Page 12 - Torch Magazine #27 - Spring 2025

mea we on t con ider Isr el to e pi itual – i itual Isr l us th l avo ds con usion wit h
the ter log ‘sp ritual Isr el’ tha rep acement
the logians som times use as s s
e e s
n nym
for the log Chu ch.
In ig t of he Chu abo e, on can eas ly see
how Rep acement The logy is t it wi e a y e i s
ger for
ant semitism wit in the Chu ch. Te ing
Chr stians tha eth ic Isr el is it wi an ed an ndant
not onl infl uences Chr stians th stian att tudes
tow rds the Jew Jew sh peo sh
peo le, bu als pla es
a n g
e t tive per pective on he Jew Jew r h sh peo sh
peo le’s rig tful cla m to he c r his oric
hom land, th r h Lan Cov log tha was rep par of he r h Lan Cov log nant tha was rep acement the logians
see to is
ppropriate. Re acement
The logy, th efore, ha a d s
o r s
ct
con ection wit ant in t semitism wit in the efo Chu ch whi h is it wi hy it an m n us be eb nked
usi g the Chu tru h of od s Wor .
Re acement The logy dep nds on
cr xt
pture bei g tak n out of on ext. He e
are thr com e phr ses fro the New Tes ament
tha are thr com ass only mis ead. Si ificantly,
al thr e err rs are com ass ciated wit a
d r c S t a c s
f . egard for eth ic Isr el.
1. h e is ei her Jew
nor Gre k
The imp rtance of de tity
Hav you eve hea d ano her Chr stian
use thi in phr se in se is eb Is so ting Isr el? Thi s
phr se in se is hr hr ft at id n use in eb Is so Je ation to
nd rmine Jew sh ide sh
peo tity and the Jew sh ide sh
peo le’s dis inct uni ueness sep rate fro m
Gen iles.
Of n in d b a t t te abo t Isr el, Ch stians
wil say “th re is ei her Jew
nor Gre k”
to nd rmine the e i Je leg Jew timacy of sr el as a
p w t o a a o f ised lan for
the leg Jew sh peo le.
Wh Pau use thi phr se in om al ns
10: 2 and in om al g th tians 3:2 , he Pa as i cle rly
exp aining tha the e is pi T itual equ lity
fou d in g th es
s Chr st. Th lat er ver e
doe n’t onl ref r to Je or re em k’, it fo ls r o
say the e is ei her ‘ma e nor fem le’. Bu rep acement the logians nev r arg e tha t
the e is o nc is
tr inction bet een a m e n e h n r T or Th om n. Th do ot he try to ha ge the
e i defi y
in nition of al or . No om em o le. No do ot he ot y
ins st tha men who do he ot bel eve in io st es
s
sho ld sto cla ming the are men in th he he ar sam nat way tha Jew in th he he Je ar sam nat ral are
men den ed bei g Jew sh.
"T re is .
" ei ei ei her Jew
her bon her mal nor Gre fre k, th e is e is .
" ei ei ei her Jew
her bon her mal nor Gre fre fem , th e is e is .
" ei ei ei her Jew
her bon her mal e
nor : fo fre fem le: for ye re all one in hr st
Jes s" – G l tians 3:2 8
Whi st we nd rstand the wro tim e
w gs of
au ery, at he om wro tim e
w of la au ’s wri ing the e
wou d hav bee gre t com ort to he tim e
w bon ha servant kno ing tha the had the e
w bon ha sam fre spi itual inh ritance as he bon ha sam fre e
man an thi Bib ical rev lation ref rmed
Chr stian thi king abo t the iss e.
Wh it om l ce in s to pi itual inh ritance,
an per on tha has
fai h in ri es
s
sho s Chr st,
wh her the are a J all p a a a w o a e n or en em ile, ma or , ar en em le, ar a J all all equ par l in he th ar sig t of od br and are all all equ par of od br ham’s see (Ga 3:2 ).
Th hav a n a a p o ’ : a w d n spi itual ide tity tha t
uni es. Ye des ite bei g one in on hr st, al peo le (Je , Ge ile, ma , fe ) ma le) mai tain
the r diff erential nat ral ide tity.
Ep sians 2:1 and Col ssians 3:1 1
con ey a s 2 C 3 m h h lar the e, de ribing thi s
uni y in th hr t st as he es
e, “on new man ” b t aga n it in mp s in l is
asises tha it thi in mp s in l is
ni as t hr th pi ha ugh fai h in hr t hr st tha it thi spi itual ide tity is t hr th pi ha ed by
ot Jew and Gen ile.
Ho ver, th e are Chr stians mis ed by
ot ep acement The logy tha tak thi ver y
cle r defi nition of ha ed ide tity in io hr st,
an mis ppropriate it n in o as neg tive
opi ion on n ew tha do ot bel hav eve in n hr st. Th mig t not bel hav ill feeling
tow rds Jew in who hr to he hum nitarian sen e, an may hav com assion on n ew in who suff er
ant semitism, bu whe it m, om s to he r
Bib ical und rstanding of he e r
B Jew us r p sh peo le,
th use it o e nd rmine the r
Bib r pro file in
of th he us r p eye of e od It as thi att tude tha t
con ributed to nt semitism as hi ar he bac as
hi ar he Mid nam le Age , in
he Is Mid nam of hr stianity.
Wh it .
W om s to ie ing Isr el as he a
n o a a t n t y t on, th pre ise is re is
c in st a a t n t y t t lyst for dis ain
tow rds the Jew sh sta e. Th sug est
tha if on believing Jew no be on er hav e
spi itual leg timacy as ar of br ham’s
Cov nant, th nant lan the no on er hav e
spi e
rig ts to he ca th no Cov Jew nant, th nant lan . Th mig t
ack owledge the Cov Jew sh his orical and
Th .ORG UK
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