We dispensationalist believe that there is a distinction
between Israel
and the Church. However, it seems to me that we often overlook similarities
that exist between the nation Israel
and the Church the body of Christ. I am told that Charles Welch said at the end
of his life that he spent his life time teaching the distinctive differences,
that now someone should center upon the similarities. We do have things in common. Here are a few:
- We have the same Savior—Jesus Christ.
- We both have been redeemed by the blood of Christ
- We both are related to Abraham
- We both are to walk in worldly separation.
While we (the Body of Christ), like the Messianic Jewish believers, are INDEED both REDEEMED by the BLOOD of Christ; WE ARE JUSTIFIED by Christ's Resurrection from the dead.
ReplyDeleteI would beg to differ and state that the church which is his body seated in heavenly places in Christ is not related in any way to Abraham who looked for a "city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10) There is no mention of Abraham in Paul's post-Acts letters which Charles Welch recognized as being specifically for the one new man formed after Israel was temporarily set aside in Acts 28. We are saved by faith for believing what God tells us, like Abraham; but that is a similarity not a relationship.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment Deborah. I disagree with the view of Acts 28 and that the post-Acts epistles are the only ones for the Church today. I view all of Paul's writings as for the Church today. The connections to Abraham are presented in both Galatians and Romans.
DeleteHaving read Mr Welch extensively, I would affirm he is one who indeed knew and extoled the continuing commonalities, (fundamental truths if you will) between the church Israel and the church which is His body. Indeed, most Christians have been fed these commonalities but sadly to the point of replacement theology and spiritualization. These are two distinct callings with unique divine purposes despite the fact the Saviour's shed blood is essential for the realization of both. When we read shed blood we may not be reading about our calling. when re read of justification by faith through grace, again, we might not be reading about our calling. not all the NT is about us.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I agree that commonalities are expressed and distorted by non-dispensationalist. However, as a dispensationalist, I centered my comments to dispensationist, who I have heard say things which deny some of these commonalities.
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