To the Jew first

[Pamelasv]

What does that mean exactly? It is written I know at least two or three times, in which is one in Romans 1:16. 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.'

If he is talking about order of preaching and getting saved, what is the significance of that?

[Ezra]

What does that mean exactly? It is written I know at least two or three times, in which is one in Romans 1:16. 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.'

If he is talking about order of preaching and getting saved, what is the significance of that?

This goes back to the Abrahamic Covenant and the fact that Messiah would come out of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David.  The Gospel was first preached to Israel in the wilderness (e.g. the Brazen Serpent). Christ came to earth firstly as the Messiah-King of Israel and secondly as the Savior of the world.  Therefore while He was on earth He restricted His ministry to Palestine, and sent His apostles only to the "lost sheep of the house of Israel". 

 

After His ascension, the Gospel was preached to the Jews first, and even while the apostles fulfilled the Great Commission, they always went first to the Jewish synagogues with the Gospel. "The good olive tree" is believing Israel into which the Gentiles are "grafted". So the Church literally began with Jews and then included Gentiles.

[hmbld]

I was with you up until the "grafting". I thought grafting refers to grafting into the vine, which is Jesus?

[Ezra]

I was with you up until the "grafting". I thought grafting refers to grafting into the vine, which is Jesus?

Ulitmately the grafting is into Christ, since the Church is the Body of Christ. But this grafting indicates that the Jew had precedence over the Gentile and that Gentiles are not to be "highminded". Please review Romans 11:13-24, where believing Israel is the "good olive tree" (not vine) and believing Gentiles are the "wild olive branches" grafted in.

 

¹³For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

¹⁴If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.

¹⁵For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

¹⁶For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

¹⁸Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

¹⁹Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

²⁰Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

²¹For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

²²Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

²³And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.

²⁴For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

[His_disciple3]

you had two people in the Old Testament : the Jew and the Gentile. the believer and unbeliever. the people of God  and the enemies of God. salvation was offered to the Jews first then to the Gentiles.

[Bible2]

Pamelasv said in post 1:

 

What does that mean exactly?

 

The gospel of salvation goes to genetic Jews first (Romans 1:16, Matthew 10:5-6, Matthews 15:24, Acts 3:26), and salvation is of the Jews (John 4:22b), because salvation is of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 9:15), which is made only with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34). Gentile believers are grafted into Israel so they can partake of the salvation offered to Israel (Romans 11:17,24, Ephesians 2:12,19, Galatians 3:29, John 10:16). And all believers, no matter whether they are genetic Jews (Acts 22:3) or genetic Gentiles (Romans 16:4b), have become spiritually-circumcised Jews, if they have undergone the spiritual circumcision of water-immersion (burial) baptism into Jesus (Romans 2:29, Philippians 3:3, Colossians 2:11-13).

[Bible2]

hmbld said in post 3:

 

I thought grafting refers to grafting into the vine, which is Jesus?

 

Just as all believers are individual branches in the vine which is Jesus (John 15:5), the only way to salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12), so all believers are individual branches in the good olive tree of Israel, the Jews' own tree (Romans 11:17,24, Jeremiah 11:16-17). For all Jewish believers remain part of Israel (Romans 11:1) as the natural branches in the tree of Israel (Romans 11:24). And all Gentile believers have been grafted as branches from a wild olive tree into the tree of Israel (Romans 11:17,24, Ephesians 2:12,19, Galatians 3:29), so they can partake of the salvation of the New Covenant (Matthew 26:28; 1 Corinthians 11:25; 2 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 9:15), which is made only with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31-34, John 4:22b). This doesn't mean a wild branch becomes a natural branch, that a Gentile believer becomes a genetic Jew, but that Gentile believers, even while remaining branches from a wild olive tree, even while remaining genetic Gentiles, are still grafted in to become part of the good olive tree of Israel (Romans 11:17,24).

 

Similarly, all those in the church, whether Jews or Gentiles, are spiritually Abraham's seed (Galatians 3:29). And Abraham's seed is Israel (Isaiah 41:8, Romans 11:1; 2 Chronicles 20:7). So the entire church is Israel (Revelation 21:9,12; 1 Peter 2:9-10). Not just the Jews in the church (e.g. Romans 11:1b), but also the Gentiles in the church, are spiritually Abraham's seed of promise (Romans 9:7,8,24), as Isaac was (Galatians 4:28), and as Jesus is (Galatians 3:16,29). And so Gentiles in the church, along with Jews in the church, are heirs of all the promises made by God to Israel (Ephesians 3:6, Ephesians 2:12,19, Romans 15:27, Galatians 3:29b, Romans 11:17,24).

[Pamelasv]

Wondering what the significance of it is. Why was it important for Paul to point it out. Later it says something along the lines of condemnation to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. Why them 'first'. How so first?

[Ezra]

Wondering what the significance of it is. Why was it important for Paul to point it out. Later it says something along the lines of condemnation to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. Why them 'first'. How so first?

This goes back to the Abrahamic Covenant and the fact that Messiah would come out of the tribe of Judah and the lineage of David. 

[Retrobyter]

Shalom, Pamelasv.

 

What does that mean exactly? It is written I know at least two or three times, in which is one in Romans 1:16. 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.'
If he is talking about order of preaching and getting saved, what is the significance of that?

 

The significance of the phrase “to the Jew first” is because, as Yeshua` Himself put it,

 

John 4:22

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

KJV

 

The word “salvation” is NOT what we think of when we say “salvation” today. This is the word that means “RESCUE” or “DELIVERANCE!” The rescue that God shall provide for Israel comes through the tribe of Y'hudah or Judah. That’s also true for the passage you noted in Romans 1:16!

 

You see, Yeshua` was speaking to a woman of Shomron (pronounced “SHOME-rone”) which was translated as “Samaria.” The Land consisted of people who were children of Israel through Y'hudah and some through a few other tribes that returned from exile in Babylon and Persia, but some had remained in the Land. These had been intermarried with the “Canaanites” who still managed to live in their own communities within the Land during the nation’s kingdom years, but also some had intermarried with the Edomites who had usurped the Land while the children of Israel had been deported. (This is one of the reasons for God’s retaliation against Edom.) So, the Shomroniym (Samaritans) were HALF-BREEDS, and lived separately from the Jews. Indeed, there was MUTUAL disrespect between the clans! One can hear it in the conversation the woman had with Yeshua`:

 

John 4:1-30

1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

2 (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,)

3 He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee.

4 And he must needs go through Samaria.

5 Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13 Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

15 The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

16 Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17 The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

19 The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.

21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.

27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,

29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

30 Then they went out of the city, and came unto him.

KJV

 

These Shomroniym knew the prophecies about the Mashiyach (the “Messias,” transliterated through the Greek and translated into the Greek word “Christos”) and considered Ya`aqov (Jacob) their ancestor. She said that they were instructed to worship God in “this mountain,” Har Griziym (Mount Gerizim). And, their descendants today STILL make their own sacrifices in the mountains, having their own priests, and have been doing so since Yeshua` walked the Land! The destruction of the Temple did not affect them, as it did the Jews!

 

So, it’s not the “order of preaching and getting saved,” as many understand the terms today; it’s about the order of RESCUE! When Yeshua` returns, He will rescue His people, beginning with the tribe of Y'hudah first:

 

Zechariah 12:1-9

1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

2 Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

3 And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.

4 In that day, saith the LORD, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness.

5 And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the LORD of hosts their God.

6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.

7 The LORD also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah.

8 In that day shall the LORD defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them.

9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

KJV

 

Then, He will rescue the rest of the children of Israel who shall also be His people. Then, He will rescue those of the goyim (the Gentile nations) who will also be His people.

 

It’s significant that the Great Commission is arranged this way:

 

Acts 1:7-8

7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

KJV

 

First, Jerusalem, the capital city of Israel and the location of David’s government.

Second, Y’hudah (Judaea), the rest of the tribe of which David and His lineage, including the Messiah, were members.

Third, Shomron (Samaria), the rest of the tribes of Israel within the Land.

Fourth, the “uttermost part of the earth,” wherever the children of Israel were dispersed.

 

Notice, too, that in every town wherever Paul went, He first went to His own people and gave them first opportunity. IF (and when) they rejected that opportunity, THEN He broadened the scope to include the Goyim, the Gentiles. It is important to understand that NOT EVERY COMMUNITY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL REJECTED THAT OPPORTUNITY! It is NOT true that Paul "turned from the children of Israel to the Gentiles!" Instead, the Gentiles were INCLUDED in the community, OCCASIONALLY replacing the children of Israel when they rejected their opportunity en masse!