Why Saying, ‘the Church is Israel’,
is NOT Replacement Theology

by Brian Hennessy  

The time has come to speak forth a Biblical truth that has long been avoided for fear it would be labeled replacement theology. Namely, that the Body of Christ (the Church) is true Israel ! 

Now it is true that saying the Church is Israel sounds like the replacement theology which resulted in so much Christian anti-Semitism throughout history, and now hatred towards the modern state of Israel today – but it is not. That false theology taught that the mostly-Gentile Church had replaced the Jews as God’s only covenant people. It assumed that the coming of Jesus made all promises to the physical descendants of Abraham null and void. So that any claim by the Jews to a continuing covenant relationship with God outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ was now invalid. It ignored the clear word of Scripture that said, although the Jews had become enemies of the gospel (by God’s design), they were still beloved for the sake of the fathers - “for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (Rom.11:28,29). And it ignored the promises of their future salvation. ( Rom. 11:12,15,26).

However, the true Biblical revelation that the Church is Israel does not replace anybody. In fact, it holds front and center the understanding that all the promises to the physical descendants of Abraham are still in effect. That the story of Israel does not cease as you go from the Old Testament to the New. But rather it continues, showing Israel as it makes the difficult transition from one covenant (the Mosaic Law) into the long promised new covenant introduced by Jesus.
 

One New Man  

Declaring that the Church is Israel simply recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah of Israel who came to redeem the chosen descendants of Abraham, whether those descendants are Jews or Gentiles, to make us all one new creation in Him. Paul describes this new unity of Jew and Gentile in Jesus as the “one new man” (Eph. 2:15 ), which is just another term for the Body of Christ. It also recognizes the process of gathering us into One would be ongoing until Messiah is revealed. And it recognizes, that after 20 centuries of mercy having been shown to the Gentiles, God is now pouring out His redeeming love again upon the descendants of the House of Judah, the Jews.

 Now the main point to see is that ALL who are in Jesus are revealed as the chosen line of Abraham’s descendants to whom the promises were made. To quote the apostle Paul, “If you belong to Messiah, you are Abraham’s descendant/offspring/seed, heirs according to promise.” (Gal. 3:29). And again - “For this reason it is by faith…in order that the promise may be certain to ALL  the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law (the Jews), but also those who are of the faith of Abraham (the Gentiles), who is the father of us all.” (Rom. 4:16 ).

Of course, a key word in that last paragraph is the word “chosen.” “For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel .” (Rom. 9:6).  Paul reveals in Romans chapter nine that within the physical family of Israel there is a chosen Israel known as the “ Israel of God.” (Gal. 6:16). These are the elect, the remnant that will be saved. The principle revealed by Paul is that, starting with Isaac, God showed He had reserved to Himself the right to choose from Abraham’s offspring who would be true Israel . So Isaac was in, and Ishmael was out. Jacob was in, and Esau was out. And so on down the line, right up to today. “He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves.” (Ps. 47:4).  

The Fly in the Ointment  

So what’s the problem? Why is it so hard to declare that the Church is Israel ? In a nutshell: the inclusion of the Gentiles. If the Church had remained solely Jewish, no one would have a problem accepting it. But with the influx of a vast number of believers seemingly from other bloodlines, a great division opened up in the unity of the Church that continues to this day.

But what if all the Gentile believers were not from other bloodlines? What if we were actually true physical descendants of Abraham who had assimilated among the nations and were “found” by Jesus? Didn’t Jesus say He was the Good Shepherd sent to round up the lost sheep of Israel ? Well, the entire northern kingdom of Israel , the House of Israel (also called Ephraim), was exiled by God and turned into Gentiles in the 8^th Century BC for their apostasy. They didn’t die, but kept on building lives and multiplying. And according to all the prophecies, they would be found, forgiven and gathered together again to Israel with the descendants of the House of Judah. Today those lost sheep must be in every nation of the world and numbering in the millions. But God would know who they were and where we went. And since no one can come to Jesus “unless the Father who sent Me draws him” (John 6:44 ) – the Father could selectively choose which descendant to awaken among the Gentiles to bring to Messiah. Up to now we have called these folks “Christians.” But that is not who we are.

I have no doubt the prodigal son who comes to his senses in Jesus’ parable represents the lost descendants of the House of Israel. And the jealous, law-abiding brother who stayed home, the House of Judah.
 

A Family Reunion  

For sure, these are radical new thoughts to consider. But the bottom line is, Jew or non-Jew, if you belong to Jesus you are as much a part of Israel as Isaac, Rachael, Moses, David, Isaiah, Peter and Paul. And heirs to all the promises that God made to Israel , including being gathered together to the Promised Land at some point to enjoy all the glories that will follow.  

 “In those days, the House of Judah will walk with the House of Israel , and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave your fathers as an inheritance.” (Jer. 3:18).

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