Does changing the packaging improve the product?
Popular Claim: The Church Fulfills Israel
What does this claim mean?
This claim is the latest disguise of the same old teaching that started around the 3rd century AD with the rise of Augustinian theology and allegorical interpretation. Apparently, nobody believes that the Church "replaces" Israel in God's plan anymore. So, clever people have invented an alternate way of re-packaging a nearly identical theology. It is now insisted that the church "fulfills" Israel. However, this repackaging does not change the final product. It does not change the outcome.
Is the claim of "fulfillment" theology any different from replacement theology?
This "fulfillment" claim leads to the exact same conclusion: God's program with national, ethnic Israel has been subsumed by the church. The church, conveniently, is now the inheritor of God's promises to Israel. So, instead of viewing the church as partakers of God's promises to Israel, the church is viewed as overtakers of those same promises. That's a big difference: Partaker VS Overtaker. One view, partaker, tends to produce an attitude of gratefulness. The other view, overtaker, tends to produce an arrogance toward the Jewish people and the Jewish roots of the faith.
How?
Well, it is claimed that God has transferred Israel's promises to the Church and now future promises for ethnic, national Israel no longer exist. They are not a peculiar people any longer. It is claimed there are no national promises left to be fulfilled, because they are "spiritually fulfilled" by the church. Promises about Israel's future discipline (Jer. 30:7), regathering (Ezekiel 37), restoration to God (Jer. 31, Isaiah 11, 60-66, Romans 11:26) and many other promises (many of which are very detailed and specific), are now mystically fulfilled in Jesus or the Church.
How does this belief exist when Paul says that "the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable"? (Rom. 11:29 ). How does this belief exist when Paul says that "God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew." (Rom. 11:2) How does this belief exist when there are many unfulfilled promises left for Israel and the Jewish people?
An allegorical or mystical interpretation must be employed to arrive at this conclusion. "Fulfillment" is a clever, but wrong, strategy because it makes it sound as if God is still faithful to His promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants. But this is the slickness of it. There is no faithfulness to Israel and the Jewish people, only, conveniently, to the Church. In my opinion, it is a theology built on tradition and commentaries, not scripture.
Can God still be faithful to His promises to the forefathers if He "fulfills" everything in "the Church" or, as others posit, "in Christ."
These answers sound really spiritual, right? When we hear the phrase "it's all fulfilled in Christ" or "the Church fulfills everything", it does not sound wrong. It sounds spiritual. But these cute saying are a gross oversimplification of the text and they are contrary to the plain meaning of the text. You see, the same interpretative method used to spiritualize the text cannot be consistently employed across the whole Bible. It's a pick and choose method.
So, where are the disputed passages that adherents point to for support of the position?
There are ZERO passages in the Hebrew Bible or the NT that clearly teach this theory. There are only a few select passages ripped from their context. These passages, which are easily reconciled to what the prophets teach about Israel's future restoration when read in context, are repeated over and over. But the repetition of an idea does not make it true. Nor does the amount of people who believe it. For those who have never heard differently, they may be easily swayed.
What are some examples of passages that are used to try and make the case for fulfillment theology?
One popular verse that is often ripped from its context is Romans 9:6 (see video). People often post or repeat this verse out of its context to try and convince others that "real Jews" or "spiritual Israel" are those people who place their faith in Jesus. But that reading of Romans 9:6 makes no sense in the overall context of Romans 9, or the whole book of Romans. Instead of widening the definition of who is Jewish to all of a sudden include Gentiles, Paul is actually narrowing the definition of a true Israelite, which he refers to as "the remnant" in Rom. 11:5. Paul is teaching that there is an Israel that is right with God, a true Israel, and that Israel is the one that places their faith in Messiah Jesus. In Galatians , Paul calls this group the "Israel of God". So, Paul is actually doing the exact opposite of what some use the verse for: he is narrowing, not widening.
What are some other passages that are often repeated out of context?
Be aware of people who post Galatians 3:28 to try and rip Jewish identity away from Jewish people.
Galatians 3:28 - "There is no Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."
Paul's point in Gal. 3 is not that believing Jews are no longer Jews. Nor is his point that believing females are no longer females. Nor is his point that believing males are no longer males. Paul's point is that all people, regardless of gender, ethnicity or any other status, are equal in Christ by faith. Paul himself makes distinctions in his other writings. "If Jews, Greeks, slaves, free, male and female no longer existed, Paul could not make such comments as “to the Jew first” (Rm. 2:9-10), “slaves obey your masters” (Eph 6:5), and “wives, submit to your own husbands” (Eph 5:22 )." (Moody Bible Commentary, 4556.)
How do I know if someone is using a verse out of context?
The best way to know is to be familiar with the Bible. If you see someone post a passage, or hear them quote a passage, whether online, the radio or from behind the pulpit: go to the Bible yourself and study the passage in context.
This is an age with a lot of deception and the only way to really recognize something that is untrue is to know the Scriptures. Therefore, we need to be studying our Bibles everyday and using the Bible to interpret the Bible. Beware of people who ridicule you for believing the plain sense text of Scripture. If you read about Israel, know that it means Israel. Don't let anyone gaslight you into thinking the Bible is saying something that it's not saying.