Which Gospel... and Which Congregation?
Which Gospel... and Which Congregation?
Yes I did obviously because I asked you 2 questions.
The inference in your post AND your online article is that
Qahal and thus Joel 2:16 defines the church in the NT, when it doesn't. What Joel is talking about is the gathered, not the entire nation of Israel.
Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
The population of Israel in 835 BCE was 800 thousand adult males based on 2 Sam 24:9 (NIV), so unless you actually believe and can show that more than 2 million people gathered where Joel said to, then the congregation there is ONLY those that gathered, as in ANY congregation in the NT. The BOC is believers in ALL congregations, and NOT limited to Jewish believers as Paul teaches about in Col 3:11 (NIV) and Gal 3:28 (NIV)
You're fine until that last sentence - this one "The BOC is believers in ALL congregations, and NOT limited to Jewish believers as Paul teaches about in Col 3:11 (NIV) and Gal 3:28 (NIV)."
With Israel's fall in Acts 7:51 per Matthew 12:30-32, God has proven "that they are all - both Jew and Gentile - under sin," Rom.3:9 [please read passages cited].
At that point, you have the Believing remnant of that nation. And you also have the balance of that nation, in unbelief.
The nation's unbelief having been its failure to believe the Spirit's continuance of the Lord's ministry unto that nation through their Believing remnant.
You have that nation's failure to believe the Law and the Prophets that Jesus had been the Christ.
At which point this kicked in big time - Romans 2:
25. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
Note the Spirit's Words to that nation through Stephan - Acts 7:
51. Ye stiffnecked and
uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always
resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them
which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53. Who have received the law by the disposition of angels,
and have not kept it.
That, in contrast to this - John 1:
45. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom
Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
49. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
John 5:
44. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
45. Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
46.
For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me.
47.
But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
Acts 3:
18. But those things, which God before had shewed
by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
22. For
Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23. And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Back to Romans 2 again -2 5. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made
uncircumcision.
That is where Israel is, at that point - in
Uncircumcision - concluded under sin with the Gentiles - Romans 11:
30. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy
through their unbelief:
31. Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32. For God hath concluded them
all in unbelief,
that he might have mercy upon all.
How might He have this mercy upon both now, without distinction?
Israel is in
Uncircumcision; cut off from Peter's Acts 3's:
25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Romans 11:
7. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
The election believed, and therefore remained the Circumcision - Acts 10:
44. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45. And
they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
My focus here as to that is that Scripture refers to those believing Jews who had accompanied Peter as "they of the circumcision which believed."
They had believed; and the rest of their nation did not.
What did "they of the circumcision which believed" - believe - before God sealed them and concluded the rest "in uncircumcision?"
And how might God have mercy upon both, Jew and Gentile, seeing as Israel' as a nation was now no better than any other nation - lost in
Uncircumcision?
Its explains why Paul still went to Jews, in a seeming break with his agreement in Galatians 2.
Get ready to shout no way, in your gainsaying, lol
Galatians 2:
7. But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the
uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
8. [For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward
the Gentiles:]
9. And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto
the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
They agreed to confine their ministry to "the Circumcision."
Identified above as "they of the circumcision which believed."
Their gospel? The gospel of the Circumcision, and its particular truths.
And that Paul would go to the
Uncircumcision, Gentiles, heathen...
Identified above not only as the Gentiles, but unbelieving Israel!
Israel concluded by God in
Uncircumcision!
Paul's gospel to both
Uncircumcision Jew and Gentile?
"The gospel of the
uncircumcision."
Case in point - how Jews get saved to day is as Gentiles!
Their nation is in
Uncircumcision!
Romans 11:
25. For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
26. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father’s sakes.
29. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
30. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief:
31. Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.
32. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
Note how that after the fulness of this
Uncircumcision, Gentile salvation be come in, God then turns His attention once more to Israel's "gospel of the Circumcision."
Romans 11:
27. For this is my covenant unto them,
when I shall
take away their sins.
Acts 3:
18. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19. Repent ye therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.
20. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21. Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
