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SUBJECT: Gentiles
QUESTION: Are the Sabbath and Holy Days for the Gentiles
too? Is Salvation offered to them?
ANSWER:
Yes on both questions.
After the establishment of the New Testament church, God
called Paul and sent him to the Gentiles. Most of his
letters in the New Testament are to the Gentiles.
Notice this from a Bible dictionary:
PAUL
The time of his call was just when the gospel was being
opened to the Gentiles by Peter (Acts 10). An apostle,
severed from legalism, and determined unbelief by an
extraordinary revulsion, was better fitted for carrying
forward the work among unbelieving Gentiles, which had been
begun by the apostle of the circumcision. He who was the
most learned and at the same time humblest (Ephesians 3:8; 1
Corinthians 15:9) of the apostles was the one whose pen was
most used in the New Testament Scriptures. He "saw" the Lord
in actual person (Acts 9:17; 22:14; 23:11; 26:16; 1
Corinthians 15:8; 9:1), which was a necessary qualification
for apostleship, so as to be witness of the resurrection.
~from Fausset's Bible
Dictionary
Notice this from the Bible dictionary on the subject of the
Gentiles:
GENTILES
The Book of Acts pictures the struggle of the early church
to include the Gentiles in its life. When Peter, taught by
the vision at Joppa, broke with Jewish tradition by visiting
and eating with the Gentile Cornelius, it gave offense even
to the Christian Jews (Acts 10:28; 11:3).
The apostle Paul became an effective missionary to the
Gentiles (Acts 13:46-49; 15:14). At first the early church
was composed of converted Jews who accepted Jesus as the
Messiah, God's Anointed One. But more and more Gentiles came
to accept the teaching of the gospel. Some Jewish leaders
warned that they could not enter the church unless they also
submitted to the Jewish ritual of CIRCUMCISION (Acts
15:1-31). But Paul fought against this requirement as a
denial of the gospel and ultimately convinced the churches.
The only condition of salvation is repentance from sin and
faith in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:21). "There is neither Jew
nor Greek...for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians
3:28). ~from Nelson's
Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Notice these statements from our
Doctrinal Statement on Baptisms:
Water baptism is the most important (of
the very few) New Testament ceremonies or rituals
commanded by Christ and followed by the apostles and early
New Testament Church. It is, in a sense, the formal
initiatory rite to Christianity and is replete with profound
spiritual significance and rich personal meaning for every
true Christian and prospective member of God's kingdom. The
biblical injunction of water baptism is an outward sign
showing an inward attitude of repentance and faith toward
Jesus Christ, and is the only way by which an individual can
receive God's Holy Spirit which makes him part of the body
of Christ. "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one
body [the Church], whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13).
This next excerpt is from our booklet, “Is
the Next Prophetic Event the Rapture of the Saints?”:
Here, we have seen every place in the entire book of
Revelation where the word "saints" is used.
In each case, it is referring to God's true church—converted
people in whom is God's Holy Spirit. Paul wrote, "For by one
Spirit are we [including Gentiles] all baptized into one
body [the church!], whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether
we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one
Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13). You do not "join" God's true
church. God automatically puts you into His church when you
receive His Spirit, for the church IS that scattered, small,
persecuted group in whom is God's Holy Spirit!
Notice now this excerpt from our booklet, “Gospel
of the Kingdom”:
Millions who believe they have heard the "gospel" know
nothing of these profound truths. God chose His people,
Israel, calling them out of Egypt and proposing a covenant
with them. If they would obey His laws, He would bless them
with unimaginable blessings. Paul likens them to the
"natural olive tree," which was cut off, so the "wild olive
tree," the Gentiles, could be "grafted in," thus receiving
the promise of salvation.
Here is an excerpt from our booklet, “The Real Gospel”:
Peter had to learn at Cornelius' house that God intended
calling "strangers" (Gentiles)
into the knowledge of the truth. Once such a person is
called and converted, Paul said, "Now therefore you are no
more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the
saints, in the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19).
Jesus showed here that feelings of group instincts,
tribalism, chauvinism, racism and exclusivism do not belong
in the hearts of those who are willing to see a "stranger"
and invite him in. This also applies toward all who are "in
the world."
Here is an excerpt from our booklet, “What
is the Work of the Church?”:
Jesus DID NOT COME TO SAVE THE WORLD THEN!
Yet, God says, "The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise... but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that
any should perish, but that all should come to repentance"
(2 Peter 3:9).
It is God's perfect will that all mankind be saved:
He says, "And so ALL ISRAEL [including
the Jews] SHALL BE SAVED!" (Romans 11:26).
This eleventh chapter of Romans explains the time sequence
of God's plan; explains how the "natural branches" (the
Jews - Jesus came "unto His own, and His own received Him
not") were "cut off," and the others (Gentiles)
"graffed in," as a different kind of fruit tree might be
grafted onto the trunk of another.
God says, "For God hath concluded [shut them up - allowed
they to be blinded, spiritually] them all in UNBELIEF, that
He might have mercy upon all" (Romans 11:32).
So God is determined to SAVE THE MAJORITY OF MANKIND! Yet,
Christ did NOT TRY to SAVE the world, then! He will set His
hand to save the majority of mankind - but that time is not
yet!
---end---
This should make it clear that Salvation is also for the
Gentiles. God’s Plan is that everyone who ever lived be
given the truth, have access to the Holy Spirit and enter
the Kingdom with eternal life.
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