“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who have been chosen and destined by God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with his blood: May grace and peace be yours in abundance.” (1Pet 1:1-2, NRSV) * ”exiles of the Dispersion” are the “strangers” in the KJV
These “exiles” are primarily Gentile Christians, using the language of the OT for the exiled Jews in Babylon. This begins the identification of the Christian community as the (new) chosen people. The chosen by God in v2 marks out Christians as the new chosen people.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1Pet 2:9-10, NRSV)
This is being primarily addressed to Gentile Christians as seen there, who were once not a people, but are now God’s people. Back to 1:2, “sprinkled with his blood” recalling the blood of the covenant (Ex 24:3-8) now the new covenant in the blood of Christ (Heb 9:20-26). In 1:25 with Isa 40:6-8, the continuity of Israel and the Christian community is again emphasized: Isaiah’s word becomes the Christian gospel.
2:9 “A chosen race… God’s own people” are honorific titles taken from Ex. 19:6; Isa 43:20-21. What in the OT describes Israel is here applied to the Christian community, as also v10. In 2:11 the “Aliens and exiles” is drawn from Gen 23:4; Psa 38:13 and describes the status of Christians in their surrounding pagan society. Then going to the Apostle Paul –
“But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. (Gal 6:14-16, RSV)
This rule, v16, or perhaps vv. 14-15. Israel of God, the church as the true Israel (see 3:7, 29; 4:28-31; Rom 9:6-8)”
This study is gleaned from the academic Harper Collins NRSV Study Bible. I find these academic study Bibles to be less affected by the theological debates about Calvinism vs. Arminianism, and the various views of eschatology. The church is the New Covenant Israel, a continuation of the Old Covenant Israel which was restricted to one nation, the church of Jesus Christ is universal, to all the world.
The specific term "replacement theology" is a modern designation that gained prominence primarily in the twentieth century. It was not used by early church fathers or medieval theologians. Instead, the term was largely coined and popularized by dispensationalist and pro-Israel evangelical scholars as a critical label to describe the traditional Christian interpretive framework known as supersessionism.
These “exiles” are primarily Gentile Christians, using the language of the OT for the exiled Jews in Babylon. This begins the identification of the Christian community as the (new) chosen people. The chosen by God in v2 marks out Christians as the new chosen people.
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1Pet 2:9-10, NRSV)
This is being primarily addressed to Gentile Christians as seen there, who were once not a people, but are now God’s people. Back to 1:2, “sprinkled with his blood” recalling the blood of the covenant (Ex 24:3-8) now the new covenant in the blood of Christ (Heb 9:20-26). In 1:25 with Isa 40:6-8, the continuity of Israel and the Christian community is again emphasized: Isaiah’s word becomes the Christian gospel.
2:9 “A chosen race… God’s own people” are honorific titles taken from Ex. 19:6; Isa 43:20-21. What in the OT describes Israel is here applied to the Christian community, as also v10. In 2:11 the “Aliens and exiles” is drawn from Gen 23:4; Psa 38:13 and describes the status of Christians in their surrounding pagan society. Then going to the Apostle Paul –
“But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. Peace and mercy be upon all who walk by this rule, upon the Israel of God. (Gal 6:14-16, RSV)
This rule, v16, or perhaps vv. 14-15. Israel of God, the church as the true Israel (see 3:7, 29; 4:28-31; Rom 9:6-8)”
This study is gleaned from the academic Harper Collins NRSV Study Bible. I find these academic study Bibles to be less affected by the theological debates about Calvinism vs. Arminianism, and the various views of eschatology. The church is the New Covenant Israel, a continuation of the Old Covenant Israel which was restricted to one nation, the church of Jesus Christ is universal, to all the world.
The specific term "replacement theology" is a modern designation that gained prominence primarily in the twentieth century. It was not used by early church fathers or medieval theologians. Instead, the term was largely coined and popularized by dispensationalist and pro-Israel evangelical scholars as a critical label to describe the traditional Christian interpretive framework known as supersessionism.
