Bible
Studies
Our Hebrew Foundation
"The Jews, without doubt, composed
the great majority of
the Christians" in the early Christian Church.
-Dr. John Peter Lange,
Lange's Bible Commentary (IV:101)
THE HEBREW FOUNDATION
OF MESSIAH'S CHURCH
A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF ACTS
Is the Christian Church a totally "gentile"
church, built on a "gentile" foundation? Were the chosen people,
Israel, set aside by Yah when the Church was founded? This is the teaching
of most of our denominations today. For example, a leading dispensationalist
author, the late M.R. DeHaan, summarized well this thinking: "GOD CHOSE
THE ISRAELITES TO BE HIS PEOPLE, TO LEAD ALL THE REST OF THE NATIONS TO HIM
IN THE END TIME. HOWEVER, ISRAEL FAILED, AND WHEN THE MESSIAH CAME NINETEEN
HUNDRED YEARS AGO TO OFFER THE IDEAL MESSIANIC KINGDOM TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL,
THEY REFUSED THEIR KING, THE KINGDOM WAS SET ASIDE" (The Jew & Palestine
In Prophecy, p.1)
We may thus summarize standard church teaching
today:
1) 'Israel was called to be Yah's Servant People and carry the good news
of Salvation to the ends of the earth.'
2) 'Israel completely rejected both their Messiah and their Servant commission,
causing Yah to pick the "gentiles" or non-Israelites to be
His servants instead, and build a church completely composed of non-Hebrews.'
Thus, no credit is given at all to Israel for the foundation and growth
of the Christian church. Messiah's church, they say, is completely and
totally non-Hebrew.
For centuries in Europe and America, an
antagonistic view toward the Jewish people caused a downgrading in
the importance accorded the Hebrews in such things as the founding
of the Church. The resulting theological attitude has been sharply
adversarial: 'We gentiles accepted the Messiah, but all of the Israelites
rejected Him.' The Protestant Reformation taught that the Church has
permanently replaced Israel, while the dispensationalists proclaim
that Israel has been displaced temporarily throughout this age.
Therefore, Israelites and Christians are conceived as two totally
distinct groups of people, without overlap. Pop theology tells us that,
'Israelites all rejected their Messiah, and only non-Israelites accepted
Him.' But in contrast to the popular view, we will see that neither
the facts of Bible history nor Bible prophecy support a substitution
of Israel in Yah's purposes during this age. In fact, no mention of any
non-Israel converts takes place until at least Acts chapter 8. Peake's
Bible Commentary informs us the idea, "THAT THE PRIMITIVE COMMUNITY
INCLUDED GENTILES IN CONSIDERABLE NUMBERS IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE SUBSEQUENT
NARRATIVE IN ACTS" (p. 893) That is, the Book of Acts shows that
the Christian Church was mainly composed of Hebrews. Historians tell
us that it was perhaps a full 8 years after the founding of the church
before there were any non-Israelite converts to Christianity at all.
CAN GOD'S PROMISE BE BROKEN?
Dispensationalist scholar, M.R. DeHaan, correctly pointed out the purpose
of Israel being the chosen people: "To lead all the rest of the
nations to Him." Yah promised to Israel in Isaiah 49:6-8, "I
WILL ALSO GIVE THEE FOR A LIGHT TO THE NATIONS, THAT THOU MAYEST BE MY
SALVATION UNTO THE END OF THE EARTH" This is a promise by Yah that
Israel would be His worldwide agent in salvation. It is indisputable
that this salvation concerns faith in Messiah. However, dispensationalists
have a problem, because they teach instead that "Israel rejected Christ"
and was set aside in God's purposes throughout this age. Did Yah keep
His Promise or not?
In the Abrahamic Covenant, Yah promised in Gen. 22:16-18, "BY
MYSELF HAVE I SWORN, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this
thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing
I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the
stars of the heaven…And IN THY SEED SHALL ALL THE NATIONS OF THE
EARTH BE BLESSED; BECAUSE THOU HAST OBEYED MY VOICE" It is popular
today to limit this to material blessings, as if Yah wasn't concerned
with Spiritual matters! But as we saw in Isaiah, Israel was indeed promised
to be a Spiritual blessing to all nations on earth, and the fulfillment
of this promise depended on Yah's faithfulness alone. Israel would be
a Spiritual light to the nations, bringing them knowledge of the Messiah.
Since this was not based upon the obedience of the nation of Israel,
but only Abraham's prior faith, we know that these blessings have taken
place throughout the church age, without breaks or intermission. Do we
see evidence of this in the New Testament record of the early church
in the Book of Acts? Indeed we do!
THE CROWNING TRIUMPH OF THE GOSPEL
In Acts 6:7, we read of the great success of the gospel among
both the Hebrew people and priests: "And the word of Yah increased;
and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and
A GREAT COMPANY OF THE PRIESTS WERE OBEDIENT TO THE FAITH." Yes,
multitudes, not just a handful, of the Hebrew priests eagerly accepted
the new faith! Famous early Church historian, Eusebius, verifies
this also, saying (IV:5) that the first fifteen bishops of Jerusalem
were Hebrews, and that all of the members of the church were Hebrews
also.
Jameson, Fausett, and Brown's Commentary
says of the conversion of this "great company" of Hebrew
priests, "THIS WAS THE CROWNING TRIUMPH OF THE GOSPEL"
(p.179) Yes! The conversion of a large percentage of the Hebrew priests
and people was the crowning triumph of the New Testament church. Yet
popular church theology completely denies this testimony of Scripture,
saying that Israel rejected Messiah! Acts 5:27 records the Pharisees
saying, "Ye have FILLED JERUSALEM WITH YOUR TEACHING," which
the same commentary calls, "NOBLE TESTIMONY TO THE SUCCESS OF
THEIR PREACHING." (p.178) Does not popular theology imply instead
that their preaching to the Hebrew people was in vain?
Acts 2:41-42 says, "Then they (Hebrews) that gladly received
his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about
three thousand souls." The Biblical Encyclopedia says of this, "WHAT
AMAZING EXCITEMENT MUST HAVE BEEN IN JERUSALEM! WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT!" (vol.
4, p. 371) Yes, Yah wrought the conversion of large numbers of His Israel,
who heard the Word preached and believed, exactly as foretold by the
prophets. (cp. Jer. 3:14-17, etc.)
Those who wish to deny these clear statements
of Scripture are left with only two choices. Either the conversions
of Israelites documented in the Book of Acts were fraudulent, or they
were transitory. But the evidence of Scripture refutes both contentions.
These new Hebrew believers, "…continued steadfastly in
the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and
in prayers." (Acts 2:42)
What percentage of the church were Hebrew?
The Expositor's Bible Commentary (V:322-3) tells us, "THEY WERE
ALL JEWS or Jewish proselytes, showing how extremely wide, at the epoch
of the Incarnation was the dispersion of Yah's ancient people... At
Rome, Alexandria, and Greece the Jews at this period constituted an
important factor in the total population. THE DISPERSION OF THE JEWS
HAD NOW DONE ITS WORK, and brought with it the fullness of time required
by the Divine purposes. THE WAY OF THE MESSIAH HAD BEEN EFFECTUALLY
PREPARED BY IT."
Historians indicate that virtually all of the "Jewish Hellenists"
adopted Christianity in the first century, as we showed in a previous
tract, "Did Israel Reject Their Messiah?" (Available by request)
That this was a large proportion of first century Israelites is clear.
The Expositor's Bible Commentary says, "There were in that city
[Jerusalem] nearly five hundred synagogues, a considerable proportion
of which belonged to the Grecian Jews. ALL CLASSES AND ALL THE SYNAGOGUES,
HEBREW AND GRECIAN ALIKE, CONTRIBUTED THEIR QUOTA TO THE EARLIEST CONVERTS
WON BY THE APOSTLES"
(V:358)
The dispersion of Israel was a divine punishment
for their disobedience, yet through it God marvelously has caused His
people to fulfill their commission, in spite of sin, as the servant
race. As the Expositor's Bible explains, "A race of missionaries,
too, equipped for their work, was developed through the discipline
of exile. The thousands [of Israelites] who hung upon Peter's lips
needed nothing but instruction in the faith of Jesus Christ, together
with the baptism of the Spirit, and the finest, the most enthusiastic,
and the most cosmopolitan of agencies lay ready to the Church's hand.
While, again, the organization of Synagogues, which the exigencies
of the dispersion had called into existence, was just the one suited
to the various purposes of charity, worship, and teaching, which the
Christian Church required. Prophet and psalmist had lamented over Zion's
ruin and Israel's exile into foreign lands, but they saw not how that
Yah was thereby working out His own purposes of wider blessing to mankind
at large…" (V:323)
Hebrew influence in the founding and growth
of the Christian church may be seen in still other ways. The earliest
Christian houses of worship were called, 'synagogues.' The literal
translation of James 2:2 reads, "For if there should
be entering into your SYNAGOGUE…" (Concordant Translation)
This shows that churches were still called synagogues in James day.
The Expositor's Bible tells of a Christian Marcionite inscription dated
318 A.D., which also refers to their churches as synagogues. (V:361)
ISRAEL'S RELATION TO THE CHURCH
The second illustration above demonstrates the true relationship between
Israel and the church. The Bible shows clearly that Israelites were the
first converts to the faith, came to knowledge of Messiah in great numbers,
and formed the core of the Church. Not all Israelites believed,
but a large proportion of them did, and formed the foundation of the
New Testament Church. These Israelites then went out and converted others,
Hebrews and non-Hebrews; these latter becoming a form of allegorical
Israel. In Old Testament times, non-Hebrews could join themselves to
the Chosen Nation through faith in Israel's Yah. (Isa. 56:3) Under
the same principle in New Testament times, by faith in Israel's Savior
and Yah-In-Flesh, Yahshua, non-Israelites in a sense inherit some
of the blessings given to Israel. We might therefore say that they are
EXPERIENTIAL ISRAEL, a term coined by Bible teacher and author, Dr. S.
E. Jones, for those who, while not physically Israelites, come under
the Israel covenental blessings through faith in Messiah. The combination
of both groups, Christian physical Israelites and Christian "Experiential
Israelites," constitutes Messiah's true Church. The body of Messiah is therefore physically
and allegorically Israelite throughout. This explains the otherwise inexplicable
fact that the New Covenant was made only with Israel (Heb. 8:8-9),
a point which has caused untold confusion among those who teach that
the Church is non-Israelite.
The New Testament makes it clear that the
Abrahamic covenant and blessings for Israel are applied to them only
by faith. The Apostle Paul emphasizes this in Galatians chapter
3, declaring in verse 7, "They which are of faith, the same
are the children of Abraham." Again, he says, "Now
to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to
seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Yahshua… There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is
neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Messiah Yahshua. And
if ye be Yahshua's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according
to the promise." (Gal. 3:16, 28. 29) Paul's reference to Abraham
makes it clear that he was indeed speaking of the Abrahamic Covenant
and its blessings. Paul further emphasized, "For he is not
a Jew, which is one outwardly… But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly…in
the spirit." (Rom. 2:28-29) The teaching that a non-Christian
people constitute God's Israel today is a concept foreign to the New
Testament epistles.
Then of what importance is physical Israel? Paul answered this logical
question, saying, "What advantage then hath the Jew? …Much
every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles
of Yah." (Rom. 3:1-2) Israel was given the Scriptures, not to
sit on them or brag or gloat, but to carry the knowledge of Yah "to
the end of the earth," as Yah promised and effected. (Isa.
49:6-8)
Church theology says that Israel completely
rejected Yah and He completely rejected them, at least throughout
this age, and possibly forever. But in Scripture, we find a much different
theme. Acts chapter 10, a key passage, in no way supports the popular
idea that Israel completely rejected Messiah and was replaced by a
non-Hebrew church. Israel is still the chosen people and still being
used of Yah; but now others are joined to the household of Yah also.
We "should not call any man common or unclean." (Acts 10:28) Prior to
Peter's vision in Acts 10, the Apostles had only included Israelites
in their witnessing. Now Yah revealed that the Church was to be truly
universal in its extent. Christianity had burst its Hebrew shell, and
now became the universal religion. The "turning to the gentiles," (Acts
13:46) was not a rejection of all Israelites, but rather an inclusion
of all nations in the plan of Yah.
GREAT INTERWOVEN SCRIPTURE THEMES
Dr. DeHaan, as quoted earlier, also tied together the themes of Israel
and the Kingdom of Yah. Several great themes are interwoven
in Scripture: Israel, the Kingdom, the law, and the New Covenant. The
kingdom is YAH'S POWER OR REIGN IN THE WORLD; in fact, the Greek word,
basilea, is accurately translated as either "kingdom" or "reign." Yah's
law is the LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE KINGDOM, a Covenant is the CHARTER
OF THE KINGDOM, and Israelites are CITIZENS OF THAT KINGDOM. In any kingdom,
all four of these important elements are either fully present, or altogether
absent. The ultra-dispensationalists recognize this fact in making all
four future. In doing so, they are consistent with their own theories,
although plainly inconsistent with Scripture. The New Testament affirms
that the kingdom of Yah is present in this age (Col. 1:13; Heb. 12:22-24,
28), Yah's moral law is still in force for Christians (Rom. 3:31),
the New Covenant is now in effect (Heb. 8:4), and Israel is still
the people of Yah (Rom. 11:1-2). It is a curious inconsistency
of many Christians to make the New Covenant, or charter of the kingdom,
a present reality, while supposing that the kingdom itself is entirely
absent!
DID ISRAEL RECEIVE THEIR MESSIAH?
Did Israel receive their Messiah in faith? What do we read? The Book
of Acts records, "THE SAME DAY THERE WERE ADDED UNTO THEM ABOUT
3,000 SOULS" (Acts 2:41) "MANY OF THEM WHICH HEARD THE WORD
BELIEVED; AND THE NUMBER OF THE MEN WAS ABOUT 5,000"
(Acts 4:4) "AND BELIEVERS WERE THE MORE ADDED TO THE LORD, MULTITUDES
BOTH OF MEN AND WOMEN" (Acts 5:14) "AND THE WORD OF YAH INCREASED;
AND THE NUMBER OF THE DISCIPLES MULTIPLIED IN JERUSALEM GREATLY" (Acts
6:7) "THE NUMBER OF THE DISCIPLES WAS MULTIPLIED" (Acts 6:1) and
on and on. Not all believed, but great multitudes and a large percentage
of them did. Their descendants are not known as Jews, since they no
longer followed Judaism. They are known as Christians, in direct fulfillment
of prophecy.
Israel was promised a multitudinous seed "as
the sand of the sea." (Gen. 32:12) In Hoseh 1:10 and Rom.
9:26-27, this promise is tied to Israel becoming Christians, "sons
of the Living Yah."
Dr. DeHaan professed ignorance as to who Israel's descendants all are
in the world today (ibid., p. 31), but nevertheless admitted, "ETERNITY
ONLY WILL REVEAL THE COUNTLESS HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF ISRAEL'S NATION…" (ibid.,
p. 16) The relatively few number of Jews in the world today is factual
testimony that most of the multiplied multi-million dispersed descendants
of Abraham are Christians, and are not known as Jews. They are indeed
'as the sand of the sea' for multitude as Yah said, and have fulfilled
Israel prophecies even while not realizing their Hebrew heritage.
In an important passage, the Apostle Paul
says, "I say then, HATH GOD CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE? YAH FORBID.
For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of
Benjamin. YAH HATH NOT CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE WHICH HE FOREKNEW." (Rom.
11:1-2) Church theology says that Israel was cast out of Yah's
purposes in this age, either temporarily or permanently. But Paul,
speaking specifically of the Church age, indicates that Israel was
not "cast away," even for an instant. The conversion of Israel
was the crowning triumph of the gospel, because Israel, as Yah's elected
Servant People, then carried the gospel of "[Yah's] salvation
unto the end of the earth." (Isa. 49:6-8) Israel was elected,
not for her own sake, but for the world's sake; and that election did
not fail.