The Genesis Site - Thoughts about the Church

Genesis 11

What is said about the nations of the world (see previous page) is certainly true for the Church. As Christians we believe that the Church is the body of Christ down here on earth. This means she is depending on Him. To reach her goal the Church has to let Him do His job through her, by the power of His Spirit. The only reason that the Church exists is because of Jesus.

But that isn't all that can be said about the Church. On a site about the very early years of mankind, the very beginning of the Church may not be forgotten. Did the Church start with the birth or the death of Jesus? Or with the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost? Or is something else involved?

As we saw, all nations of the world have a part of their history in common: from creation to the scattering during the confusion of tongues. After this their histories go apart. But as we saw on the previous page, soon after Babel God was looking for a person who could grow to a large people. Even more, this people were chosen to be His people and out of them the Saviour of the world would be born. The Jew Jesus was out of Abraham!
With Abraham there started a spiritual separation among mankind: those who were God's people and those who were not God's people. The latter were called the Gentiles.

And the Church? How does she fits in?
With the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost a new period started in human history: the resurrected Jesus living ínside His people. But this new people, called the Church, was not separated from those who already were God's people. Even stronger: they have the same root! Let me show you what the New Testament says about believers, coming out of the Gentiles.

Peter explains in his letter (1 Peter 2:9-10) not only the reason why the Church exists, but he concludes that those who first belonged to the Gentiles, now became a part of God's people.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Peter quoted this verse from Hosea 2:23. The apostle Paul used the same verse in his letter to the Romans (9:24-26):
... even us whom He called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. As He says also in Hosea: "I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her beloved, who was not beloved.
And it shall come to pass in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' There they shall be called sons of the living God."
In his study in Galatians 3, Paul shows how Christians are children of Abraham. First he asks how it comes that the Holy Spirit is dwelling inside believers (2, 5):
Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?
The answer on this question is clear: by hearing with faith. (See also Romans 3:28 where Paul wrote: Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the works of the law.) Then Paul tells that Abraham believed in God in the same way (6):
Thus Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.
Paul goes on with showing the connection between Abraham and the believers of the Church (7-9):
So you see that it is men of faith who are the sons of Abraham.
And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed."
So then, those who are men of faith are blessed with Abraham who had faith.
In fact, this last verse is the realization of Genesis 12:3, quoted on the previous page:
and you will become a name of blessing to all the families of the earth.
Once more, in Romans 11:17-18 Paul explains how Gentiles are moved from the wild olive tree to the cultivated olive tree. They became Christian and were grafted between the holy branches.
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles...
...and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree.
Here "you", the "grafted branches", are the Gentiles.
"Them", the "holy branches", are the Jewish people, God's people. They are the natural branches of the olive tree.
And "the olive tree", the "root", is Jesus, the origin of life.
Paul even gives a warning to the "grafted believers" not to boast over their "neighbour branches":
And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
See those last words: remember that you (the Church) do not support the root (Jesus), but the root supports you! It is obvious the Church depends on Him! And she has to watch how she is living with the natural branches, the Jews.

So what is concluded on the previous page, also applies to the Church. But now we can "translate" this in New Testament words, spoken by Jesus:
"The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one.
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
There is no other commandment greater than these."
With this words from Mark 12:29-31 the same is said as in the above conclusion. But now we have the "fatness of the olive tree" that is feeding us: the power of the Holy Spirit. He is the sap of the roots, the living water, the power from on high.

Meanwhile, let's keep our lights shining in this dark world. There's a lot of longing to peace, truth, justice and, above all, safety and real love. The Church, as people once living in darkness but turned into the light, once wild olive shoots but now drinking from the holy root, is able to give this all in the name of Jesus.

Notes:
This study does not claim to have said all about Israel and the Church. On the contrary. Consider it as just an introduction to this subject.

The question why natural branches were taken away from the olive tree isn't answered, neither the question about the relation between Israel and the Holy Spirit.

As for the Spirit and Israel, see Joel 2:26-29. The complete text of Romans 11 can be found here. (Both links will open a new window.)

For more understanding it is recommanded to read the entire letter to the Romans and seek for some good reference books or other material for study. Or try the links on the Online Bible Study Tools page.



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