Was Paul a Zionist?

Christian Zionism is about both religion and politics. In fact, it is a religious belief that animates a particular political view of modern Israel. It believes that modern Israel is a continuation of biblical Israel in the Old Testament, a fulfillment of biblical prophecy, and so it is a privileged and entitled country unlike others in world.

This is a remarkable set of beliefs that would have been utterly foreign to the Apostle Paul. Throughout his writings there is no hint of the national restoration of Israel. He does not travel the Mediterranean world and call converted Gentiles to support Israel or travel to Israel. He calls Gentiles to have a devotion to Jesus and everything else is a distraction.

Paul knew that the great promises to Abraham consisted of three things: a nation, a land, and a promise that Israel would be “a blessing to all nations” (Genesis 12:1-4). Throughout Israel’s history the first two promises were celebrated: Israel would be a thriving nation and Israel would live on “promised land,” namely the land of Canaan.

However, Paul understood that the third promise, the neglected promise about the blessing of all nations, was being fulfilled in the coming of Christ. During Paul’s conversion, Jesus called him to bring this new messianic gospel to the Gentiles and thus complete the promises of Genesis 12 (Acts 26:12-18; Galatians 1:16). The nations would be blessed.

Thinking as a Jewish rabbi, Paul knew he had to make three theological moves. First, he knows that all of the blessings to Israel flowed through Abraham. But how could Gentiles share in these blessings if they were not Abraham’s literal descendants? Paul then shows that the true “descendent” (or offspring or seed) of Abraham was Christ alone (Galatians 3:15-18). Messiah Jesus was the true heir of everything Abraham had been promised. Jesus had taught that even Abraham looked forward to this day of messianic fulfillment (John 8:56-59).

Then Paul makes his second move: attachment to Abraham came by faith in Christ (not by physical lineage). Faith was the key that attached Abraham to his covenant with God and so faith continues to be the key that links us to every blessing from God. Paul writes, “So you see that it is people of faith who are the children of Abraham” (Galatians 3:7; Romans 4:13). This is amazing. The family of Abraham in this messianic age is held together by faith and not by bloodline.

Then Paul makes his third critical step. This means that through faith Gentiles (non-Jews) can be called “children of Abraham.” Abraham can now be called “the father of all those who believe without being circumcised” (Romans 4:11). The good news of the Messiah was not the rebuilding and blessing of the nation of Israel, but the blessing of the “entire world” (Romans 4:13). Are Jews excluded? Certainly not! Jews who embrace Messiah Jesus now share life with Gentiles who embrace Messiah Jesus and together they form a new community, a new Israel, a messianic world-transforming community who share siblingship with Jesus (Ephesians 2:11-22).

The idea that the mission of Christ was to be the restoration of a secular state called Israel would have sounded absurd to Paul. And to claim that the blessings of Abraham flowed through genealogical trees only to be realized today in a political nation would have frustrated him. He would complain at once: the vehicle of blessing for the redemption of the world is never going to be a political body. It would be instead the Body of Christ, filled with Jews and Gentiles who are bringing Abraham’s blessings to the entire world. This is the good news.