Copyright 2024 by Joseph Shulam.
Before I get into this Arab Coffee pot, there are a few general points to be considered from a Biblical perspective:
"For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah, in there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one." (Gal.3:26-29)
These words of Paul affirm these points.
In the Messiah, there is racial, social, and sexual equality.
In the Messiah, all are children of God, i.e., God has no stepchildren. Immersion into the Messiah is also a sign of equality, belonging to Him, and being a "seed of Abraham and heirs according to the promise."
These words of Paul do not teach these things.
They do not teach that God has abolished the sexual difference between "male and female" who are in Christ.
They do not teach that social equality between enslaved people and their enslavers is an essentially "Christian" ingredient. We see this clearly in Paul's lette r to Philemon and I Cor.7:17-21. In Paul's view of social justice, he did not think that it was impossible to serve God as an enslaved person or as a master of enslaved people.
3. The equality which is in Christ between Jews and Gentiles does not repeal either Jews or Gentiles in the church. Even after being immersed in Christ, people retain their ethnic and national identity.
"But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah's blood. He created a union with himself from two groups, a single new humanity, and thus made Shalom. Now, you are no longer foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's family." (Eph.2:13,15,19)
Should this remarkable chapter in the Ephesian letter teach anything, it teaches that the Gentile "believers" are joined in the Messiah's blood into the Commonwealth of Israel. It does not teach that Jews are no longer the commonwealth of Israel or the family of God or alienated from the promises of God.
Gentiles become fellow citizens in the City of God, which is a synonym for Jerusalem. "Fellow citizens" defines Gentiles now as having the same rights and responsibilities as the "citizens." ((It should be noted that these are technical terms used in the Roman world, and their meaning has to be discerned within the context of that period.))
These two points above are the Biblical basis on which I would like to deal with the subject of Arabs and Jews in Christ.
Arabs and Jews in Christ are, first of all, brothers. This point mutatis mutendis should also be true in Northern Ireland and every other part of the world. The Apostle Peter already made it clear in Acts 10:35 that God is no respecter of persons and that all men everywhere who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
The brotherhood of God's Children is essentially a higher relationship than that of a fleshly family and even a national family. Obligation to the brother in Christ, whether Arab or Russian, is, above all other commitments, the basis that we are to "do good to all men, especially to those of the household of God."
Arabs and Jews share the same heritage. We are both children of Abraham in the Flesh, Semites, and cousins. And family. We speak the same language. Although modern Hebrew and Arabic look and sound very different from each other, essentially, they are both Semitic languages and have commonality, historically, formally, and etymologically.
Destiny has put these two "brother" nations into one fishbowl. Both Jews and Arabs will have to come to an understanding that they must live in the same neighborhood and learn to love each other. That is the only solution that is rational short of "Transfer" or
"Genocide." And, my dear brothers, this solution is only possible from a sensible point of view through Jesus. However, this solution is dependent not only on the goodwill of Jews and Arabs but also on some fundamental spiritual principles and forces.
Here are some things that, as Christians, we must consider.
The dispute is basically an outgrowth of the conflict that started between Ishmael and Isaac and continued with Jacob and Esau and their respective descendants.
The religious constitution of Islam, The Koran, speaks with a forked tongue about the Jewish people. About the Christians, the Koran has a much more venomous attitude. At times, it speaks of the particular obligation and gratitude Muslims should have toward the Jews for being the people of the Book, and at other times, it speaks with the most incredible venom against them. However, if one could say that some of the Koran is favorable toward the Jews, it would not be an exaggeration to say that, for the most part, the attitude of the Koran toward the Jews, like all non-Muslim peoples, is vengeful and full of hate. Islam has little tolerance for anyone who was given a chance to accept Mohammed and rejects it. The Koran gives him only one choice: become a Muslim or die.
The Land and refugee problems are not the major problems when we understand the spiritual background of the situation. While there are many good models worldwide for settling territorial disputes, there is no historical model for the dissolution of such deep and old problems as those that developed between the Seed of Isaac and the Seed of Ishmael. Only a clear Biblical, Divine attitude between both Jews and Arabs can provide the tools for understanding and reconciliation between the two nations.
The situation between Jews and Arabs in the Body of Christ in Israel.
Most of the Arab Christian population of Israel has become assimilated into the secular Israeli society. For the most part, these Arab Christians are not BORN AGAIN, and they belong to either the Greek Orthodox Church or the Catholic Church. In this condition, they are useless and in a seemingly unsaved situation.
The small minority of Arabs who have heard the Gospel and have been BORN AGAIN are members of Churches that also have Jewish members. Although the Jewish members of these churches worship in Hebrew, and most Arab Christians worship in Arabic, they have some limited fellowship within the bounds of their churches. Some Jewish evangelists work among the Israeli Arab population and have helped establish and convert Arabs to the Messiah. There are Arabs in Israel who have worked with Jews and have helped teach Jews about their Messiah.
It should be noted that the Israeli Arab Christians are in a challenging and, at the same time, critical situation. On the one hand, they are citizens of Israel and ought to have all the equal rights and privileges that any Israeli should have. That situation gives them an extraordinary opportunity to witness to both the Jewish population and the Muslim population without fear of molestation. Only very few Arab Christians have used this opportunity.
On the other hand, the Israeli Arabs are pulled to a radical nationalistic attitude by the Arab "street" atmosphere. They are being radicalized against Israel and frustrated by not being able to participate more actively in the struggle for a Palestinian state. They feel "Schizo," torn up between their "debt to the state of Israel, the education, the economic security of their jobs, and the Arab nationalistic frenzy. The main effect of this situation is that these Arabs are not contributing and using their opportunity to evangelize either their community or their Jewish neighbors.
In the Jewish Camp of Believers, we have a similar issue. We have a right-wing, nationalistic spirit in some Jewish Christians and expatriate missionaries who have forgotten why they have come to Israel and have busied themselves with a narrowly pro-State of Israel version of "Christian Zionism." which finds them favor with some Israeli government agencies that allow them to stay in Israel only on condition that they refrain from preaching the Good News to Jews. These "Right-wing" unBiblical Evangelical attitudes have brought alienation and even have fanned the fires of hate and nationalism. One thing is sure in my mind: if both Jews and Arab Christians do not get a more solid Biblical perspective on this situation, the Devil will be the only one to rejoice.
The situation between Jews and Arabs in the Judea, Samaria, and Gaza Strip.
The Arab Christians from the Occupied Territories of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza Strip have, for the most part, been less connected with their Jewish brothers in Christ. Typically, there is minimal contact between the Jewish believers and the believers in the Occupied territories. However, in the last few years, there have been, especially in Jerusalem, organized meetings and sharing sessions between the Jewish believers in Jerusalem and Christians from the West Bank and even from the Gaza Strip. These meetings have been cordial and open. There were songs sung in Arabic and in Hebrew, and prayers were offered for each other's well-being.
The strong Arab-Palestinian Terrorist organizations have no particular love for Christians, be they Arab Christians or Jewish Christians. However, the West Bank Christians have been, like some of the Jewish believers, fooled into believing that if they take a solid anti-Jewish and anti-Israeli position, they would be more successful in their evangelism of their fellow Arabs.
Here are some facts about the Palestinian and Israeli Arab Christians that need review and examination.
There has been very little growth among Evangelical Christians in the West Bank and Gaza since the more radical "Intifada" started on November 9, 1987.
The Palestinian and Israeli Christians do not make any serious effort to win Muslims to the Lord. Many of the Arab Christians do not believe that it is possible to win a Muslim or a Jew to the Lord.
There is no Biblical perspective and examination of the relevant issues of evangelism in the Middle East. There is no biblical examination between Jews and Arabs that can solve the major problems between us.
The role of the expatriate missions in the Middle East Conflict.
Most of the expatriate missionaries in the Middle East have a biased attitude, either toward the Jews or toward the Arabs. They do not seem to be able to love both nations equally. If they love the Jews, they seem to have a total dislike of the Arabs. These attitudes do not convey the Spirit of Love and Christ to either Jew or Arab.
What must all parties who claim to have any faith in Jesus and the Word of God do right now?
The best advice I can give to expatriates is to stay objective with both Jews and Arabs. Deal in only Biblical and Political facts. Feel free to speak the truth with love, even when it might not be the most popular thing to do.
Jewish believers, I would say, need to understand that being among the occupation forces gives us, as Jews, a much greater responsibility to be correct from both a moral and a Biblical point of view. We can not afford to descend to the level of "an eye for an eye". The teaching of the Messiah and the Torah ought to have total control of our lives; even when we are under tremendous pressure and constraint to act unseemly, the Lord expects us to act according to his Word. The other side's action must not excuse us from acting with evil intent, viciousness, or without love.
The Arab brothers, I would say, should realize that the Arab Muslim world is not going to act kindly toward them because they are pro-P.L.O. or hate Jews. Just as some Jewish believers have been misled by zeal for their people and nation into taking narrow, politically nationalistic positions, so many West Bank Christians have been fooled into believing that if they take a solid pro-P.L.O. position, they will be more successful in presenting the Good News to the Palestinian Arabs. They must not participate in terrorist activity, approve of it, encourage it, or support it. The best thing for all Christians is to seek every opportunity to promote and facilitate peace. Use the opportunity, during the Israeli occupation, to preach the Good News to Muslims and promote Muslim evangelism in a protected non-Arab State of Israel.
To the Israeli Arabs, I say: See in the Jewish believers your best friends and brothers. Share in the fellowship and resources that the Lord has so graciously granted them, and above all, use the Love of the Messiah, which can make peace (Shalom_) between Jews and Arabs, as a tool to win more people to the Lord.