recognizing Replacement Theology

[Dave]

There's a term I sometimes use - "downstream pollution". I'm sure you get the idea.



We need to be very careful about what we say (on any topic), especially if we are in a position of leadership. And if we do subsequently change our views on something, we should have the humility to say so to prevent the sort of situation you describe. I don't think you can exactly "recall" tapes and books in the same way that you might recall a defective consumer product, but you can at least publicly announce that you no longer hold those views. I suppose you could offer a free exchange for an updated teaching.



Unfortunately, the idea of changing your mind doesn't fit very well with the evangelical/fundamentalist mindset and you'll rarely encounter it in the real world. Or people do change their views over time, but just don't admit to it. I think there's a bit of pride in there.



I think one of the reasons why there is a lot of replacement theology around is that pastors have received it in their bible college training and unknowingly pass it on to their congregations. Whilst it's probably not unreasonable to say that most people forget 95+% of a sermon within a matter of minutes, often little catchphrases like "new israel" stick in the mind, especially if they come up every few weeks.



James 3 is quite a relevant passage to all this.