{"id":939,"date":"2020-12-23T04:31:21","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T04:31:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/?p=939"},"modified":"2021-02-27T04:25:20","modified_gmt":"2021-02-27T04:25:20","slug":"biblical-evidence-that-the-ekklesia-is-elect-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/2020\/biblical-evidence-that-the-ekklesia-is-elect-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"Biblical Evidence That the Ekklesia Is Elect Israel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>This post lists the passages I have found that support the Reformed understanding of the Church while contradicting the Dispensational understanding; specifically, they show us that the Church is the New Testament form of the Old Testament Israel. They do not directly address secondary issues such as eschatology; while eschatology is highly important to both systems, under the reformed system, eschatology is driven by other doctrines (such as ecclesiology and and soteriology) rather than vice versa. (This is why, of the four orthodox positions, three are commonly held by the Reformed and only one is ever held by the Dispensational.) This post does not offer a framework for systematizing these passages but only brief arguments for or explanations of the relevance of the passages to this debate; I plan to put together a skeletal framework in a later post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Primary Passages<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Acts 15:13-18<\/strong> (cf Amos 9:11-12) \u2013 James states that the inclusion of the Gentiles into the Church fulfills Amos\u2019 prophecy that David\u2019s tent (house) would be restored. Even if one argues the Gentiles are separate from David\u2019s house in Amos, James tells us the inclusion of the Gentiles in the Church means David\u2019s house has been rebuilt. Therefore, the Church, with David\u2019s Son as its head, is David\u2019s rebuilt house. Because this prophecy is fulfilled in\/by the church, Amos\u2019 prophecy is an example of the Church being foretold in the OT.<br>(Side note: With the Church, the longstanding play on the word \u201chouse\u201d is finally concluded; David wanted to build God a house (temple), but God promised to build David\u2019s house (family). In the Church, David\u2019s house is now God\u2019s house.)<\/li><li><strong>Romans 2:25-29<\/strong> (esp 28 &amp; 29) \u2013 Paul reveals that physical circumcision is irrelevant; instead, the heart condition (circumcision of the heart) determines who is a Jew (a member of Israel) and who is not. (Note that ethnic purity or descent from Abraham was never of major concern under the Old Covenant but rather inclusion in the covenant by means of circumcision. I\u2019m not including the evidence for that in this post.)<\/li><li><strong>Romans 9:6-7<\/strong> (also v8-13 &amp; cf John 1:11-13) \u2013 Physical descent is inadequate for inclusion in spiritual Israel. Implicit is that physical descent is completely irrelevant \u2013 \u201cthe children of promise are counted as offspring\u201d (cf Gal 4:28). The verses following 9:6 focus the discussion on election and supernatural birth rather than physical birth or ethnic descent. (See <em>MacArthur\u2019s Millennial Manifesto<\/em> by Samuel Waldron, pgs 49-55 for a detailed argument.)<\/li><li><strong>Romans 11:16-24<\/strong> \u2013 Unbelieving Jews have been removed from Israel and the saved Gentiles have been added to Israel. The warnings as well as the context tell us the tree is Israel. Being removed from the tree is a sign of unbelief therefore the tree cannot represent \u201cGod\u2019s focus\/plan&#8221; since God&#8217;s focus directly involves the unbelieving. And Paul\u2019s argument centers on the present remnant of Israel, therefore the tree must represent Israel. The tree \u201cbelongs\u201d to those who were cut off while the Gentiles were cut from a separate tree to be added to the cultivated tree. Finally, there is no new tree, but the same tree with Gentiles added and unbelieving Jews removed.<\/li><li><strong>Galatians 3:7-29 (in particular 7, 15-18, 27-29)<\/strong> \u2013 The Abrahamic promises were made to Abraham and his (singular) offspring, Christ. Any who are of faith, who are in Christ, are also Abraham\u2019s offspring \u2013 sons of Abraham. Israel (the nation) was never given the promises unconditionally, but only conditionally through the Mosaic Covenant; to claim otherwise is to claim that God added to the covenant after it was ratified since the covenant was made only with Abraham and Christ. Those of faith (the Israel of God\/true Israel, also called \u201cthe remnant\u201d) in national Israel are in Christ and therefore unconditional recipients of the promises. Any who are in Christ are one people.<\/li><li><strong>Galatians 6:16<\/strong> \u2013 Paul pronounces a blessing upon all who follow the rule that circumcision is irrelevant. The blessing is on either one monolithic group (those that follow the rule) or on two distinct groups (those that follow the rule and ethnic Jews). The Greek allows for either interpretation but the context demands a singular group. If Paul\u2019s blessing is on two groups, then he has just violated his own rule and acknowledged that circumcision is relevant and counts for something; he has in fact undermined the message of the epistle he has just penned. We can only conclude that \u201cand\u201d is best understood as \u201ceven;\u201d therefore the Church is the Israel of God. (See <em>MacArthur\u2019s Millennial Manifesto<\/em> by Samuel Waldron, pgs 39-48 for a detailed argument.) It is important to note that Paul is not here introducing a new argument or doctrine; he is emphasizing the doctrine of his letter by explicitly referencing what was already understood by the early Church.<\/li><li><strong>Ephesians 2:11-21<\/strong> \u2013 Whereas the Gentiles were previously 1) separated from Christ, 2) aliens to Israel, 3) strangers to the covenants of promise, and 4) without hope and without God, now, believing Gentiles are brought near to God by being placed in Christ. Christ has, because he was made physical man, destroyed the division between Jew and Gentile by nullifying the Law. He did this in order to make a new man and so bring peace between man and God through the cross. Because he did this, Gentiles now 1) have access to God, 2) are no longer strangers and aliens, 3) are made citizens of Israel, 4) and are built (with the rest of Israel) on the prophets and apostles into the new temple with Christ as the cornerstone. Note that Paul still acknowledges physical distinctions (\u201cGentiles in the flesh\u201d \u201cwhat is called the circumcision\u201d) while arguing that the \u201creal\u201d differences have been undone. Finally, if the church is later removed and the nation of Israel becomes the primary focus of God, Christ\u2019s purpose for coming and dying is reversed (v15 \u201cHe did this to create in himself one new man out of two\u2026\u201d NET).<\/li><li><strong>1 Peter 2:9-10<\/strong> \u2013 The Church is here explicitly fulfilling promises given to Israel (v10 cf Hosea 1:6-9 &amp; 2:23); both Gentiles and Jews in the Church are now a people and have received mercy. The Church is a chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, people for God\u2019s possession. This is all language that describes Israel.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Supporting Passages<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>John 8:39<\/strong> (see context) \u2013 Jesus distinguished between Abraham\u2019s physical descendants and his spiritual descendants. The physical offspring are condemned because they are not Abraham\u2019s spiritual children.<\/li><li><strong>John 10:16<\/strong> \u2013 Jesus only has one flock. He brings the Gentiles (sheep not of the fold) into the fold so that there is only one fold.<\/li><li><strong>John 11:51-52<\/strong> \u2013 Jesus died so he could gather all the children of God into one people.<\/li><li><strong>Romans 4:13-16<\/strong> \u2013 The land promise (here explained to refer to the entire earth) is guaranteed to all Abraham\u2019s offspring. The Jewish people (\u201cthe adherents of the law\u201d or \u201cthey which are of the law\u201d) are not the heirs so that the promise is not void. The heirs are not simply those who are under the law but rather everyone who shares Abraham\u2019s faith.<\/li><li><strong>1 Corinthians 10:1<\/strong> \u2013 The church at Corinth was a mixed church of Jews and Gentiles. But here, without distinguishing between Gentiles and Jews, Paul states that the people of the exodus are the forefathers of the Corinthians. He is concerned that they might not know of the stated episode in the history of Israel, something no ethnic Jew would forget. Rather than reminding them, he is informing them!<\/li><li><strong>1 Corinthians 10:18<\/strong> (see a formal translation eg KJV, NKJV, YLT, LITV) \u2013 By using one half of his frequent \u201cflesh\u201d vs \u201dspirit\u201d formulation, Paul implies there is an \u201cIsrael after the spirit.\u201d This also implies that \u201cIsrael after the spirit\u201d cannot simply be a subset of \u201cIsrael after the flesh\u201d but must be a different set.<\/li><li><strong>1 Corinthians 12:2<\/strong> (see NKJV, ASV) \u2013 The usual Greek for \u201cGentile\u201d is used. The use of the past tense implies that the Corinthian Christians are no longer pagan Gentiles but also that they are not Christian Gentiles; they are now members of God\u2019s re-formed Israel.<\/li><li><strong>2 Corinthians 6:16-7:1<\/strong> (cf Lev 26:12, Jer 32:38, Eze 37:27, Hosea 1:9-10, Jer 31:9, Isaiah 52:11, Eze 20:41, 2 Sam 7:14, Isaiah 43:6, noting the context of each) \u2013 We are the true temple of God, just as he promised in the OT (promises made to Israel). Those promises in the OT are given to us, the Church (7:1).<\/li><li><strong>Galatians 4:21-31<\/strong> \u2013 The son of the slave (Haggar) was born according to the flesh and not promise. Ethnic Israel corresponds to Haggar but we (the Church) are children of promise.<\/li><li><strong>Hebrews 2:16<\/strong> (see ~v9ff) \u2013 Jesus was made a man so that he would be able to help the offspring of Abraham, implied to be all the elect. (See the NLT if needed)<\/li><li><strong>Hebrews 6:17-18<\/strong> \u2013 God gave his oath in order to show his unchangeable purpose to the heirs of the promise. His oath and his promise were given so that we who have fled to him for refuge might have strong confidence. We who have fled for refuge (Christians) are implied to be the heirs of the promise.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Supporting Passages \u2013 Jesus is True Israel<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>Crucial to the Reformed understanding of the Church as Israel is recognizing that the New Testament teaches Jesus is True Israel. These verses support that claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Matthew 2:13-15<\/strong> (cf. Hosea 11:1) \u2013 Matthew tells us Joseph &amp; Mary fled to Egypt to fulfill God\u2019s prophecy that he would call his son Israel out of Egypt. Note that a \u201cliteral\u201d reading requires this to be a <em>fulfillment<\/em> of Hosea\u2019s prophecy, not merely a literary reference to Hosea.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 3:13ff<\/strong> \u2013 Like OT Israel, upon leaving Egypt Jesus\u2019 next action is to \u201cpass through\u201d the water. Of course much time had intervened in reality but Matthew presents this as the next event in Jesus\u2019 life.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 3:16-17<\/strong> (cf Exodus 4:22-23, Jeremiah 31:20, Hosea 11:1-2) \u2013 Just like OT Israel, Jesus is proclaimed to be God\u2019s Son.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 4:1-11<\/strong> \u2013 Immediately following his baptism, Jesus then spends 40 days in the wilderness where, like OT Israel, he was tested but, unlike OT Israel, he successfully resisted every temptation. The parallel of 40 days with OT Israel\u2019s 40 years in the wilderness is obvious.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 12:15-21<\/strong> (cf Isaiah 42:1-4, see the context, esp 41:8) \u2013 Matthew informs us that Jesus\u2019 miracles of healing (at least these specific ones) were done to fulfill an OT prophesy about Israel. Matthew directly implies that Jesus is the servant in the OT prophesy, who, in context, is literally Israel.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 8:14-17<\/strong> (cf Isaiah 53:4) \u2013 Matthew tells us that Jesus\u2019 healing of the sick &amp; casting out demons fulfills Isaiah\u2019s prophecy of a suffering, healing servant. While the servant of Isaiah 53 is a strongly debated point, the original champions of the literal hermeneutic, the Jews, are quite certain that Israel is the servant spoken of here (see here for example \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/outreachjudaism.org\/gods-suffering-servant-isaiah-53\">https:\/\/outreachjudaism.org\/gods-suffering-servant-isaiah-53<\/a>).<\/li><li><strong>John 15:1<\/strong> (cf Psalm 80:8-16, Isaiah 5:1-30, esp v7, Jeremiah 2:21, Hosea 10:1, Mark 12:1-9) \u2013 Jesus calls himself the true vine. The word \u201ctrue\u201d requires a type or predecessor of which Jesus is the true form. The OT and Jesus himself tell us Israel is the vine in question. If Israel is the typological vine, then Jesus, the true vine, is the true Israel.<\/li><li><strong>Acts 3:13<\/strong> (cf Isaiah 44:21, 49:3, 52:13, &amp; Luke 1:54-55) \u2013 Just like OT Israel, Jesus is God\u2019s servant. God glorified his servant, just as Isaiah predicted (52:13).<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The New Covenant Is Given to Elect Israel, the Ekkelsia<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>The New Testament speaks of the New Covenant exclusively in terms of the Church. It has no conception of it being made with national Israel. Since the New Covenant is made with Israel, the fact that it is made exclusively with the Church provides strong evidence the Church is elect Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Jeremiah 31:31-34<\/strong> \u2013 Jeremiah is clear the covenant is made with Israel.<\/li><li><strong>Luke 22:20<\/strong> \u2013 Almost every biblical covenant required blood be shed; Christ\u2019s blood, symbolized by the wine and poured out at the cross, seals the New Covenant. The ordinance that symbolizes this was given specifically to the Church.<\/li><li><strong>1 Corinthians 11:25<\/strong> \u2013 Again, this time in the context of a largely Gentile church, we are told that Christ\u2019s blood is the New Covenant. His blood was shed for his Church.<\/li><li><strong>2 Corinthians 3:6<\/strong> \u2013 Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, and Timothy are ministers of the New Covenant. The context (esp v3) tells us this is the same covenant spoken of in Jeremiah \u2013 the writing of this covenant is not on tablets of stone (Old Covenant) but on the heart.<\/li><li><strong>Hebrews 8:1, 6-13<\/strong> \u2013 Christ mediates a covenant that is better than the Old Covenant. The quotation from Jeremiah 31 tells us the better covenant Christ is currently mediating is the New Covenant.<\/li><li><strong>Hebrews 9:14-15<\/strong> \u2013 Jesus mediates the New Covenant for those who are called. Both Jews and Gentiles are called by Christ.<\/li><li><strong>Hebrews 10:10-19<\/strong> \u2013 Christ\u2019s sacrifice fulfills the promise of the New Covenant. Any who are in this covenant have forgiveness of sins and may enter the holy place.<\/li><li><strong>Hebrews 12:22-24<\/strong> \u2013 Unlike the Israelites under Moses (see the context), New Testament believers have come to the fulfillment of the Old Testament types. We are able to come because Jesus mediates the New Covenant with His sprinkled blood.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Kingdom Is Not Postponed<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>These are several of the New Testament references to the kingdom that show the kingdom was not postponed and cannot be understood as an earthly, national kingdom. They show instead that the kingdom, in some sense, is the gospel\/Church and not an exclusively Jewish construction. That the kingdom is in some way currently present and is related to all Christians is further evidence that the New Testament understands the ekklesia to be Israel. Further, it is evidence that the Dispensational hermeneutic, rather than allowing the New Testament to speak for itself, predetermines what the New Testament is allowed to say. This section does not attempt to offer a comprehensive examination or systematic theology of the kingdom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Matthew 8:11-12<\/strong> \u2013 The \u201csons of the kingdom\u201d are rejected while the Gentiles will take their place in the kingdom. Note that this pronouncement takes place prior to the rejection of Jesus by Israel.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 12:26-28<\/strong> \u2013 The kingdom is already present during Jesus ministry. Jesus miracles of casting out demons is proof that the kingdom has arrived. The kingdom was not on offer; it came despite being rejected by the Jewish leaders.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 13:31-33<\/strong> \u2013 The kingdom spreads to\/throughout the entire world. It is not stopped by the failure of the Jews.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 21:43<\/strong> \u2013 The Kingdom of God is taken from the Jews (specifically the leadership) and given to the Church (\u201ca people producing its fruit,\u201d both Jews and Gentiles). Note this is the same kingdom Jesus has already been proclaiming (previously called Kingdom of Heaven in Matthew).<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 22:1-14<\/strong> \u2013 Jesus continued to teach about the kingdom of heaven after the Jews rejected Jesus and he announced it was taken from them (Matt 21:43). This parable again explains that the kingdom would be given to those who were not originally invited to kingdom (the Gentiles).<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 23:22<\/strong> \u2013 \u201cHeaven\u201d can be used to signify \u201cGod\u201d. The Kingdom of Heaven is synonymous with the Kingdom of God.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 24:14<\/strong> \u2013 The gospel refers to the kingdom; they are not separate.<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 25:31-34, 46<\/strong> \u2013 The kingdom is intended for all the elect, both Jew &amp; Gentile. Because of the \u201calready-not yet\u201d nature of the kingdom there is no reason to suppose this passage teaches the kingdom has not yet come (see vs 14-30 for example). Further, the kingdom is synonymous with eternal life, something that all the saved currently have (1 John 5:13).<\/li><li><strong>Matthew 28:18-20<\/strong> \u2013 The kingdom is the basis for the great commission. Jesus is king (i.e. the kingdom is here!) and therefore we make disciples.<\/li><li><strong>John 3:3, 5<\/strong> \u2013 Jewishness is unrelated to the kingdom. Rather, salvation is the entrance to the kingdom.<\/li><li><strong>John 18:36<\/strong> \u2013 The kingdom is not a worldly (read \u201cthis present, fallen world\u201d) kingdom, but a spiritual (read \u201cheavenly\u201d or \u201cnew creation\u201d rather than \u201canti-material\u201d) kingdom.<\/li><li><strong>Romans 14:17<\/strong> \u2013 The kingdom is not physical, this-worldy, but spiritual, next-worldly.<\/li><li><strong>Acts 1:3-8<\/strong> \u2013 Jesus\u2019 apparent non-answer to the disciples question is not an indication that they misunderstood the timing of the kingdom, but rather that the disciples misunderstood the nature of the kingdom. As soon as the Spirit came upon the disciples (Acts 2:14-36), they began to proclaim the reigning king \u2013 the kingdom had come.<\/li><li><strong>Acts 2:14-36<\/strong> (esp 29-36) &#8211; Peter&#8217;s first act following Pentecost and the giving of the Spirit is to proclaim that the King is on David&#8217;s throne; the kingdom has come. (Note v30 &amp; cf 2 Sam 7:12-13.) Also, Peter completely fails to understand the prophecy from Joel in a literal manner, but says the cataclysmic language is fulfilled at Pentecost. Finally, Joel\u2019s prophecy referred to Pentecost (and presumably afterwards); therefore, Joel prophesied about the \u201cchurch age\u201d.<\/li><li><strong>Acts 8:12, 14:22<\/strong> \u2013 The Christian life (salvation, persecution) is all directly related to the kingdom.<\/li><li><strong>Acts 20:25<\/strong> \u2013 Paul was a preacher of the kingdom to those at Ephesus (v17). Preaching the Gospel is preaching the kingdom.<\/li><li><strong>Acts 28:17-31<\/strong> \u2013 The same kingdom Paul preached to the Jews and Gentiles is the kingdom spoken of in the Old Testament and that Jesus proclaimed in Israel. It continued to be offered to Jews first and then to the Gentiles once the Jews continued to reject it.<\/li><li><strong>Colossians 1:13<\/strong> \u2013 Christians have been transferred from darkness to Christ\u2019s kingdom. We are presently in the kingdom.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This post lists the passages I have found that support the Reformed understanding of the Church while contradicting the Dispensational understanding; specifically, they show us that the Church is the New Testament form of the Old Testament Israel. They do not directly address secondary issues such as eschatology; while eschatology<a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/2020\/biblical-evidence-that-the-ekklesia-is-elect-israel\/\"> continue reading&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[14,16,10,9,15,8],"class_list":["post-939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-church","tag-covenant","tag-covenant-theology","tag-dispensationalism","tag-israel","tag-theology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=939"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":959,"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/939\/revisions\/959"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/isaacbest.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}