Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

I don't think that Paul is using "first" here in a sense of priority, but with respect to chronology as far as the preaching of the gospel, which was the means that God provided to grant salvation.

Jesus was the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies that God had made since the beginning of the Old Testament, starting with Genesis 3:15. Over time, God chose a specific group of people (the Jews, who were the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, to whom God gave the name Israel), and a particular lineage within that group (the tribe of Judah and then the house of David), through whom that Messiah was to come.

Jesus was born a Jew, and was a fully-observant Jew throughout His earthly life. However, he also gave indications during His time on earth (in passages such as Matthew 8:10-12) that non-Jews (Gentiles) who had the same type of faith that Abraham had had in God's promises would be accepted by God on the basis of that faith.

After Jesus' resurrection and ascension, He was first preached as being the promised Messiah to Jews living both in Israel and in other countries (Acts 2:5-11). However, God then made clear that Gentiles who believed the gospel message were also to be accepted as Christ's followers on an equal footing with Jews on the basis of their faith, rather than on the basis of obedience to the Mosaic Law (Acts 10-11; Acts 15). (As Paul noted in Romans 10:25-26, this inclusion of the Gentiles was also foretold in Old Testament prophecy.)

Paul, however, also made clear that, even though the majority of Jews rejected Christ as the Messiah during His time on earth, and largely still do not recognize Him as such, they are still a chosen people of God, and they, too, will someday come to Christ (Romans 11:11-12, 25-32).

May 07 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

JD Abshire Supporter

"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;" (Deuteronomy 7:6-9)

The passage above was stated after the LORD commanded the Israelites to separate themselves from heathen occupying the land he had given them. The Israelites were to have no mercy but to destroy, make no agreements with and not intermarry. God's purpose in separation was to prevent His people from turning away from Him and becoming idolators as those whom they were to displace. (Deuteronomy 7:1-5).

I believe it was a priority. During Christ's earthly ministry when he appointed the disciples Matthew 10:5-6 states: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The above passage shows an obvious choice of preference. "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." (Galatians 4:4-5)

When did this change, what made the difference? Ephesians 2:11-14 tells us: "Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, 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. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;"

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)

I thank God for the blood of Christ, His death, burial and resurrection! Because of this: "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1:6)

May 07 2017 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College & Dallas Seminary graduate, Pentair

The gospel reached “to the Jew
first” in the ministry of Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:5-7)
and the apostles (Acts 3:26). How wonderful it is to
have a message of power that can be taken to all people!

The whole point is that God is the One who has mercy. Ethnicity is not decisive here. There is no merit with him. We are all sinners. So the real emphasis falls back on that wonderful word “everyone” that we started with: “The gospel is the power of God to everyone who believes.” So, whether Jew or Gentile, believe! And receive the power of God to save you from your sins and guilt and death and judgment and hell, and bring you home to ever-increasing joy in his presence forever and ever.

August 18 2019 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Daniel Veler Supporter

As to your question, why did Jesus come to the Jews first, it was to fulfill his word. 

Salvation was promised to the Gentiles during the time of Abraham. Read Galatians 3:8. Also read Galatians 3:16. These verses will show you that the Gentiles were meant to be part of God’s divine plan from the beginning. When God appeared unto Abraham, he declared unto him that through him all nations would be blessed. What this means is we see the word nations meaning many and not just one. Israel represents only one nation, but the word "nations" means it was for all. Read the following scripture and see for yourself:

Galatians 3:8: And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, "In thee shall all nations be blessed." So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

Secondly, it is written, "unto Abraham and his seed were the promises made." He did not say seeds, as many, but only one. That one was Jesus Christ. Read the following verse and see:

Galatians 3:16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, "And to seeds," as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.

Christ had to fulfill all the scriptures pertaining to him and his generation.
 
Luke 17:25: “But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.” Then we read that God blinded the people of the Lord’s generation to provoke them to jealousy as they had provoked him to jealousy. The Lord gave them ears to hear, but they heard not. He gave them eyes and they see not. As the scriptures have also declared:

Matthew 8:1:8 Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not?
Matthew 13:13: Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, "By hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see, and shall not perceive."
Why did God do this? Read the following verses:

For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. 
 
Deuteronomy 32:21: They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

So the purpose of Christ coming to the Jews first was to fulfill God’s word that he spoke unto the prophets. But if you take anything away from my response, remember this: the salvation of the Gentiles was always God’s divine plan.
 

4 days ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report