The True Israel

The Church as God’s Chosen People

For centuries, the question of who constitutes the people of God has been a point of theological discussion. Many still hold to the notion that “ethnic” Jews remains the chosen people, despite the clear testimony of Scripture and the Church Fathers that the true Israel has always been those who are faithful to God—now fully realised in the Church. Christ Himself made this known through His parables, and the Apostles made it explicit: the Old Covenant has been fulfilled, and those who reject Christ are no longer part of the chosen people.

One of Christ’s most telling parables concerning the fate of Israel and the nature of the true people of God is found in Matthew 22:1-14—the Parable of the Wedding Feast. In this story, a king prepares a great wedding banquet for his son. He first invites those who were originally called—symbolizing Israel—but they refuse to come. Some ignore the invitation, while others mistreat and even kill the king’s servants, representing the prophets and ultimately Christ Himself. In response, the king destroys their city (a foreshadowing of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70) and then extends the invitation to others—bringing in those from the highways and byways, representing the Gentiles and the faithful remnant of Israel who accept Christ.

The meaning is unmistakable: the kingdom of God is no longer exclusive to “ethnic” Jews. The rejection of the Messiah led to their exclusion, and the invitation was extended to the whole world. The true people of God are now those who respond to the call and enter the wedding feast of the Lamb—the Church.

The Apostle Paul expands on this reality in Romans 11, where he uses the analogy of an olive tree to describe the fate of Israel and the inclusion of the Gentiles. He speaks of Israel as the cultivated olive tree, but because of the unbelief of the Jewish people, many of its branches were cut off. In their place, wild branches—Gentiles—were grafted in. However, he warns the Gentiles not to become arrogant, for God can graft the Jews back in if they turn to Christ.

This passage makes clear that lineage alone does not determine one’s place in God’s covenant. It is faith in Christ that decides who remains part of the tree. St Paul explicitly states in Galatians 3:28-29:

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

The seed of Abraham is no longer defined by bloodline, but by faith in Jesus Christ.

The early Church Fathers consistently affirmed that the Church is the true Israel, and that those who rejected Christ forfeited their place among God’s people. One of the most powerful voices in this regard is St John Chrysostom, who wrote a series of sermons titled Adversus Judaeos (Against the Jews). In them, he makes clear that the privileges of the old Israel have been revoked due to their rejection of Christ:

“The Jews were called children of God, yet they were cast out. They were once honored with the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the service of God, and the promises. But they lost all these when they rejected Christ.” (Adversus Judaeos I, 6)

Chrysostom was not alone in this teaching. St Justin Martyr, in his Dialogue with Trypho, states that Christians are the true spiritual descendants of Abraham:

“For the true spiritual Israel… are we who have been led to God through this crucified Christ.” (Dialogue with Trypho, 11)

Similarly, St Augustine wrote:

“The Old Testament is fulfilled in the New; the New Testament is hidden in the Old. The promises given to Israel belong now to the Church.” (Contra Faustum 4.10)

The consensus of the Fathers is clear: the promises made to Israel were fulfilled in Christ, and the Church is now the recipient of the covenant. Ethnic Israel, apart from Christ, no longer holds a special status.

Despite this clear biblical and historical teaching, many modern Christians—particularly in dispensationalist Protestant circles—continue to assert that “ethnic” Jews remains the chosen people and that the modern nation-state of Israel has a special role in God’s plan. While it is true that eschatological passages such as those describing the rebuilding of the temple in Ezekiel and Zechariah contain imagery that some interpret as literal, the New Testament reorients this understanding toward Christ. The Apostle Paul repeatedly teaches that believers are the true temple of the Holy Spirit, and Christ Himself, when speaking of the destruction of the temple, pointed to His own body as its fulfillment. It is entirely possible that certain prophetic events may have geopolitical dimensions (and I do not rule out the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem as sign of the End-Times), but the Church has always recognised that the promises of God are not ultimately tied to an earthly state but to the coming of Christ’s kingdom.

Christian Zionism, which places its hope on the modern state of Israel, risks undermining the centrality of Christ’s salvific work. By insisting that the prophecies of the Old Testament must be fulfilled through the physical restoration of Israel, proponents of this view inadvertently diminish the role of the Cross and the Resurrection. They assert that political events are the linchpin of God’s redemptive plan, thereby casting doubt on the necessity of personal faith in Jesus Christ.

Such an approach, while seemingly affirming a biblical narrative, ultimately contradicts the apostolic teaching that salvation is found solely in Christ. St John Chrysostom, in his Adversus Judaeos, lamented the rejection of Christ by the old covenant. St Justin Martyr affirmed that the true Israel is not defined by blood but by faith in Christ. St Augustine likewise declared that the promises once given to Israel are now fully realised in the Church.

It is also worth acknowledging that the reality on the ground in the Holy Land is far more complex than doctrinal disputes. Many Christian pilgrims visit sacred sites with hearts full of reverence and expectation. Yet, there have been disheartening encounters where acts of disrespect mar the pilgrimage experience. In a particularly painful incident, I recall carrying a cross from the Anglican Cathedral of St George up to the Garden of Gethsemane some fourteen years ago, only to be spat upon by individuals who saw in this act an affront to their own Jewish identity. Such incidents, though not reflective of an entire people, serve as a stark reminder of the tensions that persist in the land where ancient faiths intersect. These experiences of hostility underscore a broader issue: the dangers of reducing the spiritual heritage of God’s people to national or ethnic identity. When the focus shifts from the universal call to repentance and redemption in Christ, it opens the door to pride, division, and even hatred.

In navigating these turbulent times, Christians must remain steadfast in the truth that God’s covenant is fulfilled in the Church. As St Justin Martyr observed in his Dialogue with Trypho, the true spiritual Israel comprises those led to God through the crucified Christ. Similarly, St Augustine affirmed that the promises given to Israel are now embodied in the Church, a people defined not by blood but by faith.

The insistence on an acceptance of modern Israel as the Biblical one, and thus a notion that it can do no wrong, often leads to political entanglements and a dangerous conflation of spiritual truth with earthly power. It distracts from the need for personal conversion and the communal transformation that marks the true people of God. Instead, Christians are called to bear witness to the living Christ, whose sacrifice redeems and whose resurrection ushers in a new covenant for all who believe.

The truth is undeniable: the Church is the true Israel of God. This is not a matter of race or bloodline, but of faith. As the Wedding Feast parable shows, the old guests were invited but refused; so, the King called others to take their place. As St Paul explains, the unbelieving branches were cut off, and others were grafted in. As the Fathers taught, the promises belong now to the Church, not to those who reject Christ. Christ is the fulfillment of all that Israel was meant to be, and His Bride, the Church, is the true Israel. Those who seek salvation must come not to an earthly nation, but to the Body of Christ, where the true people of God are gathered—Jew and Gentile alike, united in the covenant of grace.