Romans 2:28-29 - who are God's chosen people

It is Christians in the New Covenant and Spiritual Israel of the Old Covenant. See also Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

 

Joseph,

By Paul's definition here and elsewhere in Romans and Galatians, a true Jew is one who has been circumcised in heart. Remember, it was not controversial in Paul's day whether or not a Gentile could become a Jew. The question was how.

Paul's answer is that outward circumcision makes no difference. It is the heart that counts.

 

I don't think the translation you're using is accurate, because it leaves the door of legitimacy open to physical circumcision as a sign of the Covenant.

The translations I consider reliable state it this way:

The true Jew is not he who is such in externals, neither is the true circumcision the external mark in the flesh. The true Jew is he who is such inwardly, and the true circumcision is of the heart, directed not by written precepts but by the Spirit; such a man receives his commendation not from men but from God. (NEB)

Anyone who confesses Christ as Lord is chosen of God. There are no more earthly promises.

 

Optamill wrote,

Amen!

 

Romans 2:28-29

Who is Paul referring to when he talks about those who have a "...circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. "? Is this the Christians? According to this passage, who are Jews, God's Chosen People?

Joseph Botwinick </font>[/QUOTE]Hello JB, and OldRegular, Optamill, Aaron, and Craighbythesea.

Not answering yours in this post, and not to incite, but I notice those answering JB are taking a “dispensational” view on this subject.

I am conversant with OldRegular, and know he considers the “dispensationalist” to be an anathema, but just wondering about you others. Do any of you see in your answers, including OldRegular, a dispensational gospel Paul preaches, that dispensational gospel that Christ Jesus gave to him?

OldRegular, can you see that this is not the One Gospel you say that has always been? Did Jesus tell the Gentile this information before hand?
Christian faith, ituttut

 

Hello ituttut!

I am most definitely not dispensational in my theology, but the view posted above by Optamill is the correct view and it was worded very well. Pauline theology has been my specialty for more than 25 years and I have in my personal library more than 230 commentaries on Romans, and hundreds of additional volumes on Paul's theology and his other epistles. His writing have been bent, twisted, and mutilated by countless thousands for almost two thousand years, but Paul’s theology is, for the most part, very simple and straight forward.

 

No more earthly promices? So what are we to do with all the promices which God gave to ethnic Israel that have yet to be fulfilled? What are we to do with Ez. 37 onward? What are we to do with the Davidic Covenant?

 

When does Scripture speak of Jesus preaching to Gentiles?

 

Paul was speaking of believing Jews as the context indicates, yet he was not speaking of Gentile Christians.

 

On the point of God's chosen people....He has two, the first are those of ethnic Israel, to whom He gave many promices, the other people is those who are known as the "body of Christ" those who have been baptized in/with the Holy Spirit. Prior to the comming of Messiah in the flesh, God chose to reviel His glory by way of His dealings with the people of ethnic Israel, since the resurrection of Messiah, He has chosen Himself a people from all nations who He baptises in/with the Holy Spirit, those who are known as the Body of Christ. These are those through whom He is now glorifying Himself at this present time. There will come a time when He will remove this body of Christ from the face of the earth, and at that time He will continue to glorify Himself by way of the people of ethnic Israel, speciffically by way of the great tribulation.

 

When does Scripture speak of Jesus preaching to Gentiles? [/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]You might try reading John 4.

 

Paul was speaking of believing Jews as the context indicates, yet he was not speaking of Gentile Christians. [/QB]</font>[/QUOTE]He was speaking to Gentiles in Colossians 2:11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

 

I believe Scripture is quite clear about LITERAL Israel and Judah. God says he will restore both of them, and make them one nation again, restoring Judah first. It's very obvious that's what He's doing right now, as in a little over 50 years, we've seen Judah grow from a collection of villages & kibbutzim to the 4th-strongest military power of all time, and the pound-for-pound military champ. And her economy is growing rapidly also.

Plainly, literal Israel and Spiritual Israel are different. God has made specific promises to each. He's gonna restore literal Israel, not because they deserve it, but in order th SHOW HIS POWER to both them and the rest of the world, that His word STANDS.

 

Present day Israel is a creation of the United Nations not God.

 

The JEWS are Gods chosen people yesterday ~ Today and Forever !

But since the Jews rejected " Their " Messiah, God has transfered his grace over to the church.
But he still loves the Jews and isn't finished with them yet!

The Jews are the tree and we are a branch that has been grafted on to the tree. Rom. 11:17-21

 

Robycop, great post!

 

Well, then, to follow your logic, Cyrus was the creator of the Nation of Israel on the First Return, then.

Source

God's plans and purposes will be fulfilled, and He may choose men or organizations to do that. He's even been known to use a big fish and a donkey, too.

 

What happens to unbelieving Jews when they die?

 

Are you claiming that God grafted a spiritual branch into a natural tree?