While God was working through (the twelve) Apostles and disciples of Jesus in their ministry to Israel (Matt. 15:24, 10:5-6), He also began to work in a new and different way. This change may be compared to the change God made when he called Abraham. Even though National Israel had every opportunity to accept Jesus as the Messiah, God knew they would reject His Son. In the midst of Israel’s rejection (recorded in the Four Gospels and Acts) God chose a man by the name of Saul. Saul, a brilliant Pharisee, was caught up in Israel’s national rejection of Jesus and he became its leader and a violent opponent of Jesus’ (believing) disciples and the message they were proclaiming.

He (Saul of Tarsus) was so zealous an adversary that he petitioned and received from the Jewish authorities the power to persecute those who were following Jesus beyond the borders of Israel (Galatians 1.13-14; Acts 9.1-2, 22.3-5, 26.9-11). Nearing Damascus, the resurrected Jesus revealed Himself to Saul and changed his heart (Acts 9.3-8, 22.6-11, 26.12-18). Following that experience, he (Saul of Tarsus) became as zealous a follower of Christ as he had been His enemy.

Through Saul, who became Paul, God revealed a new entity, a new creation, which we know as the Church called “the Body of Christ” (Ephesians 1.22-23 ; Colossians 1.18, 22). For hundreds of years, God had worked exclusively through the nation of Israel. If one came to God, one had to come through Israel as God’s agent (on earth). However, in light of Israel’s continued rejection of the Messiah… God’s new plan, the Church, the body of Christ, removed distinctions between Jew and Gentile. The Church “the body of Christ” was a “secret” creation, previously unknown, until God revealed it to Paul. Most early believers in Jesus were Jews. But under the ministry of Paul, the majority (were) changed from Jew to Gentile. God commissioned Paul as “the [one) apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11.13; Galatians 2.7-9) just as Peter and Eleven had been commissioned to be apostles of Israel (“the Circumcision,” Gal 2:7-9). Paul was given the new “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20.24), which was different from Jesus “gospel of the kingdom” for Israel, which was proclaimed by the Twelve Apostles, John the Baptizer, and by Jesus to Israel (cf. Matt. 15:24, 10:5-6).

To be a member of Christ’s (Gentile) Church is an incomprehensible blessing. Paul wrote how that believers of his gospel have been blessed with every spiritual blessing, they are positionally seated with Christ in the heavenlies (Ephesians 1.3), having a heavenly citizenship (Philippians 3.20), and will one day “rule angels” (1 Corinthians 6.3) as joint-heirs with Christ (Romans 8.17).

The Church (today) is “the body of Christ” and Christ is its “Head.” Every believer is in a ‘(pure) grace relationship’ with God and indwelt by God the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 1.22, 5.5; Ephesians 5.14). One day God will complete the Church, “the body of Christ,” and take it to heaven. Following this event, known as ‘the Rapture (the resurrection of the Church to heaven),’ God will then return to complete His dealings with the nation of Israel.