¶ Israel and the Church
Israel and the Church refers to
the biblical relationship between
the ethnic people of Israel
(the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)
and
the Church
(the body of Christ composed of
all believers in Jesus, Jew and Gentile).
Scripture presents both
continuity and distinction between them
in God’s unfolding plan.
How these two relate is
one of the major questions in biblical theology
and affects the interpretation of
prophecy, the covenants, and the future.
All views agree that
salvation is only through Jesus Christ
and that
God’s promises are fulfilled in Him.
God chose Israel as His special people, entered into covenant with them, gave them the Law, the prophets, and the promises, and brought the Messiah into the world through them. After the death and resurrection of Jesus and the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, the Church was formed — a new community in which Jewish and Gentile believers are united as one body in Christ. The New Testament both honors the unique role of Israel in redemptive history and declares that Gentiles who have faith in Christ are now fellow heirs and members of the same body. At the same time, it continues to speak of a future for ethnic Israel and of God’s irrevocable gifts and calling. The relationship between Israel and the Church is therefore a major theme that runs through both Testaments and shapes how believers read the story of Scripture.
- Israel was chosen by God as a nation, given covenants, and made the channel of blessing to the world.
- The Church is the body of Christ, formed at Pentecost, composed of all who are united to Jesus by faith — both Jews and Gentiles.
- Gentile believers are grafted into the rich root of God’s people and share in the blessings of the Abrahamic promises through Christ.
- There is genuine continuity: the same God, the same saving grace, the same Messiah, and one people of God throughout history who are saved by faith.
- There is also distinction: Israel remains an ethnic and national people with specific historical and prophetic significance; the Church is a multi-national body formed in the present age.
- Different theological frameworks (Dispensationalism, Covenant Theology, New Covenant Theology, Progressive Dispensationalism) explain the precise relationship differently, yet all confess that Christ is the only way of salvation.
- God’s gifts and calling to Israel are irrevocable; a future turning of Israel to the Messiah is anticipated in Scripture.
- The Church does not replace Israel in every sense, nor is it entirely discontinuous with the people of God in the Old Testament.
- Historical Priority of Israel – The covenants, the Law, the temple, and the Messiah all come through Israel.
- Formation of the Church – At Pentecost a new community is created in which the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile is broken down.
- Unity in Christ – All believers, regardless of ethnicity, are one in Christ and share equally in salvation.
- Grafting In – Gentile believers are grafted into the olive tree of God’s people (Romans 11).
- Future for Israel – Scripture points to a future hardening partially lifted and a turning of Israel to their Messiah.
- Shared Spiritual Blessings – Forgiveness, the Spirit, adoption, and the inheritance are given to all who are in Christ.
- Distinct Roles in the Plan of God – Israel and the Church participate in God’s purposes in ways that both overlap and differ across the ages.
- Genesis 12:1-3 – God’s promises to Abraham include blessing for all the families of the earth.
- Romans 9:4-5 – To Israel belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, the promises, and the Messiah.
- Romans 11:1-2, 11-12, 17-24, 25-29 – God has not rejected His people; Gentiles are grafted in; a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in; all Israel will be saved; the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
- Ephesians 2:11-22 – Gentiles who were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ; He has made both groups one and broken down the dividing wall; they are fellow citizens and members of the household of God.
- Ephesians 3:6 – Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
- Galatians 3:7-9, 28-29 – Those of faith are sons of Abraham; there is neither Jew nor Greek… you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
- Galatians 6:16 – “Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God.”
- Matthew 16:18 – Jesus will build His church.
- Acts 2 – The Spirit is poured out and the church begins in Jerusalem with Jewish believers.
- Acts 15 – The Jerusalem Council recognizes that Gentiles are saved by grace through faith without becoming Jews under the Law.
- Jeremiah 31:31-37 – The new covenant is promised to the house of Israel and the house of Judah; God’s commitment to Israel is as secure as the fixed order of creation.
- Revelation 7 & 14 – Visions that include sealed servants from the tribes of Israel and a great multitude from every nation.
The relationship between Israel and the Church is one of the richest and most debated topics in biblical theology. Scripture holds together both the unique calling of Israel and the glorious reality of the Church as the one body of Christ in this age. Gentile believers are not second-class citizens; they are full members of the household of God through faith in the Messiah of Israel. At the same time, God’s covenant faithfulness to the people He first chose remains firm. The same Lord who broke down the dividing wall will also bring the fullness of His purposes for both Israel and the nations to completion in Christ. Until that day, the Church is called to humility, gratitude, and the proclamation of the gospel to all peoples — the Jew first and also the Gentile.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.