There is NO such thing as 'Replacement Theology', period.
PROOF that God's Birthright Promises and Blessings first given through Abraham, have become part of Christ's Church via The Gospel of Jesus Christ:
First maybe we should work from a simple defined understanding of “Replacement Theology” even a basic understanding would help. It seemed to me that there was some very good godly input in this forum that was overshadowed by the inability of some to learn how to “discuss” the scripture and come to truth and agreement. The Body of Christ is not exemplified in that manner…therefore truth is distorted.
I understand that among those who hold as true this “Replacement Theology” there is some variance…however it seems that the primary tenet’s…though it seems to vary among its scholars is…this a is “basic working definition” as I understand it.
- ”that the church is the current instrument through which God is working in this age”
- “God has a future time in which He will restore national Israel “as the institution for the administration of divine blessing to the world.”
I broke them down into A & B for simplicity…”A” can be said to be correct according to Paul.
“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places.” (Eph 3:8-10 NASB)
So…there is no problem with theory “A”…it does not have to me any more complicated than that. Perhaps defining what constitutes the “church” would help…this then…may flesh out tenet “B?”
The “church, body of Christ, temple of God, saints, family of God, sons of God etc” exist in the invisible kingdom of God in both heaven and on earth…Paul says in Romans 14:17
“for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, [temporal] but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”[Spiritual]
The Lord Himself said…
"The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:20-21 NASB)
It is a spiritual kingdom…not a temporal or earthly kingdom and the citizens of this “spiritual kingdom” are themselves “unique spiritual members” of the Body of Christ. Yahshua told Nicodemus,
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."
So unless one is “born again” by faith in Yahshua Christ as God manifest in the flesh…the kingdom of God remains invisible…and then He told Nicodemus…
"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”
Now He says…when one “can see” the kingdom of God…one must be born of water & Spirit to “enter” the kingdom that is invisible to anyone not “born again.”
So the citizenry of the “spiritual kingdom of God” as of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on that Pentecost after the Lords ascension…are of the spiritual type…Paul concurs with the Lord Yahshua…
”flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God” yet men and women are entering into His kingdom every day on earth I would think. We are merely defining the “church” the Body of Christ in this context as on the earth…today.
This is not about ethnicity or nationality…it is no longer about “Jew or Gentile” though there is a remnant of people that “enter into the kingdom of God…from every tribe, tongue, people and nation.” Read how Paul states that the constituency of the kingdom of God on earth appears…
“For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Gal 3:26-29 NASB)
Those “clothed with Christ”…”born again…born of the water and Spirit” are Abraham’s descendants and heirs to the throne of God…just as God promised Abraham…this just seems so patently obvious. Was Abraham Jewish? How about Isaac?
Again in Colossians 3…
“have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-- a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” (Col 3:10-11 NASB)
Moving from “Jew or Gentile” via the indwelling of the Holy Spirit…is the incorporating of one into Christ…this is a transformation into a wholly and entirely different ethnicity or “race” if you will…“one new man”…one who had not been present on the earth in humanity until Christ Yahshua came.
It is in Christ as Paul states…that one becomes a son of God…earthly fleshly ethnicity and nationality no longer apply as the identity of the Spirit born son of God who is now spiritually living in their own kingdom called the kingdom of God…that is here on earth today as it is in heaven.
Similarly…Paul leaves no doubt as to the spiritual citizenship of the sons of God…
“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” (Rom 8:9 NASB)
If one does not have the Spirit of Christ…they are not in Christ…those not in Christ from that initial outpouring of His Holy Spirit on that Pentecost…were/are either Jew or gentile…they are not a son of God…they are not in the Body of Christ…they are not in the kingdom of God…and they are not heirs to the throne of God…they were/are in the flesh.
This will likely ruffle some feathers…
“Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2Co 5:16-17 NASB)
“Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh” That is because once in the house of God…in Christ…the physical flesh and all of its attributes…color, size, language, gender, slave, free, nationality, ethnicity and on and on…are no longer how one is spiritually identified, known or discerned…no…it is by their Spirit that they are known. It is via spiritual discernment that a son of God is known and knows those who are sons of God.
“even though we have known Christ according to the flesh” In the flesh our Lord Yahshua Christ was Jewish…He was recognized as a Jewish man by the Jews and gentiles alike…clearly.
“ yet now we know Him in this way no longer” Paul is acknowledging that though He is not with us in His flesh…we still know Him…obviously…how? By the Spirit! That’s because He is no longer in the flesh, He is no longer a Jew…because in the spiritual kingdom of god…there is no distinction between Greek and Jew.
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” This new creature is the Holy Spirit filled sons of God who dwell in their own spiritual kingdom with their own King & Lord…Yahshua Christ who is upon the throne of God the Father.
To be continued...