Is the Church Part of Israel

Dr. Couch, many amillennialists use Galatians 6:16 to prove that the church, present day believers, are part of Israel. Or, that we are now Israel. How do we answer them?

ANSWER: We answer them by thorough analysis and observation of the Scriptures. We use good hermeneutics and grammar, and history, to let the Bible speak for itself. The amills are poor scholars. They have lousy interpretative skills, if any at all!

"Israel" is a direct reference to the Jewish people. Israel is a reference to Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes. Jacob means to "grasp the heel." He was the supplanter who held back his twin brother when they were coming out of the womb. This made him the first born with all the first born privileges. Israel means "to strive with God," or the Angel of Jehovah as recorded in Genesis 32:28.

All of this has to do with Israel's history and it's not about the church! The church is never called Israel. However, we are the spiritual seed of Abraham by faith. "By faith" is the key. I am not a natural Israelite. Paul writes of those of us who are "of faith who are sons of Abraham" (Gal. 3:7). He speaks of those by promise "by faith in Jesus Christ" (v. 22). "Justified by faith" (v. 24). "You belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise" (v. 29).

Paul closes then with "And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God" (6:16). "Those who walk by this rule" would be the Gentiles and "upon them" would be Jews. "Israel" is never used to describe Gentiles! Paul went from one subject to another subject. "Those" and the "upon Israel." Thus, Abraham is the father of all who believe (Rom. 4:11). He is my spiritual father but not my natural father! But I am never called "Israel."

Thanks for asking.
—Dr. Mal Couch (4/11)

Spiritual Israel

Dr. Couch, some of the Covenant guys use Galatians 6:16 to prove that the church is now spiritual Israel. How do you counter that position? ANSWER:  By doing good Greek grammar work. If one translates the passage and looks carefully, this view cannot be imposed upon the verse. In the Greek text it reads:    "And to those who will walk with this canon (rule), peace upon them, and mercy, and [peace and mercy be] upon the Israel of the God."    "Walk" is the Greek verb stoicheo. It can be translated "proceed in order," or "direct one's life to live this way." It is a Future Tense. It refers back to Paul's audience who are Gentiles who have been fooled by the legalists who are trying to destroy the simplicity of the gospel. We know this from verse 13 where Paul mentions the fact that the circumcised (the Jews) are trying to have the Gentiles believers circumcised physically in the flesh in order to conform to Jewish regulations.    In verse 16 Paul then goes to another "and" (kai), and writes: "And upon the Israel of God."    "And upon them" (the Gentile believers), "and upon the Israel of God." He uses the same preposition "upon (epi)" and then "upon (epi)." The first "upon" is about the Gentiles, the second "upon" is about the Jews, the Israel of God!    The "peace and mercy" would be understood with the "upon them ..." Thus, "peace and mercy" upon the Gentile believers and "peace and mercy" upon the Israel of God. More than likely, Paul is saying peace and mercy upon believing Jews, though he could be wishing the same upon the Jews who had not yet come to Christ. But the apostle is certainly not calling "the Israel of God" the Gentile church! In my Galatians commentary I write:    "Paul has been speaking throughout this epistle to the Galatian Gentiles who are now one in Christ. Yet because of his special love for the Jewish believers, he gives them a special and separate reference in this passage. 'The Israel of God' is not a reference to the church in the broad sense, or to the Gentiles. Some believe the church has replaced Israel, so such a reference would have to be to those in Christ, the church itself. However, nowhere is the church ever called Israel. This term is used exclusively for the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."    Do not listen to the Covenant guys. They have an agenda. They do not allow the Bible to explain itself. They impose an amillennial, allegorical interpretation upon the text to make their point.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (May., 10)