JUDAISM AND THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST

God has two programs for two purposes. God's purpose today concerns the heavenly (invisible realm) and the other concerns the earth (visible realm). In the Edible, fundamentally there are two gospels, one is the gospel of the kingdom and the other the gospel of grace.

The kingdom gospel deals with the earth (with God's power and authority vested in the nation Israel), while the grace gospel deals with the heavenly places (with God's power and authority vested in the Church, the Body of Christ).

The kingdom gospel is also called "prophecy" and the grace gospel is called "the mystery."

The prophetic Scripture are the Law, the Prophets, the Psalms, the Gospels and the Hebrew epistles (Heb.-Rev.) which deal with God instituting His earthly kingdom vested in the nation of Israel.

The revelation of the mystery pertains to God's heavenly kingdoms God revealed this to Paul and this revelation is found in his epistles (Rom.-Phile.).

In these two distinct revelations? God has set forth His total plan of redemption for the earth and the heavens (Eph. 1: 10).

There are some similarities and yet great differences between Judaism and The Church, the Body of Christ. Some of the Similarities are: they both have gospels, salvation, and eternal life. They both have Jesus Christ as deity, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, prayer and spiritual blessings.

SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN JUDAEO CHRISTIANITY (ISRAEL) AND THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST (TODAY'S CHRISTIANITY):

1. COVENANTS: The gospel of the kingdom is based on the covenants God made with one nation, Israel. There are 5 of these covenants: the Abrahamic Covenant, Palestinian Covenant, Davidic Covenant, Mosaic Covenant, and the New Covenant. The Christians of today's dispensation are a non-covenant people. Their salvation is unconditional. The grace gospel works on a total non-merit system that is by faith and faith alone.

2. GOSPELS: The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the circumcision belong to Israel. The gospel of grace and the gospel of the uncircumcision belong to the Church, the Body of Christ, whereas in God's eyes, there is no Jew or Greek (Gal 3:28).

3. FUNDAMENTAL OPERATING PRINCIPLES: LAW AND GRACE. The leading principle of the kingdom is the Law (Matt. 5:17). Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets. I am not come to destroy but to fulfill" (Matt. 5:1 7). The leading principle of the gospel of grace is, of course, grace. Romans 6:14-15 declares: "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid."

4. DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: Both programs are centered in the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of the kingdom presented the Lord Jesus as Israel's Messiah and king of Israel. Under today's gospel of grace, God has one main title the Head of the Church, which is His Body, made up of Jews and Gentiles (Eph.1:22, 23; 2:16). This is mentioned only in Paul's epistles. He is Lord and Saviour of the Church, the Body of Christ.

5. DIFFERENCE IN SALVATION MESSAGE: God has been saving people ever since the fall of Adam and live, but the salvation message has had different contents according to His will. When God was dealing with the nation Israel as His conduit / agency to the rest of the world, the plan of salvation is given in Mark 16:16, "He that believeth (that Jesus Christ was Israel's prophesied Messiah) and is baptized shall be saved." Salvation was dependent upon believing plus being baptized with water. In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John this principle of faith and works for eternal life is repeated over and over again (Ex: Matt. 5:20; 19:16-21; 19:29; John 3:5; Acts 2:38). This salvation is salvation into the earthly kingdom. Under the gospel of the kingdom, works were an outward indication that the individual had faith. Because works can be counterfeited, Jas. 1:27 shows what kind of works Israel will need in the end times: Don't get the mark of the beast and help the families of the saints who died by refusing to get the mark of the beast (Rev. 13:16-18). This is what James wrote to the twelve tribes of Israel (Jas. 1: 1): 'faith without works is dead" (Jas. 2:14-26). But according to the gospel of grace, salvation is by faith plus nothing (Eph. 2:8t9; Tit. 3:5).

6. DIFFERENCE IN REMISSION OF SINS: According to the gospel of the kingdom the remission of sins was by water baptism, if there was repentance as to the acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as their Messiah (Mk. 1:4; Lk 3 :3, Acts 2: 38) . on the day of Pentecost Peter did not mention faith in the shed blood of Christ for the remission of sins, which is the core of today's gospel of grace. Anyone filled with the Spirit does not make this mistake today. What about Matt. 26:28,29? This was before the cross (which they didn't understand - Lk. 18:31-34) and again Peter didn't preach faith in the shed blood of the cross. Notice also "shed for many " in Mat. 26:28 vs I Tim.2:4 "who will have all men to be saved." (Also "a ransom for many" in Mat. 20:28 vs I Tim. 2:6 "a ransom for all.") Mat. 26:28 is consistent with the kingdom gospel where Israel was to be the head of the nations (Zech. 8:23, Acts I :6)

According to the gospel of the grace of God, the remission or forgiveness of sins is by faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7, Col. 1:14, Rom. 3:25). This is first seen in the Mystery revealed through Paul, not in the Gospels. The adding of water baptism in this dispensation slanders the all-sufficiency of faith in the shed blood of Christ (Rom. 3:25, 1 Cor. 1:17). Paul teaches that ALL of our sins have been forgiven on the basis of His sacrifice on the cross (Acts 20:28, Romps 5:9).

Are people Saved today by the gospel of the kingdom? The answer is NO! Today people are saved by the grace of God or they are not saved at all.

7. DIFFERENCE IN BAPTISM: There are many baptisms in the kingdom gospel. There is the:

a). Baptism of fire (Matt. 3:1 1 ) which speaks of lsrael's purging and judgment and looks to the future tribulation period facing the nation Israel (Dan. 9:27; Jer. 30:7).

b.) Baptism of repentance for the remission of sin (Mk. 1:4, Matt. 3:6,1 1)

c.) Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ to identify Himself with Israel (Matt. 3: 13-17, John 1 :31-33).

d.) Baptism with the Holy Spirit by Jesus Christ (Matt 3:1 1, Acts 2:3,4; 1 ] :6) (not "by' one Spirit into one Body - I Cor. 12: 13).

e.) Washings of water under the Law (Mk. 7:3,4).

There will be 12 thrones for the 12 apostles (Matt. 19:28). Healing is a physical blessing. Jews require a sign (I Cor. 1:22). Signs, wonders and miracles are physical blessings to Israel and its program (Psa. 74:9; 147:2, 19, 20; Isa. 8:18; Acts 2: 22).

The gospel of the grace of God presents only ONE BAPTISM for this dispensation: "One Lord, one faith, ONE BAPTISM" (Eph. 4:5). This baptism is very important for it is the work of the Holy Spirit baptizing every believer into the Body of Christ upon being saved (I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3: 27, Rom . 6:3 ,4).

8. DIFFERENCE IN THE BLESSING OF ISRAEL AND THE BODY OF CHRIST: Under the earthly program (Judaism / Israel), the blessing of God is primarily physical and secondly spiritual. God trade a land covenant with Abraham (Gen. 15:18). God made a covenant with David regarding the kingdom and the throne (2 Sam. 7:13).

Today, according to the gospel of grace, the believer is blessed "with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places its Christ" (Eph. 1:3). Our blessings are spiritual: "Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day" (II Cor. 4: 16). Spiritual blessings are for our growth in Christ. There are no physical blessing offered today Our .spiritual blessings come as we study God's word and grow in our knowledge and understanding of what He has already promised and provided - eternal life - Tit. 1:2.

9. SIGNS, WONDERS AND) MIRACLES: Signs are an important part of the kingdom gospel (I Cor. 1:22) for Jews require a sign. The first sign for Israel was circumcision given to Abraham (Gen. 17:10, Rom. 4:1 1). Healing, multiplying of food raising the dead, etc., all were signs to confirm Jesus Christ was Messiah to Israel. In Mark 16:17,18 we are told that signs shall follow the believer. In the kingdom gospel there was and will be signs again.

According to the grace gospel there are NO outward signs, wonders and miracles. The signs mentioned in I Cor. 12 and 14 were limited to the Acts time period (approximately 30 years) before the canon of scripture was complete. The miracle in God's Word today is the miracle of salvation which comes with our personal belief in the written words. Believers are to walk by faith and not by sight (II Cor. 5:7). Any so called Signs that follow today are counterfeit signs, and according to II Thes. 2:9, Satan has the power to work signs and wonders. God is will for the believer is that he might be "filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding' (Col. ] :9). The wisdom of God is contained in the Mystery revealed to Paul (I Cor. 2:7).

10. HOLY DAYS: Lev. 23 shows that all the holy days were for Israel (before they fell, Rom. 11:11, many other scriptures will show this). "Pentecost" belongs to Judaism and not to the Church of the Body of Christ. Acts 2 shows that Israel had not yet fallen and that the "middle wall of partition" was still up (Eph. 2:11-18). According to the grace gospel, there are no holy days to observe. Paul warns against observing days, months, years, etc., in Gal. 4:9-1 1; Col. 2:16-23.

DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS: The Lord personally commissioned The Twelve with the gospel of the kingdom. Notice that they were preaching this particular gospel before they knew, understood, or believed that Jesus Christ had to go to the cross (Lk. 18:31-34). Matthias was the replacement for Judas (Acts 1). Later, the Lord Jesus Christ personally commissioned ONE man to preach the gospel of the grace of God in this age - Paul.

THE COMING OF CHRIST FOR JUDAISM / ISRAEL AND FOR TODAY'S CHURCH / THE BODY OF CHRIST: According to the gospel of the kingdom, the Lord Jesus Christ is going to return to earth and set up His kingdom for Israel. This is the second coming of Christ. Zechariah prophesied,: "His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives" (Zech. 14:4). This is the same place from which Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:9-12). According to the grace gospel, the Lord Jesus will appear in the AIR for the Body of Christ (I Thess. 4: 17). There won't be any more grace gospel after this event, but the kingdom gospel will be preached thereafter.

There are more differences than similarities between Israel and the Body of Christ. Today, we ale not Israel or spiritual Israel. Saved people today are reconciled into one Body and called "New Creatures" (II Cor. 5:14-21). There are absolutely NO spiritual Jews today, only ethnic Jews. So, there are no more covenants.

Excerpt from Copyright © "My Journey" written by Johny Varghese

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