As the capitol of the Empire, Rome had become home to a vast population of Jews who had been brought back as slaves after wars, or had emigrated voluntarily for economic opportunities.
[Writing in 59 BC] “You know what a big crowd it is, how they stick together, how influential they are in informal assemblies….” Cicero’s remarks…indicate misgivings about their separatist tendencies. “[T]he great section of Rome on the other side of the Tiber is occupied and inhabited by Jews, most of whom were…brought as captives to Italy [then] liberated by their owners… [T]hey have houses of prayer and meet together in them, particularly on the sacred Sabbaths when they receive as a body of training in their ancestral philosophy…
[In AD 41 The Emperor] Claudius…ordered them, while continuing their traditional mode of life, not to hold meetings”….
[and then] “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome…”
[Another Roman historian writes] Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome because in their resentment against Christ they were continually creating disturbances…’
“And when we came to Rome [about AD 60]…Paul called the chief of the Jews together: and when they were come together, he said unto them…for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.
And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest: for as concerning this sect [obviously of Judaism], we know that every where it is spoken against. And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus [as the prince who is to come] both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets.
And some [of the Jewish leaders in Rome] believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word; Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet (chapter 6) unto our fathers,
- Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
- Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear / receive it.” (Acts 28)
This sentence has been grossly misinterpreted to deny salvation to the Jews.
It is not.
The correct interpretation is found in the original prophecy quoted by Paul, where it is clear that it is responsibility for being God’s messenger that is being taken from one people because of their rebellion against their Maker.
“Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!
And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far?…O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger… I will send him against an hypocritical nation, and against the people of my wrath.” (Isaiah 10:1-6)
“Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt…Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
- Stay yourselves, and wonder;
- cry ye out, and cry:
- they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
- For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes:
- the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
- And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
- And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
Wherefore the LORD said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
- Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder:
- For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
- That make a man an offender for a word,
- and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate,
- and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.” (Isaiah 29)
Jewish tradition says Isaiah was killed by being sawn in two by King Manasseh after delivering this message.
This was still not a popular message when John the Baptizer repeated it and was subsequently beheaded by King Herod
“In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea…when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?…every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.” (Matthew 3:1-10)
This was still not a popular message when Jesus preached it and was likewise executed by the rulers of the Jews.
“woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men...ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.” (Matthew 23:13-15)
And this absolutely continued to describe Israel’s leadership during Paul’s ministry as he announces the exact same message to the rebellious Jewish leaders:
- Jerusalem is going to be trashed once again because of their theocratic rulers’ corruption and
- the kingdom of God – rule not only in the spirit dimension but over the national territory – is being transferred to another set of rulers.
Knowing from Jesus’ prophecy on “this generation” that Jerusalem and the temple would be destroyed soon, and that this would end the The Church of God’s base at Jerusalem, Paul set about establishing a new base of operations for leadership.
The large population of believing Gentiles at the capitol city to which all roads in the empire led presented the best option for evangelizing the whole world.
“To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints…your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. (Romans 1:1-3)
The Gentiles i.e. the European nations constituted not only Latin homeland, but also, geographically sprawled across what we call the Middle East, Africa and Asia through its conquering and garrisoned armies.
Additionally, due to Rome’s incorporation of many subject peoples through bestowing citizenship, “Gentiles” are not limited to ethnic Europeans but included all the citizens of Rome regardless of nationality.
Get it? We’re back to the Hebrew inclusiveness.
However wonderful that sounds, Paul only reluctantly transferred leadership from the Jews to Gentiles. For starters, he knew that Israel would suffer from its failure to live up to its mandate to provide leadership.
“The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low...he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail...Because thou servedst not the LORD thy God with joyfulness.” (Deuteronomy 28)
Secondly, there wasn’t a strong base of Gentile leadership yet, let alone much training to raise up a smooth transition of succeeding generations of leaders.
In desperation for both Israel and the plan of salvation as a whole, Paul writes the letter to the strongest Gentile church positioned both spiritually and geographically to shepherd the flock.
“all they which dwelt in Asia [the bridge between West and East] heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 19:10)
The letter to the church at Ephesus is the first, and only, letter to a Gentile Church urging them to take charge, and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that prior to this there was a clear separation between Jewish believers – the leaders – and Gentile believers – the led.
The majestic chapters of Ephesians emphasize the unity in the church of Christ that has come about for both Jews and Gentiles within God’s household / administration (Eph 1:15–2:22, especially Eph 2:11–22)…
Yet the concern is not with the church for its own sake but rather as the means for mission in the world (Eph 3:1–4:24). The gifts Christ gives its members are to lead.
Notice how circumstantially Paul delivers this assertion. He lays out rationale after rationale why they should believe him, before he finally spits it out.
This – the inclusion of Gentiles into leadership and not simply membership within the kingdom of God – is THE supreme revelation given by Jesus to Paul. Paul was unquestionably one of the Pharisees who did see Jesus again after, as promised to these very Pharisees, accepting him as coming in the name of the Lord, i.e. speaking with the same authority as Moses.
The post Another Melchizedek like Moses provides evidence that Paul is also a priest-king under the Order of Melchizedek. Paul’s letter to the 1st century AD Gentile Ephesians carries the same weight as Moses speaking to the international multitude of Hebrews gathered at Mount Sinai in the 2nd millennium BC.
- ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise are made nigh by the blood of The Promised Seed / Christ
- Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints,
- and [more than just faceless, nameless citizens] – of the household of God; [remember the household are the ministers, not an insult, but closest to the king, known personally to the king, highly valued in a king’s entourage]
- And [even more – unity in relationship!] are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone…ye also are builded together [with them] for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
For this cause I Paul,
- the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles [appealing to their sentiment],
- If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: [appealing to shared history]
- How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; [appealing to spiritual authority]
- Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; [appealing to rule of two or more witnesses, and Peter steps up as seen below]
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs / rulers, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given,
- that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; [beyond simply salvation]
- And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
- Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
- To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church / congregation of believers including those following Moses at mount Sinai / and the originally solely Jewish New Testament Church the manifold wisdom of God
- According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord…
- that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
- Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity [of the long-standing conflict between Jews and Gentiles] of the Spirit in the bond of peace.“ (Ephesians 2-4)
And Peter steps up and provides the necessary second witness to this doctrine as truth.
“To the strangers [aliens, non-Jews] scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…
- ye are a chosen generation,
- a royal priesthood,
- an holy nation,
- a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God…among the Gentiles: that…they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (I Peter 1:2, 2:9-12)
After Paul’s letter resulted in all in Asia – Ephesus’ sphere of influence – abandoning Paul’s leadership, Paul writes the instructional pastoral manuals to his spiritual sons Jewish Timothy and Gentile Titus.
Think about it. Paul would have written these at the beginning of his missionary journeys if Gentiles had qualified for these positions at that time!
“Titus, [a Gentile yet] mine own son after the common faith…For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee [because there were church splits between those who followed Paul’s Gentile appointments and those who remained under Jerusalem leadership]…that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers…Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.” (Titus 1:4-14)
Paul’s concern that the Gentiles would fumble the ball passed to them were valid.
“For fifty years after St. Paul’s life a curtain hangs over the church, through which we strive vainly to look; and when at last it rises, about 120 A.D. with the writings of the earliest church fathers, we find a church in many aspects very different from that in the days of St. Peter and St. Paul” (The Story of the Christian Church, 1970, p. 33)…
Will Durant, famed author of the 11 volume History of Civilization, devotes an entire book entitled Caesar and Christ to this challenge. It which concludes with “The Triumph of Christianity”. Bear in mind, Durant is a secular historian and his perspective is political.
His perspective is also proven accurate when we see what came to pass after a critical mass of membership and leadership shifted from the Jews to the Gentiles. The Roman state religio-political complex substituted worship of the Christ with his Spirit for worship of the Caesar with his genius – guardian deity or spirit, incarnation, prophetic skill, generative power – with virtually no changes in pagan practices.
And where is the Kingdom of God on earth? It would be in the Tabernacle at each and every Catholic church, where Jesus Christ is truly present, body, blood, soul and divinity, in the Eucharist! He’s waiting for you to come see Him and talk to Him, right now!
And while there may have been a Reformation against the abuses of the Church, virtually all denominations simply substituted anti-Jewish Luther, Calvin, Knox, Darby, and a host of others for the apostle and prophets.
Kingdom Come 