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Question

Does the Bible teach one unified people of God or two separate programs for Israel and the Church? Comprehensive test of FUT's Israel/Church distinction across both testaments.

Topics

CHURCH

(Hebrew: qahal, 'edah; Greek: ekklesia) The people of God; the collective body of believers. (Also, CONGREGATION, ASSEMBLY, THE BODY OF CHRIST.)

Key Designations (selected for this study): - Called THE CONGREGATION in the O.T.: EXO 12:3,6,19,47; 16:1,2,9,10,22; LEV 4:13,15; 10:17; 24:14 - Called CHURCH in the N.T.: MAT 16:18; 18:17; ACT 2:47; 1CO 11:18; 14:19,23,28,33,34; 15:9; GAL 1:13 - ASSEMBLY OF THE SAINTS: PSA 89:7 - BODY OF CHRIST: EPH 1:22,23; COL 1:24 - BRIDE OF CHRIST: REV 21:9 - FOLD OF CHRIST: JHN 10:16 - HABITATION OF GOD: EPH 2:22 - HEAVENLY JERUSALEM: GAL 4:26; HEB 12:22 - HOUSEHOLD OF GOD: EPH 2:19 - ISRAEL OF GOD: GAL 6:16 - LAMB'S WIFE: REV 19:7-9; 21:9 - SPIRITUAL HOUSE: 1PE 2:5 - FLOCK OF GOD: EZK 34:15; 1PE 5:2

Unity of: PSA 133:1; JHN 10:16; 17:11,21-23; ROM 12:4,5; 1CO 10:17; 12:5,12-27; GAL 3:26-28; EPH 1:10; 2:14-19,21; 3:6,15; 4:4-6,12,13,16,25; COL 3:11,15

Christ, Head of: PSA 118:22,23; ISA 33:22; 55:4; MAT 12:6,8; 21:42,43; EPH 1:10,22,23; 2:20-22; 4:15; 5:23-32; COL 1:13,18; 2:10,19; 3:11; HEB 3:3,6; 1PE 2:7

Note: Nave's explicitly lists "ISRAEL OF GOD: GAL 6:16" as one of the church's designations, and the OT/NT linguistic overlap is noted: "Called THE CONGREGATION in the O.T. ... Called CHURCH in the N.T."

GENTILES

Prophecies of Conversion: GEN 12:3,5; 22:18; 49:10; DEU 32:21; PSA 2:8; 22:27-31; 46:4,10; 65:2,5; 66:4; 68:31,32; 72:1-20; 86:9; 102:15,18-22; 145:10,11; ISA 2:2-5; 9:1-7; 11:1-10; 18:7; 24:16; 35:1-10; 40:4-11; 42:1-12; 45:6,8,22-24; 49:1,5,6,18-23; 54:1-3; 55:5; 56:3,6-8; 60:1,3-5,8-14; 65:1; 66:7-23; JER 3:17; 4:2; 16:19-21; EZK 47:3-5; DAN 2:35,44,45; 7:13,14; HOS 2:23; JOL 2:28-32; AMO 9:11,12; MIC 4:3,4; HAG 2:7; ZEC 2:10,11; 6:15; 8:1-23; 9:1,9-17; 14:8-21; MAL 1:11; MAT 3:9; 8:11; 12:17-21; 19:30; MRK 10:31; LUK 13:29,30; 21:24; JHN 10:16; ACT 9:15

Conversion of (NT fulfillment): ACT 10:45; 11:1-18; 13:2,46-48; 14:27; 15:7-9,12-31; 18:4-6; 26:16-18; 28:28; ROM 1:5-7; 9:22-30; 10:19,20; 11:11-13,17-21; 15:9-12; GAL 1:15,16; 2:2; 3:14; EPH 3:1-8; COL 3:11; 1TH 2:16; 1TI 3:16; 2TI 1:11; REV 11:15; 15:4

ISRAEL

  • Name given to Jacob: GEN 32:24-32
  • Name of the Messiah in prophecy: ISA 49:3
  • Tribes named after sons of Jacob; names on gates of New Jerusalem: REV 21:12
  • Rejected by God: MAT 21:43; LUK 20:16
  • Prophecies of restoration: ISA 1:25-27; HOS 2:14-23; JER 3:14-18; EZK 37:16-22; ROM 11; 2CO 3:16
  • Prophecies of rejection of Messiah: ISA 8:14-15; 49:5,7; 52:14; 53:1-3; MAT 21:33; 22:1

COVENANT

Of God with Men: - Confirmed with an oath: GEN 22:16; 26:3; 50:24; PSA 89:35; 105:9; LUK 1:73; HEB 6:13,17,18 - Binding: LEV 26; JER 11:2,3; GAL 3:15 - Everlasting: GEN 8:20-22; 9:1-17; PSA 105:8,10; ISA 54:10; 61:8 - God faithful to: LEV 26:44,45; DEU 4:31; 7:8,9; JDG 2:1; 1KI 8:23; PSA 105:8-11; 106:45; 111:5; MIC 7:20

Instances: - With Abraham: GEN 12:1-3; 15; 17:1-22; EXO 6:4-8; PSA 105:8-11; ROM 9:7-13; GAL 3 - With Isaac: GEN 17:19 - Jacob: GEN 28:13-15

The Second Covenant: JER 31:31-34; HEB 8:4-13; 12:18-24; 13:20

ABRAHAM

  • Divine call: GEN 12:1-3; JOS 24:3; NEH 9:7; ISA 51:2; ACT 7:2,3; HEB 11:8
  • God's covenant with: GEN 15; 17:1-22; MIC 7:20; LUK 1:73; ROM 4:13; 15:8; HEB 6:13,14; GAL 3:6-18,29; 4:22-31
  • Called ABRAHAM ("father of many nations"): GEN 17:5; NEH 9:7
  • Faith of: GEN 15:6; ROM 4:1-22; GAL 3:6-9; HEB 11:8-10,17-19; JAS 2:21-24
  • Friend of God: ISA 41:8; 2CH 20:7; JAS 2:23
  • How regarded by his descendants: MAT 3:9; LUK 13:16,28; 19:9; JHN 8:33-40

ADOPTION (Spiritual)

  • OT Israel as God's son: EXO 4:22,23; DEU 14:1; 32:5,6; HOS 11:1
  • Believers as God's children: JHN 1:12,13; ROM 8:14-19; 9:8,26; 2CO 6:17; GAL 3:26,29; 4:5-7; EPH 1:5; 2:19; 3:6,15; HEB 2:10,13; 1JN 3:1,2; REV 21:7
  • Typified in Israel: EXO 4:22

RECONCILIATION

Between God and Man: LEV 8:15; EZK 45:15; DAN 9:24; ROM 5:1,10; 11:15; 2CO 5:18-21; EPH 2:15-18; COL 1:20-22; HEB 2:17

GRAFTING

General scriptures: ROM 11:17-24 (the only biblical passage on this topic -- the olive tree metaphor is unique to Paul's discussion of Israel/Gentile unity)

CHOSEN, OR ELECTED

MAT 20:16; 22:14; 1PE 2:9; REV 17:14

FAITH

Key scriptures on faith as the criterion (selected): - GEN 15:6; ROM 4:1-25; GAL 3:1-29; HEB 11:1-39 - ROM 9:31-33; 10:6-10; 11:20,23 - EPH 2:8

ISRAEL, PROPHECIES CONCERNING

  • ISA 8:14-15; 49:5-7; MAT 21:33,43; ROM 11; 2CO 3:16
  • Rejection/judgment: MAT 21:43 ("kingdom taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits")

SEED (naves_semantic.py discovery)

  • GEN 1:11-12; 1CO 15:36-38; HOS 10:12; GAL 6:7-8
  • G4690 (sperma) appears 44 times in NT, central to Paul's redefinition of Abraham's seed

CONGREGATION (cross-reference to CHURCH)

  • DEU 23:1-3 (restrictions on who may enter the congregation)
  • This entry cross-references to CHURCH, confirming the linguistic and theological continuity