# Galatians 6:16



## InevitablyReformed (Dec 19, 2008)

What is the best/most common argument against the position that in this verse, Paul plainly states that the Church is the Israel of God?


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## Matthew1034 (Dec 20, 2008)

I know of a dispensationalist pastor who would say that Paul included national Israel in that blessing because God curses those who do not bless Israel (Genesis 27:29).


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## Scott1 (Dec 20, 2008)

I do not have comprehensive knowledge of this topic and all the implications for covenant theology and dispensationalism that it might entail.

As I understand it, Covenant theology is really an expansion of the covenant God originally began with Israel to include people from every tribe, nation, kindred and tongue. This was His plan from the beginning, to redeem all sorts of people, Jew and Gentile through Christ.

In some places in Scripture, Israel obviously means ethnic or national Israel. In others, such as this passage, it refers to all those (Jew and Gentile) who see the promise fulfilled in the risen Savior, Jesus Christ.


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## Prufrock (Dec 20, 2008)

Stendahl and others argue it based upon the conjunctions -- I find it a very weak argument, especially in light of passages in Romans and others.


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## Jimmy the Greek (Dec 20, 2008)

Here is a typical dispensational argument with some referenced source material. Perhaps it will help.

http://www.pre-trib.org/pdf/Ice-TheIsraelOfGod.pdf


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## TsonMariytho (Dec 20, 2008)

InevitablyReformed said:


> What is the best/most common argument against the position that in this verse, Paul plainly states that the Church is the Israel of God?



Gal 6:16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.​
That would be a tough nut for them to crack. If they make "Israel" ethnic Israel, then how can they be said to "follow this rule"?

And if they make it the believing remnant within ethnic Israel, then those with the ethnic distinction but lacking faith seem to lose the claim to the title "Israel of God".


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## Wannabee (Dec 20, 2008)

Many dispensationalists would admit that this verse does seem to show some relationship, but would also submit that it is the only NT verse that does. Here's MacArthur.


> The Power to Bring Salvation
> And those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God. (6:16)
> Third, Paul gloried in the cross because it has the power to bring salvation to all of those will walk by this rule. Paul here seems to imply an invitation to the Judaizers and to any others who do not know Jesus Christ as Savior. They did not have to remain lost and alienated from God. Through faith in Christ, they, too, could walk by this rule of the gospel.
> “God so loved the world,”Jesus declared, “that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16–18). The condition for salvation is belief in God’s Son, and it is a condition that every person can meet if he will, for God has made salvation available to all, without exception, “not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). There are no limits to the power of the cross, because Christ “died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf” (2 Cor. 5:15; cf. 1 Tim. 2:6; 4:10).
> ...


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