The Apostle Paul received His Gospel directly from Jesus Christ through revelation (Gal. 1:12). Because of his direct, face-to-face contact with the risen Lord (1 Cor. 9:1), God used him to write much of the New Testament (Covenant). One of the subjects Paul wrote about concerned counterfeit Jews. As this teaching will reveal, Paul used the words “Jews,” “the circumcision” interchangeably. “SPIRITUAL JEWS” IS MY TERM FOR TRUE CHRISTIANS (JEWS OR GENTILES) WHO ARE GOD’S VERY ELECT SAINTS BECAUSE THEY OBEY HIS LAW. Jews and Gentiles who do not obey God’s Law are “SPIRITUAL GENTILES.”

The Bible Truth relative to the Lord’s Law and His people’s obedience to it stands in stark contrast to the opinion of many in the Institutional Church who view Jews negatively because of their direct involvement in the martyrdom of Jesus Christ. This is understandable. However, we must not forget that the Jews (tribes of Judah and Benjamin), along with the other ten tribes have never stopped being GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE. In Ezekiel 37 the prophet tells us that a time will come when God will call them back to Him. Until they will remain “divorced” from God and answerable for their sins as do Gentile sinners.

Note this: ALL JEWS ARE ISRAELITES, BUT NOT ALL ISRAELITES ARE JEWS. The world, as well as many church people, believe that modern-day Jews constitute all of modern-day Israel. This is false. Jews number approximately 15 million globally, approximately half of whom live in the nation of Israel today. The descendants of the other ten tribes number in the hundreds of millions globally. Rather than go into the logistics of that Truth, read Who and Where is Israel Today? Key word–Today. Fact: You might be an Israelite. My English name is “Jaques,” which translates to “Jacob” in the Hebrew language. I might be a descendant of Abraham’s grandson Jacob, whose name the Lord changed to “Israel,” which means “power with God.” I know of a supposed Gentile who traced his lineage back to King David.

In his letter to the church at Rome, Paul had much to tell the mostly Gentile church located in the city of Rome. His message also applies to the modern-day group which God describes as “My people who are called by My name.” As this ministry has proven Biblically many times, only a few people in the group called “the church” are in fact God’s true saints. For an explanation of this Truth read Who Are God’s People? and “My People Called by My Name.” Key words–People and Called respectively. Also read Matthew 7:13,14; 22:14. Also read Christ’s letters to the seven churches (church eras) found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. Read the series using the key word–Letters. Pay special attention to His letter to the church at Laodicea which corresponds to the modern-day Catholic/Protestant Religious System known as “the church,” “Christianity,” “Christendom,” “the church,” etc. Note that the Laodicean church was the final church to which Jesus instructed John to write. His description of her in Revelation 3:14-20 perfectly describes the modern end-time church system. This series will reveal one of the most deadly problems found in the Laodicean church system.

In the first two chapters of his letter to the church at Rome Paul writes about a problem that was running rampant and causing trouble within the congregation. The problem involved God’s Law, specifically the refusal of many congregants to obey it. Sount familiar? It should, for it perfectly describes the main problem found in the church of these end times about which I have written and taught numerous times. The problem is the church’s rejection of God’s Law, which God Himself defines as SIN: “TO TRANSGRESS THE LAW IS SIN; FOR SIN IS THE TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW (1 JN. 3:4). I suggest that you read First John 3:1-10 and 2:3-5 at the first opportunity. Then read those passages again periodically.

In Romans chapter one Paul reminds the church of the past when numerous Jews and Gentiles (Spiritual Jews) had stopped obeying God’s Law, leaving themselves open to Satan’s false religion. In chapter two Paul begins by chastising the pastor of the Rome Church who, though a Jew and a teacher of the Law, was leading both Jews and Gentiles away from God’s Law by refusing to obey it. The remainder of his letter to that church involved their rejection of God’s Law. We will now address his specific words relative to that deadly heresy. As God told Eve, the day she sinned she would die. He was referring to spiritual death which begins immediately following sin and continues as long as one continues to sin.

I need to do a short historical teaching at this point for anyone who might not know the history of the nation of Israel and how the Jews and the other Israelites became two different nations. Many generations ago the house of Israel split with the “Jews” (tribes of Judah and Benjamin–the “southern tribes”) remaining in Judea and the “northern tribes” remaining in Samaria. At one point the two parts were at war with each other. Because of their sins, both segments of Israel were defeated and carried off to the countries of the victors. God sent Assyria to defeat and enslave the ten northern tribes. He sent Babylon to do the same to the Jews (Judahites). The ten northern tribes were later scattered throughout the world (Eze. 12:9,14,15; 20:23/ Jer. 31:10), as were some of the Jews who were sold as slaves.

After 70 years, God allowed some of the Jews to return to the Promised Land in order to rebuild Jerusalem. It was to these Jews that Jesus came and ministered. He sent His 12 apostles (“sent ones”) throughout the world to find the ten scattered tribes and to tell them about Himself and the coming Kingdom of God on earth (Mat. 15:24). The world calls these people “the lost ten tribes of Israel.” It is from the efforts of those apostles that the true church of God came into being throughout the world and continues to exist today. God’s church is not recognized by “the church” because His people obey His Law. God’s true saints number only a few thousand globally.

In 2:13-15 Paul states: “It is not the hearers of the Law that are just(ified) before God, BUT THE DOERS OF THE LAW SHALL BE (WILL CONTINUE TO BE) JUSTIFIED.” Paul continues by reminding the Jews that when Gentiles, who do not have the Law, by nature obey the Law, they become God’s people (Spiritual Israelites) by “manifesting the work of the Law written in their hearts.” These people demonstrate the “righteousness of the Law” (Phil. 3:6) by living their lives–their “walk”–in obedience to His Law.

Relative to living the life God commands of His people in order to receive salvation, Paul notes that the Jews have an advantage over the Gentiles because they (the Jews–“the circumcision”) have always had the “oracles (Words/Law) of God” (3:1,2). To the end-time church I would ask: If having the Law of God is an advantage to the Jew in every way relative to salvation; and if Gentiles must obey the Law in order to be saved, and if the Law defines sin and righteousness (righteousness if one obeys it and sin if one does not obey it) why do you believe that the Law was destroyed by Jesus at the time of His death? He specifically said that He did not come to earth to destroy the Law or the writings of the prophets–which constitutes the Old Testament–but rather to fulfill them (Mat. 5:17). It was prophesied that the Messiah would come to earth “to magnify the Law and make it honorable (again)–(Isa. 42:21). Law-breakers believe that the word “fulfill” means to bring something to an end. Read Matthew 3:15/ Galatians 6:2/ Philippians 2:2/ Colossians 1:25; 4:17/ 2 Thessalonians 1:11 and James 2:8 which reveal that to fulfill means to make something happen or to continue doing something, not to bring something to an end. L.J.