Biblical Authority Shines Truth in the Shadow of Satan’s Snare
Apr 15, 2026
Political debates and dissension from the left and right about the role of Israel in the world today are too often fed by demons spawning an old temptation founded on antisemitism and our pride. Did God really say?
The truth is a matter of Biblical authority. For in God’s Word, we know throughout history what God really did say. His Word does not change with the times. The everlasting covenant with Israel remains an eternal promise of God, spanning from the beginning in the Old Testament to the fulfillment by our Lord and Savior in the New Testament while we await His return. This reflects God’s sovereign plan and God’s faithfulness across every generation.Bottom of Form
Jesus was born a Jew and lived as a Jew in the land promised to Israel in Genesis. All the Apostles were Jewish, and the Old Testament story of Israel and the prophets all point to Jesus. The false teaching often called “replacement theology” suggests that God’s covenant blessing with the nation of Israel has been canceled and replaced by the church. Scripture tells a different truth.
God told Abraham, “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:3)
Reading God’s Word clearly tells us that the covenant with Abraham is everlasting and remains part of God’s plans for our future. The Apostle Paul clearly tells us in Romans that salvation is offered to all who believe in Jesus, Jews and Gentiles. Romans 11 tells us that the Jewish who believe are the root, and the Gentiles have been grafted into the promise. This Abrahamic covenant functions as an unconditional covenant, resting on God’s promise rather than human performance.
Biblical Authority and Discerning Wisdom
In my first book, “Everything is Going to Be All Right: A Faith Journey Through Alzheimer’s,” I write about learning to go to God’s Word in search of wisdom and discernment.
Leaving an apostate denomination that strayed from God’s Word, my search for a new church home to continue following Jesus was centered on God-breathed, inspired Biblical Authority, which is what I found compelling about the Church of Christ.
Striving to be a New Testament church, an Acts 29 church. Each church is autonomous following Jesus and His Word, absent layers of men and women who hold offices managing multiple churches, dictating laws and policies, and voting on doctrine. Instead, all church members, as Peter called us the royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), are called to read God’s Word, discerning truth with the wisdom and discernment help from the Holy Spirit. Christ is the head of each church with elders as stewards leading church members.
There are many debates over doctrine where we should search Scripture for truth, like the Bereans (Acts 17:10-12). Some are non-negotiable truths where scripture is clear and foundational, including salvation through Christ alone. We are all created in the image of God, created as male and female. Marriage was created by God to be between one man and one woman.
Some truths are foundational as members of the Church of Christ, based on God’s Word. Baptism as adults by immersion. Weekly communion and acappella singing during worship are all part of the New Testament worship pattern. We learn how to explain / defend with apologetics, searching Scripture for what God’s indeed says, knowing that Scripture defines Scripture. We strive to share truths with others in love by remaining humble with forgiving hearts.
Some topics such as eschatology, how end times unfold when Jesus returns, we can admit that we simply don’t know with certainty. We may lean in one direction based on our understanding of Scripture. As in the gospel hymn, “Farther along we’ll know more about it and understand why. Live in the sunshine. When we see Jesus coming in the glory. We’ll understand it all by and by.” This includes debates framed as premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. I have searched Scripture and listened to preachers and teachers enough to know I lean toward amillennialism, with Christ on the throne today and ruling through His church.
In other debates, we can take a firm stand on God’s Word and yet know others may disagree. These may not be foundational “fellowship” issues, but after studying God’s Word, they are no longer a matter of debate in my heart. As a young earth creationist, the age of the Earth and the Holy Spirit working in our lives are examples. In my heart, these have become Biblical authority issues, I clearly see and understand what God says in His Word.
I have seen in my research that some in the church of Christ believe in cessationism for both miracles and the work of the Holy Spirit. I have learned that the miraculous spiritual gifts of speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy bestowed on men have ceased after they were used by Jesus and the Apostles to share the Gospel in the first-century church. These gifts ended when the Apostles died. Through God continues to bless us with miracles in the world and in our lives.
I believe, and many in the church of Christ believe, that the Holy Spirit is active in our lives with a new heart, transformed when born again and raised into new life following baptism. I have learned and continue to learn from teachers and preachers who believe otherwise. Yet, on other matters, I have learned and continue to learn from these teachers and their understanding of other Scriptures.
Israel Remains in God’s Plan
Some teachers and preachers in the church of Christ also believe that God is done with Israel after the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 AD. Other teachers I continue to learn from are premillennial Calvinists who believe in “once saved, always saved,” use the sinner’s prayer as the path to salvation instead of baptism, and have raised issues I have wrestled with by searching Scripture and finding the truth to be otherwise.
Though we are committed to be a New Testament church, we know Old Testament is the foundation of our history and faith, all pointing us to Jesus. Jesus Christ is the Jewish Messiah promised by God in Genesis 3 and prophesized throughout the Old Testament. Jesus came to save us from our sins inviting Jews and Gentiles to everlasting life.
He was rejected by many who were blind to the truth as foretold by many prophets. Quoting Isaiah in Romans 11:8, Paul calls it a spirit of stupor. Paul quotes King David in the next verse, calling the spiritual blindness a snare, a trap and a stumbling block. Yet all was part of God’s providence. These are the same Jews who saw the parting of the Red Sea to free them from Egypt and decided weeks later to make a golden calf while Moses was on the mountain talking with God.
We all have seeds of that sinful pride within us that can make us spiritually blind and deaf to truth. Through the Jews, God sent His one and only Son to be the Savior of the world. God will never forsake His promises to Israel because of His nature, just as He will never forsake us. We are also invited to eternal salvation not because of what we have done, but through what Christ has done on the cross.
I say then, has God rejected His people? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. GOD HAS NOT REJECTED HIS PEOPLE whom He foreknew. … (Romans 11: 1-2)
From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all. (Romans 11: 28-32)
God’s Word tells us that Jesus was born in Israel, died in Israel, rose from the dead in Israel, and is coming again to Israel. The church began with Jewish people who believed and were baptized (Acts 2:41) and will be joined by a remnant of believers in Israel who come to Christ.
The New Testament never presents the church as the replacement of Israel. After His resurrection, the disciples asked Jesus if this was the time He was going to restore the kingdom to Israel. Jesus didn’t say he was replacing Israel with the church. Instead, the church is given the mission of proclaiming the Gospel.
So when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, “Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” But He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to THE END OF THE EARTH.” (Acts 1:6-8)
When we examine the history of Israel and the forming of a nation in 1948, miraculous events have unfolded. The story of the Old Testament is Israel straying from God’s Word, prophets who came to warn them of wrath, often followed by devastating judgment. But always a remnant remained and blessings followed.
We can see the nation of Israel is apostate today with the majority of the secular nation straying from God’s Word, much like the United States and other nations of the world. Israel and the United States are joined by many in the world along walking with most along the broad path. Jesus said His Kingdom of not of this world, and His followers should seek the narrow gate. When we study God’s Word, we clearly see God sovereign over all creation.
Judgment and wrath when the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 AD were severe. The Jewish people were scattered throughout the world. Satan fostered antisemitism that resulted in the Holocaust and more than 6 million Jews killed, described in Psalm 102. A remnant was brought back to Israel in 1948 with the nation re-established, yet another fulfillment of prophecies, including from Jeremiah.
“Therefore, behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when it shall no longer be said, ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt,’ but ‘As the LORD lives who brought up the people of Israel out of the north country and out of all the countries where he had driven them.’ For I will bring them back to their own land that I gave to their fathers.” (Jeremiah 16:14-15)
Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. (Isaiah 43:4-5)
After Israel declared independence and called for Jews to return to the homeland given to them by God, the armies of five neighboring Arab nations attacked and boasted they would push the Jews into the sea. Israel prevailed and took even more territory. Wasteland has been transformed into fertile land yielding produce.
The Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas and other terrorist groups from Gaza resulted in more than 1,200 deaths of mostly civilians. Families, including women, children, and the elderly were taken from their beds to be beaten, raped, and killed, and 251 people were taken hostage. More than 2,500 years ago, the prophet Amos told us about God’s judgment on Gaza because of evil crimes of violence and captivity.
Thus says the LORD: “For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried into exile a whole people to deliver them up to Edom. So I will send a fire upon the wall of Gaza, and it shall devour her strongholds. I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod, and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon; I will turn my hand against Ekron, and the remnant of the Philistines shall perish,” says the Lord GOD. (Amos 1:6-8)
While the United States and Israel attack Iran and we continue to wait for the return of Jesus, we can trust that God is always in control. We know many prophecies are not time-stamped. End-time prophecies in the Old and New Testaments share insights that always include Israel. A new heaven and new earth will bring a new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.
God’s providence never fails. As for the Jewish people, Paul tells us in Ephesians that Jesus is merging our path to eternal salvation.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” (Ephesians 2:13-16)
May the Gospel be shared amid the turmoil and trials. Pray for peace in Israel and salvation for all through Jesus.