Commonwealth
/KOM-un-welth/
Summary
A political community with shared privileges, used in Scripture to describe Israel's theocracy from which Gentiles were once excluded.
☩Israel's Commonwealth
Paul describes Gentiles before Christ as 'strangers from the commonwealth of Israel,' excluded from the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world. This commonwealth included the privileges of the Mosaic covenant and messianic promises.
Key verses:Ephesians 2:12
☩Heavenly Citizenship
Believers now have their commonwealth (citizenship) in heaven, from whence they await the Savior. This heavenly commonwealth transcends and fulfills the earthly theocracy of Israel.
Key verses:Philippians 3:20