Video Response

To Gracious Torah in DeafVideo.TV.

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Linking "oikodomeó" (builders) in Matt 21:42 to v43, suggesting God's kingdom remains tied to ethnic Israel or Torah-observant believers.

However, Jesus rejects unbelieving Jewish leaders (“builders”) and transfers the kingdom to a new “nation” (ethnos) that bears fruit-the Church (believing Jews & Gentiles).

Story: Jesus addresses chief priests and Pharisees (v45), who recognize He's speaking against them. The “builders” are these leaders rejecting Christ. The kingdom isn't “edified” within old Israel-it's “taken away” (v43) from them and given to others.

New “Nation”: Peter applies this to the Church in 1 Peter 2:4-10-believers are “living stones... built into a spiritual house” (v5), a “chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation” (v9), including Gentiles (v10: “Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people”).

NT Fulfillment: Acts 4:10-12 quotes the “stone rejected by the builders” against Jewish rulers, emphasizing salvation only in Christ. The “fruit” in Matt 21:43 echoes John 15:1-8 (vine branches abiding in Christ) and Galatians 5:22-23 (fruit of the Spirit), produced by faith in Jesus, not Torah observance or national Israel.

Challenge questions: “If 'oikodomeó' means the kingdom is just 'edified' within Israel, why does Jesus say it's 'taken away' from the leaders and given to a different 'ethnos'?

And why does Peter call the Church the 'holy nation' using Israel's exact covenant language?”