|
Spiritual
Israel
Galatians 3:26-29
Out of All Nations?
or
Out of National Israel?
Third Chapter of the Book
GOD'S COVENANT PEOPLE
Yesterday, Today and Forever
by Evangelist Ted R. Weiland |
A
large segment of Christianity is being taught that God no longer has a
plan for physical
Israel under the New Covenant, and that He is now working
with only a spiritual Israel.
Many Christians attempt to use Galatians 3:26-29 as justification for
this "spiritual Israel" doctrine:
For ye are all the children of God by faith in [the] Christ Yahshua*.
For as many of you as have been baptized into [the] Christ have put on
[the] Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor
free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in [the]
Christ Yahshua. And if ye be [the] Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed,
and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:26-29)**
*
Yahshua is the Hebrew spelling of our Savior's name
and is the author's preference. For a more detailed explanation view our
tract
The Sacred Names of God.
** All Scripture quoted from King James Version unless otherwise noted.
Many Judeo-Christian writers conclude that the above passage proves that
God is no longer working with physical Israel under the
New Covenant, but only with a spiritual Israel (people from all races of
mankind who have been saved in Yahshua the Christ). Leonard C. Lee in
his book, Clouds Over America,
wrote the following concerning physical Israelites under the New
Covenant:
God rejected the Israelites as a nation.
1
The
Israelites have now passed off the stage of action.
2
Their nationality is of no significance in the ultimate purposes of God.3
Mr. Lee further concluded:
Since God rejected the Israelites as a nation, we can look for the
fulfillment of His purposes only in spiritual Israel.4
Mr. Lee then attempted to explain how this takes place, using Galatians
3:26-29 to support his claims:
Those [of other races] who are grafted into Christ, the root, the true
vine, will become spiritual Israel and will receive all
the blessings and promises made to ancient Israel.5
In his book Just Before Dawn,
Cornelius Vanderbreggen Jr. wrote:
Here [Galatians 3:26-29] are words addressed not to
physical descendants of Abraham, but to saved [non-Israelite] Gentiles.
They are informed that because of their faith in Jesus Christ they are
Abraham's seed. In other words, spiritually they are his descendants or
his children, for they have believed in the same One in Whose coming he
believed!
6
Dr. Ed Moore wrote the following in his periodical
The Last Trump:
Hence, we can begin to see that being the children of Abraham has
nothing to do with race.7
Even the Catholics make the same claim. Pope Pius XI is quoted as
saying:
Spiritually, we [anyone of any race who has come to Christ] are Semites.8
As a minister who once taught this "spiritual Israel"
doctrine, I feel it is imperative to take a closer look at this passage
and at the arguments employed by those trying to justify the teaching of
a "spiritual Israel" under the New Covenant. However, before doing so it
should first be understood that even
if this particular passage does seem to spiritualize Israel,
it does not invalidate the sixty or more New Testament passages that
clearly deal with Israel on a physical basis.*
* Please refer to Chapter 2 of
God's Covenant People - Yesterday, Today and Forever for
a list of sixty New Testament passages that clearly teach God's New
Covenant plan for physical
Israel.
Taking the foregoing into consideration, we can now ask: "Does this
passage spiritualize Israel in the sense that many
modern-day preachers and Christians claim?"
DEFINITIONS
Those who believe in and teach a "spiritual Israel" under
the New Covenant will find that
their
interpretation of this passage in Galatians is totally dependent upon
their definitions of the words "Jew" and "Greek." They
assume the word "Jew" is synonymous with the term Israel or
Israelites - descendants of any or all of the twelve sons of Jacob. They
also assume
that the word "Greek," when used in contrast to the word "Jew," means any
or all non-Israelites.
IF
THEIR DEFINITIONS FOR THESE TWO WORDS ARE CORRECT, THEN THEIR
INTERPRETATION OF THIS PASSAGE IS ALSO CORRECT!
However, it must also be understood that:
IF
THEIR DEFINITIONS FOR THESE TWO WORDS ARE INCORRECT, THEN THEY HAVE
ARRIVED AT THE WRONG CONCLUSION!
As
an example, if your mother had taught you when you were a child that a
turkey walked on four legs, had a tail, and said "moo," then more than
likely whenever you spoke of turkeys you would be making erroneous
conclusions based on the original definitions given to you by your
mother. Initially, it would be difficult to convince you that your basic
understanding of turkeys was incorrect because your mother (preachers,
college professors, denominations, etc.) couldn't be wrong! How much
more so if a whole society had been taught the same way? However, the
number of people, and so-called authorities, who falsely believe and
teach a lie does not make it true.
This is exactly the scenario we find ourselves in today. Modern-day
teachers have taught that all Israelites are Jews, and that everyone
else is either a Gentile or a Greek. However, the commonly accepted
definitions of "Jew," "Gentile," and "Greek" are incorrect. Once the
correct definitions are given, a different light is shed on Galatians
3:26-29 and on the remainder of Scripture as well.
CORRECT DEFINITIONS
JEWS - The Biblical use of
the word "Jew(s)" refers to the descendants of the house of
Judah which was composed primarily of the two tribes Judah and Benjamin.
The word "Jew(s)" never
refers to all twelve tribes as a whole or to the ten-tribed house of
Israel.*
* For a more exhaustive explanation please refer to Chapter 1 of
God's Covenant People - Yesterday, Today and Forever.
GREEKS - For the most part, the word "Greek(s)" is
used in the Bible interchangeably with the word "Gentile(s)" as
illustrated in 1 Corinthians and several other locations:
For indeed Jews ask for signs, and
Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach [the] Christ
crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to
Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both
Jews and Greeks, [the]
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1:22-24,
NASV)
Consequently, the word "Greek" in Galatians 3:28 could be replaced with
"Gentile" without doing harm to the intent or meaning of Galatians
3:26-29.
GENTILES - The word "ethnos," from which the word
"Gentile(s)" is derived, has at least five Biblical applications:
1.
Translated "gentiles" - used in reference to non-Israelites - Acts 7:45.
2.
Translated "gentiles" - used in reference to heathens - I Corinthians
12:2.
3.
Translated "nations" - used in reference to a multitude of people;
specifically the whole human race - Acts 17:26.
4.
Translated "nation" - used in reference to the Jewish people,
descendants of the house of Judah - Luke 7:3-5.
5.
Translated "Gentiles" - used in reference to Israelites, descendants of
the house of Israel. Romans 9:24.*
* For a more exhaustive explanation please refer to Chapter 1 of
God's Covenant People - Yesterday ,Today and Forever.
[Editor's Note: In the following verse, it is Paul referring to
Israelites of the House of Israel as "gentiles", indicating that even
though he considers himself to be an Israelite of the Tribe of Benjamin,
of the House of Judah, he still considers Israelites of the House of
Israel to be "gentiles" while those of the House of Judah are "jews":
Rom 9:24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews
only, but also of the Gentiles?
In the following verse, Paul uses
the same word in reference to NON-Israelites, demonstrating that the
English word "gentile", translated from the Greek word "ethnos", can
refer to both Israelites and non-Israelites, depending on the context:
Acts 7:45 Which
also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua into the
possession of the Gentiles, whom God drove
out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
It demonstrates the falsity of the notion by many Americans that
"gentile" always refers to non-jews.]
As can be seen, there is more than one possible application for the word
"ethnos." It can refer to either Israelites or non-Israelite gentiles.
It is foolish, if not dishonest, for anyone to randomly select the
interpretation which happens to suit his doctrinal position and apply it
to a particular passage. The context must be taken into consideration
and studied to determine which of the interpretations is the correct
application.
THE CONTEXT OF GALATIANS
So what does the context of Galatians tell us about these Greeks or
Gentiles? We should begin by asking: "To whom was the book of Galatians
written?"
Paul, an apostle ... and all the brethren which are with me, unto
the churches of Galatia. (Galatians 1:1-2)
With the understanding that the word "church" means those "called out"
or "saved in Yahshua," it is obvious that the Apostle Paul was
addressing this epistle to those of Galatia who had
responded to the call of salvation. We must now ask, "Who were these
Galatians who responded to the gospel?" If we turn to the first epistle
written by the Apostle Peter we find an important clue in answering this
second question:
Peter, an apostle of Yahshua [the] Christ, to the
strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.... (1 Peter 1:1)
The phrase "strangers scattered" is also rendered "sojourners of the
dispersion,"
9
"Israelite resident(s) in Gentile countries,"
10
and is the same Greek noun as found in James 1:1:
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Yahshua [the] Christ, to
the twelve tribes which are scattered [dispersed, NASV]
abroad, greeting.
With this understanding, 1 Peter 1:1 can be interpreted and understood
to say:
Peter ... to the strangers,
Israelites of the dispersion
scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia....
Many of the Israelites, after being taken captive by the Assyrians,
migrated and made their residence in the country of
Galatia. These Israelites were some of the people Peter addressed in his
first epistle. Thus it would be safe to say that when the Apostle Paul,
who was contemporary with the Apostle Peter, wrote to those in Galatia,
he was writing to some of these same people. This, alone, does not prove
that the "Greeks" mentioned in Galatians 3:28 were Israelite Gentiles,
but it certainly deserves consideration in our attempt to discover their
identity. Let us now examine the context of Galatians 3:
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the
children of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)
This verse is also often quoted in an attempt to spiritualize
Israel in the New Testament. But this verse taken alone as it is
translated in our modern English versions of the Bible does not support
the concept that Israel is merely spiritual.
If the word "they" spoken of in this verse refers to
non-Israelite Gentiles, then one must conclude that the
children of Abraham are
spiritual children rather than
physical children. On the other hand,
if the word "they" refers to literal Israelites from either
the house of Judah or the house of Israel, then one must conclude that
only those physical Israelites who are of faith are to be considered
true children of Abraham. The remaining physical Israelites
would be an anathema, just as the house of Israel had become when God
divorced her (Jeremiah 3:8; etc.) at an earlier time in her history.
Nothing can be proven by proponents of either position using this verse
as it is translated in most of our modern-day English versions. However,
if one takes a look at The
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by Pastor Alfred
Marshall, another clue is provided which helps determine the correct
interpretation:
Know ye then that the [ones] of faith,
these sons
are of Abraham.11
(Galatians 3:7)
In other words, those who are already physical sons (Israelites)
and who are of faith are reckoned as being
truly "of Abraham."
We
find a similar expression in 1 Peter 3 which acts as an additional
witness:
Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her
children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
(1 Peter 3:6, NASV)
Peter wrote his first epistle to Israelites of the dispersion;
consequently, verse 6 can be interpreted and understood to say:
...you [who are the physical daughters of Sarah] have [truly] become her
children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
(1 Peter 3:6)
Even when using the literal translation of Galatians 3:7 we are not
provided enough evidence to determine the correct application for the
word "Greek" in verse 28. Therefore, further study in Galatians 3 is
necessary:
But before faith came, we
were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards
be revealed. Wherefore the Law was
our schoolmaster to bring us unto [the] Christ, that we might
be justified by faith. But after that faith is come,
we are no longer under a schoolmaster. (Galatians 3:23-25)
Who are the "we" whom Paul is addressing in these verses? Clearly they
are the same people as the "ye" (you) whom he addresses in verses 26 and
27:
For
ye are all the children of
God by faith in [the] Christ Yahshua. For as many of
you as have been baptized into [the] Christ have put on [the]
Christ. (Galatians 3:26-27)
The "ye" in verses 26 and 27 is represented as either "Jew" or "Greek"
in verse 28; thus we can safely conclude that the "we" of verses 23-25
are both Jews and Greeks. Paul described those people, who are both Jews
and Greeks, as being "under the law." Which people had been given the
law or were considered under the law? This description fits only one
group of people - Israel. Consider carefully the
Scriptures quoted below:
Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance
[possession, NASV] of the congregation
of Jacob. (Deuteronomy 33:4)
For
He established a testimony in Jacob, and
appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded
our fathers, that they should make them known to their children. (Psalm
78:5)
...who are Israelites, to whom
pertaineth [belongs, NASV] the adoption, and the glory, and
the covenants, and the giving of the
law, and the service of God, and the promises. (Romans 9:4)
Those Scriptures plainly teach what every preacher across this land
already knows: the Law was given to the Israelites, it belonged to them,
and they were under its requirements. It not only was given to the
Israelites as their possession, it was given
exclusively to Israelites as their possession. This
exclusiveness is made clear in the following passage:
He sheweth his words to Jacob, his statutes and his judgments
["laws," Moffatt translation], unto
Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for his judgments
["commands," Moffatt translation],
they have not known them. Praise Yah! (Psalm 147:19-20)
This irrefutable evidence correctly identifies the "Greek(s)" of
Galatians 3:28. They can be no one else but Israelite Gentiles. Let us
look at further evidence which confirms this conclusion. In our
examination of the context thus far, we have reviewed the three verses
immediately preceding the passage in question. Let us now examine the
five verses which immediately follow it:
Now I say, that the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing
from a servant, though he be lord of all; but is under tutors and
governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we
were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: but when
the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a
woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that
we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:1-5)
We are provided with three clues in this passage. "Under
the law" is the first clue which has already been reviewed
from verses 23-25.
The
second clue is uncovered when we are told that Yahshua came to "REDEEM
them that were under the law." Notice it says nothing about
redeeming those who were not under the Law. Why not? Why would Yahshua
not want to redeem non-Israelites as well? Simply put, He could not! He
could purchase them, but He
could not redeem
them. The reason is simple when one understands that the word "redeem"
means to "buy back". Only people who had once been the possession of
Yahweh could be bought back or redeemed. Which people had previously
been Yahweh's possession?
"... 'Now therefore, if ye will obey my [Yahweh's] voice indeed, and
keep my covenant, then ye shall be a
peculiar treasure [possession, NASV]
unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine; and ye
shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the
words which thou shalt speak unto the
children of Israel." (Exodus 19:5-6)
For
thou [Israel, see Deuteronomy 6:4] art an holy people unto
Yahweh thy God; Yahweh thy God hath chosen thee to be
a special people unto himself [a people for His own
possession, NASV], above all people
that are upon the face of the earth. (Deuteronomy 7:6)
It is quite clear, only Israelites had been the "possession" of Yahweh,
and only Israelites who had subsequently been divorced and rejected by
Yahweh could be bought back or redeemed by Yahweh. Both Old and New
Testaments attest to the accuracy of these statements:
"And the Redeemer shall
come to Zion, and unto
them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith Yahweh.
(Isaiah 59:20)
Blessed be the Lord God of
Israel, for he hath visited and
redeemed his people.
(Luke 1:68)
But
we [the two on the road to Emmaus with Yahshua after His resurrection]
trusted that it had been he
[Yahshua] which should have redeemed
Israel. (Luke 24:21)
Once again we have evidence which points us to the correct choice in
identifying the "Greeks" spoken of in Galatians 3. They must be
Israelite Gentiles because only Israelites could be redeemed by Yahshua.
The
third clue is found in the word "adoption."
To whom do the Scriptures say the adoption belongs?
Who are Israelites, to whom
pertaineth [belongs, NASV]
the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the
giving of the law, and service of God, and the promises. (Romans 9:4)
It is conceded that this verse does not harmonize with what many
Christians have been taught concerning the adoption, i.e., that anyone
of any race can receive the adoption. However, I hope that you are
honest enough to lay aside any previously held misconceptions and to
accept what the Apostle Paul clearly teaches. With this evidence from
Romans 9:4, only one conclusion can be drawn concerning the identity of
the Gentiles (Greeks) in Galatians 3 - they are Israelites to whom
"belongs the adoption."
The
context of Galatians 3 helps us to correctly identify the Gentiles as
Israelites. This conclusion is supported by the Apostle John:
The Jews therefore said to one another, "Where does this man intend to
go that we shall not find him? He is not intending to go to the
dispersion
["Israelite resident(s) in Gentile countries." Strong's Exhaustive
Concordance] among the Greeks,
and teach the Greeks, is
He?" (John 7:35, NASV)
In addition to the previous three clues, note the emphasis placed on the
words "if" and "then" in verse 29 of Galatians 3:
And
if
ye be [the] Christ's,
then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians
3:29)
Keeping in mind what we have already discovered, we can understand this
verse to say: "Only Israelites (either Jews or Gentiles)
in the Christ
are reckoned as true descendants of Abraham." In other words, Paul was
dealing with Jewish [Judahite] Israelites who were under the
misconception that simply being a physical descendant was all that was
necessary to be considered an heir of the promises. In contrast, Paul is
pointing out that physical descent alone is not enough under the New
Covenant. Physical descendants are
only
considered "heirs according to the promise"
if
they are also spiritual
sons of Abraham through salvation in Yahshua the Christ.
This is not to say that people of other races could not and cannot
become proselytes to the covenants which belong to the Israelites
(Isaiah 56:3-7, etc.) and thus receive benefits derived from those
Covenants. However, one does not have to distort Galatians 3:26-29 in
order to prove that point.
In
conclusion, Paul once again states:
For ye are all the children of God by faith in [the] Christ Yahshua....
(Galatians 3:26)
The "ye" (you) in verse 26 is identified in verse 28 as being:
1) "Jews" who are descendants from the house of Judah, and
2)
"Greeks" who (in this context) are descendants of the house of Israel
who had been under the Law, divorced by God, and dispersed to Galatia
whom Yahshua came to redeem and to whom belonged the adoption.
DOES THIS PASSAGE
SPIRITUALIZE ISRAEL?
It certainly does, but not
in the sense that so many today are claiming. This passage declares that
only Abraham's physical descendants,
who have become spiritual
descendants through salvation in Yahshua the Christ can be
considered true descendants of
Abraham.
12
Romans 2:28-29 & Romans 9:6
Two other passages are often used in the attempt to make Israel in the New
Testament a "spiritual" group of people from all races who have been
saved in Yahshua. Each of them will be examined briefly:
ROMANS 2:28-29
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that
circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is
one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, and
not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.
The Apostle Paul is simply addressing Jews (Judahites) who have the same
erroneous outlook as previously described in our study of Galatians 3.
These Jews assumed that physical descent alone was enough. Paul is
not declaring to non-Israelites that they can spiritually
become "Jews"; instead he is declaring to Jews that unless they (as
Israelites) are circumcised of the heart (saved in Yahshua the Christ)
they are not to be reckoned as true Jews or Judahites at all.
Keep in mind that even if
Paul were addressing this to Gentiles, he identifies the Gentiles in
Romans 9:24-26 as Israelites (descendants from the house of Israel).
ROMANS 9:6
Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not
all Israel, which are of Israel.
There are two ways in which this verse by itself can be interpreted:
1. "Israel" is comprised of more
than just physical Israelites.
2. Not all physical
Israelites are considered Israel.
Note
Option 1 implies inclusion,
an addition of people.
Option 2 implies exclusion,
a subtraction of people.
Since we have two possible options for interpreting this verse, we must
allow the context to be the determinant in choosing the correct
interpretation. Does the context imply an inclusion or an exclusion?
Read the verses which immediately follow verse 6, and it becomes
abundantly clear that Apostle Paul's intent was an exclusion.
First, the physical line of Ishmael is excluded (verse 7-9). Next, the
physical line of Esau is excluded (verses 10-13). Verses 14-22 explain
God's sovereign right to do this. Next, the majority of Israelites from
both the house of Judah and from the house of Israel are also excluded
(verses 23-27).
The
Apostle Paul's point in writing verses 6-26 was to illustrate that only
a remnant of all Israel (from both the house of Judah and the house of
Israel) will be saved (verse 27). Not all physical Israelites are
considered true Israel in God's sight. This conclusion harmonizes
completely with what we have already discovered from Galatians 3:26-29
and Romans 2:28-29.13
ENDNOTES
-
Leonard C. Lee, Clouds Over America (Washington: Review and
Herald Publishing Association, 1948) p. 71.
-
Lee, p. 71.
-
Lee, p. 74.
-
Lee, p. 71.
-
Lee, p. 75.
-
Cornelius Vanderbreggen, Jr., Just Before Dawn (Hiawassee, GA:
Reapers Fellowship, 1988) p. 35.
-
Dr. Ed Moore, The Last Trump (Jan./Feb., 1991) p. 7.
-
Pope Pius XI, The Point (October, 1958) p. 18.
-
Alfred Marshall, The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958) p. 908.
-
James Strong, "The Greek Dictionary of the New Testament," The New
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Thomas Nelson
Publishers: 1990) p. 23.
-
Alfred Marshall, The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958) p. 747.
-
For this same study on audio cassette tape, write MISSION TO ISRAEL,
P.O. Box 248, Scottsbluff, NE 69363, and request
Defending Identity.
-
For a more in-depth study of Romans 2:28-29 and Romans 9:6-27 on audio
cassette tape, write Mission To
Israel
and request Objections of a 2nd
Modern-Day Preacher - Part 6.
This has been an excerpt from the book:
God's Covenant People
Yesterday, Today and Forever
By Evangelist Ted R. Weiland
THE resource book for the Christian Israel Identity message. This book
proves that God continues to have a plan for physical Israelites under
the New Covenant. It exposes the impostors and establishes who Israel is
today from the Scriptures, archaeology and history and discloses why
this is of such significance to us. This 460 page book consisting of 14
chapters, in excess of 700 quotes with footnotes, over 30 early American
and European testimonies, and more than 40 Biblical, archaeological, and
historical proofs of Israel's modern-day identity.
Hardcover - $23.00 postpaid.
Softcover - $15.00 postpaid. |
