Welcome back my friends!  I want to continue the thought we touched on Sunday when we examined A Supreme Gift to the Gentiles.  That is the foundation for today’s thought, so if you missed it, you may want to start there before diving in today.

The Apostle Paul understood his sacred duty to share the Messianic message to the Gentiles and, following his dramatic conversion from killing Christ followers to becoming one, he began to reveal a “mystery” that was long hidden in Hebrew Scriptures: Jews and Gentiles could be one in Yeshua, and neither had to lose their distinctive identity!

In Romans 16:25-26, he wrote of “…the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations…”  Here is how the Complete Jewish Bible translates Paul’s revealing of this great mystery:

For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the Jewish people in order to show God’s truthfulness by making good his promises to the Patriarchs, and in order to show his mercy by causing the Gentiles to glorify God — as it is written in the Tanakh,

“Because of this I will acknowledge you among the Gentiles
and sing praise to your name.” [Citing Psalm 18:49]

And again it says,

“Gentiles, rejoice with his people.” [Citing Deuteronomy 32:43]

And again,

“Praise Adonai, all Gentiles!
Let all peoples praise him!” [Citing Psalm 117:1]

And again, Yesha‘yahu says,

“The root of Yishai will come,
he who arises to rule Gentiles;
Gentiles will put their hope in him.”

Is that cool, or what!  Paul is quoting Hebrew Scriptures which speak of Gentiles and Jews worshiping God together!  But why had others not recognized it before?  It was a “mystery,” hidden from understanding until it happened right before their very eyes.  In God’s kingdom there is neither Jew nor Gentile!  Unfortunately, not all agreed, and some even criticized Paul, yet he was perfectly assured of his “priestly” calling.

Much later, a theory proposed by a Jew named David Klinghoffer circulated.  He insisted that it was good that the Jews rejected Jesus so that Paul (and others) could bring about a wonderful message to the Gentiles, resulting in Christianity becoming a powerful religion that greatly improved the world.  He further believed that if Jews accepted Jesus, the requirement to observe all the Torah commandments would be too much for Gentiles, thus Christianity would never have developed.

How wrong he was!  It was never God’s plan for Gentiles to become Jews in order to follow the Messiah.  Thankfully, Paul understood and clearly taught that Israel’s Messiah could be received by Gentiles without taking on the Law of Moses.  In fact, he emphasized that Jews who came to faith in Yeshua should not become Gentiles, and Gentiles that came to faith in Him should not become Jews.  Thus, in 1 Corinthians 7:17-20, Paul wrote:

Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.  For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.  Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.

So, friends, there is room at the cross for both Jews and Gentiles!  Aren’t we thankful for that, and the fact that our Sovereign Lord used a man who once murdered Christ followers, to reveal this marvelous mystery!

To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,  and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things.
~Ephesians 3:8-9 (written by the Apostle Paul!)

Amen!