A Saviour unto Israel

[savedbymercy]

That Christ and His Church fulfill OT Prophecy is seen from this 1 Cor 15:51-57

51Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now what is the saying that was written that will then be brought to pass ?

It is here Isa 25:8

8He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

And vs 55 is the fulfillment of this Prophecy Hosea 13:14

14I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

NOW who is the them that God is promising to ransom here ? Look at vs 9 Hosea 13:9

9 O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help.


This Promise to Israel was or will be fulfilled at the Second Coming of Christ for His Church...When the Dead in Christ shall rise first !

 

[savedbymercy]

Church Identifed in OT by Paul !

If God ever gives us to understand the scriptures, we will be able to see that the NT Church of Christ and the OT Saints are of the same, the Church of Christ ! Paul in writing to the Church at Rome in the 8th chapter writes Rom 8:33-39

33Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth.

34Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

38For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Notice Paul asks in vs 35 " Who shall separate us from the Love of Christ"

So Christ's Love is the subject ! Then he refers back to scripture that has been written to connect it with the Love of CHRIST ! vs 36

The scripture Paul is referring to is here Ps 44:22

22Yea, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are counted as sheep for the slaughter.

Now who are the we of this verse ? vs 17

17All this is come upon us; yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt falsely in thy covenant.

18Our heart is not turned back, neither have our steps declined from thy way;

It is the remnant of the Election of Grace in Israel that had an eye to the Covenant concerning Christ ! That Covenant confirmed before in Christ Gal 3:16-17

16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

17And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

The covenant that the saints around at the birth of Christ recognized as here Lk 1:67-73

67And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,

68Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

69And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

71That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us;

72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

73The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,


Our Father Abraham is not meaning the Father of the unbelieving reprobated ethnic jews, for Christ knew Abraham was not their Father in that sense from His words to some of them here Jn 8:39

They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

So that is not what is meant, but Abraham as the Father of the Faithful as here Rom 4:16

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

That's who Zacharias , John's Father meant when he said " the oath which He [God] sware to our Father Abraham in vs 73

So this Promise belongs to the Church, which was the Promise of Christ, who is the Head of His Body the Church, and if we belong to Christ, then are we Abraham's Seed that the promises pertain to Gal 3:29

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

The same promise Zacharias means in Lk 1:72

72To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;

This connects as well the OT saints with the NT Saints the Church, for they were all Heirs of the Same Promise Christ, the Head of the Church.. This promise was made to the Saints, or the Church since the world began Lk 1:70

70As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

So technically that is how Long the Church has been in existence , since the world began !

 

[Jerry Shugart]

So technically that is how Long the Church has been in existence , since the world began !

Hi savedby mercy,

If the Church, the Body of Christ, has been in existence since the world began then why would He call it the "New Man":

"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby" (Eph.2:14-16).

"And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all" (Col.3:10-11).

 

[savedbymercy]

jerry

If the Church, the Body of Christ, has been in existence since the world began then why would He call it the "New Man":

During most of the OT era the Church was comprised mostly of ethnic jews, those jews who lived by faith. The True Jew has always lived by Faith ! Hab 2:4

Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.

Rarely in the OT ties dd gentiles live by Faith, in fact, rarely did ethnic jews live by faith, only the small remnant. But after Christ death, God began to Justify His Elect among the Gentile by Faith Gal 3:8

8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.

So now, the People of Faith are both jew and gentile, that was something new !

Rom 3:30

Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

The Father of the Faithful, Abraham, was Justified while He was technically in uncircumcision, non jew Rom 4:9-10


9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

10How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

 

[savedbymercy]

The Land Promises of God !



God gave Land Promises to His People via Abraham the Father of the Faithful , lets remember that Abraham was not a Unbeliever !

Gen 13:15

15For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.

Gen 17:8

8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Gen 26:3-4

3Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

4And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

Now remember all the Promises of God are in Him [Christ] yea and amen to the Glory of God 2 Cor 1:20

20For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

The land promises were typical and had a Two-Fold application and fulfillment, one to His [Abraham] Physical Seed, and one to His Spiritual Seed, however the Spiritual Seed could and did partake in the fulfillment of the physical land promises, but only the Spiritual Seed partake in the Spiritual Fulfillment, which is bestowed through the Spiritual Blessings in Christ, which includes receiving the Spirit through Faith Gal 3:14

14That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

So Christ and the Spiritual Blessings bestowed upon all His Spiritual Seed are the Fulfillment Spiritually of the Land Promises, their Inheritance Col 1:12

12Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

This was an Heavenly Inheritance and Lot, the One Abraham by Faith looked for Heb 11:13-16


13These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

14For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.

15And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

16But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

Notice vs 14 " They seek a country" The word country is the greek word patris and means:

one's native country

a) one's fatherland, one's own country, a fixed abode or home

b) one's own native place i.e. a city

Yes, Heaven was that Country, that Land they sought as a result of the Land Promise, the Everlasting Canaan Gen 17:8

8And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

 

[savedbymercy]

The Physical fulfilled already !

As stated earlier, Christ and the Church, which is the Israel of God Gal :16 and the Spiritual Seed of Abraham Gal 3:29 fulfill the Spiritual Land Promises to Abraham, that Heavenly Land which He and the rest of the Heirs, Isaac and Jacob sought by Faith Heb 11:8-10

8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

However the Physical Land promise to Abraham has already been fulfilled with the Physical entrance into the earthly land of Canaan, a Type of the Heavenly Canaan Gen 17:8, this is confirmed in Joshua 21:43-45

43And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

44And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

45There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

You see that ? God fulfilled the Promise of the Physical Land being given to Abraham's Physical descendants, done deal !

Joshua 23:14

14And, behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth: and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spake concerning you; all are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof. Done Deal !

Neh 9:6-8

6Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

7Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

8And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:
Done Deal, He performed it !

Now whoever cannot see from these scriptures that the Physical Land aspect of the promise to Abraham regarding his seed, has been fulfilled, they are simply blind to the Truth, however the Spiritual fulfillment is through Christ and His Church, the Spiritual Seed of Abraham Gal 3:29

29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

What Heirs according to Promise ? The same Heirs of Promise as in Heb 11:9

9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

 

[savedbymercy]

Different Names for the Church !



Many have rejected the Truth that Israel is the Church, no not Israel Abraham's kin folks according to the flesh, for they are not the Children of God Rom 9:8, but Israel according to Promise, those who are Abraham's Children by Faith, which is a Spiritual Israel Gal 3:7

7Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

Gal 3:29

29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Abraham's Seed is the Church ! Who can deny that without denying Gal 3:29 ? It tells us that those who belong to Christ, which is His Church, are Abraham's seed.

That the Church belongs to Christ is seen here Eph 5:23,25

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ[Abraham's Seed] is the head of the church: and he is the Saviour of the body.

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ[The Seed of Abraham Gal 3:16] also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

1 Cor 12:12

12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

So the Church is called the Seed of Abraham !

The Church is called the Temple of God Speaking to the Church of Corinth, Paul calls them this 1 Cor 3:16

Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

Remember Jesus said that He was going to build His Church Matt 16:18

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Well, thats the Temple of Eph 2:21-22

21In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

22In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Now the same greek word is used here Eph 2:22 for builded as it is in Matt 16:16 for build. The word Eph just has the prefix sun which means together. That is, the Church, the Temple is being built with both jew and gentile material, or living stones 1 Pet 2:5

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

So the Church is a Spiritual House ! A Temple !

 

[savedbymercy]

Because only One Peculiar People !



That Israel and the Church are the same , is because God only has one Peculiar People Deut 14:2

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

The word peculiar is the hebrew word cĕgullah
and means:


possession, property

a) valued property, peculiar treasure

b) treasure

Now Paul writes to the Church Titus 2:14

14Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.


The greek word here for peculiar is periousios:

that which is one's own, belonging to one's possessions

a) a people selected by God from the other nations for his own possession

Now God does not have Two sets of peculiar People, but Just One, and that is the Church, the Elect in Christ, washed in His precious blood, this too proves that Israel in Deut 14:2 and the Church are the same, the One Peculiar People !

 

[savedbymercy]

Make Manifest to Israel !

Jn 1:31

And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

But remember Rom 9:6

6Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:

So the question is which Israel is John the Baptist referring to ?

The Israel here that Jesus should be made Manifest to it the Israel of God, the Election of Grace, the Church ! It began with the Disciples, save judas, that He manifest himself to. They with a few others were the Israel of God at the time.

John says in 1 Jn 1:1-2

1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us )

Notice, The Apostle John used the same word Manifest ! Also Jn 17:6

I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

Jesus will be manifested to all the Israel of God,, The Church !

 

[savedbymercy]

We know that the Church and israel are the same by the descriptive imagery John beheld in His Vision of the Revelation. Notice how the Churches of asia minor are described. The Seven Golden Candlsticks which represent the Churches of God ! Rev 1:20

The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

That which God bought with His Own Blood Acts 20:28

28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

Now without question the calling the Churches Candlesticks is pointing back to the OT Tabernacle abd Temple Sanctuaries.

Ex 25:31-40

31And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.

32And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

33Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

34And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.

35And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

36Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

37And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.

38And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.

39Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

40And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

 

[savedbymercy]

The consolation of Israel

Lk 2:25-26

25And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israell: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

26And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

This Proves that the Church and Israel are the Same, that is Spiritual Israel. For Christ here who is said to be the Consolation of Israel, is the Head of the Church, and the consolation of the Church !

Paul writing to the Church at Rome wrote this Rom 15:5

5Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

To the Church at Philippi Phil 2:1

1If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,

2 Thess 2:16

16Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

Heb 6:18

18That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

Remember Jesus Preached Matt 5:4

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Isa 61:2

1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Paul again to the Church 2 Cor 1:6

6And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

 

[savedbymercy]

We know that the Church in the NT and Israel in the OT are the same when we compare and consider what is stated about Zion Isa 46:13 with what is stated about the Church Eph 3:21

Isa 46:13

13I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.

Eph 3:21

21Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

For Zion and the Church are the same !

 

[savedbymercy]

Eph 2:16,11



Eph 2:16,11

16And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

What is both here ? vs 11

11Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

Both means the circumcision [jews] and the uncircumcision [gentiles], Paul said both the religious jews and the pagan gentiles, both needed to be reconciled to God through the Cross.

This tells us that merely being an ethnic jew , circumcised See Phil 3:5, this meant nothing as regards to Salvation, as regards a relationship with the True God. Paul was brought to this understanding Phil 3:5-7 and Gal 6:15

Many deluded souls today are trusting in their Physical Relationship with Abraham, being a Physical jew, to put them in favor with God ! Those who do such despise the Cross of Christ..

 

[savedbymercy]

Christ and the Church !



Eph 5:29-32

29For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.

You see, Christ and the Church were pictured from the beginning of time, beginning with Adam and Eve; so why is it that people reject the Truth of Christ's Church being in the OT, in fact, it began with Adam and Eve. Christ's coming in the flesh is traced back to Adam Lk 3:23-38.

John the baptist, clearly an Old Covenant saint acknowledges the Bridegroom, Christ Jn 3:29

29He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.

Who is Christ's Bride ? It is the Church. How did John the Baptist know this ? Of course John's knowledge of the church was incomplete, for it was a Mystery, but God did give him to understand that their was a special People in the world, and he knew it was not the jews, for John said to some of them Matt 3:7-10

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. Note: not all of Abraham's Seed are of jewish descent ! Gal 3:29 !

10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Paul tells the Church at Corinth, 2 Cor 11:2-3


2For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

3But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

Eve was the Mother of the Church, that is of all Living Gen 3:20

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

Her and Adam were the Church from the beginning !

 

[savedbymercy]

Matt 9:15 Jesus is the Bride Groom !



The Lord Jesus Christ identifies Himself as the Bride Groom Matt 9:15

15And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast. See also Jn 3:29

And OT Scripture would Identify Israel's Bridegroom as Yahweh Isa 62:5

For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

Also Hosea 2:19-20

19And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.

20I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. cp Matt 25:10

10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

These scriptures tell us Two Things if we are born of God, #1 That Jesus Christ is Jehovah the Bridegroom of Israel, and Secondly, that the Bride Israel is the Church !

 

[savedbymercy]

We know the Church is Israel and ask, how could not the Church had been in the OT economy, when Paul writes of NT Believers in Christ, the Church that Abraham is the Father of us all ? Rom 4:16

Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

The word father here is the greek word patēr and means:


a more remote ancestor, the founder of a family or tribe, progenitor of a people, forefather: so Abraham is called, Jacob and David

Our English word for father is defined as:


a male parent.


a father-in-law, stepfather, or adoptive father.


any male ancestor, especially the founder of a race, family, or line; progenitor.


a man who exercises paternal care over other persons; paternal protector or provider: a father to the poor.

a person who has originated or established something

He is the founder of a Family by God's appointment, the Family of Faith.

Paul is writing to the Church at Rome, those whom He had heard of their Faith Rom 1:7-8

7To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

8First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

Now , who wants to explain how the Church could not have been in the OT, when it's Father is ? The Church in the NT are His Spiritual Children by God : Gal 3:7

Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

But one may object, that's talking about Abraham's Spiritual Children of Faith,and that would be exactly right, and all of Abraham's Spiritual Children of Faith in the OT are the Church also. That would be Isaac and Jacob Heb 11:20,21

By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.

King David, Moses and etc are All the Children of Abraham by Faith Gal 3:7

The Household of Faith is the Church and it commenced way before the NT era began, in fact it began as early as Abel Heb 11:4

4By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

You see, Abraham could not have been the Father of the Faithful in the NT which clearly is the Church, and it not also apply to the Children of Faith in the OT ! We are all of the same Father !