Identifying God's Israel

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“And all who will follow this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” - Galatians 6:16

Sometimes a little rhetorical flourish conveys a deeper meaning. This is something I picked up when reading the verse above. Near the close of his letter to the Galatian church, the apostle Paul mentions Israel for the first time. Why does he do this? What was his motivation?

One way we can answer these questions is by posing another one. Who is “the Israel of God”?

For centuries, Bible scholars have dug into this phrase, often with the aim of finding support for their theological perspectives. But we can boil down the range of possibilities to two simple ones.

• Israel is the Jewish people.

• Israel is the Church.

It’s easy at this stage to marshal traditions, philosophies, and theologies to make a case for either option. We can amass a collection of Scriptures to prove whatever point we wish to assert.

But we do well to treat verses in the contexts in which we find them. Since the verse we’re looking at occurs in the book of Galatians, we should consider what Paul was dealing with in that document. Chances are, that will influence how we interpret the phrase at issue.

From the outset of the letter, the apostle challenges his readers about the essence of his ministry and the core of the Christian life–the gospel.

I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel, ⁷which is not just another account; but there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. ⁸But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! ⁹As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! - Galatians 1:6-9

The gospel is the story of Jesus and His victory over the enemies of humanity: sin, death, and Satan and his hosts. To change the story is to change the Savior. The Jesus of Paul’s gospel is not the Jesus of what he calls “a different gospel” (vs. 6).

I doubt these preachers were lying about Christ’s history. For example, they probably didn’t claim that the Lord worked as a farmer and not a carpenter. Even if they did make that mistake, it doesn’t seem to threaten one’s faith or jeopardize one’s salvation.

The problem wasn’t about the biography of Jesus; it had to do with one’s response to the gospel based on what Christ did for us.

Theologians label the opponents Paul was dealing with as “Judaizers” because they stressed the necessity of following the Torah as a condition of salvation. Most of the chapters in this letter explore and refute various aspects of this distortion. The majority of the Galatian Christians were Gentile, not Jewish, so Paul was reminding them that God accepts them into His family on the basis of their loyalty to Jesus. The works of the Law won’t help them; they need to depend on Christ and live for Him. That’s what counts in the spiritual life!

In short, Gentiles don’t need to become Jewish to become fully Christian. This doesn’t mean that discipleship isn’t demanding. But the Law lacks the power to effect the transformation of our lives that we need. Commitment to the Law will not get us far; only by identifying with the crucified and risen Savior will free us from the grip of sin. Jewishness offers no help in this regard. Recounting a conversation he had with Peter, Paul explains: “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles; ¹⁶nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” - Galatians 2:15-16

The gospel frees everyone who believes in Jesus–Jew and Gentile.

The good news is more than a report of Christ’s death and resurrection; it includes wonderful promises, too.

This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? ³Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? ⁴Did you suffer so many things in vain--if indeed it was in vain? ⁵So then, does He who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? ⁶Just as Abraham BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS. ⁷Therefore, recognize that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. - Galatians 3:2-7

Through the gospel, believers receive the gift of God’s Spirit who alone can work miracles in us and through us.

And the rift between Jew and Gentile is healed. Paul declares that Gentiles who believe in Jesus are children of Abraham. Why? Because they believe God the way he did. So they receive his blessing through Jesus Christ.

Paul knows that a life pleasing to God calls for discipline. Abraham had to trust the Lord when He told him to leave his home and family. He obeyed, and God blessed him. Abraham had to trust God to keep His promise to give him a son and God came through.

So too, we who follow Jesus must act on what we believe. In the beginning of Galatians 6:16, Paul describes discipleship as “following this rule.” We’re marching in step with the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We keep up with His pace and we stay with Him wherever He takes us.

When we do this, God blesses us with peace and mercy. Peace–when we do what’s right. Mercy–when we go our own way. If our aim is to grow as Christians, Jesus will honor our efforts by rewarding and correcting us.

Now let’s revisit the question of the identity of Israel in this verse. Paul had made it clear that Gentiles who obey Jesus are sons of Abraham. They’re part of Israel. Their faithfulness to the Torah didn’t qualify them; their commitment to Jesus Christ did.

So in Galatians 6:16, those who follow the rule of the gospel are the people in Galatia who’ve given themselves to Christ. Since this descriptor characterizes Christians everywhere, the latter phrase, “the Israel of God,” refers to churches all over the world. Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus are sons of Abraham and members of the family of Israel. Adherence to the Mosaic Law didn’t make this possible; the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus did.

To be a follower of Jesus, regardless of our background, is to be a member of God’s household, part of faithful Israel. And the blessings God promised Abraham, fulfilled in Christ, are ours by His grace.

This is the power of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Hallelujah!

(The verses in this post were from the NASB20 version of the Bible.)