Letters to the Church

Avec l'effusion de l'Esprit le jour de la Pentecôte, les bénédictions pour toutes les nations de l'Alliance abrahamique ont commencé . La “ Promesse du Père ” est le Don de l'Esprit, que l'apôtre Paul relie à l'Alliance abrahamique. Les promesses faites au Patriarche s'accomplissent dans la Nouvelle Alliance inaugurée par Jésus-Christ. L'effusion de l'Esprit sur son Assemblée le jour de la Pentecôte marqua le commencement des “ Derniers Jours ”, l'Ère de l'Esprit où les promesses de Dieu sont accomplies. En raison de sa Mort et de sa Résurrection, les croyants gentils deviennent les héritiers à part entière de l'Alliance avec les Juifs croyants.

Avec l'effusion de l'Esprit le jour de la Pentecôte, les bénédictions promises à Abraham pour toutes les nations ont commencé . L'Apôtre Paul appelle le Don de l'Esprit la “ Promesse du Père ”,  et il relie le Don promis à l'alliance abrahamique . Les promesses faites à Abraham et à “ sa Postérité ” trouvent leur accomplissement dans la Nouvelle Alliance inaugurée par la Mort et la Résurrection de Jésus de Nazareth.

With the outpouring of the Gift of the Spirit, beginning on the Day of Pentecost, the blessings for all nations promised to Abraham commenced . The Apostle Paul calls the Gift of the Spirit the “ Promise of the Father ,” and he links the promised Gift to the Abrahamic covenant . The promises to Abraham and “ his Seed ” find their fulfillment in the New Covenant inaugurated by the Death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Les disciples de Jésus sont les Héritiers d'Abraham, et la possession future de la totalité de l'héritage est garantie par le Don de l'Esprit . La possession de Canaan par Israël était une étape antérieure du plan rédempteur de Dieu, qui envisageait toujours quelque chose de plus grand qu'Israël et une petite parcelle de terre au Moyen-Orient. Avec l'arrivée du Messie et l'effusion du Saint-Esprit, les promesses de l'alliance ont trouvé leur accomplissement dans la véritable “ Postérité d'Abraham ”, et donc dans ses “ frères ” et “ cohéritiers ”.

La foi d'Abraham incirconcis est un exemple pour les croyants juifs et gentils qui vivent de la foi de Jésus - Romains 4: 11-17. Dieu a commencé à mettre en œuvre Son plan pour racheter l'humanité en établissant Son Alliance avec Abraham, en commençant par la sommation pour le Patriarche de quitter sa patrie pour la “ terre que je te montrerai .” Yahweh produirait une “ grande nation ” du Patriarche, et l'Alliance bénirait toutes les “ Tribus de la Terre .” La promesse de territoire était au cœur de l'Alliance.

Par sa Mort et sa Résurrection, Jésus a formé une nouvelle communauté d'alliance - Un Nouvel Homme - basée sur la foi en lui - Éphésiens 2: 11-22. Paul est clair et intransigeant . Considérant ce que Jésus a accompli dans sa Mort et sa Résurrection, il ne peut plus y avoir de divisions entre Juifs et Gentils dans  l'Unique Peuple de Dieu . Par sa mort sacrificielle, il a “ démantelé le mur de séparation du milieu ” qui séparait les Juifs et les Gentils afin “ de les réconcilier tous les deux en un seul corps pour Dieu à travers la Croix .”

By his Death and Resurrection, Jesus formed one new covenant community - One New Man - based on faith in him – Ephesians 2:11-22. Paul is clear and uncompromising. Considering what Jesus accomplished on the Cross, no longer can there be divisions between Jews and Gentiles, “ for all you are one in Christ Jesus .” By his sacrificial death, he “ dismantled  the middle wall of partition ” that separated Jews and Gentiles so “ he   might reconcile them both in one body for God through the Cross .”

Having demonstrated that all men violate God’s revealed will, Paul concludes that no one is acquitted before Him “ from the works of the Law .” Instead, men and women are justified “ through the faith ” or faithfulness OF Jesus - They are reconciled with their Creator because of the gracious act of Jesus on their behalf. Since all men deserve condemnation and death, all they can do is respond with repentance and faith to what God has done for them.

The faith of uncircumcised Abraham provides an example for Jewish and Gentile believers who live from the faith of Jesus  – Romans 4:11-17. God began to implement His plan to redeem humanity by establishing His Covenant with Abraham, starting with the summons for the Patriarch to leave his homeland for the “ land I will show you .” Yahweh would produce a “ great nation ” from the Patriarch, and the Covenant would bless all the “ Tribes of the Earth .” The promise of territory was central to the Covenant.

The promises, types, and shadows of the Hebrew Bible are fulfilled by the Son of God and Messiah of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth . An accusation commonly heard in popular preaching is ‘Replacement Theology.’ This seemingly dreaded label is hurled against anyone who claims a promise from the Hebrew Bible made to Ancient Israel finds its fulfillment in Jesus and his Church, but the term misses the point of the New Testament – Fulfillment , not Separation or Replacement .

The disciples of Jesus are the Heirs of Abraham, and the future possession of the full inheritance is guaranteed by the Gift of the Spirit . Israel’s possession of Canaan was an earlier stage in God’s redemptive plan, which always envisaged something larger than Israel and a small plot of land in the Middle East. With the arrival of the Messiah and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the covenant promises found their fulfillment in the true “ Seed of Abraham ,” and therefore in his “ brethren ” and “ coheirs .”

With the outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, the blessings for all nations of the Abrahamic Covenant commenced . The “ Promise of the Father ” is the Gift of the Spirit, which the Apostle Paul links to the Abrahamic Covenant. The promises made to the Patriarch are fulfilled in the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ. The bestowal of the Spirit on his Assembly on the Day of Pentecost marked the commencement of the “ Last Days ,” the Age of the  Spirit when the promises of God are  achieved . Because of his Death and Resurrection, Gentile believers become full heirs of the Covenant along with believing Jews.

The New Testament links the “ Promise of the Spirit ” to the “ Blessings of Abraham ,” the promise that God would bless the nations through the Great Patriarch. The Spirit is the gift believers receive “ through the hearing of faith .” It is part of the covenant promises given to Abraham, and Peter connected this gift to the “ blessings ” for the nations during his sermon on the Day of Pentecost.

As the Gospel of Matthew declares, Jesus is the “ son of Abraham .” The lowly man from Nazareth is the Messiah and King of Israel, the promised “ Seed ” of the Patriarch. He brings the covenant promises to fulfillment. He is the covenant heir, and our receipt of the inheritance is based on our faith in him.

Paul presents Abraham as the great exemplar of the faith, the model for believers to emulate as they live from the “ faith of Jesus .” God counted his faith as “ righteousness ” while he was uncircumcised and thus justified him apart from the “ works of the Torah .” He is the father of those who live “ from the faith of Jesus ” whether Jew or Gentile and the “ heir of the world .”

The Apostle Paul referred to the “ Promise of the Spirit ” which he equated with the “ Blessing of Abraham .” Jesus subjected himself to the “ curse ” of the Law to redeem believers so that the “ Blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the Promise of the Spirit through faith .” He wrote elsewhere that believers were “ sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise, the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession .”

If a man is not justified from the works of the Law, what was the purpose of the Law given at Sinai? – Galatians 3:19 .  In  Galatians , Paul declares that we are set right with God from the “ faith of Jesus Christ ” and not “ from the works of the Law .” But if keeping the “ works of the Law ” does not justify us,  what is the purpose of the Torah ?