Article · Israel and the ChurchBiblical exposition · Apologetics
The olive tree, the natural branches, and the limits of the metaphor
Are Gentile Believers Grafted into Israel? The olive tree, the natural branches, and the limits of the metaphor Romans 11 pictures Gentile believers as branches taken from a wild olive tree and grafted into a cul…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchApologetics · Biblical discernment · Biblical exposition
What God's faithfulness to Israel means for everyone who trusts His promises
No Shadow of Turning What God's faithfulness to Israel means for everyone who trusts His promises This series has examined covenants, prophecies, apostles, thrones, tribes, branches, seeds, kingdoms, and the…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchBiblical exposition · Apologetics
Unity in Christ and distinction in God's purpose
Are Israel and the Church Really the Same? Unity in Christ and distinction in God's purpose The New Testament teaches a unity so profound that it would have startled the ancient world. In Christ, Jewish and Gentile believers are reconciled…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchHistorical study · Apologetics · Biblical discernment
A history of interpretation, polemic, and forgotten tension
How Supersessionism Took Root in the Early Church A history of interpretation, polemic, and forgotten tension Supersessionism did not appear in one moment through one theologian. It developed as the Church became increas…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchBiblical exposition · Apologetics
Israel's Messiah, Israel's Scriptures, and a gospel for the world
…eople, Christianity appears thoroughly foreign. Its historic centres became Rome, Constantinople, Canterbury, Geneva, and countless cities far from Jerusalem. Its Scriptures have been used to justify contempt for Jews, and its Jewish Messiah has often been presented with little c…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchBiblical exposition · Apologetics
Fulfilment in Christ, the inclusion of the Gentiles, and Israel's future mercy
Does the New Testament Reaffirm Israel's Promises? Fulfilment in Christ, the inclusion of the Gentiles, and Israel's future mercy The Old Testament repeatedly promises Israel preservation, regathering, cleansing, the kingdom of David's Son, and a resto…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchApologetics · Biblical discernment
Defining the position before testing it
What Is Supersessionism, and Why Does It Matter? Defining the position before testing it "Replacement theology" is a useful popular label, but it can also conceal important differences. Many Christians accused of teaching that the Church repl…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchBiblical exposition · Apologetics
Circumcision of the heart and the identity of Paul's inward Jew
…29 Make Christians "Spiritual Jews"? Circumcision of the heart and the identity of Paul's inward Jew Paul's description of the inward Jew is often treated as a decisive redefinition of Israel: "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is ou…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchBiblical exposition · Apologetics
One Messiah, one gospel, and God's continuing purpose for Israel
The Unshaken Truth of God's Promises One Messiah, one gospel, and God's continuing purpose for Israel This series began with a question: has the Church permanently replaced Israel in the purpose of God? The answer cannot be reached by asking whether Christ fulfils t…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchBiblical exposition · Apologetics
Election within Abraham's family, the believing remnant, and the future of the nation
What Does "They Are Not All Israel, Which Are of Israel" Mean? Election within Abraham's family, the believing remnant, and the future of the nation Romans 9:6 is often used as a definition of spiritual Israel: "For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel." —Ro…
Read article →Article · Israel and the ChurchBiblical exposition
The question reaches beyond prophecy to the faithfulness of God
…uestion reaches beyond prophecy to the faithfulness of God Has the Church replaced Israel in the purpose of God? Some Christians answer yes, although they may prefer words such as fulfilled, transformed, or expanded. They believe that Israel's promises have reached their true mea…
Read article →