Featured Article:
Who Speaks for Christians in the Holy Land?
Born and raised in the Old City of Jerusalem, Dr. Jack Sara is an ordained minister with Evangelical Alliance Church in the Holy Land, President of Bethlehem Bible College, and the General Secretary for the Middle East & North Africa Evangelical Alliance.
Christian Zionists regularly make authoritative statements about God’s will concerning the Holy Land. But who should Christians living outside of the Holy Land listen to and rely on? Dr. Jack Sara points out that many popular voices “represent no recognized church, no accountable congregation, and no indigenous Christian community rooted in this land. Their authority is self-appointed, their accountability absent, and their theology dangerously compromised.” The trouble with those groups runs even deeper. “At the heart of the problem is a distorted theology commonly associated with Christian Zionism—a framework that . . . offers theological cover for occupation, injustice, and even collective violence.”
Yet there are historic and established ecclesiastical bodies that actually represent the believers in Christ who inhabit the land: Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical. “We are a living, worshiping, indigenous community whose presence predates modern states and contemporary ideologies; we have been here since day one of Christianity.”
Sara concludes with an urgent request: “To Christians around the world, especially Evangelicals, we offer this appeal: listen to your brothers and sisters who live in the land of the Bible.”
Link to original article: https://www.christiandaily.com/news/who-is-justified-to-speak-for-the-christians-of-the-holy-land
A place to discover...
What is Christian Zionism?
Christian Zionism merges theology and politics. It teaches that the secular State of Israel is a fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Christian Zionism believes that this fulfillment of Biblical prophecy began when European Jews started moving to Palestine in the 1800s, and continued as Israel became a nation in 1948. Christian Zionists believe that modern Israel is a continuation of Biblical Israel and therefore should enjoy special privileges. They declare that it is the responsibility of Christians to support the State of Israel and its policies.
An invitation for you
We invite you to explore the basis for Christian Zionism and to find answers to some perplexing questions. For example, is contemporary Israel the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy? Are the Jewish people God’s chosen people today? Has God promised the land of Palestine exclusively to the Jewish people as an everlasting inheritance? How should Christians view the Palestinians and especially the Palestinian church?
We welcome you to join us in pondering these crucial issues...
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Biblical Questions
Who owns the Holy Land?
Has the Church replaced Israel?
Who are God's "chosen people" today?
Theological Questions
What is replacement theology?
Was Jesus a Zionist?
Did modern Israel inherit the promises made to Abraham?
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By EvgeniT (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Political Questions
Is there an Israeli occupation of Palestinian land?
Why do some refer to the West Bank and Gaza as “disputed territory”?
What about the special plight of children living under occupation?
Featured Resource
The Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME) is a collective of pastors, students, scholars and everyday Christians working together as followers of Jesus toward justice and peace, seeking holistic approaches to conflict in the Middle East. NEME’s leadership team recognizes we are at an inflection point where an increasing number of evangelicals are seeking answers to questions about justice over issues like the war in Gaza.
Our collegues at NEME have created an inspiring, informative website. For additional resources, visit NEME: Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East.