Guojing
Well-Known Member
You have to understand that there was great puzzlement in the church about God's dealing with Israel. Had God's word failed?
The Jews said no, God would still use Israel to be a blessing to the world, based on Abraham's "works". So the Gentiles needed to become Jews. Paul said that Abraham didn't have anything to boast about before God, his being saved was because of God's grace!
Romans 4
1What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 4Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works:
The Gentiles thought that their efforts at following their conscience was what moved God to include them in the promised blessing, but Paul again said no! They hadn't done better than Israel. It was again a gift.
Ephesians 2
8For it is by grace you have been saved throughfaith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast.
Acts 15
11On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
You seem to be addressing another point from my post. But I agree that, prior to the Jews final rejection of God thru Stephen stoning, Gentiles had to be saved thru the Jews.
But after Stephen's death, we can now be saved independently without the Jews. But that is because God want to provoke the Jews to jealousy by doing that, as Paul explained in Romans 9-11
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