People of God
“People of God” is a biblical-theological phrase for those who belong to the Lord by covenant grace. In the New Testament, it includes all who are united to Christ by faith.
At a Glance
“People of God” is a biblical-theological phrase for those who belong to the Lord by covenant grace. In the New Testament, it includes all who are united to Christ by faith.
Description
“People of God” is a broad biblical-theological term for those whom God sets apart as his own through his covenant mercy. In the Old Testament, this identity is especially associated with Israel, the nation the Lord redeemed and called into covenant fellowship and obedience. In the New Testament, the language is applied to believers in Christ, including Jews and Gentiles together, as God’s redeemed community. Orthodox interpreters differ over how best to describe the relationship between Israel and the church in God’s saving plan, so care is needed not to press the term beyond what a given passage states. The safest conclusion is that Scripture consistently presents God as forming and preserving a people for himself, and that all who belong to Christ truly share in that people while God remains faithful to all his promises.