“Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:” 1 Cor. 10:32

The apostle Paul references this threefold division among mankind as seen here in the early Acts period. We will view them from the standpoint of the outworking of God’s divine purpose and eternal plan.

“Give none offence” in 1 Cor. 10:32 means ‘do nothing that would produce a scandal, or arouse prejudice,” among the Jews, or the Gentiles, or those of the genuine believers of Israel who make up the Messianic “Church of God” of the Acts period.

“THE CHURCH OF GOD” refers to the church of Acts period messianic Jewish believers also referred to by Jesus’ as “my little flock” (Luke 12:32). The Acts Period Scriptures that speak of “the Jew” or of “the Gentile” do not contain the ultimate will of God for today’s POST-Acts GENTILE “church, which is His Body” (cf. Eph. 1:22b-23a, cf. Eph. 3:1-2). The view of God’s ultimate plan is only revealed after Israel’s fall is declared with Paul’s words of Acts 28:26-28, quoting Isaiah.

“Saying, Go unto this people [Israel’s leaders], and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: ²⁷ For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ²⁸ Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.” Acts 28:26-28 (KJV)  

The result of that momentous happening is that Israel is ‘fallen’ and Israel’s program for the Kingdom come on earth is now temporarily set aside until today’s Gentile age of the Gentile “body of Christ” is ended. This is according to “the revelation of mystery (secret)” that Paul references here below.

“For I would not, brethren, that ye [Israel] should be ignorant of this mystery [Gk., musterion, “secret” plan of God], lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that Blindness in part is happened to ISRAEL, UNTIL the Fulness of the GENTILES be come in.” Romans 11:25 (KJV)
“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my [Paul’s] gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [Gk., musterion, “secret” plan of God], which Was Kept Secret Since The World Began,” Romans 16:25 (KJV)

“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in [heaven’s] glory.” Col. 3:4 (KJV)

It is only after the Gentile “church, which is His body” ‘appears with Him in heaven’s glory’ (cf. Col. 3:4), that the Nation Israel and her program will come again to the fore. This will occur soon after the 7-year Tribulation period ends unto the Millennial reign of Christ as King of Kings on earth.

Having the preceding introduction let us now look at “The Jew, The Gentile, and The Church Of God,” summarizing the threefold division that existed during the time of Paul’s Acts Period epistles when Paul was going “to the Jew first” (Rom. 1:16). The Acts period epistles of Paul are 1Thes., 2 Thes., 1Cor., Gal., 2 Cor., and lastly Romans. These were written during the Acts period between AD52 and AD58, with Romans written about the time of Acts 20 wherein Irael’s fall is explained in Romans 9-11.

Now we can look further at “The Jew, The Gentile, and The Church of God.”

1. “THE JEWS”: The Jew was unconditionally chosen for blessing when they believe to receive their Messiah. When God called Abram, He promised to make of him a ‘great NATION in whom the families [i.e., Gentiles] of the earth will be blessed’ (cf. Gen. 12:1-3). Jesus during His earthly ministry had a believing “flock,” saying; “Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom [to come on earth].” Luke 12:32 (KJV).

Paul, late in Romans wrote to this “flock” of Jewish believers concerning the unbelieving nation of Israel declaring God’s ultimate faithfulness to them because they are His “elect.”

“As concerning the gospel, they [the unbelieving Nation of Israel] are enemies for your sakes [the Israel’s believers]: but [yet] as touching the election [of the Nation Israel’], FOR THE [miraculous] GIFTS and CALLING OF GOD ARE WITHOUT REPENTANCE (Without any CHANGE OF GOD’S MIND)” (Rom. 11:28-29).

God will ultimately fulfill all His promises to Israel’s elect. One day, a portion of the Nation of Israel will ultimately repent and be forgiven upon seeing Christ at His 2^nd coming.

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” Zechariah 12:10 (KJV)

“In That Day there shall be a fountain [of Christ’s blood] opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.” Zechariah 13:1 (KJV)

In this, we must leave room for God’s ultimate out-working of His divine purpose and plan concerning the ‘the elect Nation of Israel.’ Without doubt He will ultimately restore the Nation of Israel to the land, and through them … He will bless the Gentiles in the kingdom to come on earth in the Millennium (cf. Zech 8:23, below). Israel will at that time will then function as God’s priests (intermediaries) so far as the Gentiles are concerned.

“And ye [Israel] shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou [Moses] shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” Exodus 19:6 (KJV)

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; It shall yet come to pass [during the Millennium], that there shall come people, and the inhabitants [Gentiles] of many cities: ²¹ And the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us go speedily to pray before the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts: I will go also. ²² Yea, many people and strong nations [Gentiles] shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the LORD. ²³ Thus saith the LORD of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten [Gentile] men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations [i.e., Gentiles], even shall take hold of The Skirt of Him That Is A Jew, saying, We Will Go With You [Jews]: For We Have Heard That God Is With You.” Zechariah 8:20-23

2. “THE GENTILES”: The blessing of the Gentiles on earth in a full sense awaits Israel’s restoration as the chosen Nation in the Kingdom on earth, The Abrahamic covenant that chose Israel includes with it the blessing of the Gentiles; ‘for in thee [Abraham] shall all the families of the earth be blessed’). Note this occurs after the Gentile “body of Christ” appears in glory with “the Head.”

There are some portions of the OT Scripture that refer to the Gentile nations as such, referring to the times of Gentile supremacy during Israel’s dispersion from “the land.” For example; the various kingdoms noted by Daniels prophetic vision of ‘a beast’ with its interpretation as the four beasts (Daniel 7:1–14); i.e., Medo-Persian empire, Greece and Rome.

3. “THE CHURCH OF GOD”: The Greek word translated ‘church’ is ekklesia, which primarily means ‘a called-out assembly.’ The churches of the New Testament are not composed solely of Jews or Gentiles; it is an elect company called from either, or both…  since later in Act some Gentiles were “grafted in” [see Rom. 11) to make Israel jealous (cf. Rom. 10:19).

So the term “the Church of God” in 1 Corinthians 10:32 refers to the early Acts period church of genuine Jewish Messianic believers, the ‘little flock’ believing portion of the Nation Israel, when Paul was going to “the Jew first.” Thus “The Church of God” refers to the Jewish Messianic Pentecostal church that to whom Paul preached during his Acts period ministry, such as noted below.

“… from Miletus he [Paul] sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.” Acts 20:17, saying;

“Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed THE CHURCH OF GOD, which he hath purchased with his own blood” ACTS 20:28 (KJV).