Begin this lesson differently by examining a listing of the books of the Bible. Most English translations divide the Bibles books into Old Testament and New Testament. First, note all the books of the Old Testament are written to the Jewish people. Not one book of the Old Testament was written to any of the many other peoples who lived.
Second, note that the Gospels in the New Testament were about things in the Jewish society that happened when Jesus came to earth to be the Messiah (Christ) God promised. Note that much of Acts is about Jewish teachers as they worked among non-Jewish people. Note all of Pauls writings to churches (Romans to 2 Thessalonians) are to congregations that are all or predominantly Gentile. In fact, there are only two books in the New Testament that were (possibly) written to Jewish ChristiansHebrews and James.
Obviously a major shift occurred. Jews are Abrahams descendants through Isaac. Gentile is a word Jews used to refer to people who were not Jews. God dealt exclusively with the Jewish people to bring the Messiah (Christ). The Bible does not contain a record of all of Gods acts, but contains the record of how God fulfilled His intent to bring the Messiah (Christ) to all people in spite of persistent evil human behavior.
God promised a blessing through Abrahams descendants that would benefit everyone (see Genesis 12:3). Gods intent was for the nation of Israel to teach all people how to have relationship with Him (see Isaiah 44:6; 42:5-9; 51:4; Luke 2:25-32; Acts 13:44-47). However, most Jewish people failed to grasp that intent.
It is easy to become arrogant and to think it is all about us when God uses us for His purposes. God brought the Jews into existence. He delivered them from slavery. By His kindness, they survived in the wilderness. He allowed them to possess Canaan. He called them His people (Exodus 3:7-10; Hosea 11:1-4). In time, they concluded that all God cared about or wanted was them. Their conclusion resulted in a form of exclusiveness that rejected others. That resulted in an attitude expressed in a conviction that all God cares about is us.
Most of the New Testament Jews did not object to converting gentiles to God (Matthew 23:15). However, the attitude was that a gentile must become a Jew in conviction before that gentile could approach God. Since gentiles held a different concept of God, since they had different definitions of right and wrong or good and bad, and since their behavior was governed by a different morality, Jews looked at conversion in this way: (a) destroy their pagan concepts, (b) teach them new concepts and behavior, (c) secure a commitment from them to live and behave as do Jews, (d) then cleanse them from their past and accept them as a part of the Jewish community. Conversion was a lengthy process that involved (a) admitting what you were, (b) acknowledging who you should be, and (c) entering a new existence among the Jewish people.
No wonder the popular (Acts 5:15) apostle Peter was confused and bewildered (Acts 10:10-20) when the resurrected Christ commanded him to eat things forbidden Jews and to go with gentiles to a gentile (Roman centurion). No wonder that Peter did not fully understand why God sent him to Cornelius (Acts 10:28, 29). No wonder Christian Jews in Jerusalem were upset with him for socially associating with gentiles (Acts 11:1-3).
No wonder some Jews and even some Jewish Christians so adamantly opposed the Jewish Christian Pauls work among the gentiles (Acts 13:44-52; 14:19-22; 15:5).
The problem of Jewish and gentile Christian relationships was a major problem in first-century churches. To note what an emotional problem it was, consider Romans 14:1-12.
Some things to note: (a) even apostles had to learn; (b) God loving people different from us does not mean God rejects us; (c) our standards do not establish Gods criteria for righteousness; and (d) there are times Gods intent is bigger than our understanding.
Only the unique God could tolerate people who are misguided by emotion and intolerant in conviction. We are blessed because God is unique!
Things for Thought and Discussion
1. All the books of the Old Testament were written to whom?
2. The New Testament Gospels are about what?
3. Much of Acts is about what?
4. What is true of Pauls writings to churches?
5. Who were (are) the Jews?
6. Who were (are) the gentiles? What are you?
7. What did God promise through Abrahams descendants (through Isaac)?
8. What was Gods intent in the nation of Israel?
9. When is it easy to become arrogant?
10. Describe the process of conversion to Judaism in the Bible.
11. The association of Jew and gentile Christian was what in the first century?
12. What four things were you asked to note?
Link to Teacher's Guide
Lesson 11