The Church and Modern Israel: One Way of Salvation
The relationship between the Church and the modern state of Israel is a topic that stirs strong feelings, theological debates, and often confusion. Many well-meaning Christians want to honor the heritage of Israel found in the Scriptures, but this desire must be guided by biblical clarity, not sentimentality or politics.
Let’s take a careful look at how the New Testament defines Israel’s ongoing role in redemptive history, and how the Church is to relate to the Jewish people today.
One Gospel, One Savior
Jesus said plainly to the Jewish leaders of His day:
“Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24)
This was not a threat—it was a merciful warning. The Messiah had come. To reject Him was to reject the only path to life.
The Apostle Paul, though a Jew himself and the apostle to the Gentiles, never stopped longing for the salvation of his kinsmen:
“My heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation.” (Romans 10:1)
“I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart.” (Romans 9:2)
Paul preached the gospel first in the synagogues of every city he visited. Why? Because he knew there is only one name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12), and it is the name of Jesus Christ.
The Modern State of Israel
The modern political state of Israel, founded in 1948, is not a continuation of the theocratic nation that God established in the Old Testament. Though it bears the same name and includes ethnic Jews, it is a secular state with diverse religious and political beliefs—many of which are openly hostile to the gospel.
This reality matters because biblical Israel was defined by covenant and faith, not merely ethnicity or geography. Israel in its faithful periods was marked by reverence for God, repentance, and obedience to the covenant. That is not what defines the modern nation today.
And since the coming of Christ, God has spoken finally and decisively through His Son (Hebrews 1:1–2). To reject Jesus is to reject God’s own self-revelation.
“He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.” (John 5:23)
God’s Affirmation of Christ
God did not leave the identity of Jesus to speculation. He affirmed it audibly:
At His baptism: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
At the Transfiguration: “This is my Son… listen to Him.” (Matthew 17:5)
And after the cross, God gave the ultimate sign of approval: resurrection. The empty tomb declares that the Father accepted the Son’s sacrifice. The ascension affirms His exaltation and enthronement as Lord.
Romans 11 and the Future of Israel
Paul holds out a hopeful mystery in Romans 11—a future ingathering of Jewish people into the faith. But this return is not to a temple system, nationalistic identity, or old covenant. It is a return to God through faith in Jesus Christ:
“They also, if they don’t continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in…” (Romans 11:23)
There is no dual covenant. There is no special path for the Jewish people apart from the gospel. The hope for the Jewish people is the same hope offered to the Gentile world: Christ crucified and risen.
What This Means for Christians
We affirm that God has been faithful to Israel and that the Jewish people still have a role in His plan. But that role is now centered in Christ. The Church, made up of Jew and Gentile believers, is now the dwelling place of God (Ephesians 2:11–22).
Modern Judaism, like every other religion that denies Christ, rejects the testimony of God. It may contain truth about the past, but it misses the fulfillment of that truth in the Messiah. As such, it stands no closer to the truth than any other religion that rejects Christ.
Final Thought: Love and Truth Together
Christians should neither romanticize nor revile modern Israel. We should pray for the Jewish people, share the gospel with them, and speak clearly: Salvation is found in no one else but Jesus.
“For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, and is rich to all who call on him.”
— Romans 10:12 (WEB)
Let our hearts be like Paul’s—sorrowful yet hopeful, urgent yet patient, always pointing to the One who fulfilled every promise and now calls all people to Himself.