Natural, Versus Spiritual.

So according to Jason DeCosta a RING LEADER OF NATURAL ISRAEL ONLY SALVATIONISM (see meme in first comment under this post), the apostles and prophets in the New Testament had Inspired Authority to change the Nature of Fulfillment of the Promises (INHERITANCE), from an Earthly, Natural, and Temporal Shadow Form, to an Heavenly, Spiritual, and Eternal Substantial Form, but of course the Criteria and/or Nature and Identification of the Recipients (HEIRS of that "changed" INHERITANCE) of those Promises, must remain "unchanged", as Earthly, Natural, and Fleshly per the Uninspired Non-Authority of Jason DeCosta, even though the Entire New Testament stands against that suggestion, and even Isaiah among other Old Testament Prophets hint at a change of what qualifies as "Abraham's Seed"! That, or they make who one was "according to the flesh" somehow still be a prerequisite to becoming an ENTIRELY NEW CREATURE, which contradicts Paul in 2nd Cor.5:1Robert Statzer

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By Robert Statzer

After all, one did not need to be a Fleshly Descendant of Levi in order to function as a "Priest" in God's New Covenant Spiritual House/Temple (1st Peter 1:23-2:5; Rev.1:5,6; Eph.2:19-22), so why would one need to be a Fleshly Descendant of Abraham to Inherit God's True and Heavenly Land of Promise?!? Things that make you go "Hmm?", and then after you ponder it long enough, make you go "Ah ha! Now I see!" So Jason argues that what is definitive of, and qualifies as, "Abraham's Seed" was never altered by the New Testament Writers, and was not forever changed as to it's Meaning and Application through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who would "See *HIS* Seed", producing a Spiritual Progeny of "Children Raised Up Unto Abraham"!

This was as Miraculous, and perhaps even more unthinkable and offensive to the Natural Fleshly Seed, in that God Raised Up these Children to Abraham from something as disconnected from His DNA as "THESE STONES", but it wasn't THESE STONES that God Raised Up these Children from, but rather from "Non-Israelite Gentile Dogs" (Matt.3:8-10; 8:5-13; 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30; Josh.4:1-9) Jason, along with other IO Advocates, completely ignores Isaiah 52:13-54:5 (53:8-54:5 in particular), and totally disregards the Transfiguration of "Abraham's Seed" through the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ!

The Criteria of who is "Israel" or who is a "Son of Abraham", became ENTIRELY A *NEW THING* AS DETERMINED *IN CHRIST* THE PROMISED SEED (Hosea 11:1; Matt.2:15; Luke 2:34,35; Isa.8:13-18 with Heb.2:13 & Rom.9:27-33; Isaiah 53:8-54:5; 66:6-10; Psalm 22:27-31; Matt.3:8-10; Gal.3:16-29; 4:21-31; 1st Peter 1:23-2:5; James 1:18; 1st John 3:9), and is NOT "ACCORDING TO THE FLESH" (2nd Cor.5:14-17)! Those who are Produced through Messiah "Seeing *HIS* Seed" (Isaiah 53:8-54:5), are the HEIRS, because "MORE are the Children of the BARREN/DESOLATE Sarah (Gal.4:21-31; Rev.7:9-17), being "Isaac", those "Born of the Spirit", than those who are designated as the children of Hagar (Gal.4:21-31; Rev.7:1-8), being equivalent to "Ishmael", the ones "born of the flesh" (Isaiah 53:8-54:5; 66:6-10; Matt.3:8-10; Rom.ch.9, particularly vss.9:27-33; Gal.3:16-29; 4:21-31)!

Those who boasted of their Natural Birth as "Having Abraham as their father" were astounded when God did the Miraculous Equivalent of "Raising Up Children Unto Abraham From THESE STONES" (Matt.3:8-10; Josh.4:1-9), and saw them "Sit Down With Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob IN the Kingdom of Heaven", and they themselves being "Cast Into Outer Darkness" (Matt.8:5-13)! This is when the "Children of the Flesh" who "Are NOT the Children of God" (Rom.9:1-33, exempting a small remnant who became Born Anew through Messiah's SEED, Rom.9:27-33; Matt.24:15-22) were "Cast Out" as Hagar and Ishmael the FALSE HEIRS were (Gal. 4:21-31), and the "Children of Promise", as Born Anew of the Spirit, were Manifested as the TRUE HEIRS, and True Sons of God, as Sarah and Isaac (Rom.8:14-25; Gal.4:21-31)!

You could add this to your mix as it is short, sweet, and to the point, the Pivotal Point of the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who combined within His Own Person, the Substantial SEED as being the WORD, the True and Life-Giving SEED OF GOD (1st Peter 1:23-25), Who took upon Himself the Shadow Seed of the Flesh, as the WORD WHO IS GOD IN THE FLESH (John 1:1-19)! The "I AM" Who Covenanted with Abraham, and Abraham "Rejoiced to see His Day, and he SAW IT, and was GLAD" (John 8:56-59)! In Him ALL THE PROMISES OF GOD WERE TRANSFIGURED, from an earthly, natural, and temporal seed, promise, land, temple, and law, to an Heavenly, Spiritual, and Eternal SEED, PROMISE, LAND, TEMPLE, AND LAW!

All who are "Joined to the Lord" JESUS, as "one spirit with Him" (1st Cor.6:17), are Born Anew through His Seed, the Spirit of the Son of God (Rom.8:9-16; Gal.4:1-6,19,16-29), He being the "Life-Giving Spirit" (1st Cor.15:44-48), and the Promised Son and Seed of Abraham, Sown in the hearts of His People

(Isa.53:8-54:5; 66:6-10; Matt.3:8-10; Gal.3:16-29; 4:21-31; 1st Peter 1:23-2:5; 1st John 3:9), making them True "Sons of God" and True "Sons of Abraham", just as Abraham himself was Produced as the Living Man of Faith, He Who is the Word of God, the "I AM" being Sown in his heart through a Living Faith!

The following is a quote from an article by a Mark S. Gignilliat entitled, "Isaiah's Offspring: Paul's Isaiah 54:1 Quotation In Galatians 4:27", and it is DEAD ON THE MONEY!.......

"Paul's Isaiah quotation in Gal 4 is ground well worked. Another scholarly contribution is warranted, however, because aspects of Isaianic research over the past several decades, research largely unexamined within Pauline scholarship, may shed light on Paul's deployment of Isa 54:1 within his allegorical appeal to the Sarah/Hagar narrative. Moreover, Paul's larger "offspring" theology within Gal 3 and 4 may find its substantial location within the broader cross-currents of Isaiah's theologizing on the self-same subject matter. In particular, the identification of the "servants" of the Lord as a theme, if not the major theme, of Isaiah 54–66 opens up a dialogical conversation between Isaiah and Paul concerning a theological problem they both share, namely, "Who are the true offspring of Abraham/Zion?" Isaiah recalibrates Abraham's promised offspring via the emerging figure of the Servant of the Lord in the redemptive dynamic of Isa 40–53, and this recalibration leans into the unfolding of the servants as the progeny of the Servant's Work. In summary, within an Isaianic frame, Abraham's offspring are the Servant's offspring."

More Commentary on Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Mark S. Gignilliat..... "In the history of Christian interpretation of the Old Testament, few texts are more revered than Isaiah 53.

The descending and ascending scales of Handel's Messiah are embedded in the hearts and souls of many English-speaking parishioners. Even as I write this paragraph, a baritone's voice is singing in my mind, "Surely, surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows."

The text's liturgical placement on Good Friday also makes it nearly impossible for Christian readers of Isaiah to read Isaiah 53 in any other way than as a witness to the atoning work of Jesus Christ. The images of the rejected man of sorrows, suffering in isolation as he endures the blows of God for our iniquities seem ready-made for Christian reading.

As revered as Isaiah 53 is, few texts are more hotly contested in the scholarly world.

Interpretive battles abound over the identity of the servant, the original intention of such a text, its form-critical setting in Judah's exilic and post-exilic period, its reception in the inter-testamental period, and all these without mentioning the numerous textual-critical difficulties in the Hebrew text (Lord, help us with 53:10!). While affirming the numerous matters needing attention in this text, I will ask the reader's indulgence if I sidestep many of these issues and simply read this text as the church has done since its inception, namely, as an enduring witness to Jesus Christ and his work.

The Ethiopian eunuch sat on the back of his chariot reading Isaiah 53 in dismay (Acts 8:26-40). Philip asks him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" The eunuch responded, "How can I unless someone explains it?" Then beginning with this Scripture, Philip explained the good news of Jesus Christ. Speaking of this episode in Acts 8, Gerhard Sauter reflects on the nature of faith in the process of reading Scripture: "Faith does not work, like a pair of glasses, however, that allows us to decode the text; glasses can be taken on and off. Faith, on the other hand, is constitutive, like the retina, which makes sight possible in the first place but can only cast an image of what is real!"1 Faith provides for us the very eyes needed to read such a text in its full witnessing potential.

The cause of the servant's suffering is poignant and straightforward: our infirmities, our diseases, our transgressions, our iniquities. Place-taking is an offensive idea in the modern west. Kant put the matter bluntly: it is irrational and impossible for the guilt of one party to be transferred to another. But the logic of the Scriptures demands a different account of the matter. The vicarious humanity of Christ in both his life and death is a central metaphor for God's act of reconciliation.

In the language of verse 5, he took our blow so that we could have peace (shalom). The innocent one, spotless and free of guilt, is standing in the place of others. He did so both by identifying himself with sinners -- he made his grave with the wicked; he was numbered with the rebellious (53:9,12) and by taking their guilt on himself in innocent suffering -- it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he shall bear their iniquities; he bore the sin of many (53:10-12).

These are heavy verses of Scripture. They bring before us an acute consciousness of our own sin and rebellion. These words are not laced with therapeutic attempts at self-help. They reveal us as we truly are, even if our consciences do not bother us; even if we do sleep peacefully at night. "All we like sheep have gone astray." Whether recognized or not, our state is a precarious one when standing before the suffering servant on this Good Friday. While at the same time, beauty arises out of the ugliness. Hope emerges from the horror. We might call it the ugly beauty of God's ultimate act of reconciliation. "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). When we stand before the cross we see perfection itself suffering for transgressors like me.

As we saw in Isaiah 50:4-9, the servant is confident of his ultimate vindication. Isaiah 53:10 reveals the servant confidently looking forward to the seed promised him on the far side of his suffering and death. His days cut short by death will be prolonged in the offspring made righteous on account of his work. "Out of his anguish he shall see light." Mourning yields to rejoicing. Or in the words of Hebrew 12, it was for the joy set before him that endured the cross, suffering the shame and despising the loss. Such love for sinners on this Good Friday causes us to put our hands over our mouths as we lift our hearts to the Lord.

George Herbert's (1593-1632) oft-quoted poem "Love" makes effective the point.

LOVE bade me welcome; yet my soul drew back, Guilty of dust and sin. But quick-eyed Love, observing me grow slack From my first entrance in, Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning If I lack'd anything.

'A guest,' I answer'd, 'worthy to be here:' Love said, 'You shall be he.' 'I, the unkind, ungrateful? Ah, my dear, I cannot look on Thee.' Love took my hand and smiling did reply, 'Who made the eyes but I?'

'Truth, Lord; but I have marr'd them: let my shame Go where it doth deserve.' 'And know you not,' says Love, 'Who bore the blame?' 'My dear, then I will serve.' 'You must sit down,' says Love, 'and taste my meat.' So I did sit and eat.

Note:

1. Gerhard Sauter, Protestant Theology at the Crossroads: How to Face the Crucial Tasks for Theology in the Twenty-First Century (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007), 38." AMEN!