March 23, 2023 Show with Gary George on “Is the Church Israel Today?”
March 23, 2023
GARY GEORGE, conference speaker & pastor of Sovereign Grace Chapel of Southbridge, Massachusetts, who will address:
“IS the CHURCH ISRAEL TODAY?”
& announcing the 2023 John Bunyan Conference in Franklin, Tennessee!!
Transcript
Live from historic downtown Carlisle, Pennsylvania, home of founding father James Wilson,
19th century hymn writer George Duffield, 19th century gospel minister George Norcross, and sports
legend Jim Thorpe.
It's iron sharpens iron.
This is a radio platform in which pastors, Christian scholars, and theologians address the burning
issues facing the church and the world today.
Proverbs chapter 27 verse 17 tells us iron sharpens iron, so one man
sharpens another.
Matthew Henry said that in this passage, we are cautioned to take heed with whom we converse and directed to
have in view in conversation to make one another wiser and better.
It is our hope that this goal will be accomplished over the next two hours, and we hope to hear from you, the listener,
with your own questions.
And now here's your host, Chris Arnson.
Good afternoon, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Lake City, Florida, and the rest of humanity living on the planet
Earth who are listening via live -streaming at ironsharpensironradio .com.
This is Chris Arnson, your host of iron sharpens iron radio, wishing you all a happy Thursday on this 23rd day of
March 2023.
I'm thrilled to have back on the program a returning guest who is also a very
dear friend of mine going back to the early 1990s.
His name is Gary George.
Perhaps some of you remember that we just recently conducted an
interview about a week or so ago on iron sharpens iron radio with Gary
George.
We discussed the Jesus Revolution movie, and that was actually on March
9th that we conducted that interview.
And today we have an entirely different subject that is no doubt going to
be very controversial.
In fact, it may even get some of my listeners angry if they happen to be
especially within the realm of dispensationalism or the Messianic Jewish movement.
But we are going to be addressing the question, is the church Israel today?
And Gary George, my guest to discuss this, is a conference speaker and pastor of Sovereign Grace Chapel of Southbridge,
Massachusetts.
And we're also going to be announcing the 2023 John Bunyan Conference in Franklin, Tennessee.
But it's my honor and privilege to welcome you back to iron sharpens iron radio, Pastor Gary George.
Hello, Chris.
Can you hear me?
Okay.
I hear you.
I hear you perfectly well.
All right, good.
Glad to be on with you again, brother.
You're always a joy.
And so are you, brother.
And for the sake of our listeners who have not yet heard you on this program, tell them about Sovereign Grace Chapel
of Southbridge, Massachusetts.
Yeah, well, we started in 1991.
It was planted by a Reformed Baptist pastor.
They had some rough goings about a year into it, and that's when I kind of came into the picture.
I was friendly with a number of members of the church at that time, and since that time I've been the
pastor.
We changed our name in 2000 to Sovereign Grace Chapel and have been that ever since.
And we are a Doctrines of Grace Church.
We hold the plural eldership and the basic tenets of the Reformed faith, all the doctrines of grace, etc,
etc, and we praise the Lord.
Well, if anybody wants more details on this church in Southbridge, Massachusetts, Sovereign Grace
Chapel, go to SovereignGraceMA .org.
SovereignGraceMA for Massachusetts .org.
Well, Gary, there are a few subjects that are more controversial than the one we
are going to discuss today, especially within conservative
Evangelical Christianity, because there are stark differences
amongst brothers in Christ among us that
have polar opposite views on the answer to this question.
And also, unfortunately, what comes with that very often is,
and I'm not saying that this is always the case, but very often there is more heat
than light that begins to erupt when you have a difference of opinion on this issue.
Folks like you and I have been called, not that we have been called
personally this, but the view that we hold to has been identified by some as
anti -semitic.
It has been confused
with the ideas of Anglo -Israelism, perhaps,
where the Jewish people are wrongly being understood
as being replaced by Gentiles.
Things like that seem to add a lot to the confusion and
perhaps you and I will even have our own differences of opinion as this program
develops.
I know that you and I do have some differences of opinion on matters that
that those among us in the Calvinistic and Reform Baptist movement,
some would say our differences are monumental, and I don't believe that they are monumental.
I believe that they may, as important as some of those differences may be, I don't think that they are
monumental differences.
But is the church Israel today?
You might as well start off the program by answering that question.
All right.
Well, there's a lot to say about that particular topic.
Maybe I could start off by saying this.
On one occasion, I was doing evangelism in the city that I grew up in here in Worcester, Massachusetts, and handing
out Christian literature, and one woman was sort of repulsed by receiving it, and she said, well,
I'm Jewish.
I'm Jewish.
I don't accept Christianity.
And I said, oh, really?
I said, so am I, and she looked at me strangely because I was blonde -haired and green -eyed and didn't
have the features of a Jewish person, and I said, yes.
I said, I'm an offspring of Abraham's.
I said, the difference probably between you and I is that you're a natural offspring of Abraham's, and I'm a spiritual
offspring of Abraham's.
But the scripture says that Abraham would become a father of many nations.
That was a promise that was made to him back in Genesis chapter 12.
I began to explain that to her, and of course, because she had no biblical understanding of these things, it
obviously was a dud, but I can use that to say that that's why there is a connection
between modern -day believers, post -resurrection believers, I could say,
and Judaism or Jews of the past.
We know that there's a continuity, and there has to be a relationship of some sort, at least,
between Old Testament Israel and the New Testament Church.
So to try to answer the question, is the church Israel?
Well, I think we could probably start with maybe, first of all, I already did mention that Abraham was given the promise that he would
become a father of many nations.
The book of Galatians tells us that the gospel which was preached unto Abraham afford that he would
become the father of many nations.
So it was a latent truth that a time would come when
Abraham would become a father, not of just ethnic descendants of his Jewish people, but
rather it would be broader than that.
It would be inclusive of the Gentile world.
So when John the Baptist comes on the scene, as we know, he's the forerunner of Jesus, he says right at the
outset, the ax is laid to the root.
What does he mean by that?
Well, when he was calling people to repentance and for them to come to the baptism to be
baptized, a baptism of repentance, there are many that came that sought to be baptized
by him, and he says to them, don't think in yourselves that because you're
descendants of Abraham that you have rights to be baptized.
He says rather bring forth fruits worthy of repentance.
So right there, there's a discriminating between Jews and Jews,
those that had repented and those that had believed not.
And we know clearly from the Old Testament that there were those that Nicodemus should have known, that being a
master or a teacher in Israel, that the teaching of the new birth was something
factual in the Old Testament.
And we know that not all Israelites were born again, but yet they were part of the Old Testament covenant.
But now a new day has arrived with John the Baptist, who's about to introduce Jesus himself, is
saying that the ax is laid to the root, and only those that can bring forth fruit, and we know that that fruit is something that's
generated by the Holy Spirit in the heart of a man, to really create true repentance and faith
in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
So what happens then at that point, Jesus begins to, he comes on the
scene, like John, he uses the same word, repent, and the same expression, the kingdom of God
is at hand.
So the fact that Israelites had to repent is an indication right there that Israel
was not in full spiritual relationship with the Lord.
In Matthew chapter 10, when Jesus sends out the disciples, he sends them not to the
Gentiles, nor to the Samaritans, but only to the lost sheep of the
house of Israel.
So within the confines of the covenant community, there are those who are classified
as lost, and that they are in need of redemption.
So the very fact that they had a.
External.
Covenantal relationship with God did not qualify them for being kingdom
people.
There was a need for repentance and for the lost to be found.
So the gospel is proclaimed and taught.
And Jesus, as he goes along in his ministry, over and over again, we see his
rejection.
And Chris, by the way, if you want to stop or interrupt me, please do.
I don't want to become too much of a monologue here on your program.
But if you want to stop me on anything, please do.
But as Christ goes along in his ministry, we see over and over again that Jews were constantly
adverse to Christ, rejecting him, despising him, wanting to kill him, especially
as we know in the Gospel of Luke when Jesus talks about when he opens up the scriptures and the spirit of the Lord God, he says is
upon him.
And he goes on to talk about there were many widows, but he went to the widow who was a Gentile.
There were many lepers, but he went to Naaman who was not a Jewish person and that was offensive to them.
And when we trace the gospel ministry as it continues from Luke into the book of Acts, who wrote
both Luke and Acts, we see over and over again the constant refusal of Israelites,.
Not.
All Israelites, but we know that's a fact, but many of the Israelites, the Jews, refused
the gospel of Jesus Christ, that he was Lord, that he was king, that he was
even risen from the dead.
So we start again with John the Baptist.
Christ carries a message.
And finally, Jesus, it's near the end of his ministry.
He has to state this, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given unto a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof.
So there's indications that the kingdom would be taken from them.
He said, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathers her
chickens under her wings, but ye would not.
And then he goes on to say when he returns, he says, I'm leaving your house
desolate.
When I return, you will say blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
That's a key text because some would argue that, see, when Jesus returns, that's
when the Jews will turn to Christ.
So a lot of people have a problem with seeing the church as being the Israel of God is because
they see a future national restoration.
They see Israel in the land right now.
They see, they think some of the promises that are of the Old Testament or prophetical
passages are being fulfilled in the current time, and they don't want to acknowledge
that the Jews are ousted.
From.
From becoming God's people once again.
In Romans chapter 3, we have, it begins by saying to what advantage then has a
Jew much every way chiefly that unto them were committed the oracles of God.
They definitely had an advantage over all the nations of the earth.
It tells us in Amos that thee only have I known of all nations on the earth.
And it tells us in Deuteronomy 7, 6, the Lord thy God has chosen thee to be a special people unto himself
above all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
Some Christians want to believe that the Jews have a separate category of a relationship with God
apart from faith, repentance, and believing in Jesus Christ, and they're almost equal
with the believers, the church in this current age.
So trying to get to your questions that we're raising, Chris, as to whether
is the church Israel would be better framed by saying, is the church the
Israel of God?
In the Old Testament, Israel is viewed as the apple of God's eye.
Would it not be appropriate to say of the church, the church is the ones who Christ
loved and gave himself for her.
Christ loved the church and gave himself for her and died on the cross for them.
So the church then, according to Galatians chapter 6, 15, Israel
likes to whom it says there that as many as walk according to this rule, peace be upon them and
mercy and upon the Israel of God.
Who is Paul claiming is the Israel of God in the book of Galatians?
He couldn't be isolating the Jewish community of the faithful from the
Gentiles who are also spiritual offsprings of Abraham.
That would be a deflection from the theme of the book of Galatians who's
trying to say to them that Jew and Gentile, all the spiritual offspring of
Abraham are united together as being a part of that one olive tree.
There are not two olive trees, there's one olive tree.
So has the church, and this is getting more specific, has the church
replaced Israel?
Well, after Christ rose from the dead, he tells his disciples to go into the world and that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in my
name.
And that would take place after the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the apostles and the commission
for them was that they were, after they received power, they would be witnesses of Christ in
Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.
That's really the table of contents for the book of Acts.
So the ministry of the gospel begins in Jerusalem, and we know at Pentecost,
Peter receives the spirit along with the other apostles and is empowered to preach the gospel and present the
gospel.
And many of them who heard said, men and brethren, what shall we do to
be saved?
And Peter says, repent, just like Jesus had said that repentance and remission of sins
should be preached in my name.
And who are those that receive the message of repentance and believe?
They that gladly received his word were baptized in the same day that were added unto them about 3
,000 souls.
Who was the audience that Peter was addressing?
He was addressing men who were devout men from all regions of the earth who
had come together for the feast of Pentecost, primarily, and maybe
even Passover.
They would have been there for a length of time.
So even in that audience, there would have been a mixture of Gentiles, devout men, proselytes,
no doubt, who are hearing now the gospel and repenting and believing and therefore
being joined to the church.
So we could say that what God is doing is he's,
as Paul says in Romans chapter one, it's to the Jew first and also to the
Gentile.
The first opportunities of hearing the gospel of the risen Christ, which is really, we could call that the
greater salvation.
How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?
Hebrews 2, 3.
The gospel has always been there from the beginning.
And thy seed that was promised back in Genesis chapter three, that seed was always
there as a gospel handout to people or opportunity for
people.
But in the New Testament, that gospel is magnified and heightened by
the greatness of the appearance of the Messiah and his accomplished work on the cross as
atoning death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, and then enthronement.
And Chris, where is Christ enthroned?
It's very distinct that Peter's saying he's enthroned on the throne of David.
So here we have Jewish language that Jesus, the Messiah, risen from the dead is on the throne of
David, which makes him a king.
We get that language in Acts chapter 17, where they were preaching another king, one Jesus.
He's the other king.
So we have the Davidic promise that through the generations of time, there would be a greater than David who
sit on his throne.
And that's Jesus Christ now who's sitting on the throne, which his kingship is
hailed.
He's Lord.
And these now are required to bow to Jesus as king and as Lord.
And prior to that, Peter says about the prophecy of Joel, this is that which was spoken by the
prophet Joel, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and daughters and so on.
That was happening right there.
It wasn't something postponed to a post -church age.
It was something that had been predicted by Joel as occurring in the last times.
In Jesus, we know half in these last days appear unto us.
So eschatology and theology are really commingled.
And I think if you have one wrong and the other one right, or if they're not
properly aligned, I think you're probably going to come to a faulty conclusion.
So one of the big questions, is God done with Israel?
Well, as the book of Acts unfolds, it tells us in Acts chapter 326,
God raised up Jesus unto you first God, having raised
up Jesus, sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his
iniquities.
So Christ was risen from the dead.
And guess what?
The first opportunity for conversion, repentance and salvation was
proposed to the Jews.
That's why in Acts 319, Peter says that repent ye therefore
and be converted so that your sins may be blotted out.
So Christ is exalted and those who repent and believe him, they have the
opportunity to be saved.
In this presentation, in chapter 3 of Acts, I'm in right now, verse 23,
Peter says, quoting from the book of Deuteronomy 18, 15 and following, where
it was predicted that a greater than Moses would come.
Moses says it, that there will be a prophet who God will raise up.
Him shall you hear.
Peter quotes that verse and says in Acts 3, 23, every soul which will
not hear that prophet shall be destroyed.
Notice this, from among the people.
So there is an extraction of Jews from the people of
God.
So getting back to the metaphor of the olive tree, we have
the olive tree is the plant, you could say, of God's people.
But in the New Testament, we have the branches are broken off.
The natural branches, the branches that have natural connections, descendant
wise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, those are broken off in the
unnatural branches.
That's the Gentiles who were wild plants.
They are grafted in and with them are partakers of the root and
the fatness of the olive tree.
So that's important to see that the connection that the church has is with the Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
And we draw from the root and the fatness of that olive tree.
So there you can see a continuity between the old and the new.
And in the new, there's a refinement of who the people of God are.
And that refinement comes with the teaching of the new covenant.
The new covenant is composed of people, only people who have been circumcised
inwardly, who are born of the spirit and have the indwelling of the spirit.
They are the children of God.
Romans 9 verse 8 says, or verse 6 rather, they which are the children of the flesh,
these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the
seed.
So the natural seed, because of their unbelief and blindness and part that has happened to them,
they were cut off.
So now who are the ones that come into the olive tree?
Who are the ones that partake of the root and fatness of the olive tree?
It is the church, the church age.
So we need to probably, and I know I'm all over the place here, because I'm trying to cover a lot of
material and a short, you know,.
Yes, well, believe me, this is all necessary because you're laying an essential
bedrock from which we are going to be presenting the case you're making.
So, let me finish what I wanted to say about Acts.
So we have Peter mentioning that Jesus is risen from the dead and seated on the throne of David.
That's very significant.
So those who were repenting were repenting towards God and putting faith in Jesus Christ, and they were now
added to the ecclesia, the gathered out one.
So they're united to the king, their servants, their subordinates.
They're in the family of the king.
And then chapter 13, we have Paul preaching in the synagogue and he uses the expression, the sure mercies
of David.
Then when we get to Acts chapter 15, the Lord is building again what was ruined and had fallen
down, the tabernacle of David.
So these are Jewish terms that have application to the church.
We see Jesus on the throne of David.
We have the sure mercies of David, and we are a part of the tabernacle of David.
And then if we take this further, we find that we are the ones who are circumcised.
Now, some may not take Romans 2, 28 and 29 as being strictly
applicable to Gentiles and Jews, and some would see it as applicable only to
Jews.
When it says he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly, and circumcision is not
that of the flesh, but the true circumcision is a circumcision that is in the heart
by the spirit.
Like Colossians says, we're circumcised without hands.
So whether or not you see the Gentile as being able to be called a Jew, I think we can at
least say that we have a spiritual offspring of Abraham.
So has the church replaced Israel?
It's better to think of it that the church is the church age, the people of God.
It's a fulfillment of the promises that were made in the Old Testament of the Abrahamic promise
that he would become the father of many nations.
And those who are of the nations that are connected to Father Abraham are those that have the
faith, like Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for
righteousness.
The same thing is applicable to us.
We believe God.
We have righteousness imputed to us.
Therefore, we are in the spiritual family of Abrahams.
We can call Abraham our father, and we are the circumcised.
It tells us there in Philippians 3, and we know that this has Gentile applications.
It says that we are the circumcision who worship God in spirit.
We are the true circumcision.
So we are viewed—maybe you might not want to use the word.
I don't have a problem with it for me to say that I'm a true Jew, and by that I would mean that I have the circumcision
not made with hands of men, but by the spiritual hands of Christ who has circumcised my
heart and made me a true spiritual child of God.
Amen.
There's no reason you should be hesitant to proclaim that because it's biblical.
It comes from Paul's own words in the inerrant words of Scripture, the God -breathed
words of Scripture.
But we're going to pick up right where we left off there, Gary, because we have to go to our first break.
And our email address, if anybody would like to join us, our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Give us your first name, at least, your city and state, and your country of residence.
Don't go away.
We're going to be right back with Gary George, and our discussion on the theme is the Church
Israel Today, right after these messages from our sponsors.
I can hear you.
James White of Alpenbegin Ministries here.
I'm very excited to announce that my longtime friend Chris Arnson of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio and I
are heading down to Atlanta, Georgia again for the G3 National Conference.
That's Thursday, September 21st through Saturday the 23rd on a theme that I have been preaching,
teaching, writing about, and defending in live public debates for most of my life, the sovereignty of God.
I'll be joined on the speaking roster by Steve Lawson, Cody Baucom, Paul Washer, Virgil Walker, Scott
Anuel, and Josh Bice, founder of G3 Ministries.
And there's more great news.
Chris Arnson of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio can get you a 30 discount off the registration
fee.
Go to g3min .org.
That's g3min .org.
And enter promo code G3ISIR.
That's G3ISIR for the 30 % discount.
Chris Arnson, I look forward to seeing you all Thursday, September 21st through Saturday the 23rd for the G3
National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on the sovereignty of God.
Make sure you stop by the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio exhibitor booth and say hi to Chris Arnson while
you're there.
Go to g3min .org and enter promo code G3ISIR for your
30 discount off the registration fee.
I'm
Brian
McLaughlin, president of the SecureComm Group,.
And an enthusiastic supporter of Chris Arnson's Iron Sharpens Iron Radio program.
The SecureComm Group provides the highest level of security, close -circuit television, access control,
and communication systems for Manhattan's top residential buildings, as well as churches, commercial properties,
municipalities, and more.
We custom install exactly what you need to protect yourself, including digital recording, off
-site viewing, and connectivity from most smart devices.
From simple code -activated systems to the latest technology using facial recognition, the
SecureComm Group has it.
We also provide the latest in intercom and IP telephone systems.
In addition, we provide superior networking platforms.
We'll create, maintain, and secure your local network.
Whether it's a Wi -Fi or hardwire network, we'll implement the latest secured firewall,
endpoint solutions, and cloud backup.
I would love to have the honor and privilege of helping protect the lives and property of Iron Sharpens Iron
Radio listeners and their associates.
For more details on how the SecureComm Group may be of service to you with the very latest in security innovations,
call 718 -353 -3355.
That's 718 -353 -3355.
Or visit SecureCommGroup .com.
That's SecureCommGroup .com.
This is Brian McLaughlin of the SecureComm Group, joining Chris Armstrong's family of advertisers to keep
Iron Sharpens Iron Radio on the air.
Puritan Reformed is a Bible -believing, kingdom -building, devil -fighting church.
We are devoted to upholding the apostolic doctrine and practice preserved in Scripture alone.
Puritan Reformed teaches men to rule and lead as image -bearing prophets, priests, and
kings.
We teach families to worship together as families.
Puritan is committed to teaching the whole counsel of God so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of
God as the waters cover the sea.
We sing the Psalms, teach the law, proclaim the gospel, make disciples, maintain discipline, and exalt
Christ.
This is Pastor David Reis of Puritan Reformed in Phoenix, Arizona.
Join us in the glorious cause of advancing Christ's crown and covenant over the
kings of the earth.
Puritan Reformed Church.
Believe.
Build.
Fight.
PuritanPHX .com.
The Prince of Preachers Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said, growing a beard is a habit most natural, scriptural, manly,
and beneficial.
Grace and peace to all the Iron Sharpens Iron listeners.
This is Tony with thestandardbeardcare .com.
Try thestandardbeardcare .com as a Christ -exalting, better -known, and simple name in beard care.
So if you have a beard, know a guy with a beard, or ladies, if you're married to a man with a beard, head over to thestandardbeardcare
.com.
Check out the vast array of all -natural, handcrafted products to make that beard scriptural, manly,
and beneficial.
And when you do so, you will help to support Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
When you use the promo code IRON at checkout, you will receive free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48,
and 10 of your donations will go back to Chris Harmsen and Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
So head over to thestandardbeardcare .com where the standard is the standard.
When Iron Sharpens Iron Radio first launched in 2005, the publishers of the New American
Standard Bible were among my very first sponsors.
It gives me joy knowing that many scholars and pastors in the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio audience have been
sticking with or switching to the NASB.
I'm Pastor Nate Pikowitz of Harvest Bible Church in Gilmanton Ironworks, New Hampshire, and the NASB
is my Bible of choice.
I'm Pastor Rich Jensen of Hope Reform Baptist Church in Quorum, New York, and the NASB is my
Bible of choice.
I'm Pastor Sule Prince of Oakwood Wesleyan Church in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and the
NASB is my Bible of choice.
I'm Pastor John Samson of King's Church in Peoria, Arizona, and the NASB is my Bible
of choice.
I'm Pastor Chuck Volo of New Life Community Church in Kingsville, Maryland, and the NASB is
my Bible of choice.
I'm Pastor Steve Herford of Eastport Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, and the NASB is my
Bible of choice.
I'm Pastor Roy Owens, Jr. of the Church in Friendship in Hockley, Texas, and the NASB is
my Bible of choice.
Here's a great way for your church to help keep Iron Sharpens Iron Radio on the air.
Pastors, are your pew Bibles tattered and falling apart?
Consider restocking your pews with the NASB, and tell the publishers you heard about them
from Chris Arnzen on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
Go to nasbible .com, that's nasbible .com to place your order.
Here at Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, praise God for the generous monthly financial support of
Royal Diadem Jewelers, educated by and affiliated with the American Gem
Society, Jewelers of America, and the Gemological Institute of America.
For the perfect custom -designed engagement ring, or any one -of -a -kind piece of jewelry, created
exactly according to your imagination and specifications, Royal Diadem Jewelers
has you covered.
No matter where you live in the world, Royal Diadem will walk you step -by -step through every stage of the
process, and even hold a high -tech internet virtual visit, using state -of -the -art jewelry design
technology to serve you.
They start by listening carefully to determine your needs.
They're interested in making what you want, not what they want to sell you.
From rough design to digital model, to photorealistic image, to wax prototype model, to
the finished product, they're continually listening to your input, likes and dislikes,
making any changes necessary along the way.
This will ensure that your custom jewelry will turn out exactly as you dreamed, and well beyond your
expectations.
Visit royaldiadem .com.
That's royaldiadem .com today.
Sterling Vanderwercker, owner of Royal Diadem Jewelers, his wife, Bronnie, his business partner
and manager, Brian Wilson, and the entire family, thank you all for listening to, praying for,
and supporting the work of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
And don't forget, folks, royaldiadem .com is still offering Iron Sharpens Iron Radio this
amazing deal.
When anyone in our audience purchases jewelry for $100 or more from
royaldiadem .com, whether it's a piece of jewelry that they already have in stock, or you are having a
customized piece of jewelry created, like an engagement ring, or you're turning your church logo,
your parachurch logo, your denomination logo, your seminary logo, whatever your imagination and
creativity can conjure up, whatever you have in your brain, they
will turn it into a physical piece of jewelry that will blow your mind.
So for either of those things, purchasing a piece of jewelry or having a customized piece of jewelry created,
we will receive 100 of the profits from that sale if you mention Chris Arnzen of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
Go to royaldiadem .com, royaldiadem .com, and please go to that website soon if you have any
intention on purchasing jewelry or having a piece customized for yourself or for someone that you love,
because we have no idea when they're going to pull the plug on that wonderful offer.
That's royaldiadem .com, mention Chris Arnzen of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
We're now back with Gary George from The Sound of It.
I think he's torturing an animal in his home there or wherever he's conducting the interview.
Gary, why don't you pick up where you left off and conclude anything that you care to say
about the bedrock of what you are defending today, and then I'll move on to
some listener questions.
Okay, I think probably what your listeners would be interested in is maybe addressing the
question about does the New Testament teach replacement or
supersession theology?
Has the church replaced Israel?
It's one question to answer by the church being the new
Israel of God, but the other question remains, is the church the
final and only people of God?
Will there be a future for Israel?
So I think that might be important to your listening audience.
I think you'd agree with that.
So I think we can go in this kind of direction as far as
replacement.
Has the church replaced Israel?
Well, if you believe that there's a future national restoration ahead for Israel, you would obviously
say, the church hasn't replaced Israel.
Israel is still on hold.
They're suspended until a post -church age, if you're a dispensationalist,
or the end of the church age when Israel will be back with a national
status before God.
But I think the scriptures are pretty clear that there are definitely Jewish things that the church
embraces and are classified as being united with, and let me give you some examples of that,.
For instance.
Melchizedek has replaced Aaron, right?
Who is a high priest?
And ironically, if you hold to a future Ezekielian temple and are going
back to a ethnic priesthood of the Zadokites or the Levites who will be
conducting ceremonies and sacrifices in the future
temple, then how is it that Melchizedek will have to forfeit
his Melchizedek forever priesthood classification and yield it back to Aaron?
But rather, one has given way to the other.
The Melchizedek priesthood has eclipsed or replaced the Aaronic priesthood.
I think maybe your listeners have not really considered that possibly.
It's obvious that the new covenant has replaced the old covenant.
So we are a covenant people.
Israel was a covenant people.
They had a relationship with God, an external one, the new covenant
people of God, those that have been born again, those that have been circumcised inwardly,
those that have the new nature, those that don't have to be taught to know the Lord, for they'll know me from the least
to the greatest.
It explains that in Hebrews chapter eight, in Hebrews chapter 10.
So couldn't we say that the new covenant has replaced the old covenant?
I'm just trying to give your audience some ideas about the use of the word replacement and
examples of replacing old with the new.
The temple, for instance, of believers right now, which is what we have called, we are the temple of God.
We are individually temples in which the spirit of God dwells, but looking at
ourselves corporately, we are classified as the building, the temple of
God.
So there you could say that the temple of believers has replaced the physical temple
or temples of the past or any other future type of temple.
Again, there's another example of replacement.
The true Jew, the one that was circumcised inwardly has replaced the ethnic
Jew or the one who has been only circumcised outwardly.
The Jerusalem, for instance, of the old has been replaced by the Jerusalem that is above.
Important verse, Galatians 4, 26.
Jerusalem, which is above, is the mother of us all.
We have freedom and liberty as being connected to the spiritual
Jerusalem, which is above.
The one beneath, Paul says, he classifies it, that the children of the
Jerusalem from below are in bondage and with their children.
The seating of Christ on David's throne now has replaced any idea of a
future Jesus sitting on a throne or another David -like character sitting on
the throne.
The Zion above, according to Hebrews 12, 22, has been replaced, has
replaced the Zion on earth.
The once for all sacrifice has been replaced by all other sacrifices, past or future.
Jesus, the greatest servant of Yahweh, has replaced the inferior servant Israel, Hosea
11, 1 and Matthew 2, 15.
They're both all God's son.
Jesus is the greater than Israel.
He's the new replacement for Israel.
The Sabbath rest in Christ has been replaced.
He is our Sabbath rest.
He has replaced the need for a future or a present Sabbath keeping.
The Jewish feasts have been forever replaced by Jesus and his work.
The Passover celebration has forever been replaced by Jesus's judgment death on the cross.
Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us.
So if people wanna go back to temple worship and there's this suspense that many Christians,
evangelical conservative Christians hold, they're getting the red heifer ready, they're getting the construction of the
temple.
When I went to Israel, I went to a place called the Temple Institute where they're actually
constructing our temple pieces of furniture.
And I saw these life -size pieces of furniture that are worth thousands and hundreds of thousands of
dollars.
And there is some expectations that some sects have that the temple is going to be restored and
rebuilt.
And of course, dispensationalist has a difficulty of understanding is that the temple of Ezekiel?
What other temple would be prophesied in the Old Testament that would be one that would go back to
one preceding the millennium?
That's a difficulty for dispensationalists.
The children of faith have replaced the children of the flesh.
Circumcision without hands has replaced the circumcision with hands.
The types and shadows have been replaced by the substance, Colossians 2 .17.
The children of the devil, the Jewish unbelievers, that's what Jesus calls them, have been replaced by the spiritual seed of Abraham.
Worship is now at a sanctified location that has been replaced
by spiritual worship in an undesignated place.
Like Jesus talking to the woman at the well, you say that this is the place and Jerusalem is the place and so on.
But he goes on to say elsewhere that where the two or three are gathered together in my name, there
am I in the midst of them.
So the idea of one sanctified location where persons would meet together and are going
back to Old Testament practices is ridiculous.
And it's contradictory to the progression that the New Testament makes.
It's absolutely contradictory to the book of Hebrews.
I met a Jewish woman when I was in Israel.
She had been saved a number of years and she says, you know what I give to my fellow Jewish countrymen here?
I have copies of the book of Hebrews that I give them.
And I agree that that's the best thing that could possibly be handed out to a Jew because
it obviously indicates replacements or replacement theology.
The old national Israel God has been replaced by the new Israel of God, Galatians 6 .15.
And the natural children of Abraham have been replaced by the spiritual children of Abraham.
So can we have fault with the usage of the term replacement theology?
At least you'd have to admit that Melchizedek has replaced Aaron and spiritual circumcision
has replaced natural circumcision.
The once for all offering of Christ has replaced forever the temporal offerings that
never really took away sin anyway.
So these are strong indications that we have in the church.
This is an important verse in 1 Corinthians 10 .11.
It talks about the church upon whom the end of the ages has
come.
There is no post church age that is after the church.
The church is the conclusive age.
The New Testament is a fulfilling of the Old Testament.
So you could call it instead of replacement theology, if you don't like that, you could call it fulfillment
theology.
I like to think of the Old Testament as the bud and the New Testament as the blossom.
So that there were things that were promised and hoped for in the old that come to pass in the new.
The physical is replaced with the spiritual.
And so we're enjoying the end times with a high priest who's
after the order of Melchizedek, who's a king priest.
And he's a prophet that every soul that doesn't hear will be removed from the people of God.
So Jesus right now is currently carrying out his office of prophet, priest, and king
at the right hand of God.
So, okay, I have given you a few things there in regards to what one could
understand by replacement theology, the church replacing Israel.
Yes, and the thing that is baffling, you can understand
the uneducated non -believer, unbeliever being confused
by this and wrongly coming to the conclusion that this is a
bigoted ideology where
a belief is being taught that Gentiles have replaced Jews.
And that is not at all what you are saying because the church
began completely as a Jewish group and then
gradually more and more Gentiles began to join that group
by becoming circumcised in their hearts by becoming born again.
And we have reached a day, and this has been the case for many centuries,
that there are numerically a greater number of Gentiles in Jesus's
church, but it is not an exclusively Gentile club of some kind.
And so, as I said, it's understandable that an unbeliever may jump to that wrong
conclusion of using terms like replacement theology.
But what is baffling is that our dispensationalist brothers in Christ,
some of them whom are very biblically literate, they might even be scholars,
and also our messianic Jewish brethren, how they, as the world does,
equate the term church with Gentiles.
Even if they're not doing it consciously, it appears that they are at least unconsciously doing that.
There would be no reason for being upset and hurling the charge of anti -Semitism if that
was not the case.
Am I right?
Yeah, and here's another angle to look at, Chris, and the fact is that the church, and when we're saying
the church, we're using it as the New Testament terminology of the new
covenant people of God.
There's definitely a continuity between the old and the new.
We get that teaching from Romans chapter 11 so that there's no real separation.
There's no two peoples of God.
There's one people of God, and Christ is the reason for the union with one another.
But in the New Testament, we have obviously a new day where Jesus says, I will build my
church.
So you could say the spiritual construction is now put under new management,
and Jesus is the builder.
How interesting that Jesus was a carpenter himself, and he describes the way in which the church
would be constructed with the term using, I will build, a building word expression.
And so when we get to Acts chapter 2 after we read of the conversion of the Jews particularly, and then in verse
47, it says the Lord added to the church daily those that were being saved.
That's how Christ was building his church.
And this is the point I'm trying to get to, Chris.
Who was the nucleus of the nascent church?
It was the Jews.
Yes.
It was the Jews that were converted.
In fact, every book of the New Testament was written by a Jew except for Acts and Luke.
And absolutely.
Even Paul, who's an apostle and teacher of the Gentiles, who's commissioned by Christ to
go to the nations and not to stay in Israel, in Jerusalem and Judea and so on, but he
sent him far hence unto the Gentiles.
Where does Paul set up camp, so to speak, in the presentation of the gospel?
He goes to the synagogues.
OK, we have to pick up where you left off.
We have to go to our midway break.
Be patient, folks.
It's the longer break than normal.
So we'll be right back.
James White of Alpha Omega Ministries here.
I'm very excited to announce that my longtime friend Chris Arnzen of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio and I
are heading down to Atlanta, Georgia, again for the G3 National Conference.
That's Thursday, September 21st through Saturday the 23rd on a theme that I've been preaching, teaching,
writing about and defending in live public debates for most of my life.
The sovereignty of God.
I'll be joined on the speaking roster by Steve Lawson, Vody Baucom, Paul Washer, Virgil Walker, Scott
Anuel and Josh Bice, founder of G3 Ministries.
And there's more great news.
Chris Arnzen of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio can get you a 30 percent discount off the registration
fee.
Go to g3min .org.
That's g3min .org and enter promo code
G3ISIR.
That's G3ISIR for the 30 percent discount.
Chris Arnzen, I look forward to seeing you all Thursday, September 21st through Saturday the 23rd for the G3
National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, on the sovereignty of God.
Make sure you stop by the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Exhibitor booth and say hi to Chris Arnzen while
you're there.
Go to g3min .org and enter promo code G3ISIR for your
30 percent discount off the registration fee.
It's
such a blessing to hear.
From Iron Sharpens Iron Radio listeners from all over the world.
Here's Joe Riley, a listener in Ireland who wants you to know about a guest on the show
he really loves hearing interviewed, Dr. Joe Moorcraft.
I'm Joe Riley, a faithful Iron Sharpens Iron Radio listener here in Ottawa in County Kildare,
Going back to 2005, one of my very favorite guests on Iron Sharpens.
Iron is Dr.
Joe Moorcraft.
If you've been blessed by Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, Dr. Moorcraft and Heritage Presbyterian Church of Cumming,
Georgia are largely to thank since they are one of the program's largest financial supporters.
Heritage Presbyterian Church of Cumming is in Forsyth County, a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Heritage is a thoroughly biblical church, unwaveringly committed to Westminster standards.
And Dr.
Joe Moorcraft is the author of an eight volume commentary on the larger catechism.
Heritage is a member of the Hanover Presbytery built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone and tracing its roots and heritage back to the great Protestant
Reformation of the 16th century.
Heritage maintains and follows the biblical truth and principles proclaimed by the reformers, scripture alone,
grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, and God's glory alone.
Their primary goal is the worship of the Triune God that continues in eternity.
For more details on Heritage Presbyterian Church of Cumming, Georgia, visit HeritagePresbyterianChurch
.com.
That's HeritagePresbyterianChurch .com or call 678 -954
-7831.
That's 678 -954 -7831.
If you visit, tell them Joe Reilly, an Iron Sharpens Iron radio listener from a tie in County Kildare, Ireland,.
Sent you.
If you're near retirement or thinking about retiring, you probably have questions.
How do you make your savings last?
How much should you take out and when?
You're ready for retirement, but are your finances?
Art Amundsen, an Edward Jones financial advisor, can help you build a strategy to help make sure your
finances keep up with your long term needs.
Do what it takes to get there.
Now it's time to make the most of retirement.
Visit EdwardJones .com.
That's EdwardJones .com or call 717 -258 -4688.
717 -258 -4688.
We here at Iron Sharpens Iron Radio are forever grateful for the generous financial support
of Art Amundsen, Edward Jones financial advisor in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.
Call 717 -258 -4688 today.
If you love Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, one of the best ways you can help keep the show on the air is
by supporting our advertisers.
One such faithful advertiser who really believes in what Chris Arnton is doing is
Daniel P. Patafuco, serious injury lawyer and Christian apologist.
Dan is the president and founder of the Historical Bible Society.
Their mission?
To foster belief in the credibility of scripture as the written word of God.
They go to various churches, schools, and institutions to publicly display a rare collection
of biblical texts along with a fascinating presentation by Mr. Patafuco
demonstrating the reliability of scripture.
To advance the cause of the gospel, they created a beautiful, perfect facsimile of the
genealogy of Jesus Christ from the original engravings contained in a first edition
1611 King James Bible.
This 17th century hand -engraved chart shows the family tree of Jesus Christ
going back to Adam and Eve.
This book is complete with gorgeous, full -size illustrations of Noah's Ark and the Tower of
Babel and an explanation of why the genealogy of Jesus is so important for his claims
to the throne of the universe.
Originals of this work are in museums and nobody has ever made it accessible to the public
in a large book form before.
You can have your own copy of this 44 -page genealogy book for a donation of $35 or
more.
Visit historicalbiblesociety .org.
That's.
Historicalbiblesociety .org.
Thanks for helping to keep Iron Sharpens Iron Radio on the air.
As host of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, I frequently get requests from listeners for church recommendations.
A church I've been strongly recommending as far back as the 1980s is Grace Covenant Baptist Church in
Flemington, New Jersey, pastored by Alan Dunn.
Grace Covenant Baptist Church believes it's God's prerogative to determine how he shall be worshiped and how he
shall be represented in the world.
They believe churches need to turn to the Bible to discover what to include in worship and how to worship
God in spirit and truth.
Grace Covenant Baptist Church endeavors to maintain a God -centered focus.
Reading, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs,
baptism, and communion are the scriptural elements of their corporate worship, performed with faith, joy,
and sobriety.
Discover more about Grace Covenant Baptist Church in Flemington, New Jersey at
gcbcnj .squarespace .com.
That's gcbcnj .squarespace .com or
call them at 908 -996 -7654.
That's 908 -996 -7654.
Tell Pastor Dunn that you heard about Grace Covenant Baptist Church on Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
Getting a driver's license, running a cash register, flipping burgers, passing sixth grade.
Do you know what they all have in common?
They all require training, assessments, and certifications.
But do you know what requires no training at all?
Becoming a parent.
My name is A .M. Brewster.
I'm the president of Truth Love Parent and host of its award -winning podcast.
I've been a biblical family counselor since the early 2000s.
And what I've discovered is that the majority of Christian parents have never been biblically equipped to do the work of the ministry in
their homes.
That's why Truth Love Parent exists.
We serve God by equipping dads and moms to be the ambassador parents God called and created them to be.
We produce free parenting resources, train church leaders, and offer biblical counseling so that the next generation of
dads and moms can use the scriptures to parent their children for life and godliness.
Please visit us at truthloveparent .com.
Every day at thousands of community centers,.
High schools,.
Middle schools, juvenile institutions, coffee shops, and local hangouts, Long Island Youth for Christ,
staff and volunteers meet with young people.
Who need Jesus.
We are rural and urban and we are always about the message of Jesus.
Our mission is to have a noticeable spiritual impact on Long Island, New York by engaging young people in the lifelong
journey of following Christ.
Long Island Youth for Christ has been a stalwart bedrock ministry since 1959.
We have a world -class staff and a proven track record of bringing consistent love and encouragement to youths in
need all over the country and around the world.
Help honor our history by becoming a part of our future.
Volunteer, donate, pray, or all of the above.
For details, call Long Island Youth for Christ at 631 -385
-8333.
That's 631 -385 -8333.
Or visit liyfc .org.
That's liyfc .org.
James White of Alpha Omega Ministries here.
If you've watched my Dividing Line webcast often enough, you know I have a great love for getting Bibles and other
documents vital to my ministry rebound to preserve and ensure their longevity.
And besides that,.
They feel so good.
I'm so delighted I discovered Post Tenebrous Lux Bible Rebinding.
No radio ad will be long enough to sing their praises sufficiently, but I'll give it a shot.
Jeffrey Rice of Post Tenebrous Lux is a remarkably gifted craftsman and artisan.
All his work is done by hand from the cutting to the pleating of corners to the perimeter stitching.
Jeffrey uses the finest buttery soft imported leathers in a wide variety of gorgeous colors, like
the turquoise goat skin tanned in Italy used for my Nestle All -in -28th edition with a navy
blue goat skin inside liner and the electric blue goat skin from a French tannery used to rebind a Reformation
study Bible I used as a gift.
The silver gilding he added on the page edges has a stunning mirror finish resembling highly polished chrome.
Jeffrey will customize your rebinding to your specifications and even emboss your logo into the leather,
making whatever he rebinds a one of a kind work of art.
For more details on Post Tenebrous Lux Bible rebinding, go to
ptlbiblerebinding .com.
That's ptlbiblerebinding .com.
I'm Dr. Tony Costa, professor of apologetics and Islam at Toronto Baptist Seminary.
I'm thrilled to introduce to you a church where I've been invited to speak and have grown Hope
Reformed Baptist Church in Corham, Long Island, New York, pastored by Rich Jansen and Christopher
McDowell.
It's such a joy to witness and experience fellowship with people of God, like the dear saints at Hope Reformed Baptist Church
in Corham, who have an intensely passionate desire to continue digging deeper and deeper into
the unfathomable riches of Christ in his holy word and to enthusiastically proclaim
Christ Jesus the King and his doctrines of sovereign grace in Suffolk County, Long Island and
beyond.
I hope you also have the privilege of discovering this precious congregation and receive the blessing
of being showered by their love as I have.
For more information on Hope Reformed Baptist Church, go to hopereformedli .net.
That's hopereformedli .net or
call 631 -696 -5711.
That's 631 -696 -5711.
Tell the folks at Hope Reformed Baptist Church of Corham, Long Island, New York, that you heard about them from Tony Costa
on Iron Sharpens Iron.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said,.
Give yourself unto reading.
The man who never reads will never be read.
He who never quotes will never be quoted.
He will not use the thoughts of other men's brains, proves he has no brains of his own.
You need to read.
Solid Ground Christian Books is a publisher and book distributor who takes these words of the Prince of Preachers to heart.
The mission of Solid Ground Christian Books is to bring back treasures of the past to minister to Christians in the present and
future and to publish new titles that address burning issues in the church and the world.
Since its beginning in 2001, Solid Ground has been committed to publish God -centered, Christ -exalting
books for all ages.
We invite you to go treasure hunting at solid -ground -books .com.
That's solid -ground -books .com and see what priceless literary gems from the past
or present you can unearth from Solid Ground.
Solid Ground Christian Books is honored to be a weekly sponsor of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
And never forget, folks, make your very first stop for all your gift giving needs solid
-ground -books .com.
They bring back into print and also publish for the very first time nothing but the finest
in Christian literature dating back to the Protestant Reformation and extending forward to our current day,
including such modern -day authors as Dr. James R. White of Alpha and Omega Ministries.
So visit solid -ground -books .com frequently, purchase generously.
Always mention that you heard about them from Chris Arnzen of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
Before I return to Gary George and our discussion on is the church Israel today, I have
a couple of very important announcements to make.
First of all, if you love this show and you do not want it to disappear from the airwaves, I'm
urging you, please go to ironsharpensironradio .com, click support, then click, click to donate now.
You could donate instantly with a debit or credit card in that fashion.
Folks, I've told you this before, but ever since the hysteria of the COVID
pandemic and the mandates that governments, both federal and local,
were imposing upon people, I'm assuming that people very often,
people in our audience had their income diminished.
They could have lost their jobs completely.
They could have even lost family businesses that their family has owned and passed on for generations
because our giving, or should I say giving to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio has
plummeted ever since then and has never bounced back.
I'm urging you, please, if you really love the show, go to ironsharpensironradio .com, click support, then click, click
to donate now.
If you prefer snail mail, sending in a physical address, sending a physical check to a
physical address, there will also be a physical address that appears on your screen when you click support at
ironsharpensironradio .com where you can mail your checks made payable to Iron Sharpens Iron.
If you want to advertise with us, as long as whatever it is you desire to advertise is compatible with what I believe,
then I would love to help you launch an ad campaign as quickly as possible because we are just as much in urgent need of your advertising
dollars as we are in your donations.
So if you want to advertise your church, your parachurch ministry, your business, your private
practice like a law firm or a medical firm, or perhaps it's just a special event you're having, send me an email to
chrisarnson at gmail .com and put advertising in the subject line.
Also remember, I never want anybody in the audience to give their own church where they are a member
less money than you are accustomed to giving your church on the Lord's Day in order to give
a gift to Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
Please never do that.
Never cut into your financial resources that you have set aside for your Lord's Day giving at your own
local church in order to bless us.
Don't do that.
Also, if you are really struggling to survive and make ends meet, please wait until you are financially stable and back
on your feet before you send us a gift.
The two things that are very clear in the Bible about finances is that we are commanded to provide for our church and
our family.
Providing for this radio show is obviously not a command, but if you love the show, you don't want it to disappear and you do have
extra money above and beyond your ability to provide for your church and family.
You have extra money in the bank collecting interest, extra money for benevolent, recreational and trivial purposes.
Please share some of that money with us if you really do love the show and don't want us to disappear.
Go to IronSharpensIronRadio .com, click support, then click, click to donate now.
Also, I want to make sure that all of our listeners who are men in ministry leadership are
aware of the next Iron Sharpens Iron Radio free pastor's luncheon on Thursday, April 13th,
11 a .m. to 2 p .m. at Church of the Living Christ in Loisville, Pennsylvania.
My speakers are Dr. William Webster, who is a Banner of Truth author and a pastor
in Battleground, Washington, and also Reverend David T. King, who is a co -author of Dr.
Webster's and also a pastor in Katy, Texas.
They are going to be the two speakers at the pastor's luncheon.
It's absolutely free of charge.
And not only do you get fed spiritually and physically at this event for free, everybody in
attendance will leave that place with a very heavy sack of free brand new books personally selected by
me, donated by Christian publishers all over the United States and the United Kingdom.
All of that is free of charge.
This was the brainchild of my precious late wife, Julie, in the 1990s.
And since she has gone home to be with the Lord, I continue to conduct these pastor's luncheons biannually
in tribute to her and in loving memory of her.
So if you'd like to attend the luncheon, send me an email to chrisarnsen at gmail .com and put luncheon in the subject line.
Then the three days following that, the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Bible Conference is being held at a
different church from April 14th through the 16th.
That's a Friday through Sunday.
The same two speakers, Dr. Webster and Reverend King are speaking at this three day Bible conference at Grace
Bible Fellowship Church of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
The theme is the gospel removed by Rome, rescued by the reformers and
rejected by modern evangelicals.
Absolutely free of charge.
And the difference with the three day conference is that everyone is welcome, not just men in ministry leadership.
Every man, woman and child is welcome to attend.
And you can register for free by sending me an email to chrisarnsen at gmail .com and put conference in the subject
line.
And obviously, if you are also registering for the luncheon, put luncheon and conference in the subject line.
And last but not least, if you are not a member of a Christ honoring, biblically faithful, theologically sound,
doctrinally solid church like Sovereign Grace Chapel of Southbridge, Massachusetts, I have extensive lists of
biblically faithful churches all over the planet Earth.
And I may be able to help you find a church no matter where you live, as I have done with many people
in our audience spanning the globe, sometimes even within just a couple of minutes from where they live.
So if you are in that predicament, you do not have a biblically solid church home.
Send me an email to chrisarnsen at gmail .com and put I need a church in the subject line.
That's also the email address where you can send in a question to Gary George on our theme today,
which is, is the church Israel today?
And Gary has emphatically answered that question with a yes.
And before I go to our listener questions, did you want to finalize anything?
Because I had to cut you off when we went to the midway break.
I just wanted to say about the Apostle Paul.
Although he was an apostle to the Gentiles, when he went on his missions, he went to
primarily the outposts of the synagogues to proclaim the gospel.
And of course, the synagogues were composed of not only Jews, but also Gentiles who would have heard.
And so he could broadcast to them, as he says in Acts 13, 26, whosoever among you
feareth God to you is the word of this salvation sent.
So Paul is embracing both the Jews and Gentiles as potential candidates to the
reception of the gospel with the prerequisite of do fear God, which is so
critical, which is the beginning of wisdom.
So there's an invitation.
Again, getting back to our point that if we say, and I would say, yes, the church is the
Israel of God today.
Does that mean that Jews are excluded?
Of course not.
The gospel is unto all and upon all who believe.
The first churches in the first centuries were composed of primarily Jews.
Paul says that there remains a remnant according to the election of grace.
And he was referring to himself as one who was of the tribe of Benjamin and God had mercy on him.
And so doesn't he throughout the ages of the church.
He is also including Jews into the family of God by the new birth.
People like to say, well, aren't the Jews the chosen people?
Yes, they were the chosen people, but they are no longer the chosen people.
The chosen people are the people who have been chosen by God in eternity.
They are the true people of God and the true Israel of God.
And of course, some of those chosen people or another term is the elect.
Some of those are Jews, but the Jews are not exclusively the chosen people.
No, well, they were.
I was saying that in the Old Testament, they were primarily the ones whom God had chosen nationally of all
the nations of the Europe.
And even people have problems with election and so on.
They have to admit that God chose one nation above all the other nations and only that nation.
And that was the nation of Israel.
So why would it be difficult to understand that God chooses some people and not all people to become his
sheep anyway?
Yes.
Go ahead.
Oh, I just wanted to say I think that some things need to be clarified, especially
when using the word replacement, especially since there is a very
popular buzz phrase being used by those who are opponents to
what you and I believe about this.
They will hurl that accusation.
Oh, you believe in replacement theology, but they have in their minds something
that is different.
They in fact, a beloved brother that I love so much.
I used to love interviewing him.
A believing Jew, Marty from he's now in eternity with Christ, wonderful
brother.
And I had so much in common with him theologically, but he would unintentionally
misrepresent our position.
And he would say things like, you believe that God is through
with the Jews?
I've never heard a reformed or Calvinistic pastor, scholar or
theologian in my life say that.
Nobody that I know that I would give an ounce of respect to says that God is through
with the Jews.
God saves Jews through the evangelism of his people every day.
He brings them to their knees to bow to the finished work of Christ on Calvary as their
only hope for salvation.
He's not through with the Jews.
In fact, even there are some reformed Christians who believe that there's going to be a mass
conversion towards the end of earthly existence as we know it before the
return of Christ.
So I just want to interject.
Something that I think is very important.
If we shouldn't be using the expression, God is through with the Jews because
God is not through with the conversion era of time.
God is saving people throughout the times that we exist.
And so those whom he saves, they embrace and come into the
new covenant people of God.
So even if people want to hold to a national grand, you know, resurrection and
restoration of national Israel, there's not going to be another covenant.
There's only two covenants.
One we know is passe, and the current one is the one that we are in now called the church
age or the new covenant, the second covenant.
And any Jew, whether individually, corporately, nationally, they've got to
be included in this one and only last final covenant.
It's called in Hebrew 13, the everlasting covenant.
So even if you want to say there is a future for the Jews, that future for the Jews is that they're going to be
included into the church.
That's the bride, the final peoples of God, the church.
First Corinthians 10, 11, I'll repeat it again.
Upon whom the end of the ages is come.
What's one of the things were written for time were written for our learning.
What was written for time?
All the prophets and law had spoken.
We're addressing this time period as well as well.
And Paul uses the same expression.
He was accused of being a heretic.
But yet he's speaking.
He's speaking all the things that were written by the law and the prophets in Moses.
And I think we also have to be careful about you used the phrase before that I think would, if
you use it, would require explanation.
The New Testament has replaced the Old Testament that may convey in the minds of people
that the Old Testament is worthless, that the Old Testament is nothing but
a history book that we can return to from time to time just to
titillate our imagination or learn more about the origins of the
Christian faith before Christ and so on.
Obviously, the Old Testament or the Hebrew scriptures are extremely important.
We have to handle them with just as much care as we do the New Testament.
And there are bedrock truths.
There are essential truths contained in the Old Testament that we have to believe today.
100%, I mean, 2 Corinthians 3, 16, all scriptures given by inspiration of God is profitable
doctrine and so on.
And what is Paul referring to when he's writing that to Timothy?
The New Testament canon was only in progress at best.
Right, right.
And he was obviously referring to the Old Testament.
So there's tremendous value in the Old.
You know, this is all inspired scripture, no prophecy of scriptures of any
private interpretation for the prophecy came not in old time by the will of men, but by holy men of
God who were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
That's sacred scripture.
So it deserves and demands due reverence.
Amen.
And I've actually heard in my lifetime after becoming saved, not from my own pastors, but
I've actually heard pastors tell their congregations that
the Old Testament is not really all that important now.
In fact, I would encourage you to buy the New Testament that is isolated unto itself without
the Old Testament on it.
I mean, I understand that for convenience sake, that those versions of the
scripture can be helpful just because they're smaller and lighter and easier to fit in a pocket or
something.
But you know,.
But you've never.
Go ahead.
The New Testament contains about 8 ,000 verses, roughly 1 ,800
really.
About one eighth of them, approximately 1 ,000 verses have either
direct reference or allusion to the Old Testament.
So you could say that one eighth of the Old Testament is contained in the New Testament.
As a matter of fact, when I was a young believer and I started reading, I started reading the gospel of John and Matthew and the
epistles.
And I come across the name Abraham and David and Elijah and so on.
And I said to myself, boy, I need to know who these characters are.
It's important.
How am I going to understand the meaning of what the New Testament author is writing when I don't understand the context
of who these people are from the Old Testament?
So it motivated me to want to read the Old Testament scriptures.
Amen.
All right, let's go to some of our listener questions.
We have Pat in East Brookfield, Massachusetts.
Will you please elaborate on the differences if there are any between replacement and fulfillment?
Actually, you've already done a great deal of that already.
Is there any one thing you want to add to that?
Rephrase the last part.
I missed what you said there.
Will you please elaborate the differences if there are any between replacement and
fulfillment?
Yeah, it's just a matter of semantics.
It depends on how what emphasis you want to put.
Like I had put emphasis on the replacement from the standpoint that, you know, Melchizedek has
replaced Abraham's virtual circumcision, has replaced the physical circumcision.
The spiritual temple of the church has replaced the old temple.
And I gave numerous examples of Jerusalem, which is above, has replaced the Jerusalem, which is below, and on and on.
The Passover has been fulfilled or replaced by Christ's Passover sacrifice of himself.
So there, I think you could use the word replacement, but it does need explanation.
People have a problem with replacement because it gives the impression that that means that there's no
future for Israel.
And we just addressed what that meant.
But I think fulfillment really gives what we were talking about, the interrelationship between the old
and the new and how one yields, the old that is, yields itself to the new.
I had referred to an expression like the bud develops into a blossom so that there's
really a integration that takes place an actual organic,
dynamic unity that takes place between the old and the new.
As one is coming into fruition, it is actually taking Old Testament
types and shadows and putting body on the skeleton, if you will.
Oh, we have a listener, Susan Margaret in Dauphin County,
Pennsylvania, who asks, in light of everything you have said today, how are we
to view that national area of the Middle East today
known as Israel?
Well, of course, it's obvious that they were formally the, it was God's territory that God gave
specifically a land that flowed with milk and honey to Israel.
And he ousted all the nations.
And he tried to do that through the people of God, the Jews.
And obviously, they have been ousted again, not only in past exiles, but the final exile that
took place in 70 AD and subsequent to that.
So all Israel was scattered.
So what, in my opinion, and I could be wrong on this, but I'm definitely not a Christian
Zionist.
I don't think that the Zionist movement that began with Herschel back in the 1890s and
was carried through into the 1900s and so on that Israel has been nationally
restored and that they're back on their feet spiritually.
If you know anything about Israel today, they are primarily and I shouldn't say maybe primarily,
but there's a mixture.
They're not, they're not there religiously.
They're there politically.
They're there for a personal gain and for any other nation that would want to enjoy
a land for themselves.
So I don't see that as a fulfillment of a promise that was made to Abraham about the land.
I feel that that promise was fulfilled in the invasion of Joshua with the people.
And I think Joshua 21 pretty much settles that idea.
And the New Testament gives us no impression at all that the land is a future
promise for Israel.
We have come to the fulfillment of all land like promises spiritually by our
receiving Christ and having all the spiritual blessings that are in heavenly places in Christ.
So a land in the physicalness that may have been important to an Israelite and to a
Jew today, possibly is not something that the New Testament or that the Bible holds out as something relevant
to us.
Yes.
And don't you think that there is much abuse?
And I gotta, I gotta repeat myself.
There are so many dispensationalist Christians that I love and one of my greatest modern day heroes
is John MacArthur.
So I don't want my listeners to think that I am trashing all of
dispensationalism and dispensationalists.
But there are important things that
rise up due to a faulty theology on these things.
Like, for instance, the misuse of Genesis 12, verse 3, where
God says, I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you.
There are many Christians that might even be the majority of Christians in the 21st century
who think that that means we have to side with the current day
nation of Israel at all costs because if we don't, we better watch out.
God's going to curse us.
And you have atheists ruling that country,
socialists and so on.
You don't have people who return to the land because of a devotion to God.
Obviously, there are some people who believe that they're there for that reason, but I'm talking about as a whole.
In fact, as you may know, when the new nation of Israel
began, in the late 40s, this was a work of liberal Jews.
The Orthodox and the Hasidic wanted nothing to do with it because it was being viewed by them
as a manufactured Israel because the Messiah had not yet
come in their mind.
And today, there are many Hasidic Jews who still have that view.
But go ahead.
I'm sorry.
So I was just going to say when you talk about Israel nationally there in the land, Palestine,
they are definitely a secular community for the most part.
We Christians are naive in thinking that the Jews are like a homogenous
people, I should say, and that they're Jewish in their religious convictions
and so on.
Tel Aviv, which is the biggest city in Israel, happens to have the second largest gay parade
in all of the Middle East countries.
They pride themselves in that.
They're hardcore atheists.
And same thing in New York City.
And we always think of those Orthodox Jews and we see their zeal and their Sabbath keeping
and their ordinance keepings.
And we sympathize with them and we see them praying before the Western Wall with real fervor.
And a heart goes out to them.
You know, I was at the Western Wall and I was with a brother and I went up to the wall and I took the brother that was with me.
I said, let's back up with me, brother.
I said, let's pray for the conversion of these people.
Let's pray for their salvation, that the gospel would reach them.
I wish I could put a big sign on the Western Wall.
Repent towards God and put faith in Jesus Christ.
He is your only hope.
And there's a hatred of Christ, not only in Israel, but among many Jews and I have
confronted, I've had interrelations with rabbis and Orthodox Jews and they have
been harsh as the harshest persons I have met in my evangelistic outreaches
because of their despisal of Jesus Christ.
And I'm not saying that because I'm anti -Semitic.
I love all people.
We're commanded to spread the gospel to everybody.
And I feel like with the Jew, they are prime targets for the gospel because we have
so much in common with their belief in the full Testament and we can use the Old Testament, the
Isaiah 53s and various Psalms and so on and make them applicable and realized by
Jesus Christ in the New Testament.
Uh, we have another first time listener question.
Gregory in St. Kitts in the West Indies.
How does the Valley of Dry Bones and Romans 11 tie in with the church being the new
Israel?
Jesus told the Jews that he will give the kingdom to another nation producing the fruits
thereof.
What does that mean?
OK, that's a good point.
When he's going to when he went to the fig tree, Jesus cursed the tree and said, let's said, said, let
no fruit grow on the henceforth and forever.
I think that God God closed the door on Israel nationally.
So any prospects of future rejuvenation of Judaism, temple worship,
reinstitution of a priesthood, which is so contradictory to the New Testament where you don't have
in the New Testament these two classes of people, a hierarchy and the laity.
It runs so contrary to that.
But it's a good question.
I think that the person is asking concerning how does the Valley of Dry Bones and Romans 11.
I know he's talking about the end times when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.
It'll be like life from the dead.
And of course, the application that the that the question person wants to raise or bring to our attention
is that isn't that referring to Israel nationally being restored in some good men,
A .B. Spurgeon included in that would see it that way.
And I don't put I don't have a a problem with that.
I don't see it as a national restoration.
But I see when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in and then all Israel shall be saved.
I think it's the completion of the history of the conversion of Jews through the period of the church
age over the course of different ethics, you could say.
And each of those ethics, they remain the remnant, according to the election of grace like Paul.
And there would be other remnants throughout the next centuries in the next centuries and so on.
And when that's all completed, it will be life from the dead.
But go ahead, Chris, on your next question.
We have another first time questioner, Corey in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Did I pronounce Worcester right?
Well, no, you didn't know.
How do you pronounce it?
Worcester, Worcester.
Corey in Worcester.
I'll talk to you after the interview about that.
How can we say our beliefs are similar to Gary's, even though we are in a
culture where we will be labeled as anti -Semitic and they try to cancel
me?
I think what he's saying, I think he's what he's saying is how do we react to people
who slander us as being anti -Semitic and try to cancel us?
I think.
Well, you know, if we really tell them the truth that we want to see
Jews converted, we want them to, we want to see them to repent.
They would label us as anti -Semitic in some fashion or form.
If we believe that they nationally are rejected and that they have no future with
a return of the temple or this construction and all that type of thing, we're going to be labeled
anti -Semitic.
But the fact is, and I want to be as far away as being anti -Semitic as possible,
I and all believers should have a generosity and a charity towards all
people, including Semitic people.
So we don't, we shouldn't ever be thought of as anti -Semitic.
And if we give any impression, it's because of a wrong impression they got of our interpretation of
scripture.
But scripture would not point us in a direction to despise Jews, Israel or anything of that sort.
I think we can befriend them.
I think we can, we should love them.
And I think we can show them the fruit of the Holy Spirit, that that's where the life changing comes by faith
in Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit that makes us new creations.
And I would also add to that my comments that I am not
a Christian Zionist and you said the same.
In my case, that does not mean that I don't believe that
it demonstrates wisdom on many occasions for the United States as a
nation to often support the nation called
Israel today since they are an ally in the Middle East, surrounded by
people who want nothing but not only the destruction of Israel, but the destruction of the United States.
So, I mean, I'm not saying that we should ignore the importance of that nation or anything like that.
I'm just saying that we are wrong when we automatically assume that this is a, this
nation is a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.
Exactly.
And we have to go to our final break right now.
And if you have a question, I would urge you to submit it very quickly because we are rapidly running out of time.
Our email address is chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Chrisarnson at gmail .com.
Give us your first name at least, your city and state of residence and your country of residence if you live
outside of the USA.
Don't go away.
We are going to be right back after these messages with more of Gary George
and Is the Church Israel Today?
James White of Alpha Omega Ministries here.
I'm very excited to announce that my longtime friend, Chris Arnson of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio and I
are heading down to Atlanta, Georgia again for the G3 National Conference.
That's Thursday, September 21st through Saturday the 23rd on a theme that I've been preaching, teaching,
writing about and defending in live public debates for most of my life, the sovereignty of God.
I'll be joined on the speaking roster by Steve Lawson, Voti Baucom, Paul Washer, Virgil Walker, Scott
Anuel and Josh Bice, founder of G3 Ministries.
And there's more great news.
Chris Arnson of Iron Sharpens Iron Radio can get you a 30 discount off the registration
fee.
Go to g3min .org.
That's g3min .org and enter promo code
G3ISIR.
That's G3ISIR for the 30 % discount.
Chris Arnson, I look forward to seeing you all Thursday, September 21st through Saturday the 23rd for the G3
National Conference in Atlanta, Georgia on the sovereignty of God.
Make sure you stop by the Iron Sharpens Iron Radio Exhibitor booth and say hi to Chris Arnson while
you're there.
Go to g3min .org and enter promo code G3ISIR for your
30 discount off the registration fee.
I'm
Brian
McLaughlin,.
President of the SecureComm Group and an enthusiastic supporter of Chris Arnson's Iron Sharpens
Iron Radio program.
The SecureComm Group provides the highest level of security, close circuit television, access control
and communication systems for Manhattan's top residential buildings, as well as churches, commercial properties,
municipalities and more.
We custom install exactly what you need to protect yourself, including digital recording,
offsite viewing and connectivity from most smart devices.
From simple code activated systems to the latest technology using facial recognition, the
SecureComm Group has it.
We also provide the latest in intercom and IP telephone systems.
In addition, we provide superior networking platforms.
We'll create, maintain and secure your local network, whether it's a Wi -Fi or hardwire network,
we'll implement the latest secured firewall, endpoint solutions and cloud backup.
I would love to have the honor and privilege of helping protect the lives and property of Iron Sharpens Iron
radio listeners and their associates.
For more details on how the SecureComm Group may be of service to you with the very latest in security innovations,
call 718 -353 -3355.
That's 718 -353 -3355.
Or visit SecureCommGroup .com.
That's SecureCommGroup .com.
This is Brian McLaughlin of the SecureComm Group joining Chris Armisen's family of advertisers to keep
Iron Sharpens Iron radio on the air.
Puritan Reformed is a Bible believing kingdom building devil fighting church.
We are devoted to upholding the apostolic doctrine and practice preserved in scripture alone.
Puritan Reformed teaches men to rule and lead as image bearing prophets, priests and
kings.
We teach families to worship together as families.
Puritan is committed to teaching the whole counsel of God so that the earth will be filled with the knowledge of
God as the waters cover the sea.
We sing the Psalms, teach the law, proclaim the gospel, make disciples, maintain discipline and exalt
Christ.
This is Pastor David Reis of Puritan Reformed in Phoenix, Arizona.
Join us in the glorious cause of advancing Christ's crown and covenant over the
kings of the earth.
Puritan Reformed Church.
Believe.
Build.
Fight.
PuritanPHX .com.
Growing a beard is a habit most natural, scriptural, manly and beneficial.
Grace and peace to all the Iron Sharpens Iron listeners.
This is Tony with thestandardbeardcare .com.
That's right, thestandardbeardcare .com is a Christ exalting, better known and simple name in beard care.
So if you have a beard, know a guy with a beard or ladies, if you're married to a man with a beard, head over to thestandardbeardcare
.com.
Check out the vast array of all natural handcrafted products to make that beard scriptural, manly
and beneficial.
And when you do so, you will help to support Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
When you use the promo code IRON at checkout, you will receive free shipping to anywhere in the lower 48
and 10 of your donations will go back to Chris Harmsen and Iron Sharpens Iron Radio.
So head over to thestandardbeardcare .com where the standard is the standard.
I'm Dr. Joseph Piper, President Emeritus and Professor of Systematic and Applied Theology
at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Every Christian who's serious about the deformed faith and the Westminster standards should have and use
the eight volume commentary on the theology and ethics of the Westminster Larger Catechism
titled Authentic Christianity by Dr. Joseph Morecraft.
It is much more than an exposition of the Larger Catechism.
It is a thoroughly researched work that utilizes biblical exegesis as well as historical and
systematic theology.
Dr. Morecraft is pastor of Heritage Presbyterian Church of Cumming, Georgia, and I urge everyone looking
for a biblically faithful church in that area to visit that fine congregation.
For details on the eight volume commentary, go to westminstercommentary .com.
For details on Heritage Presbyterian Church of Cumming, Georgia, visit
heritagepresbyterianchurch .com heritagepresbyterianchurch .com.
Please tell Dr. Morecraft and the saints at Heritage Presbyterian Church of Cumming, Georgia, that Dr. Joseph
Piper of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary sent you.
If you love Iron Sharpens Iron Radio, one of the best ways you can help keep the show on the air is
by supporting our advertisers.
One such faithful advertiser who really believes in what Chris Arnton is doing is
Daniel P. Buttafuoco, serious injury lawyer and Christian apologist.
Dan is the president and founder of the Historical Bible Society.
Their mission?
To foster belief in the credibility of scripture as the written word of God.
They go to various churches, schools, and institutions to publicly display a rare
collection of biblical texts, along with a fascinating presentation by Mr. Buttafuoco
demonstrating the reliability of scripture.
To advance the cause of the gospel, they created a beautiful, perfect facsimile of the
genealogy of Jesus Christ from the original engravings contained in a first edition
1611 King James Bible.
This 17th century hand -engraved chart shows the family tree of Jesus Christ
going back to Adam and Eve.
This book is complete with gorgeous full -size illustrations of Noah's Ark and the Tower of
Babel and an explanation of why the genealogy of Jesus is so important for his claims
to the throne of the universe.
Originals of this work are in museums and nobody has ever made it accessible to the public
in a large book form before.
You can have your own copy of this 44 -page genealogy book for a donation of $35
or more.
Visit HistoricalBibleSociety .org.
That's HistoricalBibleSociety .org.
Thanks for helping to keep Iron Sharpens Iron Radio on the air.
This is Pastor Bill Sousa, Grace Church at Franklin here in the beautiful state of Tennessee.
Our congregation is one of a growing number of churches who love and support Iron
Sharpens Iron Radio financially.
Grace Church at Franklin is an independent, autonomous body of believers which strives
to clearly declare the whole counsel of God as revealed in scripture through the person and work
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And of course, the end for which we strive is the glory of God.
If you live near Franklin, Tennessee, and Franklin is just south of Nashville, maybe 10 minutes,
or you are visiting this area, or you have friends and loved ones nearby, we hope you will
join us some Lord's Day in worshiping our God and Savior.
Please feel free to contact me if you have more questions about Grace Church at Franklin.
Our website is GraceChurchAtFranklin .org.
That's GraceChurchAtFranklin .org.
This is Pastor Bill Sousa wishing you all the richest blessings of our Sovereign
Lord, God, Savior and King Jesus Christ today and
always.
And host of its award -winning podcast.
I've been a biblical family counselor since the early 2000s.
And what I've discovered is that the majority of Christian parents have never been biblically equipped to do the work of the ministry in
their homes.
That's why Truth Love Parent exists.
We serve God by equipping dads and moms to be the ambassador parents God called and created them to be.
We produce free parenting resources, trained church leaders, and offer biblical counseling so that the next generation of
dads and moms can use the scriptures to parent their children for life and godliness.
Please visit us at TruthLoveParent .com.
Hi, this is John Sampson, pastor of King's Church in Peoria, Arizona.
Taking a moment of your day to talk about Chris Arnzen and the Iron Sharpens Iron podcast.
I consider Chris a true friend and a man of high integrity.
He's a skilled interviewer who's not afraid to ask the big penetrating questions while always defending the key
doctrines of the Christian faith.
I've always been happy to point people to this podcast knowing it's one of the very few safe places on the internet
where folk won't be led astray.
I believe this podcast needs to be heard far and wide.
This is a day of great spiritual compromise and yet God has raised Chris up for just such a time.
And knowing this, it's up to us as members of the body of Christ to stand with such a ministry in prayer
and in finances.
I'm pleased to do so and would like to ask you to prayerfully consider joining me in supporting Iron
Sharpens Iron financially.
Would you consider sending either a one -time gift or even becoming a regular monthly partner with this ministry?
I know it would be a huge encouragement to Chris if you would.
All the details can be found at ironsharpensironradio .com where you can click support.
That's ironsharpensironradio .com.
Scott Brown here.
I hope you can join me and Chris Arnzen at the Chief End of Man Conference in Ridgecrest,
May 4th through 6th.
The Chief End of Man Conference is a national conference of church and family life, which exists
to proclaim the sufficiency of scripture.
At this conference, you'll hear Paul Washer, Joel Beakey, Scott Aniel, Josh Bice, and lots of other
great preachers, some of my favorite preachers.
And also we're having a pre -conference.
It's a singles conference, May 3 and 4, just before our big national conference.
I hope you can come for more information.
Go to churchandfamilylife .com.
Churchandfamilylife .com.
Hope to see you there.
And that's Ridgecrest, North Carolina.
For those of you wondering, I just have a quick plug to make for my dear friend,
Daniel P. Buttafuoco, attorney at law of the law firm of Buttafuoco Associates.
You've been hearing his ads for the Historical Bible Society, but some of you may miss a
very important fact in those ads that Dan is a personal injury attorney
and medical malpractice attorney for people who have very serious cases.
And he handles cases in all 50 states.
So since Dan has been a sponsor of Iron Triple Zion Radio since we first
launched in 2005, please return the favor by
contacting his firm if you or someone that you know is the victim of a very
serious injury or a medical malpractice situation called 1 -800 -NOW -HURT, 1 -800
-NOW -HURT, or visit 1 -800 -NOW -HURT .com, 1 -800 -NOW -HURT .com.
Gary, I think that you should summarize what you most want etched in the hearts and minds of our listeners today
before we even attempt to go to another listener question.
Well, I guess what I want to say is I think it kind of wrapped up with what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1
.20, all the promises of God in Christ are yea, and
in him amen to the glory of God.
So that's how we need to look at the Scriptures.
When Jesus met with his apostles after his resurrection, he expounded
unto them the things concerning himself.
And we are really the outflow of the person of Jesus.
As we are recognized as being the body, and he is the head, and we are members one of
another.
So whether it's a Jew or whether it's a Gentile, it's a wonderful thing to have a union together
as believers, but our union is in Christ.
So it kind of wraps the whole thing up as well.
In Ephesians 1 .10, it says that in the dispensation
of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth, even
in him.
So Christ must have in all things the preeminence.
So whatever our particular views may be, what needs to be highlighted the most is the
preeminence of Christ, that he is a glorious, exalted king sitting on
the throne.
He's lord of lords.
He's above every name that has been named, and to him be glory, honor, and power forever and ever and
ever.
And we are a part of his plan and amazingly united by his
powerful gospel call.
All right, we have time for at least one more listener question.
We have Christopher in Western Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.
Have you ever heard an answer from a dispensationalist or Christian
Zionist to 1 Peter 2, verse 9?
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own
possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of
darkness into his marvelous light.
In context, Peter is obviously speaking to Christians and
not exclusively to ethnic Jews.
How do they respond to this?
Who would say how do dispensationalists respond?
Is that the question?
Yes, I mean in your encounters when you've had dialogues.
These are the kinds of verses, as you call it, as implying that I think are stumbling to the
dispensationalists because the next verse, even after verse 9, says you who were not a people
are now the people of God.
So there's this, you know, electing gospel of grace that saves people
and brings them into the family.
And so he's not a Jew, which is one outwardly, but he is a Jew, which is one inwardly.
And now we have replaced Israel in the standpoint that I think maybe the
person who sent in the question might mean that as in Exodus chapter
19, Israel was called to be a priesthood of people of the kingdom.
And they had failed.
And now you are a chosen generation.
You are a royal priest, a holy nation, a people of God's particular treasure.
Yes, we have, in that sense, again, you could say we are the new people of God, the replacing people of
God, or the fulfillment people of God.
Okay, we got time for one more with a quick answer.
Let's see.
I am remaining anonymous because most of my dear friends are dispensationalists.
And I am being told over and over again that Romans 1 verses
16 is teaching us that we are to give priority in our
evangelistic efforts to Jews over Gentiles.
The text says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone who believeth the Jew first and also to the Greek.
But is this not just a matter of chronology from history and not
comparing two groups of people as one being more important?
Paul uses a similar language when he goes into the synagogue and the Jews reject him.
He says it was necessary that the gospel be first preached unto you, and now I must bring it unto
the Gentiles.
So yes, it is sequential.
As it says in Acts, when they receive power to be witnesses, it's Jerusalem, Judea,
Samaria, and the outermost parts.
Of the earth.
That's the chronological sequence, and the gospel did begin, as Jesus said, your witnesses unto me
from Jerusalem to the outermost parts.
Of the earth.
Amen.
Well, I also want to quickly plug the 2023 John Bunyan Conference, April
16th through the 19th at Grace Church at Franklin, Tennessee, who sponsored this program.
If you want more details on this conference, which should be utterly fascinating, they have quite a number of speakers there.
I believe 12, 11 or 12 speakers, including my friend Dr. Tony Costa of
Toronto Baptist Seminary.
If you want more details, go to ptinct .org.
That's ptinct .org.
Also, if you want more information about the church where Gary George, my guest today, is a pastor,
Sovereign Grace Chapel in Southbridge, Massachusetts, go to sovereigngracema .org.
Thank you so much, Pastor Gary, for always doing such a spectacular job.
I want to thank everybody who listened.
All first -time questioners who live in the United States have won a free New American
Standard Bible.
And if you give me your mailing address, we'll have cvbbs .com, Cumberland Valley Bible Book Service, ship
out a new Bible to you.
That's to all first -time questioners today who live in the United States.
I want you all to always remember for the rest of your lives that Jesus Christ is a far greater Savior than you
are a sinner.