During the Hellenistic and Roman period thousands of Jews voluntarily migrated from Israel. Face it, there just wasn’t enough land to support the exponentially expanding population. The practice of meeting weekly for worship at local synagogues and abstinence from pagan daily practices prevented absorption into local communities. Instead, a Jewish diaspora developed – a scattered population maintaining its unique identity, dispersed across North Africa, the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Europe and all territories secured by Roman influence.
This geographic dispersion created commercially valuable networks. Merchants could rely on correspondence, introductions, family relationships, community institutions, reputation, literacy, and repeated transactions to establish relationships across great distances.
These networks helped solve one of entrepreneurship’s oldest problems. Trust. Normally, trust is local. Jewish merchant networks could sometimes transform: “Nobody here knows me.” into: “Someone here knows someone who knows me.”
Perfect for spreading the good news that the Savior of the world had fulfilled his mandate to, not just the nation of Israel, but to the world-wide Hebrew Commonwealth. And at this stage in history, the Jews were the only ones with the biblical literacy to understand YHVHism / Monotheism, and YHVH’s Savior’s fulfillment of millennia of prophetic scripture to the world that “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16)
The problem, as documented in the apostolic record – and history – is that the existing leadership of the “chosen people” were highly protective of this special identity. They were twisting Moses’ words that “the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself” (Deuteronomy 7:6) as an exclusive relationship, rather than, as clearly stated in context, an appointment as Melchizedeks / priests and kings in leadership over the general population of God’s people.
“And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel…”if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” (Exodus 19:3-6)
Enter the “chosen vessel” unto me to bear my name before [first in order of importance] the Gentiles, and [their] kings, and [last in order of his calling] the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15)
The penultimate academic Pharisee Paul was uniquely qualified to discern the world-wide aspect of the Melchizedekian Covenant of Dominion, and, probably just as importantly, was born with a stubborn personality marked by the strong independent streak needed to stand against peer pressure.
“when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in 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
- a major Gentile capitol and commercial city located on the north–south trade route connecting Egypt with Asia Minor, and the east–west cross-desert route connecting the Mediterranean with the Euphrates river valley, clearly Paul’s assigned territory.
- As was usual in the post-exilic period, there was Jewish population, about 10,000 Jews at that time, including an existing Messianic community of believers. Undoubtedly due to their commercial business practices requiring routinely mingling with Gentiles, they readily engaged in evangelism and Paul’s fledgling ministry was supported, not denounced, there. Among the multitude of ancient archeological sites in this city is what is alleged to be the basement remains of the home where Ananias baptized Saul / Paul.
- Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter [to be confirmed], and abode with him fifteen days.” (Galatians 1:15-20)
Meanwhile,
“some of them / Messianic Jews were men of Cyprus and Cyrene [accustomed like those at Damascus to mingling with Gentiles commercially] which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus…and a great number [of Gentiles] believed, and turned unto the Lord…
the church which was in Jerusalem…sent forth Barnabas [to check it out] Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus [another seaport town where Jews and Gentiles mixed, and Saul’s hometown]], for to seek Saul :And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.” (Acts 11:20-26)
Are we picking up the pattern? How much God can do with just one human being who allows him to work through him or her.
Antioch, as in the cruel overlord Antiochus Ephiphenes, was Satan’s Greek Seleucid capital from 240 BC until 63 BC, when the Romans made it the capital of Roman Syria. Likely the third largest in the Roman Empire after Rome and Alexandria. Its position was basically the center of the world by the trade routes connecting every port on the Mediterranean with Mesopotamia’s river systems.
As the World Trade Center of its day, Antioch was the New York City of that day.
“Now there were in the church / assembly of international believers, i.e. a Hebrew congregation vs a synagogue that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul…the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them…
So they…departed…
Making stops in cities with significant Jew populations, i.e. cross-cultural contacts and influence, to Antioch – obviously a significant city given it’s namesake – where they went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down. Apparently their standing making contact method.
“And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” (Acts 13:15)
There is no question that the entire Roman world had heard about the debacle at Jerusalem with that “King of the Jews” being crucified BUT! claimed to have risen from the dead! And Paul hit the headlines with his explanation of what that was all about.
“Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses…And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath…the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.” (Acts 13:38-50)
“Then came he / Paul to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple named Timotheus, the son of a…Jewess [which made him Jewish regardless of paternity] his father was a Greek…Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek…And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches – NOT Messianic synagogues – established in the faith, and increased in number daily.” (Acts 16:1-5)
This establishes that these mixed Jewish–Gentile congregations of believers in YHVH’s Savior – assemblies of the existing international Hebrew followers of YHVH – continued at this time to be under the leadership of the nation of Israel.
“God hath not cast away his [chosen] people….in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God…this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:” (Romans 11:1-2, Hebrews 8:10, Galatians 6:15-16)
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