This is the title of an article taken from the January 15, 1981 issue of the Watchtower, pages 27-30, in which the Watchtower society relates how wrong it was for some first century Jewish Christians to require that Gentiles become Jewish proselytes in order to be saved. However, in their modern day application of this situation they argue that those doing similarly today are those that say all Christians are spiritual Jews. This amounts to a false comparison deliberately aimed at legitimizing their two class system of Christianity, some having a heavenly and others an earthly hope.
What follows is a review of that article:
The Judaizers were overly conscious of the fact that for more than 1,500 years God had dealt exclusively with the Jewish people. During that time anyone from another nation who wanted to become a worshiper of Jehovah needed to become a proselyte, or convert, to Judaism. Such a person would be ‘circumcised and charged to observe the law of Moses,’ which is just what the Judaizers wanted to do with the new Christian disciples…
By overestimating the importance of being a physical Jew, they failed to appreciate what is meant by being a spiritual Jew. At that time the way was open for persons to become members of “the Israel of God”—spiritual Israel. (Gal. 6:15, 16) The Israel of God consists of 144,000 persons whom the Bible describes as being in heaven with Jesus Christ, a glorious prospect!—Rev. 7:1-8; 14:1-5.
The article makes the statement that “At that time the way was open for persons to become members of “the Israel of God”—spiritual Israel. “But by their interpretation of Revelation chapters 7 and 14 the assumption is made that the opportunity to become a spiritual Israelite is limited to 144,000 persons. They next attempt to establish that Abraham’s seed is comprised of two groups:
ARE ALL “CHRISTIANS” SPIRITUAL ISRAELITES?
Today it is no longer difficult for people to imagine Christians’ going to heaven to be with Christ Jesus. For many hundreds of years the churches of Christendom have been teaching that all good church members go to heaven. So, today, they teach that all Christians are spiritual Israelites.
Since the Bible does not specifically say the number of the members of the Israel of God is limited, or that there is more than one Christian hope, it is difficult to see why these Christians are criticized for this view. In fact, the society itself did not come to their understanding of two classes of Christians until 1935. Hence this argument rests not upon scripture but upon their interpretation of Revelation, a book presented in signs and symbols. (Rev. 1:1)
The article continues:
Such a teaching leaves unanswered a number of basic Bible questions. For example, Paul told members of spiritual Israel that “if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s seed, heirs with reference to a promise.” (Gal. 3:29) What was that promise? It was the promise that God gave Abraham long ago that he would have a “seed” and that “by means of your seed all nations of the earth will certainly bless themselves due to the fact that you have listened to my voice.”—Gen. 22:18.
So the question arises, If the spiritual Israelites make up Abraham’s “seed,” who are the “nations” that get a blessing? No doubt those “nations” would include resurrected persons who lived before Christ. But is that all? Do the Scriptures indicate that all the Christians living at the time when the promises are fulfilled would be spiritual Israelites? To the contrary!
Consider what is foretold in the prophetic book of Revelation, chapter 7. The first eight verses of this chapter describe the sealing of 144,000 persons representing “every tribe of the sons of Israel.” There is no question that these are spiritual Israelites. Then what?
“After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. And they keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: ‘Salvation we owe to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”—Rev. 7:9, 10.
Are these latter persons Christians? Obviously, since they are approved by God and owe their salvation to his Lamb, Jesus Christ.
Are they spiritual Israelites? Clearly they are not, since they are described as coming out of all nations, tribes, peoples and tongues, after John describes the sealing of the 144,000 members of spiritual Israel. Thus, it is evident that not all Christians today are spiritual Israelites.
So, without first establishing that Paul gave any indication that Abraham’s seed was made up of two separate groups, an appeal is again made to the book of Revelation which says nothing about Abraham’s seed. But is Revelation describing two separate groups, Christians that are spiritual Israelites and spiritual non-Israelites? Or rather is this a description of spiritual Israelites in two different ways, as a symbolic number that in reality is comprised of a great crowd of persons? It is equally possible that after John relates what he hears, he goes on to tell what he sees. In other words, he hears a symbolic number and sees a great crowd represented by that number. If the members of the great crowd are not spiritual Israelites, what are they doing serving God in the sanctuary of his temple? (Rev. 7:15) Both the great crowd and the 144,000 are described as coming from all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues. (Rev. 5:9,10)
They next turn to Jesus illustration about the other sheep in John chapter 10 which is commonly used as proof of there being two classes of Christians:
FORETOLD BY JESUS
That many Christians are not spiritual Israelites should not be a surprise. Jesus himself predicted such a development in his well-known parable of the fine shepherd. In his parable Jesus spoke of a fold, or pen, for a smaller flock, and of a much larger flock, comprised of these and also of his “other sheep.”
It was after discussing at length the sheep that “go in and out” of the fold, that Jesus went on to say: “And I have other sheep‘ which are not of this fold; those also I must bring, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:8, 16) What did Jesus mean by “other sheep, which are not of this fold”?
Jesus was describing a large flock, some members of which lived in the “sheepfold” and some members of which did not. All the sheep belonged to the same enlarged flock, but not all of them lived in the fold. The flock could be quite large—indefinite as to size—but only a limited number of sheep could fit inside the fold, which was typically a stone pen with walls of definite length and height.—John 10:1-9.
John 10:1-9 and 16 are cited but let’s read verses 1-16 and get the entire context of Jesus illustration:
“Most truly I say to you, the one who does not enter into the sheepfold through the door but climbs in by another way, that one is a thief and a plunderer. 2 But the one who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens to this one, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought all his own out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus spoke this comparison to them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus said again: “Most truly I say to you, I am the door for the sheep. 8 All those who have come in place of me are thieves and plunderers; but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the door; whoever enters through me will be saved, and that one will go in and out and find pasturage. 10 The thief does not come unless it is to steal and slay and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it in abundance. 11 I am the fine shepherd; the fine shepherd surrenders his life in behalf of the sheep. 12 The hired man, who is not a shepherd and to whom the sheep do not belong, sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them— 13 because he is a hired man and does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the fine shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I surrender my life in behalf of the sheep. 16 “And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; those too I must bring in, and they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd. (John 10:1-16)
Notice that in his discussion of the flock, Jesus does not make any reference as to the comparative sizes of each. He does not say there is space for only a limited number of those in “this fold” and that later he would gather a larger number. He does not say that the other sheep, when gathered, would not be allowed to live in the fold or pen, having to stay outside unprotected in the cold. In fact, he says of them “those too I must bring in”. In where? Nor does he say that only those in this fold are spiritual Israelites while all the other sheep are not. All of these thoughts are added by the writers of the article to lead the reader to come to a certain conclusion. A careful reading of Jesus words reveals that he was speaking about sheep he had gathered so far, with intentions of adding other sheep to his fold thus enlarging his flock. What shepherd would not want to give the same care and protection to all of his sheep?
Rather than assume what Jesus meant about sheep, sheepfold and other sheep we need to examine what he himself said.
. . .These 12 Jesus sent out, giving them these instructions: “Do not go off into the road of the nations, and do not enter any Sa·marʹi·tan city; 6 but instead, go continually to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. . . (Matthew 10:5, 6)
. . .He answered: “I was not sent to anyone except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.. . . (Matthew 15:24)
It should be obvious that Jesus primary concern was to gather sheep from among the Jews. With that in mind, notice that, according to verses 3 and 4, his intention was not to bring more sheep into that Jewish fold, the Mosaic Law covenant, but to lead them out into his new fold, the new covenant. The doorkeeper, which the society interprets as John the Baptizer[1] opens to him and he calls his sheep by name and leads them out. He then becomes the door for the sheep through which the sheep enter and find pasturage. This is the flock he predicted would be enlarged. If not Jews, who then would be the other sheep that he would add? This began to be realized when those of Samaria accepted the good news and began to receive holy spirit.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Sa·marʹi·a had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them; 15 and these went down and prayed for them to get holy spirit. 16 For it had not yet come upon any one of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they began to receive holy spirit. (Acts 8:14-17)
Later Cornelius, the first Gentile was added. (Acts chapter 10).
Finally it was made known by Paul that it was God’s will for an administration to gather all things together in Christ. That meant that there would no longer be a distinction between Jew and Gentile. (Eph. 1:8-14; 2:11-19)
One body there is, and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4-6)
Then the article goes on to make a modern-day application:
MODERN-DAY “JUDAIZERS”
Many people today believe that all Christians must be spiritual Israelites, just as the ancient Judaizers believed that all Christians had to be literal Jews or proselytes. The major denominations of Christendom all teach this way. So they explain Jesus’ parable to mean that the first Christian disciples were from inside the “fold” of Judaism, and later disciples, the “other sheep,” were taken from outside that “fold,” being Gentiles. Then, according to the churches of Christendom, both the “sheep” inside the “fold” and the “other sheep” became spiritual Israelites with a heavenly hope.
While this may sound plausible, it overlooks a key feature of Jesus’ illustration. Jesus indicated that there would continue to be sheep inside the “fold” as well as “sheep” outside it in his enlarged flock. Nowhere does the parable indicate that the “other sheep” are somehow jammed into the small “fold,” or pen. Nor does the parable indicate that the fold itself was destroyed so that there would no longer be a difference between the sheep formerly inside it and the “other sheep.” Jesus’ comment that the sheep would go “in and out” of the pen and “find pasturage” indicates that the pen was a permanent arrangement. It represents the continuing arrangement of the Abrahamic covenant, not that of the Law covenant, which God took “out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake.” (Col. 2:14)[2]
Here the article inserts a new term, “pen”, that does not appear in Jesus’ parable and conflates it with the word “fold” as if Jesus was talking about continuing to lead the sheep in and out of the “fold” to find pasturage instead of calling sheep out of one fold into another. Read the verses carefully. Where does Jesus say that there would continue to be sheep inside the “fold” as well as “sheep” outside it in his enlarged flock? I believe it is correct to say the pen is the continuing arrangement of the Abrahamic covenant. But this is a different fold.
The article makes the statement that the parable does not “indicate that the fold itself was destroyed so that there would no longer be a difference between the sheep formerly inside it and the “other sheep.” Really? Because that is exactly what the apostle Paul indicated happened to the Mosaic law covenant:
For he is our peace, the one who made the two groups one and destroyed the wall in between that fenced them off. 15 By means of his flesh he abolished the enmity, the Law of commandments consisting in decrees, in order to make the two groups in union with himself into one new man and to make peace, 16 and to reconcile fully both peoples in one body to God through the torture stake, because he had killed off the enmity by means of himself. 17 And he came and declared the good news of peace to you who were far off, and peace to those near, 18 because through him we, both peoples, have free access to the Father by one spirit. (Ephesians 2:14-18)
If Jesus has other sheep that are not of that Abrahamic fold then he would have two folds. Those outside of that fold, and those within it. Those outside of the Abrahamic covenant, would have to be considered as being of the nations, a term usually reserved for Gentiles. Accordingly we should expect to find the apostles making a constant distinction between Christians that are spiritual Jews and Christians that are spiritual Gentiles. Such a distinction never appears in the scriptures.
Moreover, if you belong to Christ, you are really Abraham’s offspring, heirs with reference to a promise. (Galatians 3:29)
Hence, if they cannot be considered Abraham’s seed, then neither do they belong to Christ.
The article further states:
But not all of the flock would have access to the pen. As Today’s English Version puts it, “There are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen,” though they, too, “bless themselves” through faith and obedience.
But is not Abraham the father of all those having faith?
“Surely you know that it is those who adhere to faith who are sons of Abraham. (Galatians 3:7)
. . .Was not Abraham our father declared righteous by works after he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? (James 2:21)
. . .And he received a sign—namely, circumcision—as a seal of the righteousness by the faith he had while in his uncircumcised state, so that he might be the father of all those having faith . . . (Romans 4:11)
The article continues:
If the fold, or pen, represents an ongoing distinction between two classes of Christians, then it cannot represent the difference between Jews and Gentiles, because that distinction is abolished in the spirit-begotten “little flock.” (Luke 12:32) As Paul put it: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor freeman, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one person in union with Christ Jesus.”—Gal. 3:28; Eph. 2:15.
The only ongoing distinction between two classes of Christians would be the distinction between spiritual Jews and those who are not such. This is the same as the distinction between Abraham’s “seed” and the “nations” who would be blessed by it. It is the same as the distinction between the 144,000 members of spiritual Israel, mentioned in Revelation chapter 7, and the limitless “great crowd” of persons from all the nations mentioned right afterward.
How does this argument not lead to the conclusion that all those of the nations outside of the pen, are in reality non-Christians? None of the scriptural references provided show either that Jesus had in mind two flocks of sheep in two separate pens or an ongoing distinction between two classes of sheep within the same pen. Neither has there been any reference showing that Paul or the apostles taught such. All Christians mentioned in the Bible are anointed sons of God, spiritual Israelites comprising the seed of Abraham. The rest of this article is a strange attempt at drawing a parallel between modern Christians following this scriptural pattern that all Christians are of the seed of Abraham and first century Judaizers who argued that salvation was dependent upon becoming a Jewish proselyte.
The article continues:
Just as the early Judaizers did not want to admit that a person could serve God without being a Jew or a proselyte, today’s “Judaizers” do not want to admit that a person can serve God without being a spiritual Jew. They say that all Christians must be anointed as Kingdom heirs. Yet since 1935 millions of “other sheep” have been serving God faithfully, despite the ridicule and sometimes the persecution of modern-day “Judaizers,” including the members and clergy of Christendom.
These “other sheep” are Christians. They put full faith in Christ’s ransom sacrifice and follow his footsteps. Yet they have no desire to go to heaven. Although the Bible indicates that God’s spirit bears witness to members of spiritual Israel that they have a heavenly hope, it bears no such witness to the “other sheep.” (Rom. 8:15-17)
This is an inaccurate understanding that the bearing witness of the spirit applies to only certain anointed Christians telling them that they, and no other Christians, are going to heaven. Paul makes no distinction between two groups of Christians in the context. In fact he earlier in the same chapter stated that those not having Christ’s spirit do not even belong to him.
However, you are in harmony, not with the flesh, but with the spirit, if God’s spirit truly dwells in you. But if anyone does not have Christ’s spirit, this person does not belong to him. (Romans 8:9)
So the distinction is between genuine Christians and non-Christians, not between anointed and non-anointed Christians. All Christians are anointed. All have God’s spirit. All have the same hope. Additionally, where in the Bible is there any indication that the hope for Christians would change in 1935?
The article continues:
The existence of such faithful Christians who have no heavenly hope cannot be explained if all Christians are going to heaven, as Christendom claims. But they do exist, over 2,000,000 in number, and produce the fruitage of God’s holy spirit in abundance, although that same spirit does not tell them they are going to heaven.—Gal. 5:22, 23.
The existence of such Christians who have no heavenly hope can easily be explained if you take into consideration that they have been told what to believe by a religious organization that has also told them they cannot properly understand the Bible on their own.
In the first century it took real courage to accept the teaching of the apostle Paul and admit that one who was not a Jew or proselyte could be a Christian.
This is true. However it is not a fair comparison since Paul never taught that those becoming Christians did not also become spiritual Jews which is the Watchtower society’s position.
For he is not a Jew who is one on the outside, nor is circumcision something on the outside, on the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and his circumcision is that of the heart by spirit and not by a written code. That person’s praise comes from God, not from people. (Romans 2:28, 29)
The Watchtower society argues that today not everyone needs to be a spiritual Jew in order to be a Christian. The apostle Paul argued that it was not necessary to become a literal Jew in order to be considered a spiritual Jew. How is this a fair comparison? If you have been raised to believe that you are not going to heaven and if it turns out that is a valid Biblical hope then it is possible you have been deprived of great blessings. You may have been deceived by someone that has altered the good news that was preached in the first century and is still ongoing today. Rather than put your trust in the teachings of imperfect humans it would be wise to examine the scriptures for yourself as to whether these things are so. (Acts 17:11)
To quote a dear friend:
“The ministry of reconciliation to God through Christ is the most important work that we can possibly be engaged in. There is a much better life to be had than life in the Watchtower, and that is a life in Christ and Christ in us (cf. Eph. 2:10).”
As it turns out, in reality it is the Watchtower society itself whose actions are more in line with the first century Judaizers. In many ways, the rule oriented legalistic approach of many of the organization’s policies along with a forced dependence on a priestly class of anointed Christians tends to turn back the clock for Jehovah’s Witnesses, overemphasizing the importance of the Mosaic Law and depriving them of true Christian freedom. I discuss how this trend developed from the 2nd century onward in the article “Who Is the Man of Lawlessness? Part 3“.
Specific examples of how the Watchtower society has fallen into the same pattern will be discussed in a future article.
[1] See The Watchtower February 1, 1995 pg 9 par. 4; Jesus The Way, The Truth, The Life ch. 80 pg. 186
[2] While this understanding of the sheepfold was later adjusted see The Watchtower February 15, 1984 pg. 13 pars 13-20 the society still held to the interpretation that the other sheep are outside of the Abrahamic fold. See The Watchtower February 15, 1984 pg. 31