Lesson 22

Unity between Jew and Gentile in the body of Christ, the Church 2:11-22

Structure:

1st a focus on a former state in the past; [2:11-12]

2nd a focus on the present; [2:13]

3rd Their future in "the body," the Church as they grow and mature spiritually. [2:22]

1. Background

Israel is the only nation in history of mankind that has a past history; a present history; and a future history.

Before Pentecost, if you wanted to know God, you needed to know Israel.

We need to know the differences to be able to properly relate to God's will for us now so that we don't get sidetracked by some form of legalism; reading OT practice into Church age.

2. Let's examine 2:11-12

Now Paul says there is another aspect that you as Gentiles need to remember also; that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh;

The point is that to be a Gentile was to be deprived of a religious privilege; that special relationship the Jew had with God.

To the Jew the fact that one was not circumcised indicated that, that one was estranged from God;

** What's the idea with circumcision? What's basis for it?

It was to be an indication that they were one of those to whom God had made this covenant!

2:12 What did God's people have that the Gentiles did not have?

Paul is saying here; look at the privileges that belonged to Israel, privileges that you did not have.

Five Important Distinctions: Advantage à Jew Disadvantage à Gentile

1. separate from Christ cwri.j; without; No Messiah;

2. excluded from the commonwealth of Israel

To be estranged from, to be alienated from lit. the citizenship of Israel;

3. strangers to the covenants of promise;

the Gentile has no part in the covenants [pl.] to Israel;

4. having no hope they had nothing to look forward to,

5. without God in the world." a;qeoj; they were a no God people

Observation:

1. Need to remember that the spiritual plight of the Gentiles was not caused by God but their own willful sin.

2. Religious history is not a record of man starting with many gods, idolatry, and gradually discovering the one true God.

3. God called the Jews so that He might reveal Himself as the one true God. To them were entrusted the oracles of God [Rom 3:2].

4. This pattern ought to be a warning to the church today.

When the church is least like the world, it does the most for the world.