tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713231510890712652.post4737848535020116518..comments2024-03-02T08:27:42.344+00:00Comments on Theological Scribbles: The Gospel of Israel, part 7 (The Church and the Hope of Israel)Robin Parryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08856329564156757485noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713231510890712652.post-80658623155608792832008-08-16T11:49:00.000+01:002008-08-16T11:49:00.000+01:00TeresitaHi. I meant that in the Church Jews, Samar...Teresita<BR/><BR/>Hi. I meant that in the Church Jews, Samaritans (Acts 8) and Gentiles (Acts 8, 10-11) were united into one body. THAT happened, according to Acts.<BR/><BR/>Your historic survey is essentially correct. To my mind the problem is that the Gentile dominance led to a slight misdirection in Christian ecclesiology which down the road had big and terrible implications.<BR/><BR/>I will look at Galatians more carefully and get back to you (when I can). You raise a fair point. Galatians has several 'problem texts' for my thesis. It is a tricky letter to interpret (as is evidenced by the controversy surrounding its interpretation in NT studies). <BR/><BR/>RobinRobin Parryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08856329564156757485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713231510890712652.post-38507277692524218892008-08-15T06:38:00.000+01:002008-08-15T06:38:00.000+01:00Hi Robin,I started this series today, and I'll pro...Hi Robin,<BR/><BR/>I started this series today, and I'll probably read more in the coming days. What I like about it is that it shows how the New Testament can fulfill the Old Testament while remaining true to it. <BR/><BR/>I have some questions:<BR/><BR/>1. What do you make of the parts of the Old Testament where Gentiles observe the Sabbath (e.g., Isaiah 56; 66)? In Zechariah 14, they observe the Feast of Tabernacles. I'm writing a series on Sabbatarianism, so I'm interested to your response on this.<BR/><BR/>2. Ezekiel 44:9 says, "'Thus says the Lord God, "No foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, of all the foreigners who are among the sons of Israel, shall enter My sanctuary." How would you reconcile that with Gentiles coming into the church uncircumcised?<BR/><BR/>3. You seem to apply Ezekiel's temple to the church and--eventually--God's presence on earth. But why does Ezekiel discuss all these dimensions, or the division of Palestine? That sounds pretty literal, don't you think (though I've heard some argue it's unrealistic)? <BR/><BR/>4. I'm not sure if I'd apply the restoration of Northern Israel to the Samaritans. One reason is that they were half-Israelites. Plus, there are passages that seem to suggest the northern tribes will be brought in from exile (Ezekiel 37).James Patehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14247799389009268470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2713231510890712652.post-34107787120109075162008-08-10T18:20:00.000+01:002008-08-10T18:20:00.000+01:00...the word of the Lord could go out from Jerusale...<B>...the word of the Lord could go out from Jerusalem to Samaria (Acts 8 - uniting the Samaritans, descendants of the northern kingdom Israel, with the Jews, descendants of the southern kingdom of Judah) and then to the end of the earth (Acts 8, 10-11, 13ff) to bring in the nations to worship Israel's God.</B><BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, under mournful edicts by the <I>Christian</I> Byzantine Empire the Samaritans dwindled from a population in the hundreds of thousands to near exinction (there are about 700 of them today). And they never united with the Jews except as common citizens in the secular state of Israel. <BR/><BR/><B>The book of Acts tells the story of the expansion of the Christ-community from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and then through the empire (Acts 1:8 gives a nice anticipatory summary of the progress of the word of the Lord through Acts). It reads as the step-by-step realization of Israel's eschatological hopes.</B><BR/><BR/>But gentiles were brought into the Christ-community without having to adhere to the Mosaic laws, except for four temporary measures decreed by the council of Jerusalem. Eventually the number of Jewish (and Samaritan) converts leveled off, despite the efforts of most of the original twelve apostles, but the gentile conversions continued their explosive growth under one energetic new apostle, Paul, such that the Church took on a decidedly gentile flavor. And when Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD the Church became almost exclusively gentile, to the point where Christianity ceased as a variety of Judaism, and came into its own as a separate religion in its own right.<BR/><BR/><I>It is clear by now that I am disinclined to see the Church as a 'Israel-redefined'. As far as I am aware no NT text ever applies the term 'Israel' to the Church (I know that Gal 6:16 is often read that way but I don't think it should be). A quick survey of the use of the term 'Israel' in the NT would show that it was applied to ... Israel.</I><BR/><BR/>Paul does not write "Israel of God" in isolation without first preparing the way with theological groundwork. In Galatians chapter 4 he makes the astonishing assertion that equates the Jews of the flesh with the lineage of the bondwoman Hagar, and the Jews of the spirit (the Church) with the lineage of the free woman Sarah.<BR/><BR/><I>[22] For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.<BR/>[23] But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.<BR/>[24] Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.<BR/>[25] For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.<BR/>[26] But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.<BR/>[27] For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.<BR/>[28] Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.<BR/>[29] But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.<BR/>[30] Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.<BR/>[31] So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.</I>Teresitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05528002521904908827noreply@blogger.com