The Bible Without Paul – Part 5 of 10

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The Bible Without Paul.

Some Important Bible History

Let’s reconsider the previous account of the stoning of Stephen along with some more facts concerning Gentiles on a historical basis, as they may relate to Israel.

In the time of Old Testament Israel a Gentile could become a Jew, a proselyte, by…

  • taking the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
  • circumcision, and
  • keeping the law.

In order to keep the law a Gentile needed the Priesthood and the Temple worship with its sacrifices that God had prescribed through Moses.

Let’s now see what has happened to Israel’s Temple and the Priesthood of God.

Before the coming of Jesus of Nazareth, all the Scripture writings of God were written in Hebrew. After that time, due to the conquering of Palestine by Alexander the Great, it was made a law that Greek would be the only language to be used. Thus, the New Testament writings are in Greek.

  • Before the time when Jesus came, Israel had already rejected God by killing the prophets of the Old Testament.
  • Now they rejected the Son of God by crucifying Him.
  • Then they rejected the Holy Spirit by stoning Stephen.

With this rejection of God; Israel as a nation, then made a final rejection of God in Acts 28:28. This occurred sometime between AD68-70. It is no accident that Herod’s Temple for the Jews in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD, along with the Jewish Priesthood.

Judaism then, essentially, had become a dead religion. Israel then lacked the accoutrements that were critical to their structured relationship with and worship of God.

Therefore, no Gentile could proselyte in order to become a Jew in that way after that time.

Let’s now proceed with our survey of The Bible Without Paul, still looking for a way of salvation for the Gentiles.