Gentiles before Acts 28:28 #1

Remember, in Acts even when the Gentiles came in, the Jew was still first. Acts 13:46; Romans 1:16. The Gentiles had an inferior position in reference to the Jew-- God’s chosen people. During the last 18 years of Acts, Gentiles were in a position to receive blessings by being “graffed” into the true olive tree as a wild olive branch. That would never have happened until Paul began to graft them in, Romans 11. Why and how this was done you find in Romans 11:17-24.

Before Acts 28:28, the Gentile’s blessings came through faithful Abraham by faith. Find this in Galatians 3:6-9, also in Romans.

During Acts, at least two baptisms for the Gentiles – by water to identify them with Israel, Acts 12:47, and baptized by spirit. In I Corinthians 12:13 we read,

“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit,”

Not the Person here, but by one new nature baptized or identified in one body into the church of God (not the church of the Mystery). Acts 10:44-48, the two baptisms mentioned here. See also Acts 19:1-6. These Gentiles, along with Israel, were baptized or identified with the Lord in His death, burial and resurrection – a spirit experience, Romans 6:4.

Acts’ Gentiles could go to the synagogue, but they couldn’t sit with the congregation and had no part in the service of God. They could not be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors or teachers. The service of God pertained only to the Jews, Romans 9:4.

Gentile believers before Acts 28:28 were separated from the Jews by a wall of partition – mainly ordinances (circumcision being the main part of the law). The uncircumcision (=Gentiles) didn’t have the law, they didn’t have the promises, they were without God. He was the God of Israel, and they were strangers and foreigners, Rom. 3:1 & 2; Eph. 2:11 & 12. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world.” During the last 18 years of Acts, they also had a separate gospel – the gospel of the grace of God, Acts 20:24. Read the context here starting with verse 17.