by Calvin L. Smith

Israel and the Jews are of considerable interest to many Christians. This is hardly surprising, given how the land of Israel is where Jesus trod and Christianity emerged. Moreover, Israel is mentioned or alluded to nearly 3000 times in the Bible, while as a biblical theology theme it appears far more than many other important themes in the Bible. Jesus and the Apostles were Jewish, as was most of the early church, which was headquartered in Jerusalem, the Jewish capital. Jews and Christians both draw on the Old Testament, while much of the theology of Mosaic (though not Rabbinic) Judaism serves as important background to Christianity. Then, of course, there are the many Scriptures which highlight the theological importance of Israel and the Jews. For example, ‘Salvation is from the Jews’ (John 4:22); Zechariah records God’s declaration that ten Gentiles will take hold of the tunic of a Jew saying, 'Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you’ (Zech 8:23); and the Apostle Paul introduces his lengthy treatise on Israel by pointing out how the adoption as sons, the glory, covenants, the giving of the law and promises belong to the Jews, indeed the promised Messiah is Jewish (Rom 9:4-5). Furthermore, the Prophets refer to Israel as both God’s servant (Is 41:8-9, 44:1-3, 44:21, 49:3, Je 30:10, 46:27) and God’s son (Hos 11:1, Ex 4:22). These and many other passages demonstrate just how fully Israel is woven into the very historical and theological fabric of the Bible and Christianity.

Christian Zionism, the view that modern Israel represents God’s restoration of His chosen people to the land, has existed since the nineteenth century (though arguably one can trace the notion that the Jews remain God’s chosen people throughout church history). Likewise, supercessionism (American spelling: supersessionism) the view that the church has displaced, or replaced Israel, also known as replacement theology, can also be traced to the early church period. Yet the publication of various books during the past two decades or so has witnessed a new expression of supercessionism (hence the title of this book), specifically within Evangelicalism, which is deeply critical of modern Israel. It also tends, whether deliberately or unwittingly, to portray Christians who broadly believe God has not finished with the Jewish people, regardless of their theological tradition, as somehow fanatical and extreme, even heretical.

There are, of course, many Christians who regard Israel as a peripheral issue, even an irritating distraction, not least because getting to theological grips with this complex topic is costly both in time and the effort needed to reach a well-informed and biblically sustainable conclusion. I would agree Israel is not a test of orthodoxy; after all, we are saved through faith in Christ, not because we believe the Jews are God’s chosen people. But as the above Scriptures indicate, neither is Israel a peripheral issue. It already divides the church along hermeneutical (biblical interpretation), systematic theology and practical theology lines. Moreover, as the current debate, which is beginning to trickle down to the church level, becomes increasingly polarised and bitter, inevitably this will push Israel up the theological ladder. For example, recently I came across anti-Israel and pro-Palestinian pamphlets being widely disseminated across a well-known, historic and traditionally conservative denomination.

Much more significant (and ominous) is how the issue of Israel has become a touch paper – how it is symptomatic – of a wider ideological conflict which appears to be brewing within Evangelicalism, certainly here in the United Kingdom but elsewhere too. It mirrors the debate currently being played out in British society concerning how to respond to Islam. Arguably, several of the more vocal and polemical supercessionists have crossed that line which separates legitimate criticism of Israel from an irrational, pathological hatred of the country. Such demonisation of the Jewish state, which comes perilously close to anti-Semitism, goes hand in hand with efforts by such to engage not only in Muslim-Christian dialogue, but also to promote a less confrontational and more sympathetic approach to Islam. In some cases, such an approach includes visits to Islamic centres, attending and speaking at meetings organised by Palestinian solidarity groups, and even visits to rogue Islamic states such as Iran, where these platforms are used to criticise Christians who support Israel and believe the Jews remain God’s chosen people. Even Christians who do not openly support Israel but are nonetheless critical of Islam and what they perceive as an Islamist threat to Britain and the West are being singled out for criticism. A case in point is the recent situation involving Patrick Sookhdeo, a former Muslim convert to Christianity who leads the Barnabas Fund, a charity which speaks out on behalf of persecuted Christians worldwide, including those in Muslim lands. It appears he was recently criticised by some Christians who advocate a gentler, less confrontational approach to Islam, the result of which drew Sookhdeo to the attention of extremist Islamist bloggers. The issue has since been widely reported in the press, several blogs, and on the Barnabas Fund website.(1)  Significantly, at least one of the Christians present at the meeting which allegedly criticised Sookhdeo’s frank assessment of Islam is a well-known supercessionist who is highly critical of Israel and Christian Zionism. Thus we see how the Israel issue is increasingly symptomatic of a wider ideological struggle within British Evangelicalism. As such, it cannot be relegated to the periphery as an insignificant theological topic.

Ironically for the new supercessionists, many Evangelicals who were initially quite supportive of their position are becoming increasingly troubled by their radical stance and activities. I have met people within Evangelical academic circles who have expressed such views, while recently the director of a theological college who originally leaned towards supercessionism explained to me how he had become uneasy with the rhetoric of certain high profile supercessionists, which actually led him to shift theologically in the other direction. 

So how might Christians who generally reject supercessionism respond to this position in an effective and thoughtful manner? Many everyday Christians who, to varying degrees, take the view God has not finished with His people Israel are uneasy with an extreme form of Christian Zionism which takes an “Israel right or wrong” position. Such extremism is sometimes guilty of elevating Israel to dizzy heights, ignoring the fact it is a secular country led predominantly by secular politicians. Moreover, modern Israel is far from sinless (consider, for example, how some 20,000 or so abortions are carried out each year in Israel).(2)   By ignoring Israel’s flaws, some within the Christian Zionist camp almost engage in a form idolatry (or ‘Israelolatry’) of the Jewish state, guilty of propagating another form of replacement theology – replacing worship of God for worship of Israel. Instead, many intelligent lay Christians who by instinct support Israel are seeking a more balanced approach to the issue, which challenges and effectively refutes the new supercessionism, but which retains a solid theological basis and does not fall into the trap of Christian Zionist drum beating. There are, of course, some excellent academic treatments which roundly refute supercessionism (and so effectively that they are rarely discussed within the supercessionist literature). But such books are not always user-friendly or accessible to everyday Christians. Meanwhile, there are many popular books on the issue, but with the exception of some notable examples, pro-Israel popular books tend to lack a solid theological basis, relying on proof-texting or else spilling over into the very extreme Christian Zionism such thoughtful believers seek to avoid.

It was for these reasons King’s Evangelical Divinity School (then Midlands Bible College and Divinity School) organised a weekend conference with a view to providing lay Christians with a range of theological resources aimed at equipping them to refute the new supercessionism objectively and effectively as God gave them opportunity. A series of papers were presented which, while academic in nature, were designed to be accessible to everyday Christians. These were then adapted in light of question and answer sessions and debates which followed, resulting in a book which has been pitched somewhere between the popular and academic levels.

When we organised this conference I purposefully brought together a group of lecturers and writers on the basis of their expertise and what they could bring to the seminar and this volume. But the contributors not only represent a range of theological disciplines, they also come from across the Evangelical theological spectrum. This is deliberate, challenging disingenuous efforts by several supercessionists to portray Christians who are broadly supportive of the view God has not finished with Israel somehow as a narrow, peripheral and fanatical segment within the church. So while all contributors are Evangelical, regarding the Bible as the inspired and authoritative word of God in all issues of faith and practice, and each rejects supercessionism, they are quite a disparate bunch, counting Reformed, Arminian, Dispensationalist, Charismatic and others among them. As such, each person contributes solely as an individual, responsible only for his own paper, and not necessarily endorsing the theological position from which the others come or the methodological approach I have taken in this book.

The book takes a standard academic approach to a theological issue, beginning with a study at the textual and word level, then working outwards and increasingly broadening its treatment, drawing on a range of theological disciplines with which to examine the topic. Thus, Andy Cheung explores Israel from a linguistic aspect, challenging those who argue that the word “Israel” in the New Testament, especially Romans 9-11, does not refer to ethnic Israel. In Chapter 2 I move beyond a textual approach to trace Israel as a biblical theology theme that encompasses the entire biblical witness (and, indeed, given how it features so prominently in biblical eschatology, beyond). Next, Jacob Prasch examines the issue from a hermeneutical (biblical interpretation) perspective, highlighting not only how a spiritualised interpretation of the Bible gives rise to supercessionism, but also demonstrating how a rejection of the Jewish root of the church is having a detrimental effect on the interpretation of Scripture in such circles as a whole. Stephen Vantassel then engages in a combined biblical and systematic theology approach, focusing on why, as a Calvinist, he believes Israel has a right to the land. This is followed by Howard Taylor’s useful apologetic piece in support of Israel and the Jews. Next are two historical and political essays, the first by Paul Wilkinson, who provides readers with an historical survey of the British churchmen and Christian politicians who laid the foundations for an eventual Jewish homeland. His paper helps to dispel the myth so favoured by some supercessionists, which argues early Christian support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland was somehow the work of Zionist fanatics on the periphery of mainstream Evangelicalism. In fact, as Wilkinson demonstrates this is far from true, with many mainstream churchmen in nineteenth century Britain supporting the notion of a Jewish homeland. Meanwhile, my second essay, which is based on field work for a new book due for publication in 2010, challenges supercessionist allegations that Israel severely maltreats Arab Christians and is solely to blame for the exodus of Christians from the Holy Land. But I also highlight how the Jewish state is doing little to protect Messianic believers who face considerable opposition from religious Jews (indeed even passing laws which make the situation of Jewish believers in Jesus in Israel evermore precarious), thus challenging those Christian Zionists who take an ‘Israel right or wrong’ position. The book concludes with a chapter aimed at a practical outworking, in which Tony Pearce, whose church is located in Golders Green (a predominantly Jewish area in London) discusses issues arising out of and approaches to Jewish evangelism. By including this chapter my aim is not only to challenge the tendency (in practice, if not in word) of some supercessionists to fail to share the gospel with Jewish people, but also, just as importantly, to counter the doctrine espoused by some Christian Zionists of dual covenantalism (the view that postulates two ways of salvation, one for Jews through the Old Testament law, and another for Gentiles through Jesus Christ). 

One final point. In an attempt to make this book as user-friendly as possible we have sought avoid using too much technical language and from time to time include explanatory notes and definitions of theological terms in brackets and footnotes. Concerning terminology, in several chapters the terms Arab, Arab Israeli and Palestinian are used. These are not used interchangeably. The first refers to Arabs living anywhere in the Holy Land. Arab Israelis, on the other hand, live within the State of Israel and hold Israeli citizenship. Palestinians are those Arabs who live in the so-called Palestinian Territories – the West Bank and Jordan – who do not hold Israeli citizenship. Of course, the reality is not as simple as that (for example, some Arab Israelis identify themselves first and foremost as Palestinians, not all Palestinians are Muslims, and so on). As is inevitably the case in such a bitter conflict, whatever terms are used will be seized upon by one side or other as politically biased or insensitive. I recognise this cannot be helped. In fact, they are simply included here for practical reasons, for the necessary purpose of differentiating one group from another.

Calvin L. Smith
Broadstairs, Kent (6 March 2009)

Footnotes

(1)  For a narrative, see Melanie Phillips, ‘Beware the New Axis of Evangelicals and Islamists’, 4 March 2009. Available on the Spectator website at www.spectator.co.uk/the-magazine/features/3409686/beware-the-new-axis-of-evangelicals-and-islamists.thtml (last accessed 6 March 2009).

(2) ‘Israeli Government’s Central Bureau of Statistics, ‘Terminations of Pregnancy’, (2006), see http://www1.cbs.gov.il/shnaton57/st03_19.pdf (last accessed 8 April 2009).

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