We marvel at how God planted the seeds of salvation in the hearts of the early believers and how it has been transmitted to us via that same train of thought and action. One of the basic principles of the early church and Paul’s ministry has been this: “Gentiles do not need to become Jews in order to be saved. Jews who are saved do not need to completely forsake their Jewish heritage.”[Deffinbaugh] So whether you who are reading are a Gentile or a Jew, know this—God’s gift of salvation is for you based upon faith alone. Secondly, the truth of the gospel message causes one to make a choice…either for Christ or against Christ. It matters not whether you are a Gentile or a Jew, when Christ the Messiah is preached all men must choose to believe or to reject.
“In Acts, it is the Hellenistic Jews who took up the cause of opposing the gospel.” [Deffinbaugh] This occurred when Paul by saying the word “Gentiles” opened the door to reveal the heart of the Jews and their hatred of the Gentiles. They ignored the OT prophecies and the fact that God would choose to bring His salvation to them freely and that they would not have to become a proselyte to Judaism. To a Jew that would equality and that was an anathema to them. Today we find that this intolerable acceptance of certain people groups to receive salvation has raised its head. Thus what we saw in the first century has filtered down to us.
In addition we also saw that it does not take very much to incite a crowd to draw illogical conclusions. We saw it in Acts 19 when one lone man, Demetrius, incited and encouraged an entire city to drown out any presentation of the gospel message and thus that city lost the opportunity to have the precious Light of the Gospel message. But, God is in control and He is fulfilling the prophecy about Paul that he would bear witness before Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. [Acts 9] Oh the wonder and majesty and mercy of God who has continued to draw his children from apostasy and yet as Jesus said: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!” [Luke]
Beloved, Do you have misconceptions about others to whom the message of salvation is to be preached based upon a racial or cultural bias and ignore the avenue God has placed before you? The fields are ripe and we are to be the workers in the harvest. Will you come and work?