Replacement theology or supersessionism is the idea that the church, and not the biological nation of Israel, is the Israel of God today. (Galatians 6:16) This belief was also held by early church fathers like Justin Martyr, Ireneus, Origen, Tertulillan and Augustine, and also by major reformation leaders like Luther, Calvin and Zwingli.
Unfortunately, it was abused to justify antisemitism and persecution of Jews. This is in spite of many passages in the Bible against racism, e.g. Galatians 3:28, Colossians 3:11, Acts 10:34-35, Leviticus 19:34, and Matthew 28:19.
As a result, since the Second World War, replacement theology has fallen out of favour, as Christians realise that antisemitism is unbilical, and as a recoil from the horrors of the Nazi Holocaust. In fact, there has been quite a backlash, with many (most?) Evangelical Christian preachers teaching explicitly against replacement theology and asserting that there is still a special place for non-believing Jews in the Kingdom of God.
I think this backlash overcompensates for the earlier antisemitism and teaches a wrong theology, going against many clear teachings of scripture that the Israel of God is all people of all races - including Jews - who are saved by Christ:
- Galatians 3:26-29 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptised into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
- Galatians 6:16-17 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule—to the Israel of God.
- Romans 2:28-29 A person is not a Jew who is one only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person’s praise is not from other people, but from God.
- Romans 9:6-8 It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.
- Ephesians 2:11-22 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands) remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. - 1 Peter 2:9-10 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
- Revelations 21:1-4 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
The rejection of replacement theology by Evangelical Christians today has also contributed to an uncritical support of the political nation of Israel by many(most?) Evangelical Chrsitians, even when it clearly goes against Biblical principles of life and anti-racism by its oppression of Palestinians.
Many uncritical Christian supporters of the modern state of Israel cite Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” However, even if you don't accept replacement theology and realise that we, the church - both Jew and Gentile - are the Israel of God and the heirs of Abraham now, there are numerous Bible passages that consistently teach that God is a God of justice and mercy, for example:
- The Bible consistently emphasises God’s concern for justice and righteousness (Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:17). If any nation, including Israel, were to commit human rights violations or atrocities, this would be contrary to God’s character and commands.
- The prophets in the Old Testament often spoke out against the nations of their time, including Israel, when they committed injustices (Amos 2:6-8, Jeremiah 22:3).
- Jesus taught his followers to love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:39) and to do to others as they would have them do to them (Matthew 7:12).
