Posted by Searcher
on 7/7/2009, 7:36 pm, in reply to "Walking in newness of life"
75.104.128.37
Dear Ray,
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of the power of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also so the Greek.
Romans 2:6-9
Who will render to every man according to his deed:...Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also to the Gentile;
Romans 2:10
But glory and honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
The one way in Romans in which the Jews and Gentiles are equal is that both the Jews and the Gentiles are under sin.
Romans 3:9-11
What then? are we [Jews] better than they [Gentiles]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Paul was chosen to be an apostle to the Gentiles in particular for the purpose of provoking the Jews to jealousy so that they would turn to God and believe. Only a remnant ever did.
Romans 11:11,13,14
I say then, Have they [Israel} stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy...For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.
Paul was himself a Jew. Although Paul began first to preach in the synagogues, it was the Gentiles who followed Paul and wanted to hear his message.
Acts 13:46
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should FIRST have been spoken to you [the Jews]; but seeing that ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Chapter 7 of Romans is addressed specifically to Paul's "brethren", i.e. to the Jews who were given the law. (See Ro 7:1)Other than the four ordinances in Acts 15:19,20, the Gentiles were saved by faith alone and not by works of the law. They did not need to be circumcised or follow any rituals or Jewish laws to partake of the spiritual things of Abraham.(Ro 15:27)
Paul was primarily the apostle to the Gentiles (Gal 2:7-9) that they should be justified by faith without the works of the law. (Acts 20:24) This is the gospel of the grace of God. It angered many of the Jews (circumcision) who wanted to force the heathen (Gentiles) to be circumcised and be burdened by their laws. Paul was still preaching to the Jews until the very end of the Acts period. (Acts 28:20-27)
Searcher
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