To The Jew First

"This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses…the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses…Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead…And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great GRACE was upon them all...I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile... (Acts 2:32; 3:15; 4:10, 33; Romans 1:16)

The message of the Jewish disciples to the Jewish people was the RESURRECTION of "Jesus Christ of Nazareth". The resurrection of Jesus proved he was their Messiah and Savior. And when they shared that they had witnessed his resurrection - "great GRACE was upon them all".

At first they went ONLY to their fellow Israelites. Then Cornelius, a devout and God-fearing Gentile, had a vision and sent for Peter. Peter told him about the RESURRECTION of Jesus and Cornelius and his household believed. For the first time, the Jewish followers realized that both ethnic Jews and "DEVOUT AND GOD-FEARING" Gentiles would be included in the Kingdom of God.

"At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly...The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles." (Acts 10:1-2,45)

Years later the Jew Saul (Paul) encountered the RESURRECTED Jesus on the road to Damascus and became a witness of his resurrection. At first, Paul spoke ONLY at synagogues where Jews and God-fearing gentiles were allowed. But on his first missionary journey he went to Cyprus where Sergius Paulus, the gentile governor under the Roman ruler Claudius, asked Paul to tell him about the Word of God. And for the first time, a Gentile who was NOT "devout and God-fearing" believed. Paul realized that salvation was the destiny for ALL mankind, not just Jews and Gentile God-fearers, and he taught this truth for the rest of his life under great persecution.

"It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things." (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

People who believe and teach this are still persecuted. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is still the primary message, and the result of his resurrection is the "gift" of Salvation to "ALL mankind" by the "GRACE" of our loving and merciful God.

"For the GRACE of God has appeared bringing salvation to all mankind…so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His GRACE in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by GRACE you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the GIFT of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.…" (Titus 2:11; Ephesians 2:7-10)

Creation's Liberation

God’s plan for mankind has always been to save them all. The revelation of that plan, however, did not come to mankind until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul between 33 and 50 AD. Up until then God had only revealed his dealings with regard to his chosen people Israel as shown to Moses and the other Prophets to Israel. What He had planned for Gentiles was a “mystery”.

“Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation…which was not made known to people in other generations…This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.” (Ephesians 3:2-6)

Without the revelation of the salvation of Gentiles as well as Jews, the Gentiles had “no hope” and were “without God in the world” only in the sense that they were unaware of God’s plan for them.

“That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12)

But God chose Paul to give the good news of His intent to save everyone by the resurrection of the dead to immortal life.

“…this grace was given me to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known…As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” (Ephesians 3:8-10; 1 Corinthians 15:22)

The church which Paul was establishing with this good news gospel was to share the good news to everyone. It has failed because it was corrupted by religious men starting before Paul died.

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all… I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ…the grace of our Lord overflowed to me, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This is a trustworthy saying, worthy of full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst.” (Galatians 1:6-11; 1 Timothy 1:14-16)

What we see today is a form of legalism, which only saves those who obey a gospel invented by religious men which has nothing to do with grace and ”which is really no gospel at all”. 

Mankind, through the promise of salvation, are set free from the fear of the harsh penalty of the law (death)- by faith in the glorious “hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”  The whole creation is to be saved by he same God who "subjected it" to frustration.

“For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.” (Romans 8:20-24)

From the LEAST to the greatest

“This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:10-12)

This was written to the Hebrews (Israel) concerning their salvation. In his letter to the Romans Paul affirms that all Israel will be saved but adds: “after the full number of the Gentiles have come in”…

“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: ‘The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Romans 11:25-27)

And Paul assures us that “the full number of the Gentiles” means ALL of them and instructs Timothy to “teach these things”…

“This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things.” (1 Timothy 4:9-11

Thanks to the wisdom of the “greatest” theologians among men and other great men of this world (rich, rulers, politicians, and philosophers, etc.) there are few who have the joy of knowing that God is going to save everyone in the end. 

It is interesting to me that Scripture says this salvation is in the following order…

“from the LEAST to the greatest”.

It is kind of like saying “believe it or not, even the rich, politicians, atheists, philosophers and theologians will be saved and enter the Kingdom of God”. And they will…right after the rest of us!.

I like what John Wesley had to say about this…

“They shall all know me” (Jeremiah 31:34); not from the greatest to the least (this is that wisdom of the world which is foolishness with God) but “from the least to the greatest”; that the praise may not be of men, but of God. Before the end, even the rich shall enter into the kingdom of God. Together with them will enter in the great, the noble, the honorable; yea, the rulers, the princes, the kings of the earth. Last of all, the wise and learned, the men of genius, the philosophers, will be convinced that they are fools; will be “converted, and become as little children” (Matthew 8:3), and “enter into the kingdom of God.” - John Wesley (1709-1791), The General Spread of the Gospel, Sermon 63, 1872 edition.

Help For Our Weakness

"I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that it may be with you for the age; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see it or know it, but you know it because it abides with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17)

Jesus asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to those Jews who believed that Jesus is the Messiah. It would abide in them, and on Pentecost, 50 days after the resurrection, the gift of this power came and settled on those early Jewish believers…

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place…and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (the power of God) and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)

Those Jews then begin to speak to other Jews who had come from all over the world to celebrate the Jewish Festival of Weeks. By this POWER they spoke in the various languages and told them about Messiah Jesus, his resurrection and ascension, and his promised return. The gift of other "tongues" (languages) was withdrawn when the Jewish Nation once again rejected Jesus at the close of Acts. Paul then went exclusively to the "Gentiles" with the Gospel of Grace, God’s good news of the salvation of all mankind through Christ Jesus…

“After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews…and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening…and when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, saying…YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; AND YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE …therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles…” (Acts 28:17-28)

Jesus is now interceding on our behalf through the power of God (the Holy Spirit) according to the will of God.

“…the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit…intercedes for the saints according to THE WILL OF GOD….Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? …neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:26-38)

All People Will Be Saved

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.” (10:1-2)

Who is "them"?   It is Israel and he tells "them"…

“…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…” (10:3-5)

To this day Israel, as a nation, has not confessed Jesus nor do they believe God raised him from the dead - so they are not saved YET - but Paul tells us that "all" of them will be saved…

“I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! ...What then? …a partial hardening has happened to ISRAEL until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so ALL ISRAEL will be saved; just as it is written, the deliverer will come from Zion, he will remove ungodliness from JACOB. This is My covenant WITH THEM, when I take away THEIR sins.” (11:1-27)

"All" Gentiles, individuals of all nations, will be saved as well…

”…there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of ALL, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for whoever will call on the name of the Lord WILL BE SAVED….I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” (Romans 10:12-20)

OK, but it says "whoever will call on then name of the Lord will be saved". Yes, and the Bible says that "every" one of us will...

“…at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that EVERY TONGUE WILL CONFESS that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

And since most of mankind have lived and died before Jesus was born this confession must come for them after their resurrection. All ISRAEL will be saved when they confess Jesus ss their Messiah and all GENTILES when they confess Jesus is Lord.

All Redeemed By Christ

“The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU. So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer…Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us…in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:8-14)

Christ Jesus not only redeemed Israel from the curse of the Law, but the Gentiles as well (everyone else). And in Christ Jesus the unconditional promises made to Abraham rests on ALL because one day ALL will believe.

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things…EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (1 Timothy 4:9-11; Philippians 2:10).

Therefore, if the Bible is true, ALL will be saved and confess that Christ Jesus is Lord. We can chose not to believe that, but if you believe that the Bible is actually God’s Word, then eventually all will be saved.

"The Gospel of the Kingdom" was preached to Israel until it was blinded for its rejection. That good news is not to be preached again until the time of the second appearing of King Jesus to Israel, when the gospel of the Kingdom will again be preached in all the world to Israel.

For the past 1950 years or so it has been "the Gospel (good news) of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24) that is to be preached to sinners, both of Israel and the Gentile nations. Failure to understand the distinction between the gospel of the Kingdom and the gospel of Grace has caused all of the divisions we see among Christianity. The gospel of grace has nothing to do with the Old and New Covenants between God and Israel.

“I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles…For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; and so ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED; just as it is written, ‘the Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. This is My covenant with THEM, When I take away their sins’… for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all.” (Romans 11:13-32)

God has promised to save ALL Israel. And He has promised to save ALL mankind….and that brings a special joy to those who hear and believe what God has promised.

“It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. Prescribe and teach these things” (1 Timothy 4:9-11)

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not UNDER law but UNDER grace.”(Romans 6:14)

I recently posted about how a saint is one who believes what God says in his Word. How does that relate to obedience? And what does Grace have to do with believing God and being obedient to God?

It is simpler than you might think. What Paul is saying is that our eternal destiny is no longer dependent on “obedience” to the law, but is solely dependent on the “grace” of God. ALL mankind is UNDER the umbrella of God’s GRACE, not UNDER the condemnation of the LAW.

And when we are obedient to BELIEVE what God says…we are designated saints.

And what does God tell us about salvation, justification and reconciliation? That it was all secured by Jesus Christ on our behalf purely and solely by His merciful love and grace.

AS FOR ISRAEL: 

"For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God” (Ezekiel 35:24-26; 37:23)

AS FOR ALL GENTILES:

“I am entreating, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, pleadings, thanksgiving be made for all mankind…for this is ideal and welcome in the sight of our SAVIOR, God, Who WILLS that all mankind be saved and come into a realization of the truth. For there is one God, and one Mediator of God and mankind, a Man, Christ Jesus, Who is giving Himself a correspondent Ransom for ALL, the testimony in its own eras, for which I was appointed a herald and an apostle, I am telling the truth, I am not lying, a teacher of the GENTILES in knowledge and truth.” (1 Timothy 2:1-7)