“The Israel of God” According To Paul

When the apostle Paul ends his letter to the Galatians, he pronounces his benediction as follows in Galatians 6:16 “And as many as walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God”.  Who the Israel of God is in this verse,  is the exegetical issue that has generated the most discussion and disagreement among interpreters of the letter. Most in the history of interpretation have argued that Paul uses this phrase with reference to the church, the “true Israel” or “spiritual Israel.” Yet a number of scholars believe this view is very questionable, if not highly unlikely.

The following essay by Christopher W. Cowan, Adjunct Instructor of New Testament Interpretation at Southern Seminary, considers the issues that have contributed to the competing understandings of the verse, looking first to the arguments of those who believe Paul uses “the Israel of God” to speak of ethnic Jews in some sense. Cowan then offers several reasons to justify the traditional interpretation and argue that Paul instead uses the phrase to refer to the church. In the context of Galatians (and the New Testament) it is best to see “the Israel of God” in Gal 6:16 as a reference to the unified people of God consisting of both Jews and Gentiles who have faith in Jesus Christ.

 

Cowan first lists the arguments of Ernest de Witt Burton, Peter Richardson and S. Lewis Johnson, to interpret “the Israel of God” as referring to ethnic Jews and not the church. Burton argues for the illogical order of “peace” and “mercy” in this benediction, compared to other NT benedictions and the lack of any other instance in which Paul uses the term “Israel” except to refer to the Jewish nation. Like Burton, Richardson also builds his case on the illogical order in the benediction, to prove that Paul, while writing this verse, had two groups in mind. Johnson objects to taking the kai (“and”) that follows “mercy” in an explicative or epexegetic sense ( as to mean “namely,” “that is”).

In response to these arguments, Cowan gives  five reasons why he believes the traditional interpretation of this phrase, as referring to church is justified by the context of the letter. His reasons briefly are as follows : 

(1) While it is certainly true that nowhere else in the New Testament do we find the term “Israel” being applied to the church, the concept is ubiquitous.

(2) The context of Galatians justifies understanding “the Israel of God” as designating all believers, Jew and Gentile.

(3) Believing that the church is the “true Israel” and that there is a future salvation for ethnic Israel are not inconsistent propositions.

(4) The infrequency of the epexegtical usage of kai is not sufficient evidence to deny its presence in Galatians 6:16.

(5) The unique construction of Paul’s benediction here and the unique combination of “peace and mercy” would appear to argue against its being a formulaic benediction.

Cowan thus concludes his brief essay, by reminding us the adage that “context is everything” and employing the context as the decisive factor in understanding Paul, he says, Paul identifies the church, those who conform to the new creation in Christ, as the true Israel.

Context Is Everything: “The Israel of God” in Galatians 6:16  Read

Footnotes

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[1]  Christopher W. Cowan, Context Is Everything: “The Israel of God” in Galatians 6:16, SBJT Fall 2010

The Gospel According to Isaiah, in Romans

In the second chapter of his book Contours of Pauline Theology, Tom Holland while seeking to show how that Paul was immersed in this OT stream of expectations and that it was a powerful influence on how he interpreted the life death and resurrection of Jesus[1], notes how the prophet Isaiah had all of the doctrines of Paul in embryonic form. Regarding Paul's quoting of Isaiah, specifically in the book of Romans, Holland says :

Paul not only quoted from Isaiah many more times than all of the other prophets put together, but he actually used the prophet's writings as the skeleton of his gospel. He took the quotations and arranged them in such a way as to outline the history of salvation, from the Fall of man to the eventual establishment of the messianic kingdom. Around these quotations he built his argument. The full import of this fact is only appreciated when the quotations are listed in the order they are used and read in that same sequence. What it shows is that if the letter is laid out as a continuous papyrus, and the citations from Isaiah were raised out of the text and suspended at their point of use, those texts, in that order, summarise the whole of salvation history. Such a pattern could not be anything but intentional.

The cited texts of Romans.

We follow the Isaianic texts Paul cited in the order that he used them:

“As it is written ‘God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (Romans 2:24: Isaiah 52:5, LXX). 

“Their feet are swift to she d blood: ruin and misery mark their paths and the way of peace they have not known”(Romans 3:15-17: Isaiah 59:7-8).

“Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: ‘Though the number of the Israelites should be like the sand by the sea, only the remnant will be saved. For the Lord will carry out his sentence on earth with speed and finality’. It is just as Isaiah had said previously” (Romans 9:27-28: Isaiah 10:22-23, LXX).

“Just as Isaiah said previously, ‘Unless the Lord Almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been like Gomorrah’” (Romans 9:29; Isaiah 1:9, LXX).

“As it is written,’ See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall’” (Romans 9:33a; Isaiah 8:14).

“and ‘the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame’” (Romans 9:33; Isaiah 28:16, LXX).

“As the Scripture says. 'He who believes in him will not be disappointed'” (Romans 10:11; Isaiah 52:7, LXX).

 “As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7).

“For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our message’”? (Romans 10.16; Isaiah 53:1,LXX).

“And Isaiah boldly says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek me, I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me’” (Romans 10:20; Isaiah 29:10, LXX).

“What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not attain, but the elect did. The others were hardened as it is written: ‘God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day’” ( Romans 11:7-8; Isaiah 29:10).

“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, ‘there shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins’” (Romans 11:26-27; Isaiah 59:20-21, LXX).

“Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counsellor” (Romans 11:34; Isaiah 40:13, LXX).

“For it is written, ‘As I live, sayeth the Lord’” ( Romans 14:11a; Isaiah 49:18).

“Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God” (Romans 14:11b; Isaiah 45:23, LXX).

“And again, Isaiah says, ‘The root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him’” (Romans 15:12; Isaiah 11:10, LXX).

“Rather, as it is written, ‘Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand’” (Romans 15:21; Isaiah 52:15, LXX).

These passages show the perspective which Paul had in regard to salvation history. It was that of the evangelical prophet. The quotations work systematically through the various stages of the development of the purposes of God in the salvation of Mankind.

Israel has not responded to her calling, she has acted like the other nations (Romans 2:24; Isaiah 52:5: Romans 3:15-17; Isaiah 59:7-8).

God's purpose is to show his faithfulness to his promises by saving a remnant. (Romans 9:27-29; Isaiah 10:22-23).

God will appoint a saviour, for both Jews and Gentiles (Romans 9:33; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16: Romans 10:11: Isaiah 8:16). Notice how Paul stresses the universality of Christ's salvation as he follows up the quotation of Isaiah 28:16 with: “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’”.

Paul then goes on to speak of the church's responsibility to declare the salvation of God, as it had been fulfilled by the remnant in the previous age ( Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7).

But there would be the same response of unbelief to the gospel message ( Romans 10:16; Isaiah 53:1).

Even so, the electing purposes of God would not be overturned by the sinfulness of Man. What he purposes he will achieve (Romans 10:22; Isaiah 65:1; Romans 10:21; Isaiah 65:2; Romans 11:8; Isaiah 29:10).

God's purposes will be fulfilled, and all Israel, as Paul has already defined her (Romans 4:11-12), will be saved (Romans 11:26-27; Isaiah 59:20-21).

All of this is beyond man's design, it is of God alone (Romans 11:33-34; Isaiah 40:13).

The salvation promised to Abraham, in which the nations are to share in the covenant blessings, will finally be fulfilled. Those who were never part of the people of God have come into the eschatological community. (Romans 15:21; Isaiah 52:15) [2]

Footnotes

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[1] Tom Holland, Contours of Pauline Theology. Chapter 2 : Paul and the Prophets, Pg 31

[2] Ibid, Pgs  31-33

Does Paul Impute Legalism To Moses?

It is very common to hear interpretations of Pauline epistles that suggest a false dichotomy between an Old Covenant system based on works and a New Covenant system based on faith. One of the most common passages used to draw this conclusion is Galatians 3:12, where Paul seems to compare law and faith. Now it is right to conclude from this verse that righteousness comes through faith and not on the basis of deeds. However is it right to say that the Old Testament, at least partially was a legalistic covenant between God and his people. Is it right to say that Paul in Galatians 3:11-12 is pitting the theology of Leviticus to that of Habakkuk. 

In the 2005 edition of The Gospel Witness, James M. Hamilton Jr., Associate Professor of Biblical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, wrote an article investigating on this issue of Leviticus 18:5 in Galatians 3:12. According to Hamilton, to view Old Covenant as a partial legalistic covenant “fails to appreciate the gracious character of the Levitical system”. Hamilton recognizes the central problem with the Galatians as a failure to “understand the law’s role in salvation history”.  With an aim to demonstrate the salvation-historical nature of Paul’s argument, Hamilton in the first section of his article, attempts “to summarize the Levitical system of the Old Testament with the hope of gaining a better understanding of the nature of the Old Covenant.” With that foundation laid, he then “considers the context of Galatians 3”.

In trying to make sense of the Levitical system, Hamilton contends that sincere trust from one’s heart is very much an inevitable element even in keeping the law and in the offering of sacrifices in penitence. Hamilton says “The Mosaic Covenant requires perfect obedience to the law, but the law provides sacrifice for the reparation of relationship when laws are broken. In order for these sacrifices to repair the relationship with Yahweh, however, they must be offered from a trusting heart that is repenting of the sin and seeking Yahweh’s pleasure”. If done without a right heart, then it does not bring any pleasure to Yahweh. Thus the covenant of Moses is to be, in that sense, kept by faith and if thus kept, then Leviticus 18:5 promises escape from being slain by the holiness of Yahweh.  Though this faith is not an explicit faith in the Messiah and His sacrifice, it is still a sincere trust in God and the sacrifices He has instituted for the covering of our sins.  Thus to view Old Covenant as a legalistic covenant is a failure “to appreciate the gracious character of the Levitical system”

In understanding the salvation-historical context of Galatians 3, Hamilton points out that the issue is not “that the Old Testament presented a legalistic way of gaining salvation but that the period in salvation history in which the Levitical system was operative has ended.” Hamilton therefore concludes that, “anyone who seeks to approach God by means of the Old Covenant in this new period in salvation history must keep the Old Covenant law perfectly (Galatians 5:3).” Since the Old testament sacrifices for sins are no longer in effect, the Law Covenant if kept should be kept flawlessly.  Thus Hamilton concludes his article as follows: “Thus, the statement in Leviticus 18:5 as it is used in Galatians 3:12 is equivalent to Galatians 5:3—the one who submits to the Mosaic covenant in this new period of salvation history “is obligated to do the whole law.” Paul does not impute legalism to Moses.”

This short article is worth reading for its many valuable insights into the nature of the two testaments, how faith is an inevitable element in both of them and that neither of them, particularly the Old  is legalistic in its nature.  A proper understanding of this will yield much fruit in faithful interpretation of Paul.

The One Who Does Them Shall Live By Them: Leviticus 18:5 in Galatians 3:12  Read | Download