(Preliminary Statement as a result of a request from UK—subject to possible fine tuning!)

THE CHURCH of the Lord Jesus Christ is constituted of Jews and Gentiles, neither of which has any advantage over the other in respect of privilege or position other than by virtue of the fact that the Gospel is to the Jew first then to the Gentile.

The Scriptures clarify a distinction between Israel, God's ancient people and The Church to the extent that the former bears the latter and no vice versa. The advantage of the Jew is in the fact that to them was committed the lively oracles viz the Word of God, which came out from them to the Gentile world. Both Jew and Gentile enter The Church on the same basis viz repentance from sin and faith towards God.

Scripture speaks of the "time of the gentiles", which, to a large extent, parallels the Church age, during which time the special favour of God has been turned away from Israel as a nation until the time of the end. The return of the Jews to their ancient land, among other things, is a sign that this time has arrived.

In our view this is why we are seeing increasingly a turning back of God's providential favour to Israel. They remain HIS ancient people to whom HE has bound HIMSELF by an everlasting covenant, which HE made with Abraham.

That notwithstanding we believe that the Gospel must be preached to Israel in order that all Israel may be saved. We are opposed to those groups who simply aid Israel and the living Jews in respect of material land and possessions and at the same time withhold the Gospel from them. We believe that both things are good—natural aid and the preaching of the Gospel, which is the only power of God unto salvation. The former is important; the latter is essential and is therefore a required duty on the part of all Christians.

To refrain from preaching the Gospel to anyone—Jew or Gentile—is anti-christ.

Appeared in Volume4.3 November/December 1998