But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
Interesting note: "nation" is the Greek ethnos, which generally referred to "a race, a people, the Gentiles". This usually meant unbelieving Gentiles, or non-Jews, distinct and separate from Jewish people.
So when Peter says "holy nation", it was probably far more shockingly magnificent to the original readers than it is to us. I wonder if they dwelt on that concept - these Gentile dogs, formerly cut off from the blessings and promises of the people of God, have now been declared holy, set apart for God, declared to be the people of God. Imagine that. Truly Christ tore the veil. Truly Christ abolished the enmity. The Jewish believers probably thought of "holy nation [holy Gentiles]" as an oxymoron. How is it possible?
It is possible only through Christ and His excellencies, His light, and His mercy.
Matthew 15:24 seems to dispute that :O
ReplyDeleteOn its face (is that the proper expression? And where does that expression come from, anyway?) it seems to dispute it, but you have to understand the flow of the gospel. :) Within Jesus' earthly ministry, He did not travel the globe and make disciples. But He did command His people to go and make disciples of all nations. And even in Matthew 15, it is clear that Jesus is testing the woman - she has faith, and Jesus does heal her child.
ReplyDeleteHere are some passages that talk about the ministry to the Gentiles: Acts 1:8; 22:21; 26:17–18, 23; cf. Luke 24:47; John 10:16. Ephesians 1-2 also goes into all of that. :)
From the beginning of the promise to Moses, the Jewish nation demanded signs from God. Matthew 15:24 is explaining that, Jesus was the fulfillment of all prophesy, etc etc etc....
ReplyDeleteNoah was not a Jew, but through him humanity was 'saved.' Lot was not a Jew, and yet he was chosen. Rahab was not a Jew, and yet mercy was shown to her family. If reading the Old Testament carefully the gospel is clearly demonstrated through the lives of those who weren't of the 'Nation of Isreal.' (King Melchizedek is another gentile that comes to mind as I type.) The Jews had themselves set up as a self righteous Nation, not properly fearing God because they put their trust in following the Ten Commandments, and the Mosaic Law....trusting in their lineage instead of Christ! Jesus came to justify those before his birth, just as much as those born after his death and resurrection, praise be to God!