So, you may ask, what is replacement theology, anyway?
It’s the kind of question that’s important to ask because it’s not as easy to recognize as the difference between a Sleep Number bed and a TV lift cabinet. It’s more subtle than that.
At its core, replacement theology is the notion much of Christianity is afflicted with that says, “God rejected the Jews. All their promises transfer to us now, but the curses are theirs alone. We (usually “we” is considered to be either the Christian church or, in the USA, this nation) are the “new Jerusalem” and “the shining city on a hill” spoken of in Scripture.”
It’s a mindset that says the “law” (e.g., Torah) is done away with and now we only have grace, only have forgiveness, and since we’re forgiven, anything goes, really… since it’s all a matter of repenting and claiming the forgiveness found in Jesus.
And it’s also the mindset that assumes the rules are different for “Christian” believers than it was for Jews who followed Adonai and His Torah. In doing this, the replacement theology mindset robs the Jewish people of all that Adonai promised them, and transfers it to Christianity. The danger in this, seldom recognized by those who hold such beliefs, is that makes Adonai a promise-breaker, not a promise-keeper. It makes haShem someone who changes, rather than someone who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. It ultimately robs haShem of his character, so in essence, replacement theology constitutes lashan hurrah against the L-RD Himself, and if that isn’t blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, it’s getting pretty darn close at least.
Not everyone who holds a replacement theology mindset, however, realizes they hold it, or that it’s wrong. It’s simply a false teaching that’s been around since the time of Constantine, and arguably before him since he merely codified it into “the Church.” And since it’s been passed down from generation to generation for nearly 1900 years or thereabouts, it’s the only thing many in Christianity know as a way to think about these things.
How do you recognize it? It can be as simple as recognizing what the implications are when someone utters a few off-the-cuff words like, “That’s an Old Testament thing.”
Wrong, wrong, wrong, my friend. The things done in the flesh still matter. Believing otherwise cheapens grace and diminishes the work of Yeshua at Calvary.
Interesting post. I hold to a form of Covenant Theology. I honestly think that people have set up a false dilemma within this area of theological scholarship. In my understanding God in no way failed in his promises to Israel; he fulfilled them in the death and resurrection of the Messiah. Everything in the Old Testament was and is a shadow of Christ; it is the foreshadow of how God would demonstrate his faithfulness. He indeed fulfilled his promises in that he has now accomplished the means by which he will set the entire cosmos to rights including fallen sinners who would trust in his atonement.
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I do also recognize the point, and perhaps should have used better words to get what I meant. While there is absolutely no replacement of God’s promises to Isreal and absolutely no diminishing of the consequences of sin, there are differences before the Resurrection and Pentecost. We are now the Temple. Jesus is the sacrifice. Jesus is the fullfillment. Yes, there is grace, but the grace is not cheap and costs all. And yes, Grace and cheap relationship with Yeshua is way to prevelant in the church today.
So that is one point, here, the second more important point is we need to all be careful of the labels we use.
If words and labels are thrown around too much they lose the actual meaning. The words and labels should be restricted to that which they mean. Some labels thrown around today include “cessationist,” “heresy hunter,” “religious spirit,” “pharisees” to name a few. There are people who do such things and may need confrotation.
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I ended that comment too soon. Yes, when actual behaviors mean by labels it exists, should be confronted. When words or behaviors that seem a particualr way, further discussion can shed light. This is why we have the body and variety of gifts. Iron sharpens iron. And let us not be hasty with thoughts and conclusions but always seek truth and wisdom and walk in surrender to the King of Kings.
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