[Uncle Chip]

You Baptists have an excellent preacher in Spurgeon. You should read him more often. You'll find that the true Israel of God are those whom God has graced with faith, all believing Jews and gentiles, and that this is not a new "replacement theory," but Biblical truth...

Perhaps I missed it, but just where does Spurgeon in your above quote say that "all believing Jews and gentiles" are the "Israel of God"??? If I remember correctly, Spurgeon believed that the Jews would be regathered back into the Land of Israel according to the scriptures.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

SPURGEON: When he puts on his priestly breastplate, it is for the tribes whose names are there. When he presents the atoning sacrifice, it is for Israel whom God hath chosen; and he utters this great truth, which some regard as narrow, but which we adore, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world." The point to which I want to call attention is this, the reason why Christ prays not for the world, but for his people. He puts it, "For they are thine," as if they wore all the dearer to him because they were the Father's: "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine."

"The Israel whom God hath chosen" is obviously all believing Jews and gentiles, according to the sermon. I hope you read it.

You and I have used this verse from John dozens of times against the Catholics to refute their error that these words refer only to the apostles. You and I have argued that these words by Christ include all those who have been graced with faith in Jesus Christ.

And Spurgeon agrees with us because he defines these believers as the "Israel whom God hath chosen."