Solid Food for the Mature – Discerning Good and Evil – Understanding Jews and Gentiles
Let’s begin to understand this aspect first:
What is the advantage of the Jew?
Reply: in every aspect, verses:
“Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the benefit of circumcision? Great in every respect. First of all, that they were entrusted with the oracles of God.” (Romans 3:1 – 2, NASB)
“Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,” (Hebrews 6:1, NASB)
“I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able,” – apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 3:2, NASB)
Why is it compared to milk? A baby drinks milk and only thinks about himself (analogy: Christianity which thinks about itself & how it can get more blessings for itself) & doesn’t understand anything beyond self (e.g. no hope beyond hell or no hope beyond their denomination, not interested in topics which doesn’t have any benefit toward them, e.g. God’s Amazing Saving Acts from Hell, and is focused on their works/ministry only) just like a ‘baby sees itself as the centre of attention only’. Thus to eat ‘solid food’ (of “doctrine”) we must ‘think about others’ (our enemies too) and ‘understand how the Gospel relates to all in a mature & correct way according to Scripture ‘as it is written’.
Please consider the Biblical facts below (with ‘verses’ quoted for each ‘claim’):
(i) How is one “chosen’?
God “chooses” according to ‘His Will’ only (and ‘not due to our doings, i.e. ‘no’ contribution from our part to determine this ’cause of being Chosen’):
“also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,” (Ephesians 1:11, NASB)
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” – Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:16, NASB)
“just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love” (Ephesians 1:4, NASB)
Example: Apostle Paul was “chosen” as the ‘apostle of the Gentiles’:
“But the Lord (Jesus Christ) said to him (Ananias), “Go, for he (apostle Paul) is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” (Acts 9:15 – 16, NASB)
(ii) Is Israel chosen?
Yes!
“For you [Israel] are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 14:2, NASB)
(iii) Is God choosing Israel fair?
“For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. “The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the LORD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:6 – 8, NASB)
It is conditional to the Israelite ‘keeping His Commands’:
“You have today declared the LORD to be your God, and that you would walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments and His ordinances, and listen to His voice. “The LORD has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the LORD your God, as He has spoken.” (Deuteronomy 26:17 – 19, NASB)
How about the disobedient Israel? They will be punished too (‘no’ partiality with God):
“Hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of Egypt: “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (Amos 3:1 – 2, NASB)
(iv) How about those who bless or curse Israel?
“And I will make you [Abraham] a great nation [Israel],
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
And I will bless those who bless you , And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2 – 3, NASB)
How about the nations which rise against Israel?
He Will make a “full end of them” but He Will “punish Israel too” (example, for the “war crimes” & “children killing” which Israel has abominably done too, because God is Fair & the God of gods Who cannot be bribed, nor does He have partiality, Deuteronomy 10:17):
“But as for you, O Jacob My servant, do not fear, Nor be dismayed, O Israel! For, see, I am going to save you from afar, And your descendants from the land of their captivity; And Jacob will return and be undisturbed And secure, with no one making him tremble. “O Jacob My servant, do not fear,” declares the LORD, “For I am with you For I will make a full end of all the nations Where I have driven you, Yet I will not make a full end of you; But I will correct you properly And by no means leave you unpunished.” (Jeremiah 46:27 – 28, NASB)
“For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.” (Deuteronomy 10:17, NASB)
(v) Does the Land belong to Israel?
Yes. Now, how far into history shall we go to determine this ‘Truth’?
Who is the ‘real Owner’ of all Lands?
“A Psalm of David. The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.” (Psalm 24:1, NASB)
Thus, God ‘Alone’ Decides to ‘Give the Land to Israel’. Any people groups which have dwelt there before Israel moved in & did so without God’s Permission & on Judgment Day, one may ask to see a proof when NO one but God “Alone” Walked these Lands to “realize this”. Thus, “only” God Owns All Lands (Psalm 24:1) and He gave that Land to Israel (His Choice).
“but, ‘As the LORD lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of the north and from all the countries where He had banished them.’ For I will restore them to their own land which I gave to their fathers.” (Jeremiah 16:15, NASB)
Yes, regarding Judgment upon ‘other nations & their gods’ too:
“Let the sword return to its sheath. In the place where you were created, in the land of your ancestry, I will judge you.” (Ezekiel 21:30, NASB)
“The LORD will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.” (Zephaniah 2:11, NASB)
*for example, please remember that ‘these gods’ are the ones starving ‘their own people’ in ‘their own lands’ where ‘they were given dominion’ (it’s all their fault, Psalm 82).
Human arguments will be ‘debunked & become invalid’ on that Day when He Will Answer:
“And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war.” (Micah 4:3, NASB)
(vi) Will the enemies of Israel succeed in destroying Israel?
Not at all.
In the end, the armies of the earth will rise to destroy Israel but God Himself Will descend from Heaven (and ‘His Feet Will Touch the Mount of Olives which will split to two’), verses:
“It will come about in that day that I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples; all who lift it will be severely injured. And all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it.” (Zechariah 12:3, NASB)
“In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.” (Zechariah 14:4, NASB)
“And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.
And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” (Revelation 19:11 – 21, NASB)
“When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever [ages of the Ages].” (Revelation 20:7 – 10, NASB)
“Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15 – 17, NASB)
“The kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers take counsel together
Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
“Let us tear their fetters apart
And cast away their cords from us!”
He who sits in the heavens laughs,
The Lord scoffs at them.
Then He will speak to them in His anger
And terrify them in His fury, saying,
“But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain.” (Psalm 2:2 – 6, NASB)
“And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.” (Zechariah 14:9, NASB)
Yes, He only uses “His Breath” to ‘destroy them all’ (that’s why He is God!):
“By the breath of God they perish, And by the blast of His anger they come to an end.” (Job 4:9, NASB)
“Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;” (2 Thessalonians 2:8, NASB)
(vi) How about believing Jews?
“and ye are a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired, that the excellences ye may shew forth of Him who out of darkness did call you to His wondrous light;” (1 Peter 2:9)
“Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.” (Acts 3:25, NASB)
(vii) What about Gentiles (non-Jews)?
“Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,” (Romans 3:29, NASB)
Believing Gentiles become ‘co-heir’ with Israel even in the blessings of Abraham due to Christ:
“and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:17, NASB)
“By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,” (Ephesians 3:4 – 6, NASB)
“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.” (Galatians 3:29, NASB)
Believing Gentiles inherit the “spiritual blessings” & ‘not necessarily their earthly blessings or material blessings’ (implied by a specific emphasis to this “only” especially since both phrases are found in this ‘same’ verse) —> (please note this phrase, “spiritual blessings” carefully in verse Romans 16:27 below to realize this —-> with regards to being ‘co heirs’ in Christ & in ‘inheriting Abrahamic blessings’ as a “believer” as described in verses prior too):
“For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they [Gentiles] are indebted to them [Jews]. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things.” (Romans 16:26 – 27, NASB)
Yes, the verse below itself refers to this “spiritual in-distinction” though ‘earthly distinctions still exist temporarily’ agreeing to the verse above too ‘perfectly’ (in Context):
“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28, NASB)
“Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.” (Galatians 3:7, NASB)
(vii) What is the Purpose of Israel in regards to the Salvation of the World?
Please consider these write-ups to understand these things “maturely” and ‘not in a racist or anti-Semitic way’:
https://www.anonymouschristian.org/blog/the-hardening-of-israel/
https://www.anonymouschristian.org/blog/all-israel/
https://www.anonymouschristian.org/blog/israel-proof-biblical-context/
https://www.anonymouschristian.org/blog/meaning-book-romans/
https://www.anonymouschristian.org/blog/jewish-unbelief/
https://www.anonymouschristian.org/blog/sons-of-the-devil/
https://www.anonymouschristian.org/blog/does-god-love-sinners/
Conclusion
“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.” – Lord Jesus Christ (John 15:19, NASB)
“and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2, NASB)
P/S:
I am “not” a Jew but a “Gentile believer in Christ”.
Are we ashamed of the Gospel?
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, NASB)
Peace to you!
Please consider the interesting verses below too for further edification:
The “4:2” verses – Doctrine and Commands
Please notice how each “4:2” verse below is “similar” in “meaning”:
“You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2, NASB)
“For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2, NASB)
“preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2, NASB)
‘If Theology can be changed by man, it is not of God. Only God determines His Doctrines according to His Covenant, e. g. the New Testament now via Inspired Writings in the Bible (verses) “only”.’ – Anonymous
Fall of the gods – Re-Focus – He Will Judge the gods too
“{A Psalm of Asaph.} God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods.” (Psalm 82:1, KJV)
“I — I have said, ‘Gods ye are, And sons of the Most High — all of you,” (Psalm 82:6, YLT)
Please remember that ‘these gods’ (‘sons of the Most High = sons of God’, created by Him) are the ones starving ‘their own people’ in ‘their own lands’ where ‘they were given dominion’ (it’s all their fault) as the verses below imply:
“How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy.
Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 82:2 – 4, KJV)
Also, that’s why in return of Judgment, God will “starve these gods” (so that ‘they feel & suffer and get back what they did to the mankind under their dominion whom they bullied instead of leading them to YHWH Alone):
“The LORD will be terrifying to them, for He will starve all the gods of the earth; and all the coastlands of the nations will bow down to Him, everyone from his own place.” (Zephaniah 2:11, NASB)
And, other Judgments too upon them [these ‘gods’] till ‘they die like men’:
“But ye [the ‘gods’] shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
Arise, O God, judge the earth: for thou shalt inherit all nations” (Psalm 82:7 – 8, KJV)
Men will be Glad on ‘that Day’:
“And it will be said in that day, “Behold, this is our God for whom we have waited that He might save us. This is the LORD for whom we have waited; Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9, NASB)
Yes, ‘men will come to Him’ (Return) and ‘those against Him will be ashamed’ especially since they will ‘understand’ all these things by then:
“They will say of Me, ‘Only in the LORD are righteousness and strength.’ Men will come to Him, And all who were angry at Him will be put to shame.” (Isaiah 45:24, NASB)
Yes, even ‘kings’:
“Thus He will sprinkle many nations, Kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; For what had not been told them they will see, And what they had not heard they will understand.” (Isaiah 52:15, NASB)
Truly:
“This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” (1 John 1:5, NASB)
Shouldn’t we know (a principle in John 3:10)?
“The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none,
And their tongue is parched with thirst;
I, the LORD, will answer them Myself,
As the God of Israel I will not forsake them.
“I will open rivers on the bare heights, and springs in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water, nd the dry land fountains of water.
That they may see and recognize,
And consider and gain insight as well,
That the hand of the LORD has done this,
And the Holy One of Israel has created it.
“Present your case,” the LORD says.
“Bring forward your strong arguments,”
The King of Jacob says.
Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know?
Or from former times, that we may say, “He is right!”?
Surely there was no one who declared,
Surely there was no one who proclaimed,
Surely there was no one who heard your words.
“Formerly I said to Zion, ‘Behold, here they are.’ And to Jerusalem, ‘I will give a messenger of good news.’” (Isaiah 41:17 – 18, 20 – 21, 26 – 27, NASB)
“Then the eyes of the blind will be opened
And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
Then the lame will leap like a deer,
And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy.
For waters will break forth in the wilderness
And streams in the Arabah.” (Isaiah 35:5 – 6, NASB)
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