Michael Spencer wrote a few thoughts on "60 Minutes" Joel Osteen piece. I found it insightful and humorous. (Note point #4: "Osteen is a Gospel preacher like Col. Sanders is an army officer.")
You can watch the actual interview here.
Generally, there are two main theories regarding the Church's relationship to Israel. In replacement theology, the Church replaces Israel such that Israel will not be redeemed in the future. In dispensational theology, while God has a future for Israel, there is a distinction between Israel and the Church with no overlap.
From a survey of the Book of Romans we can learn that the truth lies in between these two theories.
Paul argues in chapters 5 - 8 of Romans that the blessings that belonged to Israel in the Old Testament are credited to the church. Through Jesus we have all the prerogatives of Israel: we are children of God, inheritors of the promise, God's elect people, imputed righteousness, and assured glorification.
It should be noted that the church at this time was made up of mostly gentiles, such that Christian Jews became a marginalized minority. Hence the following questions.
Have the promises simply been transferred to the church and is ethnic Israel left in the dark? And if God's promises to Israel have not come to fruition, then how can one be sure that the great promises made to the church will be fulfilled?
Ergo, the primary thrust of Romans 9 - 11. Here, Paul emphasizes God's faithfulness to Israel and to the gentiles, demonstrating that God's plan in history fulfills his promises.
He begins by arguing that salvation was never promised to every ethnic Israelite (Romans 9:6-29). God has decreed that a remnant of Israel will be saved and that Gentiles will enter into the church. Gentiles were adopted because they exercised faith in Jesus as the promised Messiah, whereas the Jews did not because they failed to see that he was the fulfillment to which the Old Testament pointed and because they attempted to establish their own righteousness based on their obedience to the Law (Romans 9:30-11:10).
Even though God has always worked with a remnant (Romans 11:1-10), the idea that the majority of Israel standing outside of God's promises can not be the last word since the Old Testament pledges a glorious future for Israel, and this is not fulfilled in a small remnant. Thus when Paul wrote Romans he affirms that the present state of Israel is not permanent, for the majority of them will not resist the gospel (Romans 11:11-26). Israel has only been set aside to let the fullness of the Gentiles into the Church, and the inclusion of the Gentiles will eventually provoke Israel to jealously leading to their salvation.
In sum, the Church, which is made of up mostly gentiles and a remnant of Jews, has been ascribed the promises to Israel, but one day the promises made to ethnic Israel will be fulfilled.
If you haven't read Ben Witherington, you should!
Here is an excerpt from his blog.
Memo to Mr. Osteen from John Wesley
"I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. Therefore, I do not see how it is possible, in the nature of things, for any revival of religion to continue long. For religion must necessarily produce both industry and frugality, and these cannot but produce riches. But as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches."
--- John Wesley (1703-1791).
