The English Standard Version or ESV has become a very popular bible. It’s being heavily promoted by pastors, organizations, some scholars and bible teachers from different denominations including Catholics around the world, and Calvinist, but it’s gaining acceptance in other denominations as well. According to Calvinist teacher John MacArthur the ESV is the best translation which he compares with the Authorized King James. He now sells ESV study bibles with his signatures & notes. But is the ESV a good bible translation? Aren’t all bibles the same? Where the ESV comes from?
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There is one final chapter that should be examined, the second “go to” portion of scripture usually used to defend the viewpoint of Israel being the olive tree: Ephesians 2.
Ephesians 2
Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called the “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” in the flesh by human hands, were at that time apart from Christ, alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. vv.11 – 13
“Grafting”
Written & illustrated by Brian R. Franco, used with permission
Jeremiah 11
Kindled Tree
The Lord called your name, “A green olive tree, fair in fruit and form.” With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire upon it, and its branches are broken. v16
Jeremiah 11:16 is the verse that is probably most known as a reference to Israel being an olive tree. I would completely agree, especially considering the context:
The Lord said to me: A conspiracy has been found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers who refused to hear My words. And they have gone after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus says the Lord, Surely, I will bring calamity upon them which they will not be able to escape. And though they cry to Me, I will not listen to them. Then the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem will go and cry to the gods to whom they offer incense. But they will not save them at all in the time of their trouble. For according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah. And according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem you have set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense to Baal. Therefore do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them. For I will not hear them in the time that they cry to Me because of their trouble.
What right has My beloved in My house, seeing that she has done many lewd deeds? Can the sacrificial meat take away from you your disaster, so that you can rejoice while doing evil?
The Lord called your name, “A green olive tree, fair in fruit and form.” With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire upon it, and its branches are broken. vv. 9 – 16
Over and over again we see Judah and Jerusalem, Israel being mentioned, leading up to the olive tree picture. However, this tree shows a very different image to the one in Romans:
With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire upon it, and its branches are broken. For the Lord of Hosts, who planted you, has pronounced disaster against you, because of the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense to Baal. vv.16b – 17
Although similar in that, once again, Israel has rebelled against God and is being broken off, this tree has disaster pronounced against it and has been kindled by fire. I can’t imagine God bringing His Son into the world along with the gift of salvation, only to graft Gentiles into a doomed burning/burnt tree. You can’t simply take the “tree is Israel” part without also taking the “kindle with fire and doomed” part as well. However, this does seem to conflict with verse 16, so how can these facts be reconciled?
‘Replacement Theology” teaches God has no more plans for Israel & the church has ‘replaced’ them, but this is a doctrine that’s proved wrong by many bible passages one of them found in Romans 11 which tells us that God is not yet done with Israel, even they had rejected Him.
But on the opposite side of the coin we have another kind of ‘Replacement Theology’ were some teach that in order to be saved the ‘church’ needs to be part of Israel, (in other words the church is replaced by Israel). As one of their main points they use Romans 11, which they interpret that gentile believers are grafted into ‘Israel’, and for that reason have to become like them. But this is also wrong, to see it more clearly I’m sharing this next article that contains some nice illustrations:
Brothers & sisters could you please prayerfully read & meditate upon this Psalm today? These are the words of Almighty God to us that have a covenant with Him!
Psalm 50 is talking about God coming to judge His people. Judgment begins at the House of God before He judges the world.
” For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17.
Many say we have no right to make a judgment of another person, we all make mistakes, and I agree in great part on that, but when God says that something is right or wrong, then that is not us judging & we better pay good attention. God’s Word is our final authority. We are not judging (condemning) people when we discern behavior or beliefs that are clearly unbiblical.
Unfortunately many Christians go to both extremes and some think they should not judge at all, they think Christianity means getting along with everybody. This fear of using proper judgment may come from a simple lack of understanding of God’s will. Some others go to the other extreme and judge the wrong way, looking to condemn or punish instead of looking to restore. But we shouldn’t judge according to our own perceptions, rather we should always judge according to the Word of God.
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. John 7:24 (see Greek interlinear)
For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But God judges those who are outside. Therefore “put away from among yourselves that wicked person. 1 Cor. 5:12-13
The ‘Two House’ is a very popular doctrine in the Hebrew Root Movement (HR) that believes in the 10 Lost Tribes of Israel, but like several of their doctrines it was made popular in America by the founder of ‘Worldwide Church of God‘ (WCG) Herbert Armstrong who vigorously promoted it. He believed this teaching was the key to interpret bible prophecy correctly & was the ‘central plank’ of his theology. Check some of WCG doctrines.
Whosoever transgresseth (G3845 = depart) and abideth (G3306 = remain, stay, continue) not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine (G1322=teaching, instructions) of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” 2 John 1:9-11
HRM completely twist Colossians 2:16 in order to prove their doctrine. If we are confused about a text or Bible verse, we should read 20 verses before and 20 verses after in order to read in context (20/20). If we are still confused, then we read the chapter before and the chapter after. In a video of a popular HRM ministry interpreting Col. 2:16 they jump back to verse 8 alone to explain vs.16, skipping the real context, unfortunately some people will accept it without checking. But there is not any prove that Gnostics were pressing Christians not to keep the Mosaic law, as HRM teaches.
Gnostics mainly attacked the Divinity of Jesus Christ & they still do today. Many founders of gnostic schools were identified as Jewish Christians by early Church Fathers. Gnostics of today that are involved in Judaism & Kabbalah still keep the Sabbath & the dietary laws, feast, etc, this is not against their teachings & it never was. Some scholars, including some Jewish scholars have postulated that there was originally a Jewish gnosticism, which influenced the early origins of gnosticism & that it was known by ‘Talmudic’ Rabbis. Also the Jewish Encyclopedia states: “There is no doubt that a Jewish gnosticism existed before a Christian or a Judeo-Christian gnosticism“
We don’t put down Christians because they want to observe the sabbath (seventh day of the week) or want to eat kosher, we can understand that if they have a Jewish background. But unfortunately most of the Hebrew Root Movement (HRM), 7th Day Adventist, Church of God, etc. do condemn us evangelical Christians as pagans or unsaved for not imitating them.
All these groups argue that Sunday worship was invented by the Roman Catholic Church, that Sunday is ‘sun’-day to worship the sun god, the mark of the beast, etc. But if Sunday is the day of the sun, then Saturday is the day of Saturn, and Monday the Moon day, etc. etc. If you find the doctrines of HRM are similar with the Church of God & 7th Day Adventists, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, its not a coincidence, all these religious groups originated from the same source, William Miller’s (Millerites) doctrines, see more here ‘One Law Two Sticks‘.
We will always find the disciples of Jesus in the New Testament preaching the “cross of Christ” and not ‘Torah (law) keeping‘. There are 4 recommendations found in Acts 15:28-29, to help us to stay clean, & the 3 commandments from Jesus about love, so to LOVE is all that is required to Christians. If we Love Him we will keep His words/teachings, Jn.14:23-24. ‘Love is the fulfillment of the law’ (Ro. 13:10).
If we are really in a New Covenant by the blood of the Lamb of God (Lk.22:20, 1 Cor.11:25, 2 Cor.3:5-6, etc. ), then we have new instructions given by Jesus and He said His yoke is easy. We are not in a ‘renewed‘ covenant as HRM teaches. Can you imagine the yoke of hundreds of the Old Covenant instructions plus all the instructions of the New ? it would be a double yoke, & that’s is what Hebrew Roots Movement teaches.
But Jesus said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” Matthew 11:25-30. Jesus is our Rest, our Sabbath & He was talking to Jews, about the yoke of the old covenant law.
We are not without any law, we now have the Law of Christ, Gal.6:2 & the doctrine (teachings) of Christ, we are in a New Covenant. The law of Christ, then, is to love God with all of our being, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves and He added a new commandment to His followers to love one another of the brethren as HE loved us.