Comments on: Sermon A: 5th S Lent: Ezek 3:11 http://www.lawgospel.com/2008/03/04/sermon-a-5th-s-lent-ezek-311/ Theological distinctions between Law & Gospel Fri, 11 Jun 2010 09:52:47 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Tom Baker http://www.lawgospel.com/2008/03/04/sermon-a-5th-s-lent-ezek-311/comment-page-1/#comment-576 Tom Baker Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:30:00 +0000 http://www.lawgospel.com/2008/03/04/sermon-a-5th-s-lent-ezek-311/#comment-576 If I understand your concern, I refer to the Christian Church as the "new" Israel rather than the "true" Israel. Your point is well taken that the Church is not a "new" Israel but rather a continuation of the Israel as found in the Old Testament books. The reason I used the term "new" is because the Church is a result of the "new" covenant, Jesus inaugurates a "new" testament of His body and blood and then you have passages such as Revelation 21:2 which refers to the "new" Jerusalem. <br/><br/>However, your point that the Church is a continuation of the believers in the Old Testament is important and I will keep that in mind in referencing the Christian Church. If I understand your concern, I refer to the Christian Church as the “new” Israel rather than the “true” Israel. Your point is well taken that the Church is not a “new” Israel but rather a continuation of the Israel as found in the Old Testament books. The reason I used the term “new” is because the Church is a result of the “new” covenant, Jesus inaugurates a “new” testament of His body and blood and then you have passages such as Revelation 21:2 which refers to the “new” Jerusalem.

However, your point that the Church is a continuation of the believers in the Old Testament is important and I will keep that in mind in referencing the Christian Church.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.lawgospel.com/2008/03/04/sermon-a-5th-s-lent-ezek-311/comment-page-1/#comment-575 Anonymous Wed, 05 Mar 2008 04:57:00 +0000 http://www.lawgospel.com/2008/03/04/sermon-a-5th-s-lent-ezek-311/#comment-575 Your last sentence is not quite accurate. It refers to the holy Christian Church on earth as the "new" Israel. Scripturally speaking, Christ referred to Himself as the TRUE Israel, contrasting Himself with the "false" Israel, the ethnic nation which paradoxically calls itself "Israel". In John chapter 15 Jesus makes the comparison of His church with the vine and branches, where He says "I am the true vine". Since the vine has always been a symbolof the God's Israel(e.g. Psalm 80:8), Jesus claims that He is what God had always intended for His Israel: the perfect obedient Servant. Hence, those united with Christ actually comprise the TRUE ISRAEL of God, not merely a "new" Israel. This is the radical message of truth constantly proclaimed throughout the New Testament(e.g. Phil 3:3; Gal 6:16; Romans 9:6ff).God's TRUE Israel has always consisted of those with faith in God's promises, particularly of Messiah. God's Israel consists of those who have undergone open heart surgery by God and received new hearts.This is exactly how God defines Israel: those pure in heart(Ps 73:1). As in this story from Ezekiel, the Church consists of recreated dead people, with faith in the Son Of God, neither male nor female but entirely New Creations(Gal 3:27ff; 2Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15). In fact, the Christian in Scripture is often referred to as that person who has undergone the "first resurrection"(e.g. Rev 20:5). The Christian also awaits the second, and bodily, resurrection on the Last Day as described by Paul in 1Cor chapter 15. Your last sentence is not quite accurate. It refers to the holy Christian Church on earth as the “new” Israel. Scripturally speaking, Christ referred to Himself as the TRUE Israel, contrasting Himself with the “false” Israel, the ethnic nation which paradoxically calls itself “Israel”. In John chapter 15 Jesus makes the comparison of His church with the vine and branches, where He says “I am the true vine”. Since the vine has always been a symbolof the God’s Israel(e.g. Psalm 80:8), Jesus claims that He is what God had always intended for His Israel: the perfect obedient Servant. Hence, those united with Christ actually comprise the TRUE ISRAEL of God, not merely a “new” Israel. This is the radical message of truth constantly proclaimed throughout the New Testament(e.g. Phil 3:3; Gal 6:16; Romans 9:6ff).God’s TRUE Israel has always consisted of those with faith in God’s promises, particularly of Messiah. God’s Israel consists of those who have undergone open heart surgery by God and received new hearts.This is exactly how God defines Israel: those pure in heart(Ps 73:1). As in this story from Ezekiel, the Church consists of recreated dead people, with faith in the Son Of God, neither male nor female but entirely New Creations(Gal 3:27ff; 2Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15). In fact, the Christian in Scripture is often referred to as that person who has undergone the “first resurrection”(e.g. Rev 20:5). The Christian also awaits the second, and bodily, resurrection on the Last Day as described by Paul in 1Cor chapter 15.

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