What follows is a two-part series regarding the issues surrounding the principle of "Jew first" in the Bible.
I'd like to consider why the Jew was first; Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles--why did he say "to the Jew first"? What did Paul mean when he said, "To the Jew first" concerning the gospel he preached? Is that still applicable today? That is, should the Jews of today be given precedence when we share the gospel? That seems to be what Romans 1:16 teaches. I will examine these things further in the following paragraphs.
In the Acts record it is clear that, even after the stoning of Stephen and the salvation of Saul (who came to be called "Paul"), God was not finished with the Jews. For Paul went first into every synagogue to attempt to prove that Jesus was the Christ. What's more, not only the "gospel of God" (the revelation of Christ from prophecy, which Peter also preached) was upon Paul's lips, but he testified the "gospel of Christ" (the revelation of the righteousness of God by faith, first made known by Paul) as being "to the Jew first".
The gospel of Christ being spoken first to the Jews is in agreement with the words of Acts 13:46 when Paul and Barnabas declared, "It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you", speaking to the men of Israel. This "word of God" is referring to the good news he and Barnabas delivered the previous Sabbath, when Paul said, "through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38, 39). That is the "gospel of Christ". In fact, Paul's purpose for "magnifying his office" as apostle of the Gentiles was to provoke the Jews to jealousy (Romans 11:13, 14).
Despite being first, however, the Jewish audience begins to diminish more and more as the Gentile audience increases. This is detailed by the events in the book of Acts, but clarified in the book of Romans. "Now if the fall of them (Israel) be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more their fulness?" (Romans 11:12). It is clear that this seemingly gradual "diminishing" became the full-fledged fall that Paul speaks of in Romans because of Paul's final declaration in Acts where he said, "Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and they will hear it" (Acts 28:28). THE salvation of God, that was once "of the Jews" (John 4:22), had now passed to the rest of the world. No longer would Israel nationally be regarded as God's people; and it will continue this way "until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in" (Romans 11:25).
Why the interruption, then? If one carefully studies the earthly ministry of Christ in the accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, he should be able to realize that at the beginning of the book of Acts, everything was proceeding according to plan! Jesus spent almost all of his ministry on earth, expounding upon what had already been recorded in prophecy, explaining to the Jews who would follow him about the tribulation that must come and the kingdom that would follow. Those who would be true Israelites would be identified by their belief in Christ as the true Messiah, King of Israel. And so, the Holy Spirit's ministry in the beginning of the Acts record shows the preaching of Jesus Christ as the anointed of God, and the command for Israel's repentance in accordance with what was written in Leviticus:
If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me; and that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity: then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. Leviticus 26:40-42
National repentance was expected of them for the inheritance of the kingdom. It always had been. But it will not be until the greatest trial the world has ever known that the remnant of Jews will repent and come into the kingdom promised to them. This is recorded in Zechariah, where it says:
And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. Zechariah 13:8, 9
God knew this, of course; but he offered them the kingdom anyway, and despite widespread unbelief, many were saved.
Thus the mystery enters.
It was a split in the timetable, with an interjection of a hidden plan; a gap created just as Israel was being gathered out of the nations, receiving the Spirit, and being offered repentance for the advent of the kingdom; on the brink of Jacob's Trouble. And that gap will end soon, ushering in the dreaded tribulation that will bring true Israel out, shining as the sun. But we have the insertion of something unprophesied.
In the ninth chapter of Romans, Paul answers the question, "Why favor the Jews to the rejection of the Gentiles?" In times past, God made the decision to bring an elect nation out of Jacob, with whom he would dwell, while leaving Esau to himself. Out of Jacob came Israel, and out of Esau came the Gentiles. Not as though there were no other nations (Gentiles) beside those which came from Esau, but that Jacob was the first to be identified as "Israel", and out of the same womb came his brother, who did not believe as Jacob did. Thus we have the definitive distinction made between the elect nation of Israel, and the rest of the world, made clear by just two men: Jacob and Esau. The line through whom the nation of Israel would come, began with Abraham, passed through Isaac (as opposed to Ishmael), and rested upon Jacob, who was called "Israel" (as opposed to Esau). But Paul explains that God had mercy in mind when he elected one nation to be above the rest:
Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? Romans 9:21-24
God had something in mind--"mercy unto glory"--reserved for the Gentiles. Paul calls this in Colossians 1:27, "the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles." God withheld the "vessels of wrath" which will come upon the world in the tribulation period, so that, prior to this judgment which he delayed, mercy could be shown to the world. He is entirely fair to all men, in that, secretly, while Israel was given prominence above all nations and the Gentiles were far off, she would for a time be cast off so that salvation could come to the Gentiles. No one comprehended this, but it was in the mind of God before the foundation of the world.
What about prophecy then?
It is true that Gentile salvation had its place in what was spoken before in prophecy, and it is also true that it was written that Israel would be cast off. But the mystery totally confounds the context of such things. For, according to prophecy, Gentile salvation would come through the nation of Israel, not without her. And while a Gentile could join the company of Israel at any time and enjoy her salvation, the salvation of Gentiles in great number was the salvation reserved for the earthly kingdom of the Jews. In accordance with prophesy, it could never have been said that salvation was "of the Gentiles" (i.e. "sent to them"); the salvation to which the believing Jews are to look is found in the New Covenant God made with Israel, which is to be enacted at the foundation of the millennial kingdom of Christ--all of this future, not having yet occurred. Equally, even with the threats of Israel's destruction, it was certain that she would not be cast off entirely.
But it was also uncertain that her casting off would give way to salvation sent distinctly to the Gentiles. The prophesies Paul quotes that support Gentile salvation apart from Israel, are deliberately taken out of their prophetical context. This is a strictly Pauline principle I will discuss in greater detail in Part 2 of this study. But for now, it must be realized that this mystery was kept hidden until its proper time. For many believe that Jesus discussed the fact that Gentiles would be given favor apart from the Jews because of statements such as this:
And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 8:11, 12
Indeed, the statement, "many from the east and west" has Gentiles in mind. Jesus was finishing conversation with a Gentile centurion at this point. The key is, however, that firstly; Jesus identifies the kingdom of heaven (kingdom of heavenly origin set up on earth) as occupied by the fathers of Israel, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (cf. Genesis 48:21; Acts 26:6-8; 1 Kings 9:5). Secondly; it is clear from other of his words that there will be a remnant of Israel who obeyed God and will find their place in that kingdom. And thirdly; it's the prophetic promised land of which he is speaking. Indeed, the kingdom was prepared for the obedient from the foundation of the word, whether they were Jews or Gentiles (Matthew 25:34), even though the gospel of the kingdom was sent to the Jews exclusively (Matthew 10:5-7). Peter said, "But in every nation, he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of him" (Acts 10:35). And had the tribulation begun shortly after Jesus' death and resurrection, I am confident that the centurion spoken of here would have entered into Israel's earthly kingdom with the Jews because, as it is written of him, "He was worthy...for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue" (Luke 7:4, 5). He blessed Israel and thought nothing of himself as a Gentile, as a result; knowing full-well Israel's preeminence in the sight of God. Yet no tribulation has come, and the kingdom has not yet been established; we're operating under a different set of circumstances today.
The point Jesus was making at this time was the same he was making throughout his entire earthly life: in comparison to the vast size of the nation of Israel, only a few would inherit the kingdom promised to their fathers. This discourse was never intended to disclose, nor even hint at, the revelation of the mystery reserved for Paul. It is a simple, albeit surprising, statement that many Gentiles will occupy Israel's kingdom; more than the children themselves.
Then there's this one:
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Matthew 21:43
Again, all in the context of the earthly kingdom of God, notice Jesus does not say, "given to nations" (plural), but "a nation" (singular). That single nation was TRUE Israel, those who believed in Jesus Christ as Messiah, and of whom it was stated, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32). The ones from whom the kingdom would be taken, according to whom Jesus was speaking during this discourse, were the "chief priests and pharisees" (Matthew 21:45), apostate Israel! This in accordance with the statement Paul spoke of Israel, saying, "they are not all Israel, which are of Israel" (Romans 9:6). The kingdom promises would be ripped from the disobedient and unbelieving among the nation and given to a small group of Jews.
Jesus spoke in parables but gave understanding of them only to those who believed. "Many are called, but few chosen", he declared. Only the believing remnant would be selected as the true Israel of God. Likewise, the verses which teach about the blindness and hardness of Israel were written concerning unbelieving Israel. There were mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, reserved only for the remnant of Israel who would believe; mysteries which were withheld from those who were hardened. Peter spoke to the righteous remnant when he said,
Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; they ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:7-9
This status was promised all the way back in the times of the exodus from Egypt, when God said to the new nation,
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. Exodus 19:5, 6
Peter, by the Holy Spirit, craftily likens the calling out of the remnant from the midst of apostate Israel which occurred in his day, to the time when the Jews were in bondage to Egypt and were led out by Moses. Whatever the time frame in that nation's history, it is only the obedient, the ones who believe God among a people destitute of faith, who become a "kingdom of priests" in the millennium to come.
This concludes Part 1
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