Saturday, January 11, 2020

Concerning Jews

We do neither hate the Jews, since it is from them that salvation comes, Jesus being of Jewish descent, nor do we worship the Jews, making Scripture and prophecy about them, when it is entirely and solely about Christ Jesus.

The Jews were chosen as God's nation to be a light among the Gentiles. They failed in this. God prophesied about the Gentile inclusion, bringing the Gentiles in among Israel. In the New Testament, we see this prophecy come to fruition. Paul even addresses it in Romans 11:17-24.

Paul takes the nation of Israel and divides them into two groups: believing Israel, and unbelieving Israel. According to Romans 2:28-29, unbelieving Israel are not true Jews. Believing Israel are true Jews. According to Romans 9:6-8, unbelieving Israel does not belong to Israel. Believing Israel does belong to Israel. According to Romans 11:17-24, Galatians 3, and Ephesians 2:11-22, believing Gentiles are grafted in with believing Israel and made partakers of the promises. According to Romans 2:29, believing Gentiles are true Jews along with believing Israel. The Gentile inclusion is an expansion of true Israel, spiritual Israel. Speaking to Christians, which consist of believing Jews and Gentiles alike, Peter quotes from the Old Testament and calls us "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession."

Those who hate the Jews and blame everything on them, as wicked and perverse as they may be (though we are no different, being part of humanity also), are not only in the wrong, but they are also guilty of murder. Jesus stated that if you hate someone, you are guilty of murder within your heart.

Those who worship the Jews, making everything in Scripture about them and creating a false narrative and false prophecy about the temple being rebuilt, sacrifices being reinstated, and the Jews ruling the nations (things the Bible does not teach), are also in the wrong, and they are guilty of idolatry.

When Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70, He said that not one stone would remain upon another. He never said anything about it ever being re-built. In fact, Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, went on to inform us that we, the Church, are the temple of God. That God is building and fashioning each one of us into this temple. The book of Hebrews makes it abundantly clear that the Mosaic Covenant is obsolete and that there is no going back. Why would you return to sacrifices when they were an imperfect foreshadowing of Christ Jesus, Who was the sacrifice to end all sacrifices?

If you hate the Jews, then you are in the wrong because salvation came through the Jews. If you worship the Jews, then you are in the wrong because everything in Scripture pointed to Christ Jesus. National Israel is nothing! God's people are Christians, obedient followers of Christ Jesus, which consist of Old Testament saints and New Testament saints, Jews and Gentiles. There is only one way to salvation, and that is through Christ Jesus. "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me!"