{"id":18943,"date":"2017-05-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-28T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sugar-land-bible-church.local\/sermon\/replacement-theology-what-we-should-know-part-4\/"},"modified":"2023-08-03T08:46:34","modified_gmt":"2023-08-03T13:46:34","slug":"replacement-theology-what-we-should-know-part-4","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/slbc.org\/es\/sermon\/replacement-theology-what-we-should-know-part-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Replacement Theology: What We Should Know, Part 4"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","book":[93],"series_event":[562],"sermon_service_type":[472],"speaker":[450],"class_list":["post-18943","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","book-galatians","series_event-topical-morris","sermon_service_type-main-service","speaker-gabe-morris","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"sermon_title":"Replacement Theology: What We Should Know, Part 4","sermon_date":"20170528","sermon_month":"05","sermon_year":"2017","sermon_notes":"","sermon_slides":4707,"sermon_mp3":4708,"sermon_id":"528171338116","series_or_event":562,"service_type":[472],"speaker":450,"books_of_the_bible":93,"chapter_and_verse":"6:16","sermon_transcript":"Gabe Morris\r\n\r\nReplacement Theology: What We Should Know, Part 4\r\n\r\n5-28-17\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Galatians 6:16\r\n\r\nGood morning.\u00a0 Can we pray.\u00a0 \u00a0Heavenly Father, we praise You and honor You and we worship You this morning because You are God Almighty.\u00a0 We ask You that You can ready our hearts and minds for what You have for us this morning concerning Your church and Israel, Your chosen people.\u00a0 Use me as you see fit and we bless You and give You all the glory and praise.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, and God\u2019s people said\u2026 Amen.\r\n\r\nCould we open our Bibles to Galatians 6:16.\u00a0 It\u2019s such a blessing to be with you this morning.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to thank the Lord for another opportunity to teach; it\u2019s always a challenge to fill in for Andy and happy Memorial Day tomorrow.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 On behalf of SLBC we want to honor those fallen heroes of our country and their families as well.\r\n\r\nToday we will be finishing our replacement theology series so by way of review let\u2019s briefly look back on previous lessons to catch up on what was taught so far.\u00a0 We are in Part Four of our series entitled Replacement Theology: What We Should Know.\u00a0 And the first lesson we took a bird\u2019s eye perspective and carefully traced the history of this doctrine called Replacement Theology.\u00a0 And we defined Replacement Theology as simply the idea of the church, the Gentile church replacing the nation of Israel; it\u2019s a belief by some Christian circles and Israel\u2019s promises have been transferred to the church.\u00a0 And according to replacement theologians the church is now called the new Israel or the true Israel, or the true people of God, and thus Israel has no eschatological future in the plans of God, so they say.\r\n\r\nAnd in some circles this doctrine is known as supersessionism, also called fulfillment theology, as the church has now fulfilled Israel\u2019s role.\u00a0 We also learn that replacement ideas began to show up in the church in the mid\u00a0 second century of church history.\u00a0\u00a0 And the reason for that was really because of a series of historical events, like the strange relationship between the growing Gentile church and the Jews.\u00a0 Another reason was an anti-Semitic bias; when they read the Bible it was dominating their hermeneutics and with those factors at work the allegorizing of Scripture became rampant.\u00a0 Another way of allegorizing is spiritualizing the text.\u00a0 And to make matters worse, Rome\u2019s conversion to Christianity in the 4th<\/sup> century by Constantine paved the way for a total purging of everything that was Jewish in the new growing church. And they did it by persecution.\u00a0 And these four factors ultimately led to the establishment of the replacement theology within the church.\r\n\r\nAnd then the second lesson we discovered the dangerous effects of replacement theology and how it affected the role and mission of the church, particularly the ecclesiastical part and the eschatological part, meaning what they believed about the role of the church and what they believed about the end times.\u00a0 We learned how it affected individuals throughout history to say and do perhaps the most gruesome things ever said and done to the Jewish people.\u00a0 We discovered when replacement theology, when left unchecked can become some the severest forms of anti-Semitism and grow from and idea of this doctrine like replacement theology.\r\n\r\nAlso left unchecked we discovered how it can become distortion, distorted forms of Christianity, like Chrislam, or like Christian Palestinianism, among others.\r\n\r\nAnd then in lesson three of our series, a very important lesson, we zoomed in a little bit closer and we asked the question, does the Bible support the ideas of replacement theology?\u00a0 And we challenged specifically the belief that there are no distinctions between Israel and the church.\u00a0 \u00a0Replacement theologians believe that there are no distinctions between the church and Israel.\u00a0 And we search the Scriptures to discover that, and the evidence\u2026 if there were any evidences of those ideas, and if you\u2019re catching this on the tail end I strongly encourage you to go check out the previous lessons on this to get a better grasp on the issue.\r\n\r\nSo did the church replace Israel?\u00a0 Of course this is a major tenant and in lessons 3 we challenged the modern day Bible scholars that believe this. We engaged the writings of Kenneth Gentry who said \u201cwe believe in the unfolding plan of God in history, the Christian church is the very fruition of the redemptive purposes of God.\u00a0 As such the multiracial international church of Jesus Christ supersedes racial, national Israel as the focus of the kingdom of God.\u00a0 Indeed, we believe the church becomes the Israel of God.\u201d\u00a0 And then he quotes Galatians 6:16.\u00a0 [Galatians 6:16, \u201cAnd those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.\u201d]\u00a0 We engage the amillennialist, William Cox, up on the top, he said this in terms of Israel and the church: In the Bible, he believed, that the terms Israel and the church can be used interchange\u00adably and we challenge those writings.\u00a0 We challenge the writings of this guy, President and Professor of the doctrinal studies at Mid America Reformed Seminary, also writer of Ligonier Ministries, Dr. Cornelius Vanema,\u00a0 he said this:\u00a0 Israel and the church are not to distinct peoples, rather, the church is the true Israel of God.\r\n\r\nIs this true?\u00a0 We challenge that.\u00a0 Does the Bible teach a lack of distinction when it speaks of both Israel and the church.\u00a0 Does the Bible use the very technical terms\u00a0 the \u201cchurch\u201d and the \u201cnation of Israel,\u201d very technical terms, interchangeably as Mr. Cox has asserted.\u00a0 And has the church become Israel as Mr. Gentry asserts?\u00a0 And we engaged those ideas in lesson 4.\r\n\r\nWe look at three of four, among many more I might add, we looked at four glaring evidences found in the Bible that distinguishes the church from Israel and they were: the church is born at Pentecost, Acts 2.\u00a0 There is a glaring distinction in the Bible when it teaches that the church was born in Acts 2 while the nation of Israel was wrought from a man named Abram in Genesis 12.\u00a0 In Genesis 12 God says, \u201cI will make you a great nation,\u201d He\u2019s speaking to Abraham.\u00a0 The church was not in existence in Genesis 12 nor the Old Testament for that matter.\u00a0 When Christ first\u00a0 uttered the word \u201cchurch\u201d in Matthew 16:18 it wasn\u2019t even in existence then.\u00a0 [Matthew 16:18, \u201cI also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.\u201d]\r\n\r\nHe had to leave earth for it to be inaugurated in Acts 2 at Pentecost.\u00a0 That\u2019s quite the difference, is it not, so different Lewis Sperry Chafer said these words: \u201cSo different this race as to distinctive characteristics that all other peoples are antipodal to them, completely opposite.\u00a0 That is, they are classified as Gentiles or the nations and as in dissimilarity to the Jewish nation.\u00a0 The second evidence that distinguishes the church from Israel is that certain events of Christ were essential to the establishment of the church, and that was the resurrection and the ascension.\u00a0 Those two things had to take place for the church to be established.\r\n\r\nEphesians 1:20-23 says this: \u201cWhich He\u201d who\u2019s God the Father, \u201cbrought about in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places, [21] far above all rule and authority\u201d did you notice \u201cwhen He raised Him from the dead\u201d resurrection, \u201cand seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places,\u201d that sounds like the ascension, \u201cfar above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. [22] And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, [23] which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.\u201d\r\n\r\nJohn 14:12 says this concerning the ascension, Jesus said, \u201cTruly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father.\u201d\u00a0 So in contrast what event (singular) needed to take place for the nation of Israel to be established?\u00a0 And that was the faith, then obedience, of one man, Abraham, Genesis 12.\u00a0 God said go, and then he went.\r\n\r\nAnd then the third hard evidence that distinguishes the church from Israel is the mystery character of the church.\u00a0 The first mystery was the indwelling of Christ. First of all, what\u2019s a mystery?\u00a0 A mystery is a divine truth that was hidden and not revealed in the Old Testament, later to be revealed in the New Testament.\u00a0 And there were four characteristics, mystery characteristics, we looked at in our previous lesson concerning the church and that was the indwelling of Christ.\u00a0 This is the Christ in you concept. \u00a0\u00a0Paul used a very technical term, \u201cin Christ\u201d when he wrote to the churches.\r\n\r\nFor example, in Colossians 1:24-27 it says: \u201cNow I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ\u2019s afflictions.\u00a0 [25] Of this church<\/em> I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of<\/em> the word of God, [26] that is,<\/em> the mystery which has been hidden from the past<\/em> ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, [27] to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.\u201d\r\n\r\nThis \u201cChrist in you\u201d concept was and still is exclusive to the church alone.\u00a0 Unbelieving Israel as a whole never really enjoyed this rich and glorious blessing as Paul described it.\u00a0 What did Paul say?\u00a0 \u201c\u2026but now has been manifested to His saints,\u201d in other words, Christ took residence in a believer\u2019s heart at the point of faith and resides there forevermore.\u00a0 This was a mystery; this is a mystery.\r\n\r\nThe second mystery characteristic of the church was the bride of Christ.\u00a0 The Bible teaches the relationship between a husband and wife is an exact illustration as that of Christ and the church.\u00a0 Please jot down Ephesians 5:22-32 and you will see this great truth.\r\n\r\n[Ephesians 5:22-32, \u201cWives, be subject<\/em> to your own husbands, as to the Lord. [23] For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being<\/em> the Savior of the body. [24] But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be<\/em> to their husbands in everything.\u00a0 [25] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, [26] so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, [27] that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. [28] So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; [29] for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does<\/em> the church, [30] because we are members of His body. [31 FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. [32] This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. [33]Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it<\/em> that she respects her husband.\u201d]\r\n\r\nIn fact, in Revelation 1:7-9 confirms a future event called the marriage of the Lamb, the \u201cLamb\u201d being Christ Himself of course, and He will wed His bride, the church.\u00a0 [Revelation 1:7-9, \u201cBEHOLD, HE IS COMING WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.\u00a0 [8] \u2018I am the Alpha and the Omega,\u2019 says the Lord God, \u2018who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.\u2019\u00a0 [9] I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are<\/em> in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.\u201d]\r\n\r\nIn distinction to the church the Bible teaches that Israel is married to Jehovah God.\u00a0 The Bible illustrates that Israel is the wife of Jehovah.\u00a0 Did you know that the book of Deuteronomy was not only treated as an ancient treaty but also a marriage contract? \u00a0God came into a binding covenant with the nation of Israel on Mount Sinai and subsequently Israel\u2019s prophets always viewed the covenant relationship as a marriage, as a marriage contract.\u00a0 How do we know that?\u00a0 For example, God speaks of His jealousy for Israel in Deuteronomy 6 and warns of her committing adultery.\u00a0 In Jeremiah the prophet describes Israel\u2019s great adultery, describing her as a harlot.\u00a0 He also records this marriage covenant broken because of Israel\u2019s adultery.\u00a0 Isaiah speaks of a hundred years separation.\u00a0 Jeremiah describes God giving Israel a bill of divorcement on the grounds of adultery.\u00a0 And to cause her, to cause Israel to stop sinning, not for a revengeful act but to show her absolute dependence on God and not her dependence on her false lovers.\r\n\r\nDespite all that hope is not lost; there will still be a restoration and a remarriage described in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which this remarriage required a new covenant.\u00a0 [Jeremiah 31:31-34, \u201cBehold, days are coming,\u201d declares the LORD, \u201cwhen I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,\u201d declares the LORD. \u00a0[33] But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,\u201d declares the LORD, \u201cI will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. \u00a0[34] They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, \u2018Know the LORD,\u2019 for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,\u201d declares the LORD, \u201cfor I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.\u201d]\r\n\r\nMy point is the Bible clearly distinguishes Israel from the church, period.\u00a0 One of my favorite scholars, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, he said this, \u201cIn the Bible Israel is represented as the wife of Jehovah whereas the church is represented as the bride of Christ, the Messiah.\u00a0 A failure to maintain that distinction will only result in a misinterpretation of what Scriptures teach.\u201d\r\n\r\nWe also learn that the rapture was another defining mystery characteristic of the church.\u00a0 Please jot down 1 Corinthians 15:51-55.\u00a0 [1 Corinthians 15:51-55, \u201cBehold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, [52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. [53] For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. [54] But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, \u201cDEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. [55] O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?\u201d]\r\n\r\nHere Paul reveals the rapture of the church as a mystery, something that was hidden in times past, so hidden in fact Daniel, in his prophecies couldn\u2019t even see this foreordained entity.\u00a0 And I\u2019m so glad Andy went into this in his last week\u2019s sermon, that was an awesome sermon, the church was a mystery and her rapture was a mystery and Daniel could not see this entity, called the church, in his visions.\u00a0 \u00a0So that said, why do many scholars like [can't understand word, sounds Venema] , like Sproul, like Stott, John Stott, like Kenneth Gentry, believe that Israel and the church are not two distinct peoples.\r\n\r\nAnd lastly, we talked about the mystic characteristic of the concept of the body of Christ.\u00a0 This becomes very important because Paul breaks down this mystery called the body of Christ, made up of both believing Jews and believing Gentiles.\u00a0 He goes into great lengths to maintain this distinction between them.\u00a0 Why is this?\u00a0 Because Paul is dealing with hard-headed and arrogant Jews.\u00a0 Jim talked about that, how they believed that because they were Jewish, because of their lineage, because of their physical lineage to Abraham, their connection to Abraham, they were in right standing with God.\u00a0 We\u2019ll touch on that a little later.\r\n\r\nIn the last lesson I made this visual to show you what Paul was talking about.\u00a0 Paul, in the book of Ephesians, distinguishes two groups, in Ephesians 2:11.\u00a0 In fact, can we hold our place in Galatians and go to Ephesians 2:11, I want you guys to see this.\u00a0 Paul says this, we\u2019re talking about the body of Christ concept, he says, \u201cTherefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called \u2018Uncircumcision\u2019\u201d there he mentions two groups, the Gentiles which are represented in the Greek and Israel, in yellow, and because of this work on the cross of Christ, namely His death, His blood, His burial, His resurrection and all that good stuff, that\u2019s the cross represented here, because of that he restored the relationship between God and man so all that exercise faith in Him, in Jesus Christ, whether from the group of Israel or the Gentile group, they are now considered a new group.\u00a0 They enter into this thing called the body of Christ.\r\n\r\nNotice Ephesians 2:12, \u201cremember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel,\u201d he\u2019s speaking generally to Gentiles, \u201cand strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.\u00a0 [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.\u00a0 [14] For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups\u201d notice \u201cboth groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.\u201d\u00a0 So back to our chart, from those two groups Christ establishes a new group.\u00a0 Do you all see that?\r\n\r\nNow why is this important to point out?\u00a0\u00a0 Because Paul, notice, he is maintaining distinctions between three groups now: unbelieving Israel, unbelieving Gentiles and then believing Israel and believing Gentiles, now called the body of Christ.\u00a0 He maintains these distinctions in his letters.\r\n\r\nAll that said, we pick up where we left off in our lesson today entitled Replacement Theology, What We Should Know, Part 4. And so this brings us to our fourth and final evidence of the distinction between Israel and the church and that is Galatians 6:16.\u00a0 And to remind you all Galatians 6:16, this is the main verse that replacement theologians use to support their argument that the church has replaced Israel or has become the new spiritual Israel.\u00a0 One replacement theologian labeled Galatians 6:16 as the chief verse.\r\n\r\nSo let\u2019s turn back to Galatians 6:16 if you will, Paul again is referring to two groups.\u00a0 Now as you read this let\u2019s try to read this in a normal and plain way, okay.\u00a0 Notice Galatians 6:16, \u201cAnd those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.\u201d]\u00a0 Please notice the two groups, \u201cAnd those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them<\/u>\u00a0 believing Gentiles \u201cand\u201d that\u2019s an important conjunction, what word and, \u201cupon the Israel of God.\u201d\u00a0 Believing Jews.\r\n\r\nTo Paul he deemed it necessary to distinguish these two groups.\u00a0 He not only does that here he does that throughout the book.\u00a0 He does it in Glorification 2:7, Galatians 2:12-13, Galatians 3:8, Galatians 3:14, Galatians 3:23, 24 and 25, Galatians 4:5, and here in Galatians 6:16.\r\n\r\nSo if he does that in all those places and he does it in his other letters, would it be possible that he\u2019s doing it here?\u00a0 The answer is yes.\u00a0 The replacement theologian says no, and I\u2019d like to challenge that today.\u00a0 I want to break down Galatians 6:16 and build up the case to show you a handful of reasons why Galatians 6:16 does not support replacement theology.\r\n\r\nThe first and obvious reason is how Paul uses this term, this technical term \u201cIsrael.\u201d \u00a0When Paul says \u201cIsrael\u201d what he really means is Israel.\u00a0 He uses the term \u201cIsrael\u201d in his letters a total of 17 times.\u00a0 This does not include places where he describes Israel, including himself, meaning us, or we.\u00a0 He does that in Galatians as well; he includes himself as if he was talking to a Jew.\u00a0 If we counted those instances the 17 number would quadruple.\r\n\r\nSo let\u2019s go beyond that.\u00a0 How many times do other New Testament writers use the technical term \u201cIsrael?\u201d\u00a0 And the answer is 56 other times. \u00a0\u00a0So the total is 73times in the New Testament he used the word \u201cIsrael.\u201d\u00a0 Now let\u2019s ask a bonus question: how many times does the Old Testament\u00a0 use the word, the technical term, Israel?\u00a0 You ready for this: 2,570 times the Old Testament uses that term.\u00a0 What we\u2019re doing here is we\u2019re doing a word study and guess what?\u00a0 In every single case the technical word \u201cIsrael\u201d is used every single time it means the ethic national people of Israel.\u00a0 It literally means the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, without fail, every time!\r\n\r\nIt could mean Israel in belief; it could mean Israel in unbelief, but every time it means the ethnic national people of Israel.\u00a0 It never means anything other than Israel in the Bible.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t refer to the church, it doesn\u2019t refer to the Gentiles, it never refers to another group of people, it means Israel!\u00a0 How is it then the replacement theologian can say Galatians 6:16 is the one verse where it does not mean Israel?\u00a0 That doesn\u2019t make sense.\r\n\r\nA second reason why Galatians 6;16 does not support replacement theology is because Israel was never really referred to as the church until the church father, Justin Martyr showed up.\u00a0 Many of you know Justin Martyr, he wrote a famous piece called the Dialogue With Trypho<\/em>\u00a0 and in that writing he said that Christians are the true Israel.\u00a0 He said the true Israelitic race\u2026 and so when did he write this?\u00a0 In A.D. 160.\u00a0 This brings us back to our first lesson where replacement ideas never really showed up until the mid-second century.\u00a0 When did Paul write the book of Galatians?\u00a0\u00a0 Somewhere between A.D. 49 and if we do the math that\u2019s 111 years removed from Paul\u2019s letters.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s look back at Galatians 6:16; let\u2019s look at the next two reasons: Galatians 6:16 says, \u201cAnd those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.\u201d\u00a0 Please notice the conjunction \u201cand,\u201d this Greek word kai<\/em>, and believe it or not, the covenant theologian camp and our camp, the dispensational camp are in battle because of this little conjunction, and.\u00a0\u00a0 Can you believe that?\u00a0 We believe, both camps believe that this word kai <\/em>can be translated in two ways; the covenant camp believes the word kai<\/em> should be rendered even in the appositional sense, meaning that is, or namely, so if I was to read this, \u201cAnd those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, namely\u201d okay.\u00a0 So it heightens the meaning of the previous element.\r\n\r\nIn fact, if you have a NIV translation it reads as follows.\u00a0 \u201cPeace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.\u201d\u00a0 They like to use this version.\u00a0 If this version is correct then Paul is saying all who follow this rule of the new creation, back in Galatians 6:15, are the Israel of God.\u00a0 They are, thus favoring replacement theology.\r\n\r\nOn the other hand, our camp, the dispensational camp believes that this Greek conjunction, kai<\/em>, should be rendered in the continuative sense and should be translated \u201cand.\u201d\u00a0 The continuative sense connects an additional element to a series.\u00a0 For example, Matthew 23:2 says, \u201cThe scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves\u2026.\u201d\u00a0 The Greek word kai <\/em>is being used in a continuative sense.\u00a0 So if this version is correct Paul is referring to two groups, right, namely believing Gentiles and believing Jews.\u00a0 Do you see that?\u00a0 This rendition would favor the dispensational camp.\u00a0 And so the two reasons, the next two reasons why this does not, Galatians 6:16 does not support replacement theology is that the continuative sense of kai<\/em> is the most common New Testament usage (which is the fourth reason) while the appositional sense of kai<\/em> translated \u201ceven\u201d is the rarest, one of the rarest New Testament usages.\u00a0 Okay.\r\n\r\nActually the study on this word kai<\/em> and praise the Lord for Logos Bible Software , you will discover that this is the case.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if you guys can see that but that\u2019s actually a word study, I\u2019m using The Exegetical Guide<\/em> to research the verse, Galatians 6:15.\u00a0 Please bear with me.\u00a0 The exegetical too is a very powerful tool in Logos, so what I did is I used The Exegetical Guide<\/em> here, you can see that, Galatians 6:16, and I scrolled down to the word kai<\/em>, that\u2019s the kai <\/em>in it and it breaks down everything you want to know about kai<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0 And then I clicked that little circle there, that little broken up circle, and when you press that that generates a word setting.\u00a0 And these were the results, when I clicked that little thing; that\u2019s the results.\u00a0 Okay.\r\n\r\nFirst notice that we\u2019re looking at the word kai<\/em>, right there, there\u2019s also one below it, below that red box, then notice the translation, the NASB, notice the amount of times kai<\/em> is used? 8001 times kai<\/em> is used in the New Testament, in all senses, even, all, but, who and so forth.\u00a0 Okay. \u00a0The dispensationalist is concerned with this kai<\/em>, the and; you see how many , it\u2019s represented in blue, you see how much that covers of the New Testament?\u00a0 The most common use of the term.\u00a0 The replacement theologian is concerned with that kai<\/em>.\u00a0 See the difference?\u00a0 One of the rarest forms in the New Testament.\u00a0 If you click that term \u201ceven,\u201d you can actually click that term, it does some powerful calculating and you get this.\u00a0 Notice I clicked even and the orange section of the pie breaks off 133 times total New Testament it\u2019s used\u2026even.\u00a0 If\u00a0 you click that and which we\u2019re concerned about it breaks off and notice, that\u2019s the and that we\u2019re concerned with, 7016 times.\u00a0 Now the next logical question would be is Galatians 6:16 in that list?\u00a0 See below the numbers, there\u2019s 7016 references to that \u201cand.\u201d And in this slide I now searched down to Galatians and you will see there the references to \u201cand\u201d in Galatians 6:16, so it\u2019s there.\r\n\r\nYou might be saying well Gabe, this doesn\u2019t mean anything, you\u2019re using the NASB.\u00a0 Of course the continuative sense of kai<\/em> will show up.\u00a0 What about the NIV translation?\u00a0 And I\u2019m glad\u00a0 you asked.\u00a0 So notice that I use the NIV translation, we\u2019re in Galatians, narrow the search down, oh-oh, I scroll down, okay, and notice Galatians 6:16, this is the NIV version, \u201cPeace and mercy to all who follow this rule, to the Israel of God.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 Notice it dropped the\u2026 there\u2019s no \u201ceven.\u201d\u00a0 Why is that?\u00a0 We\u2019re looking at the continuative sense.\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 It\u2019s not there; the kai<\/em> is not used.\u00a0 But in the NIV if we look up \u201ceven,\u201d to make things interesting we look up \u201ceven,\u201d look at the result; we\u2019re using the NIV, two times and Galatians 6:16 is not there.\u00a0 The appositional sense is not there.\u00a0 That concludes that the appositional sense of the word kai <\/em>is in error in the translation.\u00a0 That\u2019s not to say that the NIV is full of them, it\u2019s just a bad translation.\r\n\r\nA very wise man, named David L. Cooper, he said this: When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense seek no other sense; therefore take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths indicate clearly otherwise.\u00a0 That\u2019s what we did here.\u00a0 Many of you know Dr. Cooper was a Greek scholar.\r\n\r\nAnother Greek scholar, S. Lewis Johnson, said this of Galatians 6:16, \u201can extremely rare use has been made to replace the common usage, even in spite of the fact that the common and frequent usage makes good sense.\u201d\u00a0 I would agree with his stand, S. Lewis Johnson, who according to [can't understand word] I don\u2019t see [can't understand word same word said again] but [can't understand word] knew him personally and this was a man who carried his Bible in the Greek text, he never had an English Bible.\r\n\r\nOn that note the fifth reason why Galatians 6:16 does not favor replacement theology is because the point of the church becoming Israel would be made much clearer if the kai<\/em>, if Paul just eliminated the kai<\/em>.\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 So if Paul eliminated the kai<\/em> it would read like this:\u00a0 \u201cAnd those who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, upon the Israel of God.\u201d\u00a0 Doesn\u2019t that sound like Paul is talking about one group now?\u00a0 But there\u2019s a big problem, the kai<\/em> is there, the kai<\/em> is not eliminated.\u00a0 We discovered that in Logos.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s dig deeper.\u00a0 Let\u2019s do some actual unique textual studies.\u00a0 This is very fascinating.\u00a0 This is a page from what\u2019s called Papyrus 46 and as you can see it\u2019s in great condition.\u00a0 Papyrus 46 is a collection of various New Testament books and is one of the oldest of the New Testament manuscripts in Greek.\u00a0 It\u2019s probable date is around 175 A.D. to 225 A.D., scholars estimate.\u00a0 And this single page of leaf, as they call it, or page, is taken from the Book of Galatians.\u00a0 And we\u2019re concerned with that red mark there.\u00a0 If we zoom into that, that\u2019s what it says.\u00a0 Do I have any volunteers\u2026.\u00a0 It says kai [he reads the Greek]\u00a0 Jim, did I do that correctly?\u00a0\u00a0 Word for word literally it means this:\u00a0 \u201cand as many as in [can't understand word] this will walk, peace upon them and mercy AND the Israel of God.\u201d\u00a0 Do you see that? There is our kai<\/em> in question.\r\n\r\nDid you know that every single word, every jot and tittle in the Bible, including Galatians 6:16, was breathed out by God Himself.\u00a0 This is called the doctrine of inspiration.\u00a0 In 1 Peter 1:20-21, Peter said, \u201cThe Holy Spirit carried men to write the words of God,\u201d prophecy.\u00a0 [1 Peter 1:20-21, \u201cAbove all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet\u2019s own interpretation of things. [21] For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.\u201d]\r\n\r\nAnd we\u2019re learning that in Daniel as well.\u00a0 Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16, \u201cAll Scripture is breathed out by God and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped to every good work.\u201d\r\n\r\nA sixth reason why Galatians 6:16 does not support replacement theology is this double preposition, epi<\/em>, or upon.\u00a0 Let\u2019s look at Galatians 6:16 again.\u00a0 \u201cAnd those who will walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon\u201d epi<\/em>, \u201cupon them and upon\u201d epi<\/em>, \u201cthe Israel of God.\u00a0 There\u2019s a double preposition here.\u00a0 Why is this significant? \u00a0If Paul is trying to single out one group wouldn\u2019t the second epi<\/em> be redundant?\u00a0 Now Paul was by no means a sloppy scholar, right?\u00a0 He wrote most of our New Testament.\u00a0 He was a scholar among scholars, well-learned.\u00a0 So why are there two prepositions?\u00a0 Because Paul is talking about two groups.\u00a0 It\u2019s very simple.\r\n\r\nThe seventh reason why Galatians 6:16 does not support replacement theology, notice what Galatians 6:16 is, where it\u2019s located.\u00a0 It\u2019s at the very end, at the conclusion of Paul\u2019s letter.\u00a0 Paul is concluding his thoughts here.\u00a0 We would call this a benediction and this is a very brief one at that.\u00a0 The structure of Galatians is rather interesting.\u00a0 If you follow along you will notice Paul\u2019s introduction, in the beginning, the first five verses he states the problem.\u00a0 The next five verses, the rest of chapters 1 and chapter 2 are autobiographical, he\u2019s really defending himself and his ministry that God has called him to.\u00a0 And he\u2019s doing that because of the Judaizers; they were teaching false doctrines to the church, doubting and questioning his apostleship and Paul defended it.\r\n\r\nIn chapters 3 and 4 are the doctrinal issues.\u00a0 He\u2019s establishing how you should think, Galatians.\u00a0 He says in the beginning, \u201cyou foolish Galatians,\u201d he said in chapter 3, verse 1.\u00a0 This was considered a very severe corrective letter.\u00a0 In chapters 5 and 6 and in typical Pauline fashion he follows his doctrinal section with an applicational section, an orthopraxy section; orthodoxy followed by orthopraxy.\u00a0 Correct thinking, then correct practice.\r\n\r\nAnd then finally, most view chapter 6, verses 11-18 as Paul\u2019s conclusion.\u00a0 We see that as a conclusion.\u00a0 Why would an extraordinary theologian like Paul end this letter with incredible doctrine?\u00a0 Nation altering doctrine, why?\u00a0 And not even give an explanation.\u00a0 I would think that the entire nation of Israel being instantly supplanted, instantly forsaken, Paul would give an explanation for that, would he not.\u00a0 But Paul never did that.\u00a0 You see how this doesn\u2019t fit replacement theology.\r\n\r\nThe next reason, the eighth reason why Galatians 6:16 does not support replacement theology is because Paul is referring to two groups.\u00a0 Throughout the book, as we said earlier, he refers to two groups, and in his other letters it\u2019s very obvious.\u00a0 In particular he will make routine distinctions between believing Jews and believing Gentiles.\u00a0 He does this all the time.\u00a0 Do you remember in Romans 1:6, Paul says this, \u201cFor I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew and to the Greek.\u201d\u00a0 It sounds like two groups.\u00a0 In \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a01 Corinthians 1:23 Paul said, \u201cBut we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, [24] but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.\u201d\u00a0 There it sounds like four groups, unbelieving Jews and Gentiles, and believing Jews and Gentiles.\u00a0 Do you see that?\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s look at the Book of Galatians, 1:7-9, Paul distinguishes between believing Jews and Gentiles, again calling them circumcised and uncircumcised.\u00a0 [Galatians 1:7-9, \u201cwhich is really<\/em> not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. [8] But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! [9] As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!\u201d]\r\n\r\nHere\u2019s a dead ringer, look at Galatians 3:23, it says, \u201cBut before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law,\u201d who was \u201ckept in custody under the law\u201d?\u00a0 The Jews, only the Jews were bound by the law; Israelites only.\u00a0 He even used the word \u201cwe\u201d including himself.\r\n\r\nLet\u2019s look at Galatians 6:15, Paul distinguishes again two groups; it says, \u201cFor neither is circumcision anything, nor uncircumcision,\u201d two groups \u201cbut a new creation.\u201d\u00a0 Why\u2026 you guys might be thinking this is crazy; why is this important?\u00a0 Because Paul [can't understand word] distinguishes between two believing groups.\u00a0 I\u2019m just trying to build a case; he makes distinctions because that\u2019s the way it\u2019s always been.\u00a0 The ancient world before the church, before the church came into being, there were only two peoples, Jews and Gentiles, no other ethnic people group had the privilege of being bound covenantally to God, not even the U.S.A.\r\n\r\nSo it\u2019s not surprising that Paul would make distinctions.\u00a0 And you know what\u2019s unfortunate?\u00a0 That many will try and challenge you and say what are you talking about, the Bible says that there are no distinctions between Jews and Gentiles, we are all one in Christ.\u00a0 What about those verses?\u00a0 I\u2019m glad you asked.\u00a0 Hold your place here in Galatians 6:16, now turn to Galatians 3:28.\u00a0 Paul said, \u201cThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in\u201d the church\u2026 oh, you got me, wait, wait, does it say that?\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThere is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.\u201d \u2026 Christ Jesus!\r\n\r\nTo understand this we must remember why Paul is writing this letter; context is everything.\u00a0 Paul is combating false teaching; the Judaizers were teaching that salvation is earned by the adherence to the Law, to the Mosaic Law.\u00a0 Paul says NO, ALL people, whether Jew or Gentile are all justified by faith.\u00a0 Paul is referring to a spiritual standing in Christ Jesus, not an ethnic standing, Jew nor Greek.\u00a0 Not a biological standard, male or female, neither a social standard, slave or free.\u00a0 Romans 3:23 says \u201cAll have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,\u201d both Jew and Gentile.\u00a0 And since \u201cAll have sinned\u201d then \u201call\u201d can only be justified by God by faith alone in His Son, regardless of distinctions.\r\n\r\nI mean, if you think about this for a second, if all distinctions were lost then by that logic I can call myself a Jew, right?\u00a0 R. C. Sproul says you can, R. C. Sproul, Jr.\u00a0\u00a0 In 1998 in a December issue of Tabletalk Magazine entitled What About the Jews<\/em>, he said, \u201cWe believe that the church is essentially Israel; we believe that the answer to what about the Jews is here we are.\u201d\u00a0 Because of the way he understands Galatians \u00a06:16, because of the way he understands Romans 3:28 he is claiming the ethnic racial national designation for Israel for himself, and apparently for his partners.\u00a0 I will not agree with his statement.\u00a0 According to this logic then you are saying biological distinctions, right, between man and woman are irrelevant, right?\u00a0 Well, we definitely know some politicians who wish that were the case.\u00a0 And so by that logic you\u2019re saying social distinctions of employer and employee are done away with too, right?\u00a0 I tell you what; you go to work next week with that kind of mindset and let\u2019s see how far you get.\r\n\r\nA ninth reason why Galatians 6:16 does not support replacement theology is because Paul is distinguishing believing Jews for special recognition.\u00a0 Okay.\u00a0 Paul will not only distinguish between two groups, he will single out one group of the two for special recognition, namely the nation of Israel.\u00a0 And why would he do that?\u00a0 One reason is because only one nation had the unique privilege of entering into a covenant with Almighty God.\u00a0\u00a0 A second reason is because if you read carefully these letters and his other letters Paul does this as well; again Paul\u2019s audience are all believers in Galatians but notice he primarily focuses on the Jewish group, as we\u2019ve seen that in Galatians 3:24.\u00a0 [Galatians 3:24, \u201cTherefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.\u201d]\r\n\r\nHe will use the word \u201cwe\u201d including himself.\u00a0 He does so in Romans 2:28.\u00a0 Romans 2:28-29 says, \u201cFor he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. [29] But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart,\u201d see the spiritual standing there, \u201c by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.\u201d\r\n\r\nPaul here is delineating the distance between unsaved Jews, the one who is a Jew outwardly, and recognizing the saved Jews, the Jew who is one inwardly.\u00a0 In other words, just being a Jew doesn\u2019t save you, that\u2019s what Paul is saying.\u00a0 Being a Jew in faith saves you.\u00a0 To Paul there was such thing as a Jew and then a true Jew, a believing Jew.\r\n\r\nRomans 9:6 he does this as well, \u201cBut it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel;\u201d he\u2019s doing the same thing here, he is specially recognizing a true believing Jew from an unbelieving Jews.\u00a0 He does this in Romans 11:1 and 5, uniquely recognizing the Jewish believer.\u00a0 [Romans 11:1, \u201cI say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.\u201d\u00a0 Romans 11:5, \u201cIn the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God\u2019s<\/em> gracious choice.\u201d]\u00a0 In fact, he calls them \u201ca remnant according to God\u2019s<\/em> gracious choice.\u201d\u00a0 That sounds like a special recognition.\u00a0 Romans 11:5 is a dead ringer.\r\n\r\nAnd also to understand this ninth point we must first understand why Paul wrote this book.\u00a0 Again he\u2019s combating Judaizers that say salvation comes from adherence to the Mosaic Law, keeping the old Mosaic Law, and Judaizers were demanding even the Gentiles to this custom, this circumcision, physical circumcision.\u00a0 Judaizers actually means to live according to Jewish custom and Paul has dealt with that in Acts 15 and here in the Book of Galatians he strongly condemns it.\r\n\r\nIn Galatians 1:6 he said, \u201cI am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;\u201d and here in Galatians Paul is teaching justification by faith alone apart from the Law.\u00a0 Now Gentiles are not of the law, were they?\u00a0 Only the Israelites.\u00a0 Galatians is a magna carta of our faith as some would label this book.\u00a0 In Galatians 3:23, but now faith has come, we (believing Jews)\u00a0 are no longer under the tutor or the Law.\u00a0 [Galatians 3:23, \u201cBut before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed.\u201d]\u00a0 And if I remember my Old Testament correctly the Mosaic Law was exclusively for the nation of Israel.\r\n\r\nSo it doesn\u2019t seem strange to conclude that Paul is making special recognition of the believing Jews amongst the church.\u00a0 He does so routinely here in Galatians and in his other letters.\u00a0 And beyond this doesn\u2019t he specially recognize the church?\u00a0 He does that, right. \u00a0In John 14, He says I\u2019m coming back.\u00a0 [John 14:3, \u201cAnd if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.\u201d]\r\n\r\nStudy the rapture passages in the Bible and you\u2019ll see that as well.\u00a0 Is not the church exempt from wrath, from the wrath to come?\u00a0 Why else would Paul recognize a smaller believing group of Jews?\u00a0 Because he\u2019s saying to his audience that he is not anti-Semitic.\u00a0 If you think about it, he is vehemently opposing false doctrine of his own people.\u00a0 The people which he loved, the unbeliever Jews or Judaizers, to them he becomes a complete sellout, a deserter.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 Completely against the Jewish custom.\u00a0 This false teaching was so egregious, so horrible that in Galatians 1:8-9 he says whoever promotes it is to be accursed.\u00a0 [Galatians 1:8, \u201cBut even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!\u00a0 [9] As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!\u201d]\u00a0 That\u2019s how bad it was.\u00a0 Very strong words from Paul.\r\n\r\nA tenth reason why Galatians 6:16 does not support replacement theology, and with this we\u2019re done, and that\u2019s because God doesn\u2019t lie or break His covenantal promises.\u00a0 In Numbers 23:19 it says, \u201cGod is not a man, that He should lie, [Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?]\u201d\u00a0 Amen!\r\n\r\nIn 1 Samuel 15:29, \u201cAlso the glory of Israel,\u201d referring to God Himself, \u201cnot lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.\u201d\u00a0 See, the replacement theologian says God changed His mind, the church replaced Israel.\r\n\r\nAnd then in Romans 11:1 Paul says, \u201cI say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!\u201d\u00a0 Shouldn\u2019t this verse alone seal the deal for the dispensational camp?\u00a0 I think so.\u00a0 For God cannot lie, He cannot break His covenantal promises.\r\n\r\nSo why then are we discussing replacement theology.\u00a0 The evidence that the Bible does not teach it is overwhelming.\u00a0 The Bible does NOT teach that the church has replaced Israel; the Bible does NOT teach Israel has been rejected by God, nor does it teach Israel\u2019s covenantal blessings of land, seed and blessing have been transferred to the church. \u00a0\u00a0So praise the Lord for that!\r\n\r\nWe have concluded our replacement theology lesson.\u00a0 I hope I have thoroughly explained replacement theology and what the Christian should understand about this topic.\r\n\r\nSo now what?\u00a0 Armed with this information how then shall we live.\u00a0 We can pray; we can pray for those who believe this doctrine and for those who teach this doctrine, sitting under Andy I\u2019ve definitely learned to challenge foreign ideas concerning doctrine and for that I\u2019m thankful.\u00a0 Paul did it, why shouldn\u2019t we?\u00a0 We can also continue to pray for the nation of Israel as a whole and for individual salvation.\u00a0 And for those sitting in the audience that may be here for the first time, those who are unsure about their relationship with God, you\u2019ve heard here today that God does not lie, He does not break His promises.\u00a0 That means when you put your faith in Christ Jesus, which I strongly encourage you to do, your eternity is secured\u2026 is secured and you can bank on that!\r\n\r\nYou see, the replacement theologian says if God can change His mind or renege on His promises where does that leave me; where does that leave you?\u00a0 We serve a faithful God\u2026 Amen!\u00a0 Faithful!\u00a0 And by believing in His Son, Christ Jesus, and what he has done for you, that seals the deal; that\u2019s the trigger, that process is called the gospel, it\u2019s a one-step process\u2014believe on what He has done for you and then on the authority of God and on His Word then you\u2019ve just altered your destiny, you\u2019ve altered your eternity.\u00a0 You are saved.\u00a0 Welcome to the family.\u00a0 And if you\u2019re unsure you can talk to me after the service or any of these fine people here.\u00a0 Let\u2019s pray.\r\n\r\nFather, we thank You for Your Word, that You are true and faithful.\u00a0 We thank You that You desire us to grow in the Lord and in our faith. We thank You that You have allowed us to finish this series and Father may we be careful to give You all the glory and the praise.\u00a0 And we pray these things in Jesus\u2019 name.\u00a0 And God\u2019s people said\u2026 Amen.","series_sermon_number":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t