Dispensational Proof 16

16. Israel and the Church 

            A careful study of the two words in the Bible, Israel and church, will reveal two very detailed plans of God for these two groups. The idea of these two groups being distinct is not a presupposition but comes from careful exegesis of Scripture. Both the words Israel and church have a clearly distinct meaning and reference in every context of the New Testament. Ephesians chapters 2-3 will lead to a proper understanding that the church age is an intercalation. The church is a mystery that was never revealed in God’s plan until Jesus and Paul in the New Testament (Colossians 1:24-27). The church is the “new man” encompassing both redeemed Jew and Gentile into one body. The church is not in the Old Testament passages regarding Israel. Several times Paul speaks of the church as a separate body consisting of Jews and Gentiles. Yet at the same time Paul maintains various groups as distinct. Eighteen times after Acts chapter two when the church began, the Bible uses the words Jew and Greek in the same verse. Only 5 of these occasions equate the Jew and Greek as not having distinction in the body of Christ yet the ethnic titles are maintained in the rest of God’s revelation. God calls men and women, slaves and free as one in Christ. The distinctions of these groups in no way eliminates their real earthly physical uniqueness. Clearly, God is not speaking of the elimination of the groups but simply their position in Christ. Spiritually, the saved Jew and Gentile are one in Christ and yet the NT maintains that God still recognizes a national ethnic group of Jews who have hardened hearts who are yet to believe.

A couple decades after the church was  instituted and empowered by the Holy Spirit the Apostle Paul continues to maintain distinction of various groups even though some of that group are part of the church by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, 1 Corinthians 10:32 (NKJV). Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles are swallowed up or erased as a people group by the church. It is a mystery and part of a dispensation given specifically to the Apostle Paul to reveal.

CAM