The Error of Replacement Theology

[Botz]

My understanding is that replacement theology did not exist before Augustine's writing about "The City of God". While I admire and value many of his discourses, he is not God and the city of God is not the Bible. But its teaching was adopted by the church of the day, and later by Calvin, Luther and many of our founding denominaions. Augustine seems to be the father of replacement theology. I might add that Augustine changed his doctirines on predestination depending on who he was addressing.

Most of the promises given to Israel and the Jews have never been fulfilled. As Gentiles, our only claim to them is that Christ is a Jew, and as long as we are IN HIM, we also inherit them.

Rom. 11:24-29 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree? For I do not desire, brethern, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, LEST YOU SHOULD BE WISE IN YOUR OWN OPINION, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved---v.28 Concerning the Gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable..

It is clear that the promises made to the nation of Israel, the children of Jacob, are still being fullfilled and many have yet to be fulfilled. While we may be children of Abraham by faith, the borders of the promised land have yet to be realized by his descendants. The nation is being restored to them and all the promises to the people as well as to the nation will be realized. Their faith has yet to be restored to all, as well. The time of the gentiles is coming to an end soon. And Jeruselem wil be trampled by the Gentiles until the time of the Gentiles are fullfilled. Lk 21:24b, 28 When you see these things BEGIN to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.

I have also heard that there has been a resurgance of replacement theology, especially on college campuses in the USA, and that it is associated with antisemitism. Hatred is evil in any form. It has no place in the heart of a Christian. If Christ lives in us, how can we hate the people that He wept for and the city that He loved?

 

 

 

Well said Willamina,

 

IMHO the biggest evil that has troubled the Church down through the centuries is embracing Replacement Theology, and promoting

the unbiblical concept that the Church is the NEW/TRUE/SPIRITUAL Israel...this teaching is a spiritual disease that has deceived

Believers since the very inception of the Church, and been the direct cause of a form of Christian anti-Semitism that denies the

ongoing connection of YHWH to the Jewish people, and stubbornly refuses to be conformed to the words of Scripture, but rather

choses to adhere to the partisan teachings of so-called Church Fathers rather than to repent and allow the Spirit of G-d to sweep

away the abhorrent teachings and create a paradigm shift in the theology of a huge % of the Body.

 

If ever there has been a cause and a need for massive Church reforms...it is on this that it rests.  Here in the 21st century there

needs to be a decisive New Reformation that activates the hearts of Christians everywhere as they get Scriptural revelation that

G-d has placed His name on the Jewish people.

 

How can one claim to love G-d and yet be ignorant of His ways and His words and above all His heart towards Israel (the Jews).

It is no wonder that down through the centuries Jewish people have so ardently rejected the sanitized, Gentilized Gospel we have

presented to them, that has been torn from its roots and is so foreign it bears virtually no resemblance to the gospel in the days

of the Apostles...the idea of us provoking the Jews to jealousy is so often laughable, and the passionate Galilean Rabbi Yeshua of

Scripture is so often presented as a simpering ethereal New Age Shaman utterly divorced from any Jewish context.

 

Yes by the grace and mercy of G-d, Christian communities do flourish, and people are saved, but it is my contention that if we had

only been more faithful to the L-rd and done everything in our power to help and support the Jewish people, then the blessings we

may have experienced would have eclipsed what we know...I believe G-ds hand has been restrained and the fulness of the Spirit

somehow restricted because we have not judged our own house and despised G-ds faithfulness to Israel.

 

In 1 Cor 11:30, Paul points out some of the things that have occured within the Body due to lack of discernment, including illness

and death.   Can lack of discerning G-ds eternal love for Israel be comparable in some way?...I believe it can, and the result has

translated itself into spiritual sickness and deseases and in somes instances ...death within many Christian communities.

 

Is 54:

8 "In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting

lovingkindness I will have compassion on you," Says the LORD your Redeemer.

[Gandalf]

 

So we disagree; that's no big deal. Maybe time will tell! Meantime God continues to bless our Church; hope He also blesses yours. I often think God is much less bothered about our rather pathetic theological squabbles and much more interested in the quality of our love.

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This is not a theological squabble.  ...........

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Sounds like it to me. Praise God that He blesses our Church and many other Churches who live as the modern day people of God, appropriating His eternal promises. Let God do want He wants with Old Israel who mainly continue to reject His Messiah; its not for us to squabble over what the Almighty may or may not wish to do, He's a lot wiser than us.

[OakWood]

In those days ten men from all languages and all nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say. 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you'.

 

Zehariah 8:23

 

 

That's good enough for me.

[Qnts2]

 

God said that He desires that all be saved. That includes Israel.

 

Jeremiah 31:35Thus says the Lord,
Who gives the sun for a light by day,
The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night,
Who disturbs the sea,
And its waves roar
(The Lord of hosts is His name):

³⁶ “If those ordinances depart
From before Me, says the Lord,
Then the seed of Israel shall also cease
From being a nation before Me forever.”

 

This was written by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah, to the Jewish people as a prophesy from God to the Jewish people. Since the sun, moon and stars still exist, the Nation of Israel has not ceased to be a nation before God.

 

Replacement theology has caused much anti-semitism and many Jewish people have experienced horrific things in Jesus name. Because of this, many Jewish people believe the more religious Christians are, the more anti-semitic they are likely to be. And it is assumed that the NT must be anti-semitic because this is what Christianity teaches.

 

Since the OT tells the Jewish people of the promises to the Jewish people and the Jewish people will be a people before God as long as their is a sun and moon, when someone says that God has replaced the Jewish people and given the promises to another, then the NT must also be making God a liar as He would not be fulfilling His promise given to the Jewish people in the OT. Of course if the NT makes God into a liar, then Jesus must be a false prophet. Yes, Replacement theology has done great damage to the Jewish people.  

 

Edited June 2, 2013 by Qnts2

[Steve_S]

 

 

So we disagree; that's no big deal. Maybe time will tell! Meantime God continues to bless our Church; hope He also blesses yours. I often think God is much less bothered about our rather pathetic theological squabbles and much more interested in the quality of our love.

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

This is not a theological squabble.  ...........

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Sounds like it to me. Praise God that He blesses our Church and many other Churches who live as the modern day people of God, appropriating His eternal promises. Let God do want He wants with Old Israel who mainly continue to reject His Messiah; its not for us to squabble over what the Almighty may or may not wish to do, He's a lot wiser than us.

 

 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

This isn't really in question. In my opinion, replacement theology is patently absurd in light of the entire counsel of scripture. God made several promises to Abraham. Let's take a look at one of the most often noted. I think that a lot of people's outlook on Biblical prophecy probably starts with whether or not they take Genesis 12:7 to be literal.

 

Gen 12:7  Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

 

If this is metaphorical then it could mean virtually anything and the counsel of scripture is up for private interpretation, e.g. anyone can make anything mean what they want it to. However, if this is literal, which I believe it to be, then we have clear and concise statement that Abram 's (Abraham) literal genetic descendants will possess the land in question at some point. We see this expounded upon later in genesis:

 

Gen 13:14-17  The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,  (15)  for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.  (16)  I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.  (17)  Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you."

 

So, Abraham's and his descendants are not only given the land,but they are given the land forever (I think it's fair to say that this means eternally). We see this further expounded upon after Abraham is faithful and willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, simply because God told him to.

 

Gen 22:15-18  And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven  (16)  and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,  (17)  I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,  (18)  and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."

 

There are, obviously, a myriad of implications in this verse. We see an early mention of Jesus' saving grace (in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed). We see that God literally swears by Himself (no more powerful guarantee of anything exists in my opinion). We also see that his offspring will be multiplied (as mentioned earlier) and that they shall "possess the gate of his enemies."

 

I believe that God is faithful to His promise to Abraham. I believe that the nations of the earth were blessed through Abraham's offspring and I believe that Abraham's offspring will possess the aforementioned land eternally, in spite of their actions (which WE ARE ALL CAPABLE OF - lest we not forget Jesus had to die so we could be saved - this goes for both Jews and gentiles), because of God's faithfulness to Abraham.

 

Now, fast forward, if you will, to Romans 11.

 

Rom 11:1-2  I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.  (2)  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

 

Well, these two scriptures alone, in my opinion, are quite the indictment against replacement theology in and of themselves. Paul here asks if God's people have been rejected, self identified as an Israelite, and then makes an explicit statement regarding the fact that they have not been rejected.

 

Rom 11:3-5  "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."  (4)  But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."  (5)  So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

 

God preserving a remnant of His chosen people is a recurring theme throughout scripture (Isaiah 10:20-23 is a very good example of this).

 

Rom 11:6-10  But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.  (7)  What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,  (8)  as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."  (9)  And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;  (10)  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever."

 

One thing that we do see, obviously, is that we are now under grace (as Paul is preaching here). We also see that God hardened their hearts (which is also a common theme throughout scripture).

 

Rom 11:11-12  So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.  (12)  Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

 

The more you read through Romans 11, in my opinion, the less palatable any sort doctrine of replacement becomes. Their trespass, their failure to accept Jesus means that gentiles (like myself) get the opportunity of salvation. Also, notice, that it's mentioned that it's going to be an even greater day when they return. Moving forward a little bit:

 

Rom 11:17-18  But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,  (18)  do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.

 

This is an explicit call to the gentiles not to be haughty/arrogant towards Jews. We are the ones who are grafted in, after all. I see replacement theology as arrogant insofar as it denies Israel's rightful place as the heir to the covenant that God made with Abraham and places it upon largely grafted in branches.

 

Rom 11:19-22  Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."  (20)  That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.  (21)  For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.  (22)  Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

 

Here we are explicitly instructed that, as gentiles, we are to stand fast through faith and not to "become proud, but to fear."

 

Rom 11:23-24  And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.  (24)  For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

 

It becomes clearer and clearer through plain literal reading that God has a continuing plan for His chosen people, Israel. As an aside, it would seem that, per verse 23, assuming that Israel can't be grafted back in is doubting God's power.

 

Rom 11:25-28  Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  (26)  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";  (27)  "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins."  (28)  As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.

 

Again we see an allusion to the hardening of Israel here. But then we see that after the "fullness of the Gentiles" has come in it looks like the hardening will be removed. After this point all of Israel will be saved. If current Israel is the church this makes no sense as the church is ALREADY saved.

 

Rom 11:29-32  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  (30)  For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,  (31)  so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.  (32)  For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

 

Finally, we see the culmination of God's saving grace and mercy. This seems to be an expansion of verse 11:11 where Paul states that salvation came to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. The grace that was taken to the world, Jesus' death and resurrection, the Perfect Sacrifice, will complete His total purpose. A big part of that total purpose is clearly the salvation of His chosen people, Israel.

[Guest shiloh357]

 

 

 

So we disagree; that's no big deal. Maybe time will tell! Meantime God continues to bless our Church; hope He also blesses yours. I often think God is much less bothered about our rather pathetic theological squabbles and much more interested in the quality of our love.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is not a theological squabble.  ...........

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Sounds like it to me. Praise God that He blesses our Church and many other Churches who live as the modern day people of God, appropriating His eternal promises. Let God do want He wants with Old Israel who mainly continue to reject His Messiah; its not for us to squabble over what the Almighty may or may not wish to do, He's a lot wiser than us.

 

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My point, Gandalf is that you call it a squabble when it is much more than that.  You adhere to a theology that is anti-semitic and racist to the core and is the launching pad for every form of hatred that has been carried out agaisnt the Jews by  so-called "Christians" down through history who believed that the Church is the true Israel.  The replacement theology that you are espousing here is unbiblical and contemptible in no uncertain terms. 

 

[Gandalf]

 

 

 

So we disagree; that's no big deal. Maybe time will tell! Meantime God continues to bless our Church; hope He also blesses yours. I often think God is much less bothered about our rather pathetic theological squabbles and much more interested in the quality of our love.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

This is not a theological squabble.  ...........

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Sounds like it to me. Praise God that He blesses our Church and many other Churches who live as the modern day people of God, appropriating His eternal promises. Let God do want He wants with Old Israel who mainly continue to reject His Messiah; its not for us to squabble over what the Almighty may or may not wish to do, He's a lot wiser than us.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

My point, Gandalf is that you call it a squabble when it is much more than that.  You adhere to a theology that is anti-semitic and racist to the core and is the launching pad for every form of hatred that has been carried out agaisnt the Jews by  so-called "Christians" down through history who believed that the Church is the true Israel.  The replacement theology that you are espousing here is unbiblical and contemptible in no uncertain terms. 

 

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I think some people try to make it much more than that. But really it isn't and can be a real distraction for some, leading them away from far more important matters like loving their fellow Christians and building Christ's kingdom through His people, the Church. Your intemperate language and wild accusations do you no credit.

[Guest]

 

Your intemperate language and wild accusations do you no credit.

 

~

 

To Deny The KING

 

And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. John 19:19

 

His Throne

 

And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom.

 

He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

 

I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:

 

But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

 

And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 2 Samuel 7:12-16

 

Is Both Intemperate

 

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

 

And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

 

In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon.

 

And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart;

 

The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart;

 

All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. Zechariah 12:9-14

 

And Wildly Unwise I Think

 

I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

 

Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem.  The LORD hath taken away thy judgments, he hath cast out thine enemy: the king of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee: thou shalt not see evil any more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, Fear thou not: and to Zion, Let not thine hands be slack.

 

The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. Zechariah 3:12-17

[Guest shiloh357]

 

I think some people try to make it much more than that. But really it isn't and can be a real distraction for some, leading them away from far more important matters like loving their fellow Christians and building Christ's kingdom through His people, the Church. Your intemperate language and wild accusations do you no credit.

 

 

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No the problem here is that you can't see that your "theology" is the root of a real problem in reaching Jews with the Gospel.  For 1,700 years Jews have been told by the "the church" that they are no longer God's chosen people, that they have been rejected by God and that the church has replaced them.    Fiurthermore, the church re-enforced that racist theology with pogroms, forced conversions upon pain of death  inquisitions, etc.   The Jews have been cast as the emblem of God's contempt and the church has been the biggest liability to the Gospel being preached to them.  The church has the blood of millions of Jews on its hands.  Satan hates the Jews and he has infected the church with his demonic doctrine of Replacement Theology.

 

Your response to the atrocities committed in the name of your theology is to treat such issues as almost non-issues as unimportant.  That a large sector of the church persecuted the Jews for nearly two centuries doesn't really mean anything to you.   It is this kind of moral indifference that enabled six million Jews to die at the hands of a mad man.  

 

You needn't try to mask anti-Semitism behind some false notion of the building the Kingdom.   The teaching that the church has relplaced Israel is antithetical to the Gospel and is a liability to the Kingdom of God.   It is just the latest manifestation of the hatred of the Jews that goes all the way back to Pharoah, Haman and Hitler in more modern times.

 

I pity those who, one day, will have to sputter up an explaination for their hatred of Jews when they, one day, finally stand face-to-face with the King of the Jews.

[GoldenEagle]

 

 

This isn't really in question. In my opinion, replacement theology is patently absurd in light of the entire counsel of scripture. God made several promises to Abraham. Let's take a look at one of the most often noted. I think that a lot of people's outlook on Biblical prophecy probably starts with whether or not they take Genesis 12:7 to be literal.

 

Gen 12:7  Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." So he built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

 

If this is metaphorical then it could mean virtually anything and the counsel of scripture is up for private interpretation, e.g. anyone can make anything mean what they want it to. However, if this is literal, which I believe it to be, then we have clear and concise statement that Abram 's (Abraham) literal genetic descendants will possess the land in question at some point. We see this expounded upon later in genesis:

 

Gen 13:14-17  The LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward,  (15)  for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever.  (16)  I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted.  (17)  Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you."

 

So, Abraham's and his descendants are not only given the land,but they are given the land forever (I think it's fair to say that this means eternally). We see this further expounded upon after Abraham is faithful and willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac, simply because God told him to.

 

Gen 22:15-18  And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven  (16)  and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,  (17)  I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,  (18)  and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."

 

There are, obviously, a myriad of implications in this verse. We see an early mention of Jesus' saving grace (in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed). We see that God literally swears by Himself (no more powerful guarantee of anything exists in my opinion). We also see that his offspring will be multiplied (as mentioned earlier) and that they shall "possess the gate of his enemies."

 

I believe that God is faithful to His promise to Abraham. I believe that the nations of the earth were blessed through Abraham's offspring and I believe that Abraham's offspring will possess the aforementioned land eternally, in spite of their actions (which WE ARE ALL CAPABLE OF - lest we not forget Jesus had to die so we could be saved - this goes for both Jews and gentiles), because of God's faithfulness to Abraham.

 

Now, fast forward, if you will, to Romans 11.

 

Rom 11:1-2  I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.  (2)  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel?

 

Well, these two scriptures alone, in my opinion, are quite the indictment against replacement theology in and of themselves. Paul here asks if God's people have been rejected, self identified as an Israelite, and then makes an explicit statement regarding the fact that they have not been rejected.

 

Rom 11:3-5  "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life."  (4)  But what is God's reply to him? "I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal."  (5)  So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

 

God preserving a remnant of His chosen people is a recurring theme throughout scripture (Isaiah 10:20-23 is a very good example of this).

 

Rom 11:6-10  But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.  (7)  What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened,  (8)  as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day."  (9)  And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them;  (10)  let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever."

 

One thing that we do see, obviously, is that we are now under grace (as Paul is preaching here). We also see that God hardened their hearts (which is also a common theme throughout scripture).

 

Rom 11:11-12  So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.  (12)  Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

 

The more you read through Romans 11, in my opinion, the less palatable any sort doctrine of replacement becomes. Their trespass, their failure to accept Jesus means that gentiles (like myself) get the opportunity of salvation. Also, notice, that it's mentioned that it's going to be an even greater day when they return. Moving forward a little bit:

 

Rom 11:17-18  But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree,  (18)  do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.

 

This is an explicit call to the gentiles not to be haughty/arrogant towards Jews. We are the ones who are grafted in, after all. I see replacement theology as arrogant insofar as it denies Israel's rightful place as the heir to the covenant that God made with Abraham and places it upon largely grafted in branches.

 

Rom 11:19-22  Then you will say, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."  (20)  That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear.  (21)  For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.  (22)  Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.

 

Here we are explicitly instructed that, as gentiles, we are to stand fast through faith and not to "become proud, but to fear."

 

Rom 11:23-24  And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.  (24)  For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.

 

It becomes clearer and clearer through plain literal reading that God has a continuing plan for His chosen people, Israel. As an aside, it would seem that, per verse 23, assuming that Israel can't be grafted back in is doubting God's power.

 

Rom 11:25-28  Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  (26)  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob";  (27)  "and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins."  (28)  As regards the gospel, they are enemies for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers.

 

Again we see an allusion to the hardening of Israel here. But then we see that after the "fullness of the Gentiles" has come in it looks like the hardening will be removed. After this point all of Israel will be saved. If current Israel is the church this makes no sense as the church is ALREADY saved.

 

Rom 11:29-32  For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  (30)  For just as you were at one time disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience,  (31)  so they too have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you they also may now receive mercy.  (32)  For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

 

Finally, we see the culmination of God's saving grace and mercy. This seems to be an expansion of verse 11:11 where Paul states that salvation came to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. The grace that was taken to the world, Jesus' death and resurrection, the Perfect Sacrifice, will complete His total purpose. A big part of that total purpose is clearly the salvation of His chosen people, Israel.

 

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I agree Steve. To embrace Replacement Theology is to completely ignore half the Old Testament and in particular Romans 11 in the New Testament.