<<"Do not lose sight of the fact that you were born 'gentiles'..., utterstrangers to God's chosen community, Israel; and you had no knowledge of, or right to, the promised agreements [covenants] ... But now, through the blood of the Messiah, you are with us inside the circle of God's love ...... (Eph. 2:11-13, Phillips). >>
Let's see what differences the scriptures makes between Gentile or Jew.
In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Acts 6:1
1 Consider that they were not called Jews but Hebrews
2. The Hebrews felt they were more important than the Grecians, thus played favorites because they considered their heritage superior.
3. The writer was Luke, a Greek physician.
This got so bad that the apostles had to step in. After much council they elected seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom whom was appointed over the matters.
These seven are: Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas, and Stephen.
Notice they are not Hebrews, they are not Jews, They are Greeks!!!
And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
1. He was a Greek
2. More popular even than some of the apostles
Then there arose certain of the synagogue....disputing with Stephen
1. They were disputing because they were envious
2. They were very jealous that God should use a Greek to teach Jews.
And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake
so what did they do
1. Set up false witnesses
2. Stirred up the people
3. Brought him before the council
After his accusers finished the high priest said. Are these things so? What followed next is a bold and classic Christian testimony. Please follow along.
And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran. 7:2
Notice he didn't say Abraham the father of the Hebrews or Abraham the father of the Jews. He said our father, meaning that he was as much a son of Abraham as the best Jew that could be found.
Stephen goes on with his discourse about Joseph and his brothers. Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance. 7:11
Notice he is now referring to the patrairchs as "our fathers".
Next he talks about Moses.
This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. 7:36
Christians know he was referring to Jesus
44...our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed.
Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Joshua into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David.
1. Notice the word Gentile is being used to denote the heathen nations.
2. Stephen doesn't assume kinship to these Gentiles.
Now, notice the turn around in verse 51 while speaking to the high priest, the elders and scribes
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted: and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept.
1 He now attributes their fathers as nothing more than murderers
2 Their response instead of repenting was that they "gnashed him with their teeth.
3 Stephen looked up and saw Jesus at the right hand of God
4 They had him executed
My point here is that Stephen whom the Jews called a Gentile (which in their eyes meant inferior) was superior to all of them in the things relating to God.
While the high priest, elders, and scribes, were nothing more than religious persons who hadn't the faintest idea of who God really was.
So what benefit does a Jew have in calling someone a Gentile?
Chris
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