Windham/Mowery Debate on Who is Subject to the Gospel

 
 
 Proposition: 
All accountable humans (both Jews and Gentiles) are subject 
to the new covenant.

Affirm:  Dub Mowery
Deny:  Brian Windham

Brian’s entire contention that only the physical descendants of Jacob are subject 
to the new covenant is based upon a false premise. In attempting to uphold that 
concept, he is compelled to explain away several passages of scripture which 
plainly teaches that the new covenant is not limited to physical Jews and 
Israelites. Under the old covenant, given unto the descendants of Jacob through 
Moses, the terms “Jews” and “Israelites” had reference to those who were in 
covenant relation with God. These same two terms spiritually have reference to 
the redeemed under the new covenant, regardless of their race. Let us now look 
more closely at two passages of scripture used in my first affirmative in upholding 
this truth. First, let us consider Romans 2:28-29. That passage states, “For he is 
not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward 
in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the 
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” 
While the old covenant was in effect, a person born of one of the physical tribes 
of Israel entered into covenant relation with God. However, under the new 
covenant, only obedient believers are children of God (John 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:23). 
There is not a stipulation under the new covenant that a person has to be of a 
particular race. Romans 2:28-29 reveals that a person is not required to be a Jew 
outwardly or to have been circumcised of the flesh to become a spiritual child of 
God under the new covenant. A person’s race is not the criteria in becoming a 
child of God, but rather a spiritual conversion. Each individual must obey from 
the heart (Rom. 6:17-18). The Lord, in speaking to Abram (Abraham), said, “…in 
thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). And in the New 
Testament, the Apostle Peter declared, “…Of a truth I perceive that God is no 
respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh 
righteousness, is accepted with him” (Acts 10:34-35). 

The other passage used in my first affirmative emphasizes that under the new 
covenant it is not essential that a person be a physical Israelite to be in covenant 
fellowship with God is Romans 9:6-8. That passage states, “Not as though the 
word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of 
Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, in 
Isaac shall thy seed be called. That is, They which are the children of the flesh, 
these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for 
the seed.” The Apostle Paul states, “For they are not all Israel, which are of 
Israel.” He is plainly telling us that under the new covenant it is not essential for a 
person to be a physical descendant of Jacob in order to be an Israelite. Under the 
new covenant emphasis is upon spiritual Israel rather than physical Israel. 
Provision through the promise given first to Abraham and then to Isaac and later 
to Jacob was made possible for any human capable of understanding God’s 
standard of righteousness to obtain salvation (Gen. 12:1-3; 22:15-18; 28:10-15). 

Other passages of scripture plainly reveal that under the new covenant being a 
physical descendant of Jacob is not a required stipulation for a person to be a 
child of God. Colossians 3:10-11, “And have put on the new man, which is 
renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: Where there is 
neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, 
bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.” In Christ there are not any national or 
social barriers. For one to contend that a person has to be a physical descendant of 
Jacob in order to be in covenant relation with the Lord under the New Testament 
dispensation is to place emphasis in the flesh. However, the Apostle Paul said 
concerning this matter, “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the 
spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3). 
He further points out that if it was possible for anyone to place confidence in the 
flesh that he would have valid reason for doing so (Phil. 3:4-6). He then states, 
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, 
and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus 
my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but 
dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own 
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, 
the righteousness which is of God by faith:” (Phil. 3:7-9). The Apostle Paul is 
clearly pointing out that not only his achievements under the Mosaic Law had no 
bearing on his being a Christian, but also his ancestry had no bearing in this 
matter. In the KJV, the Greek word “skubalon” is translated “dung.” That Greek 
word means: “any refuse, as the excrement of animals, offscourings, rubbish, 
dregs; of things worthless, detestable.” This is pretty strong language to point out 
that a person being a physical descendant of Jacob was not a condition for being 
in spiritual fellowship with Christ.

Galatians 3:16 points out that it was by a particular seed of Abraham through 
whom the promises given unto him by the Lord would be realized. That passage 
states, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And 
to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.” We become 
the seed (offspring) of Abraham by an obedient faith. This is true regardless of 
our race, social status, or gender. The inspired Word states, “For ye are all the 
children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been 
baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 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. And if ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to 
the promise.” (Gal. 3:26-29). It is more significant to be a seed (offspring) of 
Abraham by way of an obedient faith rather than to be a physical descendant. Of 
course, a person who is the seed of Abraham both physically and spiritually is 
doubly honored.

The theory that only the physical descendent of Jacob are under law to God is 
foreign to what is actually taught in the scriptures. During the antediluvian period, 
the scripture reveals, “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the 
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil 
continually” (Gen. 6:5). As a result of their wickedness, the human race at the 
time of the flood, except Noah and his family were destroyed. “And spared not 
the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, 
bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;” (2 Pet. 2:5). Also, the cities 
of Sodom and Gomorrah were so ungodly that the inhabitants thereof practiced 
homosexuality. “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes 
condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that 
after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy 
conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in 
seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful 
deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to 
reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:” (2 Pet. 2:6-9). Notice 
that in that passage it speaks of “their unlawful deeds.” This reveals that the 
inhabitants of those two cities were under law to God. The scripture further states 
concerning them, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in 
like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, 
are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire” (Jude 7). Not 
only were their physical lives consumed by fire from heaven, but they suffer with 
the eternal fire of Gehenna. Concerning Herod the tetrarch, he had married the 
wife of his brother Philip. John the Baptist told Herod that, “it is not lawful for 
thee to have her.” (Matt. 14:1-4; Mark 6:17). He was subject to the moral law of 
God in respect to marriage. 

Brian inquiries of me, 
Mr. Mowery, do you think non-Israelites were under the Law”

Dub here:
No, Brian, the Mosaic Law was not given to non-Israelites. However, they were 
allowed to become proselytes to that law provided that they submitted to specific 
commandments regulating this matter (Exodus 12:48-49; 20:10). Nevertheless, 
non-Israelites who were not proselytes to the Mosaic Law were still under law to 
God. There were proselytes at Jerusalem on the first Pentecost after the 
resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:10). In fact, Nicolas, a proselyte of Antioch, was 
appointed as one of the seven men to take care of the daily ministration (Acts 6:1-
7).

Brian comments: 
Mr. Mowery claims that all peoples on the globe are subject to the NC. This is in 
spite of the fact that the NC is twice stated, by God (Jer 31:31-33; Heb 8:8-10) to 
be with physical Israel (Emphasis in caps mine). This is made clear in both 
passages by the statement "Not according to the covenant that I MADE WITH 
THEIR FATHERS in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of 
the land of Egypt." As one can easily see, the Israel that God is speaking of is 
physical Israel. This is made clear by the phrase "their fathers." This indicates a 
direct physical lineage from with whom God made the Old Covenant (OC).

Dub here:
Brian and I are in agreement that the specific passages of Jer. 31:31-33 and Heb. 
8:8-10 had reference to the physical descendants of Israel. In fact, the book of 
Hebrews was written to the physical descendants of Jacob who had obeyed the 
gospel of Christ. The primary purpose of that book was to motivate Israelite 
Christians to remain faithful rather than to drift back to the Mosaic Law. The 
inspired writer stressed the superiority of the new covenant over the old. Jeremiah 
had foretold that the Israelites would receive a new covenant. However, they, as 
individuals, had to personally obey the gospel. Any who do not obey will be 
eternally lost. This does not, however, prove that only Israelites are subject to the 
new covenant. The new covenant is the same as the New Testament. There are 
also other terms that refer to the new covenant. These include: “the gospel of 
Christ” (Rom. 1:16) and “the faith” (Jude 3). The gospel of Christ, which is the 
new covenant, is to be preached to every creature (person) in the world (Mark 
16:15-16). That is, every person who is capable of understanding God’s standard 
of righteousness (Eph. 5:17). 

Brian states, 
And we know that God gave His Law only to the nation of Israel (Amos 3:1-2). 
Therefore, anyone not having the Law is not held accountable for breaking it 
because without Law there is no sin imputed (Rom 5:13).

Dub here:
Certainly the old covenant was given specifically unto the nation of Israel. But 
this is not true concerning the new covenant. See my comments above concerning 
this matter.

Brian was not able to refute my comments on Hosea 1:1-11 in that he made an 
attempt of explaining away one phrase while ignoring the entirety of my exegesis 
of that passage. My comments are reiterated as follows: The prophet Hosea 
revealed that Judea would be restored, but the ten tribes of Israel would lose their 
identity. In reading Hosea 1:1-11, we learn in verses 1 to 3 that Hosea describes 
by a parable the whoredom of Israel. At verses 4 and 5 he states that God would 
“cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.” And then in verse 6 he 
declares that God would “no more have mercy upon the house of Israel” but 
would “utterly take them away.” In verse 9 God said to Israel, “ye are not my 
people, and I will not be your God.” And at verses 10 and 11, the prophet reveals 
that after the captivities physical Israel would be no more. And that God would 
have mercy on Judah, but not on Israel. The people remaining after the return 
from captivity would be united as Judah and their king would be God. In the place 
of physical Israel there would be spiritual Israel. The scripture states, “Yet the 
number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be 
measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was 
said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the 
sons of the living God.” Note that in the place of physical Israel that the previous 
verses said: “cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel,” that God would 
“no more have mercy upon the house of Israel,” that He would “utterly take them 
away,” and “ye are not my people, and I will not be your God” there would be a 
Israel made up of those in whom it was “said unto them, Ye are not my people, 
there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.” 

Dub Mowery