My Conversation with Christopher: Grafted In, But Not Jewish, Because Israel in the Bible Always means Israel, Period. [Part 6]

The Twelve-Tribes in Scripture are always the Twelve Tribes of Israel, not an allegory meaning: Christians

"Tov Rose has written a resource so thorough that Bible students, ministry leaders, and every believer in Yeshua seeking to understand the unity of both the Hebrew and Apostolic Scriptures, will want a copy in their library.

In our own day, much scholarship, and certainly pulpit ministries, have moved away from advancing the truth that Yahweh’s people must understand how both Testament’s speak His revelation. The result is a rise in what I describe as abhorrent theologies that attempt to negate and reject outright Yahweh’s people Israel, argue against a literal realized eschatology where King Jesus reigns, and a misunderstanding of the role we must play as believers in these days. Tov’s book provides the biblical basis as well as the intellectual weaponry to right these wrongs."

Dr. Mike Spaulding
Pastor Calvary Chapel Lima, OH, Author and Conference Speaker

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Thank you for buying me a caffeinated beverage to keep me awake, productive, and perk- Click!

Announcement: As many know, my family has been struggling a lot. We do see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it will take a lot of hard work and some consistent partnership to get there. Our ministry has been raising funds to help.

Thank you for reading this announcement from our volunteers sent out today:

“Update #107: $𝟗𝟎𝟎 𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐘𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘—𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐏

Yesterday, you helped raise $900 for the Rose family, bringing the total to $2,150 raised this month. This support is a lifeline as Tov continues seeking employment, but they urgently need help with two immediate challenges: clearing a $1,000 overdraft and funding their daughter’s $1,200 medical trip to Kansas on July 13th.

The overdraft weighs heavily on Tov and Michelle every day, a constant source of stress. The trip isn’t just about medical care—it’s a rare chance for their daughter to see specialists and for the family to reunite with loved ones from Israel after 14 years. These are the pressing needs your donation can address right now. Unfortunately, Michelle will be staying in Georgia due to their financial burdens and inability to find or afford a pet sitter.

Tov Rose has faced over 650 job rejections but keeps pushing forward with his C2R Marketing, LLC and relationship with Call to Return Ministries. “Every gift means we’re not alone,” Tov says. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞:

• $25 chips away at the overdraft.

• $100 gets them closer to clearing it.

• $370 covers groceries for the week.

• $1,200 ensures their daughter’s trip happens.

Donate $25 or more and receive a digital copy of Tov’s book, Jesus: The God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, as a thank-you. Claim it by emailing Tov@tovrose.com.

While they have bigger goals ahead, today’s focus is on these urgent needs. Your generosity can lift the overdraft burden and get their daughter the care she needs.

𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐰? 𝐃𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐚:

• Venmo: @CalltoReturn, https://venmo.com/CalltoReturn

• Cash App: $CalltoReturn, https://cash.app/$CalltoReturn

• PayPal: Donations@CallToReturnMinistries.org

• Zeffy (no fees): https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/c527882c-9e50-4889-b510-390fd9b3b7df

• GiveSendGo: https://www.givesendgo.com/GCHUP

You can send items from their Amazon Wish List: https://amzn.to/3HtTnV4

For their daughter’s special diet, email gift cards to tov@tovrose.com (please let Tov know to be on the lookout when you've purchased one):

• Sam’s Club: https://www.samsclubhub.com/sams-club-hub-egift-card-SAMGC220001.html

• Costco: https://www.costco.com/

Share their story with #HelpTheRoses—every share helps!

With your support, the Rose family can tackle these immediate hurdles. Will you stand with them today?

Gratefully,

The Call to Return Team

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To the Twelve Tribes: A Jewish Call in a Messianic Context

Hey Christopher,

Your inquiry regarding why Ya’akov (James), the brother of Yeshua (Jesus), addresses his epistle “to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (James 1:1) while it seems to speak to both Jewish and Gentile believers scattered abroad is a question that resonates deeply with my journey as a Jewish follower of Yeshua. I approach this with the compassion of one who has felt the weight of history’s misinterpretations and the joy of uncovering God’s unbreakable promises. My life has been shaped by late-night studies in living rooms, and cafés from New York City to San Francisco to Jerusalem, conversations with rabbis and pastors, scholars and sincere believers, and a relentless pursuit to honor my people’s covenantal identity against the backdrop of Replacement Theology (aka: Supersessionism, Fulfillment Theology)—a doctrine that has sought to erase Jews from our own narrative. Let us explore this together, guided by Scripture, Jewish tradition, and the voices of those who share my commitment to God’s unbreakable covenant with Israel.

The Weight of History

As a Jewish believer, I carry the stories of my people—not just the triumphs of Sinai or the miracles of the Exodus, but the traumas of exile, persecution, and the persistent shadow of antisemitism. Growing up, I heard whispers of Replacement Theology in churches that claimed the Church had supplanted Israel as God’s chosen. This doctrine, cloaked in theological garb, fueled centuries of pain, rape and murder of my people—from the Crusades to the Holocaust—by declaring my people obsolete. I recall a moment in my youth, standing in a synagogue with my dad, feeling the sting of a Christian friend’s casual remark: “Jews aren’t God’s people anymore.” It cut deep, not because of malice, but because it echoed a lie that has wounded my people for generations. Your question about Ya’akov’s letter touches this wound, as it challenges us to reclaim the Jewish context of the New Testament and affirm God’s faithfulness to Israel.

In Jesus: The God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob, I argue the Old and New Testaments are one story, penned by Jewish authors under God’s breath (Introduction). The New Testament fulfills, not fractures, the Hebrew Scriptures—think Jeremiah 23:5-6, where the Messiah is “THE Lord-Yehōvah Tzudkenu [OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS]” (NMV, Section 2). This unity torches Replacement Theology, which I’ve fought against forever, leaning on Romans 11:29: God’s gifts and call to Israel are “irrevocable.”

The Literal “Twelve Tribes”

When Ya’akov writes, “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings” (James 1:1, ESV), he speaks directly to the Jewish people—the physical descendants of the twelve sons of Jacob, the tribes of Israel. The phrase “twelve tribes” is rooted in the Torah (Genesis 49:28), evoking the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, promising land, seed, and blessing (Genesis 12:1-3; 28:13-15). For Ya’akov, Yeshua’s half-brother and a leader in the Jerusalem church (Acts 15:13), this is no metaphor; it is a call to his Jewish kin. He employs a Midrashic connection, linking his own name to the Patriarch Jacob, reinforcing the continuity of Israel’s covenantal identity.

Messianic Jewish scholar David H. Stern affirms this literal interpretation: “The letter is addressed to Jewish believers in Yeshua living outside Eretz-Israel, in the Diaspora… The phrase ‘twelve tribes’ refers to the Jewish people, not to the Church as a ‘new Israel.’”[1] This perspective aligns with my rejection of Replacement Theology, and not a "straw man argument" but a real teaching of many denominations and theological positions (e.g. Covenant Theology, Reformed Theology and their various incarnations), which reinterprets “Israel” as the Church, negating the ethnic and covenantal role of my people. Ya’akov’s audience consists primarily of ethnic Jewish believers in Jesus, scattered due to persecution, who uphold Torah practices while following Yeshua. As a Jewish believer, I see myself in this address—a member of the Diaspora, clinging to my heritage and faith in Messiah.

This “Dispersion” (Greek: diaspora) denotes Jews living outside Israel, a story starting with the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles (2 Kings 17; Jeremiah 29). By Ya’akov’s time, we’re all over—Rome, Asia Minor, even the English Isles—trading, praying, living Jewishly.[2] After Stephen’s death (Acts 8:1), Messianic Jews scattered, sharing the gospel (Acts 11:19-21). Writing in the 40s CE, Ya’akov’s got these folks in mind—Jews following Yeshua, staying true despite the heat.

Why Not Allegorical?

Certain scholars, influenced by supersessionist theology, propose that “twelve tribes” is a metaphor for all believers—Jews and Gentiles—as a “spiritual Israel.” For instance, Ligonier Ministries suggests, “All those who confess Jesus as Savior are members of God’s people, Israel,” citing Romans 11 and Galatians 6:16.[4] As a Jewish believer, I find this interpretation troubling, as it aligns with Replacement Theology, which I have consistently opposed for 35 years. It redefines “Israel” to exclude ethnic Jews, negating God’s irrevocable promises (Romans 11:29).

Messianic Jewish scholar Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum counters this: “James 1:1 is addressed to Jewish believers in the Messiah, not to Gentiles as a ‘new Israel.’ The term ‘twelve tribes’ is a clear reference to ethnic Israel, consistent with its use throughout Scripture.”[5] Fruchtenbaum’s work, rooted in a non-supersessionist framework, emphasizes that Ya’akov’s letter upholds Jewish identity, not a spiritualized substitute. To interpret ‘twelve tribes’ as the Church is to impose a supersessionist framework that undermines the Jewish context of the New Testament. These perspectives resonate with my conviction that God’s covenant with Israel remains unbroken.

The Jewish Heart of the Letter

The content of Ya’akov’s letter is steeped in Jewishness, speaking directly to my experience as a Messianic Jew. He pulls the “royal law” from Leviticus 19:18 (James 2:8), nods to Abraham and Rahab (James 2:21, 25), and writes like Proverbs on a good day. It’s Torah-rich, made for Jews who breathe Scripture. Mark D. Nanos notes, “It’s Jewish Christian vibes, for believers keeping synagogue life with Jesus.”[6]

Sure, its lessons—trials, faith, works—fit everyone, but Ya’akov’s aiming at his Jewish crew. Gentiles in early synagogues (Acts 13:14-48) might overhear, but I feel this letter’s pulse navigating a world that misreads my Jewishness.

The Trauma of Supersessionism

Replacement Theology, under names like supersessionism or fulfillment theology, has inflicted deep wounds on my people by reinterpreting “Israel” as the Church. This doctrine has fueled antisemitism for centuries, from the Crusades to the forced conversions in Spain and Portugal to the October 7, 2023 atrocities committed jointly by Gazan terrorists and average citizens on Israelis—raping our women and burning our babies alive in ovens, families destroyed. I recall a moment sitting in Robert Sculler's Chrystal Cathedral's youth center, being accused by another kid say, “The Jews are no longer God’s people. You dirty stinking Jew. When we get out of this room, I'm going to kill you." It was with malice and ignorance, and not uncommon for me when I spent times among Covenant and Reform Theology churches even as an adul—a legacy of Roman supersessionist teaching that the Apostle Paul himself tried to destroy in his New Testament letter to them. A letter in which he was addressing the false teaching the Roman Christians believed declaring my people obsolete and replaced by themselves. This trauma lingers in Jewish communities, a reminder of the Church’s historical failure to Honor God’s covenant with Israel.

Ya’akov’s “twelve tribes” call fights that lie, proving our identity’s intact. My friend, Daniel Juster says, “It’s God’s faithfulness to ethnic Israel, not a spiritual swap.”[7] That’s my lifeline—our role in God’s plan isn’t erased.

Gentiles in the Picture?

You’re right—Ya’akov’s wisdom seems to reach Jews and Gentiles. Gentiles were joining up (Acts 10; 15), but early faith was Jewish-led, synagogue-rooted (Acts 13:14-48). His words are for Jewish-Jesus Followers in the Diaspora, though Gentiles could catch the drift as they engaged in services and breaking bread together. Nanos puts it, “Universal? Sure. But it’s still Jewish-first.”[8] No supersessionist aka: "gentile-supremacist" rewrite is needed.

Richard Bauckham agrees, “It’s for Jewish Christians, the new covenant’s firstfruits.”[9] It fits my view—Israel’s covenant stands, and Ya’akov proves it.

A Call to Unity and Healing

Christopher, this letter’s a love note to my scattered Jewish kin, urging us to shine in hard times. You’re grafted in (Romans 11:17), but “twelve tribes” is our Jewish heartbeat. From Genesis to Revelation, Jewish writers stay steady: Israel is always Israel (Genesis 12:7); the twelve tribes don’t budge (Revelation 7:4-8); the land is God’s gift to us (Deuteronomy 1:8) that can never be taken away, and that those claiming it belongs to them because of Israel's rejection of God and his ways? They are blaspheming God himself! (Eze 35:12); Jews—Judah or all Israel post-Babylon—reflect Messiah’s rule (Genesis 49:10). If God could ditch Israel, God can also replace the Church with Israel again—but the truth is Yeshua’s got two flocks (John 10:16).

Let’s revel in this, friend—fellowship, joy, one tree under Abraham one in Messiah. My people’s story’s too tough to be sidelined, God said he'd restore us to our land even as the majority of us are in disobedient. Honoring Ya’akov’s Jewish call heals wounds and shouts God’s faithfulness. Join me—stand for Israel’s role, kick supersessionism to the curb, and live this gospel unity!

Why I Wrote Jesus for You

Christopher, I wrote Jesus: The God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob with folks like you in mind—people hungry to grasp the continuity woven by the Bible’s Jewish authors, especially their fierce anti-supersessionism. Over 20 years of research, from New York cafés to Jerusalem’s quiet corners, I traced how Jewish writers like Ya’akov, Paul, and John built a narrative that honors Israel’s covenant, not erases it. My book’s packed with their voices—showing how the Old and New Testaments dance together, rejecting any idea that God swapped out His people. It’s my heart’s cry to help you see this unbroken thread, so you can stand with Israel’s story and ditch those supersessionist myths for good.

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Because understanding God's faithfulness to Israel is the key to understanding His faithfulness to you.

Part 1:

Part 2: The Church is NOT Israel:

Let's take this a step futher: over on X @B_A_Purtle suggested this discussion:

This is very simple, actually. If the Church is Israel and Israel is the Church, please answer my parenthetical questions:

"...all Israel (a mostly Gentile Church?) will be saved, as it is written,

'The Deliverer will come from Zion,

he will banish ungodliness from Jacob' (A mostly Gentile Church?);

'and this will be my covenant with them

when I take away their sins.'

As regards the gospel, they (A mostly Gentile Church?) are enemies for your sake (Oh, if Israel/Jacob/They means a mostly Gentile Church, who is "your"?). But as regards election, they (A mostly Gentile Church?) are beloved for the sake of their forefathers (Forefathers, as in Origen and Augustine?). For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."

Rather facetious questions, I know. But it's exegetically nonsensical to say that "the Church is the new Israel" in light of Paul's language. Rather, the flow of this whole section of Romans is clear -- Israel, the Jews, Paul's kinsmen according to the flesh, Jacob, enemies of the gospel/beloved for the sake of the fathers... These are all ways of referring to the Jewish people, upon whom a partial hardening has come, but whom "God has the power to graft in again." And He will.

No wonder Jonathan Edwards wrote, "Nothing is more certainly foretold than this national conversion of the Jews in Romans 11."

[1] David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary (Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1992), 23.
[2] Daniel J. Harrington, “The Epistle of James: Introduction,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 50, no. 3 (1988): 417.
[3] Ligonier Ministries, “James, A Servant of God,” https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/james-servant-god.\
[4] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology (Tustin, CA: Ariel Ministries, 1989), 692.
[5] Mark D. Nanos, The Mystery of Romans (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1996), 45.
[6] Daniel Juster, The Irrevocable Calling of Israel (Clarksville, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 2022), 45.
[7] Richard Bauckham, James: Wisdom of James, Disciple of Jesus (London: Routledge, 1999), 14.