Romans 2:17-29 Indeed you are called a Jew, and rest on the law, and make your boast in God, (18) and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law, (19) and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, (20) an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the law. (21) You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? (22) You who say, "Do not commit adultery," do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? (23) You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonour God through breaking the law? (24) For "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written. (25) For circumcision is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. (26) Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? (27) And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfils the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law? (28) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; (29) 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.
We have seen in the previous passage that the apostle Paul introduced us to the concept of a second Israel; which he called the Israel of God. And so we see that there are two Israel’s. The first Israel is referred to as Israel after the flesh, and we have seen that one becomes a member of that Israel through circumcision and ancestry. The second Israel is referred to as the Israel of God, and we have seen that one becomes a member of that Israel through the new birth. In the above-quoted passage of scripture, the apostle Paul again reinforces the scriptural truth about the two Israel’s. Although Paul does not speak specifically about two Israel's in this passage, he does, however, speak about two types of Jews. However, being a Jew and being an Israelite is the same thing, and so the concept remains the same; i.e. two types of Jews is the same as having two Israel's. The context of this passage is that Paul was destroying the argument that Jews (after the flesh) put forward; that their status before God is secure, simply because they are Jews. In other words, because they are God's chosen people. Paul exposes the hypocrisy of their argument, by showing the Jews, that when they proclaim that they are God's chosen people, their wicked behaviour blasphemes the name of God among the nations of the world. With regards to the two Israel's, Paul confirms in this passage that being a Jew outwardly in the flesh (circumcised in the flesh) qualifies one to be part of Israel after the flesh, whereas being a Jew inwardly in the spirit (circumcised in the spirit) qualifies one to be part of the Israel of God. Paul takes the argument even further because he teaches us in this passage that ultimately it is only those who belong to the Israel of God that are the real Jews, and those who belong to Israel after the flesh and call themselves Jews, are not real Jews; for Paul says in this passage that a Jew is not one outwardly in the flesh, but rather a Jew is one inwardly in the spirit. The Lord Jesus Himself concurs with the apostle Paul on this issue; for the Lord tells us that even though Israelis say they are Jews, they are actually lying; because as far as heaven is concerned, they aren't Jews at all (Revelation 3:9). And so the question is asked, are the Lord Jesus and the apostle Paul saying that Israel after the flesh no longer exists, and has been replaced with the Israel of God? Not at all; they are simply reaffirming the spiritual truth which I mentioned earlier; i.e. that Israel after the flesh is merely the shadow of the true Israel, i.e. the Israel of God.
Romans 9:1-9 “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, (2) that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. (3) For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, (4) who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; (5) of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen. (6) But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, (7) nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "In Isaac, your seed shall be called." (8) That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed. (9) For this is the word of promise: "At this time I will come and Sarah shall have a son."
We have seen in the previous passage that the apostle Paul differentiated between Jews in the flesh and Jews in the spirit, thus confirming the spiritual truth that there are two Israel’s. In the above-quoted passage of scripture, Paul once again reaffirms the truth that there are indeed two Israel’s; for in this passage, Paul states that they are not all Israel who are of Israel. And so we see that the two Israel’s which Paul mentions in this passage are; firstly those who “are Israel”, and secondly those who are “of Israel”. So what is the difference between the two? Paul tells us in this passage that those who “are Israel” are the children of God, and those who are “of Israel” are children of the flesh. Paul elaborates further, by telling us that the children of the flesh refer to those who are the biological descendants of Abraham through Jacob (Israel); and the children of God refer to those who, as the children of promise, are counted as the seed. Paul also teaches us in this passage that the children of the flesh do not qualify as the children of God, for it is only the children of the promise that are counted as the seed. In other words, it is only the children of the promise that are counted as the children of God. The children of the flesh in this passage refer to Israel after the flesh, and the children of God in this passage refer to the Israel of God.
Galatians 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ.
We have seen in the previous passage that the apostle Paul stated that the children of promise are counted as the seed, i.e. they are the children of God. Paul teaches us in that passage that the seed he is referring to is not the biological descendants of Abraham (Israel after the flesh); for God told Abraham that in Isaac his seed would be called. And so the question is asked, what seed is Paul referring to? Paul answers that question for us in the above-quoted passage of scripture; for he tells us that the seed to whom the promises of God were made, is Christ. And so we see that the children of God are the children of Christ. It would be more accurate to say that the children of God are part of Christ; for scripture teaches us that all believers are baptized into Christ as sons of God (Galatians 3:26-27). And so we see that the Israel of God refers to all believers who have been baptized into Christ.
Michael E.B. Maher
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