Israel is not the Church!

One thing that you may hear often from Covenant Theologians is “the True Israel of God is the Church” and while an assertion may sound initially convincing, an evaluation of the textual evidence leads one to a different conclusion. Because the Covenant Theologian engages in “oversimplification” they end up blurring together two completely separate categories. Let me demonstrate the proper understanding of Israel and the Church below in a diagram.

Let me explain the diagram above as it relates to each component. On the left side we have Israel, a national/political entity which includes both Jewish believers, and Jewish unbelievers. Israel was not simply inclusive of believers. Paul makes it emphatically clear that there are “two” Israel’s (Romans 9:6). Let me quote the passage:

Romans 9:6 NASB
But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;

We see that Paul makes it emphatically clear that there are those who are not all of Israel who are “descended” from Israel. Well, contextually we must understand what Paul is saying. Paul in Romans 9:1-5 is grieved over his “Kinsmen According to the Flesh”. Paul is grieved because his own Jewish brothers and sisters are rejecting their very own Messiah. The Kinsmen According to the Flesh prove very important in the grand scheme of Romans 9-11. The Kinsmen According to the Flesh (in the diagram above) are the “unbelieving Jews”. These are the ones that were rejecting their Messiah. However, just because they were “Israelites” did not mean that they were truly believers, or truly regenerate. These Israelites were born into sin, under the federal headship of Adam, just like all other sinners. Paul is contrasting, in Israel, that there are two clear offspring (physical vs. spiritual; in Christ vs. in Adam; slaves to sin vs. slaves to Christ; in bondage vs. free). Now, we see that there are two clear categorical distinctions in Israel (True Jews – Paul calls them the Israel of God in Galatians 6:16, or the Children of Promise), and (Ethnic Jews – Unbelieving Jews, Kinsmen According to the Flesh).

Now, we have established a clear demarcation in Israel. Let us move to the right side of the image, which is focused upon the Church. The Church is a new institution with new functions that didn’t exist until Pentecost. Jesus said that he would build (οἰκοδομήσω) – not that he had built – the Church (cf. Matthew 16:18). οἰκοδομήσω is in the future indicative, which means that this is something that “would” be built, not something that pre-existed. The Church is a new entity for some of the following reasons:

1. New Ecclesiological Structure (Pastors, Elders, Deacons, Apostles)
2. Permanent Indwelling of the Holy Spirit
3. Spiritual Gifts given to each individual of the Body of Christ
4. New Ordinances (Water Baptism, Communion)
5. New Covenant
6. Baptism of the Holy Spirit
7. The “foundation” of the Church was built upon BOTH Apostles and Prophets. If the Church had pre-existed it would have been solely built upon the Prophets. Rather the foundation, was built on the Apostles and Prophets, Christ being the cornerstone.

The New Testament Church did not exist “in the wilderness” as the same ecclesiological structure that we see in Acts 7:38. The proper rendering in the LXX is “assembly/congregation” which simply means a group that is “called out” to assemble or to gather together. It is not the Church of the New Testament.

The Church consists of “Believing Jews” as well as “Believing Gentiles”. It encompasses all those of the invisible Church. Those that are “in Christ”, mediated for on behalf of Christ, and those who have been regenerated by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Now, what seems to be the problem with calling “True Israel” the Church? Isn’t True Israel a part of the Church? Yes, believing Jews are a part of the Church. So, what is the problem you may ask? The issue is the conflation of one group, and the negation of the other group. Let me explain.

True Israel –> Believing Jews
Grafted Gentiles –> Believing Gentiles

In Romans 11, Paul makes a clear internal distinction between these two groups, despite their salvific unity in Christ (Galatians 3:28). True Israel are “Natural Branches” in Romans 11 that remain grafted into the Olive Tree, who partake of the Covenantal Blessings that stem from the root (Abrahamic Covenant – Patriarchs). Ethnic Israel also partook of the Covenantal Blessings (for a time), until they were completely cut-off. Now, due to the fact that some of the Natural Branches have been cut-off and partially hardened they are no longer partaking in the Covenantal Blessings. This means that Gentiles (Wild Olive Branches) are grafted in, and have become partakers in the Commonwealth of Israel. This means that Gentiles have finally been brought near, since they weren’t before, and now have an opportunity to partake in these blessings. Notice that Paul distinguishes between the branches? He never says that the Gentiles become True Jews/ Spiritual Jews/ Christian Israel. He says simply that Gentiles remain Gentiles, they become a “new man” in Christ (Eph. 2), and become partakers of the blessings in Christ (Eph. 1). They become co-heirs, but they never “become” Israel in any sense of the word. This is the first major error. Covenant Theologians call Gentiles Israel – in some spiritual sense – despite the fact that Paul keep Gentiles (Wild Olive Branches) and Israel (Natural Branches) distinct. This is important.

Secondly, the other fundamental flaw is that Covenant Theologians now completely neglect those who are cut-off. They set aside the “Kinsmen According to the Flesh” to focus upon the Church (True Israel of God) – what they believe to be the singular people of God – but wait? We just showed above that there are clearly two distinct people groups being worked through. So, wouldn’t that cause a conflation and negation? You bet it would. This is why Dispensational advocates have called out Covenant Theologians on their oversimplification fallacy. Covenant Theologians blur together Jews and Gentiles (conflation), and then forget about the Jewish Unbelievers (negation). The Jewish unbelievers are still God’s people though (Romans 11:1-2), even though they have been hardened and cut-off. So, what is Paul’s rationale here?

Paul uses the Olive Tree Metaphor to demonstrate a “distinction” between Jews and Gentiles in Christ. Not for the sake of ethnical division, but for the sake of us understanding the purpose God has for his people the Kinsmen According to the Flesh. The reason that the Jewish unbelievers were cut-off and the Gentiles were grafted in, were to make the Jewish unbelievers jealous (Romans 11:11). This will provoke them, and cause them to repent, and to come back to the Lord, just as the Old Testament predicted. Mass conversion, mass change of heart, and being re-grafted back into the Olive Tree.

Romans 11:25 NASB
For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;

Once the “Fullness of the Gentiles” comes in, which will be when the total sum Gentiles have believed, then the partial hardening will cease for the Kinsmen According to the Flesh, and they will be saved (Romans 11:25-26).

This, my friends is the proper understanding of the Jew and Gentile distinction. Gentiles are not the “True Israel of God”, this title is for the Jewish believers (True Israel). The Church does not replace, or negate Israel (Kinsmen According to the Flesh). There is a partial hardening on Israel (unbelieving Jews) who will be re-grafted into the Olive Tree, and Israel will have a nation-wide conversion. Hallelujah.

I have one reminder to my Gentile Covenant Theologian brothers and sisters, and this was Paul’s warning to us as well.

Romans 11:19-22 NASB
You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” ²⁰ Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; ²¹ for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. ²² Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.

Let us not be conceited or proud. Let us not become boastful of our inclusion and neglect Israel, but let us be joyful and know that Israel will once again be in a proper relationship with God. We have not replaced or fulfilled Israel’s promises. We have become co-heirs, and partakers in the blessings of these promises. Praise God.