Replacement Theology - Truth or Heresy?

[Jor-el]

The Christian church for over 1,700 years has embraced 'Replacement Theology'.

According to this doctrine the Church rivals Israel by claiming that she is the "New Israel of the Spirit" superseding the "old Israel of the flesh". This incredibly arrogant claim of the Church found its legal expressions in the "Codex Justinian", which subsequently spawned the Inquisition, the Crusades, as well as multiple expulsions and pogroms. Whereas, today we see this theory manifest itself by calling for "even-handedness" in the Arab/Israel controversy. According to this theory all of G-d's promises to 'physical' Israel have been cancelled, as they have been transferred to 'spiritual' Israel - i.e. the Church. Thus they have tried to make this theory fit with literally hundreds, if not thousands, of prophecies and inspired statements in the Bible that refer to the ultimate "Restoration of Israel". Even though the contexts in which many of these inspired statements are set clearly indicate reference to a 'literal' and 'physical' restoration of the Whole House of Israel, they have tried to rationalize this by 'spiritualizing' them away. For centuries the church has tried to impose its own interpretation on scripture. The Bible, however, is a book about Israel , and Israel alone! The reason Christianity has largely ignored the prophecies about the House of Israel is because they totally mess up her theology. While Christians have a concept of 'personal redemption', 'national redemption' is something that is foreign to them. Yet nearly ninety percent of the prophetic books of the Bible are about the redemption of the House/Nation of Israel . If the established Christian Church today were to recognize that all these prophecies refer to a 'literal' and 'physical' Israel after all, her entire theological card house would collapse. With this crucial vested interest at stake, it should not surprise us that their leaders are wholly opposed to any idea of a physical, literal Israel playing any role in end-time eschatology.

Christian Replacement Theology or anti-Semitism

It seems to me that many christians on this board believe in this concept that has been taught in the church since the times of Eusebius, Cyril, Chrysostom, Augustine, Origen, Justin Martyr and Jerome , yet does this make it a theologically correct statement as seen in the bible, or were there other hidden issues at stake here, that propelled this belief into mainstream theology for nearly 1.800 years?

What say you?

[SlimJim22]

Interesting. So basically this is the idea that christianity superceded judaism or was culmination or fulfillment of the te old religion.

The other thing that strikes me as fairly important and maybe you could tell me more, is the ransom. To the jews it was circumcison in the keeping of the covenant, kosher and the keeping of the Talmud and finally sacrifice in the temple as in the story of Isaac.

Christianity pushed that aside making Jesus the sole ransom required and the only thing needed was to pay reverence to this through sacraments of the eucharist and follow the teacings of the NT.

Although, Jesus was a jew he denounced the Pharisees for their practices and set about creating a new zion within man so Israel was no longer the boundary. They could not spread the message far and wide because the temple of god was inside. The eschatological element may have held onto the idea of a physical Israel zion because it would innevitably be a site of friction, be it jews, romans or arabs all who would have been present in the area not too mention persians and greeks.

There sure was a lot for christianity to compete with but the way it was packaged allowed it reach it's maximum audience from within and without of jewish society.

[Jor-el]

Interesting. So basically this is the idea that christianity superceded judaism or was culmination or fulfillment of the te old religion.

The other thing that strikes me as fairly important and maybe you could tell me more, is the ransom. To the jews it was circumcison in the keeping of the covenant, kosher and the keeping of the Talmud and finally sacrifice in the temple as in the story of Isaac.

Christianity pushed that aside making Jesus the sole ransom required and the only thing needed was to pay reverence to this through sacraments of the eucharist and follow the teacings of the NT.

Although, Jesus was a jew he denounced the Pharisees for their practices and set about creating a new zion within man so Israel was no longer the boundary. They could not spread the message far and wide because the temple of god was inside. The eschatological element may have held onto the idea of a physical Israel zion because it would innevitably be a site of friction, be it jews, romans or arabs all who would have been present in the area not too mention persians and greeks.

There sure was a lot for christianity to compete with but the way it was packaged allowed it reach it's maximum audience from within and without of jewish society.

Christianity, using laymans terms is nothing more than a jewish sect, it cannot uphold itself since its very foundation is jewish and not the "something" that it has become today as a whole. There are exceptions to every rule of course.

Christianity as we know it has become a pagan religion more than anything else and this theological idea expressed as Replacement Theology, is just an excuse people needed and still do in many churches, to villify Jews.

Edited August 17, 2010 by Jor-el

[SlimJim22]

Christianity, using laymans terms is nothing more than a jewish sect, it cannot uphold itself since its very foundation is jewish and not the "something" that it has become today as a whole. There are exceptions to every rule of course.

Christianity as we know it has become a pagan religion more than anything else and this theological idea expressed as Replacement Theology, is just an excuse people needed and still do in many churches, to villify Jews.

Therein lies one of the greatest paradoxes of christianity. Why do they not follow the words of Jesus or whoever the authors of the Bible were, and turn the other cheek? That is one of the big selling points of christianity so it always surpirses me when they make the same mistakes.

I agree on the pagan influence in chrristianity and it may be a part of what I was saying about packaging christianity for maximum appeal.

I think a great deal has been veiled from history particularly from the dark ages when so much may have been erased that we could never fully understand how it really went down. It is fun to speculate and what I have noticed is how all religions seem to intersect when it comes to their esoteric reachings and symbols.

[Jor-el]

Therein lies one of the greatest paradoxes of christianity. Why do they not follow the words of Jesus or whoever the authors of the Bible were, and turn the other cheek? That is one of the big selling points of christianity so it always surpirses me when they make the same mistakes.

I agree on the pagan influence in chrristianity and it may be a part of what I was saying about packaging christianity for maximum appeal.

I think a great deal has been veiled from history particularly from the dark ages when so much may have been erased that we could never fully understand how it really went down. It is fun to speculate and what I have noticed is how all religions seem to intersect when it comes to their esoteric reachings and symbols.

What symbols have you identified and how do they connect to the Old Testament and Judaism, if at all?

Edited August 17, 2010 by Jor-el

[SlimJim22]

What symbols have you identified and how do they connect to the Old Testament and Judaism, if at all?

The Rosy Cross would be the obvious one that springs to mind. The thre nailed cross of the Cathars may also have significance. Then it comes down to symbols such as the serpent, the grail, the lance and the tree.

The serpent is important in Exodus as the bronze serpent that was lifted up by Moses. this has elements of phallic imagery but interestingly we usually get images of Jesus or his followers standing on the serpents head and brusing it with thy heel.

There is also a suggestion of connecting the fur divineweapons of the tuatha de Danann and four weapons of Israel. I think they were the rod of Aaron, the sword of David, the cup of Joseph and the stone of Jacob. This may just be occult hoo haa but it does fit quite nicely with Tarot.

The Rose of cross or rose of Sharon is perhaps the most important though. I am not as familiar as I'd like with Qabalah but I see that connected with christianity at perhaps a gnostic level.