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Replacement Theology teaches that “the church has replaced Israel in God’s plan, in that the church has transcended and fulfilled the terms of the covenant given to Israel that Israel lost because of disobedience.”[1] Those who accept Replacement Theology as true believe God’s covenant with the Jewish people ended in AD 30 and all the blessings given to Israel have been transferred to the gentile church. (However, most people who subscribe to this view are reluctant to say the church also inherited the curses and judgments God pronounced for her apostasy.)
According to this view, God has and will continue to save individual Jews who accept Jesus, but He has no present or future place for national, ethnic Israel in His plan of redemption. “Supersessionism” is the technical term for Replacement Theology; it is sometimes referred to as Fulfillment Theology.
God also promised a particular piece of land to the Jewish people. However, Replacement Theology proponents believe that land is unimportant to God now, and references to the promised land mean the whole world.
Former International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) Executive Director Malcolm Hedding argues that Replacement Theology rests chiefly on the idea that the whole or part of the Abrahamic covenant has been abolished, for it is this covenant that promises to Israel eternal ownership of the land of Canaan (Genesis 17:7–8):
Once this “promise” has been removed, the present-day restoration of Israel means nothing, and her only hope is in the church. Now, it must be made clear that we believe that only in Christ Jesus can there be salvation for Jews and gentiles alike (Romans 1:16–17). However, we do not believe that the promise of God in the Abrahamic covenant bequeathing the land of Canaan to Israel has been removed, and therefore, Israel’s modern restoration to the land of Canaan is indeed fulfillment of that promise and constitutes a milestone on her “way home” to her Messiah. (Ezekiel 36:24–28)[2]
How prevalent is Replacement Theology, and when did it start? What theological basis is there for this belief—if any? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and more, or skip to a specific topic below:
- Theological Basis of Replacement Theology
- “Israel” in the New Testament: Does It Refer to the Church?
- Historical Roots of Replacement Theology
- The Council of Nicaea’s Influence on Replacement Theology
- Is Fulfillment Theology the Same as Replacement Theology?
- Paul and Replacement Theology
- Types of Replacement Theology
- Flaws in the Thesis behind Replacement Theology
- Why Is Replacement Theology Dangerous?
- Replacement Theology and the New Testament
- Replacement Theology and the Abrahamic Covenant: Two Views
- Was Israel’s Failure the End of Her Calling?
- How Should Christians Respond?
- Conclusion
By: Susan Michael & Karen Engle
Full article: Replacement Theology: What It Is and Why It Matters for Christians
According to this view, God has and will continue to save individual Jews who accept Jesus, but He has no present or future place for national, ethnic Israel in His plan of redemption. “Supersessionism” is the technical term for Replacement Theology; it is sometimes referred to as Fulfillment Theology.
God also promised a particular piece of land to the Jewish people. However, Replacement Theology proponents believe that land is unimportant to God now, and references to the promised land mean the whole world.
Former International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) Executive Director Malcolm Hedding argues that Replacement Theology rests chiefly on the idea that the whole or part of the Abrahamic covenant has been abolished, for it is this covenant that promises to Israel eternal ownership of the land of Canaan (Genesis 17:7–8):
Once this “promise” has been removed, the present-day restoration of Israel means nothing, and her only hope is in the church. Now, it must be made clear that we believe that only in Christ Jesus can there be salvation for Jews and gentiles alike (Romans 1:16–17). However, we do not believe that the promise of God in the Abrahamic covenant bequeathing the land of Canaan to Israel has been removed, and therefore, Israel’s modern restoration to the land of Canaan is indeed fulfillment of that promise and constitutes a milestone on her “way home” to her Messiah. (Ezekiel 36:24–28)[2]
How prevalent is Replacement Theology, and when did it start? What theological basis is there for this belief—if any? Keep reading to learn the answers to these questions and more, or skip to a specific topic below:
- Theological Basis of Replacement Theology
- “Israel” in the New Testament: Does It Refer to the Church?
- Historical Roots of Replacement Theology
- The Council of Nicaea’s Influence on Replacement Theology
- Is Fulfillment Theology the Same as Replacement Theology?
- Paul and Replacement Theology
- Types of Replacement Theology
- Flaws in the Thesis behind Replacement Theology
- Why Is Replacement Theology Dangerous?
- Replacement Theology and the New Testament
- Replacement Theology and the Abrahamic Covenant: Two Views
- Was Israel’s Failure the End of Her Calling?
- How Should Christians Respond?
- Conclusion
By: Susan Michael & Karen Engle
Full article: Replacement Theology: What It Is and Why It Matters for Christians
