WHO ARE ISRAELITES IN THIS DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD? DO THE JEWS AND GENTILE BELIEVERS CORPORATELY CONSTITUTE ISRAEL TODAY? A REBUTTAL TO A BROTHERLY OBJECTION: Williams Femi, a dear brother in the Lord has raised objection to the teaching that Israelites or Jews exist today as a people identical to those of old testament and of Pentecostal era. He has cited a Corinthian text to support his theory of the Church being the present day Israel. ‘’Are you aware that the Antioch church comprised both Greek speaking Jews and gentiles? Likewise, most of the churches Paul wrote to, Corinth, for example. You need to reevaluate your comments and see who comprised the first century church. while Hebrews 1: 1 spoke of the fathers, Paul referred to Abraham as OUR FATHER in Romans 4: 1 and THE WILDERNESS JEWS WHO WERE LED BY MOSES AS OUR FATHERS IN 1 CO 10: 1. Why? Because all who believed in Jesus, the seed of Abraham, becomes one body with Christ - Ephesians 5 :30 - 31 and 1 Co 12: 27 - and thus are called the seed of Abraham - Galatians 3: 27 - 29. The distinction you are bringing out is uncalled for Bible - wise. So, to whom was the book of Hebrews written? Jews only? No! Its stated nowhere in the book! Its clear that the recipients were conversant with Jewish writings - hence, its correct to assume they comprised Jews, proselytes and gentile God fearers who had become Christians.’’-Williams Femi. ‘’Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea.’’(1Corinthians 10:1 ).He argues that since Paul refers to ‘’all our fathers were under the cloud,’’ then the fathers must be of the body of Christ, the Church of God, comprising both Jews and Gentile believers. But that interpretation would contradict clear statement by the apostle elsewhere in which he plainly says that the fathers were of Israelites. ‘’Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption……Whose are the fathers,…….’’(Romans 9:4-5). Since according Paul in the above Roman text ‘’ his kinsmen according to the flesh ……ARE(presently) Israelites WHOSE ARE (presently) the fathers, in his characteristic style admonition to Galatians saints to desist from ‘’ preaching any other gospel than that he initially preached to them,’’ he would not by his statement in 1Corinthians 10:1, in the same vein contradict what he earlier taught the Roman saints. By the words, ‘’ that all our fathers’’ in the Corinthian text, Paul only meant his and Sosthenes’ kinsmen as fathers and not to them as members of the Church of God. It would also be contrary to commonsense for Paul to have in view the Church of God as Israel to whom the fathers are in his opening remarks at 1Corinthians 10 and proceed to make a sharp distinction between the same Church of God and Israel in the same context at verse 32.’’Give no offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God.’’ In Paul’s mind the Jews are not the Church of God and the Church of God is not the Jews. This is a matter that should not be a subject of controversy. Charles O. Ndege
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 06:53:49 +0000
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