The Israel of God
Galatians 6:16
Transcript
A TWISTED CORNERSTONE
Galatians 6:16 contains the phrase “The Israel of God” which is viewed as the cornerstone of “new Israel” or the “true Israel” doctrine.
Today in the West, the gospel has become gentile-centric. We’ve spiritualised the gospel of the kingdom, brought it into the present, rather than a future hope, flipping the Jewish apocalyptic gospel on its head, and we’ve replaced the Jews as “The Israel of God.” It’s so arrogant.
I want to show that false doctrines like this can arrive when we strip a verse or phrase from its context. Context is king. If we grasp the framework of the immediate passage of a verse and the wider context of the verse, our questions would be so often answered. We shouldn’t be compelled to twist a framework because we stumble over a few words.
So, we’re going to look at this phrase, but we are going to start with the broader context before focusing in on it.
GALATIANS 1
Let us begin with how Paul positions this letter which he is writing to the “churches of Galatia” (3) which is modern day Turkey.
Verse 6 to 9 of the first chapter says this:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (1:6-9)
So, in setting the stage: People are preaching “gospel” messages contrary to the one they received. They are distorting the gospel. Paul is astonished they are quickly deserting Christ. We are always going to differ doctrinally, but some doctrines swing so far from the gospel received, that they end up with a different Christ.
Paul then details his former life, his calling, the acceptance of his authority by the apostles in Jerusalem, and he underlines his God given authority. He says the gospel he received was “not man's gospel” (v11) but “through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (12)
So, from that authority, here on out, he frames the letter as a defence of the true gospel and an exhortation to open our eyes to counterfeits.
THEMES OF A TWISTED GOSPEL
Paul’s ministry was primarily to gentiles (Gal 2:7; Rom 11:13), and his main themes throughout the letter, painted on the canvas of the defence of the gospel, is the means of salvation, how we should relate to the law of Moses, and each other ethnically, particularly as gentiles had join the fold.
As a backdrop discussion, you have this bunch of Jewish believers who are saying gentiles should be circumcised. What is being talked about is not religious conversion per say, but ethnic conversion. For a gentile to be circumcised was to become ethnically Jewish. The Jewish “Christians” who were saying gentiles must be circumcised (and I guess keep the law to some degree), were not advocating religious proselytization and legalism as such, but ethnic conversion (as strange as that sounds) so that they could become heirs of Christ. Which was wrong. So, Paul corrects them.
He brilliantly, and masterfully expounds on the purpose of the law, describing it as the guardian or schoolmaster until Christ the promised seed came (3:24). On justification and how both Jews and gentiles receive it on the same basis of faith. And not to forget “the promised Spirit through faith” (14).
GALATIANS 3
Indeed, we see in Chapter 3 that the blessings promised to Abraham will be received by both Jews and gentiles based upon faith and not works of the law.
Paul says, “so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles” (14). He doesn’t say, “in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to Gentiles who are now the spiritually Israel.” No.
In saying gentiles are the “new Jews”, or “true Israel” you are making the same mistake Paul is arguing against. If you are a gentile Christian you are not Jewish, or spiritually Jewish, or part of a “spiritual Israel”, or required to be, to inherit the kingdom. Gentiles remain gentiles, and Jews remain Jews.
Being a spiritual child of Abraham, being adopted into God’s family, does not mean you are spiritually Jewish. (And I’ve heard a renowned pastor say that.)
Paul makes the point that the “promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring”, and this seed or “offspring”, is singular “who is Christ” (3:16). So if, you in baptism “have put on Christ” (28) whether “Jew… Greek.. slave… free… male… female” (28), then we are “all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise” (29). Nobody says, “now we are spiritual heirs, genders are disbanded”. Although today… Anyway… It doesn’t mean your identity and ordained roles are scrapped. You are still male, female, Jew, gentile. A slave, is man’s structuring not God’s chosen identity and role for you.
The Jewish people are the administrators of the covenant, and any attempt to usurp them and replace them, will only be met with the full force of God’s Word.
GALATIANS 4
In Galatians 4 Paul adopts an analogy from the lives of Hagar and Sarah.
He reminds us that Hagar was a slave, and Sarah the free woman. Ishmael was born from a human encounter, whereas Isaac was born through promise. Therefore, we are born again through promise and not “held captive under the law” (3:23).
GALATIANS 5
In Galatians 5 Paul points out that if a gentile “accepts circumcision… he is obligated to keep the whole law” (5:3). Therefore “You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (5:4). And I love this so I’ll keep reading, “For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.” (5:5-6)
Jewish followers of Jesus are circumcised as a sign of the Abrahamic covenant because they are the administrators of it. Gentiles are not required to be circumcised. The key is that to be saved and to receive the Abrahamic covenantal blessings is matter of faith in the One who will establish and deliver.
So, Paul says, we are free from the law but that does not mean we abuse grace. He continues: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (5:14). We are to “walk by the Spirit”(5:16), he says. We are guided by the Holy Spirit not by the letter of the law.
He then lists the
GALATIANS 6
Then the final chapter: Chapter 6.
Following on from the previous chapter of the pull of the flesh and direction of the Spirit, we are to “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (6:2).
We’re told that, “whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” (6:7)
We’re encouraged, “not grow weary of doing good” (9).
Then we enter the final section of the letter which houses the phrase “the Israel of God”.
IMMEDIATE CONTEXT
Immediate context of this phrase is verse 11-18, the farewell and conclusion of the letter.
From 11 to 15 he once again underlines his points of outward expression vs inward expression, concluding in verse 15: “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.” The new creation is not a “new Israel” made up of Jewish and gentile believers. But that whether you are Jewish or gentile, it is about being born of promise, a new creation in Christ.
And then the verse which contains the phrase: “And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God” (16). And then the final two verses:
“From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen” (17-18). The end.
The context of verse 16 is the final blessing. “And as for all who walk by this rule,” Which rule? Well the truth of the previous verse in sync with the previous chapter in which he told us to “walk by the Spirit” (5:16). “And as for all who walk by this rule,” Here comes the blessing “peace and mercy be upon them,” upon who? Upon the new creations, those who put their faith in Messiah Jesus, and not in their own works “and upon the Israel of God.” He makes a distinction between “upon them” and “upon the Israel of God.” So, who is the Israel of God? The faithful and loyal Jews who do not put their faith in their own works or cuts of the flesh, but in Messiah and his works and his cuts to the flesh. It is the faithful remnant of ethnic Israel.
The immediate context of the passage is the final warning and benediction. There is not sign of an insertion of drastic new theological framework.
There is no replacement of Israel taking place here. It is a specific blessing. Peterman says this: “Since some might have viewed Paul’s sharp rebuke as attacking all Jewish believers, Paul added a specific blessing. This one was not just for those who accepted his teaching, but also for the Jewish believers who agreed with him.”[i]
CONTEXTUAL LOGIC
Think about the contextual logic for a moment.
Paul just spent 6 chapters defending the one true Gospel. Not the one true people. The one true Gospel – justification by grace through faith. Circumcision is great, if your Jewish, but gentiles do not require it. Faith is the key. No mention of the redefinition of Israel.
If he set up a new doctrine about a so called “new Israel” why would he throw in an ambiguous phrase in the conclusion of those six chapters. This is the conclusion not a transition into another doctrine whereby he expounds another 6 chapters. Where is the exposition? We do not find it. You want us to believe that Paul casually flips the entire second temple Jewish apocalyptic worldview on its head with a concluding phrase contrary to the entire letter?
This is bad theology.
Did he really wait until the 147th verse with just 2 verses to go, before casually throwing in a phrase with completely different theology, and then sign off with “blessings”? It’s silly to suggest Paul is so blasé and irresponsible. This is a guy who prides himself on explaining things.
73 USES OF ISRAEL
Israel is mentioned 73 times in the NT. It always means ethnic or national Israel. Are we to pretend that on this one occasion, which is not accompanied with an exposition to redefine Israel, that the church is now Israel?
Proponents of this twisted gospel sometimes suggest “Israel” in Rm 9:6 or 11:26 refers to the Church as the spiritual Israel. Call it three if you like. 3 occasions it is twisted, but the other 70 mean exactly what it always meant?
That is the definition of Eisegesis. You are desperately trying to see things that are not there.
POINTING FORWARD
Paul’ theological framework is like a big arrow that points towards the Day of the Lord. He is saying those who put their faith in Jesus, not in their own works, those faithful remnant of Jews are the Israel of God – they will make up the kingdom of Israel when Jesus returns. The Jews who put faith not in Christ, but their ethnicity, or their outward expressions, or their works of Torah, will remain in the ground and will not partake in the Israeli kingdom of God.
And of course, a few years later Paul would write to the Romans explaining that the gentiles are grafted in. Not to replace Israel, but grafted into their Jewish apocalyptic narrative as faithful peoples alongside Israel.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, if you told Paul that “the Israel of God” is now a “true spiritual Israel” a “a new Israel,” I think Paul would be “astonished that you are so quickly deserting”… and you interject, “ah but not Jesus. We’re not deserting Jesus.” Oh, you just want to redefine his bride?
If you preach a different gospel, “let him be accursed.” “Oh no Ste, it is same gospel just a redefinition of the bride, a complete shift from the biblical worldview, a re-imagining of the apostolic hope… etc”
Paul does care if you got that twisted gospel from an angel, N.T Wright, or a YouTube channel. “let him be accursed.”
Gorge on the scriptures. Swallow them holistically. A verse a day will not keep the devil at bay.
The antidote to bad theology is a childlike heart, and a Berean mindset.
God Bless!
[i] Peterman, G. W. (2014). Galatians. In M. A. Rydelnik & M. Vanlaningham (Eds.), The moody bible commentary (p. 1842). Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers.