John MacArthur: The church is NOT Israel

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[telefellavision]

It was prophesied, clearly in the Old testament that Jesus is the fulfillment of the promise.

[amosthree]

Galatians 3:29 And if you are Christ's then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

[gigahorse]

Everyone needs to stop commenting until they have read Romans chapters 9-11. I’ve noticed few people discuss them together as a whole and it leads to confusion.

One side focuses on where Paul says “not all who are of Israel are Israel” and takes that to be the whole story. That’s not the whole story. Most references to Israel in those chapters are CLEARLY not referencing the church!

[bigs]

There is only one way to the Father and that is through the Son. How can one be saved if he doesn’t believe that the Son is the Messiah?

[lisajones]

Read Romans 11 !!! It answers to the detail about how we as Christian’s were grafted into the original tree of life because of their disbelief, but not to become arrogant, because the original branches are going to be called back to the tree of life, and we are to cause them to be jealous of our relationship with God so they will desire Him. Jews will be grafted back in!!! Jesus fulfilled the law, but he did not do away with his promises to his people. He will keep every one of them.

[mikem]

Gal 3:28, 29. Ends the debate. The Believers in the Body of Christ WIN.

[yjk]

I'm curious how this view handles converts who have joined the Jewish people (עם ישראל). In Jewish belief, the convert is just as Jewish and as much a member of the Jewish people as any other Jew and to be treated as such. Would this view, in contrast to Jewish belief, try to distinguish between genetic descendants of Jewish converts and genetic descendants of Jacob? Whose definition of the Jewish people is being used? Do we gain by joining the Jewish people via conversion and then one day embracing the Messiah at his appearance?

[greganderson]

Curious how JMac would exegete Eph. 2:14-22. "...who made both groups into one...so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man...in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord..." NASB.

[toddmiller]

Would you call owning four half million dollar homes, being prosperous. Sorry we have homeless people, and this guy needs four. What is wrong in our society.

[Roadietodamascus]

Yes as gentiles we are grafted in, all of the church is Israel, but not all of Israel is the church. Israel = the grafted in gentiles, and the Jewish people of Israel. This doesn’t mean the Jews are saved without Christ, what it does mean, is the promises God made to Israel, He will fulfill to Israel. Prophecies and promises to Israel, are still kept to Israel.

[SpeculativeEschatologist]

The olive tree is hardened from part Israel until that which fills [Israel] full, of the Gentiles, be brought in. Thus shall all Israel be saved.

[stevejones]

People better get right with Jesus and don't worship Israel

[reshua]

New Testament writers cited these Old Testament passages referring to the renewed Israel in the Messiah Jesus.

[OGRamrod]

I'm so glad that we have Divines like John MacArthur now who can clearly show us that the Word of God was not preserved to us infallibly and that all of our Christian ancestors literally had no idea what they were talking about. That the Word of God was not communicated to them in defiance of the words of the Prophet Isaiah and that ever since 1945 we have FINALLY had true knowledge of our relationship to Israel!

Let me explain something: if Protestants, the same Reformers who had thrown off the shackles of Papism and alien domination, had come to some idea that the Scriptures told us we were all just Goyim Slaves to Israel and we should just be grateful we're along for the ride, then they probably would've started turning on Christianity as well. Who alive today can say without blush they have the intellect and knowledge of Scripture that John Owens, Matthew Henry, John Calvin & Luther had? Yet they never believed the kind of nonsense concerning Israel that now consumes the American Christian world.

What happened? What changed?

[russellcampbell]

Galatians 3:7
Pretty clear. ALL who believe are the Children of Abraham!

Us gentile believers have not superceded Israel, we have been grafted in. There is no distinction in Christ, all who believe are the Israel of God.

[georgemay]

"Israel" is the name God gave to Jacob, a man born of Isaac, who was born of Abraham, the Assyrian. They are believers in God's promise. Not all Israel the nation is "Israel." God's promises are to believers in the promise of God in Christ, the Holy One of all believers, before His death and resurrection and after this work of fulfillment of the Everlasting Covenant. Genetics play no part in whom God calls and chooses. It is a "mystery." Believers are the elect who gather together to be revived by the Gospel for continuing on with their wrestling with their flesh, the sin-principle that remains with us until we die.

[davekpghpa]

The Book of Zechariah says that, in the very last days, 2/3 will perish in the refining fires and only 1/3 will be saved. So, we have a major contradiction UNLESS we realize that the verse "All Israel will be saved" is referring to the body of Christ (the Church).
For further instruction, read the ENTIRE book of Galatians... or at the very least, read Galatians 3. And take note that we don't need to pull an isolated verse here and there to make the point that in the instance of Romans 11:26, the term Israel is referring to all those who come to faith and repentance in Yeshua Hamashiach.

[dv]

The Church is Israel lel. There are promises for ethnic Israel but not the state Israel. And there are not two brides...

[SpotterVideo]

Paul never said..."All Israel will be saved." Leaving out one little word changes the meaning of the verse and is a corruption of God's Word.

Based on John 19:37 and Acts chapter 2, Zechariah 12:10 was fulfilled at Calvary and on the Day of Pentecost. Based on what Paul said about Christ returning "in flaming fire" taking vengeance on those who do not obey the Gospel in 2 Thess. 1:7-10, there is no Plan B of salvation outside of the New Covenant Church in the Bible. All races of people need to hear the New Covenant Gospel now before it is too late for them.

Romans Chapter 11: In its New Covenant context... There is no Plan B of salvation outside of the New Covenant Church in this passage. Plan A is found in verses 23 and 24.

In Romans 1:16 Paul said the Gospel was taken "first" to the Jews. This time period can be found in Matt. 10:5-7, and Acts 10:36-38, and Gal. 1:14-18. Many try to claim God never gave the Jews a chance to accept Christ, so there must be some Plan B of salvation before or during the Second Coming of Christ. Romans 1:16 proves they are wrong, since Paul said the Gospel went "first" to the Jews. Many ignore the fact that Peter addressed the crowd as "men of Judea", and as "men of Israel", and as "all the house of Israel" on the Day of Pentecost, when about 3, 000 Israelites accepted the New Covenant fulfilled in blood at Calvary. The Gentiles were not grafted in until several years later. This passage proves Paul was right about the Gospel being taken "first" to the Jews.

Were all of the Israelites "partially" hardened in Romans 11, or were part hardened and another part were not hardened? The answer is found in the "remnant" of Romans 11:5.

Paul reveals two different groups of Israelites in Romans 9:6-8. There is an Israel of the promise, and an Israel of the flesh. This is part of the context of Romans 11.
Paul speaks about the "remnant" of Israel in Romans 9:27. This is also part of the context of Romans 11.

Paul starts Romans 11 with two different groups of Israelites. In verse one Paul reveals he is still an Israelite, even after his conversion. Then Paul refers to two different groups of Israelites during the time of Elijah. There were the Baal worshippers, and there was the faithful "remnant". In verse five Paul says there is also a faithful "remnant" of Israelites during his time. This must be the Israelites who have accepted Christ, as on the Day of Pentecost.
Paul uses the two olive trees as a symbol of the New Covenant Church made up of believing Israelites, and believing Gentiles grafted together into the same tree. The unbelieving Israelites have been broken off but can be grafted back in through faith in Christ in verses 23-24.

Verse 26 is the problem for many modern Christians. What does the verse actually say, and how is it changed by many in the modern Church.

I have heard two of our nations famous preachers say the following.
"And then all Israel will be saved..."

I have heard another say the following.
"And all Israel will be saved..."

What does God's Word, recorded by the Apostle Paul actually say?

Rom 11:26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

The English word "so" is translated from the Greek word "houto", which is an adverb of manner, instead of an adverb of timing. Some have changed the word from "so" to "then", in order to change the meaning of the verse.

How will all of the "remnant" of Israel from Romans 9:27 be saved? The answer is found in the verses that precede verse 26 and are found below.

Rom 11:23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.
Rom 11:24 For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

Paul quoted from the OT in referring to the Deliverer coming out of Sion to pay for sin. Did this happen at Calvary, or will Jesus die again for His people in the future?
Rom 11:27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Verse 28 can only be understood by looking at how Paul started the passage. He started with two different groups of Israelites and he ends the passage in the same way. There are two different groups of "they" in verse 28. One group of "they" reject Christ and are the enemies of God, and another group of "they" are the election which accept Christ through hearing the Gospel and faith.

Rom 11:28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.

Based on Luke 21:24b-28, the times of the Gentiles comes to fullness at the Second Coming of Christ. This agrees with what Paul said in Romans 1:16 about the Gospel going “first” to the Jews.

[liseernie]

It’s having Abraham’s faith that saves, not Abraham’s DNA!!