POISON IN THE PULPIT – How Replacement Theology Confuses, Divides, and Damages the Church
Why this doctrine destroys the faith of new believers, corrupts the worldview of seasoned saints, and cripples the mission of the Church.
🎙️ EPISODE TWO INTRO
POISON IN THE PULPIT – How Replacement Theology Confuses, Divides, and Damages the Church
Subtitle: Why this doctrine destroys the faith of new believers, corrupts the worldview of seasoned saints, and cripples the mission of the Church.
INTRO:
The Church is limping. Not because of persecution. Not because of the world. But because of what we've allowed to be taught from our own pulpits.
Replacement Theology is one of the most spiritually destructive lies to ever enter the body of Christ. It masquerades as sophisticated theology—but underneath the surface, it's poison. It steals the power of prophecy, corrupts the identity of the Church, and leaves both new and mature believers confused, disoriented, and disconnected from God’s full redemptive story.
How many believers walk around today with no understanding of Israel? No clarity on the Old Testament? No foundation for the book of Revelation? That’s not spiritual maturity—it’s spiritual malnourishment.
And the worst part? This doctrine has been allowed to thrive not just in fringe circles, but in mainstream ministries—spread by untrained, self-appointed teachers like Geoff Stroud and his Substack echo chambers, spewing opinions with no scriptural anchor.
Today, we’re calling it what it is: a theological virus. And we’re confronting it with the unshakable truth of God’s Word.
This episode may expose some sacred cows—but we’re after freedom, not comfort. The Church is being called back to alignment with God’s heart… and it starts with burning down the lies we’ve been taught.
Let’s get to work…
The Church was never meant to limp.
We were never meant to stumble through prophecy, be confused about God’s covenant, or ignore two-thirds of the Bible like it was optional.
But here we are—malnourished in theology, confused about God’s story, and dangerously arrogant about our place in it.
And at the root of all this?
Replacement Theology.
This poison isn’t just an error in interpretation—it’s a lie that’s been preached, published, and platformed from pulpits across the world. And it’s killing the Church’s prophetic voice, confusing new believers, and convincing many seasoned Christians to live in theological fog.
Today, we’re exposing how this doctrine disrupts the very structure of biblical understanding. It’s not about Israel vs. the Church. It’s about truth vs. deception. And it’s time to tear down the stronghold that is silencing God’s people and redefining His plan.
Let’s get to work.
🔄 A BROKEN HERMENEUTIC: WHEN THE CHURCH REWRITES SCRIPTURE
The poison of Replacement Theology begins with misinterpreting the Bible.
It teaches believers to spiritualize God’s literal promises to Israel and reinterpret them to apply exclusively to the Church. It goes something like this:
“Israel” in the Old Testament? That’s now the Church.
“Zion,” “Jerusalem,” “the people of God”? All spiritual metaphors now.
God’s covenants with Abraham, Moses, and David? Replaced or fulfilled in such a way that Israel no longer has any relevance.
The result?
An entire generation of Christians who cannot read Scripture without twisting it.
The Danger of Allegorizing Prophecy
When you replace Israel with the Church, you strip prophecy of its grounding in reality.
Ezekiel’s dry bones?
Isaiah’s vision of Zion?
Zechariah’s Mount of Olives prophecy?
Revelation’s 144,000 from the tribes of Israel?
All reinterpreted, all rewritten, all robbed of their literal meaning.
If we start treating the plain reading of Scripture as metaphor, where do we stop?
Do we allegorize the resurrection? The virgin birth? The return of Christ?
This is where Replacement Theology leads us—into a swamp of uncertainty and theological chaos.
🍼 HOW THIS CONFUSES NEW BELIEVERS
Imagine being a new believer.
You pick up your Bible and start in Genesis. You read about God choosing Abraham, rescuing Israel from Egypt, giving them a land, a law, a tabernacle, a priesthood, and an eternal covenant.
Then you get to church and hear:
“That was for them. It doesn’t apply anymore. God’s done with Israel.”
Wait—what?
You’re told God keeps His promises… except for that one.
You’re told the Old Testament is the Word of God… except you don’t really need it.
You’re told Jesus fulfilled the law… but nobody explains what that even means.
This is confusion, not discipleship.
New believers begin to think:
“Maybe God only cares about the Church.”
“Maybe the God of the Old Testament was different.”
“Maybe I can ignore most of the Bible and still be spiritually mature.”
That’s not faith. That’s fog.
And fog is where deception thrives.
👴 HOW THIS CORRUPTS MATURE BELIEVERS
Even those who’ve walked with Christ for years can fall into this trap.
They’ve been taught for decades that Israel is “done,” prophecy is symbolic, and the Church is the final chapter.
So what happens?
They stop watching Israel.
They stop caring about prophecy.
They stop understanding the continuity of Scripture.
And when you disconnect the Church from her roots, the whole structure becomes unstable.
Romans 11:18: “Do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you.”
The Church is not the root.
‼️Israel is.‼️
We are grafted in.
We are partakers—not owners—of the promises.
And when believers forget that, they begin to think the entire plan of redemption revolves around them.
That’s not maturity. That’s theological narcissism.
🛑 POISONOUS PREACHING: CALLING OUT UNTRAINED TEACHERS
Let me say this plainly: Not everyone with a platform should be teaching theology.
In the age of SubStack, TikTok, and YouTube, anyone can share their “revelations.” But revelation without foundation is just speculation.
Take people like Geoff Stroud, author of the JesusInYou SubStack.
Here’s a man with zero biblical training, pushing wild opinions as gospel truth. He spiritualizes Israel, dismisses biblical prophecy, and promotes teachings that leave his followers doctrinally stranded.
This isn’t harmless ignorance. It’s dangerous influence.
James 3:1 – “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”
Teaching is not a hobby.
It’s not a creative outlet.
It’s a sacred responsibility that requires fear of the Lord, deep study, and accountability.
When these self-proclaimed “teachers” discard the Old Testament, minimize Israel, and spiritualize prophecy, they aren’t just confused—they are confusing others.
They are leading people down a path where:
The cross is disconnected from the covenant.
Jesus is detached from His heritage.
And the Church is exalted above the people God still calls “beloved.”
🧱 HOW THIS DESTROYS THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH
The Church has a mission: Make disciples of all nations. Provoke Israel to jealousy. Prepare for the return of Jesus.
Replacement Theology sabotages all three.
1. It breaks the continuity of the gospel
If the story starts in Matthew, you’ve missed the whole foundation.
The gospel didn’t begin at the manger—it began in the garden. It was promised to Abraham. It ran through Moses and David. It was fulfilled in Jesus—but not finished.
When the Church forgets this, we end up preaching a Savior with no context, a cross with no backstory, and a kingdom with no King.
2. It fails to provoke Israel to jealousy
Romans 11:11 – “Salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous.”
How are we supposed to provoke Israel to jealousy…
if we claim their God, discard their history, steal their promises, and erase their future?
That’s not jealousy. That’s replacement. That’s robbery.
3. It disconnects the Church from her prophetic identity
If Israel doesn’t matter, then Jerusalem doesn’t matter.
If Jerusalem doesn’t matter, then Jesus’ return doesn’t matter.
If Jesus’ return doesn’t matter, then why are we even here?
Replacement Theology neuters the Church.
It turns us into a powerless, futureless, rootless people.
🧠 THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE
Let’s talk about what this does internally to believers.
They start questioning God’s faithfulness. “If He didn’t keep His promise to Israel, will He keep it to me?”
They lose interest in prophecy. “It’s all symbolic anyway.”
They become isolated in identity. “It’s just me and Jesus.”
This leads to depression, confusion, and detachment from the corporate identity of God’s people.
Many Christians walk around feeling like spiritual orphans—because their theology told them they’re the only ones left.
But you’re not.
God has a family.
It includes the Church.
It includes Israel.
And it includes the nations.
💣 WAKE-UP CALL FOR THE CHURCH
If you’ve heard your pastor say, “The Church is the new Israel,” you need to ask:
Where is that in Scripture?
It’s not in Romans.
It’s not in Galatians.
It’s not in Revelation.
In fact, every time “Israel” is used in the New Testament—it still refers to Israel.
Not the Church.
Not a metaphor.
Not a vague idea.
‼️Israel means Israel.‼️
And God means what He says.
“He is not a man, that He should lie.” (Numbers 23:19)
“All His promises are yes and amen.” (2 Corinthians 1:20)
If you believe that verse applies to you, you better believe it still applies to them.
🙌 THE WAY BACK: REPENTANCE, RESTORATION, REVELATION
It’s not too late to detox from this poison.
1. Repent
If you’ve believed or preached this lie, ask God to forgive you.
2. Restore
Rebuild your theology on the full counsel of God’s Word. Old and New. Genesis to Revelation.
3. Re-align
Understand your place in the story—not as a replacement, but as a grafted-in, blood-bought, kingdom-carrying son or daughter of the King.
❓ QUESTION OF THE DAY:
Have you ever heard your church spiritualize promises made to Israel? How did it impact your understanding of the Bible?
🙏 LET’S PRAY:
Lord, open our eyes to the truth of Your Word.
Break every lie we’ve believed about Your covenant with Israel.
Help us return to the roots of our faith.
Cleanse the pulpits. Purify the teaching.
And raise up a Church that walks in truth, humility, and power.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Let’s Get To Work…
(TO BE CONTINUED)
REFERENCE:1
I 100% agree with you. I recently re-posted a resource I developed on the importance of Israel in the past, currently and in the future...mainly as a bulwark against the rise of replacement theory being promoted even as Israel struggles to defend itself.