As Christians already know, the apostle Paul is known as the apostle to the Gentiles (e.g. Eph 3:1, 8). Of course, that doesn't mean Paul didn't attempt to minister to the Jews (he did), but he's most known for ministering to the Gentiles.
At the same time, Paul writes:
I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. (Acts 22:3)
and
If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. (Phil 3:4-6)
and
I am speaking the truth in Christ - I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit - that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. (Rom 9:1-5)
It's interesting that Paul was quite possibly the best person in his day to take the gospel to his fellow Jews. Moreover, he had the strong desire to do so. Nevertheless as things worked out God made him the apostle to the Gentiles instead. (Meanwhile God sent a fisherman like Peter to the Jews, among others such as James.)
Didn't Paul's method involve first going to the synagogues in each town he visited, and then to the Gentiles only once the local Jews proved obstinate? It would seem that God did indeed use the most studied, well versed, Jewish apostle to speak to the Jews - perhaps to prove that the hearts and minds of some would be closed even with the most compelling evidence from the Tanakh presented before them. Since that didn't work out (mostly), God also intended him to be the Roman citizen, Greek philosophy & beliefs familiar (Acts 17 allotted nations viz Plato's Critias allotted gods) apostle to the Gentiles as well.
ReplyDeletePlus, as Michael Heiser points out, Paul in Romans 15:23-24 notes that he intends to go to Spain since there isn't any more room for him to work hereabouts. Spain (Tarshish) was not represented by Jews from the region during the outporing of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost - no one would have returned home to Spain to spread the news to their fellows Jews that Messiah had come. That would be left to Paul.
Thanks, Scott! Several very interesting points (e.g. Heiser regarding Paul in Spain).
DeleteJust to address one thing:
"Didn't Paul's method involve first going to the synagogues in each town he visited, and then to the Gentiles only once the local Jews proved obstinate?"
Oh yeah, maybe I should've been clearer, but this is the sort of thing I was alluding to when I said Paul "attempted" to minister to Jews.
I think Paul explains why he thinks this is the case. Take chapters 9-11 in Romans. For example, Paul addressed Roman Gentiles in 11:13 ("Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles...") when he said "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see, and ears that would not hear, down to this very day" (11:8), which in turn is a boon for the Gentiles: "through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous" (11:11).
It's from the section 37:20 to 52:50 https://youtu.be/2QBz3KsUp4U
DeleteActs links back to Genesis 10 & 11, and the exiled ten northern tribes of Israel. The specific episodes in Acts involving the speaking in tongues among Jews from many nations, episodes in Samaria, Ethiopia, a city in Philistia, Damascus and last of all Spain - all link back to that and even Genesis 14.
The missionary journeys of Paul is the seeking out the scattered Lost Tribes and all the Table of Nations, to call them back to The Kingdom of God - through proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus.
(NB: Divine Council Worldview is not required for the above.)
In fact I just raised the point at the pulpit - comparing a map of the post-Babel nations with a map of where the Jews came from to gather for Pentecost during the outporing of the Holy Spirit, one can clearly notice that the Iberian peninsula (Spain/Tarshish) isn't in the Acts event.