The Apostle Paul’s Reaction to 'Stiff-Necked Jews'

Over the past several months I have written about the horrendous tragedy of ‘Christian’ anti-semitism. There are other types of Jew-hatred that I could have included in these tidbits, but I decided to primarily focus on the persecution of the Jews done in the name of Christ!* Considering the current war in Israel, as well as the riots in our country, I believe this is a God-inspired moment for this tidbit.
  Because I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, I attempt to derive my thoughts, words, and actions from its revelation on both good and evil. Therefore, my previous tidbits have tried to explain the question “How could Christians have persecuted, and even murdered Jews?” My answer is completely spiritual: anti-semitism is inspired by Satan--period!!! We can use our capacity to reason about anti-semitism all we want, but the bottom-line foundational cause of Jew hatred is Satan—who comes only to steal, kill, and destroy(Jn10:10)!
  In this tidbit, I offer the Apostle Paul’s behavior as an example of what to do when encountering Stiff-necked Jews, or Jews who will not convert. I’m sure you must know by now that, unlike historical “supposed” Christians, Paul does not encourage either Jew-hatred or murdering Jews!! So, let’s begin!
  Acts13:44-47(KJV):
44.And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God.
45.But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
46.Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
47.For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
  The context of this passage is that Paul and Barnabus were sent out by the Church at Antioch to preach the gospel. At a particular synagogue in Acts 13:16, they began preaching the history of Israel—which is part of the gospel! Paul calls the Jews in this synagogue “children of the stock of Abraham” in verse 26, which informs us that these people to whom he was speaking were Jews. Then he weaves Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection into his history in verses 30-35. When he concludes, the Jews leave but the Gentiles encourage them to return and preach again on the next Sabbath. When the next Sabbath finally arrived, the crowds were so large that the Jews were filled with envy, and began “contradicting and blaspheming”(13:45) the two men’s preaching. Now…pay really close attention to the climax found in Acts 13:46-47(see above).
  First, being filled with a spirit of boldness, the two apostles rebuke the blasphemous Jews declaring: “It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you.” This incredible statement agrees with Romans 1:16 and Romans 2:9-10, which teach that the gospel is to go to the Jew first. The word “first” in verse 46 teaches a calling to a specific order---on the contrary, it does not refer to some mythical, fabricated, enhanced Jewish nature**! All humans have equal natures because we are created in God’s image and likeness(Gen1:26-28). Therefore, the word “first” refers to a ‘different calling’, or a unique purpose sovereignly determined by God, i.e.chosenness.
   Second, because the Jews rejected Paul’s gospel presentation, he presents them with an intensely profound judgment: “But seeing you put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” On the contrary, unlike many historic supposed Christian fathers, Paul did not curse these Jews, and then round up as many friends as possible and begin slaughtering “the stiff-necked rebels”! NO! He simply says, “We turn to the Gentiles”, which means Paul politely walked away and took the gospel to the Gentiles!
  And last, Acts 13:47 is the foundation, i.e.the inspiration for Paul’s conclusion to go to the Gentiles. First, he declares, the “Lord commanded”. In other words, he begins with the Word of God! Second, But, what Word of God? The Old Testament prophecy found in Isaiah 49:6 and 42:6; was also used in the context of Luke 2:32(25-27) regarding Simeone, where he is called a “just and devote” man, whom God promised--using the two Isaiah promises--that he would not see death until he had “seen the Lord’s Christ”, i.e.Jesus.
  So…what exactly is this profound promise first mentioned in the Isaiah passages?
 
That God would make the Messiah Jesus…a light to the Gentiles!!!***
 
  Isaiah 49:6 and Isaiah 42:6 both teach that God will make the Messiah, i.e.Jesus, the light to the Gentile nations. Incredibly however, Paul raises this truth in the context of the Jews's refusal of the gospel in Acts 13:46,47; which immediately refers to the extraordinary principle in Romans 11:11, which teaches that through the fall of the Jew, salvation is given to the Gentile.
  In other words, in Acts 13:46,47 Paul uses his experience of Jews resisting the gospel as an example that: 1.the gospel is to go to the Jew first; and 2.God sovereignly used the rebellion of the Jew to call the Gentile into relationship with Him!! 3.The Jewish Messiah is a light to the Gentiles through the Jew, i.e.the promises given to the Jew!
  Remember, God declared of Israel i.e.the Jew, in Romans 9:4, “to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the Law, and the temple service, and the promises!” And in Romans 9:5, the very next verse, the Holy Spirit adds to the list of gifts in 9:4, “the fathers”, i.e.the Jewish Patriarchs--Abraham, Issac, and Jacob; as well as the Messiah, i.e. Jesus Christ!!! In other words, Romans 9:4,5 covers everything that God ‘FIRST’ gave to Israel, i.e.the Jew…but not only to the Jew! Remember this little truth about Romans 9:4,5: To the Jew; For the Jew; Through the Jew; For the world!
  Therefore, the Gentile can receive God’s gifts through the Jew---by way of Christ Jesus(2Cor1:20)!
 
Three concluding points:
1.Paul’s behavior in Acts 13:46,47 is a ‘sign’ to every person, everywhere, at all times! This is how you react to those who resist the gospel!
2.Just imagine…what if the ‘Christian anti-semites’ had understood these great truths before persecuting the Jews? A secondary question is, How did they not know this?
3.As crazy as it may sound to even have to write this, BUT---"You don’t kill people who reject Jesus!!!”  “And you especially don’t kill people who reject Jesus…in the Name of Jesus!!!” And one more, “And you especially, especially don’t kill Jews who reject Jesus…in the Name of the Jewish Jesus!”
  Only Satan can inspire this kind of irrational thinking and demonic behavior!
 
On the contrary, Jeremiah 14:20 offers God’s mercy (answer) for ‘Christian anti-semitism’: “We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.”
 
 
*A total and complete oxymoron!
**Anti-semites believe the word “chosen” regarding Israel means Jews are better than others.
***“And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”  -Is49:6
 
 
 
Quotebit
The Bible is a book worth more than all the other books that were ever printed. -Patrick Henry