Paul vs Christian Zionism (and the other extreme)

Because of the modern geopolitical

climate, certain theological debates

have been pushed into the public

discourse. Discussions that should have

been settled a long time ago have been

reopened like festering wounds that

don't heal properly.

One such debate is the biblical

perspective on this question. Who is

Israel? Now there are two extremes in

how this question gets answered uh by

the worldwide Christian community today.

There are some groups primarily among

among modern evangelical Christians who

believe that the blessings of Israel and

the nation of Israel in the Bible refers

today to the modern nation of Israel.

Now they might qualify this that it

doesn't mean the state or government but

they are referring to the modern Jewish

nation of Israel. And an even bigger

problem is that some of these groups

have dual covenant views that will say

that the modern nation of Israel or the

modern Jewish people have an existing

covenant under the Mosaic law today that

can provide them with salvation outside

of faith in Christ.

>> That's in the Bible. As a Christian, I

believe that.

>> Where is that?

>> I I can find it to you. I I don't have

the the scripture off the tip of my

>> On the other extreme, you have a small

handful of hateful extremists who say

that not only is the modern Jewish

community not Israel, but they are by

birthright, by right of being Jews,

rejected by God. That even if they come

to faith in Christ, they are rejected

for their ethnic or cultural background.

>> That we have a a moral obligation to get

rid of the Jews. See, it was in the

Bible. So if it were

>> I do have to clarify that this is a very

small minority of people who take this

uh extreme approach uh because most

Christians are happy to welcome Jews

into the church. So what we're going to

address today is the question of who is

Israel? To answer this question, we are

primarily going to be addressing some

passages from the Apostle Paul's epistle

to the Romans. Try saying that 10 times

fast. one of the primary texts used in

modern uh by modern evangelicals,

dispensationalists and others who

believe in dual covenant theology uh to

justify the stance that the modern

nation of Israel is the covenantal

Israel of the Bible apart from the

church. They often go to passages from

Romans 9 through11. But in my usual

fashion, I'm not going to leave it

there. I'm actually going to address

rabbitic literature that demonstrates

that Paul's view of the covenantal

Israel on how one becomes part of Israel

is perfectly in sync with the rabbitic

Jewish view of the same concept. And I

believe that if we can demonstrate that,

then it would be very clear that

whatever view is held by all traditional

groups basing their beliefs in the

Bible, even those that are in conflict

with one another, that that would

probably make sense as the appropriate

stance to take. As always, don't forget,

it's totally free to like the video and

leave a comment. And don't forget to

follow me on Rumble NX as well. Now, as

I mentioned, we're going to be

addressing some heavy topics in the

section of the book of Romans in

chapters 9- 11. But before we get to

those, we have to address some of the

earlier chapters of the book of Romans

where Paul lays out his theology very

clearly to give us the correct context

for what he's discussing when he starts

to talk about the status of Israel in

Romans 9 through11. And one more thing

that's important to note is that you

will notice in the first chapters of

Romans where Paul is talking about

salvation through Christ when he

references uh the Jewish people he

doesn't use the term Israel very often.

He often says Jews whereas in Romans 9

through11 he explicitly uses the term

Israel much more often. So, let's get

into Romans chapters 1-4 where we see

Paul lay out his theology of salvation

and how all people are saved in the same

way. Paul opens the book of Romans with

the gospel. Romans 1:16,

for I am not ashamed of the gospel of

Christ, for it is the power of God to

salvation for everyone who believes, for

the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Notice how beautiful and clear and clean

Paul's statement is. The gospel is the

power of God to salvation for all who

believe. Did you get that? All who

believe. Not all people with a last name

ending in Stein or Berg, but also not

excluding Steinbergs either. Now, people

will latch on to that part that says for

the Jew first and also for the Greek.

And they will begin to abuse this verse.

They will say that Jew first means Jew

automatically or Jew separately. as if

Jews have some kind of parallel track to

salvation.

But that's not what it means to say to

the Jew first. It's not a covenantal

hierarchy. It's a matter of history. The

earlier scriptures come to the world

through the Jewish people. The Messiah,

Jesus Christ, comes to the world through

the Jewish people. So to the Jew first,

yes, but then also to the Greek. All

peoples have the same path to salvation.

And Paul makes this very clear by

explaining that all people stand guilty

in the same way before God by definition

requiring the same salvation. Romans

3:es 21-23.

But now the righteousness of God apart

from the law is revealed, being

witnessed by the law and the prophets,

even the righteousness of God through

faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all

who believe. For there is no difference,

for all have sinned and fall short of

the glory of God. Now, we did skip ahead

there to Romans 3. So, let's go back to

Romans 2. Paul puts the spotlight on

what it means to be a true Jew. For he

is not a Jew who is one outwardly. Nor

is circumcision that which is outward in

the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one

inwardly. And circumcision is that of

the heart in the spirit, not in the

letter, whose praise is not from men,

but from God. Did you catch that? He is

not a Jew who is one outwardly. Nor is

circumcision that which is outward in

the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one

inwardly and circumcision is that of the

heart in the spirit. Keep in mind here

Paul is talking about Jews, the

followers of the Mosaic covenant in

Romans 1:4. We're not even talking about

Israel and definitions of Israel yet.

And Paul is already making uh is already

distinguishing those who are

covenantally sound and those who are not

covenantally sound. And Paul does this

consistently through chapters 2 and

three of Romans, demonstrating clearly

that God shows shows no partiality, that

salvation is the same for all people,

that judgment is the same for all

people, and that all stand equal before

God, both in judgment and in salvation.

Romans 2:es 9-11.

tribulation and anguish on every soul of

man who does evil. Of the Jew first and

also of the Greek, but glory, honor, and

peace to everyone who works what is good

to the Jew first and also the Greek. For

there is no partiality with God. What's

funny is this kind of debunks the

earlier uh earlier claim that Jew first

means that Jews have a special covenant

because here it would be very odd. Look,

he said the Jew first that means they

get punished first. Obviously not. And

here's the big one. Romans 3:es 29 and

30. Or is he the God of the Jews only?

Is he not also the God of the Gentiles?

Yes, of the Gentiles also. Since there

is one God who will justify the

circumcised by faith and the

uncircumcised through faith.

Are we starting to get the picture here?

All are equal, equally guilty before

God. all come to salvation the same way

regardless of any birthright regardless

of ethnicity, regardless of culture,

regardless of any kind of national

identity. So by the time we get to

Romans chapter 4, Paul has made it very

clear what the path to salvation is. But

now he goes to Abraham in chapter 4

because Abraham is the father of Israel,

of the covenantal people of God, the one

who the promises were made to. So what

does Paul say about the covenantal

people that come from Abraham in Romans

chapter 4? Paul tells us that Abraham's

covenantal relationship with God started

with his faith before his circumcision.

And so Abraham is the father of the

covenantal people by faith regardless of

their status of circumcision or

uncircumcision. Romans 4:es 9-16.

Does this blessedness then come upon the

circumcised only or upon the

uncircumcised also? For we say that

faith was accounted to Abraham for

righteousness. How then was it

accounted? While he was circumcised or

uncircumcised,

not while circumcised, but while

uncircumcised. And he received the sign

of circumcision, a seal of the

righteousness of the faith which he had

while uncircumcised, that he might be

the father of all those who believe,

though they are uncircumcised.

That righteousness be imputed to them

also, and the father of circumcision to

those who not only are of circumcision,

but who also walk in the steps of faith,

which our father Abraham had, while

still uncircumcised.

Notice there that Paul makes it very

clear that being of the covenant by

birth and of circumcision is not enough

on its own, but that you must walk in

the faith that our father Abraham had

while still uncircumcised.

And then he continues, for the promise

that he would be the heir of the world

was not to Abraham or to his seed

through the law, but through

righteousness of faith. For if those who

are of the law are heirs, faith is made

void, and the promise made no effect,

because the law brings about wrath. For

where there is no law, there is no

transgression. Therefore, it is of faith

that it might be according to grace, so

that the promise might be sure to all

the seed, not only to those who are of

the law, but also to those who are of

the [snorts] faith of Abraham, who is

the father of us all. Paul is making it

very clear that all those who walk in

the faith of Abraham are of the seed of

Abraham for the purposes of the

covenantal relationship whether

circumcised or uncircumcised. And he

makes it very clear that even those who

are circumcised do not partake in that

covenant if they do not walk in the

faith of their father Abraham. Now that

we've seen how Paul lays out his terms

in the earlier parts of the epistle, we

can safely address Romans 9 through11.

Because Romans 9 through11 does not

stand on its own. It is a necessary

conversation to address because of the

theological stances made earlier.

Because if salvation is for everyone

equally and all stand equally judged

before God, we now have to address the

elephant in the room. What about Israel?

What about the covenantal promises when

there are still physical nation of

Israel walking the earth? So, we're

going to go through this now and explain

who Israel actually is according to

Paul. But first, I want to look at the

few verses that actually get weaponized

out of context to try to demonstrate

that there's still uh some kind of

separate covenantal people of Israel

that are based on the physical nation of

Israel. The first one is Romans 11:1.

I say then, has God cast away his

people? Certainly not. Ah, you see, God

has not cast away Israel. Nope. We'll

see how this is taken out of context,

but this verse and what follows is

actually a way to debunk the idea that

Israel by birthright are actually

completely rejected. So this actually is

an important verse to address. Next is

Romans 11:16. For if the first fruit is

holy, the lump is also holy. And if the

root is holy, so are the branches. You

see, the righteous remnant of Israel who

comes to faith is holy. Therefore, the

whole lump is holy. Therefore, all of

Israel have a special place with God by

birthright regardless of their faith.

Nope. Also taken out of context, and we

will address this one as well. And

lastly, a verse that is so obviously

taken out of context and abused once you

read the entirety of Romans, that is

Romans 11 26. And so all Israel will be

saved as it is written. And then Old

Testament passage. taken out of context,

that could seem like there is a parallel

covenant for the national physical

Israel of the flesh. But once you read

it in context, you actually see that

this is ridiculous to assert. So Paul

starts off this section of the epistle

9-11 by expressing his anguish over his

brethren from Israel who are Israel in

the flesh. He expresses this sorrow

because he knows that some of them may

not be saved. Romans 9:es 1-3 I tell the

truth in Christ I am not lying my

conscience also bearing me witness in

the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow

and continual grief in my heart for I

wish that I myself were a cursed from

Christ for my brethren my countrymen

according to the flesh so Paul here is

making it very clear that there is no

automatic birthright salvation for

physical Israel and he is sorrowful that

some will not be saved then he goes on

to explain that Yes, there is a national

Israel and there are promises that were

made to Israel. Covenants that were made

with Israel, patriarchs who came from

Israel, even Christ who came from

Israel. Romans 9:es 4 and 5 who are

Israelites to whom pertain the adoption,

the glory, the covenants, the giving of

the law, the service of God, and the

promises of whom are the fathers and

from whom according to the flesh Christ

came who is overall the eternally

blessed God. Amen. Wait, that sounds

like Paul is saying that physical

Israel, his physical brothers are the

covenant Israel.

No, Paul is explaining that the covenant

came through Israel, that Christ came to

the world through Israel. But he

qualifies this in the following verse.

Romans 9:6. But it is not that the word

of God has taken no effect. For they are

not all Israel who are of Israel.

Whoa. Paul didn't just say that there

are people in Israel who are not saved.

He didn't just say that the Mosaic

covenant doesn't save. He didn't just

debunk the idea of a parallel path to

God and salvation. No, he was even

clearer. There are those who come from

his brothers from his physical Israel

brothers who are of Israel but they are

not Israel. So he is clearly making the

distinction there are those who are of

the physical national Israel but they

are not the covenant Israel. And in

context of Romans, you see this very

clearly. Paul is explaining that those

who are covenantal Israel, who have the

promises of Abraham, are those who have

faith in Christ, not those who come from

a physical national identity of Israel.

So Paul is making it very clear the

promises to Israel, the concept of

Israel, the root of Israel, as we'll see

later on, all very important. Jews who

are the righteous remnant of believers

alongside their gentile brothers. Very

important. But ethnicity and ancestry

does not equal Israel. Now, there's so

much more even just in Romans 9, but

let's move on to Romans 10 to keep

things going. Romans 10:1, another

Pauline slap in the face to anyone who

thinks that Israel has a separate path

to God outside of salvation in Christ.

Romans 10:1 Paul writes, "Brethren, my

heart's desire and prayer to God for

Israel is that they may be saved." If

physical national Israel had a separate

path to salvation outside of Christ,

with separate unconditional promises,

then this statement by Paul is nonsense.

Why would Paul be concerned with their

salvation if all Israel will be saved

through a covenantal promise to Abraham

automatically, unconditionally? And this

becomes very clear as he goes on in

verses 3 and 4. For they being ignorant

of God's righteousness and seeking to

establish their own righteousness have

not submitted to the righteousness of

God. For Christ is the end of the law

for righteousness to everyone who

believes. End of the law meaning

fulfillment of the law. So Christ is the

fulfillment of that covenant of the law.

There is no covenant or salvation or

righteousness apart from him.

And so now with the proper context,

let's address those verses from Romans

11 that are ripped out of context.

Remember how we said that the first one

comes up uh in Romans 11:1? I say then,

has God cast away his people? Certainly

not. Not only is that out of context of

the preceding chapters and the remainder

of Romans 11, but it's not even the end

of that verse or statement. The full

context of Romans 11:1 is, I say then,

has God cast away his people? Certainly

not. For I am also an Israelite of the

seed of Abraham, of the tribe of

Benjamin. Wow, that's really important,

isn't it? He qualifies the statement

that God has not cast away his people by

referring to himself. I am an Israelite

of the seed of Abraham and I am not cast

away because Paul has faith in Christ.

So what Paul is doing here is not saying

that Israel has some kind of automatic

special salvation through the Mosaic

covenant or by birthright. He is merely

refuting the first century equivalent of

a of the crowd of the church,

let's call it, uh those who are pushing

the idea that Israel by birth are

actually rejected in the covenant

Israel. Those who are saying that

they're automatically rejected.

>> Do you know who the are?

>> Who? They're the Jews, right?

>> You're serious.

>> Read your Bible as interpreted by

experts.

>> He's saying that just because someone is

of the national Israel, the Jews, many

of whom who have rejected Christ and

persecuted Christians, that they can

still have a place among God's people,

as long as they have faith in Christ, as

long as they are in the correct

covenantal relationship with God. He's

saying, "No, we can see God hasn't cast

away his people, Israel, because I am an

example of an Israelite who has not cast

away." And he's going to discuss this

further in his upcoming illustration and

example of the olive tree. But before we

even get to that example of the olive

tree, we have more proof from Paul that

some of Israel are very important in the

plan for salvation, but not all of them

will be saved. Verse 5, he makes clear

that there is a remnant of Israel, not

all of Israel, by the flesh, who are

saved. And this is made even more

abundantly clear in verses 13- 15. For I

speak to you Gentiles, in as much as I

am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify

my ministry, if by any means I may

provoke to jealousy those who are my

flesh and save some of them. For they're

being cast for if they're being cast

away is the reconciling of the world,

what will their acceptance be but life

from the dead.

In these few verses, Paul refutes the

dual covenant crowd and the Christian

Zionist as well as the element

within the church. Paul makes it very

clear by provoking those who are of his

flesh to jealousy through his ministry

to the Gentiles, he might save some of

them. That means not all of them will be

saved. And two, he makes it very clear

that's a very, very good thing when

those who are of the physical

descendants of Israel come to faith in

Christ. If they're being cast away was

good for the world because it brought

the Gentiles into the covenant, then

their acceptance will be all the more

great. And he was referring to this as

life from the dead. And now we can read

another one of the abused verses with a

much clearer context. Romans 11:16. For

if the first fruit is holy, the lump is

holy. And if the root is holy, so are

the branches. With everything we just

read, this is very clear. It's not that

the first fruit, the remnant of physical

Israel is holy. Therefore, all of

physical Israel is holy. It's that the

covenantal body, which includes the

righteous remnant of Israel, is holy.

And therefore all of the covenantal

Israel is holy. All the Jews and

Gentiles that are in in the covenant of

faith who are in the correct

relationship with God are holy. It's

obviously talking about that because he

references the branches of Jews and

Gentiles he will be discussing in the

illustration of the olive tree. And so

we move on to that example and we are

getting uh close to the end of Romans 11

verses 17 and 18. If some of the

branches were broken off, and you being

a wild olive tree were grafted in among

them, and with them became a partaker of

the root and fatness of the olive tree,

do not boast against the branches. But

if you do boast, remember that you do

not support the root, but the root

supports you.

Paul is again making it very clear. Some

who were part of the root have been

broken off and now there are some who

are grafted in and they should not boast

because they are part of the same root

and it supports them not the not the

other way around. Paul has once again in

a couple of verses refuted anyone that

says that all of Israel by birth are

part of the covenant. And he has also

refuted those who think that uh because

they are believers in Christ, they have

somehow replaced God's people. No, he

says they are grafted in to the very

same tree. They are all God's people who

are of this covenant who are connected

to this root. Paul continues, "You will

say then branches were broken off that I

might be grafted in. Well said. Because

of unbelief they were broken off, and

you stand by faith. Do not be hotty but

fear. For if God did not spare the

natural branch branches, he may not

spare you either. Therefore, consider

the goodness and severity of God. On

those who fell, severity, but towards

you, goodness, if you continue in his

goodness. Otherwise, you will also be

cut off. Again, Paul makes it very

clear. Those who are of the ethnic

national Israel who did not believe were

cut off or are cut off. But the Gentiles

grafted in should not boast against

them, for they are also not guaranteed

the promise by birthight automatically.

They must stand on faith to be grafted

in and stay connected. And then Paul

goes on to say something that if you

look really closely at is very

interesting. And they also, if they do

not continue in their unbelief, will be

grafted in. For God is able to graft

them in again. For if you were cut out

of the olive tree, which is wild by

nature, and were grafted contrary to

nature, into a cultivated olive tree,

how much more will these who are natural

branches be grafted into their own olive

tree? So Paul is saying not only can

those who are ethnic Israel who were cut

off be grafted back in by faith but if a

Gentile can be grafted into the covenant

of Israel through faith all the more so

someone who is naturally of Israel would

be able to be grafted in. It's not

putting ethnic Israel in a special

covenantal class. It's merely saying

that this is something natural for them.

Israel was waiting for their Messiah.

Israel believes in the Messiah. the

scriptures and the covenant and the

Messiah himself come through Israel. Of

course, Israel is unique in that way. It

does not mean someone who is of Israel

automatically is saved. But Paul is

pointing out that the most natural thing

for someone who is of Israel to do is be

grafted back in through faith in the

Messiah. And now we get to that infamous

all Israel will be saved verse, but now

with the correct context. For I do not

desire, brethren, that you should be

ignorant of this mystery, lest you

should be wise in your own opinion, that

blindness in part has happened to Israel

until the fullness of the Gentiles has

come in. And so all Israel will be

saved, as it is written, the deliverer

will come out of Zion, and he will

return uh turn away ungodliness from

Jacob, for this is my covenant with them

when I take away their sins. So Paul is

not making the blanket statement all

Israel will be saved about the ethnic

nation of Israel and that's it. They

will all be saved for sure. Now there

are a few different opinions here but it

definitely doesn't mean that and it can

mean and refer to several things. Number

one, as we've seen so far when he says

Israel being saved he means the entirety

of the covenantal body of Israel which

includes Jews and Gentiles. But here

he's also saying something very

interesting. Blindness in part has

happened to Israel until the fullness of

the Gentiles has come in and so all

Israel will be saved. So Paul could be

saying that once the fullness of the

Gentiles and those of Israel who are not

in blindness come together in this faith

that all of that Israel will be saved.

But another thing to remember is that

Israel, even the national ethnic Israel

by descent is much larger than the

Jewish people at the time of Paul. Most

of Israel, the vast majority of Israel

was exiled among the nations. Nobody

knows who they are. They don't have any

Israelite identity, but they are the

physical descendants of Israel. And so

with the gathering of the Gentiles into

the true covenant Israel, God is also

fulfilling his promise by bringing all

of Israel in this sense back into the

covenant with him. When I first came

across these debates about what these

concepts mean in the in Paul's epistle

to the Romans, I was dreading going

through it because it seems so

complicated the way people were arguing

about it. But when you actually sit and

read through it yourself, it is so

blatantly clear. All stand before God

equal, equally guilty, equally in need

of salvation. And the only path to

salvation is through Jesus Christ. for

the Jew and for the Gentile. And it is

also clear throughout the epistle that

Israel plays a very important role. The

ethnic descendants of Israel play a very

important role in the history of

salvation. But it is also very clear

that those who are descendants of Israel

are not automatically saved by

birthright. And when Paul starts

referring to the covenantal Israel, he

makes it very clear not all who are of

Israel are Israel. So there is no

parallel covenant, no separate Israel

promises for the physical descendants as

some sort of automatic birthright. In

order to be saved, all need to come into

correct relationship and covenant with

Christ. And so who is Israel?

The entire body of those who believe,

who have faith in Christ, and are in a

correct covenantal relationship with

Christ. Now, I know that was a lot, but

we're not going to end it here because

in my usual fashion, I'm going to be

addressing rabbitic sources that

actually demonstrate that Paul's

attitude towards the covenant and who

the covenantal people are is absolutely

correct, even from a rabbitic Jewish

standpoint. So, not only does the church

view Israel as one covenantal body,

rabbitic Judaism views it the same way,

which should make people stop and take

another look at things if they believe

in Christian Zionism or dual covenant

theology, certain groups of

dispensationalists. Not that those are

the same thing. I just like saying the

word dispensationalist. If all of the

church's tradition being one group that

finds its origin in first century

Judaism and rabbitic Judaism, the other

group that finds its origins in first

century Judaism, if both of these groups

who are usually opposed to each other

have a consensus view on a biblical

topic, maybe this is the correct way to

view this covenantal theology. In

Judaism, you have the body of covenantal

Israel, which are mostly ethnic

descendants of Israel. But then you have

some who are not ethnically of Israel,

who have no birthright of Israel, but

who are grafted in as converts. And on

the flip side, you have branches broken

off. Those whose Jewish heritage only

comes on the paternal side, and so

Judaism cast them out as not Jewish,

though they are ethnically descendant of

Israel. anyone who does not have a

communal acceptance as a Jew. For many,

if a fellow Jew believes in Jesus Christ

or something else deemed heresy or

idolatry uh by the Jewish community,

they are cut off. They lose their Jewish

status amongst Israel.

So, rabbitic Judaism claiming to be the

correct covenantal body has the exact

same view of that covenantal body as the

church. There is a central Israel. There

are those who can be cut off through

incorrect covenantal relationship and

there are those who can be grafted in.

And we see this clearly in the Talmud

discussing the process of converting

someone to Judaism. When he is healed

from circumcision, they immerse him

immediately and two Torah scholars stand

over him at the time of his immersion

and they inform him of some of the

lenient mitzvot and some of the

stringent mitzvot. Once he has immersed

and emerged, he is as a Jew in every

sense. And in the language of the

Talmud, it's even more definitive. He is

literally a Jew. But what's interesting

is the term for Jew here is not Yehudi

like the term for a Jew that came about

in the second temple period that exists

until today. It explicitly uses the word

Israel, Israel. So in the rabbitic

conversion process, a gentile is quite

literally baptized and upon emerging

from their baptism, their rabbitic

baptism, they are as Israel. Not only

that, the discussion goes on further to

question as to the status of such a

convert who then apostatizes. And in

reality, he is not treated as a gentile

after that. He is treated as part of

Israel. Even if he gives up on Judaism,

he is treated as an apostate Jew, not a

gentile. Because once he is immersed,

baptized, uh, rabbitic baptism if you

will, he is part of Israel, not as a

second covenantal body parallel to

Israel. No, he becomes part of Israel.

And further, as far as being cut off

from Israel and no longer part of the

covenantal body, this is not even a

church topic or a rabbitic topic. This

is a biblical category. So the idea that

those of Israel who are not in correct

covenantal relationship with God would

be cut off from Israel is a biblical

idea from the Old Testament before you

get anywhere close to Romans. So once

again from a biblical perspective, Old

Testament, New Testament, from the

church tradition, even verified by

rabbitic Judaism and the rabbis

themselves, there is only one coherent

view for a Christian to have on this

topic. Once again, Israel is the body of

those believers who have faith in Christ

and are in a correct covenantal

relationship with Christ.

So the church, the church is Israel.