Jew, Gentile, Ekklesia

Now that I have been participating in the Israel Virtual House of Prayer Zoom meetings for over a year, I have been greatly enriched by the insights which other participants have concerning the life of the followers of Jesus and the unfolding restoration of the nation of Israel to the community of nations.

I have been particularly enriched by a book by Faisal Malick entitled "The Destiny of Islam in the Endtimes" in which he gives his view that God will bring vast numbers of people in the Islamic nations to a personal knowledge of Jesus the Anointed, and then believers in Jesus from all the nations will love the Jewish people into Jesus as well. I see a wonderful poetic justice in the offspring of Ishmael who were dispossessed of their father Abraham and their inheritance from him now being reconciled by our Heavenly Father and obtaining the richest of all inheritances in Jesus!

But there seems to be confusion about the joining of believers from Jewish heritage and from gentile heritage into 'one new man' as the apostle Paul describes 'the ekklesia of God'. I intentionally use the word 'ekklesia' rather than 'church' for two reasons. First, because the word 'church' has a lot of traditional meaning which is part truth and part traditions of men. And second, because the Greek word 'ekklesia' literally means 'a called-out group'.

I look to the words of Jesus for His perspective of what the 'ekklesia' is.

John 10:1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that enters not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.

Mat 23:8 But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your teacher, and all ye are brethren.
Mat 23:9 And call no man your father on the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
Mat 23:10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your master, even the Christ.
Mat 23:11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Mat 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Mat 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter.

Romans 9:24 Even us, whom he has called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles!

Greek NT) οὓς καὶ ἐκάλεσεν ἡμᾶς οὐ μόνον ἐξ ᾿Ιουδαίων ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἐθνῶν;

1Co_10:32 Give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the ekklesia of God:

(Greek NT) ἀπρόσκοποι γίνεσθε καὶ ᾿Ιουδαίοις καὶ ῞Ελλησι καὶ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Θεοῦ,

Thoughts in process. 6/14/22

FURTHER THOUGHTS 6/22/23:

I recently have heard many people mention that gentile believers (the wild olive tree) are to be grafted into the 'good olive tree' (something having to do with Jewish society, I guess). I am of the opinion that when Jesus told us to 'abide in Him'

Joh_15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.

He was clearly indicating that He is the Source of the holy life which we are all called to partake of.

I also hear much talk of 'Jewish' believers and 'Gentile' believers. I am of the opinion that God sees us as either believers or unbelievers regardless of religious or societal distinctions we may hold to. I say this for several reasons. First, Jesus, when asked by Pontius Pilate whether He was the King of the Jews, replied "You say." He did not claim that title, but repeatedly called Himself "The Son of Man". (80 times by my quick count in the Gospels).

Secondly, the apostle Paul recognized a distinction between 'carnal' believers and 'spiritual' believers. 1Co_3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

That begs the question what is the difference between carnal and spiritual believers in Messiah? I am not aware that Paul gave a clear immediate description of this distinction, but he eventually made the following statement:

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constrains us; because we thus judge, that if One died for all, then were all dead:
2Co 5:15 And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him Who died for them, and rose again.

My understanding, therefore, of the distinction between carnal and spiritual believers is this: carnal believers live for themselves based on their own understanding regardless of spiritual gifts which may be manifesting in their lives (1 Corinthians 1,2 &3), while spiritual believers live for God while growing in the ability to trust God with all of their hearts without leaning on their own understanding. Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not unto your own understanding.

In addition a further question is raised by the distinction between carnal and spiritual believers: How does one change from being a carnal believer to being a spiritual believer?

My thoughts are based on 2 Corinthians 5:15 (possibly because my spiritual re-birthday is May 15). Jesus died the hard way so that we can die to self the easy way, and He rose again so that we can live for God by abiding in Him. This is why Jesus demanded that anyone wanting to 'come after Him' must meet certain requirements, the first being dying daily to self. Luke_9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

Our failure to do this simple but profound duty daily has resulted in the almost total carnality of what we call 'the church', or what I describe as 'organized Christianity'.

This morning I heard someone mention that we are on the cusp of a transition into a new wineskin, and believe that when this happens it will be a transition from the carnal, institutional church into the new wineskin of the Holy Spirit, and the result will be the freedom of the Spirit to guide all believers as one new man as every member of the body of Messiah crucifies the flesh daily and takes every aspect of our lives and our world captive to the Lord's obedience every day!

Rob 6/22/23 :)