So this is fun .
@Tree of Life
Are we talking about the whole spiritual israel vs physical israel thing ?
I.e. we are the children of Abraham in that we are the children of faith
Iv never seen a problem...we are.
So what about physical israel ?
Its like all things of the flesh..its salvation lays in Jesus only ..by faith.
So those of the physical Israel who believe and repent ARE the spiritual Israel and those of the physical gentile who believe and repent ARE the spiritual Israel. The TWO become one new man ...
Id would not call that replacment theology id call it " inclusive theology "
Indeed, if one were to claim the Church is NOT Physical Israel, then one would have to demonstrate when John the Baptist, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, Elisabeth, the 12, the 70, the 3000 at Pentecost, and the great many jews that first rejected but later accepted Jesus Christ,
Ceased being Physical Israel.
If the claim is that Israel rejected the messiah, and therefore Church can not be Israel, Then
who is this Jewish church, and
why are there all these, thousands upon thousands of JEWISH people following Jesus years before a single gentile joined in with them?
Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. (Acts 4:4)
Great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one. (Acts 5:11-16)
And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecian jews against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. (Acts 6:1)
And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7)
Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law (Acts 21:20)
they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. (Acts 11:19-21)
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and ...All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem...Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say...this is that which was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams....So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. (Acts 2)
And then why do the apostles teach that Jesus fulfilled the promises to the Jews of Israel and Judah?
"Children of the stock of Abraham...the word of this salvation is sent out to you...We bring you good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled the same to us, their children, in that he raised up Jesus. As it is also written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son. Today I have become your father.' "Concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he has spoken thus: 'I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.' Therefore he says also in another psalm, 'You will not allow your Holy One to see decay.' For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell asleep, and was laid with his fathers, and saw decay. But he whom God raised up saw no decay. Be it known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man is proclaimed to you remission of sins, and by him everyone who believes is justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses. (Acts 13:32-39)
[Jesus] is also the mediator of a better covenant, which on better promises has been given as law. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. For finding fault with them, he said, "Behold, the days come," says the Lord, "that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn't continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them," says the Lord. "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days," says the Lord; "I will put my laws into their mind, I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people. They will not teach every man his fellow citizen, and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all will know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more." In that he says, "A new covenant," he has made the first old. (Heb 8:6-13)
I'm Still waiting for any "Separation Theologist" worth his or her salt, to answer...?