Admin
|
Postponement Theology Starts More From the Abrahamic Covenant Than From the Gospel of Christ
Posted : 25 Oct, 2011 12:34 PM
On A Christian forum yesterday a guy said "The idea that the Abrahamic covenant is eternal and unconditional must be proven true or false on its merits, not via its associations."
On http://www.vho.org/aaargh/fran/livres2/SIZERchriszion.pdf Stephen Sizer says "...it is legitimate to ask whether dispensationalism is not orientated
more from the Abrahamic Covenant than from the Cross. Is not its focus centered more on the Jewish kingdom than on the Body of Christ? Does it not interpret the New Testament in the light of Old Testament prophecies, instead of interpreting those prophecies in the light of the more complete revelation of the New Testament?"
Stephen Sizer's book, Christian Zionism: Its History, Theology and Politics, was put online as a pdf file at the link above. I don't know if it is exactly the same book as that published by Inter-Varsity Press in 2004 as "Christian Zionism: Road Map to Armageddon?" Christian Zionism was Sizer's 2004 Ph.D. thesis at Oak Hill Theological College and Middlesex University.
Because almost all Christians grew up under some influence from
dispenationalism, they miss something very important about the
Abrahamic Covenant. Paul deals with this in Galatians 3: 14-16, 22,
and 27-29.
Genesis 17: 7-10 says "And I will establish my covenant between me and
thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting
covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
8. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land
wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an
everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
9. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore,
thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and
thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised."
Galatians 3: 14-16, 22, and 27-29 say "That the blessing of Abraham
might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit through faith.
15. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a
man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth
thereto.
16. 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 Christ...22. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that
the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that
believe...For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free,
there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs
according to the promise."
There it is; the transformation of physical Israel into Israel reborn
in Jesus Christ, into
the spiritual house of I Peter 2: 5.
The dispensationalists do interpret Galatians 3 by Genesis 17 - when
they reject what Paul says here. God redefined Israel.
The issue is not whether the Abrahamic covenant is eternal and
unconditional. It is eternal for the spiritual seed of Abraham, who
first is Christ, when both Genesis 17 and Galatians 3 are understood.
This is a very important part of the Gospel, which dispensationalism
not only confuses but rejects.
When the promise to Abraham's seed was understood to be only to his
physical seed, then entry into Israel was by race, circumcision was a
mark of that entry in the physical flesh, and there was a literal
temple building. After the Cross circumcision was abolished, entry
was no longer by race but by faith, and the temple as a building
became the believers.
I Corinthians 2: 14, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of
the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he
know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
A Remnant of physical Israel did receive much of the Spirit of God,
but not the majority for which I Corinthians 2: 14 applies. And have
not the dispensationalists given up their position as the chosen - the
Christians - as I Peter 2: 9 says to that majority of physical Israel
who are not born again in Christ and are not the spiritual house of I
Peter 2: 5. Any member of physical Israel, like anyone else living,
can, however, become a member of the chosen of I Peter 2: 9. But they
have to give up their belief that they remain the chosen of God
because of their race alone.
Post Reply
|
