name "My Church to those who believed His mes sage, those who, as Nathaniel, were Israelites indeed, as Zaccheus, children of Abraham, all who are the children of God by faith (Gal. 3: 26). It would be contrary to fact if we assumed that it was the primary intention of Jesus to organize these believers into a society distinct from the old Israel, and to lead them forth as Moses had led Israel out of Egypt. Jesus called for no secession. The Church or new Israel, as distinct from old Israel, was the result of the expulsion of the new by the old. Those who followed Jesus were to be cast out of the synagogue (John 9:34). Jesus spoke rather with the hope that His word, like leaven, might leaven the whole mass. It was all Israel He wanted, "the lost sheep of Israel." His heart's desire had been to gather them all under His wing, as a hen her chickens, but they would not. It became, however, soon apparent that though He came unto those who were nominally "His own," these received Him not. But "to as many as received Him, He gave power and right to be the sons of God." The call to all the weary and heavy laden found, apparently, but few responding. The people were too absorbed in their cares to look up. The more outwardly religious among them could not comprehend a teacher whose words were so different from the "law and the traditions. The seat of Moses was occupied by pharisees. And the Sadducees cared for little else than the enjoyment of the shadow of authority left them by their conquerors. The rejection of Jesus Christ by Israel as a nation (not as individuals) caused Him to say that the kingdom would pass from them and be given to others. This meant, that out of the old Israel officially rejected there would rise a new Israel, and this new Israel would carry the gospel to the nations. What God had threatened to do in the wilderness, make Moses the head of a new Israel, this He did by Jesus Christ. This did not exclude the old as individuals, but as a secular organization. Of these individuals God was forming a new body of which Jesus Christ was the head. It was the whole company of the new Israel, the Israel of the new covenant whom the New Testament called Ecclesia, those whom Paul calls the "remnant according to the election of grace” (Rom. 11:6). We call The Church the Christian Church because the true members of God's Church recognize and accept Jesus as the Christ. As the Israelite was one faithful to Moses, so the Christian Church is composed of those making evident their recognition and acceptance of Jesus as Messiah. There never was a time when a genuine member of God's Church would have rejected, except in ignorance, as Paul did, Jesus as God's Christ. Such a temporal rejection of Christ, Paul teaches (Rom. 11), leads to a temporary rejection of Israel. "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved." Israel is perpetually the object of God's love. "As touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes." The rejection of the un Thus believing portion of Israel is made the occasion of the introduction of the elect among the Gentiles. the number of The Church is to be full. Jesus rejected the secular Israel, which rejected Him. The new Church, what Jesus called "My Church," is the church "which by recognizing Me as Messiah will take the place of the present Jewish Church" (Vos, "Teaching of Jesus," p. 143). The new church throws off the unbelief and errors of the old church, without any loss or cessation of identity. VIII THE CHURCH AND THE APOSTLE PETER Peter and the Christian Church. The notion that Peter is Christ's vicar, irrational. Jesus not "The Church's one foundation." Peter not the head. Peter's actual position. Paul's rebuke of Peter. (2) Peter did not attempt to transmit authority. The Roman tradition worthless. (3) The Roman church cannot possess the successors of Peter. The Roman Church and Peter. |