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)

Verses Used by Amillenialists

Dr. Couch, what are some of the verses the amillennialists use to claim that the Abrahamic covenant is almost exclusively about spiritual descendants with no physical promises given to the physical descendants of Abraham? ANSWER:  They use Matthew 5:5; Galatians 3:29; Romans 4:13-15, and Revelation 21-22. On: (1) Matthew 5:5. This passage is to the Jews in regard to the "kingdom of heaven" which we know by Jewish history is the messianic Kingdom. The promises have to do with spiritual blessings, and physical blessings (the land) that will be given to Abraham's physical seed, Israel, in the Kingdom. The Jews will then "own" the world. First of all, it only has to do with those who are "gentile". If they have certain spiritual and emotional qualities, they will be blessed by the things of the earth, and then only in the Kingdom. This section even closes by saying that those Jews who are persecuted "for the sake of righteousness," theirs "is the Kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:10). All of the good things about that Millennial Kingdom will belong to them. The amils will do anything to broaden their point so that they can say these verses "indicate that the blessisngs promised to Abraham pertains not so much to his physical descendants but to his spiritual descendants through faith in Christ." Christ gave these Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-11) in offering the Kingdom to Israel. This is not aimed at Abraham's spiritual seed! (2) Galatians 3:29. Paul says in Romans 4:16 that we are "of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." We are Abraham's seed by faith in Christ not by our physical relationship to him (Rom. 3:29). I am therefore a son of God by faith and "an heir through God" (Rom. 4:6-7). Galatians 3:29 says "if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to promise." The only thing this has to do with us is salvation as Paul explains in Galatians 3:6-9. "By faith I am a son of Abraham" (v. 7). And Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'All the nations are blessed in you (Abraham).' So then, those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham the believer" (vv. 8-9). The physical seed receives both the land promises and the spiritual promises but the spiritual seed (the Gentiles) receive the spiritual promises. We read in the OT, to Abraham, "To your seed I have given this land" (Gen. 15:18). Read Genesis 17:6-8. To Abraham's seed Isaac it was said: "For to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will establish the oath which I swore to your father Abraham. I will give your descendants all the nations of the earth [they shall be] blessed" (26:3-5). And Joseph said to his brothers "God shall bring you up from this land (Egypt) to the land (the Holy Land) which He promised on oath to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob" (Gen. 50:24). That's not me! (3) Romans 4:13-15. All this passage says is that Abraham's descendants would be heir of the world, not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith. By context, this has to do with his physical seed not his spiritual seed. It was the Jews who were trapped in Law keeping not the pagan Gentiles. This is true in that the Kingdom is worldwide. Christ will reign from shore to shore in the Millennium. And of course the church will be there but this is not a spiritual promise but the physical promise from the verses above and many, many more!    When studying the Bible keep the lines straight. Don't wrongly mix the various parts that should not be mixed.    Thanks for asking.    Dr. Mal Couch (Apr., 10)