WHAT DOES THE BIBLE FOCUS ON: ISRAEL OR JESUS CHRIST?
Update: 3 April 2024
‘Does the Bible focus on Israel or on Jesus Christ?’ For many Christians, this question has become topical again due to the recent events in Israel-Palestine. I would like to share my vision in a nutshell.
Israel and the Nations
From Genesis 3 verses 9 and 15 onwards, in the eternal Son, God has stretched out His gracious and saving arms to the whole of fallen humanity: ‘Where are you?’ (See: Heidelberg Catechism question/ answer 19). He chose Israel as a temporary demonstration of His loving intention for the world. His acts with Israel --meant as examples for the nations--, and after the captivity with a rest, the Jewish people, climaxed in the miracle of the Son becoming the man Jesus, the prophesied Christ or Messiah, our Saviour. The salvific acts of Jesus on earth fulfilled the extraordinary instrumental position of Israel and showed their essential meaning in Christ for all nations.
Israel and the Church
The modern state of Israel has a right to exist, but it is not the Israel of the Bible and is responsible for its own actions. From a biblical perspective, the Jewish people are as special and as beloved as any other people. Until the Second Coming of Christ, through Him and His Church God continues to make the Good Tiding of forgiveness and new life increasingly known to humanity at all places and times. From all peoples, Jews and non-Jews alike, God gathers His only specific people, the Church of Jesus Christ, which is also called His Body (Ephesians 5:23,24), and which foreshadows His Kingdom (Revelation chapter 11 verse 15, and the chapters 21 and 22).?
Worldwide Mission
Unfortunately, Judaism belongs to the religions that have no place for Jesus as God’s Son, the promised Messiah and Saviour. However, in past, present and future there is no salvation without Christ and without surrendering to Him in faith. Fortunately for Israel and all other peoples, the whole of God’s revealed Word in its coherence focusses on Jesus Christ alone (Titus 2: 13, 14). All Christians are called to participate in His worldwide divine mission, far away and nearby.
Co-responsibility
Christians who onesidedly elevate or debase modern Israel religiously endanger that mission and therefore the Advent of God’s Kingdom in Christ. They make themselves, usually unintentionally, co-responsible for the ideologies of philo-Semitism and anti-Semitism, i.e. blind love of Israel and hatred of Jews. Indirectly, they promote? their consequences of violence, injustice and confusion, which ultimately affect everyone, Jews and non-Jews.
Dr Steven Paas studies views on ‘Israel’ and is active in the fields of church history, missiology, and the lexicography of Chichewa, a widely spoken language in central Africa.
>>Entitled 'The Bible focusses on the Messiah, not on Israel' this article was published at Christian Network Europe, 26-3-24 https://cne.news/article/4177-the-bible-focuses-on-the-messiah-not-on-israel-1-2-
>>Entitled ‘Does the Bible focus on Israel or on Jesus Christ?’ at LinkedIn a large number of related publications has been made accessible: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/does-bible-focus-israel-jesus-christ-steven-paas/?published=t
领英推荐
Especially see:
-Steven Paas (Editor)?Israelism and the Place of Christ: Christocentric Interpretation of Biblical Prophecy, LIT Verlag, Berlin, Munster, Vienna, Zurich, London, January 2018.??https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/israelism-place-christ-steven-paas-1e/
-Steven Paas,?Christian Zionism Examined: A Review of Ideas on Israel, the Church, and the Kingdom, Wipf & Stock, Oregon, 2020
-Idem,?‘The Idolization of Israel is Harmful to Jews and to Christians’, in:?Scottish Episcopal Institute Journal, 2023, vol. 7.2, p.53-66,?2023-72a-SEI-Journal-Summer.pdf (secureserver.net). See:?https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/idolizing-israel-harmful-jews-christians-steven-paas/?published=t
-Idem,?‘The Message of the Bible: Wasp or Funnel?’, 2023?
-Idem,?‘Chosen in Christ to Salvation and to Participation in His Work’, 2023
-Idem, ‘Making Israel Religiously Special is a Controversial Choice’, 2024? https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/making-israel-religiously-special-controversial-choice-steven-paas-wrgze%3FtrackingId=M4YL4jLGq2rWltBMprkfjw%253D%253D/?trackingId=M4YL4jLGq2rWltBMprkfjw%3D%3D
-Idem, “What does Paul Mean by the Salvation of ‘All Israel’ in his Epistle to the Romans?”
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7 个月Bible focused on Jesus Christ?
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