Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.34075/sb.63.3.3
The future of Israel according to St. Paul
Ivan Lovrić
orcid.org/0000-0001-9602-9833
; Catholic Faculty of Theology in Split
Abstract
What will become of Israel after she rejected Jesus? This question, of enormous importance, didn’t give rest to either Paul or the Church of the first centuries. The permanent hardening of the majority of Israel concerning the recognition of Jesus from Nazareth as the expected Jewish Messiah gradually led the early Church to distance itself from the synagogue and rethink its role in the history of salvation. Not long after the beginning of the 2nd century, this process of rethinking resulted, in terms of the history of salvation, in a complete substitution of the synagogue by the Church. This was subsequently reflected in the relationship of the Church with historic Israel, made clear primarily by the harsh antisemitism of the fathers of the Church. Later on, this perspective evolved into a multitude of sad and no less tragic events in the history of relations between Israel and the Church, leaving an impression that Paul’s theology of Israel was invisible throughout the entire period. This burdensome history of relations between Christianity and Israel in our time bears witness to some healing reconciliations and recognition of what was clear to Paul from the very beginning—namely, the organic interconnection and continuity that Christianity shares with Israel as an image of God’s people in which God’s promises came true. The shift of the paradigm inside the Church primarily brought forth the Council’s Nostra Aetate with pronouncements concerning Judaism strongly based on a correct understanding and sound exegesis of Romans 9−11, which is also the main interest this study occupies with. This singular moment, most certainly preceded by the tragedy of the Shoah a few decades earlier, marked a turning point in the Church’s theological evaluation of Israel. The reevaluation of the status of Israel within the history of salvation was not, however, pushed to the extreme in the Catholic Church as it was in some Protestant circles impregnated by the so-called Sonderweg theology or a special way of salvation for Israel, irrespective of faith in Jesus Christ. This kind of theology does the same injustice to Paul’s theology of Israel as it does the former denial of Israel’s election. In our time, when approached as a theological topic, Israel has been dealt with great respect in the Catholic Church, always however bearing in mind that Jesus Christ did not come only from the Jews but also for the Jews. The salvation of Israel is inseparable from christological faith; it is mysteriously intertwined with the dynamics of salvation of the nations. The main pledge of salvation for the Jews is their faithful Remnant (Romans 11:1-5), always necessary within the Church. The indispensability of this Remnant, until the partial hardening of Israel has been removed, is the main driver of some kind of gospel announcement toward Israel. The Magisterium of the Church nowadays aims to purify this missionary impulse of any remnants of proselytism, even banning the institutional mission of the Church toward Israel.
Keywords
Church; Israel; nations; future; salvation; mystery; St. Paul.
Hrčak ID:
313592
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2023.
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