Evangelical Post-Supersessionism

I explain in this video the approach we take in the Introduction to Messianic Judaism: Its Ecclesial Context and Biblical Foundations that can be called evangelical post-supersessionism. Supersessionism names a theological view whether explicitly or implicitly which believes the church has replaced ethnic Israel covenantally. Whereas evangelical post-supersessionism asserts that an evangelical view of Scripture demands we hold a view of God’s continuing covenantal love and commitment to ethnic Israel in the age of the church and beyond. There are post-supersessionistic perspectives with which an evangelical theology cannot abide, such as one that espouses a two-covenant theology. But an evangelical post-supersessionism would reject this position as inconsistent with the New Testament witness of the necessity of the Messiah for Jew and Gentile alike.

In the conclusion of IMJ, I outline the evangelical post-supersessionist position with these four points:

1. God’s covenant relationship with the Jewish people (Israel) is present and future.
2. Israel has a distinctive role and priority in God’s redemptive activity through Messiah Jesus.
3. By God’s design and calling, there is a continuing distinction between Jew and Gentile in the church today.
4. For Jews, distinction takes shape fundamentally through Torah observance as an expression of covenant faithfulness to the God of Israel and the Messiah Jesus.