The Church's Inheritance of Israel's Promises and Identity

The concept of the Church inheriting Israel's promises and identity is rooted in biblical texts and developed throughout Christian tradition. The Old Testament describes the Israelites as God's chosen people, with promises made to their ancestors, including Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ^[3]. These promises included the possession of the land of Canaan, which was seen as a heritage for Israel (Psalms 135:12, Psalms 136:22) ^{[1, 2]}.

In the New Testament, the concept of inheritance is reinterpreted in light of Christ's advent. The language of inheritance now refers to the spiritual benefits and eternal salvation promised to God's people (1 Peter 1:4) ^[5]. According to the Tyndale House commentary on 1 Peter, the inheritance originally applied to the land of Israel but came to signify the people of God and God's presence with them.

John Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion articulate a Reformed perspective on this issue. Calvin argues that the covenant made with the fathers is the same as the one made with Christians, differing only in administration ^[9]. one tradition notes that the terrestrial promises given to the Jewish nation were always subordinate to the spiritual promise, which remained primary ^[6]. Calvin's view is that the Church has inherited the spiritual promises made to Israel.

The Patristic tradition also addresses this topic. Tertullian and Origen discuss the distinction between Israel "after the flesh" and Israel "according to the Spirit" ^[7]. Augustine, in his City of God, interprets the promise of the land of Canaan as having been fulfilled to carnal Israel, while also pointing to a more excellent promise concerning the spiritual seed ^[10].

Charles Hodge's Systematic Theology represents a Reformed (Old Princeton) perspective, emphasizing that the Church is the continuation of the people of God under the new dispensation ^[4]. Hodge argues that the attributes ascribed to the Church in Scripture belong to true believers alone, and the promises made to the Church are fulfilled only to believers ^[4].

The Methodist/Wesleyan tradition, as represented by Adam Clarke's commentary on Ephesians, understands the inheritance obtained by believing Jews to be the adoption of sons and the kingdom of heaven, signified by the privileges under the Mosaic dispensation and the possession of the promised land ^[12].

A key point of discussion among these traditions is the relationship between the Church and the Jewish people. While some, like Calvin, see a continuity between the old and new covenants, others, like Hodge, emphasize the distinction between national Israel and the Church ^{[6, 8]}. Hodge argues that the Apostles recognized no future for the Jews that did not involve the participation of Gentile Christians ^[8].

The early Christian interpretation of Israel's promises is also reflected in the understanding of circumcision and membership in the people of God. According to Hodge, circumcision was both a sign of national membership and a sign of membership in the Hebrew Church, due to the intertwined nature of national and religious promises in God's covenant with Abraham ^[11].

The understanding of the Church's inheritance of Israel's promises and identity is thus complex and multifaceted, reflecting various theological emphases across Christian traditions. While there is agreement that the Church has inherited the spiritual promises made to Israel, the nature of this inheritance and its implications for the relationship between the Church and the Jewish people remain subjects of ongoing theological discussion.

The historical development of this doctrine is closely tied to the interpretation of biblical texts, particularly those related to the covenants and promises made to Israel. The early Christian writers and later theologians have grappled with how to understand these texts in light of Christ's advent and the formation of the Church.

Sources

Psalms “Psalms 136:22 (BSB) — a heritage to His servant Israel. His loving devotion endures forever.”
Psalms “and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people. -- Psalms 135:12”
Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Promises of God, The — Contained in the Scriptures -- Ro 1:2. Made in Christ -- Eph 3:6; 2Ti 1:1. Made to Christ. -- Ga 3:16,19. Abraham. -- Ge 12:3,7; Ga 3:16. Isaac. -- Ge 26:3,4. Jacob. -- Ge 28:14. David. -- 2Sa 7:12; Ps 89:3,4,35,36. The Israelites. -- Ro 9:4. The Fathers. -- Ac 13:32; 26:6,7. All who are called of God. -- Ac 2:39. Those who love him. -- Jas 1:12; 2:5. Confirmed by an oath -- Ps 89:3,4; Heb 8:6. Covenant established upon -- Heb 8:6. God is faithful to -- Tit 1:2; Heb 10:23. God remembers -- Ps 105:42; Lu 1:54,55. Are Good. -- 1Ki 8:56. Holy. -- ”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 1, section 38: the Spirit, so that the gates of hell should not prevail against them — he means his sincere or his nominal disciples, — believers or unbelievers? These questions admit of but one answer. The attributes ascribed to the Church in Scripture belong to true believers alone. The promises made to the Church are fulfilled only to believers. The relation in which the Church stands to God and 138 Christ is sustained alone by true believers. They only are the children and heirs of God; they only are the body of Christ in which He dwells by his Spir”
1 Peter (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Peter 1:4: 1:4 The language of inheritance frequently refers to what God has promised his people. Originally applied to the land of Israel (see Deut 3:28), the inheritance came to mean the people of God and God’s presence with them (see Ps 33:12; Ezek 44:28). In the New Testament, the inheritance is the spiritual benefit and eternal salvation that God promises to his people (see Eph 1:11; Heb 9:15).”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 98: place a manifest indication of favour before his eye, added the promise of possession of the land of Canaan. In the same way we should understand all the terrestrial promises which were given to the Jewish nation, the spiritual promise, as the head to which the others bore reference, always holding the first place. Having handled this subject fully when treating of the difference between the old and the new dispensations, I now only glance at it. 12. Under the appellation of children the difference they observe is this, that the ch”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — FROM THE GREEK. (part 1): discernment (above the letter), says somewhere, "Behold Israel after the flesh,"[1] as if there were an Israel "according to the Spirit." And in another place he says, "For they who are the children of the' flesh are not the children of God;" nor are "they all Israel who are of Israel; "[3] nor is "he a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is that 'circumcision' which is outward in the flesh: but he is a Jew who is one 'inwardly;' and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter."[4] For”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 88: that if there be any difference between them, it is not in virtue of national or social distinctions, but solely of individual character and devotion. That we are all one in Christ Jesus, is a doctrine 811 which precludes the possibility of the preeminence assigned to the Jews in the theory of which their restoration to their own land, and their national individuality are constituent elements. 5. The Apostles uniformly acted on this principle. They recognize no future for the Jews in which the Gentile Christians are not to participate. As”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 46: Israelites before the advent of Christ, and that which he has made with us now that Christ is manifested. 2. It is possible, indeed, to explain both in one word. The covenant made with all the fathers is so far from differing from ours in reality and substance, that it is altogether one and the same: still the administration differs. But because this brief summary is insufficient to give any one a full understanding of the subject, our explanation to be useful must extend to greater length. It were superfluous, however, in showing ”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 2 .--AT WHAT TIME THE PROMISE OF GOD WAS FULFILLED CONCERNING THE LAND OF CANAAN, WHICH EVEN CARNAL ISRAEL GOT IN POSSESSION. (part 1): In the preceding book we said, that in the promise of God to Abraham two things were promised from the beginning, the one, name- 338 ly, that his seed should possess the land of Canaan, which was intimated when it was said, "Go into a land that I will show thee, and I will make of thee a great nation;" (1) but the other far more excellent, concerning not the carnal but the spiritual seed, by whic”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 63: the State as well as the head of the Church. The priests and Levites were civil as well as religious officers. The sacrifices, and the festivals, even the Passover, ever regarded as a sacrament, were national as well as religious services. If, therefore, circumcision was a sign and seal of membership in the Hebrew nation, it was a sign and seal of membership in the Hebrew Church. All this arose from the nature of God’s covenant with Abraham. In that covenant, as we have seen, were included both national and religious promises. God selecte”
Ephesians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Ephesians 1:11: In whom - Christ Jesus; also we - believing Jews have obtained an inheritance - what was promised to Abraham and his spiritual seed, viz. the adoption of sons, and the kingdom of heaven, signified by the privileges under the Mosaic dispensation, and the possession of the promised land, but all these privileges being forfeited by the rebellion and unbelief of the Jews, they are now about to be finally cut off, and the believing part to be re-elected, and put in possession of the blessings promised to Abraham and his spiritual seed, by faith; for without a re-elect”

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