Here's the problem, there is no warrant for supposing that Amos was referring to a spiritual Israel that is the Church. Virtually no OT scholar would agree with the hermeneutical wrangling it takes to say that Amos wasn't referring to the people group of Israel with this statement. It's true that we have references to a spiritual Isreal in the NT, but very few, only 2 by my reckoning, in the majority of the case it still refers to the physical people of Israel. In fact, even in the 2 spiritual references, the physical definition of Jew/Israel has to be understood in order to even get to the point that it's spiritual Israel!
konroh,
it doesn't matter to me one bit if ppl use the term "spiritual israel" or not.
the whole point is - this passage in Acts, is recounting what the believing portion of the physical people of Israel (who were later called Christians) - we know their names - Peter; Barnabas; Paul; James < (the physical people of Israel) said about Amos 9.
Peter says: "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe...referring to the vision of the unclean animals and Cornelius.
the believing portion of the physical people of Israel at Jerusalem (we could say - spiritual israel) decides that: God made no distinction between gentiles and israel, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
if they said way back then that God made no distinction between gentiles and israel, having cleansed both their hearts by faith (spiritual people now)...and they connected that event (the calling of the gentiles; the Holy Spirit in the gentiles) directly to Amos 9:
16 “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild
the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18known from of old.’
how can you even try to suggest theres no way to
wrangle the meaning that Amos was referring to a spiritual Israel that is the Church.
thats exactly what Amos was predicting....thats exactly what the Council recognized.
the Church - or the saved - called out people of God was by then both jew and gentile.
and the COUNCIL SAID AMOS 9 was fulfilled:
I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it....
right

this is why we have Dispensationalism - nobody wants to accept the fact that the Kingdom is a spiritual Kingdom that Jesus is on the Throne of David
now.
i dont see where you get the idea i ever suggested the Apostles were not of the physical people of Israel....
Acts 15
6The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 “‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18known from of old.’
19Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
you say: the physical definition of Jew/Israel has to be understood in order to even get to the point that it's spiritual Israel!
uh ya.....thats been my case all along.
i dont see the problem.
The clear interpretation of Amos is that it was referring to the physical Jewish people and the physical Gentile people. And what does it mean to restore the booth of David, or the tent of David? As far as I know this is the only reference to this, but David was king of the united kingdom, North and South. We have a tent being raised up with two poles. The reference seems to be that there will once again be a united Davidic kingdom, and the Gentiles will join in with this blessing.
soooooo.......will king david be resurrected to be the king over the united kingdom
were the two sticks not united on their return from Babylon....well ya. they were.
all 12 tribes retruned and Jesus called out His own and they became Christians and they spread the Gospel and then the rebellious unbelieving city and people were destroyed, just as Jesus warned.
if i understand you correctly, you are saying - the Apostles SAID their return to the Land as a people (under the Romans); with Messiah coming and saving; the Holy Spirit coming; the Gentiles called and adopted into the Household of God; all the believers being an habitation of God - the temple of God....the Church.....was the restoration of the kingdom of Israel (the tent of David) BUT THEY GOT IT WRONG
no, they got it right.
Notice that James doesn't say that this is now being fulfilled, He says that the Gentiles becoming Christians agrees with God's overall plan to have Jew and Gentile be united in one blessing. If this is God's plan, let's do it now! It doesn't negate the future fulfillment of this, that there will be a future Davidic United Kingdom and the Gentiles will join in. james also quotes from the Septuagint, which differs from the Masoretic Text. He makes his point against the Judaizers with their text.
well, weve gone over the passages that SAY the physicl israelites together with gentiles received THE KINGDOM when Jesus came the First time so many times i just dont have the energy to do it again at this moment.
the houses were united - into one new man in Christ.
thats it...like
this here: a
future Davidic United Kingdom and the Gentiles will join in negates everything the NT says
Jesus already did
what is a future Davidic United Kingdom
Notice that James doesn't say that this is now being fulfilled, He says that the Gentiles becoming Christians agrees with God's overall plan to have Jew and Gentile be united in one blessing. If this is God's plan, let's do it now! It doesn't negate the future fulfillment of this, that there will be a future Davidic United Kingdom and the Gentiles will join in.
so is that the Millennium

- where are those passages....who is reigning - David
why didnt Paul make that really clear here:
Galatians 4
Example of Hagar and Sarah
21Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? 22For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. 23But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. 24Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. 25Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia;e she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. 26But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. 27For it is written,
“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”
28Now you,f brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. 29But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. 30But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” 31So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman.