More about Gentiles

Why does Peter refer to the readers of his first epistle as "Strangers" and "Aliens"? Answering this question provides insight into the rift between Peter and Paul, the controversy over Acts 15, and the Gentile disciple's obligations to the commandments of the Torah.

Fellow Heirs

What does it mean to be a "fellow heir" with Israel and part of "the commonwealth of Israel"? There's a right way and a wrong way to interpret Paul's analogies. We've tried the wrong way before. Let's try the right way. Take a trip through Ephesians 3:1-13 to uncover the "Mystery of Christ" which was "hidden in God" for ages past.

The Dividing Wall

Christ has "abolished in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility" and "the law of commandments expressed in ordinances" in order to make Jew and Gentile into "one new man" built together into a "holy temple ... a dwelling place for God." There's a lot of room for misunderstanding Ephesians 2:14-15. Here's a teaching to clear it up and make sense of the passage without falling into the predictable patterns of Replacement Theology.

The Jurisdiction of Different Laws

Not every law in the Torah applies to everyone equally. There is a difference between Jewish and Gentile disciples and their respective obligations to the Torah. Here's a quick overview of Distinction Theology and the commandments in the Torah that apply to non-Jewish followers of Yeshua.

All Things To All People

Was Paul in disguise? Paul says, "I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some." Did he adopt hypocritical pretenses in order to win people with the Gospel, acting like Jew around Jews and like a Gentile around Gentiles? This teaching on Galatians 4:12-20 considers Paul's evangelism strategies and the real meaning behind 1 Corinthians 9:19-23.

The Antioch Incident

Did Paul really rebuke Peter "to his face"? In Galatians 2:11-14, Paul recounts how Peter, on his visit to Antioch, separated from the God-fearing Gentile believers and incurred Paul's sound rebuke. Get the story behind the story.

Can a Gentile be Messianic?

Perhaps you have heard of a Messianic Jew. But is it appropriate to refer to a Gentile as “Messianic”?

A Messianic Jew is a Jewish person who practices Messianic Judaism. They share the same basic faith as other observant Jews throughout history. Their specific kind of Judaism, however, is one that acknowledges Jesus as the Messiah.

Living Sacrifices

What is "the measure of faith that God has assigned" (Romans 12:3)? What is the gift of "exhortation"? What are spiritual gifts and how do they function? Romans 12 depicts the body of Messiah in all its diversity, and calls upon us to commit ourselves to the body, offering ourselves as "living sacrifices" to the Almighty.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. (Romans 12:4-5)

Amos and the Hidden Psalm

A hidden psalm lies concealed, interspersed through the text of Amos. When assembled, the psalm reveals clues about the mission and message of the prophet. Find out the hidden relationship between the book of Amos and the festival of Sukkot, and discover how the Apostles used Amos to justify the inclusion of the Gentiles in the kingdom and the Messianic Era.

Fullness of the Gentiles

Paul wants you to understand this mystery: A partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25) Let's take some time to see if we can solve the mystery with a teaching from Romans 11 focusing on the meaning of the enigmatic phrase, "the fullness of the Gentiles."