"'Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you [Moses] are to speak to the Israelites." (Exodus 19:5-6)

""The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It [the New Covenant] will not be like the covenant [the Old Covenant] I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant [the Old Covenant], though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD." (Jeremiah 31:31-32)

"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant [the Old Covenant]." (Hebrews 9:15)

• The church has "replaced" Israel.
• The church has "taken over" the promises from Israel.
• The church is the "new" Israel.
• The church is the "true" Israel.
• The church is the "spiritual" Israel.
• The church is "the Israel of God."
• Gentile Christians are "spiritual Jews."

• "Hebrew - a name applied to the Israelites in Scripture only by one who is a foreigner (Gen. 39:14, 17; 41:12, etc.), or by the Israelites when they speak of themselves to foreigners (40:15; Ex. 1:19), or when spoken of an contrasted with other peoples (Gen. 43:32; Ex. 1:3, 7, 15; Deut. 15:12). In the New Testament there is the same contrast between Hebrews and foreigners (Acts 6:1; Phil. 3:5)."

• "Israel - the name conferred on Jacob after the great prayer-struggle at Peniel (Gen. 32:28), because "as a prince he had power with God and prevailed." (See JACOB .) This is the common name given to Jacob's descendants. The whole people of the twelve tribes are called "Israelites," the "children of Israel" (Josh. 3:17; 7:25; Judg. 8:27; Jer. 3:21), and the "house of Israel" (Ex. 16:31; 40:38).
  This name Israel is sometimes used emphatically for the true Israel (Ps. 73:1: Isa. 45:17; 49:3; John 1:47; Rom. 9:6; 11:26).
  After the death of Saul the ten tribes arrogated to themselves this name, as if they were the whole nation (2 Sam. 2:9, 10, 17, 28; 3:10, 17; 19:40-43), and the kings of the ten tribes were called "kings of Israel," while the kings of the two tribes were called "kings of Judah."
  After the Exile the name Israel was assumed as designating the entire nation."

• "Jew - the name derived from the patriarch Judah, at first given to one belonging to the tribe of Judah or to the separate kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 16:6; 25:25; Jer. 32:12; 38:19; 40:11; 41:3), in contradistinction from those belonging to the kingdom of the ten tribes, who were called Israelites.
  During the Captivity, and after the Restoration, the name, however, was extended to all the Hebrew nation without distinction (Esther 3:6, 10; Dan. 3:8, 12; Ezra 4:12; 5:1, 5).
  Originally this people were called Hebrews (Gen. 39:14; 40:15; Ex. 2:7; 3:18; 5:3; 1 Sam. 4:6, 9, etc.), but after the Exile this name fell into disuse. But Paul was styled a Hebrew (2 Cor. 11:22; Phil. 3:5)...
  There are three names used in the New Testament to designate this people,
  (1.) Jews, as regards their nationality, to distinguish them from Gentiles.
  (2.) Hebrews, with regard to their language and education, to distinguish them from Hellenists, i.e., Jews who spoke the Greek language.
  (3.) Israelites, as respects their sacred privileges as the chosen people of God."

"Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring - not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all." (Romans 4:16)

"Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you." So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith." (Galatians 3:7-9)

"If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:29)

"The fact that believers in this Church Age are identified with Abraham and God's covenant with him does not mean that the physical and temporal promises to Abraham and his physical descendants are either spiritualized or abrogated." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Romans 4:17)

"[Gentile Christians] become Abraham's spiritual seed. They inherit the promise of justification by faith as Paul explained earlier (cf. Gal. 3:6-9). To suggest, as amillenarians do, that Gentile believers inherit the national promises given to the believing Jewish remnant - that the church thus supplants Israel or is the "new Israel" - is to read into these verses what is not there." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Galatians 3:29)

"A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code." (Romans 2:28-29)

"Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God" (Romans 2:17)

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."" (Romans 10:9-13)

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body - whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free - and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

"So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:24-28)

"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all." (Colossians 3:9-11)

• Romans 9:3-6

  "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen. It is not as though God's word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." (Romans 9:3-6)

  Notice that Romans 9:6 (above) says, "For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel." Some people use this verse as evidence that the church has "replaced" Israel, but that's not what this verse says. In Romans 9:3-6 (above), Paul was speaking about his own race, the people of Israel. He was not speaking about the church.
  
  The first-century Jews assumed that they were going to heaven because they were the chosen people of God, but what Paul was saying in Romans 9:6 (above) is that not everyone who is physically descended from Israel is part of the true Israel, the Israel of God. This is the same argument that Paul made several chapters earlier when he said that a true Jew is one who is not only Jewish outwardly (by birth), but one who is Jewish outwardly and has the inner circumcision of the heart through proper faith in Jesus as we saw in Romans 2:28-29 (above). That's what makes a person a member of the true Israel, the Israel of God.
  
  Paul was specifically speaking about Jews, and he was distinguishing between saved Jews and unsaved Jews. None of this has any bearing on Gentile Christians, and this passage does not teach that the church has "replaced" Israel.

• Romans 11:25-28

  "I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins." As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs" (Romans 11:25-28)

  Romans 11:26 (above) says, "And so all Israel will be saved" (which is explained in detail in my article called The Second Coming). The church consists of people who are saved (see my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part One), and therefore some people believe that Paul must have been referring to the church in the above passage, so the church must be the "true" Israel.
  
  However, it's always important to look at the context of a passage. In the above passage Paul said that "Israel has experienced a hardening in part," which means that there's a part of Israel that is hardened to the Gospel. Therefore, the church and Israel cannot be the same because by definition all of the church believes the Gospel. Paul also said that God will turn godlessness away from Jacob, which is another reference to Israel, not the church. Then Paul said that Israel is loved on account of the patriarchs, which again is a reference to Israel, not the church.
  
  Paul was making the very same argument that we've seen him make several times before. He was saying that there's a part of Israel that's hardened against the Gospel (all unsaved Jews), but the other part of Israel is the true Israel, the Israel of God (all saved Jews). None of this has any bearing on Gentile Christians, and this passage does not teach that the church has "replaced" Israel.

• Galatians 6:12-16

  "Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh. May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God." (Galatians 6:12-16)

  Galatians 6:16 ("the Israel of God") is the main verse that some people use as proof that the church has "replaced" Israel. But notice that Galatians 6:16 does not say that the church has replaced Israel, and it does not say that the church is "the Israel of God." This means that people are reading something into this passage that's not actually there, and yet this is the main verse that they use as proof that the church has "replaced" Israel.
  
  Part of the confusion in Galatians 6:16 (above) is that the 1984 NIV and other versions of the Bible have translated the Greek word kai ("and") as "even," which makes the passage appear to say: "even to the Israel of God." However, that's not the normal meaning of the Greek word kai, as we can see in a literal translation of Galatians 6:15-16:

  "for in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation; and [kai] as many as by this rule do walk - peace upon them, and [kai] kindness, and [kai] on the Israel of God!" (Galatians 6:15-16 YLT)

  Notice that the Greek word kai occurs three times in the above passage. As quoted above, the 1984 NIV dropped the first occurrence of kai, and it translated the second occurrence of kai as "and" (which is its normal meaning), but in the third occurrence of kai in this passage the NIV changed the translation to "even." (The 2011 edition of the NIV tried to correct this by replacing the third occurrence of kai with a dash.) This inconsistency in translation has caused people to misunderstand Paul's meaning.
  
  In order to understand what Paul was saying here, let's look at the context. In the first century, the Gentile Christians in Galatia were being told that they needed to follow the Law of Moses, as this quote describes:

  "the Book of Galatians is concerned with Gentiles who were attempting to attain justification and/or sanctification through the law. The ones deceiving them were the Judaizers, who were Jews demanding adherence to the Law of Moses." (Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.758, emphasis added)

  In Galatians 6:16 (above), Paul was writing to Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians, and he was describing certain Jews who were trying to force the Gentiles to be circumcised in accordance with the Law of Moses. Paul said that circumcision has no value for a Christian, and then he pronounced a blessing of peace and kindness on all who follow this rule of not being circumcised. Paul was specifically speaking to Gentile Christian men because only Gentile Christian men could follow this rule of not being circumcised. Jewish Christian men had already been circumcised on the eighth day of life according to the Jewish law (see Leviticus 12:2-3, Luke 1:59, 2:21, and Philippians 3:2-5).
  
  So in Galatians 6:16 (above), Paul was speaking a blessing of peace and kindness on two groups of people:

  1. First Paul pronounced a blessing of peace and kindness on the Gentile Christians who follow this rule by not being circumcised:

     "neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation; and [kai] as many as by this rule do walk - peace upon them, and [kai] kindness" (Galatians 6:15-16 YLT)

  2. Then Paul pronounced the same blessing on Jewish Christians ("the Israel of God" or the "true Israel" as we've seen in other passages):

     "and [kai] on the Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16 YLT)

  
  We can see that in Galatians 6:16 (above), Paul pronounced a blessing of peace and kindness on two groups of people: Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians. The Gentile Christians are told to obey this rule of not trying to follow the Law of Moses (by being circumcised), and the Jewish Christians are referred to as "the Israel of God."
  
  Just to be clear, there's nothing wrong with Gentile males being circumcised as long as it's not done for the purpose of trying to obey the Law of Moses (Galatians 5:1-6). Jewish males (whether Christian or not) are still required to be circumcised on the eighth day of life in accordance with the covenant that God made with Abraham (see my article called Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments - Part One).

• Romans 9:3-4

  "For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel." (Romans 9:3-4)

  Paul was a Christian, and therefore he was a member of the church. Notice that he described the people of Israel, those of his own race, as being largely unsaved. Since the word "Israel" is referring to the unsaved people of Israel, there's obviously a distinction between "Israel" and the church here.

• Romans 9:30-31

  "What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it." (Romans 9:30-31)

  Paul said that certain Gentiles had obtained righteousness by faith, and therefore they were in the church. But he said that Israel had not attained righteousness. Again, the word "Israel" is referring to the unsaved people of Israel, so there's clearly a distinction between "Israel" and the church here.

• Romans 10:1

  "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved." (Romans 10:1)

  Paul's desire was for the Israelites to be saved. The word "Israelites" is referring to the unsaved people of Israel, so once again there's a clear distinction between "Israel" and the church here.

• Romans 10:16

  "But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"" (Romans 10:16)

  Paul implied that some Israelites had accepted the Good News (and were therefore members of the church), but he said that not all of the Israelites had accepted the Good News. The word "Israelites" is partially referring to the unsaved people of Israel, so once again there's a distinction between them and the church here.

• Romans 11:11

  "Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious." (Romans 11:11)

  Paul said that salvation has come to the Gentiles (so they were in the church) in order to make Israel (unsaved Israel) envious (see the passage in the next bullet point). There's clearly a distinction between "Israel" and the church here.

• Romans 11:13-14

  "I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them." (Romans 11:13-14)

  Paul was writing to saved Gentiles here (who were therefore in the church), and he was distinguishing them from his own people (the unsaved people of Israel) whom he hoped would receive salvation. Once again, Paul was referring to the unsaved people of Israel, so there's a clear distinction between them and the church here.

• 1 Corinthians 10:32

  "Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God" (1 Corinthians 10:32)

  In this verse, Paul distinguished between three groups of people: unsaved Jews, unsaved Gentiles, and the church. Once again, the Jews in this verse are the unsaved people of Israel, so there's obviously a distinction between them and the church here.

• Romans 15:27

  "They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings." (Romans 15:27)

  Paul said that Gentile Christians share in (not take over) the Jews' spiritual blessings. Gentile Christians (along with Jewish Christians) have inherited the spiritual promises of Abraham by proper faith in Jesus, but Gentile Christians have not inherited the physical or national promises that God made to Abraham and his descendants (the Jews), which are described in my series called Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments. The church has not "replaced" Israel.

• Romans 16:3-4

  "Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them." (Romans 16:3-4)

  When Paul mentioned "the churches of the Gentiles," he was making a distinction between Gentiles and Jews within the body of Christ.

• Galatians 2:11-14

  "When Cephas [Peter] came to Antioch, I [Paul] opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?"" (Galatians 2:11-14)

  The apostle Peter, a Jewish Christian, regularly ate with Gentile Christians, but he began to draw away from them so that he wouldn't receive criticism from other Jews for associating with Gentiles. In this passage Peter and Paul were both making a distinction between Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians.

• Ephesians 3:6

  "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 3:6)

  This verse says that Gentile Christians are heirs together with Israel and sharers together with Israel in the promise in Christ Jesus. Gentile Christians don't become a part of Israel, and they don't become Jews in any way.

• Colossians 4:11-12

  "Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings." (Colossians 4:11-12)

  Paul was writing to the church at Colosse, which was a Gentile church in Asia Minor (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Introduction to Colossians). He said that certain Christians were his fellow Jews, and then he said that Epaphras was one of the Colossians' fellow Gentiles. Paul made a specific distinction between Christians who were Gentiles and Christians who were Jews.

• Matthew 1:1-2, 17

  "A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers...Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ." (Matthew 1:1-2, 17)

  The Gospel of Matthew was written to the Jews, including Jewish Christians, which is one reason why Matthew gave a detailed genealogy of Jesus' Jewish ancestry based on significant periods in Israel's history. For example, here are some things that Bible scholars say about the Gospel of Matthew:

  "Of the four gospels, the first, Matthew, was written to the Jews." (Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.763, emphasis added)
  
  "it appears Matthew had at least two reasons for writing. First, he wanted to show unbelieving Jews that Jesus is the Messiah...Second, Matthew wrote to encourage Jewish believers." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Introduction to Matthew, emphasis added)

• Romans 1:11-13

  "I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong - that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles." (Romans 1:11-13)

  Paul said that he hoped to have "a harvest among you," just as he had had a harvest "among the other Gentiles," and that they would be encouraged by each other's faith. This shows that he was addressing this section of Romans specifically to Gentile Christians.

• Romans 2:17-21

  "Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth - you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?" (Romans 2:17-21)

  This section of Romans was addressed specifically to Jewish Christians.

• Romans 11:13-14

  "I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them." (Romans 11:13-14)

  This section of Romans was addressed to Gentiles, including Gentile Christians.

• Ephesians 3:1

  "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles" (Ephesians 3:1)

  This section of Ephesians was addressed to Gentiles, including Gentile Christians.

• Hebrews 1:1

  "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways" (Hebrews 1:1)

  The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians. For example, here are some things that Bible scholars say about the book of Hebrews:

  "More knowledge can be gained about the recipients of the epistle than the author. First, they were obviously Jewish, and the author writes with full expectation that his readers will respect the Old Testament. The whole back drop of the letter is from Jewish history and religion. Second, they were Jewish believers, because only these would be in danger of going back into Judaism." (Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.950, emphasis added)
  
  "the author's heavy stress on Jewish prototypes and his earnest polemic against the permanence of the Levitical system are best explained if the audience was largely Jewish and inclined to be swayed back to their old faith. The heavy and extensive appeal to the authority of the Old Testament Scriptures also was most suitable to readers who had been brought up on them." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Introduction to Hebrews, emphasis added)

• James 1:1

  "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings." (James 1:1)

  The book of James was addressed to Jews, including Jewish Christians. For example, here are some things that Bible scholars say about the book of James:

  "The recipients of the epistle are the twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion. The term Dispersion was and is a technical Jewish term for Jews living outside the land." (Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.981, emphasis added)
  
  "Clearly addressed to "the 12 tribes scattered among the nations" (James 1:1), this letter has a marked Jewish flavor...The letter is definitely to a Jewish constituency. Though the letter demonstrates careful Greek diction, it is nonetheless filled with extensive Hebrew symbolism." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Introduction to James, emphasis added)

• 1 Peter 1:1-2

  "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance." (1 Peter 1:1-2)

  The book of 1 Peter was addressed to Jewish Christians. For example, here are some things that Bible scholars say about the book of 1 Peter:

  "The recipients are the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion...The fact that they are of the Dispersion (a word found elsewhere only in John 7:35 and James 1:1) shows them to be Jewish people living outside the land. This letter was written to Jewish believers living alongside a majority pagan Gentile environment in Asia Minor or modern-day Turkey." (Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.992-993, emphasis added)
  
  "It is likely that Peter wrote to the Jewish Christians scattered to the West (cf. 1 Peter 1:1) and that James addressed the Jewish Christians scattered to the East, in Babylon and Mesopotamia." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Introduction to James, emphasis added)

• 2 Peter 3:1

  "Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking." (2 Peter 3:1)

  The book of 2 Peter was written to the same group of Jewish Christians as the book of 1 Peter. For example, here are some things that Bible scholars say about the book of 2 Peter:

  "As 3:1 makes clear, this epistle was written to the same group as 1 Peter." (Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.1004, emphasis added)
  
  "It is likely that Peter wrote to the Jewish Christians scattered to the West (cf. 1 Peter 1:1) and that James addressed the Jewish Christians scattered to the East, in Babylon and Mesopotamia." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Introduction to James, emphasis added)

• Jude 1:1

  "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:1)

  The book of Jude was addressed to Jewish Christians. For example, here are some things that Bible scholars say about the book of Jude:

  "He heavily quotes II Peter, and where Peter used the future tense, Jude used the past tense. What Peter warned would happen, now has happened...The recipients (1b) are obviously believers, and the strong similarity to II Peter probably means he wrote to the same body of Jewish believers as did Peter." (Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum, p.1009-1010, emphasis added)
  
  "The tone of the letter demonstrates that the original recipients may have been Christian Jews of Palestine who were gathered into local fellowships. The references made to Old Testament incidents and to extrabiblical literature identified the recipients as people who would understand these references with no need for explanation." (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Walvoord and Zuck, Dallas Theological Seminary, Introduction to Jude, emphasis added)

"He [the apostle Paul] came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek." (Acts 16:1-3)

"Yet not even Titus, who was with me [Paul], was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves." (Galatians 2:3-4)

"Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses." The apostles and elders met to consider this question." (Acts 15:5-6)

"With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said...It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell." (Acts 15:23-29)

"Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died...Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall." (Romans 14:13-21)

• The church has not "replaced" Israel.
• The church has not "taken over" the promises from Israel.
• The church is not the "new" Israel.
• The church is not the "true" Israel.
• The church is not the "spiritual" Israel.
• The church is not the "Israel of God."
• Gentile Christians are not "spiritual Jews."

• 07/23/2024 - Slightly modified the Introduction section.

• 07/09/2024 - Slightly modified the section called "Galatians 6:12-16."

• 07/06/2024 - Added an update in the Introduction section.

• 01/17/2024 - Modified the Introduction section. Modified my comments under Ephesians 3:6 in the section called "New Testament Distinctions between Israel and the Church."

• 10/13/2023 - Updated the capitalization of "church" throughout the article for consistency, as explained in my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part One.

• 02/22/2023 - Slightly modified my comments on Galatians 2:11-14.

• 12/07/2022 - Modified the section called "The Church Has Not "Replaced" Israel" to use bullet points instead of paragraphs.

• 07/23/2022 - Modified my closing statement.

• 06/19/2022 - Modified my comments on Romans 9:6. Modified my comments on Galatians 2:11-14.

• 03/19/2022 - Modified the section called "The Church Has Not "Replaced" Israel." Modified the section called "The Jerusalem Council."

• 11/03/2021 - Made the font size a bit bigger and added a fish symbol as a favicon (which is displayed in the browser tab).

• 02/06/2021 - Added a link to my series called "Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments" in the Introduction section.

• 12/09/2020 - Added more information in the Introduction section.

• 06/24/2020 - Added an Introduction section.

• 04/27/2019 - Modified some of the wording.

• 06/23/2009 - Added section headings.

• 11/20/2007 - Added some links to my three-part series called "Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments." Added a link to my eight-part series called "The Rapture of the Church."

• 04/09/2006 - Added Romans 10:9-13 and modified some of the wording throughout the article.

• 08/23/2001 - Modified some of the wording.