Study Guide and Daily Devotion
Monday, May 30
Let’s begin this week by looking to the Old Testament and God’s
words regarding the Gentiles. It is important to note that Gentiles is the
same word in Hebrew as “nations.” Read Genesis 17:1-8, 18:17-18,
and 26:4-5. How are these scriptures manifest in Jesus? Read Isaiah 42:1-7
remembering that the word nations is the same as Gentiles. Christians see
Jesus in this passage. What does it teach us about God’s will for Gentiles?
Tuesday, May 31
Today we look at the spreading of the gospel to the Gentiles, prior to Paul’s
ministry. According to Luke in Acts, Peter was the first to come to understand
God’s plan for the Gentiles. Read Acts 10. Notice that Cornelius was
a “God-fearer” also known as a “God-worshiper.” This
was the term used to describe Gentiles who believed in God, worshiped in the
synagogue and sought to fulfill the Law while not being circumcised or becoming
Jews. They were respected and accepted by the Jews, but still a Jew could
not eat with them. This was the group that Paul especially recruited into
his assemblies of Christians. What was God teaching Peter? Read Acts 11:1-18
and notice how Peter was criticized for eating with Gentiles. Many of these
God-fearers provided protection and financial support to the synagogue and
they were not very happy when Paul later recruited them into a new assembly.
Who are the Gentiles today?
Wednesday, June 1
Read Acts 26:12-18 and see how Luke describes Paul’s call to the Gentiles.
Within a few years the number of Gentile “God-fearers” began to
outnumber the Jewish believers. Then the early church was forced to ask the
question, “What does God require of a Gentile in order to be a follower
of Jesus Christ?” Paul said that a Gentile did not need to become a
Jew before becoming a Christian. Paul declared that Jesus had now made possible
a new covenant by which people would be made righteous through Christ’s
sacrifice and would be made holy inside, not just outside, by the working
of the Spirit. Therefore all that was necessary for salvation was to trust
in Christ, not circumcision, becoming a Jew, or adopting the Jewish Law. We’ll
study Paul’s teachings on this tomorrow.
Thursday, June 2
“What is necessary for a Gentile to be saved?” Read Romans 3:21-25a
and Galatians 3:26-29, and Romans 5:1-8. Can you explain Paul’s understanding
of justification by faith? How is this different than salvation by obedience
to Law or works? How is this understanding important in your life?
Friday, June 3
There was a major division in the early church over the issue of the Gentiles.
Many Jewish Christians believed Gentiles had to become Jews in order to follow
the Jewish Messiah. In today’s reading you will read about how this
debate came to a head, and the way the early church resolved the issue. Read
Acts 15:1-35.
First
United Methodist Church 