I believe most Christians these days are familiar with “Replacement Theology”...at least to some degree. But a short definition for those who are not familiar is: The belief that the Christian church has replaced Israel in Scripture. Adherents to this doctrine believe that the promises God made in regard to Israel were actually made for the Church, as opposed to the nation or land of Israel. Replacement Theology is also known as supersessionism. From AI:
Supersessionism: “The Christian doctrine that the Church has superseded Israel as God's chosen people, taking over its covenant promises and role as the new focus of God's plan.”
To put it bluntly, those who adhere to that doctrine are wrong. I believe I have written about it extensively before, so for this post I want to focus on a few of the verses that supersessionists refer to to support and advance their belief. Therefore, I have described this post as: A Study of Genesis 12:3 in light of Galatians 3:16 and 3:29.
So let’s begin.
The popular and oft quoted verse in regard to supporting and defending Israel is Genesis 12:3, which using the KJV, states:
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Traditional, fundamental Christianity teaches this to mean the literal nation of Israel. Clearly in context, it means exactly that. The verse just prior, Genesis 12:2 states:
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
This is the Abrahamic Covenant. Clearly a "nation" is referenced. So it is not referring to Jesus, or the followers of Jesus, as supersessionists would have us believe. Further, God instructs Abram (later called Abraham) in verse 1 of chapter 3 to leave his home and go to another:
“Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
In verse 7, God makes a promise to Abram that He will give this land to his offspring:
And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land:
Now according to Strong's Concordance, the word for "seed" in this verse is the Hebrew word "zera" which means "fruit, plant, sowing time, carnally, child, fruitful, sowing time." Clearly referencing Abraham's "offspring".
Please note there is no plural word for seed when meaning "offspring". Now in the King James Version “seed” is not capitalized in that verse. Christian hermeneutics teaches that had this verse meant Jesus, “seed” would have been capitalized, as it is in other places. When taken in full context these verses demonstrate that Scripture is talking about the people of the land of Israel, in a literal, and tangible way. They are the descendants of Abraham. The land spoken of is explained and given boundaries in further detail in Genesis 15:18 and Geneses 17:2. Genesis 17:2 is actually the confirmation of the Abrahamic Covenant given in Genesis 12:2-3.
Genesis 15:18 In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed (zera) have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: (Again, seed not capitalized.)
Genesis 17:2 And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
When taken in full context we see that the blessing or cursing is in regard to how we treat His chosen people. We are to bless Israel because they are God’s Chosen ones. Deuteronomy 7:6 instructs us that they are indeed His chosen:
For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
How does one deny something so clear? God has a plan for the entire world and it is revealed through God's chosen. This is not about their perfection or righteousness. They are chosen for a plan.
These are the people to whom God would:
Give Scripture
Designate as the ones who would preserve the Scripture (the Holy Bible) through the generations.
Bring forth the Savior of the world.
And the ones to be used as a prophecy timeclock for a witnessing tool to the world.
Give a tangible land and nation necessary for the completion of God’s plan.
The verses in Genesis reveal the importance of the physical context for revealing who Israel is. God has graciously given us physical evidence (the boundaries of a nation) in order for there to be a proof of the spiritual as a witness to what happened and will happen in the future. And God has chosen this lineage from whom the Savior will come.
Now, supersessionists also like to use Galatians 3 specifically verse 16 and 29 to somehow prove Genesis 12:3 is talking about the church, or sometimes they say it is Jesus, and not Israel at all. That's a stretch I have a hard time following, because I use a literal interpretation of Scripture. They have to ignore the land boundaries entirely and that the Bible talks about a specific nation, in order to say Genesis 3 is about "the Church". And it most certainly isn't referring to Jesus.
The verses in Galatians are about God's covenant with Abraham and the purpose of the law. It affirms that if we are Christ's, we are of Abraham's seed. This is absolutely true, but does not negate the truth of Genesis 12. Galatians is clearly speaking of the Spiritual, because verse 28 informs us there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female: for we are all one in Christ.
Galatians 3:14 says:
That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
This will be explained in Romans 11 where God's plan for the Jew and the Gentile is revealed in its entirety.
And Galatians 3:15 lets us know, just as no one can add to a human covenant, no one can add or take away from God’s covenant; specifically important for this post, the Covenant in Genesis. In a way, that is exactly what those who promote Replacement Theology seek to do; i.e. change the covenant.
Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
The verse the supersessionists love to cite most often to back up their belief is Galatians 3:16. And then they attach it to Genesis 12:3, conflating the two verses.
Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. Galatians 3:16
And verse 29 which states:
And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The word "seed" in these two verses (both times in verse 16) is the word "sperma" in the Greek; meaning "something sown, including the male sperm, offspring." The same meaning as in Genesis 12:3.
Now of course these verses are fully true, but in context this is talking about the spiritual as opposed to the physical, spoken of in Genesis 12:3. One verse does not negate the other. In context, complete with the other verses in the text, these verses are talking about the Galatians having "put on Christ". These verses are talking about becoming spiritual sons of God. And Paul is actually saying in verse 3:17 that God's promises cannot be revoked.
And this I say that the covenant that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
God kept His promise to Abraham. Yes, He has blessed the world with Jesus through Abraham’s lineage, but in these verses God is talking about making Covenant with Abraham's offspring. Genesis 17: verses 7 – 8 states:
And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed (zera) after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed (zera) after thee.
And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed (zera) after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
It's all very clear when read and studied in context. The verses supersessionists love to leave out are found in Romans 11. The very first verse states:
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed (sperma) of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.
This verse is in the New Testament now, so the translation is in Greek as opposed to Hebrew. Strong's tells us the word is "sperma". So the word for seed is different, but the meaning is the same.
Romans 11 which you won't often see someone quoting if they believe in Replacement Theology, is about the restoration of Israel. The entire chapter is very clear, but verses to highlight are verses 7 to 25 which explains completely God’s plan of salvation for both the Jew and the Gentile. I won’t post all of that here, but please take a moment to read those verses. It all culminates in verses 25 -29. Verse 25 very importantly states”
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
In other words, after "the church age", where evangelizing the world is center stage, God will return his attention to the Jew. God is not done with Israel! And this has all occurred in order to fulfill His plan and bring them into His Kingdom. The blindness will be lifted.
26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, [JESUS!] and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the father's sakes.
29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.
That is, the callings of God are irrevocable! His plan is everlasting.
The other thing people must remember is that it was prophesied that Israel will be scattered, but eventually returned to their land. There needs to be boundaries (which God has given) in order for them to have a place to return. And God has carefully outlined those boundaries.
Also the prophecy that a nation is born in a day has already been fulfilled on May 14, 1948, when Israel became a nation in the eyes of the world. How can anyone not see that as a miracle, a fulfilment of prophecy and God’s plan.
The Jews are the only people that have been dispersed throughout history and yet did not lose their peculiar identity, or their faith. They have not lost their national and religious history, nor their physical characteristics. They were never lost or absorbed into any other nation, but remain distinct with all their national characteristics. Only God could do that. And He only would do that if He had a specific purpose.
There are so many Scriptures pertaining to Israel, (roughly, 780 in all) that it would be impossible for me to cover them all. But think about that fact alone. Why would God use the term Israel so many times, if what He meant was the Church, as proponents of Replacement Theology believe? He wouldn’t. And the truth of the matter is, conflating Galatians 3 with Genesis 12:3 seems to be the only thing they have to support their doctrine to try to convince us they are right. Or at least it is the main thing they share to make us believe that God really meant “the church” when He said “Israel”. I think not!
The truth is the Bible tells us that as long as the moon and stars are in the sky, Israel shall remain. Jeremiah 31:35-36
Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name: if those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed (zera) of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.
I’m sorry, but I am pretty doggone sure He isn’t talking about “the Church” there.
Finally, when the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall return in His Glory. Psalm 102:16. We are seeing Jews return home in record number. Israel is the strongest it has ever been, politically, economically and militarily. The spiritual is what is left to complete. And that will happen when the Jew finally recognizes Jesus as the Messiah for whom they have long been awaiting. It will happen. It’s God's plan.
When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.
The Christian will be gone from this earth at that time. But Jesus is coming back to set His foot on the Mount of Olives. We know it's going to get ugly, but Israel will NOT be destroyed. The King is returning there, and the saints will be coming back with Him.
*All bold emphasis, my own.
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