Roger Dunsdon reflects. It theologian N.T. Wright wrong about modern Israel?
“God has finally done for Israel what he was going to do for Israel, so now it’s time for the Gentiles to come in…. To suggest, therefore, that as Christians we should support the state of Israel because it is the fulfilment of prophecy is, in a quite radical way, to cut off the branch on which we are sitting… It is a way of saying that in the cross and resurrection God did not actually fulfil his whole saving purpose; that Jesus did not in fact achieve the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy…. Say that if you like, but don’t claim to be Christian in doing so.”
N.T. Wright: “The Way of the Lord: Christian Pilgrimage in the Holy Land and Beyond”. 1999, SPCK
DONE FOR ISRAEL
There is much in Scripture that affirms that God’s purpose and task for the Jewish people will persist until Jesus returns. Some salient thoughts here: https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/Israel_and_Gods_Purposes.pdf
N.T. Wright’s hostility, quoted above, to the Hebraic root of the Christian faith is notable for its almost Roman Catholic approach to declaring who is, and by implication who is not, a Christian! Has ‘theologian’ N.T. Wright in the above, sought – in effect – to excommunicate those who quite simply accept God’s Word as it is written?
It surely goes without saying that the quotation above represents a false premise and a false dichotomy. The fact that true Christians recognize God’s ongoing purposes for (national) Israel does not mean that those same Christians believe that the cross does not represent the fulfillment of God’s salvation purposes. Such an argument is a non sequitur.
SOLID GROUNDS
Many theologians and other writers have set out solid grounds for accepting God’s ongoing purposes in and around Israel, to whit our select list of publications at the end of this article bears witness. These writers are a relatively small sample of those who take this profound revelation of God, that He will re-gather His people from across the planet and reestablish His people in their ancient Land, both seriously and at face value.
One cannot help but suspect that N.T. Wright – and this is not personal to him, the same message applies equally to those that hold determinedly to a fulfillment theology paradigm (which surely is replacement theology by another name!) – has merely codified what was hinted at in another Anglican’s polemic against Hebraic-focused Christians (“Zion’s Christian Soldiers” – by Rev Stephen Sizer). Rev Sizer also sought to demonize such Christians and, for a short time, was something of a darling of the ‘replacement’/’fulfillment’ wing of the Anglican church – until his unwholesome and unholy links with antisemitism were revealed, which put rather a different face to his polemic.
Peter Sammons in his useful book “Rebel Church” notes that attitudes to the Hebraic root are emerging as a key fault line amongst evangelicals, and that the institutional churches’ attacks on Israel will become increasingly shrill and intolerant in the years ahead. Sammons opined “…. the rebel church (and very often this means the established/denominational churches) will become increasingly bold and vocal against Israel, and dismissive towards those Jews who know Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord and as Saviour, in the years ahead. Watch this space!” (page 157). Sadly today we do seem to be witnessing the outworking of this prediction.
Returning to N.T. Wright and his “don’t claim to be a Christian” judgment we must observe that, no matter his considerable reputation as an ‘evangelical’ theologian on other matters, N.T. Wright is, on this subject of Israel and God’s ongoing purposes, N.T. Wrong.
FURTHER READING
“A Fresh Understanding of Israel” – Adam Raffell and Jacob Vince, Malcolm Down Publishing, 2017, ISBN 978 1 910786 628
“Christians and Israel – The Heart of the Matter” – David Evans,Tahilla Press, 2010, ISBN 9781 907228 087
“Defending Christian Zionism” – David Pawson, Terra Nova Publications International, 2008, ISBN 9781901949629
“For the Love of Zion – Christian Witness and the Restoration of Israel” – Kelvin Crombie, Terra Nova Publications, 2008, ISBN 9781901949636
“Has God Finished with Israel? – a personal journey through biblical prophecy” – Rob Richards, Terra Nova Publications, 2010, ISBN 9781 901949674
“How the Church Lost the Way – and How it Can Find it Again” – Steve Maltz, Saffron Planet Publishing, 2009, ISBN 978-0-9562296-0-1
“Israel in the New Testament: Extended Edition” – David Pawson, Anchor Recordings Ltd, 2014, ISBN 978-1909886568
“Israel, the Church & the Jews” – James Jacob Prasch, 21st Century Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0977953561
“Our Hands are Stained with Blood: The Tragic Story of the Church and the Jewish People” – Michael L Brown, Destiny Image Publishers, 1992, ISBN 978-1560430681
“Rebel Church” – Peter Sammons, Glory to Glory Publications, 2013, ISBN 978-0-9926674-0-5
“The Case for Enlargement Theology”, second edition, – Rev Alex Jacob, Glory to Glory Publications, 2011, ISBN 97809567831-1-0
“The Gospel of Christ Crucified: A Theology of Suffering before Glory” – John P Harrigan, Paroikos Publishing, 2015, ISBN 978-0996495516
“The Land of Many Names – Towards a Christian understanding of the Middle East conflict” – Steve Maltz, Authentic, 2003, ISBN 1-860024-287-1
“The Messiah Factor” – Tony Pearce, New Wine, 2004 ISBN 1-903725 321
“When A Jew Rules the World: What the Bible Really Says about Israel in the Plan of God” – Joel Richardson, WND Books, 2015, ISBN 978-1938067716
“Why Pray for Israel?” – Ken Burnett, Sovereign World, 2009, ISBN 978-1852405052
“Why Still Care about Israel?” – Sandra Teplinsky, Baker Publishing Group, 2013, ISBN 978-0-8007-0
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Also relevant:
“Ruth – A Prophetic Parable – The specific message of Ruth to the 21st Century Church”. Available here both in printed format and freely downloadable PDF:
https://christian-publications-int.com/Ruth_A_Prophetic_Parable_Free_e-book.html
A three page series of key texts related to Israel and prophecy, and associated awkward questions:
https://christian-publications-int.com/images/PDF/Israel_and_Gods_Purposes.pd
Recent Comments