Was Paul Confused or Just Being Biblical?
If Paul was an "apostle to the Gentiles", what's he doing spending so much time reaching his fellow Jewish brethren? Throughout the book of Acts, Paul always goes to one place first: the synagogue. Why? Because his fellow countrymen were there.
Most people are surprised to learn that the Jewish people are still considered an unreached people group. Statistically, less than 1% of Jewish people worldwide believe that Yeshua (Jesus) is the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Bible. In fact, although most Jewish people have heard of Jesus, it's also true that most have never heard a clear gospel presentation. Most Jewish people I speak with are surprised to learn that the New Testament is not an antisemitic document and it was written largely by and for Jewish people. If it wasn’t for first century Jewish followers of Jesus, we would not have the New Testament. Over the last 2,000 years, God has used the NT to draw people from many nations to faith in the one true God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. There are many factors that contribute to Jewish unbelief, ranging from Christian antisemitism (past and present), wrong teachings/beliefs about Jesus, the Devil’s deceptions to keep people from truth and a general hesitancy on the part of most Christians to share their faith with anyone, whether Jewish or Gentile.
Regardless of the reasons, God’s Word is clear about the role of believers in sharing the Good News with everyone, especially our Jewish friends.
These are Paul’s 5 P’s:
Romans 1:16: Proclaim
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.”
The Greek word used for “first” is proton. In this context, Paul’s use likely means “especially” or “of priority.” Paul uses the same Greek word to indicate priority of judgment in Rom. 2:10. Matthew uses the same Greek word to indicate priority of importance in Matthew 6:33.
Since the gospel is especially (proton) for the Jewish people, it behooves each of us to ask the Lord, “How should I be involved in sharing the gospel with Jewish people, to whom it is a priority?”
Romans 9:1-5: Passion
“I speak the truth in Christ —I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit — that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart. For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises. The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever. Amen.”
Paul’s passion to see Jewish people come to faith is undeniable! This was reality even though Paul was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). Paul, the 12 disciples and the 70 apostles were all Jewish and they greatly desired that their brethren, the Jewish people, see that Jesus fulfilled the predictions of the Hebrew prophets. Paul says that, if it were possible, he would cut himself off from Messiah for the sake of the Jewish people’s salvation! If the church had just an ounce of Paul’s passion, perhaps the Jewish people would not be considered unreached today?
Romans 10:1: Prayer
“Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God concerning them is for their salvation!”
Paul reinforces his desire for Israel’s salvation with prayer. No matter where we are in the world, no matter our resources and no matter what calling God has placed on our lives, we can all be praying for Israel’s salvation, which will bring great glory to God when it happens.
Romans 11:11: Provoke
“I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall? Absolutely not! On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous.”
The "stumbling" that Paul refers to here is the national leadership's rejection of Jesus' messianic claims. Remember: many thousands of Jewish people believed in Jesus, died for their faith and brought the Message to Gentiles. Over the last 2,000 years, Christians have provoked the Jewish people, but not in the right ways. The deicide charge, the crusades, Martin Luther’s horrible antisemitism and Christian complacency in the face of Nazi death camps are just a few examples of the wrong provocations. The provocation that Paul is talking about is a good one that occurs when our Jewish friends see the fruit of the Spirit lived out and they desire what we have. Namely, a personal relationship with God through belief in Messiah.
Romans 15:27: Provide
“Yes, they were pleased, and indeed are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual benefits, then they are obligated to minister to Jews in material needs.”
Paul’s words are shocking to today’s churchgoers. More often than not, the Jewish people are cast aside. Gentiles have, by and large, dressed up the Jewish Messiah in such a Gentile way that His own people do not recognize Him as their own. The reality, as taught by Paul, is that Gentile believers are "indebted" to the Jewish people because we have received so much from them spiritually: blessings, Scriptures and the Messiah, just to name a few. Instead of an attitude of appreciation and humility, arrogance and ignorance have led the way for most believers over the past 2,000 years, things Paul specifically warned Gentiles against in Romans 11.
In conclusion, Paul was not a confused Apostle to the Gentiles. He really believed that reaching Jewish people was the key to world evangelization, as he wrote in Romans 11:12, "Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring!"
For further resources on sharing the gospel with our Jewish friends, check out lifeinmessiah.org/ebook-signup for a free resource on sharing the gospel with our Jewish friends