Pastor David B. Curtis
Pastor David B. Curtis
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We are looking at the last half of Ephesians 2, and before we look at the last section, 2:19-22, I want to step back and try to answer the question," Who are the Gentiles?" Last week we looked at:
AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Ephesians 2:17-18 NASB
Here we see two groups, the near and the far away, have been given access to the Father through Yeshua. This is good news if one of those groups is us, but some have said it is not. Verse 17 is a quote from:
Creating the praise of the lips. Peace, peace to him who is far and to him who is near," Says the LORD, "and I will heal him." Isaiah 57:19 NASB
This passage speaks of Israelites who have been dispersed among the nations because of God's anger against their sins. That is who the "far" and "near" are in Isaiah 57. But most today say that the "near" are Jews and the "far away" were non-Jews.
There are some who teach that Ephesians 2:11-22 is not talking about Israel and non-Israelites, us, being brought together as one in the body of Christ, but is in fact talking about the two houses of Israel, Judah and Israel, being brought together as one.
Some would even go so far as to say that all references to "Gentiles" is referring not to non-Israelites, but to the ten northern tribes of Israel. They would go so far as to say that Ephesians says nothing to us, non-Israelites. It is talking about God's chosen nation Israel and the reuniting of the twelve tribes.
British Israelism, also known as Anglo-Israelism, would say that Ephesians 2:11-22 is talking about the reuniting of the twelve tribes of Israel. But they see "us," American believers, as part of the northern kingdom of Israel. British Israelism teaches that the "lost ten tribes" of Israel migrated to Europe and then to England and became the primary ancestors of the British people and, thereby, the United States. The doctrine often includes the tenet that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David. British Israelism was made popular by the Worldwide Church of God and Herbert Armstrong, but other groups have held the doctrine as well. The primary goal behind British Israelism is to claim that England and the United States have inherited the covenant promises God made to Israel.
I think there is some truth to these views, but also much error. Let's see if we can make some sense of this. Notice what Paul says in:
Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands. Ephesians 2:11 NASB
Paul is making a comparison here between Jews-the circumcised, and Gentiles-uncircumcised. Some teach that "Gentiles" refers only to the northern kingdom of Israel. This excludes us from the blessing spoken of in this passage unless you hold to British Israelism, then you are the northern kingdom of Israel and these blessing are yours. To clear up the confusion the first thing we need to understand is, who are the Gentiles? Paul's ministry was predominately to the Gentiles:
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; Acts 9:15 NASB
Here the term "Gentiles" is the Greek word ethnos. What do you think of when you hear the term, "Gentiles"? I think that most Christians today view "Gentiles" as referring exclusively to a non-Israelite, and it is used that way here, but it's use is much broader than that.
First, let me say that "Gentiles" is a bad translation. It is an English language substitution for the Hebrew words, "goy" (singular) and "goyim" (plural) and the Greek words, "ethne," (singular) or "ethnos," (plural). This word is best translated as "nations," representing sometimes the nation of Israel, sometimes the dispersed ten northern tribes, sometimes non-Israelites, and sometimes everybody, as in "all nations."
One writer trying to prove his point that "nations" never refers to non-Jews states, "The Hebrew word 'goy, or goyim,' is NEVER translated to mean 'non-Jew.'" This is a foolish argument from silence. It is never translated as non-Jew, but this is how it is often used:
'It will come about that just as you were a curse among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so I will save you that you may become a blessing. Do not fear; let your hands be strong.' Zechariah 8:13 NASB
Here the house of Israel was among the nations, the non-Israelites.
In order to understand who this term "nations" is referring to we really need to understand who the Jews are. The Bible makes a distinction between Jews and Nations:
But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. Acts 13:45-46 NASB
Here we see a contrast between Jew and nations. When the Bible talks about Jews, who is it referring to? I think that many Christians would answer this question by saying that the Jews are the 12 tribes of Israel, God's covenant people. But this is not correct! The term "Jews" was first used in the Babylonian captivity. The Babylonians called them Jews because they were from the land of Judah. At the time of the writing of the New Testament, during the Roman kingdom there were only two tribes in the Palestinian area; Judah and Benjamin. There were certain individuals from other tribes, but for the most part, it was only the two tribes. It was only those two tribes who were called "Jews", or Judeans .
Let's back up and look at the history of Israel so we can understand this. Israel became a nation at Sinai when Yahweh gave them His law and entered into covenant with them. They were called the "house of Israel".
For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel. Exodus 40:38 NASB
Here the term "house of Israel" refers to the 12 tribes, the nation Israel.
All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. Ruth 4:11 NASB
Jacob married two sisters, Leah and Rachel. With these two women and their maids came 12 sons, who were the 12 tribes of Israel. They remained united until after the death of Solomon.
Now the LORD was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not observe what the LORD had commanded. So the LORD said to Solomon, "Because you have done this, and you have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. "Nevertheless I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. "However, I will not tear away all the kingdom, but I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen." 1 Kings 11:9-13 NASB
The text goes on to say:
It came about at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Now Ahijah had clothed himself with a new cloak; and both of them were alone in the field. Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak which was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. He said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes (but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel)... 'Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; but I will take the kingdom from his son's hand and give it to you, even ten tribes. 1 Kings 11:29-35 NASB
When Solomon died in 925 or 926 B.C., the northerners refused to recognize his successor Rehoboam. Subsequently, the north broke away and was ruled by the House of Omri. The northern kingdom of Israel flourished until it was completely destroyed, and its ten tribes sent into permanent exile by the Assyrians between 740 and 721 B.C.
So the house of Israel was split into two kingdoms. The 10 norther tribes were known as the House of Israel. And the 2 southern tribes were known as the Southern kingdom or Judah:
But as for the sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. 1 Kings 12:17 NASB
Both of these kingdoms, Israel and Judah, became harlots and forsook the Lord:
"And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also. Jeremiah 3:8 NASB
They were both immoral and ungodly, but Yahweh only divorced Israel. Why was that? He could not divorce Judah, because it was through Judah that Messiah would come:
Then Jacob summoned his sons and said, "Assemble yourselves that I may tell you what will befall you in the days to come. Genesis 49:1 NASB
"The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Genesis 49:10 NASB
"But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." Micah 5:2 NASB
In Ezekiel we learn more about the sin of these two nations:
The word of the LORD came to me again, saying, "Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother; and they played the harlot in Egypt. They played the harlot in their youth; there their breasts were pressed and there their virgin bosom was handled. "Their names were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister. And they became Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. And as for their names, Samaria is Oholah and Jerusalem is Oholibah. "Oholah played the harlot while she was Mine; and she lusted after her lovers, after the Assyrians, her neighbors, Ezekiel 23:1-5 NASB
The Mother is the 12 tribe nation of Israel. The two daughters are the southern kingdom, Oholibah, and the northern kingdom, Oholah. These two kingdoms came out of Israel as a result of the two wives and two marriages of Jacob. The capital city of Judah was Jerusalem, and the capital of Israel was Samaria.
Yahweh was their husband until the divorce decree, which we find in Hosea. A divorce requires that the wife receive the bill of divorce, and then she was put out of the house. The house in this context is the land of Palestine, the bill of divorce is the book of Hosea, and the putting out of the house was taking Israel into the Assyrian captivity.
The word of the LORD which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, during the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry; for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD." So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. And the LORD said to him, "Name him Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. "On that day I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." Then she conceived again and gave birth to a daughter. And the LORD said to him, "Name her Lo-ruhamah, for I will no longer have compassion on the house of Israel, that I would ever forgive them. "But I will have compassion on the house of Judah and deliver them by the LORD their God, and will not deliver them by bow, sword, battle, horses or horsemen." When she had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived and gave birth to a son. And the LORD said, "Name him Lo-ammi, for you are not My people and I am not your God." Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And in the place Where it is said to them, "You are not My people," It will be said to them, "You are the sons of the living God." And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, And they will appoint for themselves one leader, And they will go up from the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel. Hosea 1:1-11 NASB
"Jezreel" is from an agricultural term that refers to everything from the sowing to the harvest. So Yahweh refers to the first son as the sowing and harvest of Israel. So Yahweh is telling Israel that He is going to sow them in the nations, but there will come a time when He will harvest them out again. He later tells us that the harvest will occur at the same time that the harvest of the house of Judah occurs. That harvest began with the Messiah and continued until the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. And it continues until this day as God calls His people unto Himself.
The second child, Lo-Ruhamah, demonstrates that they would be placed out there without the mercy of God. The third child demonstrates that they would be out there without the name of God. They would not be known as the "children of God", which was the children of Israel. When they went into the Assyrian captivity, they were not known as the "children of Israel". They were referred to as the "children of Omry", who was a former king of Israel. So, when the northern tribes went into Assyrian captivity, they lost their identity as Israelites and thus became identifiable only as part of the nations.
Then the LORD said, "Thus will the sons of Israel eat their bread unclean among the nations where I will banish them." Ezekiel 4:13 NASB
Israel is swallowed up; They are now among the nations Like a vessel in which no one delights. Hosea 8:8 NASB
So Israel is among the nations, which here refers to the non-Israelites, she has been swallowed up. But Yahweh promises that one day the two houses will be united:
The word of the LORD came again to me saying, "And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write on it, 'For Judah and for the sons of Israel, his companions'; then take another stick and write on it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.' "Then join them for yourself one to another into one stick, that they may become one in your hand. "When the sons of your people speak to you saying, 'Will you not declare to us what you mean by these?' say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will put them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand."' Ezekiel 37:15-19 NASB
"Say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel; and one king will be king for all of them; and they will no longer be two nations and no longer be divided into two kingdoms. Ezekiel 37:21-22 NASB
Notice that verse 21 says, "I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations." This is a promise of restoration.
Then it will happen on that day that the Lord Will again recover the second time with His hand The remnant of His people, who will remain, From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, And from the islands of the sea. 12 And He will lift up a standard for the nations, And will assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. Isaiah 11:11-12 NASB
The Assyrians had scattered them, but Yahweh had promised to re-gather them. Yahweh says here that He is going to gather Israel, the 10 northern tribes and Judah, the two southern tribes. Now watch the next verse:
Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, And those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, And Judah will not harass Ephraim. Isaiah 11:13 NASB
Ephraim is Samaria. There is going to be peace between Israel and Judah. Yeshua is this peace.
But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY. 1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB
When Peter writes "To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia", he is writing to the house of Israel who were "pilgrims" - they weren't living in the land of their birth. If you look at a map, you will see that the areas of "Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia" was the very area that the Tanakh tells us that the house of Israel was taken to in the Assyrian captivity. Now they are identified as "nations or Gentiles". Peter is writing to these nations, who have become Christians, and he calls them a chosen (race) generation. He says to them, "Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." This is a fulfillment of the promises that God made to the house of Israel through Hosea. Yahweh taking the gospel to the nations is a fulfillment of the promises that He made in the Tanakh. It was not clearly revealed until the New Testament. And Paul was a minister to the "nations", which included the house of Israel.
Notice what Paul wrote the Corinthians:
For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was Christ. 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 NASB
To this non-Jewish church he writes, "our fathers" - this is referring to the Israelites! This is because some of these Christians were from the northern 10 tribes of Israel.
Look with me at Isaiah 60, this is a Messianic prophecy. It concerns the restoration of Israel; the calling of the nations, and how the nations would view restored Israel:
"Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. 2 "For behold, darkness will cover the earth, And deep darkness the peoples; But the LORD will rise upon you, And His glory will appear upon you. 3 "And nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. 4 "Lift up your eyes round about, and see; They all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, And your daughters will be carried in the arms. 5 "Then you will see and be radiant, And your heart will thrill and rejoice; Because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, The wealth of the nations will come to you. Isaiah 60:1-5 NASB
Notice verse 5, "The wealth of the nations will come to you." Who is the "you"? It is restored Israel. Yahweh said that when Israel was saved, the nations, non-Israelites, would also come to the light, and the nations, non-Israelites, would give their wealth to Israel. These two groups hated each other, and the nations, non-Israelites, would have never wilfully given wealth to Israel. But in Christ they are now brothers. So out of love they do what they normally would never have done.
It is my understand that the northern kingdom of Israel is included in the term "nations or Gentiles" but it is not exclusive of it. We see in the Scripture that "nations" is used in distinction to Israel:
A LIGHT OF REVELATION TO THE GENTILES, And the glory of Your people Israel." Luke 2:32 NASB
Here we see that "nations or Gentiles" are distinct from Israel.
"For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Yeshua, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, Acts 4:27 NASB
Again the Gentiles are a distinct group from Israel. Here "Gentiles" is non-Israelites.
But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; Acts 9:15 NASB
Paul was to take the Gospel to the "nations" and to the sons of Israel.
and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. Acts 21:21 NASB
Here we have Jews who are among the "nations", two separate gropes.
He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth." Isaiah 49:6 NASB
Yahweh was going to use Jacob and Israel to be a light to the "nations."
Then in that day The nations will resort to the root of Jesse, Who will stand as a signal for the peoples; And His resting place will be glorious. Isaiah 11:10 NASB
The "nations" non-Israelites, would then seek the Lord, when Ephraim and Judah were re-united:
And He will lift up a standard for the nations And assemble the banished ones of Israel, And will gather the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. Isaiah 11:12 NASB
Again we see the re-gathered Israel and Judah being used to reach the nations.
Egypt and Judah, and Edom and the sons of Ammon, and Moab and all those inhabiting the desert who clip the hair on their temples; for all the nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised of heart." Jeremiah 9:26 NASB
It should be clear here that "nations" does not mean Israel.
'Thus says the Lord GOD, "When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they are scattered, and will manifest My holiness in them in the sight of the nations, then they will live in their land which I gave to My servant Jacob. Ezekiel 28:25 NASB
"But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations where they went. Ezekiel 36:21 NASB
So "nations" and Israel are at times two distinct peoples. The "nations" include the house of Israel but also refer to the non-Israelites.
But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren. Acts 14:2 NASB
The term "Gentile or nation" at times is used of non-Jews. But these non-Jews could be Israelites. The "nations", non-Israelites coming to faith in Messiah was foretold by the prophets:
'They have made Me jealous with what is not God; They have provoked Me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation, Deuteronomy 32:21 NASB
Yahweh would provoke His people, Israel, with a foolish nation, non-Israelites.
If Israelites were really a "no people" and could be declared "my people," then non-Israelites, you and me, who were "no people" could be declared "my people." We were no people. We had no covenant claims on God. But now God has sent His effective call and we are saved--we are part of His covenant people."
So it is my understanding that our text in Ephesians 2 is referring to non-Israelites and Israelites being united to the Jews and becoming one people in Christ. The body of Christ is made up of the re-gathered twelve tribes of Israel and many non-Israelites who have been called of Yahweh and trusted in Christ.
So who are the Gentiles? This word is best translated as "nations," representing sometimes the nation of Israel, sometimes the dispersed ten northern tribes, sometimes non-Israelites, and sometimes everybody. It's meaning must be determined by its context, which means we must do our homework. Sometimes the translation "Gentiles is helpful, sometimes it is not. When I use the term "Gentile" I mean non-Israelite.
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