Still Chosen: Has One Verse Erased God's Covenant?

For centuries, a single line from Paul’s letter to the Romans - “not all Israel is Israel” - has been used to rewrite the story of God’s faithfulness. 

But was Paul really declaring that the Church replaced Israel? Or was he weeping over his people, trusting that God’s promises still stand?

This episode takes a deep look into Romans 9–11 and Galatians 6, unpacking what Paul meant by “the Israel of God” and how a single mistranslated conjunction has shaped two millennia of confusion. 

We’ll explore the grief behind Paul’s words, the endurance of God’s covenants, and the modern drift that has led Christians to read prophecy as poetry and Israel’s story as metaphor.

As anti-Semitism rises and theology grows foggy, it’s time to recover what the Apostle Paul never meant to erase: that Israel’s unbelief doesn’t cancel God’s faithfulness - it magnifies it.

Key Takeaways

• Paul’s “anguish and unceasing sorrow” in Romans 9 reveals grief, not rejection.
• “Not all Israel is Israel” distinguishes the nation from its remnant, not Israel from the Church.
• God’s covenants - Abrahamic, Mosaic, Davidic, and New - remain active and irrevocable.
• “The Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16) refers to Jewish believers, not the Church replacing Israel.
• Translation shifts like changing “and” to “even” have fueled replacement theology.
• The Church’s inclusion in God’s plan never meant Israel’s exclusion.
• When we forget Israel, we lose the storyline of our own salvation.

Chapter Markers (Approximate)

• 00:00 – Why “Not All Israel Is Israel” Is Misunderstood
• 05:00 – Paul’s Heartbreak and the Faithfulness of God
• 14:00 – Israel’s Covenants Still Stand
• 22:00 – The Real Meaning of “The Israel of God”
• 30:00 – How History and Translation Warped the Story
• 40:00 – Why This Matters for the Church Today
• 46:00 – God’s Faithfulness and the Invitation to Clarity

God’s promises to Israel were never revoked - they’re being fulfilled before our eyes. The story of redemption still runs through Jerusalem. Don’t just listen - learn to read Scripture the way Paul wrote it: with tears in your eyes and hope in your heart.

Explore more resources at thejewishroad.com, join us on the journey to Israel, or become one of The Few - standing with us as we help the Church make sense of God’s story for Israel and the nations.