THE BIRTH OF THE BELIEVING REMNANT
IN ROMANS 11:5
Introduction
In an expanded version of his theological PhD dissertation, Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum makes the accurate and noteworthy observation that the apostle Paul, in Rom. 11:5, used the Greek perfect tense in a comparative application of nation Israel’s history in the day of Elijah: “Even so then [at this present time also—omitted by Fruchtenbaum] there is (emphasis mine, highlighting the perfect tense) a remnant according to the election of grace” (Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. Israelology: The Missing Link In Systematic Theology, rev. ed. Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1994, 741).
In his superb Greek grammar, Prof. Daniel B. Wallace explains, “The force of the perfect tense is simply that it describes an event that, completed in the past . . . has results existing in the present time . . .” (Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond The Basics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996, 573). Thus, any theological inferences based upon use of the perfect tense should identify from the context the completed past event that accounts for the present results.
Dr. Fruchtenbaum rightly notes “the seven thousand of Elijah’s day” are illustrative of, and correspond to, the present remnant in Rom. 11:5 (Fruchtenbaum, 741). He also correctly equates the present results as that referred to by Paul in Gal. 6:16 as the “Israel of God” (ibid. 741). As Fruchtenbaum concluded earlier in his study, the “Israel of God” most likely refers to the believing Jews within the Church (ibid. 619-699). This believing remnant constitutes the results in the present time connoted by the Greek perfect tense Paul used in Rom. 11:5.
However, what Dr. Fruchtenbaum fails to identify is the completed past event in the history of the Church that distinguished believing Jews in the Church—a remnant according to the election of grace—from those regenerate Jews in the Church pursuing a law of righteousness (cf. Rom. 9:31). Surely, Dr. Fruchtenbaum is not suggesting that Elijah’s experience was the seminal event that marked the birth of the believing remnant of Israel within the Church!
The following essay will identify the seminal event in the history of the Church that distinguished the believing remnant from those Jews in the Church that, out of ignorance, sought to establish their own righteousness (cf. Rom. 10:3).
Preliminary Matters
A few items for understanding are necessary before identifying the event in the Church’s infant history that highlighted a believing remnant of Jews in the Church.
- The Church was a new creation, and not simply an improved or remade form of—or even an extension of—the nation Israel (Gal. 6:15). The Church began around 33 AD on the Pentecost following Jesus’ resurrection (cf. Acts 2:1-47). For example, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses were unquestionably not part of the Church. On the other hand, Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and Titus were identifiably part of the Church. Thus, the Church is not part of the nation Israel and the nation Israel is not part of the Church.
- Administration of God’s earthly kingdom was taken temporarily from the nation Israel and given to the Church (cf. Matt. 21:42-45; Acts 1:6; e.g., the Church ‘council’ in Acts 15:1-29 replaced the Sanhedrin of Acts 5:21-29). The Levitical priesthood was also taken temporarily from the nation Israel and given to the Church meaning, among other things, that animal sacrifices were no longer efficacious for covering sins (Mark 11:16; Acts 6:7; Heb. 7:12; Rev. 1:6).
- A believing Jewish remnant existed in the nation Israel from the time of Jesus’ birth as exemplified by Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zacharias, Simeon, Anna, and John the Baptist.
- Following Pentecost in 33 AD, a believing Jewish remnant did not exist in the nation Israel.
- The word “saved” in the New Testament was used to describe two kinds of regenerate people. The first kind, to which all Church members belonged, was saved from God’s judgment of their respective sins by their belief in God’s forgiveness of their sins through the death and resurrection of Jesus. The second kind of regenerate people—a portion of the first—was saved from slavery to indwelling sin by their belief that their Lord Jesus’ obedient life would be manifest through them by the Spirit’s power thereby removing them from the jurisdiction of the Law (e.g., the apostle Paul; cf. Rom. 6:14).
- The word “remnant” means a portion leftover from the whole. To illustrate, a portion from a bolt of plaid linen material cannot be a remnant from a bolt of white canvas material. Thus, a remnant from the nation Israel cannot be a remnant from the Church.
- God intended the Law of Moses to be kept in its entirety (cf. Gal. 5:3; Jas. 2:10). If a single commandment of the Law were broken, the whole Law was broken. The Law was like a window pane: if a ball sailed through the glass, the entire pane was broken—not just a part.
The Event Giving Birth To A Believing Jewish Remnant In The Church
The apostle Paul had pointed to the prophet Elijah, and his 870 BC exchange with God, that exposed the existence of a believing remnant in Israel (Rom. 11:2-4). Using this historical episode for an inferential comparison—“even so then”—Paul specifically applied the event to his own time: “. . . at the present time . . .” (Rom. 11:5).
Quoting Paul’s words, Fruchtenbaum emphasizes the present remnant is “according to the election of grace” (Fruchtenbaum, 741). He goes on to correctly conclude, “. . . Paul gave the standard according to which the remnant comes into existence. It is not on the basis of the Law of Moses (10:4), but on the basis of grace” (ibid. 741). But Elijah’s remnant would have lived according to the Law of Moses—a reality that needs to be addressed in Fruchtenbaum’s comparison.
So when was there an event, early in Church history, where God made it clear that life was no longer to be lived according to the Law of Moses? Such an event took place one noontime on the rooftop of a house by the sea in the city of Joppa (Acts 10:9-16, with quotes from NET Bible, 1996).
The apostle Peter fell into a trance. A king-size sheet holding animals, reptiles, and birds was lowered by its four corners from heaven to the ground. And a voice commanded Peter to arise, kill some of the sheet’s contents, and eat thereof—because he had become hungry, being that it was midday.
Peter’s response to the command was quite revealing: “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean” (Acts 10:14). Peter’s answer revealed that he had always been an observant Jew, keeping the dietary laws which were part of the Law of Moses (cf. Lev. 11). Note: if Peter had broken any of the dietary restrictions of the Law, he would have been guilty of breaking the whole Law. Furthermore, Peter recognized the voice as authoritative—responding with the epithet, “Lord.”
The voice next announced a dramatic change: “What God has made clean, you must not consider ritually unclean” (10:15). This announcement was tantamount to rendering the whole Law of Moses obsolete for Jewish believers that were Church members. Church members would live according to grace—free from the Law. This interchange between Peter and the voice giving him instructions was quite likely the past event Paul had in mind when he declared (using the Greek perfect tense) the existence of a remnant in the Church—“at the present time.”
However, if those believing Jews in the Church—like Peter—were considered the believing remnant, then who are the ‘unbelievers’ in the Church? The answer comes from some interesting details revealed in what transpired after Peter’s thrice-experienced event that gave birth to a believing remnant in the Church.
Following the vision, the Spirit instructed Peter to go with the three men that a Roman centurion, the Gentile Cornelius, had sent to fetch him—and to go “without hesitation” (10:19-20). The next day, Peter followed the Spirit’s instructions, accompanied by “some of the brothers (Jewish believers) from Joppa” (10:23).
Fast-forwarding in the story’s unfolding, one discovers that some of the brothers accompanying Peter were “believers from the circumcision” (10:45). This is a critically important fact because it suggested a division among Jews within the Church.
Now back to Peter: his vision and instructions from the Spirit were intended to convey to Peter that Gentiles were no longer to be considered “ritually unclean.” Nevertheless, when Peter entered Cornelius’ abode, he greeted everyone with the following: “You know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate or visit a Gentile, yet God has shown me (emphasis mine) that I should call no person defiled or ritually unclean” (10:28). Since God had recently revealed to Peter that the whole Law of Moses was obsolete for Jewish believers that were Church members, why did Peter feel it necessary to preface his greeting with, “. . . it is unlawful for a Jew to associate or visit a Gentile . . . ?”
One reasonable explanation is that Peter intended to give a ‘heads-up’ to Cornelius et al. that while God had shown him it was OK to visit a Gentile home, some of the brothers with him had not been so informed personally by God. So the Gentiles should mind their manners and not offer non-kosher food to their Jewish guests (cf. Acts 15:29).
Another possibility for Peter’s greeting was that Peter wanted to remind those “believers from the circumcision” with him that he was not acting cavalierly regarding the Law, but rather was acting under God’s direct command. Perhaps Peter wanted the circumcision to realize his respect and concern for them as believers despite their practice of living according to the Law of Moses. Or maybe, Peter wanted to preempt any potential criticisms of his behavior from the circumcision. Possibly Peter was simply intimidated by the presence of the circumcision (cf. Gal. 2:11-12).
Whatever the reason, Peter’s greeting served to highlight a sect of Jewish believers within the Church that was seeking a righteousness of their own by Law, not knowing about God’s righteousness by faith (cf. Rom. 10:1-4).
The circumcision’s unique reaction to God’s acceptance of Cornelius and his household was one of great astonishment (10:45). The astonishment likely stemmed from the fact that Cornelius and the other Gentile males present had not been required to undergo circumcision before the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon them.
This incident may have given rise to the label, ‘the circumcision,’ for the sect within the Church—i.e., those believing Jews who zealously lived by the Law of Moses, aggressively promoting circumcision for Church Gentiles (e.g., Acts 15:5).
That such a sect of believing Jews known as ‘the circumcision’ existed within the Church was confirmed by Peter’s Jerusalem reception following his successful trip to Cornelius in Caesarea. The circumcision took issue with Peter’s entering a Gentile abode and eating with Gentiles (Acts 11:2-3).
Peter recounted in detail the background and results of his missionary endeavor (11:4-17). After hearing Peter’s words, the circumcision became silent and glorified God—acknowledging God had indeed granted life (without circumcision) to the Gentiles (11:18).
Conclusion
From the foregoing analysis, it may be concluded that the apostle Paul, in Rom. 11:5, was referring to that believing remnant in the Church—Peter being an excellent example—who were of the election of grace. They were indeed the “Israel of God.”
However, a sect of regenerate Jews in the Church known as the circumcision coexisted with the Israel of God. The circumcision lived their lives according to the Law of Moses (cf. Acts 15:5; Gal. 2:11-12) and not by faith in God’s promise that the Lord Jesus’ lawful life would be manifested through them by the Spirit’s power (cf. Rom 8:1-4; 2 Cor. 4:10-11; Gal. 2:20). The sect known as the circumcision was the object of Paul’s intense concern, teachings, behavioral adaptations (cf. Acts 21:20-26), and prayers for salvation from slavery to sin (Rom. 9:1-3; 10:1-4).
It was to this sect of regenerate Jews in the Church that Paul made himself a slave so that he might save some from sin’s bondage (cf. 1 Cor. 9:20b, 22b). Salvation was not from the lake of fire (cf. Rev. 20:15) but from a useless and unfruitful life lived in slavery to indwelling sin activated and empowered by the Law of Moses (cf. Rom. 7:9; 1 Cor. 15:56).
Finally, Dr. Fruchtenbaum’s suggestion that the believing remnant came into existence in Elijah’s time may be accurate for the nation Israel, but not beyond Pentecost, 33 AD. Within the Church, the birth of the believing remnant began in the pages of Church history as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles—Peter’s trance being the seminal event.