Is part of your 'reasoning' the fact that the Children of Israel were dispersed into the nations around them and Therefore -- there's a Chance that Gentiles have some Jewish ancestry in their blood?
As it happens, I'm half Swedish and half German.
There Are a couple of women I know who Do have some Jewish blood in them. The one lady Is very much Jewish. The other is simply aware of some Jewishness in her ancestry, but does Not consider herself a Jew. She is a former RCC who accepted Christ as her Savior some years ago.
Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm NOT an Israelite and do Not need to live as a Torah-obedient New Covenant participant.
Take a look at Galations 2:15 - 19
Isn't the 'situation' not whether a person is a Jew or Gentile, but whether we are trying to follow the law for personal salvation or accepting the grace that God has shown us. '
It's good works vs saved by grace.
The Jews rejected Jesus Christ as their promised Messiah. So the Gospel was extended to the 'rest of us' . the Gentiles. The Jews had been Big on circumcision because back in the Old Testament that's what God required. All Jewish boys and men were to be circumcised. Boys on the 8th day after their birth. That was God's Thing for His chosen people. But His chosen people resisted Him.
Originally -- the gospel unto salvation was only to be preached to the Jews.
Well -- a person Can simply 'google' Let Us Reason Ministries and look for that article. Its a really good site.
In the Matthew passage, Jesus Christ was telling about His coming church. 16:18 ".... I will build my Church ..." a future event.
Hi Sue,
Thanks for your response.
I'll start to catalogue some of the evidence now on the table.
1. Paul identifies believing Gentiles as the ISRAELITES about whom Hosea prophesied (Rom.9:24-26). Do you think Paul was wrong?
2. Paul says believing Gentiles are NOT excluded from Israel (Eph.2:12). Thus, they are included as ISRAELITES. Do you think Paul was wrong?
3. Paul includes Gentile Corinthians in the New Covenant (1Cor.11:25), which is a covenant between God and ISRAEL. Thus, Paul identifies Gentile Corinthian believers as ISRAELITES. Do you think Paul was wrong?
4. Paul instructs Gentile Corinthians to obey God's commands (1Cor.7:19), which of course are contained in Torah (1Ki.2:3). Torah is for ISRAELITES (Mal.4:4). Thus, Paul presumes Corinthian Gentile believers are ISRAELITES who should obey the Torah given to ISRAEL. Do you think Paul was wrong?
5. You claim that Gentile believers are NOT Israelites. But the New Covenant is only between God and ISRAEL! (Jer.31:31;Heb.8:8). Therefore, you are required to infer that Gentile believers are EXCLUDED from the New Covenant. That's another problem with your position.
6. Israelite membership has nothing to do with "Jewish ancestry" in one's blood. Even aliens were included as Israelites (Dt.29:10-13;31:12).
7. Even foreigners (Is.56:3-7) are included in the covenant between God and Israel. Thus, Israelite memberhip has nothing to do with "Jewish ancestry" in one's blood.
8. Paul says we live by faith (Gal.3:11) which requires TORAH (Mt.23:23;Ps.119:30,86,138).
9. Jesus says we live by Torah (Mt.4:4).
10. Jesus commands Torah (Mt.23:2-3,23).
11. Jesus sends forth Torah-teachers (Mt.23:34) which you oppose.
12. Jesus requires obedience to even the smallest Torah commands (Mt.5:19).
13. Jesus requires BETTER Torah-obedience than the Pharisees (Mt.5:20).
14. Jesus confirms that Torah is still in force (because NOT everything is accomplished...e.g., Dt.30:1-8).
15. Jesus said Torah is NOT abolished (Mt.5:17). Thus, "fulfilled" can NOT mean "abolished". Thus, Torah must still be in force.
16. Jesus comes to RESTORE Levitical Torah activity (Mal.3:1-4).
17. Jesus says we should love God (Mt.22:37 cites Dt. 6). In context, this confirms we should love God by obeying ALL Torah (Dt. 6:25).
18. Jesus says Torah-obedience is sufficient for eternal life (Lk.10:25-28).
19. Jesus inaugurates the New Covenant (Lk.22) for His disciples. The New Covenant is between God and ISRAEL. Thus, ALL disciples are included as ISRAELITES.
20. Jesus applies His Torah teachings to YOU (Mt.28:19-20).
You wrote: "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm NOT an Israelite and do Not need to live as a Torah-obedient New Covenant participant."
My response: YOU should be disappointed! You are needlessly (and unbiblically) trying to EXCLUDE yourself from the very New Covenant itself! How so? Because the New Covenant is only between God and ISRAEL (Jer.31:31;Heb.8:8). If you are NOT an Israelite, then you do NOT participate in the New Covenant between God and Israel.
How can you partake in a covenant between God and Israel, if you're not even an Israelite! That makes no sense!
You need to stop ignoring Eph.2:12 which confirms that you are NOT excluded from Israel!
Again, you have now explicitly OPPOSED the New Covenant. Why? Because the New Covenant entails TORAH being written upon your heart so that you OBEY it (Rom.10:8 cites Dt.30:14; also Jer.31:33;Heb.8:10;10:16). Why would you oppose obedience to the very TORAH of the New Covenant in which you claim to participate? That doesn't even make sense!
Gal. 2:15-19? Let's look!
Of COURSE Jews are not Gentiles (Gal.2:15).
Of COURSE we are not justified by faithless work of the law (Gal.2:16). But we ARE justified by law (Rom.2:13) if obeyed in FAITH (Gal.3:11;Rom.10:8 citing Dt.30:14).
Of COURSE we are justified by faith in Christ (Gal.2:16) who commands us to obey Torah (Mt.4:4;22:37;23:2-3,23,34;5:19-20).
Of COURSE we died to the law (Gal.2:19) of sin and death (Rom.8:2), so that we can obey the law of the Spirit (Rom.8:2) which does NOT lead us to disobey Torah (Rom.8:7) but which testifies we should OBEY Torah (Heb.10:15-16;Eze.36:27).
Nothing in Gal. 2 states that you are not an Israelite!
Nothing in Gal. 2 states that you should not grow in faithful obedience to Torah after being saved!
After all, Gal. 2 was written by the SAME PAUL who proves Gentile believers are Israelites (Rom.9:24-26;Eph.2:12;1Cor.11:25). So let's not force Gal. 2 into a contradiction with Paul's other writings.
You wrote: "Isn't the 'situation' not whether a person is a Jew or Gentile, but whether we are trying to follow the law for personal salvation or accepting the grace that God has shown us. '"
My response: I never said we faithlessly "follow the law for personal salvation". The Bible never says such a thing.
Of COURSE we are saved by grace. That's not even the point here.
You are an ISRAELITE who is saved by grace (Eph.2:9-10), not by faithless obedience to law (Gal. 2:16).
You are an ISRAELITE who partakes in the New Covenant between God and ISRAEL (Jer.31:31;Heb.8:8).
You are an ISRAELITE who should obey the Torah of the New Covenant in which you partake (Jer.31:33;Heb.8:10;10:16;Rom.10:8 applies Dt.30:14 to you!)
You just don't know it.
But Jesus loves you just the same!
He also loves you enough to send me to patiently point you to properly understand who you are, and how you should mature.
You wrote: "The Jews rejected Jesus Christ as their promised Messiah."
My response: THOUSANDS of Jews ACCEPTED Christ, and they (properly) obeyed Torah with zeal (Ac.21), as we all should.
Some of the believers were even animal-sacrificing priests! (Ac.6:7)
You wrote: "So the Gospel was extended to the 'rest of us' . the Gentiles. "
My response: We partake in the Gospel through the COVENANTS. The Covenants are between God and ISRAEL (Jer.31:31;Heb.8:8;Eph.2:12).
The Gospel is GOOD NEWS. Why? Because even Gentile believers are not excluded from Israel or the covenants (Eph.2:12).
You wrote: "The Jews had been Big on circumcision because back in the Old Testament that's what God required."
My response: There is no Old Testament requirement for adult male Gentile convert circumcision. Paul agrees that God's commands do not require circumcision for adult male Gentile converts (1Cor.7:18-19).
You wrote: "All Jewish boys and men were to be circumcised."
My response: Rather, all ISRAELITE INFANTS were to be circumcised (Lev.12:3).
You wrote: "That was God's Thing for His chosen people."
My response: YOU are included in that chosen people! (Eph.2:12;3:6;Jer.31:31;Heb.8:8;1Pe.2:10;Heb.4:9;Jn.15:16,19).
You are NOT excluded from the chosen people (Eph.2:12). Remember?
You wrote: "But His chosen people resisted Him."
My response: Some did. Some didn't.
You wrote: "Originally -- the gospel unto salvation was only to be preached to the Jews."
My response: Rather, it is for ALL people (Ps.67:2;Gal.3:8;Ge.12:3).
You wrote: "In the Matthew passage, Jesus Christ was telling about His coming church. 16:18 ".... I will build my Church ..." a future event."
My response: Jesus never said the church was an exclusively "future event"! He said he would BUILD the church. The church ALREADY EXISTED! (see "ἐκκλησία " in LXX, for example, also see Mt.18:17 for proof the church already existed).
If Jesus plans to build upon an already existing church, then the church already existed!
Jesus never said: "I build a brand new church, from scratch, which disobeys the Torah and the Prophets and the Psalms and Proverbs".
Moreover, Jesus affirms that the already-existing CHURCH (Mt.18:17) is an ISRAELITE assembly which obeys TORAH (Mt.18:16).
You wrote: "Well -- a person Can simply 'google' Let Us Reason Ministries and look for that article. Its a really good site."
My response: Can you provide me the link? I'm not sure which article you are talking about.
And let's be careful to place our faith in SCRIPTURE, not in "Let Us Reason Ministries".
After all, if "Let Us Reason Ministries" can not defend itself against the Biblical position I've set forth, then why would you recommend it?
Anyway, hope you have a chance to better address these dozens of Biblical considerations which disconfirm your viewpoint.
blessings....