While digging up the Hebraic roots of Christianity I learned that it is a common opinion among Christians that the Christian Church has “replaced Israel” as God’s Chosen People and that the Church is actually the “New Israel” – the new and improved people of God. I also used to believe that the world-wide Church inherits all of God’s blessings, while Israel inherits only curses because the Jews were disobedient and they later rejected Jesus the Messiah. Looking at Israel ,it is as if many Christians say “You blew it bigtime, now we’re teacher’s pet !” This is called Replacement Theology (the Church has replaced Israel in God’s eyes), and also Supersessionism (the Church has superseded Israel as God’s Chosen People). This is not a new theory - Justin Martyr, martyred at Rome around 165 A.D. was the first to view the Christian church as “the true spiritual Israel”. Replacement Theology through the centuries has energized Medieval anti-Semitism, Eastern European persecution of the Jews, the Holocaust and contemporary hatred for the modern state of Israel. Wherever Replacement Theology has flourished, Jews have had to run for cover, having experienced all kinds of atrocities throughout Christian history. However, at no time did God ever negate the Jews as His Chosen People. There are really no Scriptures to support this theory. Here’s what Deuteronomy 7:7 says about God’s love for the Jews: “The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples”. And - , "For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession." (Deuteronomy 7:6) . These verses don't mean that God loved Israel while hating everyone else, -- He intended to use Israel as His means to love and bless everyone. Isaiah 49:6: I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth." The Israelites may have been the people Chosen for a big job, but God loves us all and it was His plan from the beginning to bring forth the Messiah through Israel to act as the savior for all of us. There is much more that can be said on this topic, but I will just say that I no longer agree with Replacement Theology and I now see it as a very damaging belief that is responsible for anti-Semitism. The Church has certainly not replaced the Jews as the new and improved people of God.
Facing Jerusalem
