But are Christians Jews? No, certainly not. Some are; and the rest of us may disagree... ;^)
Romans 11:1-22
1. I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
2. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah--how he appealed to God against Israel:
3. "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me" ?
4. And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal."
5. So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.
6. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
7. What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened,
8. as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day."
9. And David says: "May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them.
10. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever."
11. Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.
12. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!
13. I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry
14. in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.
15. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
16. If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.
17. If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root,
18. do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
19. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in."
20. Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid.
21. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.
Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
To a Jew this sounds like assimilation, which is harmless enough when uttered by a protestant. Protestants at least believe in faith as a matter of conscience. So the pious Jew can simply answer: no, thank you. When a Catholic utters it this passage sounds like genocide just because of our unfortunate relationship with the Vicar of Christ and his many, many armed followers through the years.
When a Mormon utters it it sounds like Mormon doctrine; again: harmless enough. Universalizing confessions tend to be universalizing.