Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Adult Sunday School Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/bb/bb20020512.htm

EXAMINING CONTESTED REFORMED THEOLOGY BELIEFS
Part I: Examining Reformed Theology's View Of The Hebrew People
(Ephesians 2:11-22 with Romans 11:1, 25-32)
  1. Introduction
    1. This past week, I received an e-mail reporting a number in the "Reformed Theology" camp have expressed irritation at our nation's support for the State of Israel or for the causes of Hebrews as a whole.
    2. At Nepaug Church, we have said we are "friends of Israel," so we need to evaluate Reformed Theology's view of the Hebrew people in light of Scripture to be sure how God wants us to view and relate to them:
  2. Examining Reformed Theology's View Of The Hebrew People, Eph. 2:11-22; Rom. 11:1, 25-32.
    1. "Reformed Theology" is a Protestant system of belief framed predominantly by John Calvin that contains a strong view of God's predestination of history, Augustus H. Strong, Systematic Theology, p. 45-46.
    2. Regarding the Hebrew people, some in the "Reformed Theology" camp have held the Old Testament believers in Israel and in the New Testament Church belong to the same body so that only the Church is now God's heir of latter day promises. Thus, the Hebrews are thought not to inherit these promises:
      1. The Alexandrian school of Christian theology in the third century A. D. tried to mingle Platonic views with Christianity, John F. Walvoord, The Blessed Hope and the Tribulation, p. 12.
      2. As a result, they interpreted Scripture in a nonliteral way, viewing Scripture as a great allegory. In this way, the initial Christian belief in a literal millennium following Christ's return was lost, Ibid.
      3. Later, Augustine influenced the Church to view noneschatological Scriptures (Scriptures that do not predict future events) literally while still viewing eschatological (prophetic) ones nonliterally, Ibid.
      4. This treatment of eschatological Scripture passages was used first by the Roman Catholic Church and then later by Reformed Theologians who followed Augustine's treatment of Scripture, Ibid., p. 12-13.
      5. Well, viewing eschatology allegorically and thus denying a literal millenium has produced amillennialism, a system of belief asserting Old Testament Israel and the New Testament Church became one body so that references to Israel in prophecy yet to be fulfilled are understood to apply figuratively to the Church, cf. J. D. Pentecost, Things To Come, p. 86; Ibid., John F. Walvoord, p. 13.
      6. This has led some to view the Hebrews as no longer God's chosen people as illustrated in the words of Pieters who wrote, "Jews today have no claim on the promise to Abraham because (a) they are not the spiritual seed; (b) they could not prove that they are the physical seed anyway.'" (John Walvoord, "Millennial Series," Bib. Sac., 108:415-17, Oct. 1951 as cited in Pentecost, Op. cit., p. 87)
    3. In time, some amillenialists in the Reformed camp came to oppose supporting Israel or causes of the Hebrew people since such "special treatment" is seen as unjust favoritism! This has led to anti-Semitism.
    4. Well, in viewing Scripture, we discover we must counter both anti-Semitism and the errant hermeneutics (method of interpretation) of historical "Reformed Theology" as applied to eschatology:
      1. Scripture itself reveals even eschatological Scriptures must be consistently interpreted literally:
        1. When Jesus spoke of the Daniel 9:27 prophecy of the antichrist's future desecration of the Temple in the Tribulation in Matthew 24:15, he urged those in Judaea to flee into the mountains, a typically actual action by Hebrews, Matt. 24:16. As Matthew 24:21-22 reveals this activity was to save life, and we hold Jesus was loving, He gave a prophetic warning to be taken LITERALLY!
        2. The Old Testament prophecies about Christ's first coming were all literally fulfilled, giving us cause to interpret prophecies about future events using the normal method of interpretation!
      2. As such, Paul predicted God has not cast away His literal Hebrew people from His program, Romans 11:1; indeed, after the Luke 21:24 "times of the Gentiles," God will again fulfill His Old Testament promises of blessing to the literal nation of Israel, Rom. 11:25-32 with Acts 15:15-17; Amos 9:11-12.
Lesson: Historical Reformed Theology has errantly interpreted eschatological Scriptures nonliterally, leading some of its followers to equate Israel with the Church and see the physical Hebrew as having no future divine Covenant fulfillments. As such, it has opened the door to advance anti-Semitism.

Application: We use the "normal" method to interpret prophecy, and so view Israel as distinct from the Church and having a great future of divine covenant fulfillments. Thus, we honor the Hebrew people.