Exploring The Relationship Between The Jews And The Church As The People Of God

This essay aims to answer the two parts from the guiding question – i) What is the relationship between the Jews and the Church as the people of God? and ii) What are the relationships and differences between the early Church (NT) and Israel (OT) in worship? The answers will base on our study on biblical theology and study materials. A synthesis of the study with deeper personal analysis and reflection will also be presented. It is a reflection about the connection between two parts of the question – the identity of the people of God and the outcome of behavior and practices through the worshipping life. A conclusion with an evaluation of our church worship today will be at last. The Jews and the Church as the People of God
The Scriptures

Martens first points out that it is God’s initiative to start this covenantal relationship. We can see that from Abraham’s and his descendants’ lives and through Jesus. Martens specifies Rev. 21.3 from NT and Exod. 6.7 from OT to emphasize the significance when God calls the people to “be His people”. Through the Passover in the Old (Exo. 12.27) and the Lord’s Supper in the New (Matt. 26.1-2, 17-19), we can see that God always initiates to offer his grace and himself to his people for their own good. God’s redemptive act does not only free us from our sins (Rev. 1.5), but also give us an opportunity to live new lives with Jesus as our role model to learn how to please God and to be completed in Him. The formation of God’s people as climactic goal of God’s action is found in both Testaments. Titus 2.14 and Exod. 5.22-6.8 are some examples. God knows our shortcoming and limitation. He loves us and wants us to know him. He intervenes repeatedly in history trying to shape us to be His people. We can see that from Matt. 16.18, Rev. 21.3, Jer. 24.7, or Ezek.

After the fallen of the first humans, the world becomes a sinful world. Pagan cultures without knowing the one true God corrupt people’s mind and lead them to the eternal death. Like Israelites living among Egyptian or Canaanites’ polytheistic environment or Jews living in Roman’s pagan deities and Caesar worshipping world, people who worship other gods would keep a distance from the true Creator of the world. Only the people who connect to the One True God as their Savior and their Lord can save them from the final judgment and punishment. Our God is a gracious God who understands our struggles and limitations. He gives chances for people to repent and return. He helps building up people who want to turn away from idols or Satan’s hands. Both Paul and Jeremiah state clearly in 1 Thess. 9-10 and Jer. 12.16 to support this. John, Amos and Hosea also have similar records saying that God will take these people who want to turn to him under His name. (Acts 15.14-17, Amos 9, 11-12, Hos. 1.8) He will look after the remnants who believe in God (Rom. 9, 27, 29, 10.13, 1 Kgs. 18.13-14, Isa. 10.22, Joel 2.32) and the outsiders who worship Him (Eph. 2.13-22, Exo. 12.43-49, Deut. 16, 11.14, Lev. 16.29, Deut. 29.11, 31.12) Martens summarizes that the ideal of bondedness embedded in the covenant formula “You shall be my people”, can be fruitfully expounded 1) with metaphors such as “corporate personality” and “body”,