The question in Mondays post, was prompted by an Andy Woods teaching on his understanding of the separation between Israel and the church.

His message is linked below. His premise is wrong, Israel was never completely cut off from the kingdom as he states. There has always been a remnant from Israel in the kingdom that God is building, which is represented in the Olive tree. The root of that tree and of Gods kingdom is Christ the Lord. Christ is the root of it all as we discover in the OT. He was proclaimed in Genesis right after the fall. He is the creator of the universe; the seed of Abraham; the root of the Olive Tree; the head of the Church; the redeemer of all the earth; and of all of mankind who will follow Him as Lord.

The church has not replaced Israel, but we who are within have been brought into the flock containing Israel’s saved. We are grafted in — Into Christ; into the tree; into the kingdom.

Wood’s states that since Paul used “and” in Galatians 6:16 that it is Paul’s intent to imply and separate the church from Israel. So why then did Paul make the point immediately before, that nether circumcision or non circumcision is anything but it is the household of the faith that has meaning? Is not Paul’s point a oneness in the faith? One people of God, as he tells us in Ephesians. One with the Saints.

Just as with Israel there was a remnant. There is a group within what we call the church; that is a remnant standing with Israel’s remnant. They stand within the New Covenant created in Christ’s own blood. Paul is not making a distinction between Israel and the Church. Paul is making a distinction between those who follow truth Vs error. Being in Jesus, who is God’s Truth determines who God’s people are. God’s promise is to one day save and bring into Christ what will be left of Israel after she is purged at the end of the age.

Also it is never difficult to make oneself look good as Dispensationalists do here by comparing themselves to a body of error such as Woods does when looking at his beliefs Vs Replacement theology, which is also unbiblical, even as his own view is as compared to the word. His comparison should always be as a man of God, with the word itself, and if he does not align with the word itself; then he must be willing to change.

A final problem with Andy’s thinking, on Israel herself is that it is implied within Dispensationalism that all within OT Israel were saved, but Paul makes clear in Romans that it is only those with heart circumcision who are saved. All of Jacob’s seed are called Israel. Not all of Abraham’s seed are called Israel. Yet it is Abraham’s bosom to whom the saved of the OT eventually went.

Finally, Jesus when teaching on the kingdom taught concerning the wheat and tares. The wheat represents in God’s kingdom the saved; the tares represent false lookalikes, not believers. Men and women who are willing to twist Gods word to their own destruction. Who are willing to use God’s word for their own gain.

In the attached you will hear Andy’s Attempt to separate the Church and Israel who are obviously together in the Olive tree and in the faith in the Galatians passage being discussed, and he does this against Reformed Theology by stating that the foundation of their doctrine is never taught until around 180 AD. If he uses this argument he would never even consider Dispensationalism, which was not taught admittedly by dispensational theologians until even much later than 180 AD.

And then you will come to understand that you can only understand Paul’s teaching by being an educated word wizard. Once he gets done explaining just the use of “and” you likely will be so confused that you will be doubting that anything that you believe is correct. Rather than putting Paul’s teachings from Galatians; Romans and Ephesians together concerning Israel and the church, he attacks the concept using individual words, which have already been translated for us by Greek and Hebrew linguist’s. Always remember that God’s Holy Spirit is the instructor in His Word, and He will bring clarity not confusion to your thinking with what is written there for your instruction. Whether or not the church is the Israel of God, the church is still one with Israel’s saints in Christ who brings us into Israel’s New Covenant.