The New Israel: The Body of Christ and the Abrahamic Blessing

Understanding the Abrahamic Covenant Promise

God’s covenant with Abraham included a powerful promise: “I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse,” and through Abraham God would bless “all the families of the earth”. In its original context (Genesis 12:1–3), this promise was given to Abram (Abraham) before Israel even existed as a nation. Many readers assume this means that anyone who supports Abraham’s physical descendants (the nation of Israel) will be blessed, and anyone who curses Israel will incur God’s curse. Indeed, the promise produced a great nation from Abraham’s line – Israel – and eventually the Messiah came through Israel. However, the New Testament provides a deeper interpretation of who truly inherits Abraham’s promises. Rather than mandating automatic support for any political entity, Scripture asks: Who are the true children of Abraham and heirs of the covenant? Understanding this is key to evaluating what it means to “bless Israel” in a New Covenant context.

Children of Abraham: By Flesh or by Faith?

Jesus and the apostles draw a sharp distinction between merely ethnic Israel and the spiritual children of Abraham. John the Baptist warned the Jewish leaders not to presume they were right with God simply because of their lineage: “Do not say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for God can raise up children for Abraham from stones” (Matthew 3:9). Jesus echoed this when confronting the unbelieving Pharisees. Although they were Abraham’s descendants biologically, Jesus said their actions betrayed a different father. “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do what Abraham did,” Jesus told them, exposing their intent to kill Him. “You are of your father, the devil,” He declared, because they rejected God’s truth (John 8:39–44). In other words, physical descent from Abraham was not enough – without Abraham’s faith, they were not true children of Abraham in God’s eyes.

The Apostle Paul makes the same point with great emphasis. He notes that not everyone descended from Israel truly belongs to Israel in God’s covenant sense: “not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his descendants” (Romans 9: 6-7). The New Testament consistently teaches that faith, not ethnicity, is the defining mark of Abraham’s children. Paul argues that Abraham’s real sons and daughters are those who share Abraham’s faith in God, whether Jew or Gentile. “Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham,” Paul writes, and “Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed through you.’ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:7–9). In fact, Paul explicitly cites the Genesis 12 promise to show that the blessing ultimately comes not through a bloodline alone but through faith: “It is those who are of faith who are blessed along with Abraham”. Thus, the New Testament flips the question of inheritance from race to grace. Being a physical Jew does not automatically make one a true Israelite in God’s sight – “it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise” (Romans 9:8) who count as Abraham’s seed.

The Church as the “Israel of God”

Under the New Covenant, all who are “born of the Spirit” and trust in Christ become part of God’s covenant family – the Body of Christ, which the New Testament suggests is the new “Israel” in God’s redemptive plan. The apostles taught that in Christ the dividing wall between Jew and Gentile is removed, creating one new people of God (Ephesians 2:14–18). Paul’s metaphor of the olive tree in Romans 11 illustrates this continuity: unbelieving Jews (natural branches) were broken off and believing Gentiles (wild olive shoots) were grafted into the tree to share in the nourishment of Abraham’s root. Yet Jewish people who turn to Christ can be grafted back into this same tree – for there is ultimately one olive tree, one covenant people of God (Romans 11:17–24). Paul pointedly asks, when Gentiles are grafted in, “What are they grafted into?” The answer: “They’re being grafted into Israel,” into the longstanding people of God. He reminds Gentile Christians that before Christ they were “alienated from the commonwealth of Israel” but now, by Jesus’ blood, they have been “brought near” and made fellow citizens in God’s household. In other words, the Church (Jewish and Gentile believers united in Christ) shares in the identity and promises of God’s people Israel.

Paul uses the olive tree analogy to describe how Gentile believers are grafted into the covenant people of God. In this photo, new branches have been grafted onto an old olive tree stump – a vivid picture of Paul’s teaching in Romans 11.

The New Testament even uses Old Testament titles for Israel to describe the Church. For example, Peter calls the predominantly Gentile believers “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,” echoing God’s words about Israel in Exodus 19:5–6 (see 1 Peter 2:9-10). Likewise, believers in Jesus are called the “seed of Abraham” and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:29). Paul addresses the Galatian Christians (comprised of both Jews and Gentiles) as the “Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16), indicating that the community of believers constitutes God’s true Israel. As one summary explains, the New Testament writers frequently apply Israel’s language to the church – “All Christians are ‘fellow citizens’ … there is no national preference with respect to salvation. Just as we become spiritual ‘sons of Abraham’ by faith, so we can be considered ‘spiritual Israel’ when we receive Christ”. Far from teaching that God has abandoned Israel, the New Testament reveals that the faithful remnant of Israel (Jewish believers) together with believing Gentiles have been gathered into one flock under one Shepherd, Jesus (John 10:16). In this way, “the church is the gathered together remnant of Israel, assembled into the flock of Christ” – or as Paul terms it, “the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:16)

Biblical Prophets and Israel’s Unfaithfulness

It’s important to recognize that being “Israel” (God’s chosen people) never meant unconditional approval of all Israel’s behavior. The Old Testament prophets consistently rebuked the nation of Israel – especially its leaders – when they strayed from God’s covenant. Rather than “supporting” corrupt kings or excusing injustice, prophets like Nathan, Elijah, Amos, Isaiah, and Jeremiah boldly confronted Israel’s wickedness in government and society. They were “divinely appointed to call out injustice, idolatry, and moral decay, urging rulers to return to covenantal faithfulness required by God”, delivering stern warnings and calls to repentance. For example, the prophet Amos thundered against the Northern Kingdom of Israel’s wealthy elite for oppressing the poor, declaring, “I know your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous” (Amos 5:12). He warned that Israel’s prosperity was not a sign of God’s favor while injustice reigned. Isaiah likewise cried that Israel’s rulers were “rebellious, companions of thieves” and that the nation’s worship was hypocritical while they neglected justice (Isaiah 1:4, 1:23). In short, the biblical prophets loved Israel enough to hold it accountable to God’s standard – they did not teach blind nationalism. Jesus followed this prophetic tradition, exposing the sins of Jerusalem’s religious establishment. In a pointed parable, He likened Israel’s leaders to wicked tenants of a vineyard who even killed the owner’s son to seize the inheritance (a prophecy of Jesus’ own crucifixion at their hands – see Matthew 21:33–45). Because of such unfaithfulness, Jesus warned, “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits” (Matthew 21:43). Thus, supporting biblical Israel never meant endorsing Israel’s rebellion against God. True loyalty to God’s people meant urging them to repent and honor God’s covenant – a principle that carries into the New Covenant as well.

Blessing the True Israel Today

Given this biblical background, what does it mean for Christians today to “bless Israel”? The covenant promise “I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you” remains in effect – but the target of that promise, according to the New Testament, is ultimately Christ and His people, not a geopolitical nation-state. Those who bless (do good to, honor, or support) God’s covenant people in Christ will be blessed, and those who persecute or curse God’s people will face God’s displeasure. This principle is seen in Jesus’ teaching: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes Me… And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is My disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward” (Matthew 10:40-42). Likewise, at the final judgment Jesus will say, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these My brothers, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40), and “as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (25:45). Jesus so identifies with His followers that blessing or mistreating them is counted as blessing or mistreating Him. No wonder the risen Christ asked Saul, “Why do you persecute Me?” when Saul was hunting Christians (Acts 9:4) – to persecute the church is to persecute Christ Himself.

Therefore, the sons of Abraham by faith – all who belong to Christ – are the “Israel” that believers should especially bless and never curse. Practically, this means Christians are called to love, serve, and stand with fellow believers, including Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians alike, as one family in Christ. It does not mean we must automatically approve every policy of the modern political nation of Israel. While Christians may certainly pray for and seek the peace of all nations (including Israel) and oppose anti-Jewish hatred, the biblical covenant does not obligate uncritical political support for a secular state. Rather, as we have seen, God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled in Jesus – “in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” ultimately points to the blessing of salvation in Christ spreading to all peoples. All who are “in Christ” are now heirs of that promise. They are the ones called the “children of God” (John 1:12) and the true offspring of Abraham (Galatians 3:29).

In summary, the New Testament reveals a profound truth: “Abraham’s sons, biblically, are the ones who keep the faith of Abraham, whether or not they’re blood relatives”. God’s covenant promises – including the promise of blessing for blessing – apply to those who hold the faith of Abraham. The “new Israel” is not defined by ethnicity or national borders, but by relationship to Christ. As one Bible teacher concludes, “the church is the gathered together remnant of Israel… the church is the Israel of God.” Therefore, Christians should “bless” God’s people (the Body of Christ) and never curse them. In doing so, we honor the intent of God’s promise to Abraham. Conversely, we should not invoke the Abrahamic covenant to justify unquestioning allegiance to a secular government. God loves the Jewish people and has a future for Israel in His plan, but the highest loyalty of Christians is to Jesus and His kingdom, composed of all who are born of the Spirit. Blessing the true Israel means supporting “those who wrestle with God” in faith – the community of believers – and remaining faithful to God’s covenant purposes as fulfilled in Christ. Such an understanding keeps our focus on the spiritual Israel that inherits God’s promises, ensuring we align our support with what God’s Word actually teaches about His people and His plan.

The Pneumatology of Christ

The Pneumatology of Christ: The study of the role of the Spirit in the life of Christ

Karl Snow

December 15, 2020

Table of Contents

Introduction. 1

Gospels and Acts. 1

Pauline Literature. 5

General Epistles and Revelation. 9

Conclusion. 12

Bibliography. 15

Introduction

Jesus was filled with the Spirit.[1] Let’s begin with a very direct question. Why was it necessary for Jesus to be filled with the Spirit if he was God in the flesh as many have claimed indirectly or directly? Luke Timothy Johnson, in Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church, describes the Lukan narrative of Jesus’ conception as holding the identity as “God’s son”, and Jesus as God’s son operated in power through God’s spirit.[2] The Lukan text takes the lineage of Jesus not only back to the inception of the Jewish nation, but rather all the way back to Adam, the beginning of humanity.[3] Jesus is not only the son of God, but also the son of man. Born of flesh and born of Spirit. The image being offered here suggest a marriage between God and humanity and Jesus was the offspring from that marriage. Jesus was filled with the nature of his Father and was filled with the nature of humanity through his mother. He was a new creation that held rights and responsibilities in both the heavens and the earth. Jesus was filled with the Spirit of his Father and was led by that Spirit as he lived a human life.[4] Jesus was the image and living definition of God and humanity working in unity through covenant. The next question is why this new reality was thrust upon the earth and laid out before all its inhabitants to witness.

Gospels and Acts

The Gospels depict the mission and ministry of the anointed Messiah as one who was imparted into the plight of humanity. The mission was that of reconciling humanity back into right relationship with the Father. Jesus was born of flesh like everyone else and demonstrated what a reconciled life looked like and how a fulfilled covenant with God operated. Jesus stated that I and the Father are one, and he proclaimed this while being flesh and blood. The Acts were the activated results of Christ’ mission now imparted into humanity through the expanded body of Christ, the early church. The chronicled Jesus movement is expressed as having this Christian identity as a new genus in the earth. Jesus came so that Acts would begin in the earth, from the people of the earth.

Sánchez, in the Gospels and Acts, states that it was within the Markan gospel that the terminology of (euangelion) “good news”[5] was introduced, and this good news was introduced through the person of Jesus who was both “Christ” and “Son of God”.[6] With the Old Testament’s prophetic fulfillment through Christ came a sense of expectancy and Mark was sure to utilize these titles, “Christ” and “Son of God” for his readers because they expected a great somebody to represent the heavenly kingdom. Also, due to the geographical beginnings of Jesus, Mark could have been concerned that the readers needed to understand his title in spite of his geography. This was important because Nazareth of Galilee held no religious or political importance because of its specific geography. Sánchez indicates that because of Galilee’s close proximity to Sepphoris, which was highly influenced by Rome, may have caused the reader’s first impression to be that Jesus was a nobody or worse, a Roman sympathizer.[7] It is important to note that Royce Delbert Burkett, in The Son of Man Debate, pulling from the Matthean text states that Jesus’ use of ‘the son of man’ is a designation of Jesus’ humanity, which emphasizes human nature in its lowliness and weakness, and/or that he was set apart as an extraordinary human being, but either way the Son of Man was simply human, but the ideal human.[8] Here all three things are true, Jesus was the ‘Christ’ (anointed one), ‘Son of God’ (birthed of Spirit), and ‘Son of Man’ (birthed of flesh). If humanity is birthed of flesh, then the words of Jesus declaring that “we must be born again/anew (John 3:3, KJV), indicates conformity to his image which was ‘birthed of Spirit’, then later Jesus transferred the anointing which was upon him to humanity, (John 14:12, KJV).

Gerald F. Hawthorne, in The Presence & The Power, speaks on the origin of the application of the term “Holy Spirit” as only being found three times in the Old Testament (Ps. 51:11, Isa. 63:10-11). Hawthorne defines this phrasing as simply ‘the divine Spirit’ that is always and everywhere at work, but especially in the lives of individuals throughout scripture.[9] This divine Spirit is representative of God himself, that when filling individuals enhances natural abilities, such as Bezalel son of Uri son of Hur of the tribe of Judah (Exodus 35:30-36:1; cf. 31:1-6) that was filled with wisdom in understanding, and in knowledge, and in every good work, and to devise plans, in order to be able to do every task of devising on the temple. Hawthorne states that the descriptions of this Old Testament’s accounting describes the Spirit of God as filling people, coming upon them, falling on them, speaking through them, resting on them, poured out on them, placed on them, entering into them, and catching them up.[10]

Sánchez speaks about the Markan description of Jesus’ baptism as the heavens opening up and the Holy Spirit filling him (the man), stating that the barrier separating the human and the divine realms as being torn. This (schizein) tearing is one that is irreparable, and now God is accessible to human beings and human beings are accessible to God (Juel, 34-35).[11] It is interesting to note that as Jesus moved forward in his ministry that his opposition was the religious ruling class, as Jesus spent more of his time with those lesser citizens being disposed by societies elites. The message of inclusion that he brought was received by those disposed and rejected by those who would not consider the concept of inclusivity with God the Father because they stumbled at the door of sinful man, and any attempt to reconcile this reality was blasphemy. Man could never be one with God, only at his mercy which they had ultimately determined themselves, in their own understanding. To be born anew offered letting go of the limited humanistic view and receiving the God given gift of covenant fulfilled through a Suzerain-Vassal Treaty being offered by God himself for the sake of humanity. The covenant relationship between God and Israel is an excellent example of a suzerain-vassal treaty, which is a treaty between two unequal parties. The suzerain is the more powerful party while the vassal is the less powerful party, such as father and son, or lord and a servant.[12] In this agreement, the lesser is assumed by the greater thus gaining equality and unity through submission and treaty. Jesus speaks of this concept saying “I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.[13] This indicates that Yahweh and Yeshua are issued into unity through a covenant agreeable by both sides.

Jesus was never intended to become an idol within the church, but rather ‘the example’ for the church. The reality of his life set the stage for the divine life of the Spirit to fill all humanity, thus beginning the process of reconciling the world to himself. The idea being offered here is that to truly follow Jesus is to be willing embrace the treaty being offered by the divine Spirit. This in no way indicates that the lesser party of mankind can rise to the heights of the greater divine Spirit through strength or will. It is rather the opposite. It is through submission that unity with the greater is possible and Jesus was that example for all humanity to see and believe.

Pauline Literature

Jennifer R. Strawbridge, in The Pauline Effect, describes Paul contrasting human and divine wisdom, with human wisdom linked with the foolishness of a crucified Christ. It is from the divine wisdom revealed, through the cross, that catches the “powers and principalities” off guard.[14] It is only through the Spirit that divine wisdom comes, and this is through those embedded in the Christ consciousness. The deep things of God are revealed through Spirit and its being revealed through humanity via their maturity in the Christ consciousness. The Christ consciousness is the embodiment of the “mind of Christ”[15] that we receive by the Spirit, through the precepts and examples given to us by the life of Christ. Strawbridge, referencing the work of Irenaus, points out that those who have access to the wisdom of God and who possess the gifts are on a path that is moving them from knowing in part into the light of the mysteries of God, and from the Apostle Paul’s words the hidden and secret things are only revealed to those who are perfect and who have received the Spirit of God.[16]

This concept of perfection falls into the category of foolishness from our human perspective due to the immense imperfections that we face, however, the scripture indicates that we are to be perfect even as Christ and the Father are perfect.[17] Paul appears to be echoing the words of Christ with a prescription of application within his presentation of the gospel message. It is through the impartation of the ‘perfect’ Spirit of God that perfection assumes us. Another point of observation comes from the principle of God’s love within us. If love was personified and placed on trial in front of a judge and jury, what wrong could it be accused of? The conclusion from this question is that love is perfect and us, having been called into this suzerain-vassal treaty of covenant with love (God), are thus included into perfection. The idea being transmitted through the gospel message narrative is that it is the infilling of the Spirit that transforms us from imperfection into perfection via inclusion into that which is perfect. Strawbridge, pulling from the work of Clement, asserts that those who are spiritual and seek the mind of Christ (Christ consciousness) have direct access to that which the carnal mind has not seen nor heard, because it is the Spirit that searches the “deep things of God”.[18] This inclusivity into the deepness of knowing and receiving wisdom is for both the individual and the community collectively, and these invisible secret insights are available to all who seek, thus culminating into a systematic unity. It is Spirit that begets spirit, and the objective of inclusion is depth through relationship. The introduction to the mystery is only the beginning and there is the compulsion to abide in the journey which leads into the depths of its knowing.

Strawbridge categorizes the purpose of this process as the “formation of the soul”. The body formations are set at various stages of development and from observing the Apostle Paul we can see that Paul was faithful to the progression of the Spirit message in different methods for varying communities. Strawbridge, pulling from the work of Origen, states that Paul was a teacher that changed roles and “robes” as he taught people with different levels of wisdom within the early church communities. It was imperative that Paul adapted his teaching according to the audience and Paul executed this missional endeavor through the guidance of the Christ consciousness revealed to him by the Spirit.[19]

The Apostle Paul was faced with an immense challenge when approaching the world of the gentile nations. The gentile world view held many deeply considered views of cosmological points of beginning origins that held specific religious views that were centered around high-gods and gods in relation to the plight of humanity. To approach these communities held a special challenge as Paul offered the alternative view of one God, and this required a depth of engagement and understanding (spirit wisdom) if the engagement were to succeed. Chijoke John Madubuko, in The Pauline Spirit World, describes a communication-motif that the old world held with gods and morals centered on a religious patrimony where humanity viewed their experiences through the lenses of interventionism by forces outside of human ambience.[20] Chijoke points out that some common features of the early Israelite religious beliefs held that the physical and the spiritual realms are mutually related with each other, which was predicated through andromorphic language.[21] Thus the language utilized by Paul, from his understanding of God and his intention to reach the gentile social construct, assigned God as loving, seeking, caring, as well as God having eyes, hands and feet. Paul’s agenda was to effectively describe God’s intention to express this new revelation of divine communion as a direct communication between God and humans. From Chijoke’s work, the image of Paul takes on a clearer and more concise perspective in what his agenda and message was intended to reveal. There was no longer a need for appeasement toward an unseen force which held a direct influence on the world of humanity. There was now a new understanding being proclaimed in which the unseen was to dwell within the seen. The revelation of the message of Christ centered from “Emmanuel”, God with us, which eliminated the unnecessary mythologies of man into the truth issued forth by the Spirit. Paul, by the Spirit, successfully navigated the reality of this new covenant into their language and worldview, per Chijoke. Paul performed the task of revealing that Christ participating in the creation of the cosmos, and also described him as the “perfect image of God” (II Cor 1:24).[22] Chijoke assigns Paul’s message, gospel, and very being as “in Christ, the son of God, with whom it pleased God to grant Paul the encounter of his life (Acts 9:24; 26:12, I Cor 15:8; Gal 1:16).[23] This statement is in alignment with the teachings from Christ that declared that the Spirit that infilled him was to infill humanity.[24] Jesus named this Spirit “truth”, and this Spirit would guide us into all truth while abiding and dwelling in us.[25] When Paul describes himself as “in Christ”, the logical step may be to state that he was in the Christ role and commission with the very same anointing upon him that was upon Christ. Paul a vessel of the Christ consciousness, which is empowered by the Spirit of truth, which was leading and guiding him as Jesus was guided and lead during his life among humanity.

General Epistles and Revelation

Paul’s epistles expressed this message of inclusion to a vast gentile audience. The covenant was no longer constrained to an individual nation but spread abroad for a greater work. Even though God chose Israel as the launch pad for his missional objective, the time for lift off was set into motion through the obedience of Christ. God’s end game was for all of humanity to enter in as he reconciled them to himself. This inclusion was designed to bring humanity into his inner chambers of fellowship. Admittedly there was many alterations that must be initiated in order for mankind to be grafted in successfully and Paul was one of the chief grafters pulled from God’s tool belt. Paul painted a picture of Christ the “high priest”, a perfect and final priest that was designated to pioneer the plan of God into action. It was the life and example of Jesus that offered the image of a perfected faith that was in a unified relationship with the Master of creation who stood in opposition to the ancient mythological view of a spirit reality.

L. R. Donelson, in From Hebrews to Revelation, describes the Hebrew epistle as the envisioning of the Christian life as a journey toward perfection, that is moving toward the promise of God and his rest for us. Paul described Jesus as making all things new for humanity, so that which was once an impossibility was now a new reality available to mankind.[26] This new reality doesn’t appear to follow the old model of the gentiles or the Jews that stumbled at the altar of sacrifice but rather the sacrifice was sufficient through Christ who clearly has called us into fellowship with the Father with him. No longer is there a requirement for temple intervention, the act of the Spirit through the cross was to now fill the temple that was made without hands, humanity.[27] The veil of the temple was torn from top to bottom as a sign that the old methodology was finally put away as unnecessary and insufficient.[28] The greater has come and now mankind would experience the Spirit from within, not from the temple. This was the beginning of a new reality that would also take time to be fortified in the psyche of man and we can see the necessary steps that Paul was taking to bring this process into clarity. Donelson describes this maturation process as “hard theological work” as the next step which would bring humanity into the fullness of understanding of what God has done. Donelson references the Pauline concept of moving from milk to solid food, “Let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ” (Heb 6:1a).[29] With Jesus now the high priest, there were no more calls to sacrifice in an attempt to connect us to the divine, the connection is now solidified. There is no need for a temple so that we might be cleansed, the cleansing is completed. Now the next step is to learn how to grow up in this new age of sonship given freely by the Father.

From the book of James, the process is described as first hearing this new reality, understanding our new identity of righteousness, then applying that righteousness into an outward reality through actionable living.[30] From I Peter this new life is described clearly through the character of love in action. Donelson describes this transformative life of holiness as being “carved out by good deeds” and these deeds come through loving one another.[31] I John 4 makes this understanding clear by stating that everyone that loves, knows God, and is born of God, because God is love. This new reality of righteousness expressed through perfection is a clear indication of the presence of God within humanity. If the nature of God is love then the combination of God infilled in the heart of man must produce his nature into our reality. Jesus even told his disciples that the world (unaware humanity) would be able to identify them as his disciples because of their love for the other.[32] Donelson states that “love” is a predicate nominative that attaches God and love in a very unique way.[33] Where God dwells, love dwells. They are inseparable, and this further supports the work of Paul to the young Christian community coming to terms with this new reality issued forth into the earth. Mankind was now set apart and made holy by a holy God and the process was intimate and personal, within them bodily. This new narrative is solidified through John’s revelation of the coming reality upon the earth. Change was not going to be easy, but it was guaranteed to prevail. Evil would be finally erased from the world’s psyche, through the consequences received by rejecting God’s initiative and/or from obedience through the Spirit. The end game is a new heaven and a new earth filled with peace through love. Mankind has been called into oneness with the Father, and the old and immature world views no longer have the validity or presence that they once held. The mission is afoot, and the landscape is slowing being reconstructed for all to see this new reality in the here and now.

Conclusion

With this amazing narrative being laid out before us, the question is where we stand now. James Dunn, in Jesus According to the New Testament, describes us in the tension between the already and the not yet. What Jesus started through his ministry, that lead to the cross, was the primary staging of what was to come. It was not the end of the mission of Christ, rather it was the beginning. The cross was the launching pad for something greater. Dunn describes this as the two-fold ministry of Christ.[34] The goal of this two-fold ministry is for humanity to become like Christ. A transformation is taking place right in the middle of the human construct which is intended and designed to generate a new creation within the very camp of humanity.

Jesus, only six days before the Passover (the beginning of his persecution and death) was anointed with ointment of spikenard by Mary “against the day of Christ’ burial.”[35] Jesus with his imminent death in mind stated, “Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit”.[36] This is a foretelling from Jesus himself describing what the ultimate plan of the cross was all about. Jesus the Christ (anointed one) was to be put into the ground upon his death and Jesus was describing what happens to a seed that experiences this death and rebirth process. If a grain (seed) of wheat is planted into the ground it will produce more wheat seeds. If a Christ (anointed seed) is planted into the ground it will produce more anointed Christ seeds. In essence, God ‘s plan was the seeding of righteousness right into the heart of humanity. It was a plan to conquer mankind from the inside out. This is the process of reconciliation that Jesus was commissioned to enact and see through. In this passage from John, Jesus was alluding to the multiplicity of himself in the earth. Instead of one singular Christ (anointed one) attempting to move all over the earth, there was now the foundation established that would issue forth countless millions of Christs (anointed ones) throughout all of humanity.

The entire life of Jesus was an amazing (blueprint) declaration of God’s divine plan for his covenant with mankind. Every part of Christ’ life’s story was the example of this divine covenant at work. Everything that was said of Jesus is a requirement for those who have been ushered into the Christ consciousness via the Holy Spirit. If it was necessary for Jesus to be filled with the Spirt, then it is necessary for his body, the church, to be filled with the Spirit. If it was necessary for Jesus to be perfected through suffering, then it is necessary for his body, the church, to be perfected through suffering. If Jesus was glorified through obedience, then the body of Christ will also be glorified through its obedience. This is not a description of a church that maintains a staunch religious observance as the Sadducees and Pharisees of Israel exemplified, but rather a church that becomes “Christ” in the earth right where we live. When Jesus declared that if you have seen him then you have seen the Father[37] , he was also announcing the coming reality that was to be the kingdom of heaven infiltrating the camps, villages, and great cities of humanity. When you see the covenant people of Christ’ kingdom, then you also see the Father. We are the temple made without hands in which the Spirit of God has made residence therein.[38] The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead is “now” dwelling in us and quickening us.[39] The pneumatology of Christ wasn’t designed to rest upon Jesus alone, it holds a far greater designation for all of humanity. Jesus summed this concept up into a singular phrase stating, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth, even as it is in heaven”.[40] The Holy Spirit of God has devised a plan that has targeted a point of insertion directly into the realm of earth through its very inhabitants and Jesus, guided by the Spirit, was the corner stone of the foundation for its construction.

Bibliography

Burkett, Delbert Royce. The Son of Man Debate: A History and Evaluation. Monograph Series / Society for New Testament Studies. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1999. https://search-ebscohost-com.seu.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=73015&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Donelson, L. R. From Hebrews to Revelation: A theological introduction. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001.

Dunn, J. D. Jesus according to the New Testament. Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2019.

Gospel – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. (2020). Retrieved December 12, 2020, from https://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/gospel.html

Hawthorne, G. F. Presence and the Power; The Significance of the Holy Spirit in the Life and Ministry of Jesus. S.1: Wipf and Stock, 2003.

Johnson, L. T. Prophetic Jesus, prophetic church: The challenge of Luke-Acts to contemporary Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011.

Madubuko, John C.. The “Pauline” Spirit World in Eph 3:10 in the Context of Igbo World View: A Psychological-Hermeneutical Appraisal. Frankfurt a.M.: Peter Lang GmbH, Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, 2015. Accessed December 1, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Mendenhall, George E. “Covenant Forms in Israelite Tradition.” The Biblical Archaeologist 17, no. 3 (September 1954): 50–76. https://search-ebscohost-com.seu.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lsdar&AN=ATLA0000654781&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Sánchez David A, Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, and Margaret P Aymer. The Gospels and Acts. Fortress Commentary on the Bible. Minneapolis Minnesota: Fortress Press, 2016.

Strawbridge, Jennifer R. The Pauline Effect. Studies of the Bible and Its Reception, (Sbr) 5. Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. Blue Bell, PA: Kappa Books, LLC, 2019.

[1] Luke 4:1, (KJV).

[2] L. T. Johnson, Prophetic Jesus, Prophetic Church: The Challenge of Luke-Acts to Contemporary Christians, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, (2011), 57.

[3] Luke 3:23-38, (KJV).

[4] Luke 4:1; 4:14, (KJV).

[5] Gospel – International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. (2020). Retrieved December 12, 2020, from https://www.biblestudytools.com/encyclopedias/isbe/gospel.html

[6] David A Sánchez, Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, Margaret P Aymer, The Gospels and Acts, Fortress Commentary on the Bible, Minneapolis Minnesota: Fortress Press, (2016), 174.

[7] Sánchez, Kittredge, Aymer, The Gospels and Acts, 175.

[8] Burkett, Delbert Royce, and John M Court, The Son of Man Debate: A History and Evaluation, Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series, No. 107, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, (2000), 13.

[9] Hawthorne, G. F., Presence and the Power: The Significance of the Holy Spirit in the Life and Ministry of Jesus, S.1., Oregon: WIPF and Stock, (2003), 15.

[10] Hawthorne, G. F., Presence and Power, 16.

[11] Sánchez, Kittredge, Aymer, The Gospels and Acts, 176.

[12] George E. Mendenhall, Covenant Forms in Israelite Tradition, The Biblical Archaeologist, 17, no. 3 (1954): 304.

[13] John 14:28, (KJV).

[14] Jennifer R. Strawbridge, The Pauline Effect, Studies of the Bible and Its Reception, (Sbr), 5, Berlin: De Gruyter, (2015), 24-48.

[15] I Corinthians 2:16, (KJV).

[16] Jennifer R. Strawbridge, The Pauline Effect, 32.

[17] Matthew 5:48, (KJV).

[18] Jennifer R. Strawbridge, The Pauline Effect, 34.

[19] Jennifer R. Strawbridge, The Pauline Effect, 49-50.

[20] Chijoke John Madubuko, The “Pauline” Spirit World in Eph 3:10 in the Context of Igbo World View: A Psychological-Hermeneutical Appraisal, New Testament Studies in Contextual Exegesis, Volume 9 = Band 9, Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Edition, (2015), 55- 210.

[21] Chijoke John Madubuko, The “Pauline” Spirit World, 67.

[22] Chijoke John Madubuko, The “Pauline” Spirit World, 95.

[23] Chijoke John Madubuko, The “Pauline” Spirit World, 97.

[24] John 14:12-17, (KJV).

[25] John 16:13; 14:17, (KJV).

[26] L. R. Donelson, From Hebrews to Revelation: A theological introduction, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, (2001), 7-158.

[27] Acts 7:48, (KJV).

[28] Matthew 27:51, (KJV).

[29] L. R. Donelson, From Hebrews to Revelation, 17.

[30] L. R. Donelson, From Hebrews to Revelation, 36.

[31] L. R. Donelson, From Hebrews to Revelation, 68.

[32] John 13:35, (KJV).

[33] L. R. Donelson, From Hebrews to Revelation, 107.

[34] J. D. Dunn, Jesus according to the New Testament, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, (2019), 132.

[35] John 12:7, (KJV).

[36] John 12:24, (KJV).

[37] John 14:9, (KJV).

[38] Acts 7:48, (KJV).

[39] Romans 8:11, (KJV).

[40] Matthew 6:10, (KJV).