What is replacement theology? Well, replacement theology is simply a term
used to describe the teaching that born-again believers, those who are saved,
have replaced the physical nation of Israel as the chosen people of God. Now
this is a teaching that's permeated throughout the New Testament. It's pretty
irrefutable and in fact Romans chapter 2 28 through 29 says this, For he is not a
Jew which is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision outward in the flesh
made of hands, but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of
the heart and of the spirit and not of the letter, whose praise is not of men
but of God. So the Bible is specifically telling us there that the physical Jew
has been replaced with a spiritual Jew. He says he is not a Jew which is one
outwardly and then he says but he is a Jew which is one inwardly, that
circumcision of the heart. Jesus Christ in Matthew 21 verse 43, When speaking to
the Pharisees, who by the way were adherence to Judaism, said this, That the
kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the
fruits thereof. Specifically telling them that they were replaced with another
nation. Now this nation that they were replaced with is not a specific nation, a
specific nationality, a specific race, but rather it's a spiritual nation. Now look
the Jews were God's chosen people, the nation of Israel were the chosen people
of God in the Old Testament. That's irrefutable as well. We see that
throughout the Old Testament and in fact in Exodus chapter 19 and verse
number 5 and 6 it says this, Now therefore if you will obey my voice
indeed and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me
above all people, for all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom
of priests and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto
the children of Israel. So we see there that God tells them you're the peculiar
treasure, you're the kingdom of priests, you're the holy nation. However we see
that this is not an unconditional promise, an unconditional agreement that
God makes with Israel because of the fact that we see the conditional
statement in verse number 5, If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant then
and then he tells them the positions that they can have. So we see here that
this is a conditional promise, a conditional covenant that God made with
Israel. If they obey him, if they keep that covenant, they can remain the
chosen people, they can remain the peculiar treasure, they can remain the
kingdom of priests. Now the Bible says in Exodus chapter 20 and verse number 3,
in reference to the Ten Commandments, it says, Thou shalt have no other gods
before me, when speaking to the children of Israel. Now it doesn't take a deep
theologian to understand and see that the nation of Israel repeatedly
violated this command in the Old Testament. They were constantly
forsaking God, they were constantly forsaking the true God and serving false
gods in the wilderness whether they reached Canaan land and throughout the
Old Testament we see that they were constantly serving other gods and in
fact in the book of Acts the Bible tells us that they took up the Star of
Ramphan in the tabernacle of Moloch. This is a false god. Now what does that tell
us? Well that tells us that they breached that agreement, that bilateral agreement
that God made with the children of Israel, they breached that contract. Why?
Because they forsook God, they did not obey his voice and they served other
gods. Well what's the result of that? Well we can look back at Exodus chapter 19
verse 5 and 6 and see that they're no longer the peculiar treasure, they're no
longer the kingdom of priests and they're no longer the holy nation. Why?
Because they breached that covenant. Now those terms that I used there that I
just read, the peculiar treasure, the kingdom of priests, the holy nation, you
know if you're familiar with the New Testament those those terms should jump
out to you because we see those terms being used by Peter in the New Testament.
Now in 1st Peter he's not writing to the physical nation of Israel, he's not
writing to Jews and in fact he specifically tells us in verse number 1
that he's writing to the strangers that are scattered abroad and Pontius, Galatia,
Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia, these are Gentile regions okay and he tells them in
chapter 2 in verse number 9, but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood and
holy nation that you should show forth the praises of him who hath called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now these are terms that were
designated for the physical nation of Israel in the Old Testament but because
they breached that covenant, because they did not obey his voice and in fact
because they rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bible tells us here that the
physical nation of Israel has been replaced with the spiritual nation made
up of all believers whether Jew or Gentile. Now look what it says in verse
number 7 it says unto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto
them which be of which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed
the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of
offense even to them which stumble at the word being disobedient where unto
also they were appointed. So the Bible's teaching us here that because they
rejected the stone which is by the way Jesus Christ because they rejected him
you know Jesus Christ became a stone of stumbling unto them a rock of offense
Why is that? Well because they were replaced. They've legitimately and
permanently have been replaced as that priesthood as that holy nation as that
peculiar treasure. Now in the Old Testament the priesthood was made up of
the tribe of Levi and specifically the house of Aaron but in the New Testament
it tells us in verse number 5 he also as lively stones are built up a spiritual
house and in holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to
God by Jesus Christ and so it's pretty clear to see that we are now the chosen
people of God and when I say we I'm referring to born-again saved believers
are that chosen people of God we are that royal priesthood we are that holy
nation and so that is what replacement theology means we have now replaced the
physical nation of Israel as the chosen people when I say we I'm referring to
the body of believers those who are born again those who have believed on Jesus
Christ for salvation. God bless and have a great one