Do we need a Gentile Bible?

Theology
1

The Gentile Bible?

The way we are viewing the Holy Bible may be the reason we have trouble understanding it.

Are the Gospels starting us on the wrong path?

Who is the intended audience of the Gospels, and why do they have so many reference from the Old Testament?

The Gospels appear to be written to attract Jews to become followers of Jesus, remember, they were/are the Chosen People. not to attract gentiles At one point Jesus had sent the apostles out to preach to Jews only. The Jews were not responding to Jesus very well, but the result of this action did not show any improvement.

Why should we be concerned with the Gentiles?

We are the gentiles of the New Testament. We have no use for the Mosaic Covenant as it was not an option to us. Jesus selected Saul to teach and preach to the gentiles. What are the instructions from Paul?

“… Preach Christ and Him crucified …” Read 1 Corinthians 1
The Mosaic Covenant has been fulfilled and is now obsolete.
“In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. But that which is becoming old and waxeth aged is nigh unto vanishing
away.” Hebrews 8

*The less gentiles know of the Old Testament, the better off they will be.

*SM, can’t remember address, but will add them next week. (SM = Senior Moment, I’m 89)

2

This is an interesting thought. While I still think the Mosaic Covenant and the Old Testament has much to teach us (Jew or Gentile) as it relates to the whole story God is writing, I do think it’s easy as a Gentile to fall into reading the Bible as if I’m a Jew. Sometimes I have to remind myself like you said that I am among the Gentiles the NT talks about! I am among those “grafted” in to God’s family (Rom. 11:11-24). That’s definitely a thought that produces gratitude.

3

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” - Galatians 3:28

1 Like
4

The Bible’s fine just the way it is, because the new fulfills the old, @josephperryg4. The principles, not the outward forms, of the Old Testament laws still apply to our lives today:

Mat 5:21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
Mat 5:22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Mat 5:23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
Mat 5:24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Mat 5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
Mat 5:28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

5

Some try to present a monolithic view of Christianity that includes the gospels and Old Testament.This can cause trouble trying to resolve things like “endure to the end” (for Jews) and “complete in Christ” (for gentiles and Jews outside of Israel.

It can help to differentiate what is said to whom and why. For example, Peter and the Apostles had the national kingdom gospel of Israel while Paul had the grace gospel of gentiles.

Gal 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

This differentiation means that as gentiles, we do not have to try to move mountains.While Peter, James, and John wrote to a faithful remnant of Jews waiting for the rest of Israel to receive the promised earthly kingdom, gentiles are already translated into the heavenly kingdom.

If one is interested in a gentile bible, one can read the letters of Paul and learn about the gospel of grace.

6

When studying for the Ministry, the OT was my favorite subject, but that was because of its presentation.

7

No. First, the entire Bible is about Jesus. Yes, that includes the Old Testament.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.: John 5:39-40

As TheologyNerd pointed out.

Once we are adopted into the family of God, we are then all children of God.

“and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” Romans 8:17

Therefore, there is no difference. Yes, Peter was called to fish for the Jews. He was called to bring the Gospels to the Jewish people. Paul, on the other hand, was called to the Gentiles.

“On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.” Galatians 2:7-9

Most, if not all, of Paul’s letters were written to Gentile Churches. Or ones that started as Gentile.

No, we need the Bible as a whole.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16

This is why it is so important to you to read it for yourself and lay a solid foundation in your life, so that you will not fall for the lies and be misled from the truth.

God bless

Peter

8

While it’s true that Jesus initially instructed His disciples to go to the “lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6), the full picture of the Gospel unfolds with His resurrection and the Great Commission, where He commands them to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). The Old Testament isn’t obsolete for Gentiles. It lays the groundwork for understanding who Christ is and why His sacrifice matters. Paul himself often reasoned from the Scriptures, which at that time were the Hebrew Scriptures.

3 Likes
9

Hitler thought we needed a “Gentile Bible.” So, too, did Marcion. His “canon” consisted of Luke’s Gospel and Paul’s letters, both heavily edited. In his view, the Bible we have was the revelation of two different gods:

  • The nasty, mean, materialistic and judgmental YVYH of the OT and the Jews, and
  • The sweet, gracious, and ‘spiritual’ Jesus of the NT and the Gentiles.

(whenever someone pits God’s righteousness against His grace, I hear echoes of Marcion)

10

@josephperryg4 et. al.

If I am like a “wild olive tree branch” which has been grafted into a “cultivated olive tree”, I want to know all I can about that tree, from its highest branches to its deepest root, from its current state to its humble beginnings.

For I (Paul) speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh (Jews) and save some of them.

For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.
And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.

You will say then, “Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in.” Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:13-25)

Late to the party.
KP

11

I’m okay with the Bibles we have.

1 Like
12

Amen! Also, one of the biggest problems a lot of “Christians” have is that they simply have no idea what the Truth is. This (Holding up the Bible) sits somewhere, collecting dust. They go to church, sing songs, go home. They do not know the true nature of God or even what God tells us directly.

So when a smooth talker shows up with false compassion or love, and they tell you things that may even sound Biblical, if you do not know the truth, you may, and most likely will, believe the lie. Or they say things as the devil would. “Come on, do you really think a loving God would?” “Does that sound like something Jesus would say, do, believe, accept, whatever?” Know the truth. Get to know God. Get to know His family. There is so much more to this life, and the life hereafter, than an hour a week, if you feel like going.

Be blessed,

Peter

13

:grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

Be Blessed.

Peter

2 Likes
14

agreed! I appreciate spirited “what if” conversations though!

15

You’ll never properly understand God’s written Word with that kind of attitude.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ can be found in most all of the Books of The Old Testament, starting with the prophecy in Genesis 3. The Promise by Faith first preached to Abraham was The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Per Hebrews 7, Apostle Paul showed the Melchizedek who met Abraham, and offered him “bread and wine”, was our Lord Jesus Christ. And per the end of John 8, Jesus said Abraham rejoiced to see His day and was glad.

So just because the majority of the seed of Israel were rebellious does not mean The Gospel did not take hold among a particual chosen seed among them, like the OT patriarchs and prophets. In Ephesians 2, Apostle Paul even says that Christ’s Apostles and the PROPHETS (OT prophets) make up the early foundation of Christ’s Church, Jesus Christ being its Chief Cornerstone. So how can anyone leave the OT saints out of Christ’s Church? Even king David was given to prophesy of Christ’s crucifixion about a 1,000 years before it happened, even down to the soldiers who cast lots upon Jesus’ clothing (See Psalms 22).

What you obviously have been subjected to is propaganda against God’s written Word, and thus you should come out of that Babylon source that is influencing your thoughts, and get into God’s written Word for yourself asking God’s help.

16

What we actually need is a thought-for-thought rendering of the Greek in the NT, because as anyone who speaks more than one language fluently will tell you, word-for-word translations do NOT always bring out the intended meaning of the speaker. To date, we do not have one, all we have are word-for-word translations and paraphrases…along with the many false translations put out by liberals today.

Blessings.

17

True, however there is a vast libriary out there that with current techlogy anyone can accesst in the orginal Hebrew, Greek, or even Aramaic. I do this all the time, and I know others who do as well.

Peter

18

I agree that there are sources that one can turn to, however, in my experience 99% of them fall short because they only give word definitions but fail to tell the reader how Greek grammar affects those definitions (for dictionaries, as an example).

Blessings

19

Im eternally grateful for the Old Covenant’s " roadmaps"

I continually forget the “directions”

And I then imagine Abba saying Oy Vey. Or is it vay

20

That idea of course is false. We already have today modern translations of the New Testament that get away from the actual written Greek, and instead give a paraphrase by authors who ‘think’… they know the meaning. There’s many of those type Bibles today, which isn’t anything but men’s doctrines that try to change what the original Word of God says.