ISRAEL AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

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ISRAEL AND THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

• Dr. Robert C. Kurka
• Professor of Theology and Church in Culture
• Lincoln Christian University
• Bradley University Osher Lifelong Learning
  Institute
• Winter 2016

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Course Description and Outline

• This four-session course will identify major
  theological, historical and socio-political
  issues that have framed the Christian Churchs
  relationship to Judaism and ancient/modern-day
  Israel through the centuries. It also will
  attempt to offer some constructive suggestions on
  promoting Jewish-Christian dialogue in our
  contemporary, conflicted world.
• Four Lectures/Discussions
• 1. Salvation is from the Jews The Debt
  that Christianity Owes Israel
• 2. How Does the Church View
  Ancient/Modern-day Israel? A Brief Survey of
  Historical and Contemporary Options
• 3. How Has the Church Treated the Jewish
  People? Some Shamefuland Saintly Examples
• 4. Towards a Healthy Jewish-Christian
  Dialogue Critically Affirming Points of
  Similarity and Difference

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In the discipline of Systematic Theology, this
discussion is generally located under Ecclesiology

• Ecclesiology is an area of the discipline of
  Systematic Theology that is concerned with the
  origin, nature, function, and structure of the
  CHURCH. While the relationship between Israel and
  the Church is seen as a sub-topic in
  theological circles, it has been a major point
  of dispute among Christians throughout the
  centuries since it affects other key Christian
  beliefs about salvation and the future
  (eschatology). It also has contributed to an
  indefensible Anti-Semitism in the past as well
  as an uncritical Zionism on the part of some
  Christians in the present-day.

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and the complexity of the matter grows

• While Christians have traditionally viewed Jewish
  people as candidates for evangelism, Moreover, in
  December, 2015, the Vatican issued the following
• The Church is obliged to view
  evangelization to Jews, who believe in the one
  God, in a different manner from that to people of
  other religions and worldviewsIn concrete terms
  this means that the Catholic Church neither
  conducts nor supports any specific mission work
  directed towards Jews.
• --The Gifts and the
  Calling of God Are Irrevocable

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Lecture 1 Salvation is from the Jews The
Debt that Christianity Owes Israel

• You Samaritans worship what you do not know, for
  salvation is from the Jews.Jesus (John 422)
• From its inception, Christianity has called
  attention to its Jewish roots
• For I could wish that I myself were cut off from
  Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own
  race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the
  adoption to sonship theirs is the divine glory,
  the covenants, the receiving of the law, temple
  worship and the promises. Theirs are the
  patriarchs, and from them is traced the human
  ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all,
  forever praised! Amen. Paul (Romans 93-5 NIV

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The Christian New Testaments Debt to the
Jewish Old Testament

• In over 220 direct citations of the Old Testament
  (not to mention numerous paraphrases, allusions
  and echoes), the New Testament writers ground
  the Church in
• Israels ancient history (creation, fall, calling
  of Abraham)Rom. 4-5
• Israels unique monotheism1 Cor. 84-6
• Israels spiritual defeats1 Cor. 101-13 (Heb.
  3-4)
• Israels Messianic hopes Mark 829
• Israels salvationin Christ Luke 229-32
• Last DaysActs 217-21 (cf. Joel 228-24)
• Israels future restorationActs 1515-18 (cf.
  Amos 1112)
• Israels ethical mandates Jas.126-28
• In the NTs presentation of Jesus Christ
  (reflecting his own self-consciousness), he is
  clearly not the dismantler of Gods covenantal
  promises with Israel but the one who brings them
  all to completion For no matter how many
  promises God has made, they are Yes in Christ
  (2 Cor. 120)

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Matthews Nativity Story.guiding Gentile magi to
Bethlehem by the Jewish Scriptures

• When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, during
  the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came
  to Jerusalem and asked, Where is the one who has
  been born king of the Jews?When he (Herod)
  called together all the peoples chief priests
  and teachers of the law, he asked them where the
  Messiah was to be born. In Bethlehem in Judea,
  they replied, for this is what the prophet has
  written But you, Bethlehem, in the land of
  Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of
  Judah for out of you will come a ruler who will
  shepherd my people Israel.
• --Matt. 21,2,4-6 NIV (citing
  Micah 52-4)

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Notre Dame Historian Mark Noll summarizes this
indebtedness by calling attention to the concept
of TRUTH

• Early Church adopted Israels belief that there
  is Truth and this Truth is located in the One,
  Personal God who makes himself known through
  REVELATION (general and special)
• Early Church adopted Israels belief that Truth
  (special revelation) is coherent and
  understandable because this God communicated in
  ordinary human language (and it could be read
  and studied)
• Early Church adopted Israels belief that Truth
  can be put into actionfrom the Jewish Temple
  rituals and (later) synagogue instruction to
  Christianitys organization around local churches
  and pastoral teaching
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  Source Turning Points,
  3rd ed., 18

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Jewish-Christian Perception of Late First Century
Rome

• Sulpicius Severus observes that the Roman
  emperor, Titus, desired to destroy the Jerusalem
  Temple
• in order that that the Jewish and Christian
  religions might more completely be abolished for
  although these religions were mutually hostile
  they had nevertheless sprung from the same
  founders the Christians were the offshoot of the
  Jews, and if the root were taken from the stock
  would easily perish.
• (Quoted in F.F. Bruce, The Spreading Flame, 156)
• W.H. C. Frend All Christianity at this stage
  in the apostolic period was Jewish
  Christianity. But it was Israel with a
  difference. (The Rise of Christianity, 123)

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Lecture TwoHow Does the Church View Ancient
and Modern-day Israel? A Survey of Contemporary
Options

• While virtually all Christian traditions assign
  Christ as the culmination of the Old Testament
  story (not to mention the focus of the New),
  there are considerable differences in assessing
  the precise relationship of Israel and the
  Christian Church in the Scriptures. Four major
  viewpoints have been prevalent during
  Christianitys 2000-year history which in turn,
  have contributed to attitudes/actions that have
  been grievous and gracious.

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Covenant Model
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Classic Dispensationalism
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Progressive Dispensational Model
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Progressive Covenantal Model
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Four Views Comparison and Contrast
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Several Questions to consider for our final
lectures

• What view(s) best represents the New Testaments
  attitude towards Judaism? Why?
• What view(s) would tend to define Israel in a
  religious or spiritual sense? Why? What view(s)
  would tend to define Israel in ethnic terms? Why?
• What view(s) is most conducive to anti-Semitism?
  Why?
• What view(s) is most conducive to contemporary
  Zionism? Why?
• What view(s) is most conducive to Christian
  evangelism of the Jewish people? Why?
• What view(s) is most conducive to Christian
  dialogue with the Jewish people? Why?