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Imagine this scenario: An international speaker is invited to share at the missions conference of a large evangelical church in the United States. Because he ministers in another country, he must plan his travel in advance, setting aside time on his busy calendar. But then, as the appointment approaches, he is "uninvited" by the church. Why was he subsequently asked not to come? His ethnic heritage!

It sounds downright barbaric and antiquated, something out of a previous dark era of history. Yet this is what happened recently to a friend of mine named Nabil Samara, an International Partner in association with The Mission Society. The church had originally invited Nabil because he is a Christian citizen of Israel. Yet, the subsequent revoking of their invitation occurred when they discovered that he is an Arab Palestinian, rather than a Jew.

As Nabil, who is a Doctorate of Ministry candidate in the International Beeson Program at Asbury Theological Seminary, told me this story, I was saddened but not surprised. That's because this incident is a symptom of a much more pervasive problem that is perpetrated by many Christians in America who unwittingly inflict damage to the worldwide cause of Christ.

It is unfortunate that what exists today among many American believers is a "cut-and-paste" Christian Zionism based on a certain viewpoint of Old Covenant blessings for Israel including the promise of land, rather than a New Covenant perspective that focuses on the gift of Messiah as the blessing whom God wishes to bestow upon Israel. But this is nothing new. Even the disciples had a tendency to confuse their political agenda with Jesus' understanding of the Kingdom of God. When they asked the resurrected Jesus, "Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?", he redirected their attention by pointing them beyond any specific political application to the spread of the gospel throughout the world (Acts 1:8).

Indeed, as Dr. A. H. Mathias Zahniser, Professor Emeritus of Christian Mission at Asbury has observed, "There is no reference in the New Testament to land as a sign of blessing." Likewise, the Rev. Alex Awad has written, "In the old covenant, the land was important to house God's chosen people and to provide a place for a central temple where the priesthood could function. But since the basic features of the covenant had changed, there was no more need for a specific land territory to house the new covenant." In reference to God's specific plan for Gentiles and Jews alike, Awad refers to Romans 11:28-32, "These promises are spiritual and have nothing to do with occupying a piece of land.."

Although the current conflict in the Holy Land between Israelis and Palestinians is taking place in an area roughly the size of New Jersey, this crisis resonates deeply throughout would-be mission frontiers, especially in Muslim lands, and the negative impact on the spread of the good news of Jesus is incalculable. Many missionaries working in Islamic contexts with whom I have spoken have said that recent international developments involving conflict between Muslim and non-Muslim peoples have set back evangelism among Muslims by years, if not decades.

It is wrong for a nation-whether Arab, Jewish, or any other people group-to work for the oppression (not to mention extermination) of another race, and violent extremism on either side is equally immoral. A helpful book on this subject, How Long O Lord?, providing essays from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim writers, observes that the issue isn't essentially between conflicting sides identified as Israeli and Palestinian; rather, an appropriate identification of the sides is "those who strive for and wish to live in peace with each other and those who do not." That is why those who hear God's heartbeat for the nations should advocate, in contrast to a perspective of Christian Zionism, one of Christian peacemaking, thereby bringing honor to the Prince of Peace.

As believers, we should be diligent to challenge any temptation to favor one people over another, whether because of race, class, heritage, or religious background. Bible teacher Dick Woodward often has said, "Jesus passed the law of God through the prism of the love of God before applying it to the lives of people." We would do well to remember this, especially when we are tempted to fire Old Testament salvos in a new covenant age-an age ushered in by the One who is the "end" (telos/fulfillment) of the law (Romans 10:4).

I think that people such as Nabil would be very grateful.

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The Great Commission

The Gospel is not about turf By Frank Decker

The Gospel is not about turf
By Frank Decker