Not a particularly popular point of view around here, but in my opinion the New Testament is very clear that the Jews WERE God’s chosen people.
They lost this status when they, as a group, chose to reject their Messiah, his son.
Since then, Spiritual Israel has been God’s new chosen people. It is made up of all those who choose to follow Christ, and includes many ethnic Jews on an equal basis with all other ethnic groups.
They lost this status when they, as a group, chose to reject their Messiah, his son. That would be your OPINION. Now where in the New Testament is it stated that Chosen People status is removed? Who, other than God, would have such authority?
However, in the spirit of your post, I would note that God's ADOPTED people would have greater FAVOR than His CHOSEN people, based on their acceptance of His Son.
Not a particularly popular point of view around here, but in my opinion the New Testament is very clear that the Jews WERE God’s chosen people. That's false. They still are His chosen. In fact, the Apostle Paul goes through great lengths teaching that they are still His.
So I don't know what New Testament you're reading.
They lost this status when they, as a group, chose to reject their Messiah, his son.
Since then, Spiritual Israel has been God’s new chosen people. It is made up of all those who choose to follow Christ, and includes many ethnic Jews on an equal basis with all other ethnic groups.
And this is the heresy of Replacement Theology. Their spiritual blindness was prophesied and Gentiles are the beneficiaries of it.
Don't mistake this with His casting them away. Every jot and tittle will be fulfilled.
If you can't appreciate the pure beauty of the violin after hearing this, something's wrong with your ears. Or you can get raw with these strings. Either way, the violin is sweet yet lethal.
Do it!
Biblically, the Jewish people must trace their lineage back to all three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. From a Biblical point of view, Jewish geneologies are paternally determined as opposed to other methods developed by the Jewish people over the centuries, such as a Jewish person is so if his/her mother is Jewish, if he/she is a gentile (non-Jew) cultural ‘proselyte’, etc. If a male Israelite married a Moabitess, for example Boaz marrying Ruth, their offspring were 100% Jewish, in Scripture.
Again, biblically, Jewish people are so because of their pedigree which must include Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Most Jewish tribal geneologies were lost after the destruction of Jerusalem, 70 CE, although surnames such as “Levy, Levi, Cohen,” etc. point to the Levitical tribe.
Scripture clearly delineates between 2 sets of people in 2 different ways:
Jews
non-Jews (goyim, gentiles)
believers, God-fearers
nonbelievers, pagans, apostates
One can be Jewish and a God-fearer
One can be Jewish and a nonbeliever (atheist, agnostic, etc.)
One cannot be Jewish and gentile (*biblically speaking only* where the father determines lineage)
Oh, and since many of the prophecies have not yet been fulfilled for Israel, God is NOT finished with His chosen people. God is always, always, always a promise-keeper, though His timetable out-spans our brief lifetimes. Beware reformed theology that “spiritualizes” away all the promises for Israel in the Tenach by suggesting “Israel” = the Church.
“Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks (gentiles), OR the church of God.” 1 Cor. 10:32