCM! Welcome to the forum. BTW, I am not a full pret... (for the record)
First, where did I ever say the Church replaced Israel? You are reading that in to my post. I am saying the Church is OT Israel and the post resurrection believers together. Here are some verses to ponder:
Your statement here is not clear at all
First you say the Church doesn't replace Israel then you say the Church is OT Israel
Israel is Israel
How could the Church be OT Israel? The Church didn't exist prior to Christ
The Church is a new entity, built upon Christ (Matthew 16:18), birthed in Acts 2
11 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you 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 you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
It is important to know that we are no longer aliens to the commonwealth of Israel and We are no longer strangers to the covenants thanks to he blood of Christ.
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.
Christ made peace between the believers who descend from Jacob and the believers who are gentile. He created one new man from the Jews and the gentiles.
You left off Ephesians 2:18-19, "for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household"
Paul is speaking about the 'People of God' those who are of the faith of Abraham,
Galatians 3:6-9, "Even so Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED to him as righteousness. Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL the nations will be blessed in YOU." So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer."
There is unity and diversity, you have to keep the diversity
16 For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and [d]fatness of the olive tree, 18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” 20 Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. 22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, [e]goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
I think this completes my thought. We gentiles are grafted into the fig tree...
You need to read this and focus on the 'root'
The root makes Israel holy
The root makes the gentiles holy,
Romans 15:7-12, "Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers, and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, "THEREFORE I WILL GIVE praise to YOU AMONG the GENTILES, AND I WILL SING to YOUR NAME." Again he says, "REJOICE, O GENTILES, WITH HIS PEOPLE." And again, "PRAISE the LORD all you GENTILES, AND LET ALL the peoples praise HIM." Again Isaiah says, "THERE SHALL COME THE ROOT of JESSE, AND HE WHO ARISES to rule over the GENTILES, IN HIM SHALL THE GENTILES hope."
Again, the Church is not Israel, and Israel is not the Church
You really never explain how gentiles becoming believers doesn't fulfill this passage below. You chose one word and decided to catapult the whole interpretation forward thousands of years. The Elders clearly identified the gentiles joining the ranks of believers as fulfilling this passage.
Acts 15:13-18
13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me.
14 "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.
15 "With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 'AFTER these things I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD the TABERNACLE of DAVID which has fallen, AND I WILL REBUILD its ruins, AND I WILL RESTORE it,
17 SO that the rest of MANKIND may seek the LORD, AND ALL the GENTILES WHO are called by MY NAME,'
18 SAYS the LORD, WHO MAKES these things known from long ago.
Acts 15 is consistent in theology with Ephesians 2, Galatians 3, Romans 11, and Romans 15
BTW, I have no doubt that YHWH has special plans for a future group of Jews...
Question for you;
Is modern day Israel the work of God in fulfilling His OT promises to Jacob and Israel? (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Amos, and etc.)
RCM