The Doctrine of "Replacement
Theology" in its simplest form declares the Gentiles as a permanent
replacement for the Jews and as God's chosen people. This
teaching could not be any farther from the truth.
Moreover, anyone who has ever taken the time to read the Word of
God can easily discern the utter foolishness of such a teaching.
In order to get a complete understanding of the intended message
that Apostle Paul was writing to the Romans we must, as always,
turn to God's Word. "Who are Israelites; to whom
pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and
the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
[5] Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the
flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever.
Amen. [6] Not as though the word of God hath taken
none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel: [7]
Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all
children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called. [8]
That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not
the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted
for the seed. [9] For this is the word of promise, At
this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son. (Romans
9:4-9)."
Apostle Paul makes it perfectly clear that the Jews are God's
seed of promise. Also, he continued by stating, "What
shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not
after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the
righteousness which is of faith. [31] But Israel, which
followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to
the law of righteousness. [32] Wherefore? Because they
sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.
For they stumbled at that stumblingstone" (Romans
9:30-32).
It is this stumbling that Apostle Paul wanted the Jews to
understand was the immediate cause for their "breaking
off" from the natural olive tree. "Thou wilt say
then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. [20]
Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou
standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear" (Romans
11:19-20).
Israel is here pictured as branches
of an olive tree and the Gentiles as a wild olive tree, or the
oleaster which bears no fruit. Some are broken off because
of unbelief and Gentiles temporally take their place to partake
of Israel's blessings. Although, Paul makes it clear that
the Jews were not broken off singularly for the purpose of the
grafting in of the Gentiles, but due to their lack of faith.
In addition, Paul cautions the Gentiles
not to become arrogant or boastful because they had been
accepted by God, less they also be cut off. Why?
"For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed
lest he also spare not thee" (Romans 11:21).
Herein lies the grace, mercy, and promises of God. "And
they (Jews) also, if they abide not still in unbelief,
shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. [24]
For if thou (Gentiles) wert cut out of the olive tree
which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature
into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the
natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree"
(Romans 11:23-24)?
In Romans 11:26 we see the
statement that "all Israel shall be saved".
This refers to the whole nation that will be alive in Palestine
when Christ comes (Zech. 12:10-13:1; Zech. 14:1-15; Matthew
24:39; Isaiah 66:7-8). It is at that time that all the
rest of Israel will be gathered to their Messiah (Isaiah
11:1-12; Isaiah 66:19-21; Matthew 24:31).
"For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant
of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits;
that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness
of the Gentiles be come in. [26] And so all Israel shall
be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the
Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: [27] For
this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins"
(Romans 11:25-27).
Romans 11:28 declares, "As concerning the gospel, they
are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they
are beloved for the fathers' sakes." They are
enemies of the gospel, but beloved for the fathers' sake.
They have been chosen of God to fulfill His plan and they will
yet do so. Why? The gifts and callings of God to the
Israelites still remains true, but they must first come to
repentance and fulfill righteousness before being eternally
blessed. "For the gifts and calling of God are
without repentance" (Romans 11:29).
In Romans 3:1, we (Jews and Gentiles) see that it is through the
Jews that we come to the understanding of a Monotheistic
God. "What advantage then hath the Jew? or what
profit is there of circumcision? [2] Much every way:
chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of
God. [3] For what if some did not believe? shall their
unbelief make the faith of God without effect" (Romans
3:1-3)?
However, it is important for the Jew to remember that the
atonement blood of Yeshua has broken down the wall of partition
between the Jew and the Gentile. "Therefore we
conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of
the law. [29] Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not
also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also: [30] Seeing
it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith,
and uncircumcision through faith" (Romans 3:28-30).
A true Jew is not the one who is
circumcised in the flesh, neither is true circumcision in the
flesh. A true Jew is one that has inward circumcision of the
heart and in the spirit and has more than an outward cutting in
the flesh and a profession of truth. This does not teach that
every Christian is a Jew, but to be a true Jew one must be of
the seed of Abraham, and have circumcision of the heart, and be
a child of the promise (Romans 2:28-29; Romans 9:6-7). The
Bible teaches, "For he is not a Jew, which is one
outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the
flesh" (Romans 2:28).
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Is the Doctrine of
Replacement Theology
Biblically correct?
