thistle93
Puritan Board Freshman
Hi! I am a baptist and I also espouse covenant ( not new covenant) theology. I know some would say that is not possible (just like using term reformed baptist) but that is for another forum. I have a question about Israel being referred to by some in covenant theology circles as the OT church. This is something new to me. I have heard of the church being referred to as the "Israel of God" but not Israel being the "church of God". While I see no distinction between Israel and the church (like dispensationlists) in the NT, I do think there was a distinction before the coming of Jesus and his sacrificial death and resurrection which brought reconciliation not only to God and those who believe but believing Jews and believing Gentiles making them one. I am not saying that I think using the terminology of Israel being the OT church is anti-Biblical just wondering what is the Biblical basis for using this terminology? Also think matters if when mentioning Israel need to clarify if we are talking about the nation of Israel or just those Jews in the OT who believed in the coming Messiah and where saved. Paul seems to make that distinction. While I know God has always had His "ekklesia" (called out ones) even before Pentecost (I know that ultra- dispensationalists take too far and say that nothing before Pentecost directly applies to the church. That would include the words of Jesus in the Gospels. This is crazy. Even Jesus mentions His church in the Gospels.) but it still seems a bit odd to use the term church to describe Israel as the OT church but am open to hearing reasoning and may be not to far from accepting. May just be semantics.
Is part of the reason being that Septuagint uses "ekklesia" in reference to Israel in OT?
Can you recommend any resources that explain this topic? Thank you!
For His Glory-
Matthew
Is part of the reason being that Septuagint uses "ekklesia" in reference to Israel in OT?
Can you recommend any resources that explain this topic? Thank you!
For His Glory-
Matthew