PROMISE, FULFILLMENT, AND ISRAEL: TESTING A BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK OF CHRIST AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD

Abstrak

This article examines the theological tension within biblical theology concerning the relationship between New Testament Christology, the concept of the Kingdom of God, and the theological significance of Israel. Contemporary debates frequently oscillate between supersessionist readings that marginalize Israel and continuity models that emphasize the enduring validity of the covenant. This study seeks to evaluate how New Testament texts construct the relationship between Jesus’ messianic identity, the fulfillment of covenantal promises, and the extension of the Kingdom of God to the nations. Employing a canonical exegetical approach integrated with historical-narrative analysis of key New Testament texts, the study traces patterns of continuity and transformation within the motif of promise and fulfillment. The analysis indicates that New Testament Christology does not sever its relationship with Israel; rather, it rearticulates covenantal hope within an eschatological and inclusive framework of the Kingdom. These findings challenge the rigid dichotomy between replacement and continuity and propose an integrative model in which the Kingdom of God is understood as an expansion of Israel’s promise without erasing its theological identity. Theoretically, this research contributes to the development of a biblical-theological paradigm that integrates canonical reading with constructive theological reflection. Its theological implications lie in the reformulation of the relationship between the Church and Israel within the framework of salvation history, avoiding both supersessionist reductionism and ethnic particularism