IDENTIFYING ISRAEL

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Understanding important truths from the Bible….

Galatians 6:16 NKJV

¹⁶ And as many as walk according to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.

Romans 9:6-7 

⁶ But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,

⁷ nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.”

The benediction in Galatians 6:16 hearkens back to the Aaronic benediction in Numbers 6:24-26.  All benedictions that come after this have it as the model for God’s blessing upon His people.  John Calvin in his translation of 6:16 begins with “Peace and mercy be upon”.  And there is certainly nothing wrong with this order of words.

But the interest in this verse does not center in the benediction.  The concern is an understanding of “this rule”, and whom is Paul addressing?  Let us examine these questions in the order stated.

There is every reason to think that Paul is referring to that principle of divine grace in the previous verse. Setting all niceties side, (circumcision and uncircumcision), he confines his concern to a single issue, “a new creation.” ¹⁵  

The word translated “rule” is the same one used to describe the New Testament as the New Testament Canon.  It is “limits, sphere, rule, or principle”.  Paul has laid out a principle. The principle of life by which the elect of God are to conduct themselves is the life of the new creation as believers in God’s word of righteousness.  This righteousness is in Christ Jesus by faith.  That is the canon of life for God’s people.  There seems to be no reason to go further back in this letter than 6:15 to determine Paul’s intention.

The question of to whom Paul intends the benediction has received a number of different answers.  There are three that are particularly suited to this letter.

1.  There are many good and very respected writers who say that “and” in this verse connecting those who walk by the standard with the “Israel of God” has its usual meaning connecting two subjects.  These say “the Israel of God” is something distinct from those previously described.  This is based upon two very strong arguments.

1.       “And” in its normal translation of  “kai”, is sometimes used to mean “even” but it is not often used in this way.  When it is there is usually a distinct reason for this change in use from the simple “connective”.

2.      The name Israel is never used completely distinctive from National Israel or Israel as the elect of God.  Therefore in 6:16 it should carry this meaning also.

“To the apostle there were two Israels—“they are not all Israel which are of Israel,”—and he says here, “not Israel according to the flesh”, but “the Israel of God,” or the true believing Israel; his own brethren by a double tie—by blood, and especially by grace.  Was it unnatural for the apostle to do this, especially after rebuking false Israel—the wretched Judaizers—who certainly were not the Israel of God?”  The John Eadie Greek Text Commentaries, Galatians, page 471.

2.  Others, and there are a great number, say that “God’s Israel” is referring to the church of both Gentiles and Jews.  There are references such as Romans 9:6-7 and Ephesians 2:11-13.  ¹¹ Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— ¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.  There are writers as early as the third century up to some of the most respected of the present day Evangelicals who hold this view.

3. There are other, by and large Premillennial Dispensationalists, who say this is National Israel, and is distinct from the church who is intended in the first category.  I do not own a Dispensational Commentary from which I can furnish a quote.  But I was taught this understanding described above in the Bible School I attended.

These mentioned as having a “standard” certainly are in the same category as those who are joined to them by the “kai”.  There is nothing adversative in this verse.  National Israel did not and does not have this standard, so I cannot see how they can be intended in the benediction.

Either the first or second understanding is exegetically appealing and is consistent with the context.  I would lean slightly to the second.  It seems to me that Paul always has the elect in view.  But National Israel just does not fit here.