The Jews were the Chosen People of God who had entered a covenant with God. God initiated the covenant with Abraham and affirmed it repeatedly through Israel's leaders and prophets. - Gen. 12:1-7 - Because of this covenant relationship, a feeling of exclusive gradually developed among the Jews over a period of several centuries and Jewish people refers foreigners or any other people who were not a part of the Jewish race as Gentiles.

In early Hebrew history Gentiles or non Jews were treated cordially by the Israelites. - Duet. 10:19; Num. 35:15; Ezek. 47:2 - But men of Israel often married Gentile women including Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba. However, after the Hebrews returned from the period of CAPTIVITY in Babylon the practice of intermarriage was discouraged. - Ezra 9:12, 10:2-44; Neh. 10:30 - Separation between Jews and Gentiles became increasingly strict; by the New Testament period the hostility was complete. The persecution of the Jews by the Greeks and Romans from about 400 B.C. to the New Testament era caused the Jews to retaliate with hatred for all Gentiles and to avoid all contact with foreigners.

In the New Testament, the life and teachings of Jesus set the ideal for positive relationships between Jews and Gentiles as recorded in the apostle Paul's writings. - Rom.1:18; Eph 2:14; Col. 3:11 - But the process of such idealism becoming a reality was a struggle for the early Church.

The Book of Acts of the Apostles pictures the struggle of the early Church to include the Gentiles in its life. When apostle Peter's taught by the vision at Joppa, broke with Jewish tradition by visiting and eating with the Gentile Cornelius, it gave offense even to the Christian Jews. - Acts 10:28, 11:3 -

The apostle Paul became effective missionary to the Gentiles. - Acts 13:46-49, 15:14 - At first the early Church was composed of converted Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah, God's Anointed One. But more and more Gentiles came to accept the teaching of the gospel. Some Jewish leaders warned that they could not enter the Church unless they also submitted to the Jewish ritual of CIRCUMCISION - Acts 15:1-31 - Apostle Paul fought against this requirement as a denial of the gospel and ultimately convinced the Church. - Acts 20:18-21; Gal. 3:28 -

Then Peter addressed them: The truth I have now come to realize he said, is that God does not have favourites but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him. - Acts 10:34-35 -

The only condition of salvation is repentance from sin and have Faith, Hope and Love in Christ Jesus.

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Faith . Hope . Love - Welcome donation. Thank You. God bless.

By bank transfer/cheque deposit:
Name: Alex Chan Kok Wah
Bank: Public Bank Berhad account no: 4076577113
Country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-25 -