Bible Questions Answered:
“...could you tell me Galatians 6:16
what is the “Israel of God?”
Curtis/ Brisbane, Queensland Australia
Bible Answer:
Bible Texts:
Interpretation is said to rest in the
placement of the commas within the text. Different versions of The
Bible translate this verse very differently.
Galatians 6:16 KJV
And as many as walk according to this
rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 NKJV
And as many as walk according to this
rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 NLT
May God’s peace and mercy be upon all
who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.
Galatians 6:16 CEV
If you follow this rule, you will
belong to God’s true people. God will treat you with undeserved
kindness and will bless you with peace.
Galatians 6:16 ASV
And as many as shall walk by this rule,
peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 AMP
Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by
this rule [who discipline themselves and conduct their lives by this
principle], and upon the [true] Israel of God (Jewish believers).
Galatians 6:16 Darby
And as many as shall walk by this rule,
peace upon them and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 DRA
And whosoever shall follow this rule,
peace on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 ERV
Peace and mercy to those who follow
this rule—to all God’s people.
Galatians 6:16 ESV
And as for all who walk by this rule,
peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 GNV
And as many as walk according to this
rule, peace shall be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of
God.
Galatians 6:16 GNT
As for those who follow this rule in
their lives, may peace and mercy be with them—with them and with
all of God's people!
Galatians 6:16 HCSB
May peace come to all those who follow
this standard, and mercy to the Israel of God!
Galatians 6:16 MSG
All who walk by this standard are the
true Israel of God—His chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!
Galatians 6:16 MEV
Peace and mercy be on all who walk
according to this rule and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 NASB
And those who will walk by this rule,
peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 NCV
Peace and mercy to those who follow
this rule—and to all of God’s people.
Galatians 6:16 NRSV
As for those who will follow this
rule—peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 RSV
Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by
this rule, upon the Israel of God.
Galatians 6:16 WYC
And whoever follow this rule, peace on
them, and mercy, and on Israel of God [peace upon them, and mercy,
and upon Israel of God].
Galatians 6:16 YLT
and as many as by this rule do walk --
peace upon them, and kindness, and on the Israel of God!
Reading the above verses, it is easy to
see, there are two camps, of belief in the interpretation of
Galatians 6:16.
Interpretation
#1:
This is a collective scripture meaning
(peace and mercy to) all Christian Jews and Gentiles (saved by faith)
who are the Israel of God.
Galatians 3:26-29 KJV
26 For ye are all the children of
God by faith in Christ Jesus.
27 For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek,
there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for
ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
29 And if ye be Christ's, then are
ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Interpretation
#2:
This verse refers to Christian Jews and
Gentiles, saved by faith alone, in the finished work of Christ, they
certainly have His peace.
Philippians 4:7 KJV
And the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through
Christ Jesus.
And secondly, this verse refers to the
unsaved Jewish nation, that they may have the mercy of God,
for the day will come when they will turn to their Messiah Lord, and
not to religious works.
Hebrews 8:10-13 KJV
10 For this is the covenant that I
will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith The Lord;
I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts:
and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to Me a people:
11 And they shall not teach every
man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know
The Lord: for all shall know Me,
from the least to the greatest.
12 For I will be merciful to their
unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember
no more.
13 In that He saith, A new covenant,
He hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is
ready to vanish away.
Now is there a “hint,” which of the
two we should hold to? Yes!
Paul usually uses the words “grace
and peace, or mercy and peace,” but here in Galatians 6:16
the order is “peace and mercy.”
Paul has taught that Christians have
God's peace, and that mercy is extended to those who do
not know The Lord.
Romans 11:30,31 NLT
30 Once, you Gentiles were rebels
against God, but when the people of Israel rebelled against Him, God
was merciful to you instead.
31 Now they (Israel)
are the rebels, and God’s mercy has come to you so that they, too,
will share in God’s mercy.
It more than appears that
interpretation #2 is correct.
Now before we leave this subject, there
is a solemn truth we must never forget, namely if you are a
Christian, your duty is to pray for the peace and salvation of
Israel. How often have you prayed that?
Genesis 6:3 KJV
And I will bless them that bless
thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families
of the earth be blessed.
Psalm 122:6 KJV
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
they shall prosper that love thee.
Keep praying for Israel.
