PMW 2024-012 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

I have offered two articles on Israel in my two previous installments of this study. I am currently rebutting the dispensational view of Scripture and theology, which presents a Judeo-centric focus. I will continue with my critique.

4. The new covenant church is not a mystery wholly unrevealed

Based on Ephesians 3, dispensationalist argue that the new covenant era, international church was a mystery that is “completely unrevealed in the Old Testament.” Certainly the clarity of the revelation of God’s expanding people increases in the New Testament. But that revelation was, in fact, given in the Old Testament.

Let’s look at dispensationalism’s key passage for this concept. Ephesians 3:5–6 reads: “which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” We have already seen that the Old Testament anticipated this. Now we must note that Ryrie and the dispensationalists misread Paul’s statement. Consider the following.

To begin with, we must discern for whom the revelation was a mystery. Ephesians 3:3–6 reads: “By revelation he made known unto me the mystery . . . which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men.” Thus, the “mystery” now revealed was not previously made known to the “sons of men,” that is, the Gentiles. It was made known to the “sons of Israel” through their prophets. The phrase “sons of Israel” appears often in the Old Testament (e.g., Exo 3:3, 14–15; 4:31; 5:14–15; 6:5; etc.), setting them over against the rest of the world, the Gentiles, the “sons of men.” When God speaks to Ananias he distinguishes between “the Gentiles” and “the sons of Israel” (Acts 9:15; cp. Luke 2:32; Acts 4:27).

This is made indisputably clear in Romans 16:25–26. There Paul points out that the “mystery” of Gentile salvation is hidden only from the Gentiles, not from the Old Testament prophets — for he defends his doctrine of the mystery by referring to “the scriptures of the prophets”: “the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.” Paul declares that the “mystery” is “now made manifest” to “all nations” — not just to Israel.

Thine Is the Kingdom
(ed. by Ken Gentry)

Contributors lay the scriptural foundation for a biblically-based, hope-filled postmillennial eschatology, while showing what it means to be postmillennial in the real world.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

5. The new covenant unites Jew and Gentile into one body

Paul teaches us that Gentile Christians of the new covenant church are grafted into the stock of Israel (Rom 11:16–19). Indeed, we are united with the patriarchs of the old covenant, even while many ethnic Jews are cut out of the kingdom of God: “if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you” (Rom 11:17–18). God’s people are symbolized by one tree, not two.

Furthermore, Paul expressly declares that Christ’s death wholly removes the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile, merging them into one: “He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall” (Eph 2:14). Nothing hints that this great redemptive truth is temporary and will be removed later in the millennium, as per dispensational teaching.

In fact, the “cementing” agent in this union is the powerful blood of Christ: “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph 2:13). Consequently, he was “abolishing [not temporarily halting] in His flesh the enmity” that separated Jew and Gentile (Eph 2:15). This comports well with what Christ teaches when he presents himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10:16: “And I have other sheep [Gentiles] which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd.”

Dispensationalism demands two groups and thus attempts to repair the barrier wall that Christ broke down as they make two people out of those whom Christ has made one. Whereas, the more biblical position would be to affirm: “What God has joined together, let no man separate.”

6. The new covenant church is called Abraham’s seed

Israel’s biological descent from Abraham was a source of great Jewish pride. God is often called in Scripture “the God of Abraham” (Gen 28:13; 31:42, 53; Exo 3:6, 15–16; 4:5; 1 Kgs 18:36; 1 Chron 29:18; 2 Chron 30:6; Psa 47:9; Matt 22:32; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:37; Acts 3:13; 7:32). Because he is “the God of Abraham” the Jews expected blessings in terms of their Abrahamic descent (Matt 3:9; 8:11; Luke 3:8; 13:16, 28; 16:23–30; 19:9; John 8:39, 53; Rom 11:1; 2 Cor 11:22). Yet in the new covenant, Gentile Christians are called the children of Abraham.

We see this in Galatians where Paul writes: “therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the nations shall be blessed in you’”(Gal 3:7–8). Then a few verses later he forthrightly declares: “if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise” (Gal 3:29).

Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond
(ed. by Darrell Bock)

Presents three views on the millennium: progressive dispensationalist, amillennialist, and reconstructionist postmillennialist viewpoints. Includes separate responses to each view. Ken Gentry provides the postmillennial contribution.

See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com

7. The new covenant church sees old covenant Israel as their “fathers”

Following up on the redemptive truth regarding our being children of Abraham, we discover also that new covenant Gentile Christians call Abraham “our father” (Rom 4:16). Paul can even call the old covenant patriarchs “our fathers” (1 Cor 10:1), clearly evincing a spiritual relationship uniting the new covenant people with the old covenant people, related as a seed to its fruit.

8. The new covenant church is given Jewish titles and descriptions

Scripture frequently applies old covenant terms to new covenant citizens: we are the “the circumcision” (Rom 2:28–29; Phil 3:3; Col 2:11; cp. Gen 17:13; Acts 7:8), “a royal priesthood,” (Rom 15:16; 1 Pet 2:9; Rev 1:6; 5:10; cp. Exo 19:6), and the “temple of God” (1 Cor 3:16–17; 6:19; 2 Cor 1:16; Eph 2:21). These terms clearly reflect Israel’s covenantal identity, but are applied to the new covenant people.

Peter piles up some of these Old Testament designations and others applying them to the church. He calls Christians: “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation” (1 Pet 2:9–10), which is based on Exodus 19:5–6 and Deuteronomy 7:6. He and Paul call Christians “a peculiar people” (1 Pet 2:10; Tit 2:14), which is a familiar Old Testament designation for Israel (Exo 19:5; Deut 14:2; 26:18; Psa 135:4).

To be continued in my next and final study.

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