Blinded-Hardened


 List of subjects below:
 Unbalanced View of the Jews
 No Respecter of Persons
 Apostle to the Gentiles
 First to the Jews

Most of the Jews would not receive a gospel of salvation by grace, through faith in Jesus. It was diametrically opposed to their traditions and ordinances. Because of their unwillingness to accept it, their eyes were blinded and their hearts hardened (John 12:40). But those among the Jews who did receive this gospel were accepted with the beloved.

The first converts to Christianity were Jews. So the gospel was not taken away, nor withheld from them, it actually went to them first; but the old covenant was made obsolete and a new covenant was instituted (Hebrews 8:13).

The old covenant was based upon ordinances and animal sacrifices, and the new covenant is based upon salvation by grace through faith in Jesus, the Christ; Jesus Himself being the permanent sacrifice for all men, for all times.

Unbalanced View of the Jews


Some people literally hate all Jews, committing violent, anti-Semitic acts against them. On the other hand, because of the teaching of some of our church leaders, many Christians stand in awe of the Jews, "God's chosen people." Both views are unbalanced, or extreme.

The fact is, that the majority of the Jews rejected Jesus and the prophets, and God cut them off. He considers them to be dead. "For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?" Romans 11:15.

"As regards indeed the glad tidings (gospel), [they are] enemies on your account; but as regards the election, beloved on account of the fathers. For not to be repented of are the gifts and the calling of God." Romans 11:28-29, BINT.

In other words, the Jews are enemies of those who are preaching the gospel, but if they will repent and accept it, God will welcome them in again, through Jesus as their Savior.

 No Respecter of Persons

The Bible tells us that God is no respecter of persons. Gentiles who do not know Christ are also considered, just as the Jews, to be dead. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead..." Romans 6:12-13.

Here again, all are equal who do not know Christ, equally lost in their sins, and all are equal who do know Him, and have their names written in the Lamb's book of life.

"...even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ." Ephesians 2:5, NASB. Everyone regardless of race or nationality, is spiritually "dead" until they accept the atonement of Jesus Christ.

God did not cast the Jews off totally, but left a remnant which He did not destroy, kept by election of grace (Romans 11:5-7). So a balanced view of the Jews is to consider them to be equal with all other people. They, like gentiles, must come to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior to be grafted in again (Romans 11). Jews who accept Jesus as their Savior are call "Christians," just like everyone else. The majority of the early Christians were converted Jews.

Apostle to the Gentiles

The reason that Paul had so much to say about the "mystery," was that it was directly related to the gentile believers, and he was the Apostle to the gentiles [in the sense of masses (nations), not necessarily in the sense of "heathen"]. Almost every mention of the "mystery" has in it a "gentile connection."

The gospel (good news), which Jesus gave us was a gospel of salvation by grace through faith for all people (nations, gentiles). All races, of people may come into the kingdom of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, by the new birth. Each man must receive or reject it for himself until the harvest is full.

First to the Jews

As we have seen, the gospel was first preached to the Jews, and after they rejected it, it was taken to the gentiles. Because God foreordained this "mystery," which would bring salvation to all who would accept it, it is accurate to state, that the gospel would have gone to the nations regardless of what the Jews did in response to Jesus, since it was not a taking away of anything from the Jews, but a bringing in of a better covenant both for them and adding to it, the nations. This addition of the masses as "fellow-heirs" to the kingdom is a part of the "mystery," ordained from the foundation of the earth. 

Continue with: "Mystery of God"

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