997. Party Time and You're Invited

Anyone can read the pages of the Bible repeatedly and still miss many themes and chunks of valuable information. One of these subjects which is found threaded throughout, especially in the New Testament, is the matter of two groups of people—those who are Jewish and those who are not ... referred to as Gentiles. Although Jesus came to minister primarily to Jews under the Mosaic law during His time on earth, He would drop some hints that salvation would not be limited to the people of Israel. Of course, the book of Acts and epistles that followed revealed even more about this within the message of the gospel.

One example is the parable known as the prodigal or the prodigal son. Just who was this guy? He was left for dead and came seeking life without needing to lift a finger to do anything to earn it ... even though he felt obligated to do so. And then there is the older brother who worked so faithfully and diligently, declaring he never neglected a command while refusing the Father's invitation to a celebration. How offensive that the younger brother be treated as an equal!

In the previous chapters leading up to this parable, Jesus alluded to some things about Jews rejecting the Messiah, turning down an invitation to an eternal fellowship with free food, and then ordering that the unwanted and ignored from the city be invited. But that wasn't all ... the invitation would also extend to those far off, beyond the highways and the hedges. The hedges? The prodigal was described as being far off. All of this is carefully planted evidence, providing us with exciting answers from Ephesians chapter 2 ... and it's worth celebrating.



   
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996. Changes After the Cross: Believing Jews Struggle With the Gentile Welcome Mat

As we read the pages of the Bible, it can be a very difficult thing to put ourselves in the shoes of the people living during the time of Jesus and those first decades after the cross. But becoming more aware of the historical aspects of that time as it relates to the gospel message may help us to understand some of the writings better. Otherwise, we may skim past significant information that has relevance for us today.

For example, Jewish people who had been working for generations under the burden of the Mosaic law and were coming to believe in Jesus ... might have struggled greatly with Gentiles (non-Jews) receiving the same Spirit of God by believing in Christ. After all, Gentiles had been viewed as outsiders, sinners, and unclean, and had no part of their previous covenant as the Jewish people who were considered exclusively set apart as God's people. It caused some division even among apostles and their companions, and would impact how the gospel would be spread and shared.



   
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977. Jews, Gentiles and the New Covenant

Many who have attended a church for most of their lives can attest that they seldom or never heard teaching that revolves around the concept of the New Covenant. They may have been taught to view the Bible as one book, and in doing so, have been confused with a combination of two very different covenants that don't always translate into the true gospel.

There are also some who don't believe there is a New Covenant available except to those who are Jewish. Paul spent a good deal of time explaining to Gentiles (in the flesh) the changes that took place since the cross and resurrection ... opening the gate to both groups to receive salvation and life by faith ... while leaving the old ministry of law in the dust.



   
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906. False Assumptions: Gentiles Grafted Into Israel?

In some church circles, there is a popular supposition that (non-Jewish) Gentiles were engrafted into Israel. The phrase often heard is, "We are now engrafted Jews." This idea can leave people with the wrongful impression that Gentiles would be brought under Jewish laws and customs that were from the Old Covenant, exclusively meant for Israel before Jesus fulfilled the law.

This is usually taken from a passage in Romans 11, but the theory is a misleading one that doesn't consider the bigger context of what else Paul said in his Romans letter regarding Jew and Gentile. And another explanation he gives is in Ephesians chapter 2 ... where both Jew and Gentile were reconciled together into one body—the body of Christ—giving both groups access to the Father by one Spirit. In other words, we Gentiles weren't merged into Israel. Both which had been separated were brought together and joined in Christ himself.



   
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887. Misunderstandings About "The Dispensation of Grace"

The phrase “dispensation of grace” found in some Bible translation such as the KJV and NKJV in Ephesians chapter 3 is often misunderstood to mean an age where grace is poured out for a period of time. It is also considered by some that the dispensation of grace is meant for Gentiles, while the New Covenant was meant for the Jews only. We’ll look at this passage in context to break down what the word dispensation means in the original language and why it is found in many translations as stewardship.

Paul was referring to a stewardship of grace that was given to him to help reveal a mystery that had been hidden in previous generations … and that mystery is that Gentiles would be fellow heirs with the Jews as was explained in the earlier part of the book of Ephesians. Paul preached the gospel to both groups, because everyone is justified in the same way—by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law—a ministry that Jesus abolished and tore down. The grace of God is not a temporary period of time in history … it is eternal.

There were even those named as apostles who were advocating for a gospel catering to Jews and another for Gentiles. Paul came along with a revelation on how the establishment of a New Covenant by Jesus resulted in a bringing together of these two groups—not a separation with different gospel messages. And the obsolete and abolished law would have nothing to do with the one gospel message to be ministered to all people.



   
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886. The New Covenant Brought Jew and Gentile Together

In the early days of the church, there were intense disputes and disagreements among Jewish believers in Jesus regarding non-Jewish people (Gentiles) and how they would fit into the bigger picture. Since Gentiles had never been under the law, but seemingly could still be saved, how would all of this work? Most believing Jews still assumed the Mosaic law would continue to be in effect and remain part of the “Christian” culture in a post-resurrection world.

There were even those named as apostles who were advocating for a gospel catering to Jews and another for Gentiles. Paul came along with a revelation on how the establishment of a New Covenant by Jesus resulted in a bringing together of these two groups—not a separation with different gospel messages. And the obsolete and abolished law would have nothing to do with the one gospel message to be ministered to all people.



   
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885. The New Covenant and the Jewish/Gentile Controversy

The world has an army of theologians who consider themselves soldiers sent to interpret the writings of the Bible. An army is more effective when they work together in sync, but the countless array of viewpoints and opinions have largely left each individual soldier fending for themselves, running in all kinds of different directions and resulting in confusion and disarray. One of the subjects that has “Bible believers” all over the map is on the topic of the New Covenant.

Some will claim it hasn’t begun yet and it will come later after Israel agrees to the terms of the agreement. Others will say it is in effect, but only for Israel. Others who believe the NC is in place and available for everyone have differing views on just exactly how the covenant should be defined. Few church denominations teach on it at all. So let’s take a closer look at the New Covenant and the Jewish/Gentile controversy that was taking place in those early days after the resurrection of Jesus.



   
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796. Paul: Jesus Broke Down the Wall of Separation (The Law of Commandments)

This week we’re in the second chapter of Ephesians. Paul keeps pounding away for each group of churches he is writing to regarding the good news message of salvation coming by grace through faith, and not of works. There is nothing left for any of us to boast in what we do.

In this passage, he reveals how the barrier or dividing wall which had kept Israel in bondage and Gentiles without a covenant — that wall was broken down by Jesus so these two groups of people could become one in Christ.

What was that wall of separation? It was the law of commandments contained in ordinances … and Jesus brought down this enmity in order to reconcile the world to God.

   
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719. Tear Down This Wall!

In Ephesians Chapter 2, Paul talked about a dividing wall which brought a separation from Christ. It kept us from the covenants of promise while leaving us without hope and without God in the world. What was this wall of separation? Many might be surprised to find out that Paul revealed it was the law of commandments contained in ordinances.

Jesus broke down this barrier and it resulted in us who were far off being brought near by His blood. It ended with both Jew and Gentile being brought together into one new man (Christ). For centuries, the religious business has attempted to rebuild this wall which Jesus leveled… leaving people in a place of covenant confusion and uncertainty.



   
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609. The Wall of Law Torn Down: Jews and Gentiles Brought Together

In Ephesians chapter 2, Paul explains the gospel in the context of two different groups: Those who were born of the Jewish race, and the Gentiles who were born from another tribe or nation, outside of Israel. The Jews were under the law and had a hope within their (first) covenant with almighty God. We who would have been considered Gentiles were without a covenant, without hope, and without God in the world. The Jews were near, Gentiles were far off. What is it that divided or separated these two groups? It was the law of commandments found in ordinances. The Jews pursued righteousness through their works under the law but could not attain it, because “the law is not of faith.” Jesus broke down this wall of separation (the law and commandments) and brought the two together as one man, into one body (the body of Jesus Christ). Instead of works, it is through faith that Jews are made righteous, and we Gentiles are no longer far off or strangers and aliens, but are now members of the household of God.



   

608. Jews, Gentiles and the Gospel

Today in the New Covenant, Jew and Gentile have been merged together as one. However, gaining an understanding of the separation or the differences between them prior to the cross will help us to see a clearer picture of the gospel, and why Jesus ministered (to the Jews) in the way that He did. Because it is often erroneously assumed by Christians today that Jesus was always ministering a New Covenant teaching that was meant for everyone, believers will lack understanding that references to Gentiles were simply non-Jewish people — those born outside of the Jewish race. Coming to a realization of this will help us to avoid getting confused when it comes to the (expired) old covenant law, and the New Covenant that we abide in today.