The bible makes a lot more sense when you understand who the Gentiles are.....

[aikido7]

If you are talking about some requirements to receive and experience grace, then you are definitely saying something but I don’t think you are talking about grace.

“The Father makes his sun to shine on the evil and the good...”
--Matthew 5:45

Jesus came to Paul without an appearance. He came to Paul as a voice.

 

[flintstoned]

“Gentiles were Israelites?”
The Israelites were Jews.
And Gentiles were certainly not Jews.

Gentiles [the goyim] were defined as all nations except the Jews.

Israel was made up of Jews and non-Jews. Those of the Southern Kingdom included the House of Judah which were the Jews. The tribes of the Northern Kingdom (House of Israel) were non-Jews....hence Gentiles. When God divorced the House of Israel, and the tribes were scattered among the nations, it was God who promised to gather back the lost sheep and reconcile them so that there would be one united Israel again.

 

[flintstoned]

flintstoned,

As iamaberean noted: "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles...But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 10:5-6)"

But aren't you saying that the house of Israel is Gentile?

Gentile is a generic word that means foreigner, other, or not one of us. So to a Jew, a non-Jew would be a Gentile. To an Israelite, a non-Israelite would be a Gentile. In most cases in scripture, it is written from the standpoint of the Jews, which means that from their perspective those that were not of them....were referred to as gentiles.

This explanation was provided in the link I included in my post: http://www.losttribes.net/menu/gentile.html

Using states as a simple example: to Texans, Californians could be considered Gentiles (not one of us). However, Texans and Californians are both Americans.....so in that case France could be considered Gentiles (not one of us) in relation to both Texans and Californians.

 

[aikido7]

Israel was made up of Jews and non-Jews. Those of the Southern Kingdom included the House of Judah which were the Jews. The tribes of the Northern Kingdom (House of Israel) were non-Jews....hence Gentiles. When God divorced the House of Israel, and the tribes were scattered among the nations, it was God who promised to gather back the lost sheep and reconcile them so that there would be one united Israel again.

Thanks for clarifying a complicated subject!

:carryon: