Should Christians Support Israel or Palestine? скачать в хорошем качестве

Should Christians Support Israel or Palestine?

For additional help on how to think about these ongoing issues between Israel and Palestine, consider listening to the following sermons exposited from the Word of God by Dr. Richard Caldwell: Observations For Evangelism:    • Observations for Evangelism | Acts 17: 15-34   The Salvation of All Israel:    • The Salvation of All Israel | Romans 11:25-32   Thinking Rightly About Israel:    • Thinking Rightly About Israel   A Christian Vision For Engaging The World - Part 1:    • A Christian Vision for Engaging The World ...   A Christian Vision For Engaging The World - Part 2:    • A Christian Vision for Engaging The World ...   The Whole World Guilty:    • The Whole World Guilty - Luke 23:18-25   The Character of The Natural Man:    • The Character of the Natural Man   The Character of Lost Humanity:    • The Character of Lost Humanity   Under Sin:    • Under Sin   How are Christians to think when it comes to the ongoing hostility and fighting between Israel and Palestine? Should Christians support modern Israel based on biblical beliefs? What should our attitudes and posture be towards both Israel and Palestine? This week on the Straight Truth Podcast, Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot discuss these questions and more regarding the ongoing unrest and conflict that is taking place between the State of Israel and Palestine. These questions relate primarily to the understanding that the land of Canaan belongs to the Jews. Christians will understand this differently based on their biblical interpretations of the covenants and their arrived eschatology. Dr. Caldwell says he thinks Believers sometimes get confused over the things that transpire between Israel and Palestine based on their eschatological view. Premillennialists (not all) see a future for national Israel in the kingdom of God. So, some Believers take that biblical understanding and feel obligated to support Israel as it exists at the moment, regardless of what Israel does. Dr. Caldwell doesn't agree with this. The Israel of the kingdom age is not the Israel that exists right now.That will be a believing Israel; current Israel is secular. So then, as he looks at their current circumstances, all he sees is national Israel defending herself. He believes a good passage that will help Christians think through this is from Romans 11; he reads and walks us through verses 25 to 28 for this purpose. He explains that he has a love for ethnic Israelites because he has a love for God. He longs to see God's purposes, plans and promises all fulfilled. Yet, this love is not indiscriminate. It’s not one without a proper recognition that what is right and what is wrong is not right and wrong regardless of who does it. Believing that God has a plan for ethnic Israel in the future kingdom to come does not make all that national Israel does today automatically right. What is right is right and what is wrong is wrong. But in regards to these specific circumstances, what is happening right now, he believes that the nation has every right to defend itself. Dr. Philpot says that what he understands Dr. Caldwell as saying is that Christians should love all nations. But it is to be a love that is not indiscriminate. We should love our neighbors as ourselves. We should aim for the goal of their restoration in Christ. But there is this somewhat special attention given to this people group because of God’s future plans. Dr. Caldwell affirms these statements. He adds, regarding the latter, that we need to understand, no matter what we believe and understand, about this people group that it isn’t our task to bring it about. At any given moment, right is right, and wrong is wrong; what is righteousness, is righteousness, and what is sin, is sin, no matter who the people group it is that is carrying it out. They also take up a discussion about the history of Israel, pre-Christ, and since Christ. Dr. Philpot asks Dr. Caldwell why does he think that they are constantly persecuted. Why is it that Israel is continually, in some sense, the center of attention in sort of a worldwide way and why, does Dr. Caldwell think there is so much anti-Semitism? How we think about these things is notable, and how we behave and respond matters. As Christians, we have a great responsibility. We have been given a great commission. We are to share the gospel near and far, to teach and preach Christ. We are to humbly appeal, pray, and make petitions on behalf of all men. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4). So while we may or may not agree with each other about the situation and circumstances between Israel and Palestine, we can pray. We should pray for the people, for those leading them, and those in authority over them. We should pray for salvation, for peace, and for an amicable settlement and outcome. We should pray for God's will to be done and for His purposes, plans, and promises to be fulfilled.