Shalom Dear Friends,
ISRAEL TOUR 2011
Theme: In the Footsteps of the Messiah
Dates: October 30, 2011 to November 13, 2011
Study Tour Leader: Pastor Bob Morris
Tour size: 16 people plus 2 staff
Cost: $4,250.00 per person
Deadline for signup: July 1, 2011
We encourage you to join our study tour, especially if you have never been to the Land where God walked as a man. We often describe our study tours in this manner, “Before you go to Israel, you read your Bible in black and white. After your trip, your Bible will suddenly be in full color and high definition.” Join us if you can.
WHY ARE CHURCHES IGNORING JEWISH EVANGELISM?
Two months ago we began a short series dealing with Jewish evangelism. In February we explored the subject, “Why Don’t the Jews Get It?” which dealt with Jewish resistance to the Gospel. Last month (March) we examined the importance of Jewish evangelism. We finish off the series this month by asking an important question. If the Jewish community is in such desperate need of the Gospel, and since there are at least seven good, biblical reasons for doing so, then why are so many churches ignoring Jewish evangelism? We could call this essay, “The Great Omission.” Our response follows. It is four-fold and in no particular order.
- Inadequate, irresponsible or inconsistent exegesis of Romans 1:16. Last month, when we dissected Romans 1:16, we stressed that the one verb governed three descriptions of the Gospel. The descriptions of the Gospel are; 1) the power of God for salvation to everyone who believer, 2) to the Jew first, and 3) also to the Greek. The verb governing these descriptive phrases is in the present tense. As a result, all three descriptions are happening constantly in the present. Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum said it this way, “Consistent exegesis would demand that if the gospel is always the power of God, then it is always to the Jew first.” However, inconsistent, irresponsible, or shallow exegesis of Romans 1:16 pretends that the verb is in the past tense when it comes to the second description. Hence, the Gospel was to the Jew first and is no longer. Therefore, they state that the Jewish community does not have priority when it comes to evangelism. At best this is inconsistent or shallow exegesis, and at worse, it is irresponsible down-right manipulation of the text of the Bible. We need to obey the Bible and follow God’s clear command regarding the Jewish people.
- Using Jewish resistance as an excuse not to evangelize the Jewish people. The excuse is based on Romans 11:25b, “a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in…” The rationale goes like this. The Jews are hardened today; therefore, it is a waste of time and resources to evangelize them. We should make Gentile evangelism the priority. The Jews will be saved after the rapture or tribulation. This rationale ignores the fact that a remnant of Jewish people are being saved today (Romans 11:5). The results of Jewish evangelism today may not produce great statistics for a missionary newsletter, but that fact does not negate the importance of reaching the faithful remnant of Israel in obedience to Romans 1:16.
- An out of context evaluation of Acts 18:6. In Acts 18:6 the Apostle Paul stated, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” The response many churches make to that statement is that there is an obvious shift from the Jews first program to the Gentiles program. What this shallow exegesis ignores is the context of the Apostle Paul’s ministry. His ministry was always to the Gentile:
Romans 11:13 – But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles,…
Galatians 2:7 – But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised…In spite of the fact that Paul’s missionary field was the Gentiles, he consistently went to the Jew first (Acts 13:4-5, 13:44-46, 14:1, 16:11-13, 17:1-2, 17:10, 17:16-17; 18:4; 28:16-17). Consistently, after the Jewish community had rejected the message of the Gospel, then Paul went to the Gentile community. There is no “obvious shift” here. Acts 18:6 is entirely consistent with the whole context of Paul’s ministry. Following Acts 18:6, Paul goes to the Jewish community in Rome first. He cannot go to them because he is under house arrest. Instead he calls the Jewish community leaders to come to him. After they reject the Gospel, then Paul follows his normal pattern and focuses on Gentile evangelism. Acts 18:6 is not a pivotal point in his ministry. Instead it highlights his obedience to the God given procedure for evangelism laid out in Romans 1:16.
- Ignoring a key reason why God is saving Gentiles today. One of the key reasons why God is saving Gentiles today is found in Romans 11:11-14:
I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! But I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them.
Paul begins by undercutting Replacement Theology when he admits that the Jewish community stumbled when they rejected Yeshua, but that stumble was not so bad that they fell on their face. There is a future and a hope for Israel. She has not been replaced by the Church.
He then notes how greatly the Gentiles have benefited from Israel’s lurch. They have already gained; 1) salvation from sin, and 2) spiritual riches. However, tucked among the blessings comes a short phrase explaining why Gentiles are being saved, “to make them (Israel) jealous.” One of the key reasons Gentiles are being saved today is to make Jewish people yearn for what the Gentiles have gained. Ironically, that is one of the key reasons why Paul embraced his assignment to go to the Gentiles – so that Israel might be saved. Paul threw himself 100% into his assignment because he realized that one of the outcomes would be Jewish salvation.
In addition, the benefit the world received will be even more stupendous – “how much more will their fulfillment be.” Even more blessings will come to the world when Israel is saved.
Withholding the Gospel from the Jewish community by abandoning Romans 1:16 has cost the church great blessings. In many cases, she has willfully abandoned the God given procedure of evangelism found in Romans 1:16 at great cost. Disobedience always brings discipline.