Commonwealth Theology Advances

Now Easier Than Ever to Explore Commonwealth Theology

Invitation to explore Commonwealth Theology

For many years, Commonwealth Theology was not easy to explain in a single sentence. It was not simply a variation of Dispensationalism, yet it was not Replacement Theology. It was not a “Hebrew Roots” based movement, yet it insisted that the biblical story of Israel could not be erased from Christian theology. It was not political Zionism, yet it refused to treat Israel as a disposable category in the purposes of God. It was, and remains, a return to the biblical language of covenant, kingdom, reconciliation, and the “commonwealth of Israel” spoken of by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2.
That is why the increasing availability of resources on Commonwealth Theology is worth noting. What once required scattered conversations, conference presentations, private study, and hard-to-find materials is now far easier to explore. Readers can begin with introductory summaries, compare encyclopedia-style treatments, consult foundational books, and examine more formal statements of belief and interpretation. 

The movement has grown from a relatively small circle of researchers into a more public theological conversation.

Wikipedia page on Commonwealth Theology

One sign of that public visibility is the appearance of Commonwealth Theology in encyclopedia form. A Wikipedia page now describes Commonwealth Theology as a theological position concerned with the relationship between the Christian Church, Israel, Old Testament prophecy, and the writings of the Apostolic Age Church. It also notes that the name comes from the “Commonwealth of Israel” in Ephesians 2. Whether one agrees with every word of an encyclopedia entry or not, the existence of such a page marks a stage in the development of the subject. Commonwealth Theology is no longer merely an internal discussion among a handful of authors and students. It has become a recognizable term.

Grokipedia page on Commonwealth Theology

The same is true of the newer Grokipedia entry. Its appearance gives readers another pathway into the subject, especially those who are accustomed to researching through online summaries before moving into primary sources. That does not mean an encyclopedia article should be treated as the final authority. It should not. No encyclopedia entry proves a theology. But it can serve as a doorway. It can help a curious reader discover the basic questions: What is Israel? Who are the people of God? How are believing Jews and believing Gentiles related in Christ? What did Paul mean when he said that Gentiles, once “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel,” have been “brought near by the blood of Christ”?

The development of Commonwealth Theology, however, did not begin with online summaries. Its modern articulation is closely associated with Douglas W. Krieger’s work, Commonwealth Theology: An Introduction, published in 2018. 

The book presented Commonwealth Theology as a needed correction to the two dominant systems that had long shaped Christian thinking about Israel: Replacement or Rejection Theology on one side, and Dispensationalism on the other.

Its stated emphasis included the restoration and reconciliation of the “Two Houses of Israel,” Judah and Ephraim, and the coming Messianic Age.

Commonwealth Theology by Douglas W. Krieger

Krieger’s original work was significant because it gave a name and structure to a set of biblical concerns that many had already sensed. Many Christians had become dissatisfied with the idea that the Church simply replaced Israel, as though the covenant promises could be transferred away from the people and story to whom they were first given. Others had become equally dissatisfied with systems that divided Israel and the Church so sharply that the unity of Jew and Gentile in Christ seemed weakened or postponed. Commonwealth Theology sought to take seriously both sides of the biblical witness: the continuing significance of Israel and the present unity of the redeemed in Messiah.

This is why Ephesians 2 became so central. Paul does not tell Gentile believers that they have replaced Israel. Nor does he tell them that they remain permanently outside Israel while awaiting another dispensation. He says they were once strangers and aliens, but now have been brought near. The dividing wall has been broken down. Christ has made peace. The two have been made “one new man.” The household of God is not ethnically erased, but neither is it covenantally divided. Commonwealth Theology developed as an attempt to give full weight to that apostolic pattern.

The movement then expanded through collaborative work. Commonwealth Theology Essentials brought together Douglas W. Krieger, Douglas Hamp, Gavin Finley, and Chris Steinle, and presented the subject in a broader and more systematic way. Promotional descriptions of the work explain that Krieger had first introduced the subject in Commonwealth Theology: An Introduction, and that Essentials expanded the discussion into additional areas of biblical theology, including sections on the elements of Commonwealth Theology and Commonwealth Eschatology. The academic edition was published by the Commonwealth of Israel Foundation in 2020 and runs more than five hundred pages.

Commonwealth Theology Essentials

This stage was important because it moved the subject beyond a single introductory proposal. 

Commonwealth Theology was being presented not merely as a reaction against other systems, but as a constructive framework. It asked how the covenants, the prophets, the apostles, the Messiah, the Church, and the hope of Israel fit together in one biblical story. It challenged readers to reconsider inherited categories and return to the scriptural text itself.

At the same time, Commonwealth Theology had to distinguish itself from misunderstandings. It is not a call for Gentile believers to place themselves under the Mosaic Law as a covenant of obligation. It is not a denial of the sufficiency of Christ. It is not a retreat from the apostolic gospel into ethnic or ritual identity. In fact, responsible presentations of Commonwealth Theology have emphasized that it honors the historic Christian confession of Christ and the Godhead, and does not present itself as a different gospel.

This distinction matters. Any theology that speaks seriously about Israel, Torah, covenant, and Gentile inclusion can be misunderstood. Some may assume it is merely another form of Hebrew Roots theology. Others may think it is simply political Zionism with biblical language attached. Still others may suspect it is a disguised form of supersessionism. But Commonwealth Theology, at its best, is trying to avoid those errors. It seeks covenant unity without ethnic erasure. It seeks continuity with Israel without Judaizing Gentiles. It seeks recognition of Israel’s promises without dividing the redeemed people of God into separate destinies.

The Denver Declaration represents another step in this development. Associated with Douglas Krieger, Douglas Hamp, Gavin Finley, and Chris Steinle, it helped summarize and formalize key claims connected to Commonwealth Theology. Listings of the work identify it as The Denver Declaration: With Bible References, with these authors and editors attached. This kind of declaration matters because movements need more than books and conversations. They need statements that can be examined, challenged, refined, and compared with Scripture.

The Denver Declaration

Over time, the growth of Commonwealth Theology has followed a recognizable pattern. 

First came the biblical burden: the conviction that something had gone wrong in the way Christians commonly spoke about Israel and the Church. Then came the naming of the issue: “Commonwealth Theology” as a way of returning to Paul’s own language in Ephesians 2. Then came the foundational texts, especially Krieger’s original work. Then came collaborative expansion through Commonwealth Theology Essentials. Then came more formal declarations and educational resources. Now, with online encyclopedia entries, wider readers can encounter the subject more easily than ever before.

That does not mean the work is finished. In some ways, it has only begun. A theology that claims to resolve long-standing tensions must be tested carefully. It must be examined by Scripture, by the apostles, by the prophets, by the history of interpretation, and by the lived reality of Jewish and Gentile believers in Christ. It must be stated clearly enough to avoid confusion and humbly enough to invite correction. It must resist the temptation to become a slogan. It must remain a call back to the Bible.

The greatest value of Commonwealth Theology may be that it forces Christians to ask questions that should never have been neglected. 

Did God abandon the promises made to Israel? Are Gentile believers merely attached to a separate “Church program,” or have they been brought into the commonwealth promised in Scripture? Does the unity of the one new man erase Jewish identity, or does it reconcile Jews and Gentiles in the Messiah without destroying either? Is the kingdom hope of the prophets postponed, spiritualized, politicized, or fulfilled in Christ and consummated at His appearing?

These are not small questions. They touch the meaning of the Old Testament, the mission of Christ, the identity of the Church, the hope of Israel, and the future restoration of all things. They also touch the relationship between Christians and Jews in the present age. A theology that mishandles Israel will eventually mishandle the Church. A theology that separates what Christ has joined together will weaken the testimony of the gospel. A theology that erases distinction will fail to honor the actual story God has told.

This is why the growing visibility of Commonwealth Theology is important. The Wikipedia page, the Grokipedia entry, Commonwealth Theology Essentials, the Denver Declaration, and Krieger’s original work each represent part of a larger movement from obscurity toward accessibility. They do not all perform the same function. The encyclopedia pages introduce. The original work pioneers. Essentials expands. The Denver Declaration summarizes and formalizes. Together they show a movement that has developed over time and is now easier to investigate.

But ease of access is not the same as final understanding. Readers should not stop at summaries. They should compare claims. They should open the Scriptures. They should read Ephesians 2, Romans 9–11, Acts 15, Jeremiah 31, Ezekiel 37, Hosea, Isaiah, and the words of Christ Himself. They should ask whether the common systems inherited by modern Christians have fully accounted for the biblical data. They should ask whether Commonwealth Theology offers a more faithful account of the relationship between Israel, the Church, and the nations in the Messiah.

The point is not to win an argument by pointing to a web page. The point is that the conversation is now easier to enter. What once required specialized familiarity can now be approached through multiple doors. A reader can begin with an encyclopedia article, move to introductory books, examine declarations, and then test everything against Scripture.

That is the opportunity before us.

Commonwealth Theology is now easier than ever to explore. Not because every question has been settled, but because the resources are now within reach. 

The invitation is simple:

Read. Examine. Decide.

https://commonwealthofisrael.com

Encyclopedic Entry on Commonwealth Theology by Grokipedia

COMMONWEALTH THEOLOGY REACHES A NEW MILESTONE

https://grokipedia.com/page/commonwealth_theology

For many years, those interested in Commonwealth Theology have relied on books, articles, conference presentations, and the resources of the Commonwealth of Israel Foundation to understand this developing theological framework. Today, there is another doorway through which curious readers may begin that journey.

A comprehensive article describing Commonwealth Theology is now available through Grokipedia, providing an encyclopedia-style overview of the movement, its biblical foundations, its history, and its relationship to other theological systems.

WHY THE GROKIPEDIA PAGE MATTERS

While an encyclopedia article does not determine whether a theology is true, it serves an important purpose. It gives readers a starting point—a place to understand what a movement actually teaches before evaluating its claims for themselves.

DISTINCT BUT NOT SEPARATE

Commonwealth Theology seeks to address one of the longest-standing questions in Christian theology: How should believers understand the relationship between the Church and Israel? Rather than adopting either Replacement Theology or classic Dispensationalism, Commonwealth Theology proposes what it summarizes as "Yes Distinction. No Separation." Drawing heavily from passages such as Ephesians 2, Romans 11, Ezekiel 37, Hosea, and Acts 15, it argues that God's redemptive plan preserves meaningful distinctions while bringing believing Jews and believers from the nations together into one commonwealth while recognizing the difference between Election and Messianic salvation.

Another distinguishing characteristic is its effort to integrate biblical theology across Scripture rather than treating Israel and the Church as unrelated stories. Themes involving covenant, kingdom, inheritance, reconciliation, and restoration are examined together, with particular attention given to the prophetic reunification of the House of Judah and the House of Israel and the inclusion of the nations through Christ.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRIES

One encouraging aspect of the new encyclopedia article is that it introduces these ideas in a format familiar to modern readers. People encountering the phrase "Commonwealth Theology" for the first time can now read an overview before exploring the books, articles, and biblical studies that discuss the subject in greater depth.

Of course, no encyclopedia can substitute for careful study of Scripture. Every theological proposal should ultimately be examined in light of the biblical text. The Bereans were commended because they searched the Scriptures daily to determine whether what they heard was true. That same spirit of thoughtful examination remains the proper response to every theological discussion.

INVITATION TO INVESTIGATE

If the Grokipedia article encourages more Christians, Messianic believers, and interested Jewish readers to open their Bibles and carefully examine these themes, then it will have accomplished something worthwhile.

Whether you ultimately agree with Commonwealth Theology or not, we invite you to read the overview, consider its biblical arguments, and evaluate its conclusions for yourself. The conversation continues, and we welcome thoughtful engagement from readers who desire a deeper understanding of God's unfolding plan of redemption.

https://grokipedia.com/page/commonwealth_theology

Read. Examine. Decide.

For Such a Time as This—Give to the Theological Solution to Peace

"For such a time as this" 

is a powerful phrase from the biblical Book of Esther 4:14, Esther 4:14 in all English translations that signifies a unique, critical moment where an individual's specific position, talents, and courage are divinely intended for a crucial purpose, often to stand against evil, bring deliverance, or fulfill God's plan, suggesting we are placed where we are for a reason.

Please consider making a donation to the Commonwealth of Israel Foundation part of your 2025 year-end giving.

Commonwealth Theology is the theological solution to peace between Christians and Jews that has existed on the pages of Scripture for the last 2,000 years.

Go to our Donation Page on this site to our secure Donorbox form.

A gift of any amount will be greatly appreciated!

Or, you can go straight to the Donorbox page here: https://donorbox.org/such-a-time

"I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY"

By Doug Krieger

NOTE:  This missive is intensely EVANGELICAL - proceed with caution and confirmation . . .. "I WILL RAISE HIM UP AT THE LAST DAY"

With persistent wars raging in the Middle East . . . and with “news from the East and North” more than troubling (Dan. 11:40-45), we who claim our inheritance in the Good Land, await the “Last Day” in which out of this death and chaos shall arise resurrection life! 

This missive is not what you might expect at your next “prophecy conference” but it is intensely prophetic because it echoes the very words of the prophets acclaimed by Jesus: “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’” (John 6:45). Allow me to elaborate how and when this can be. . .  

Four times Jesus declared “I will raise it/him up at the Last Day” in John 6:39, 40, 44 and 54. No doubt our Lord in this discourse in the synagogue in Capernaum, Galilee (John 6:59) declared the very purpose of His manifestation as the Bread of Life. It was to give “everlasting life” to all who would believe in and partake of Him—but how could mortal man arrive at the Last Day and be raised, resurrected, to everlasting life by believing in and partaking of Him?

If, like the 5,000 fed in the earlier part of John 6:1-14, anyone who seeks the miraculous bread from heaven (manna) to feed their own belly or hungers for a supernatural sign, will, as the fathers who ate such manna in the wilderness, die in their superficial encounter with such provision—they take it in but have no clue nor faith in the One behind their sustenance.

SEE THE SON

GRACE / UNITY THROUGH MESSIAH vs. THE FOOLISH SHEPHERD

 

GRACE – UNITY THROUGH MESSIAH vs. THE FOOLISH SHEPHERD

By Doug Krieger

There is a pernicious tendency—due to the insipid quest for control within fallen man—which incessantly raises its ugly head among the shepherds of the sheep of His flock.  I’d like to address this ubiquitous malady in its immediate and prophetic commentary as it pertains to the prophet Zechariah’s amazing address of the same—this may surprise you. 

I don’t expect “commentary agreement” on my exegesis but I’ll be more than satisfied if you get the drift of what I feel the Holy Spirit’s bearing witness in my spirit that we’re on to something here that has major consequence at the “end of time” for the people of God—both Judah (the Jewish Nation) and Ephraim (those among the nations who have entered into Covenant through Yeshua’s Person and Work).

Today’s Judah/Jewish people are seemingly more divided than ever before due to a host of issues—primarily, today, centered on the current distress, wars, hostages, etc., let alone how to address the flagrant rise of anti-Semitism throughout the globe.  Simultaneously, these issues of “domestic division” afflict all the “people of the Book”—namely, those who claim membership in the Commonwealth of Israel who were once non-citizens but who through Messiah have been joined teleologically[i] to the “Israel of God” becoming joint-heirs through the Jewish Carpenter. 

Dr. John Walvoord (past president of Dallas Theological Seminary) once said that the book of Zechariah presented the most stereoscopic eschatology of virtually any book in the entire Bible; rivaling the Revelation extracted from the Isle called Patmos.  Specifically, Zechariah 11-14 speaks in immediate and futuristic implications regarding the Almighty’s dealings with His people—and does so in no uncertain terms.  Our focus resides within the peculiar and rather open-ended reflections concerning shepherding the flock of God either with the “Two Staffs” of the Great Shepherd of the Sheep or via the Foolish Shepherd’s “three shepherds” who await their fate—cutting off!

Inserted within these interpretive ambiguities is the redemptive price of Messiah’s sacrifice and ultimate, I affirm, judgment upon these three shepherds and their ring leader, if you would, the Worthless Shepherd (Zech.11:17).

On the one hand, Zechariah 11:4-17, speaks regarding the differences between the "two staffs" and the dismissal of the "three shepherds" during a 30-day time frame (one month). This is a profound prophecy indeed!

God's Eternal Purpose Unveiled by Gian Luca Morotti

Does God have a plan for uniting and reconciling Jews and Gentiles? 

The Commonwealth of Israel - God's Eternal Purpose Unveiled

Available soon.

As confusion over the place of the Jews escalates, learn why the “mystery” revealed to Paul holds the key to one of the most volatile issues of our day. 

As Christ came on the seen there was a pre-existing “enmity” based on a “mutual dislike of each other’s customs.” But was reconciliation part of “the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:11)? Morotti’s book, Called to a Holy Pilgrimage explored how the Jewish people regathered to the land of Israel according to the prophetic scriptures—while still in their unbelief. Yet according to the Amplified Version, God would “make plain [to everyone] the plan of the mystery [regarding the uniting of believing Jews and Gentiles into one body] which [until now] was kept hidden through the ages in [the mind of] God who created all things” (Ephesians 3:9).

Gian Luca exposes how “Stigmatic Theology” presents “a deformed view of the "whole counsel of God” and creates a “glaring impediment to the Almighty’s plan and purpose wrought by the blood of the cross in making the two (Jews and Gentiles) – ‘one new man – so making peace’ (Ephesians 2:15).”

Gian Luca Morotti

Gian Luca Morotti holds a degree in Security Management and a Bachelor in Biblical Studies in Hebraic Heritage. He currently serves as member of the International Board of Ebenezer Emergency Fund International (EEFI) and as chairman of Ebenezer Operation Exodus Israel. He is also a board director of the Commonwealth of Israel Foundation (COIF). 

THE BLOOD OF YOUR COVENANT — by Doug Krieger, Chair - COIF

Headline article from the Spring 2024 Commonwealth of Israel Foundation quarterly newsletter. 

Doug Krieger, Chair - COIF

It’s time for some theological clarity, commentary and devotional. There are few Messianic Scriptures from the Hebrew text which are alluded to and/or directly quoted in all four gospels— so, the passages from Zechariah 9:9-10 are altogether poignant, laced with overt prophetic fulfillment and found in Matthew 21:5; Mark 11:7, 9; Luke 19:38; John 12:15, to wit:

  “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zech. 9:9)

 Allow me to pause here for Messiah’s First Coming wrought us so great a SALVATION—yes, His Triumphal Entry on Nissan 10 (so-called “Palm Sunday”—which will occur this year on April 18, 2024 with Passover on April 22—contrariwise, Easter will occur on March 31, 2024 with Palm Sunday on March 24, 2024). Nisan 10 matches the same date on the Hebrew Sacred Calendar as the choosing of the spotless lamb on that first Passover—4 days before it was slain (Exodus 12:1-11). Moreover, it was on Nissan 10 the very day the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan River into the Good Land (Joshua 4:19) – and the day when Ezekiel saw the vision of the Holy City, the Holy District as found in Ezekiel 40:1-2—viz. “. . . at the beginning of the year [religious Rosh Hashanah], on the tenth day of the month . . ...”

Why Bible-believing Christians have a heart for Israel

 

EXCERPT: “FROM THE RIVER TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH” – Zechariah 9:10b - By Doug Krieger Chair, COI Foundation

Why Bible-believing Christians have a heart for Israel

(from free Winter 2023-2024 Newsletter)

What we are advocating is an eschatological (prophetic) SEA CHANGE wherein our Catholic-Reform understanding of what constitutes Israel is void of Jews wherein the True Israel of God is constituted by adherence to One Olive Tree. Furthermore, and although well-meaning brethren among Evangelical
Dispensationalists wish the Jews well in their “separate plan” versus the Church’s plan even to the extent that there is one “wife of Jehovah” for Old Testament saints and Jews in general, and the Bride of Christ for New Testament saints, aka Christians, wherein “Jacob’s Trouble” is a “Jewish problem” and the “Valley of Dry Bones” in Ezekiel 37 is reserved for “Jews only” is flat-out theologically wrongheaded!
No, “Jacob’s Problem” is OUR MUTUAL PROBLEM and the Valley of Dry Bones—if ever Judah and Ephraim needed reviving—is just as much Ephraim’s Revival as it is Judah’s, to wit: “Son of man, these bones are the WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’ Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel . . . Again, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, ‘As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions. Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand” (Excerpts, Ezk. 37).

THREE PROPHETIC WARS

 Oracle of Damascus 

Gog-Magog 

Armageddon Campaign

By Doug Krieger

God’s prophetic forecasts cannot and should not be implicated in that the Almighty knows all things (past, present and future—because He is God); however, this does NOT prejudge blame upon his forethought/foreknowledge where even the most horrific massacres wrought by fallen humanity are known of Him.  What we are witnessing today (October, 2023) concerning the carnage taking place in Israel/Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East, and in places like Ukraine, are fraught with man’s inhumanity toward man; notwithstanding, all deception and evil are instigated and sourced in the thoughts and fleshly pursuits of “earthlings” at the behest, convenience, and connivance of the Evil One—Satan.

            Some, like the French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre (an existentialist and Marxist), concluded cir. WW II, he did not believe in God’s existence but most definitely affirmed the Devil’s dastardly presence in the flesh.[i]  Indeed, there is blatant “good and evil”—all compromise with nuanced relativity and balance is extinguished as perhaps the worst massacre (certainly the most filmed due to phone cameras) in modern history was witnessed by the world near Gaza in Israel proper.

            Blaming God (determinism)[ii] for all of man’s misfortunes is nigh an incurable disease of the natural man who thrice has been “given over” by the Almighty—yielding to the corruption of humanity’s own free will, coupled with their deadened consciences, “. . . to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting—being filled with all unrighteousness . . . moving from heterosexual sin – then given over to homosexual sin – and “anything goes (e.g., bestiality—Romans 1:24, 26, 28).   

            Coming to grips with one’s own disobedience—acknowledging one’s predisposition to evil (i.e., “owning it”) rarely finds itself on fallen humanity’s radar.  The Devil’s modus operandi normally centers on “big picture” items (e.g., World Wars) but he needs little help to accomplish his acts of barbarism and annihilation since sin’s poison (aka, “in my flesh dwells no good thing”—Rom. 7:18) is ubiquitous among the human race.  Notwithstanding, and all the more, the Deliverer is into deliverance to all “dead in their trespasses and sin” (Eph. 2:1)—“For by grace are you saved through faith and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

           

Commonwealth of Israel Foundation 2023 Summer Newsletter is Live!

 

Read full Newsletter here

Read segment of article by Doug Krieger:

FROM QAHAL TO EKKLESIA

The Septuagint Version of the Hebrew Bible (cir. 200 BC) was translated by Hebrew scholars into koine Greek and was generously quoted by the New Testament writers who simultaneously used original Hebrew (into Greek) where appropriate. That is, NT writers did not quote verbatim from the Septuagint but integrated their own Hebrew into Greek where they thought it more in line with the original Hebrew text.

 The fourth edition of the United Bible Societies' Greek Testament lists 343 Old Testament quotations in the New Testament, as well as no fewer than 2,309 allusions and verbal parallels.

 The Septuagint (viz. LXX or “70” referring to the number of Hebrew scholars who translated the Hebrew Bible into Greek), in the main, translated the Hebrew word “Qahal” (Strong’s H6951 or Gahal) used some 123 times from the Hebrew primarily as Ekklesia — The word Qahal in English has been translated as “assembly” – “gathering” – “company” – “multitude”- “troop” – “army” & “congregation.”

 Again, our immediate reflection is the prophetic multiplication or expansion of the Qahal into the Ekklesia Jesus would build and/or is now building after His earthly ministry.