We owe a great debt to Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Without him, the church would have been a mere sect within Judaism. He fought against strong racial prejudice and deeply entrenched cultural forces to proclaim the Messiah as Lord of the whole world, not just Jews. That was the summary of the gospel for him. He saw and preached the church as the New Israel made up of Gentiles as well as Jews. His message was inclusive. It angered his Jewish peers enough that they wanted to kill him. It angered the Romans that he preached another King and Kingdom. He was a hunted man and paid with his life that you might hear unaltered good news. If we are exclusive with this inclusive message, we show the height of ingratitude for what we have received and how we received it.
“Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:11-13 (ESV)
