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As far as I know, I do not have any Jewish blood in me. If I do, it must be very little, dozens of generations ago.
But there are a certain race of people God calls His "chosen people". Isa 43:20;
Exod 5:1; And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.'"
Exod 24:10; and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
In fact "most" of the old testament is about Israel. We all know the story. Abraham and Sarah had Isaac. Isaac had Jacob and Esau. Jacob was re-named by God.
His name was changed to Israel. ( Gen 35:10; ). Jacob of course has 12 sons. They are known as the Patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel. A couple of the tribes have changed
over the years, but they are still the descendant of Isaac. Some people would say they are the descendants of Abraham, as this is true. But Abraham had another son. Ishmael.
The descendants of Ishmael are not Jews. Today we would call these people Palestinians, or Arabs. These people tend to mostly be Muslims. The descendants of Ishmael and
Jacob have been fighting for thousands of years, and are still fighting today.
In the New Testament, there is a word. (It is mentioned once in the old Testament - Isa 9:1; Matt 4:15; ) The word Gentile. This word simply means non-Jew. Not a biological descendant
of Isaac. That is probably most of us here on TalkJesus.
Now often in the Bible... the words Jew and Gentile are inter-changed in how they are used. Jew ... means a godly person. Gentile .. means a sinful person.
Some examples of this would be Matt 5:47; Matt 6:32; Mark 7:26; etc...
But in the context of Gentiles - meaning sinners....
Matt 18:17; 1 Cor 5:1; 1 Cor 10:20; Gal 2:15; Col 1:27; 1 Thes 4:5; etc... (some Bibles use the word "pagans" instead of "Gentiles")
The opposite is true also. There are verses where "Jew" doesn't necessarily mean a biological Jew, but rather a "godly person".
There are verses that say Gentiles can become Jews in a sense. We don't become biological Jews, but rather we become "godly people".
Another term is "circumcised, or "uncircumcised". This usually means the same thing as Jew or Gentile respectively.
Rom 2:26; So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
Rom 2:27; And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?
Rom 2:28; For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
Rom 2:29; But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
The reverse is true also. Some Jews are not godly people.
Rom 11:19; You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
Rom 11:20; Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
Rom 11:21; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
Rom 11:22; Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Rom 11:23; And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Rom 11:24; For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
For the most part Israel doesn't believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Because of this, that are not saved. But the Bible says they will come back to God.
Rom 11:25; For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
Rom 11:26; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."
Rom 11:27; "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
Rom 11:28; From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
Rom 11:29; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Rom 11:30; For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
Rom 11:31; so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
There are some verses, where the the word "Jew" might mean biological, or "godly person" or both. Because of this they can be confusing.
Rev 2:9; 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Rev 3:9; 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
This has been debated whether it means "they say they are Christians, but are not".. or does it mean "they say the are biological Jews, but are not".
... to be continued.
But there are a certain race of people God calls His "chosen people". Isa 43:20;
Exod 5:1; And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.'"
Exod 24:10; and they saw the God of Israel; and under His feet there appeared to be a pavement of sapphire, as clear as the sky itself.
In fact "most" of the old testament is about Israel. We all know the story. Abraham and Sarah had Isaac. Isaac had Jacob and Esau. Jacob was re-named by God.
His name was changed to Israel. ( Gen 35:10; ). Jacob of course has 12 sons. They are known as the Patriarchs of the 12 tribes of Israel. A couple of the tribes have changed
over the years, but they are still the descendant of Isaac. Some people would say they are the descendants of Abraham, as this is true. But Abraham had another son. Ishmael.
The descendants of Ishmael are not Jews. Today we would call these people Palestinians, or Arabs. These people tend to mostly be Muslims. The descendants of Ishmael and
Jacob have been fighting for thousands of years, and are still fighting today.
In the New Testament, there is a word. (It is mentioned once in the old Testament - Isa 9:1; Matt 4:15; ) The word Gentile. This word simply means non-Jew. Not a biological descendant
of Isaac. That is probably most of us here on TalkJesus.
Now often in the Bible... the words Jew and Gentile are inter-changed in how they are used. Jew ... means a godly person. Gentile .. means a sinful person.
Some examples of this would be Matt 5:47; Matt 6:32; Mark 7:26; etc...
But in the context of Gentiles - meaning sinners....
Matt 18:17; 1 Cor 5:1; 1 Cor 10:20; Gal 2:15; Col 1:27; 1 Thes 4:5; etc... (some Bibles use the word "pagans" instead of "Gentiles")
The opposite is true also. There are verses where "Jew" doesn't necessarily mean a biological Jew, but rather a "godly person".
There are verses that say Gentiles can become Jews in a sense. We don't become biological Jews, but rather we become "godly people".
Another term is "circumcised, or "uncircumcised". This usually means the same thing as Jew or Gentile respectively.
Rom 2:26; So if the uncircumcised man keeps the requirements of the Law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?
Rom 2:27; And he who is physically uncircumcised, if he keeps the Law, will he not judge you who though having the letter of the Law and circumcision are a transgressor of the Law?
Rom 2:28; For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.
Rom 2:29; But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
The reverse is true also. Some Jews are not godly people.
Rom 11:19; You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in."
Rom 11:20; Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear;
Rom 11:21; for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either.
Rom 11:22; Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.
Rom 11:23; And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.
Rom 11:24; For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree?
For the most part Israel doesn't believe that Jesus is the Messiah. Because of this, that are not saved. But the Bible says they will come back to God.
Rom 11:25; For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in;
Rom 11:26; and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB."
Rom 11:27; "THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS."
Rom 11:28; From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God's choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;
Rom 11:29; for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Rom 11:30; For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience,
Rom 11:31; so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy.
There are some verses, where the the word "Jew" might mean biological, or "godly person" or both. Because of this they can be confusing.
Rev 2:9; 'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.
Rev 3:9; 'Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
This has been debated whether it means "they say they are Christians, but are not".. or does it mean "they say the are biological Jews, but are not".
... to be continued.
