Monday, January 17, 2011

Paul's ministry to Jews

If Paul was the apostle to the gentiles, why did Paul minister to Jews?


Paul's grace ministry is given to save a lost Jewish person who believes Paul's preaching of Jesus Christ, as well as a lost Gentile.

Romans 11:11-13
I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.  Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?  For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

Romans 16:25
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Today, God considers all men as "gentiles" or "the nations." The word gentiles means "the nations."

 The nation of Israel has no special status as a nation before God today, but is reckoned among the nations.

Romans 11:32
For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Paul is the Apostle of the gentiles/nations, and went to everybody, whether Jew or Gentile, with the Gospel of God's Grace

Acts 9:15
But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

Paul says that "true" circumcision is in the heart! So anyone who does not know Jesus Christ as Saviour today is considered an "uncircumcised heathen" by God.

Look at Romans 2:28-29
For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Philippians 3:1-3
Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Peter, James and John confined their ministries to those Jewish saints who trusted Christ as their Messiah before Paul got saved—they are the "circumcision" referred to in Galatians. 

Galatians 2:7-9
But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;  (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)  And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen [lost gentile and lost Jew], and they unto the circumcision [those Jews who trusted Christ as their Messiah before Paul got saved].

After Paul's salvation in Acts 9, all lost people, both Jew and Gentile are the "uncircumcision" (the "heathen") to whom Paul is sent to.

Hopefully this helps!
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