Even for the Gentiles

.

10. ‘Even for the Gentiles’
10. “이방인에게도”
.

.

.
- August 2001
- 2001년 8월
.

.

- ‘God’s word’ from Palestine to the whole Roman Empire! (Expansion of the Gospel)
- The supreme project of the early church is ‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations’ (Matthew 28:19~20)
-'하나님 말씀‘을 팔레스타인지역에서 로마제국의 전 영역으로!(복음의 확장)

.

.

Acts 11:17-18
17. So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?”
18. When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life.”

.

.
The life of the Early Church began from the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

By being killed on the Rome’s penalty frame of a cross barely after only 3 year period of his public ministry, or his public life, Jesus drew public attention on the contrary. Not long after Jesus died, his character and faith contrarily went over the Palestine and reached to further areas so that it moved people deeply.

In short of 20 years since Jesus was crucified, the followers of Jesus began to come about in the center of culture in the Roman Empire surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, Antioch in Surya, and other Roman cities also had Christians come about.
.
The Christians who spread fast but steadfast believed firmly, ‘Jesus still remains without dying and keep company wherever they go’ (Acts 2:31~42).

Because they believed Jesus was still alive not dead, they were able to put up with all the adversities related to gospel spreading. When they preached gospel in the beginning, it was not rare that they suffered battering, imprisonment, shipwreck...various kinds of persecution and even death (see Acts 8:1, Acts 12:1~5, 1 Corinthians 6:4-5, 2 Corinthians 11:23-27).
.
While Jesus was on the earth, the first reason he was in conflict with Jewish religion was legalistic thinking and racial issue.

In even less than 20 years, it is said, church propagated to an amazing speed. At this time, there came some problems between Jews and gentile believers. Jews believed and taught, ‘Only Jews themselves are the chosen people of God, so that non-Jewish people cannot be received by God at all unless they accept all the requirement of Judaic law.’
.
However, Jesus objected to the argument that gentile believers ought to observe all the rules in the Old Testament in order to please God.
.
Pharisees much emphasized external behavior that could be evaluated and regulated only according to discipline. But Jesus always taught in more concern for one’s ‘personality’ than man’s behavior. Jesus gladly helped even a Roman centurion, then saying, “I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith” (see Matthew 8:5~13).
.
‘God’s Kingdom Movement,’ which Jesus put forth during his living period, was mostly limited to the local denominations inside Judaism in Palestine. First, Jesus’ disciples were all Jewish. Gentiles Jesus met were few persons.

It might have been simple during Jesus’ living, but the conflictive problems incurred from Judaic tradition and a radical view on the Old Testament were one of the complexest issues that had to be solved by the Early Church formed for the first time after Jesus’ Death.
.
Pentecost day’s descent of the Holy Spirit that happened when Peter preached the Gospel to a crowd in Jerusalem set a remarkable turning point in the life of the Early Church.

Like Acts 2:5 ‘...God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven,’ there were a mixed audience in the crowd in Jerusalem at Pentecost, not only a Jewish audience from Palestine and its vicinity, but also an international audience from each cities along the Mediterranean Sea (Acts 2:9~11). They were those interested in Judaism. If it had not been so, they would not have had to take the trouble to visit Jerusalem to participate in the religious festival.
.
But not all of the gentiles in the audience would have been sure converts who accepted law of Judaism with their full confidence. After conquest of Judah and Jerusalem, the King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon B.C. 586 took Israelite King and leaders and most of influential citizens to Babylon. In the prime of Israel Kingdom, the temple service held in Jerusalem had been most important. But as the Jerusalem Temple was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, the place of worship and fidelity was lost to Israel, who had kept sacrifices and offerings in the Jerusalem Temple.
.
Although the remaining people left over in Jerusalem was able to keep sacrificial rites in the ruins of the collapsed temple, the prisoners taken to Babylon were not allowed any of that.

The prisoners couldn’t imagine at first, and yet they realized that they were able to sing the song of Jehovah in the foreign land they are draggled to. In other words, they made synagogues in their communities they were dragged to instead of the Jerusalem Temple and began to sing songs of the Lord. The worship rites in the Jerusalem Temple had centered upon sacrificial rites, while in synagogues of the communities prisoners were taken to, prayer, reading tora, strict observation of the Sabbath, circumcision, dietary regulations of the Old Testament and others that were available anywhere were emphasized instead of the sacrificial rites.

Judaic synagogues took its places all over the Mediterranean coast and the Roman Empire. Each synagogue had no uniform regulations required. Synagogues couldn’t choose but apply each community’s own measures that were fit for their new conditions the Jews were in. According to how the inhabitants thought, a synagogue developed in a much more free way.

.

While each of the Judaic synagogues in the Roman Empire was distinct in its own way, there was one point in common. It was the use of Hellenic language which everybody used at the time. Some of the Jews gave their children Roman or Hellenic names and adopted even Roman cultural sorts of art gladly (see 1 Maccabees, Jason, Stephen and Philo are Hellenic names).
.
The pilgrims who listened to Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost would have been also the Jews using Hellenic language (see Acts 2:1~13). At the time, there were even many Jews living in Palestine who used Hellenic language (see Acts 6:1~6).

Peter and disciples observed their great Judaic festivals and even preached in the precincts of a temple. Peter and disciples observed Judaic tradition and also believed they should preach the Gospel even to Jews who came from other areas and Jews who use Hellenic language.
.
In spite of indiscriminative evangelism of the Gospel by disciples, not long later there began to be friction between the Jews of Hellenistic group - who used Hellenic language and the ones of Hebraic group - who used Hebrew or Aramaic languages. The Jews of Hebraic group who used Aramaic or Hebrew Languages began to gain ground by categorizing themselves as if legitimate and categorizing the Jews of Hellenistic group as if illegitimate. Wherever they lived, the Jews who used Hellenic language thought that they were not receiving right and proper resources distributed by their church (see Acts 6:1).

So the church chose 7 men besides 12 disciples and had them in charge of Christians of Hellenistic group.

One of the disciples, Stephen preached openly, “Judaism and its temple’s period was finished. Jesus who was killed miserably is alive again among the dead. God gave him the high seat of honor so that Jesus was a true messiah.” And he proclaimed, “Accepting and pursuing Jesus only is the only ‘Way.’” (Acts 7:2~23)
.
Finally, Stephen was killed with stones by the mob in Jerusalem.
.
Saul, the most greatest person in the history of Christianity, was pleased, keeping an eye on the coats of the people who was executing the killing of Stephen on the spot (8:1).

But this Saul was not a simple coat keeper. He was a Pharisee who was smart and influential. Saul went to a high priest and asked him for a commission which entitled him Saul to take Christians in Damascus as prisoners to Jerusalem and then interrogate and put them to punishment. In the process of this execution of his duty, Saul met with an amazing experience which overturned his life totally (Acts 9:3~9, 22:5~11).

.

Saul was on the road to Damascus with a view to eradicating Christians there. Then and there, ‘a light brighter than the sun came down from heaven’ to flash a beam around Saul. He listens to the sound of Christ the Resurrected, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” In the moment, Saul becomes a convert to Christianity. He became a changed person (from Saul to Paul.)
.
In this incident, Paul realizes that the hopes held as a Judaic was not true. After the event on the road to Damascus, Paul realizes the Divine Messiah came as a servant, not

a great emperor or a soldier. Now then it became the opportunity when he committed his whole life to Jesus of Nazareth, whom he had despised so badly.
.
Jesus of Nazareth request that Paul acknowledge the fact Jesus of Nazareth the Christ reigns over all power and authority, as the Son of God and the Lord of the Universe.

Although physically Paul got blind because of too strong a light, yet spiritually he had his eyes opened by the persons he used to persecute. He had so strong an impact of an experience that Paul was unable to eat or drink for 3 days in a row after arrival at his quarters in Damascus.

.
The Resurrected Christ gives Ananias in Damascus a special message and power to open Saul’s eyes and has him visit Paul. With his eyes opened again after Ananias laying on of hands, Paul now has baptism administered and shares some time together with Christians in Damascus (Acts 9:10~19). The persons wanted by the police are now friends who are closest to Paul.

Through the time shared with Christians in Damascus, Paul realized that brothers and sisters could associate with one another despite the differences of classes and backgrounds social or religious, which was previously impossible to imagine.
.
Later, he makes this association into one of main topics of his message. ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus’ (Galatians 3:28)’ This is a verse he wrote upon the basis of his experience at the time.
.
Right away, Paul calls upon Jews waiting for him in Damascus.
.
But Paul’s message was never the one expected. Far from condemning the faith of Christians, he calls Jesus the Messiah and pledges his fidelity to Him.
.
At this, Jews and the government officials in town conspire to kill Paul.

So Paul’s friends carry him in a basket secretly and send him down the wall of the castle (Acts 9:23~25, 2 Corinth. 11:32~33).

And he visits Jerusalem again at the risk of his life (Acts 9:26). Seeing Paul preaching the Gospel bravely without giving up even in Jerusalem, Jews are striving to kill Paul. By this time, the disciples in Jerusalem gladly try to accept Paul’s ministry of gentiles in their considering that it was the right expansion of Christianity Message.
.
Evangelism for gentiles was an important task the Early Church was faced with.

Acts 8, 9 and 10 show easily to understand how the word of God spread to gentiles. As if a drop of ink spreads in the water of a bowl, it shows how the word spreads within the bounds of the Roman Empire.

.

.
If one looks closely at the Bible, however, the spread of the Gospel was not always smooth.

From Acts 9:43 ‘Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon,’ we can find out a significant meaning involved within.

Because of dealing always with skins of dead animals, tanners were considered ‘unclean’ by Jews by prescriptions of the law. So the traditional Jews had considered staying with such unclean persons to be inconceivable and totally unlikely (see Leviticus 11:27~28 and 11:39).
.
Staying at the house of the tanner, Peter has an amazing life-changing experience.

In a vision, he saw an object like a great sheet coming down, containing all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air (Acts 10:11~12).

They are ‘unclean things’ judging from food-related prescriptions in the Old Testament (see Leviticus Chapter 11). Because of the reason, Peter naturally declined the offer by the voice that he should eat those. Then the voice from above came to him a second time reproving, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (see Acts 10:1~16).
.
As soon as he awoke from the vision, Peter met the men sent by Cornelius. They said to Peter that they should go back together with Peter because Cornelius wanted to meet. Cornelius was a centurion at the town of Caesarea where the garrison of a Roman commander was stationed. (Acts 10:1)
.

Peter was aware of how serious an aspect it implied to go to this Roman officer.

Whether the reason political or religious, an apostle being entertained by a Roman was an unimaginable to Jewish Christians living in Jerusalem. However, Peter went to Cornelius’s house to speak about the word of God.

To the surprise, Cornelius and the persons in the house showed deep interests in Christianity faith. Furthermore, these began to have the same spiritual experiences as the first converts at Pentecost. (Acts 10:44~48)
.
This event was a grand turning point for Peter and the disciples in Jerusalem.

As Peter got back to Jerusalem, much more conservative Jewish fellows didn’t consider Peter very acceptable. (see Acts Chapter 11)
.
By explaining the circumstances of the case step by step, Peter eased the minds of the fellow believers to a degree. Considering the record of the Book of Acts afterwards, that event became the cause of friction between Peter and the Jerusalem church and even over Paul’s evangelism of Hellenistic Jews. Even in view of the ministry of Paul, ‘the principle of Jews being prioritized’ was adopted, we can see (see Acts 13:14, 17:1~2).

Like Romans 1:16 ‘It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile,’ this thinking was so widespread among leaders in the Early Church that church leaders in Jerusalem had this way of thought that in order for a gentile
to be a Christian, he or she should first be a Jew by receiving circumcision. And the Book of Acts speaks a lot of this issue(see Acts 15:1~11). Plus, antagonistic Jews would put Christian believers in trouble(Acts 13:50).
.
As a solution to this problem, Jewish leaders suggested that gentile believers should abstain from actions that might cause some dislike to Jewish Christians. That is, they suggested that gentile believers should stop dietary habits such as eating meat without blood drawn out or paganish wedding customs contrary to the Judaic law and customs (see Acts 15:28~29)
.
This suggestion was eclecticism and a compromise to propagate the Gospel.

The most important thing to apostles was to praise God and to preach even general commons the Gospel that made their lives changing.

The Early Church chose the eclecticism to spread the Gospel to gentiles. (Please compare this eclecticism with the condition of the church in Corinth (1 Corinthians 8:1~13).)
.
The reason why the Early Church chose eclecticism is because like Matthew 28:18~20, it made a supreme project of the words ‘Go and make disciples of all nations.’
.

.

Let me conclude:

.
By humbling Himself, Jesus Christ came as ‘the Son of Man’ and died on the cross. By reviving and ascending to heaven(Philippians 2:5~11), He redeemed and saved His chosen people.

Such facts as we know are from the Scriptures written after the Early Church.

.

Between disciples, there was a serious conflict of opinions over ‘What is the nature of Christianity?’ The relation to the law of the Old Testament which ended by the death of Jesus still held on for the Jewish disciples. Connecting Judaic tradition and Christianity was chosen because the Jewish disciples conceived that it was the essential nature of Christianity they thought and also a ‘best’ and utmost way they could preach the Gospel ‘even to gentiles.’ Exclusiveness against Hellenistic Christians and other nations separated groups in the Christian community (see 1 Corinth 1:10~12).
.
The Book of Acts tries to tell posterity the ultimate objective, ‘the expansion of the word of God,’ by writing about God’s evangelism, God’s wisdom and God’s plan.
Overcoming all kinds of social discrimination according to such as race, denomination, position, sex, and educational background…and preaching the birth, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, namely, the ‘Gospel,’ was the most urgent task of the Early Church.
.
The bible tells us that, like the disciples in the Early Church, we should stop the prejudice that would impede the ‘expansion of the word of God’ because of the worldly judgmentalism according to nation, skin color, denomination, social position, man and woman, education and ignorance and the like.

.

.
The very person who can accept the word of God is a Christian who is grown up in faith. If you are at all, then I hope you be a Christian who is mature in faith.
.

.

.

‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)’
오직 성령이 너희에게 임하시면 너희가 권능을 받고 예루살렘과 온 유대와 사마리아와 띵 끝까지 이르러 내 증인이 되리라. (행1;8)
.

.

.

Welcome visitors to My personal homepage,...

http://www.mryoum.com/skin_youm_html/eindex.htm/

.