“they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. [until] some of them…of Cyprus and Cyrene [notable international crossroads]…when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians…and a great number believed…Then…the church which was in Jerusalem…sent forth…Barnabas and Saul…unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.
And the [Gentile] disciples were called Christ-ians / Christ-Ones first in Antioch.” (Acts 11:19-25)
NOT because they had just founded a new religion!
The Roman Empire’s incorporation of foreign cultures resulted in the need to translate foreign culture into the mainstream language, exactly as happens in America. In the eastern Roman provinces, previously the Greek Empire, the lingua franca was Greek. So, speaking Greek instead of Hebrew to the Gentiles, the Hebrew term for “Messianic Whatever” became Greek “Christ-one”.
As a disciple of Gamaliel Saul of Tarsus was one of the Pharisees who hounded the Lord Jesus and, albeit as an opponent, consequently companied with Jesus’ disciples and learned all of Jesus’ doctrine.
“[After arresting him] The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine. Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither the Jews / rulers always resort; and in secret have I said nothing. Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me [no doubt looking eye-to-eye with Saul of Tarsus], what I have said unto them:
As a member of the exclusive council / Sanhedrin where only members had voting rights, he was deeply grounded in the scriptures Jesus used to prove he was the Son of David / Messiah. The faith that Paul had once destroyed but then preached was in the oracles of God committed unto the Jews.
“they came to…a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging [in the common debate style], that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.” (Romans 3:1-3)
The proof of Paul’s apostleship is his followers’ strict adherence to the scriptures.
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.” (I Corinthians 11:1-3, 23-26)
“ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God…For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification,
- that ye should abstain from fornication:
- That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified
- to love one another.And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
- That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.” (I Thessalonians 4)
It was Paul’s humility in lowering his identity from that of a privileged national in a uniquely favored relationship with YHVH to a universal average Joe that qualified him to be the rare apostle to the Gentiles. I’ve rearranged the order of the phrases to demonstrate the parallels.
From Moses gloriously on Mount Sinai:
- “Ye are the children of the LORD your God
- thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God
- the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.” (Deuteronomy 14:1-2)
From Paul ignominiously in prison,
- “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God
- to the saints / Upright Ones which are at Ephesus
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
- adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself…
- holy and without blame before him in love / merged identities:
- chosen us before the foundation of the world
- ergo, trumping the establishment of the nation of Israel on Mount Sinai. (Ephesians 1:1-5)
“God…hath
- quickened / brought to life us together with Christ…
- raised us up together [in status], and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus…
- ye being in time past Gentiles [belonging to the Roman nation] in the flesh...
- aliens from the commonwealth of Israel
- strangers from the covenants of promise [to Israel]
- having no hope, and without God in the world;
- But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ…
- who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
- that he might reconcile both unto God in one body…
- Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.“ (Ephesians 2)
Paul’s egalitarian association with the Gentiles appalled the Messianic Jews as much as interracial couples in the Deep South. One notable piece of evidence was their snubbing of the indisputably expert legal witness Pharisee Paul.
“when it pleased God…To reveal his Son in [not too] me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.” (Galatians 1:15-20)
This is because the church leadership at Jerusalem never accepted really Paul’s authority.
“when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas [not one of the twelve] took him, and brought him to the [twelve] apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.” (Acts 9)
“And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas…should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question…and they declared all things that God had done with them…
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us…
James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: “Simeon / Peter [notice – not Paul, this is a snub] hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles / Europeans, to take out of them a people for his name. For Moses of old time hath in every [i.e. foreign] city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written.” (Acts 15)
Most significantly! James derives his ruling not from the signs of Holy Spirit speaking in the new converts, but from scripture as the direct result of Israel remaining God’s covenanted witnesses even during chastisement for sinning against him.
“The words of Amos…I will not turn away the punishment thereof…prepare to meet thy God, O Israel…I cause you to go into captivity…Behold, the eyes of the LORD God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth;
saving that
- I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. [Any good ones shall be saved as the chaff is thrown away]…In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
- That they may possess…all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.”
We can’t miss that this ruling by James absolutely establishes Jewish leadership over Gentile believers in the Christ at this time. And over Paul as their apostle.
“And when [again after multiple missionary journeys] we were come to Jerusalem…Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them / acknowledged their authority, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
And when they heard it, they…said unto him…thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs…
Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that…all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law.” (Acts 21:17-24)
Clearly including Gentiles into the Jewish Messianic Faith was a sketchy business even for the top Apostolic leadership. Paul spent his entire career protesting his qualifications.
“Am I am not an apostle?…have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord?…the seal [as in Good Housekeeping seal of approval] of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.” (I Corinthians 9:1-2)
Kingdom Come 