Salvation is of the jews

[Ovedya]

the gospel is PRIMARILY to the jew and yet EQUALLY to the gentile

That is a contradictory statement.

No it's not. Let's say you go out to dinner with your family. Everyone orders the same thing. The waiter brings the food and serves your wife first. Does she get a special portion because she is served first? You all ordered the same thing!

The eternal Gospel of Christ is for everyone. The Jews were served first, yet there is no special portion to the Jews. To assume so would make God a respector of persons....which we know He is not.

[Guest yod]

I'm leaving for Israel in an hour so I don't have time to go into this in much depth...

Yes, the waiter BETTER serve my wife first...and then give equal treatment to the kids and myself.

but why did the Lord prescribe blood atonement? Why was He so adamant about the tabernacle being built in a specifically prescribed way? Why did He chose to bring salvation through Yeshua instead of good works or some other method?

Only He can answer those questions

The point is that He has a prescribed order for things...

If you will check the record given in Acts, you will see that Paul, "The Apostle to the Gentiles" ALWAYS went to the jew first. This is the same person who said "to the jew PRIMARILY and equally to the Gentiles". You can check the greek meanings of the words (I've posted that twice now) and see it there also.

It does not, in any way, imply or suggest that God is a respecter of persons to say that He has a prescribed order. Even Yeshua said that...

I see no reason for envy because we all get equal treatment. We are simply in different places of the same line....

If you think that is showing repect to persons then what does He mean by this "The first shall be last and the last shall be first"

Is that showing respect to persons?

[Guest yod]

ooops...

I'm packing in such a hurry that I didn't read and understand what you said, G-Man

Nevermind

[Ovedya]

Lol....Yeah....we're saying the same thing, yod.

Thanks for that reply, though. I enjoyed it.

Don't forget to pack your socks, brother.....oh, and your toothbrush, mustn't forget the toothbrush!

[Guest TerryC]

The very first believers of Jesus were ALL Jewish. Jesus would not even preach to anyone who was not Jewish except for two or three times. But it was only because of their faith and that they knew who He was.

It was not until His resurrection and after Pauls conversion did the message go to the "nations." This was the mystery of God that the salvation will be available for all who are in the world and for all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah for all people.

Paul eventually speaks about how the gentile is grafted into the Olive Tree. The roots of that tree are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Sounds pretty Jewish to me. Paul also speaks about those Jews who were cut off from the tree through unbelief, however Paul warns the gentile not to be so arrogant as there is still a chance for them to be re-grafted onto the tree.

[OneAccord]

The very first believers of Jesus were ALL Jewish. Jesus would not even preach to anyone who was not Jewish except for two or three times. But it was only because of their faith and that they knew who He was.

It was not until His resurrection and after Pauls conversion did the message go to the "nations." This was the mystery of God that the salvation will be available for all who are in the world and for all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah for all people.

Paul eventually speaks about how the gentile is grafted into the Olive Tree. The roots of that tree are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Sounds pretty Jewish to me. Paul also speaks about those Jews who were cut off from the tree through unbelief, however Paul warns the gentile not to be so arrogant as there is still a chance for them to be re-grafted onto the tree.

There was always room for non-Jewish people in God's kingdom.

Consider Rahab, she pleased God with her faith, and is actually a non-Jewish ancestress of Jesus.

Consider Ruth as well.

In the Torah there was always consideration for the strangers and sojourners among the children of Israel.

And this example of Jesus only preaching to Jews EXCEPT for a few cases, why the exception?

God also had dealings with other nations as we see in Deut 1:5,9 & 19 when He gave these other peoples land for a possession.

He even plans on bringing back the captives from these nations as well, even Sodom and her daughters as prophesied by Ezekiel in 16:53,55.

[Guest TerryC]

OneAccord, I'm not exactly sure what you are getting at but what does the following Scripture mean to you?

13 However, to those of you who are Gentiles I say this: since I myself am an emissary sent to the Gentiles, I make known the importance of my work

14 in the hope that somehow I may provoke some of my own people to jealousy and save some of them!

15 For if their casting Yeshua aside means reconciliation for the world, what will their accepting him mean? It will be life from the dead!

16 Now if the challah offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole loaf. And if the root is holy, so are the branches.

17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you

[OneAccord]

The very first believers of Jesus were ALL Jewish. Jesus would not even preach to anyone who was not Jewish except for two or three times. But it was only because of their faith and that they knew who He was.

It was not until His resurrection and after Pauls conversion did the message go to the "nations." This was the mystery of God that the salvation will be available for all who are in the world and for all who believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah for all people.

Paul eventually speaks about how the gentile is grafted into the Olive Tree. The roots of that tree are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Sounds pretty Jewish to me. Paul also speaks about those Jews who were cut off from the tree through unbelief, however Paul warns the gentile not to be so arrogant as there is still a chance for them to be re-grafted onto the tree.

I don't understand why you are confused.

It seems that the point you are trying to make is that God's word was for the Jews only, and only after the first coming of our Messiah was it to be given to the Gentiles as well.

In my understanding, when the oracles were given to the Jews, they were to be a light to the Gentiles, which means all nations. Unfortunately they fell prey to temptation and sin and did not always accomplish this, instead they became a reproach and a bad example (except for a remnant). But even so, God seemed to be quite willing to recieve others unto Him, as I am trying to show through Rahab, Ruth and the many strangers and sojourners. I'm trying to show that it has never been exclusive to the Jews, His heart has always been for all nations. Even Nebuchanezzar confessed the Living God of Israel.

[Guest TerryC]

Sorry, oneaccord, you didn't answer my question. The Scripture I am asking you about is what I had based my original post and so I was wondering what it means to you?

[Guest TerryC]

Here are Paul's marching orders from Jesus:

Acts 9

1 Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

2  and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.

4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?

5 And he said, Who are You, Lord?

Then the Lord said,  "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads."

6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what do You want me to do?"

Then the Lord said to him,  "Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

7 And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.

8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision,

"Ananias."

And he said, "Here I am, Lord."

11 So the Lord said to him,  "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying.  And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight."

13 Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem."

14 "And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."

15 But the Lord said to him,  "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel.

Acts 26:

17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you,

18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.

To me it is obvious that the message was first delivered to the Jews and only to the Jews and it wasn't until Paul was converted that the message was to be delivered to the Gentiles.