Will ALL of The REAL Pastors PLEASE Stand Up PART TWO

Will All of The REAL Pastors

PLEASE Stand Up! Part Two 

1.Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2.But he that entereth in by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep. 3.To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4.And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5.And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers. 6.This parable spake Jesus unto them; but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Jesus the Good Shepherd. 7.Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8.All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9.I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10.The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: 11.I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12.But he that is a hireling, and not the Shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13.The hireling fleeth, because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14.I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15.As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one Shepherd (John10:1-16).

Ultimately, Pastoral ministry in particular & the ministry of The Church in general, ought to take its cue from The Lord Jesus Christ. I say that it ought to, but it doesn’t. Why not? Doesn’t The Church have a mountain of evidence, a multitude of examples & an abundance of Scripture that makes this clear? That’s a rhetorical question. Times have changed & I guess we just have to change with them, right? Although the ‘established church’ has definitely had a head start in terms of its accumulation of prosperity, property & power, the modern Church has chosen to follow in its wake. For men of this ilk, this is completely understandable, given the sacrificial alternative.

In the black Pentecostal tradition that I come from, Pastors were revered. They were loved, lifted up & listened to. However, the men who ministered when I was coming up were very different to the new breed of professional ‘tillers of the soil’ present in The Church today. My Pastor & men like him cared deeply for their flocks. We knew where they lived & were often in their homes. They knew where we lived & visited us if we weren’t seen at services. Whenever they prayed God answered them. If anyone was sick they were visited by the elders of The Church & anointed with oil in the Name of The Lord. Our Pastors bought shopping for us. They clothed us on occasion & their wives would cook for us. Lord have mercy, those women could cook! Lord knows, I miss those days & I miss those men of God.

As well as all of this, we were reproved, rebuked & exhorted whenever it was necessary. Our Pastors knew they were charged with our oversight & they took that calling seriously enough to execute it in the fear of God. My Pastor in particular, had no salary as such, although our fellowship owned the house he lived in with the other ministers. He bought his clothing at charity shops apart from his shirts. He liked shirts from Marks & Spencer. Nevertheless, Pastor Thomas was always well turned out, as crisp as crackers. The car he drove was always second-hand. My pastor & the other Pastors that I knew eschewed the trappings of the world & they continually exhorted us to do the same thing.

There were never any drives to raise money either. It was only after God had answered prayer that we were told about the needs that had been met, by way of our Pastor’s testimony. All of this was an example to the flock, but I was too proud, blind & stupid to appreciate it. Foolishly, I embraced The Charismatic Movement & with it I saw a side to ministry that in time, would come to seriously haunt me.

*First of all, before I say anything else, let me say this; God doesn’t call wimps. Oh believe me, there are plenty of men in pulpits who are limp wristed & pansy waisted about the things of God. Mummy’s boys who are dressed up like Peacocks, pampered, puffed up & pandered to. They are spoilt rotten by the misplaced adoration of the ignorant & the unearned accolades of the foolish. These men are not Pastors; they are rustlers. The Lord hasn’t prepared, positioned or promoted them at all, despite the image that’s portrayed publicly. They have gone the way of Cain. They know how to till soil, but they have no heart for the flock.

Abraham had flocks, as did his grandson Jacob, who became Israel. The sons of Israel [including Joseph] were all keepers of sheep & so began a long typological & pastoral tradition.

 Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren (Genesis37:2).

Joseph was Jacob’s favourite & the son of his old age, but this affection earned him the hatred of his other siblings. He did himself no favours by reporting them to their father & recounting the dreams that he had concerning their future obeisance to him. The brothers conspired to murder him, but Reuben was against this & suggested that Joseph was thrown into a pit. He had every intention of getting the lad home to his father. Instead, Judah elected that Joseph be sold into slavery & this was done behind Reuben’s back.

They stripped him of his coat, dipped it in the blood of a kid & gave it to Jacob when they returned home. Jacob was beside himself with grief, assuming that a wild beast had killed him in the wilderness. In Egypt, Joseph was sold to Potiphar. Potiphar’s wife took a shine to the young man & tried to seduce him. Well, you know the story. Joseph ended up in prison for attempted rape, but was favoured in prison by the keeper of the jail.

Joseph the Shepherd boy was now Pastor of the king’s prison. ‘And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it’ (Genesis39:22). Pharaoh’s chief butler & baker were also in prison with Joseph ‘And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them: and they continued a season in ward’ (Genesis40:4). When dealing with the flock of God, a true Pastor’s calling & duty is that of service & care. I have heard many a sweaty & emotional motivational sermon on Joseph’s rise ‘from the pit to the palace’ & God’s ability to raise us up out of any circumstances (although technically it’s from the pit to the slave auction, to Potiphar’s house, to the prison and then to the palace. Sorry). But Joseph’s life reveals much more than that. He reveals Christ as Messiah, beloved of The Father, sent to his own who didn’t receive Him. Joseph also reveals Christ as Shepherd & notice that before Joseph was raised up to lead, he already possessed a Pastor’s heart & that never left him.

As a result of interpreting Pharaoh’s dreams concerning the coming famine, Joseph is elevated to ruler over Egypt, second only to the king himself. He’s also given a Gentile bride. The famine was so severe that we’re told ‘And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands’ (Genesis41:57). Jacob orders his sons to go down into Egypt to buy corn & the 10 of them go, leaving Benjamin, the youngest, behind. They fail to recognise their brother, who is now 13 years older than he was when they last saw him. Joseph is now 30 years old ‘And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him’ (Genesis42:7). He sells them corn but has their money placed back in their sacks, essentially feeding them for free. This is a Pastor; he always gives far more than he receives.

The second time that they come to buy corn, Benjamin the youngest is with them. Joseph goes even further, feeding them & giving his youngest brother 5 times as much as the others. He again gives his brothers as much as they can carry at no charge. Can you see the Pastor & how he cares for those who are under his authority? 

And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy children’s children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast: and there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty (Genesis45:4-11).

When Joseph’s family are brought to Egypt, Joseph demonstrates unequivocally that he had never lost touch with his Pastoral roots. He gives his family strict instructions, saying, ‘And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, What is your occupation? That ye shall say, Thy servants’ trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians’ (Genesis46:33-34).

And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, What is your occupation? And they said unto Pharaoh, Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and also our fathers. They said moreover unto Pharaoh, For to sojourn in the land are we come; for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan: now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen. And Pharaoh spake unto Joseph, saying, Thy father and thy brethren are come unto thee: the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell: and if thou knowest any men of activity among them, then make them rulers over my cattle (Genesis47:3-6).

In this, we see that Joseph was not simply a Shepherd by occupation, but as a true Pastor at heart. He was humble, with a servant’s disposition. What he did was done for the good of others, not for money, not for recognition or for power & yet he ended up with all of these things. However, what he prised far more highly, were those he was able to bless, give to & save. He is a true type of Christ. Joseph was a true Pastor. From thence is the Shepherd, the stone of Israel.

When Israel died & Joseph buried him, his brothers feared repercussion, ‘And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them’ (Genesis50:19-21). Joseph never, ever stopped being a Shepherd.

And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father’s household, with bread, according to their families (Genesis47:12).

When there was no money left to buy food, Joseph still fed the people. He took their cattle, their horses, their flocks & their asses in exchange for bread for that year. When the people returned & had no money or livestock, offering him their lands & themselves, Joseph still fed them. He also gave them seed to sow in order that they might feed themselves & their families.

And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones (Genesis47:24).

Again, Joseph demonstrates the heart of a true Pastor. He gives more than he has to, he gives more than he takes. How many [so called] men of God do this today? Whatever Joseph had was given to him to him. He didn’t engineer it. He truly gave God the glory for saving his life in order that he might save the lives of others.

The ministry today is not like that. The ministry today would rather enrich itself on the backs of those who are hungry & thirsty, who come to The Church for bread week after week. Yet week after week they are pressed for their donations & when their cash runs out, they’re asked for more. They take jewellery. They take property. When there is nothing left to give & the people faint because of a lack of bread, these people will make their people donate their time as volunteers, rather than pay them. I have seen this done & it makes me nuclear with an incandescent rage.

The word that Joseph gave to Pharaoh came to pass, but these men prophesy falsely, always telling their flock that something is about to happen. Just keep giving. The famine will soon be over, while it is they themselves that starve God’s people & fatten themselves. Where are the real Pastors? Where are the true Shepherds?

Eventually, Joseph died, having given instructions concerning his bones. A king arose in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph & because of his xenophobia he invokes bondage on the Israelites & instructs the Hebrew midwives to kill any males born among the Jews. Thankfully the women disobey this instruction, claiming that the Hebrew women deliver too quickly. God blessed them for this & Pharaoh ordered that every male child was to be cast into the river (Exodus1:8-22). Then, when perhaps things looked as though they were at their worst, there came a certain son, of the tribe of Levi!

End of Part Two

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Will All of The REAL Pastors PLEASE Stand Up! PART ONE

Will All of The REAL Pastors

PLEASE Stand Up! Part One

1.And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2.Son of man, prophesy against the Shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the Shepherds; Woe be to the Shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the Shepherds feed the flocks? 3.Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock. 4.The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5.And they were scattered, because there is no Shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered. 6.My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. 7.Therefore, ye Shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; 8.As I live, saith the Lord God, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no Shepherd, neither did my Shepherds search for my flock, but the Shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock; 9.therefore, O ye Shepherds, hear the word of the Lord; 10.Thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I am against the Shepherds ; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock ; neither shall the Shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.  11.For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12.As a Shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. 13.And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14.I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15.I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. 16.I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.  17.And as for you, O my flock, thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the he goats. 18.Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? and to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet? 19.And as for my flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet; and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet. 20.Therefore thus saith the Lord God unto them; Behold, I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle. 21.Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad; 22.therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. 23.And I will set up one Shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their Shepherd. 24.And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it. 25.And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. 26.And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. 27.And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them. 28.And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. 29.And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. 30.Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. 31.And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel34:1-31).

Somehow or other, modern leadership within The Church has either lost its memory or lost its mind. Gone are the days when ministry was built & centred on the loving service of God’s people, in answer to what’s commonly known as ‘the call of God’. In those days, people thought twice about claiming that they were called to the ministry & those already in places of service, went to much greater lengths to see those callings confirmed, than people are willing to go to today. Ministry meant sacrifice, discomfort, late nights & early mornings. It meant spending hours in study & prayer, when others were enjoying leisure activities & kicking back. Sometimes the called were labelled as being a bit weird or super-spiritual because of their preoccupation with the things of God, but this was a badge of pride for those whom The Lord’s hand was on. ‘And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron’(Hebrews5:4).

One of the Pastors of the fellowship I belonged to when I was first saved at 13 years of age, was a man by the name of T.U. Thomas. We loved Pastor Thomas & he loved us too. He even looked a lot like the Pentecostal preacher John Graham Lake. My Pastor had such a vision of Christ in the Scriptures & strove to impart that to us whenever he taught, telling us that The Bible was more important than any other Christian book, no matter how well written or informative some books were. He was also a man of deep consecration & prayer, who studied constantly. I remember him being particularly accurate with words of knowledge, as well as tongues & their interpretation & there were times during services when someone would give a word from The Lord & Pastor Thomas would correct it when necessary, having received the same word in his heart.

I often went to the ‘faith home’ that he & the other ministers lived in, to iron his shirts & wash the car, just so that I could be around him & speak to him & Pastor Thomas would always lovingly oblige. Most of the time his conversation would answer some of the questions that I had, without me having to ask & on one occasion he told me quite clearly that The Lord was calling me to ministry. I knew this & had known it for some time. I was now 17 years old.

The example of pastoral ministry that was lived out before me was a far cry from the one I later embraced, but as I look back almost 30 years I can see that it was more biblical than that of modern ministry today. Pastor T.U. always said that one’s life was ultimately more important than one’s ministry & he was so right. He has since gone to be with The Lord, but the things that he said to me have remained with me.

For the best part of a year, I prayed constantly that The Lord would show me clearly what He was calling me to do. I somehow sensed that I was called to be a Pastor but I couldn’t honestly say for sure. I started with what I knew I wasn’t called to do. I knew that I wasn’t called to be an Apostle. I also knew that I wasn’t called to be a Prophet. I settled with the fact that whatever my calling was, it was to be a servant of God first & foremost.

There’s something sensible about making a consecration to Christ because it moves you out of His way & allows Him to do what only He can do in your life (Philippians2:12-13). I prayed as much as possible & waited with all the patience I could muster & one evening The Lord spoke to my heart. One very simple sentence. Ezekiel 34 is your ministry.

I got up from prayer & took my Bible, opening it up & finding the book of Ezekiel. When I read chapter 34 I couldn’t stop myself from bursting into tears, partly in gratitude & partly because of the nature of the chapter. You see, not only does the chapter speak about the coming of the true Shepherd of Israel, it also reveals the state of modern ministry. I still read that chapter often & I look at the state of The Church & it still brings me to tears. The chapter also addresses believers, the sheep of His pasture & there are some stark words of warning there. I believe that now, more than ever before, we need real Pastors to Shepherd real sheep.

Of all the ministries that serve The Church, the Pastor is the one who will have the most contact with the people. I’ve heard Pastors described in derogatory terms in times past, portrayed as a type of wet nurse or wiper of noses. However, this is not the picture that Scripture paints. The Pastor holds a responsibility that [in my opinion] is very noble indeed. However, a significant number of men who describe themselves as being in pastoral ministry, are not Shepherds; they’re rustlers. When The Lord stirred Ezekiel to prophesy against these men, He may very well have been speaking directly to those in current leadership, but His words echo very loudly today. ‘Woe be to the Shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! Should not the Shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock’ (vss.3-4). Jeremiah makes a similar proclamation when prophesying concerning the return of the remnant, saying, ‘Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord. Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the Lord. And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up Shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the Lord.’ (Jeremiah23:1-4).

Both here, in Jeremiah & in Ezekiel, The Lord makes it abundantly clear that He will raise up a true Shepherd. This Shepherd ought to be the model for all pastoral ministry because the care of the flock of God is paramount in its importance to Him. Throughout Scripture, God erupts with fierce anger towards those who abuse the sheep & yet time & time again we see those who either haven’t learned this lesson, or just don’t care. They don’t have a Pastor’s heart & I believe that this quality is the very first indicative thing that The Lord deposits in a man’s life when He calls him to feed the flock of God.

And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately. And the people saw them departing, and many knew him, and ran afoot thither out of all cities, and outwent them, and came together unto him. And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a Shepherd: and he began to teach them many things (Mark6:30-34).

And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no Shepherd. Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest (Matthew9:35-38).

And Moses spake unto the Lord, saying, Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them, and which may lead them out, and which may bring them in; that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no Shepherd (Numbers27:15-17).

The Lord always wants a man set over His congregation so that His people are not like sheep who have no Shepherd. However, in these days, the Pastor’s role has been redefined, as have other ministries within The Church & the Shepherd is no longer the servant of God’s people; he’s their ruler. This is not the model that Jesus gave to us. This is not the example He set. This is not pastoral ministry. If a man isn’t moved with compassion towards his flock, he’s not a Pastor.

The harvest is plenteous. The labourers are few. This is true because there are very few genuine Pastors in The Church. They’re outnumbered by those who eat the fat, clothe with the wool & kill the fed. They rule with force & with cruelty instead of serving with gentleness & kindness. The new breed of minister runs his church & drives his congregation, he doesn’t lead, ignoring the admonition of Scripture & the model given by Christ. 

30 years ago, when I foolishly embraced the Charismatic Movement, it was this new model of ministry that was on display. Little did I know that it was diametrically opposed to everything ministry was meant to be. The Church was big business & business was booming. Gone was the humble servant of God & man, with a handful of people he’d probably won to Christ himself & discipled personally. Now we had Pastors who were heads of corporations. Their church memberships were in the high hundreds & even into the thousands. They lived, breathed, ate & spoke faith. This was the key to their success.

Along with their positions came the relevant accoutrements. Property. Money. Cars. Jets. Property. Money. Did I mention the property & money? I think I did. You see, being a Pastor now meant a regular income, recognition & relative comfort, especially if you hammered your congregation with teaching on Tithes & Offerings. From this regular income, a salary is deduced as well as bonuses & several other benefits. There was also the added enhancement of paying no tax whatsoever, with charity status being awarded to most [if not all] churches & believe me, charity definitely began at home.

We were assured that this was all good though, God wanted to bless us all & as one preacher famously stated ‘when God wants to bless you, he makes your pastor rich first’.

Within the fellowship I had joined after leaving Pentecostalism, there were 6 Pastors overseeing a congregation of about 1000 people. The Church had been much larger but when the financial information came to light a lot of people walked out & rightly so. With fewer attendees, you’d think that belts would have been tightened. However, the smaller & poorer remaining members were squeezed for more money so that the leaders could maintain their lifestyles. They were not moved with compassion; they were filling their own bellies.

The first of many questions for me was a simple one; just where did The Church get its model for ministry? Did it come from the world or did it come from The Word? That’s a rhetorical question.

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell (Genesis4:1-2).

When Adam sinned against God, he was told unequivocally, ‘..Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field: in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return (Genesis3:17-19).

Cain took after his father in that he tilled the ground & out of this cursed environment he brought an offering to God. Cain took his model from the world & wanted God to bless it, but God would not & did not. Cain’s actions were those of a belief system that constructs its own doctrine, its own traditions, its own rules & its own worship. The Lord does not have any respect for this; ‘..but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect..’. If you take your model from the world, God will not recognise you and He will not recognise your works. God testified of Abel’s gifts, not Cain’s (Hebrews11:4).

But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah (Jude10-11). 

The way of Cain, which is always proliferated by those who are ‘tillers of the soil’ & not those who are ‘keepers of sheep’, reveals exactly what false Shepherds are doing n & to The Church. Beware the way of Cain & those who are in it.

His brother Abel differed, in that he followed the sacrificial model God had instituted after our foreparents sinned. Abel was a keeper of sheep. He was a Pastor who pleased God with what he brought to Him. It’s impossible to be a Shepherd without giving your life & time to & for the sheep. Abel & the gifts he presented to God, ‘the firstlings of the flock & the fat thereof’, are a model of God’s will & God’s way. This is why God had respect to him & to his works. Abel didn’t go the way of his natural father, Adam. Abel went the way of his heavenly Father, God. Cain went the way of the world. Abel went the way of The Word. Modern ministry, for the most part, has gone after the way of Cain.

During the 1990s, I remember being part of a conference about how churches ought to be set up. There were classes on administration, charity set-up et cetera. The videos we watched, sermons we listened to & books we read all told us that there was no real biblical pattern. We were all enthralled by stories of men who had started Bible studies in their lounges with a handful of people or family, they had seen these meetings grow to the point where a facility had to be rented & then eventually a building was either built or purchased. This was standard operating procedure for Pentecostals & Charismatics.

What we weren’t told about, were the ministerial discussions held behind closed doors, the shady [legal but unethical] deals done under tables or any of the agreements reached in backrooms. You see, although the meetings we all attended were called ‘Church Planting & Missions’ conferences, the truth is that they were that in name only. After the way of Cain, churches were being built after a business model just like the world. The Pastor was no longer a servant of the flock, he was now a CEO. As the head of a corporation, he would live, dress, earn & speak as one.

This was the offering that was sold to The Church & one which The Church gave itself to wholeheartedly. However, a vital part of proceedings was overlooked entirely; God’s approval. It’s one thing to offer something to The Church, but quite another thing entirely to offer something to The Lord. The popular messages of ‘faith’ & ‘prosperity’ were sufficient to attract the attention of the sheep, but sheep aren’t the smartest animals on the planet. What counts is whether God has respect for & gives recognition to us & to our offering & the only way that happens is when we do His will in a way that He prescribes. Abel, the first Pastor, learned this & was faithful with it. Cain was not & murdered his brother.

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous (1John3:12).

What Cain did was all about him but what Abel did was all about God. As I stated earlier, those who are genuinely called will happily forego whatever temporal pleasures & benefits they have to in order to answer & obey God. But those chosen to be Shepherds of His flock have to have a heart for God’s people, a heart that only The Lord can give to them. Those who have gone after the way of Cain have no heart for the sheep whatsoever. Their agenda is selfish; it’s all about them.

In Ezekiel’s prophecy against the Shepherds of Israel, The Lord’s concern was that his sheep were fed, recovered, healed, restored & protected. They were to be cared for lovingly despite their tendencies for straying & entering difficulty. Instead, these men were taking advantage of the flock of God, feeding themselves, clothing themselves & enriching themselves. This happens when the false Shepherd sees the flock as his & not God’s. This man doesn’t see himself as a servant; in his mind he’s a master.

As such, everything he says & does is a means to an end that has nothing to do with the needs of the sheep & all to do with maintaining his position & his possessions. The people in his congregation pay his salary & that of his wife, even though she probably does little or nothing. They pay for their house. They pay for his car & that of his wife, even though she does little or nothing. They pay all of their bills, provide them with benefits & bless them with gifts for birthdays & Christmas. How nice. Yet this man doesn’t care for the flock. all he wants is their attendance. He wants their tithes & offerings. He wants their custom.

End Of Part One

copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxvi all rights reserved.

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

A Short Word On Fashionable Christian Anti-Zionism & Emergent Neo-Christofascism - Part Two

 A Short Word on

Fashionable Christian Anti-Zionism & Emergent Neo-Christofascism

based on conversations I have had with ‘professing christians’

Part Two

Certain [professing] Christians have concentrated on the socio-political actions of an unbelieving portion of the Nation of Israel, instead of recognising their presence in the region as having prophetic significance. This failure has contributed to a maelstrom of antisemitism & inflammatory ignorance, the like of which was seen in Nazi Germany. The same demonising rhetoric used by The Church & later by the Third Reich, is being used again. This is Neo-Christofascism.

Replacement theology [which is nothing more or less than very poorly dressed up antisemitism], not only demonstrates a supreme ignorance of God’s purpose for the Jews, but also His purpose for The Church. When pressed concerning my pro-Israeli position, I find it tiring to have to explain to otherwise intelligent people that what I believe has nothing to do with the politics of the region & everything to do with God’s use of Israel as a vehicle through which The Messiah came & their role as His timepiece for the world & the end of the age.

The Church has failed to recognise the Jews theologically & in doing so, it has failed to understand its own role, resorting to a gross over-spiritualisation of prophetic Scripture & the development of a new socio-political doctrine. To place The Church at centre stage at the exclusion of Israel is unbiblical & it is just plain wrong. This exclusive practise is reflected in Gentile theology, evangelism & doctrine.

In reality, the clock began to tick in Eden, when The Lord told the serpent ‘and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel’ (Genesis3:15). Satan had already proven himself to be the enemy of God & now God declared war on him. These words were a Messianic prophecy, but some, in their witlessness & shortsightedness have believed that after the coming of Christ & after His death, burial & resurrection, all bets were off. God somehow stops the clock, resets it, changes the rules of the game by drafting a New Covenant, benches Israel & sends The Gentile Church out onto the field to pick up the ball that Israel dropped, sweep the board & finally be raised aloft in victory & glory. Nothing, my dear friends, could be further from the truth. Israel & The Church are inextricably linked. Salvation is of the Jews (John4:22).

Christianity [or The Way as it was more properly known] is a sect within & not separate from Judaism. To listen to some [professing] Christians today, you would be forgiven for thinking that Christianity is a Gentile faith into which the Jews were being grafted. Not so. That’s not God’s order. Gentile believers are grafted into a Jewish root.

The Christian faith is first & foremost a Jewish one that finds its fulfilment in The Messiah of the Jews, our Lord & Saviour Jesus Christ. The Sadducees were a sect (Acts5:16-18). The Pharisees were a sect (Acts15:4-6 & 24:5) & we, the followers of the one & only Rabbi Yeshua ben Yosef, are a sect too (Acts11:26, 24:5 & 28:22). This makes all other sects & their respective Rabbis within the faith obsolete, but it does not do away with God’s purpose for Israel. No Jews, no Church. It’s as simple as that.

God’s plans & purposes for Israel did not end with Christ’s coming. The Messiah’s appearance heralded a quickening towards the end of the age, an end that puts Israel & the Jews very firmly in the game & not on the side-lines. However, at present, it is popular not only for [professing] Christians to bash Israel, but also for [professing] Christians to condemn her & take sides against her in favour of her enemies. This is both unbiblical & unbelievable. It’s also untenable theologically. As previously stated, some have mistaken their personal politics for biblical conviction.

I have heard certain [professing] Christians state that the Jews ‘deserve everything they get’ & that ‘there would be a lot more coming their way if [they] had their say’. This is nothing new & certainly not an original position taken by The Church. The following is an extensive quote from a 2013 document produced by the Anti-Defamation League.

“After the advent of Christianity, a new anti-Judaism evolved. Initially, Christianity was seen as simply another Jewish sect, since Jesus and the Disciples were Jewish and preached a form of Judaism. In the year 70 C.E. the Romans destroyed the Jewish State, and most Jews were scattered throughout the ancient world. During the first few hundred years after the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans, adherents of both Judaism and Christianity co-existed—sometimes peacefully, sometimes with animosity—as they sought to practice their faiths in the same lands. With the conversion of the Roman emperors, Christianity became the sole established religion of the Roman Empire, and the early church fathers sought to establish Christianity as the successor to Judaism. The refusal of Jews to accept Jesus as the Messiah was viewed as a threat to the Roman rulers and to Christianity. Since both religions came from the Old Testament, Christians sought to establish the validity of their new religion by claiming that it superseded Judaism.” – A Brief History of Anti-Semitism © 2013 Anti-Defamation League

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost. (Acts13:42-52).

In my mind & from what I hear & observe, this is the crux of the problem; Gentiles somehow believe that they are superior to & above the Jews, who [for the most part] have rejected their Messiah. This is dangerous, not only because it’s bad theology, but also because ultimately it sows the seeds of the same brand of murderous antisemitism [or neo-christofascism] that a certain Austrian born dictator displayed in the not so distant past. Those with whom I discuss these matters will vehemently deny that they are antisemitic, fascist, or racist in their view of Israel. Yet one cannot hold the belief that God has finished with the Jews, that they have no legitimate claim to their homeland & that they ought to be systematically punished for their exercise of military self-defence without wearing one or more of those unsavoury hats.

The clock is still ticking. The game is not over. We are in the last of the last moments. Israel has a major & significant role to play.

Detractors love to use Acts 13 as a benchmark or watershed moment, citing Paul’s words, ‘It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles’ (vs.46). In their view, this is the moment when God turns His back on the Jews who had turned their back on the Gospel & began to show His grace to the Gentiles. This isn’t true at all. The inclusion of the Gentiles did not mean the exclusion of the Jews. To claim this, is intellectual dishonesty at best. At worst, it is a rabid biblical illiteracy.

During a season of fasting & prayer in The Church at Antioch, The Holy Spirit gave specific instructions concerning Barnabas & Saul. ‘Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away’ (Acts13:1-3).

Barnabas & Saul left & went to Seleucia, then sailed to Cyprus (vs.4). At Salamis they preached in the Synagogues & also came to Paphos, where they encountered the false prophet Bar-Jesus [also known as Elymas]. Sergius Paulus, the deputy of the region, sends for the Apostles because he wants to hear the Word of God, but Bar-Jesus attempts to turn him away from the faith. An act for which he is supernaturally struck blind for a season or period of time (vss.5-12).

After these things, the Apostles come to Antioch in Pisidia & entered the Synagogue there on the Sabbath, ‘And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience’ (Acts13:15-16). In this setting, Paul delivers a rousing sermon to the Jews, within earshot of the Gentiles.

And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath (Acts13:42). The Gentiles wanted to hear the Gospel. When multitudes of people came out to hear God’s Word, the Jews were ‘..filled with envy..’ & ‘..spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming’ (vs.45). It is at this point, that many I speak to will claim that God rejects Israel & embraces the Gentiles. But how can this possibly be? Bear in mind the fact that The Holy Spirit Himself had sent these Apostles out ‘..for the work whereunto [He had] called them..’ (vs.2). When the Jews reacted negatively out of envy, Paul & Barnabas state their mission & make it clear, saying, ‘For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth (vs.47). Here, Paul is quoting the Prophet Isaiah.

I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; (Isaiah42:6). In the same chapter, the Prophet declares that God’s servant ‘..shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles’ (vs.1). Is this done after The Lord somehow wrests salvation from the Jews? No. The Gospel is given to the Gentiles also, not instead of the Jews.

And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marveled at those things which were spoken of him (Luke2:25-33).

In Acts 13, we simply see what it is that The Holy Spirit had commissioned Paul to do. God had not turned His grace away from Israel at all, even though certain of the Jews had turned their backs on Him & His Messiah. To surmise that God had in any way, shape, form or fashion, turned away from Israel, is to inadvertently admit that the Gentile Church is a completely separate entity to The Church instituted by Christ.

The Church instituted by Christ was a Jewish Church, with Jewish Apostles in leadership. They spoke of a Jewish Messiah, Who had instructed His Gospel to be preached in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria & to the uttermost parts of the earth. The Gentiles were always meant to have the Gospel preached to them. But they were never meant to replace Israel.

Here, in Acts 13, we see Paul inaugurated as Apostle to the Gentiles. He didn’t start another Church that would interpret the Gospel & the Scriptures in any way suited to them. Neither did he preach replacementism, supersessionism or a fashionable neo-christofascism. Paul preached a Gospel of true inclusion. Not the inclusive garbage that modern Christianity proposes, but the Gospel that unifies Jew & Gentile in Christ.

But of those who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man’s person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me: but contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (for he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles;) and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do (Galatians2:6-10).

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: (Romans11:13). Paul was called to the Gentiles, just as Pater was called to the Jews. All however, are called unto God. How then, can a Gentile Church say the things that it does, when it is through the Jews that it has its inclusion to the Gospel?

With God, there is no either, or. There is no instead of. For the Gentile Church to take such a position is an affront to the finished work of Christ. Only an anti-semite would suggest such a thing, only a biblical ignoramus would teach it & only a fool would believe it. We see progressively throughout the Book of Acts that God reached out to Gentiles & saved them, then incorporated them into the body & oversaw their instruction. At no time whatsoever was there any suggestion that the Gentiles would supersede the Jews & replace them.

Jesus said, ‘And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd (John10:16). There aren’t two folds. There is no displacement of one by the other. Just as there are prophecies concerning the Jews, there are also prophecies concerning the Gentiles. In either group, those who believe in Christ are made one in Him. However, it is through the Jews that The Messiah came & it is to the Jews that the Gospel was first preached.

The rejection of Christ by the majority of the Jews in no way negates God’s Word concerning them, any more than the rejection of Christ by billions of Gentiles negates any words spoken by God concerning the Gentiles. The Gentile Church cannot replace Israel because without Israel, there is no Church. If His grace is turned away from Israel, what of the Jews who believe? Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: (Romans3:29). 

End of Part Two.

copyright © by David Samuel Parkins mmxvi all rights reserved.

no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the author, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is presented & without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

A Short Word on Fashionable Christian Anti-Zionism & Emergent Neo-Christofascism - Part One

Not so long ago, I became painfully aware of the importance of being right about the Jews theologically; are the Jews really God’s chosen people? Even if they were, are they still & what were [or are] they chosen for?

Among [professing] Christians that I know personally, there are those who are staunchly anti-Israel, but their arguments are largely political. I filtered these out because the politics of the region have little or nothing to do with the real issue at hand, primarily. Policy doesn’t answer the question. As well as this, there’s the fact that some folk simply mistake their personal politics for biblical convictions. It’s after this particular question concerning the place of the Jews has been answered that we can then choose to enter into the political debate if we so choose to use our time thus, at least from my perspective anyway.

Thesis & antithesis do not simply hold each other in a tension because they have nothing better to do.

If we argue the politics of the so called Arab/Israeli conflict, without any reference between the issue’s relative extremes, we’ll find absolutely no resolution whatsoever. Resolution I say, not between Arab & Jew, but rather between those [professing] Christians who are pro-Israel & those who are not. *(By the way, there’s a valid reason why I leave the word ‘professing’ in parenthesis; a significant number of anti-Zionists are simply that, ‘professing’ & nothing more, hence my reticence).

Personally, I’m pro-Israeli but my stance has nothing to do with my view of Israel’s politics. The Israel that I stand with are not simply the physical, natural decendants of the Patriarch Abraham. I’m standing with the Jews & Israel as they’re defined biblically & theologically.

So, we have those [professing] Christians who will answer the opening question with a resounding ‘NO’, those who will answer with a defiant ‘YES’ & those who will err on the side of ignorance, sheepishly whispering that they think the Jews used to be. You’ll know those in this last group by the way their lips never, ever move when they speak about Israel.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll state my reasons for standing with Israel, answering the basic question as it has been put to me & also in response to an almost unbelievable ignorance among certain groups of [professing] Christians. However, I am not an expositor of Scripture, an expert in any field whatsoever, or a theologian. I’m just just a bloke who loves Israel & their Messiah most especially. *(There is a broader argument that cannot go unmentioned here & it is this; our understanding of Israel & their place in God’s plan will affect our eschatological theology absolutely & directly. However, in this brief open letter I’m not dealing with that). The State of Israel & the state of The Church are inextricably linked & no matter which side of the debate we decide to come down on, we have to ackowledge a few essential, principle things first. Forgive me if I miss anything out.

Abraham obeyed God’s commandment concerning circumcision & [in my opinion] became the first Jew (Genesis17:24). Isaac was a Jew. Jacob was a Jew. Later, God renamed Jacob & called him Israel. Jacob’s sons, the heads of the twelve tribes, were Jews. Joseph, who was sold into slavery & who then miraculously rose to power some time later, was a Jew. Moses, the deliverer of the Hebrews from their oppression in Egypt & reputed writer of the Pentatuch, was a Jew.

Joshua, who led the Children of Israel into the land promised to Abraham, was a Jew. The judges of Israel & those they judged, were Jews. The kings of Israel & those they ruled, were Jews. The prophets in Israel & those to whom the Word of The Lord was delivered, were Jews. The priesthood & those on whose behalf they ministered, were Jews. The Old Testament as we have it, would not be in our hands today had it not been written down & preserved for & by the Jews.

Elizabeth, the wife of  Zachariah the High Priest & mother of John the Baptist, was a Jew. Mary, the virgin to whom the angel Gabriel appeared, was a Jew. Her husband-to-be, Joseph the carpenter, was a Jew. Jesus Christ The Messiah, our Lord & Saviour, was a Jew. The disciples He chose, who would later become Apostles of The Lamb, were Jews. The people He taught in the temple, were Jews. The pharisees & saducees were Jews. The doctors of the law were Jews.

The prophesies concerning Christ in His first coming were given to Jews & fulfilled by a Jew Who had been sent to Jews. He sent His disciples to minister to the Jews. The early Church at its inception was comprised of Jews. The Gospels & Book of Acts were written by Jews. The epistles were written by Jews. The Revelation of Jesus Christ was penned by a Jew who had been closer than close to the Jew that it’s all about; Jesus. The New Testament as we have it today, was written by Jews.

So far, God has seen to it that the people He raised up for Himself have been substantially provided for in His will; His redemptive plan. A people to whom He gave His Law, Covenants, Promises & Prophesies; with whom He suffered unfaithfulness, rebellion, backsliding & idolatory; through whom He brought forth The Messiah & for whom He shed His own blood. If, by this stage, the Jews were not God’s people, they most certainly ought to have been!!

The question put to me was this; how can the Jews still qualify as God’s people from a New Testament stadpoint, after rejecting Christ as their Messiah? My simplistic answer is ‘because God says so’ but this comment on its own proves insufficient. *(I must say here that in my view, being wrong about Israel isn’t necessarily tantamount to anti-semitism, at least it doesn’t appear to be so in the beginning. However, it is a one way street that travels straight to replacement theology (also known as supersessionism) with no turn offs. Eventually, one becomes anti-semitic by default; first in theory & then so in practise).

This particular question suggests that God no longer has a people called out for His name, unless I’m missing something. Of course, the obvious initial response is that The Church has replaced the Jews who openly rejected the Gospel & their Messiah. At this point in discussions, I lean back in my chair with a cup of tea & a custard cream. I won’t pretend that I don’t become angry with people at times, especially when I explain exactly what they’re actually saying when they present this argument.

The term ‘anti’ is widely percieved as meaning something against or in opposition to. This determination is correct. However, this is not the only thing the term means; it also means in the place of. By definition then, to claim that The Church has replaced [or is in the place of] Israel, is by nature anti-semitic. Moreover, it would also mean that God is responsible for this unfounded prejudice & has endorsed it in Scripture. This is a dangerous claim to make, but make it some do.

For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God (Romans2:28-29).

Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: (Romans9:6).

Many detractors cite these verses as proof that physical circumcision is nullified & superceded by the circumcision of the heart. Jews who have not experienced this, they say, are only Jews outwardly & as such are not the people of God. The ‘inward’ Jews, they say, are believers in Christ, who have had their hearts circumcised in new birth. It is these people, they say, who are the true Israel of God. Their insinuation does an injustice & a gross  mischief to the text.

I agree that physical circumcision under the Mosaic Law has been superceeded in the New Testament. However, I suggest people read the entire chapters of Romans 2 & 9 before coming to the conclusion that Israel has been replaced by The Church. It has not. As a matter of fact, I would go further & suggest reading the entire book of Romans.

In Romans chapter 2, Paul makes a very simple case concerning what a true Jew is. He is not making the case that Gentiles who have circumcised hearts somehow replace Israel & the Jews. If this was indeed the case, The Lord got the rough end of the deal. The Gentile Church has proven far worse than Israel in many, many respects. Verses 9 & 10 of the chapter show us that Paul knows the difference between the two. He also underscores the point in verse 11, letting us know that God does not suffer from the malady of partiality. He is however, a keeper of His Word.

The Apostle argues that the moralist & legalist won’t escape the wrath of God simply because of their natural heritage, or a successful crossing of ‘t’s & dotting of ‘i’s.

He continues his treatise, directly addressing the hypocrisy of morality & legalism held in a double standard.  ‘Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God’ (Romans2:17). This, he points out, is laughable to the point that the Gentiles commit blasphemy because of it. Then Paul delivers a hammer blow in verses 28 & 29, describing what a Jew is & what a Jew is not. For he is not a Jew which. But he is a Jew which. Paul is saying that true Judaism is of the heart, not in morality & legality. So far, Paul has said nothing anti-semitic. He has said nothing to indicate a replacement of the Jews by The Church.

I say again that we must have a correct view of Israel, biblically & theologically. I also reiterate that I’m answering the question as it has been put to me in discussion with [professing] Christians.

Fans of Romans chapter 2 seem to forget chapter 3, where Paul’s opening salvo states, ‘What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God’(Romans3:1-2). The implications here are enormous if The Church has replaced Israel. God made His covenent with the Jews & no one else.

In Romans chapter 9, Paul discusses God’s relationship with & election of Israel. He does not discuss the election of the Gentile Church, but rather, their inclusion by the selfsame exercise of faith in Christ Jesus. He states emphatically, ‘neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed’ (vss.7-8). They are not all Israel which are of Israel.

Again, The Apostle’s statement reveals the true Israelite as one who is more than simply a child of Abraham according to the flesh. He says nothing of the Gentile Church usurping the promises God made to Abraham & to his seed. The Jews who believed the promise given to Abraham, a promise reiterated time & time again throughout Scripture, these are the true Israel. These are the true Jews who recognised their Messiah. The Gentile Church is not the Israel Paul is speaking of here. He is speaking of his fellow Jews.

In the opening verses of Romans 9, Paul states his burden for the Jews quite clearly. He refers to them as his brethren, his kinsmen according to the flesh & Israelites (vss.3-4a). He then goes on to catalogue what God has given to said Israelites. The adoption; the glory; the covenants; the giving of the law; the service of God; the promises; the fathers; Christ Himself (vss.4b-5). These things have not been taken away from Israel & given to The Church. Rather, the Gentiles have been offered inclusion into these elements & their fulfilment by faith in the Jewish Messiah (vss.23-26).

Those Jews who have so far failed to follow through to faith in Christ, although they possessed every means to do so, may not have attained the righteousness of God, but they have by no means been supplanted by a spiritual Israel. Viewed biblically & theologically, the Jews are still God’s people, although they haven’t yet accepted Jesus Christ. Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.

Paul’s lamentation continues in chapter 10 of Romans, where he says ‘my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved (Romans10:1). They have a zeal of God; they are ignorant of His righteousness & [consequently] they have not submitted themselves to it (vss.2-3). The Gentiles however, have responded to the call of the Gospel. Concerning the Jews, Paul asks, ‘Have they not heard? Did not Israel know?’(vss.18a-19a). The answer is yes & yes. Does this disqualify Israel? The answer is no; not biblically & not theologically either.

In chapter 11, The Apostle uses very plain language. ‘I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye not what the Scripture saith of Elijah? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace’(Romans11:1-5).

If Israel had been cast away & replaced, Paul himself would have been cast away also, along with every other believing Jew. This was not the case. God’s covenant was cut with Isreal, not with the Gentile Church. He identifies himself as an Israelite, of Abraham’s seed & a Benjamite. In Acts 22:3 he calls himself a Jew. In his epistle to The Church at Philipi he lists his natural heritage. Ritually circumcised; of Israel’s stock; a Benjamite; a true Hebrew; a Pharisee; demonstrably zealous; blameless concerning the law (Philippians3:5-6). When defending his ministry against that of the [so-called] super apostles, he states, ‘Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I’ (2Corinthians11:22).

He continues through chapter 11, demonstrating the grace of God in giving the Gospel to the Gentiles, using Israel’s partial blindness as an opportunity to accomplish this. The Jews are the natural branches of the olive tree & the Gentiles are grafted in through faith in Jesus Christ. Yet we are exhorted not to be highminded, but fearful, because God is well able to graft them back into their own tree. How can this be accomplished if God has finished with Israel & the Jews?

Any theory that attempts to ‘spiritualise’ the place God has for Israel in His plan & replace them with The Gentile Church, is nothing more or less than a misguided, ill informed & ignorant anti-semitism. Even the cursory overview we have here ought to remove the notion that God has in any way, shape, or form, removed Israel from her place in theology, history, prophecy or the world.

End of Part One.

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