Book Review: Reading Philippians after Supersessionism: Jews, Gentiles, and Covenant Identity

Reading Philippians after Supersessionism: Jews, Gentiles, and Covenant Identity by Christopher Zoccali
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book is not quite as strong as the book on Romans in this series. I’m supportive of the post-supersessionist position in many ways, but not entirely. The work shines in pointing out that salvation doesn’t erase or alter gender or ethnic identity. The author refers to Paul in 1 Corinthians 15 to show the continuity and organic connection between the mortal body and the resurrection body, and Paul certainly makes that point. The prophetic literature in both testaments refers to nations as nations in the eschaton, and so Zoccali is correct in seeing gentile nations included in the people of God alongside Israel as Israel.

The problem I’ve had in both books, Romans and now Philippians, is the seeming conflation of Judaic identity with the old covenant. So doing means that salvation of Jews through faith in Jesus Christ would leave Jews unchanged in terms of the old covenant, and, therefore, still under the law. This is contrary to Paul in places like Romans 6 & 7 and elsewhere. The problem comes in with seeing the old covenant as establishing fundamental Jewish identity. The truth is as Paul puts it in Romans 4, the fundamental Jewish identity is further back in Abraham, prior to the old covenant and prior to circumcision. The old covenant then supplied later, temporal identity markers. Those are no longer valid in the new covenant and the fundamental identity as the special nation of Abraham is what is retained.

Overall it was a good read. The author’s effusive use of the Latin conjunction, qua, was just good fun.

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