I don’t know if I would use the term “surpassed” when comparing Paul and the church to Joshua and Israel. Israel wasn’t just obtaining the land that Yahweh promised to their ancestors but they were also instruments of God’s judgment against the pagan Canaanites idolatries and sins. The church is no longer God’s instrument of judgment, Christ is–Paul preached this in Acts 17:30-31. We are called by Christ suffer as he did, agreed and we are to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:20-21) precisely because we are to “leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:18-19). But I’m not certain that “surpassed” takes into account the new role the church has compared to Israel during Joshua’s tenure as leader (cf. Genesis 15:13-16; Joshua 11:20). I would also point out Deuteronomy 10:19, “Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” Even the Israelites under Joshua were commanded to love others. Otherwise I really enjoyed the post.

Couldn’t agree more.