fact of the Messiah being wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our inequities, and the chastisement for our peace being upon Him—700 years before Jesus was born—and died on the cross for our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3). Therefore, it is God who reaches out, initiates, and saves fallen humanity, who had become the enemies of God (Romans 5:10). Without God’s sovereign intervention, no sinner could ever be saved (John 6:65). Our own faith itself is a gift from God (Philippians 1:29). Reconciliation: Jews and Gentiles. A related and practical aspect of God’s Act of Reconciliation for the Early Church was the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Christ, elucidated in Paul’s epistle to Ephesians (Ephesians 2: 11-22). Paul begins by referring to two opposing groups of people: (i) Gentiles by birth, the “uncircumcised”, excluded from Israeli citizenship, foreigners to the covenants between God and His chosen people, the Jews; (ii) Jews by birth, the “circumcised”, heirs to the covenants with God. However, through His blood, Christ Jesus created a new humanity from Gentiles and Jews, reconciling them to God through the cross, with ready access to Father God. Consequently, both the Gentiles and Jews became fellow citizens, as God’s people and members of the same household, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. In his letter to Romans, Paul—proclaiming himself as the apostle to the Gentiles3—provides a more nuanced theological discussion on the reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Christ, noting it to be pivotal in God’s redemptive plan for humanity (Romans 11:11-24). Paul presents a beautiful analogy from nature, comparing Jewish believers to the natural branches of a cultivated olive tree and the Gentile believers to the branches of a wild olive tree. Paul states that the natural branches (Jews) were broken off—because of their unbelief—and the wild branches (Gentiles) grafted in, making them partakers of the promises and blessings of God’s salvation. The tree signifies the community of God’s people, with the grafted-in wild branches as Gentile believers, and the cut-off natural branches as unbelieving Jews. The Jewish believers who remain in the tree are joined with the Gentiles into a new body, the Christian Church4. Paul cautions the Gentiles not to be arrogant about their faith in Christ, reminding that the branches are dependent on the roots and not vice versa, and warning that if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare the grafted-in branches either. Paul states clearly
3
In his letter to Galatians, Apostle Paul talks about preaching the gospel to the uncircumcised, contrasting himself to Peter as the Apostle to the circumcised (Galatians 2: 7-8). 4 This is similar to the reconciliation between Gentiles and Jews through Christ (Ephesians 2:11–22), discussed earlier.
that God is not finished with Israel—who has only temporarily lost the privilege as God’s people—and that all Israel will be saved to fulfill God’s covenant with Israel (Romans 11:25–28). The creation of a new humanity as Christians, based on reconciliation between Jews and Gentiles through Jesus Christ, has been a turning point in human history. However, as we know well from the Book of Acts and Apostle Paul’s letters—particularly Galatians—this was not an easy process for the Early Church5. A key dilemma for the Early Church was the standards to be applied to Gentile Christians, given the sudden influx of non-Jewish believers into the Church, especially following the conversion of Paul. Gentile believers brought along their customs, habits and values, many of which were offensive to Jewish Christians. In response, false teachers—called “Judaizers6”—emerged, proposing that Gentile Christians were not really saved unless they observed all Jewish laws such as: being circumcised7, eating special foods, and celebrating special Jewish feast days. Essentially, the Judaizers’ doctrine was a mixture of grace (through Christ) and works (through the keeping of the Law). The debate was ultimately settled through the Jerusalem Council, where the Antioch church— represented by Paul, Barnabas and other believers8— discussed the matter with apostles and elders (Acts 15:2), for building harmony between Gentile and Jewish Christians. Jerusalem Council Discussions. During the Jerusalem Council discussions9, some believers—who were Pharisees—stated that Gentiles could not be saved unless they were first circumcised and obeyed the Law of Moses (Acts 15:5). Following extensive discussions among the apostles and elders, Peter argued—drawing 5 Stanley (2012) presents a useful account of the struggles of the Early Church in reaching Jews and Gentiles. In particular, see the discussion in Section 2 (p.86-93). Andy Stanley (2012),“Deep and Wide”, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan. 6 The word “Judaizer” comes from a Greek verb meaning “to live according to Jewish customs.” The word appears in Galatians 2:14, where Paul describes how he confronted Peter for forcing Gentile Christians to Judaize. 7 In Acts 15:1, Judaizers—while teaching believers in Antioch—claimed that one cannot be saved, unless circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses. 8 In his letter to Galatians, Apostle Paul mentions Titus as a member of the Antioch delegation to the Jerusalem Council (Galatians 2:1). 9 In his letter to Galatians, Apostle Paul provides some interesting details of the Jerusalem Council discussions. Paul states that: Jerusalem visit was in response to a revelation; he met privately with the leaders—James, Peter, and John— to present the gospel Paul preached to Gentiles; he wanted to be sure that he was running and had not been running his race in vain (Galatians 2:2, 9).
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