Featured Elect Israel and The Church the same !

This is a debate forum, when you are prepared to debate my points we'll take it from there!

 

No one said you or anyone else is required to debate my points!

 

The Mystery of Christ !2

Also these things evidence the cohesion /continuity of the Church, the Body of Christ, from OT into the NT ! This cohesion of the Church of Christ in the NT from the OT is seen again in Pauls letter to the Romans about Imputed Righteousness, in the case of the Faith of Abraham in the OT and now the same with NT Believers Rom 4:1-3

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

That Righteousness Abraham had in view in the coming of Christ to do His Redemptive work Jn 8:56

56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

That MY Day was His coming in the flesh to do His work and establish Righteousness for the People Dan 9:24

24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Abraham by Faith saw Christ the Messiah day and rejoiced with the same same type Faith as those in 1 Pet 1:7-8

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

This rejoicing is the same greek word as for rejoice in Jn 8:56. For it is the same Righteousness of God revealed to Faith by the Gospel Rom 1:16-17 in the NT and OT, Abraham had the same Gospel preached to him of God Gal 3:8

8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

Now who wants to argue that the Gospel to Abraham in Gal 3:8 and the Gospel of Christ in Rom 1:16-17 that they are Two different Gospels ! I challenge anyone to prove they are different Gospels !

The Very Fact that NT Believers are the Seed of Abraham an OT figure and they belong to Christ Gal 3:29 proves the continuity of the Church, the Body of Christ which Christ is the Head of, from the OT to the NT, for Abraham's Seed belongs to Christ the Head of the Church Gal 3:29

29 And if ye[NT Believers] be Christ's[The Head of the Church His Body], then are ye Abraham's[OT Believer] seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 

The Church is One with Christ Israel the Servant !

In the form of a Servant ! Phil 2:-9

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

When reading this passage here written to the NT Church, this is a NT Church of God Phil 1:1;4:15

Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:

Phil 4:15

15 Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only.

Now we see that Christ is said to be in the form of a servant Vs 7, and in this He fulfilled the scripture as the servant of the Lord written of here Isa 42:1

Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

Isa 49:2-3

2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

As The Servant Israel He Glorified God as predicted in Isa 49:3 Jn 17:4

4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do

Notice He is God's servant Israel when He came in the form of a Servant !

He comes to His Church, the Body of Christ ! If He is God's servant Israel Isa 49:3, and His Church, His Body is One with Him, then His Church the Body of Christ is Israel, Gods Servant ! They are said to be one flesh Eph 5:31-32


31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

In His Incarnation, Jesus became One flesh with His Body the Church, and as such He was also the Servant of God Israel !

32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

 

The Church is One with Christ Israel the Servant !2

The Lord Jesus Christ is also the Lords Servant Israel here Isa 52:13;53:11

13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Now please observe in Isa 52:13, how it coincides with being the Servant in Phil 2:7, for it goes on to say in the Epistle to the Church, that The Servant shall be Highly exalted Phil 2:9

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:

And now compare to the servant in Isa 52:13

13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

So the Servant of Isa 52:13 is the Lord Christ Jesus of Phil 2:5-9 !

 

The Church !

The Church is that Body of Believers [OT/NT] that Jesus told Peter He was to build Matt 16:18

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock[foundation See Isa 28:16] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

It is also those Peter writes to in his First Epistle when he writes this 1 Pet2:5

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

The Lively stones being built by Christ, hence Christ is fulfilling His Words of Promise to build His Church, by making these Lively stones and using them as His building material. This was also prophesied back in Zech 6:12-13

And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man[Christ] whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:

Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

And the Church which He is building is also called by Peter 1 Pet 2:5,9

5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house/Temple, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Note: All these are synonyms for the Church, the Body of Christ !

#1. A Spiritual House/Temple

#2. An Holy Priesthood

#3.An Chosen Generation

#4.An pecuilar People See also Tits 2:14

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

This Holy Temple built by Christ is composed of both jew and Gentile, for its the same Temple Paul writes of here Eph 2:19-21

19 Now therefore ye [Believing Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

This is the Holy Temple built by the Man the Branch Zech 6:12-13

12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The Branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:

13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

Which is His Church Matt 16:18

18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church/Temple; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

 

Gentiles are Included in the New Covenant House of Israel !

Jer 31:31-34

31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:

32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

That Gentiles are included in the New Covenant Israel, through Christ {the Head of the Church] its Mediator Heb 8:6

6 But now hath he [Christ the Head of the Church] obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he[Christ] is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

Now it is seen that by it they receive the New Covenant Mercy of Forgiveness of sins Heb 8:6,12,13

6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

Vs 12 speaks of the forgiveness of sins, The same as stated for the Elect Church, Bride of Christ Eph 1:7

7 In whom[Christ the Mediator of the New Covenant] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

 

Gentiles are Called the Children of Israel !

That the Gentiles are called " The Children of Israel" is seen by scripture Testimony, comparing scripture with scripture, in Hosea we have Hos 1:10-11

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head[Christ the Head of the Church ], and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

"Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God."

Now Paul applies this passage to the Gentiles Rom 9:24-28

This is irrefutable proof that the Gentiles that God Calls are Identified as part of the House of Israel and Judah prophesied of from Hosea 1 !

 

Who are these Israelites ?

Rom 9:4

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

Now I know many are going to say they are the jews, physical, ethnic descendants of Abraham according to the flesh as stated here in Rom 9:8

8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Romans 9:8 here is specifying, the israelites which are Abraham's children according to the flesh, but to think that Paul means them back up in Vs 4 is a mistake, for those israelites are not the Children of God or neither Heirs of Promise, in fact they are in allegory liken to the children of ishmael Gal 4:30

30 Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

So Rom 9:4 cannot possibly refer to them, except of gourse for a small remnant according to the Election of Grace, and not according to their physical connection to Abraham ! Rom 11:5-7

5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Now to those Israelites, Isralites indeed, did pertain the Promises, due to their Election in Christ, in whom all the Promises of God are Yeah and Amen 2 Cor 1:19-20

19 For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea.

20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Rom 15:8

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: The Fathers here means People of Faith, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ! Note: God made no promises to the unregenerate !

And of courses this includes the Promise to Abraham and his Seed of an Inheritance Gal 3:16-18

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

Abraham's physical descendants israel are excluded from the above Promis of Inheritance given to Abraham and his Seed !

 

Who are these Israelite's ? 2

Now understand something, this is not to say that no ethnic jews are Israelites indeed, and that none shall partake of the Promises of Rom 9:4, Yes there will be some, but not because of any physical connection to Abraham, but because of a Spiritual connection with Christ, Abraham's Seed to whom the Promises were made Gal 3:16

16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

There will be ethnic jews as well as all other ethnicity's in this Family of Israelite's spoken of in Rom 9:4

4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

So the ethnic jews who are included in this these Israelites are Christ's Spiritual Seed, on behalf of Abraham, as well as some Gentiles were Christ's Spiritual Seed on behalf of Abraham, because Abraham cant produce a Spiritual Seed, a Person of Faith, but Christ his Seed can and does !

So its Abraham's Seed by way of His Spiritual Seed Christ, their Election in Him, that are the Israelite's of Rom 9:4, and this should not surprise us one bit because Paul begins to explain this seemingly Dilemma in Rom 9:6

6 Not as though the word of God[Or Promise] hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

 

Who are these Israelite's ? 3

Lets also consider that the Israelites Paul speaks of in Rom 9:4, to them pertaineth the Adoption Rom 9:4

Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

Which is by Jesus Christ and Election in Him Eph 1:4-5

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Its also the Adoption Paul writes of here Gal 4:4-7

4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

Yet the israelites who were merely the physical seed or descendants of Abraham according to the flesh, they are not the Heirs, they are not the Children of God and inheritor of the Promises Rom 9:8, as was Isaac and those he typified Gal 4:28

28 Now we, brethren[The Church, the Body of Christ], as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Oh by the way, the Spirit of Adoption doesnt make them sons Vs 6, but they were sons/children already, it [The Spirit] only makes their sonship manifested Jn 1:12 !

The Spirit of Adoption bestows upon the children a nature agreeable with their sonship, it makes us meet for our Sonship Inheritance Col 1:12

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

The same Inheritance here Gal 3:18

18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

It provides the children with a spiritual heart, will and affections, to Love both the Father and the Son and the True People of God ! Thats the True Israel Ps 73:1

Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

A clean Heart is one with the Spirit of Adoption sent into it Gal 4:6

And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

So the Adoption of Rom 9:4 could not apply to natural, physical israelites, they are not the Children of God Rom 9:8 ! Yes it did apply to a small remnant of them, but not because of any physical connection to Abraham, but because of a election of grace connection in Christ !

 

Gentiles are Called the Children of Israel !

That the Gentiles are called " The Children of Israel" is seen by scripture Testimony, comparing scripture with scripture, in Hosea we have Hos 1:10-11

10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head[Christ the Head of the Church ], and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

"Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God."

Now Paul applies this passage to the Gentiles Rom 9:24-28

This is irrefutable proof that the Gentiles that God Calls are Identified as part of the House of Israel and Judah prophesied of from Hosea 1 !

 

A Royal Priesthood !

1 Pet 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Are these here Peter calls a Royal Priesthood Abraham's physical descendants the jews ? No, not by any means, unless peter was writing to ethnic jews under the OC out of the tribe of levi, otherwise they were not qualified to be priests.

So these are not Abraham's physical descendants, but his Spiritual Offspring, comprised or made up of believers [jew or Gentile] in Christ, because those who belong to Him are the Seed of Abraham Gal 3:29

And if ye be Christ's,[His Body the Church] then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

That these Peter wrote to were Gentiles, at least some of them, is seen from the quote he uses from Isa 43:21

21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

Which appears to be joined to what precded in verses 19-20 Isa 43:19-20

19 Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

Which language points to the Gentiles "The beast of the field shall honour me,"

This is also connected with the vision God gave Peter when sending him to the Gentiles with the Gospel, the vision of the wild beasts Acts 10:9-15

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:

10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,

11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:

12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.

13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.

14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.

15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.

For these Gentiles were those God said of them in Isa 43:20-21

20 The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.

They are His Chosen, which goes with 1 Pet 2:9

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

This is part of the Mystery of Christ, that the Gentiles, those that were Chosen, were on a same level with the Chosen jews, the Chosen of God ! Paul said that he had obtained Mercy 1 Tim 1:13

13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

No differently from the Gentiles did 1 Pet 2:10; Rom 11:30

30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:

And as he obtained it in unbelief, so did the Gentiles, for unbelief is not an obstacle in obtaining Mercy to the Vessels of Mercy, its the occasion for it, and which the obtaining of it, makes believers out of them, as Paul states that his own obtaining of it proved to be the example 1 Tim 1:16

16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

So the Royal Priesthood is the Church, the Body of Christ, Abraham's Spiritual Believing Seed !

 

Who are this Peculiar treasure/ People ?

Ex 19:5

5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

This is speaking of/about the Church, the Body of Christ, purchased with the precious Blood of Christ Acts 20:28

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The word purchased here is the greek word peripoieó:

I acquire, earn, purchase, make my own, preserve alive.

The word pecuilar in Ex 19:5 means:

possession, property

See, Christ in the Place of God's People obeyed God's Covenant, He did so as the Head of the Body of Christ, His Church.




properly, fully acquire (literally, "make all-around, comprehensively"); make one's own; reserve for oneself, with deep personal interest (caring).

This is the only way any can be a pecuilar people/Treasure unto God




We also know this is the Church because the People are confirmed a pecuilar people, a holy nation in 1 Pet 2:5,9

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

And what is said of this pecuilar people in 1 Pet 1:18-19

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Which points us back to Acts 20:28

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

They had been redeemed/bought with a Price, notice Vs 19, whose blood redeemed/bought them ? The Blood of Christ who is the Head of His Body the Church ! So its through the Redemptive Life and death/blood of Christ that we have this peculiar people 1 Pet 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people [ God's special possession]; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

Which fulfills Ex 19:5

Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar[my treasured possession] treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

See, God doesnt have more than One Special Treasured Possession of a People, that would be a inconsitency to say the least !

And because this is True, that Pecuilar People is so by the Blood of Christ, the Head of the Church, or it is so by the flesh and ethnicity of a people, outside of Christ the Head of the Church ! And that would be the case if the People in Ex 19:5 is not the Church, the Body of Christ ! But it would have to be ethnic israel who broke God's Covenant and continued not in it Heb 8:9

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

Jer 31:32

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:

That word brake means :

break asunder, cast off, cause to cease, clean, defeat, disannul, disappoint,

The Covenant was obeyed and Kept by Christ, the Head of the Church !