There are those among the clergy and leadership in the Christian Church, especially among the Gentile believers who neglect ministering the Word to those unbelieving Jews. It has even been said that is a waste of time and that no Jewish person would ever accept that Jesus [Yeshua] is the Christ [Mesiyach], in fulfillment of the Old Testament Law [“Torah”], Psalms, and Prophets; but is that necessarily the case? The Apostle’s Peter and Paul seem to have had some success as recorded in the book of ACTS, and if human nature is basically the same, then the same method of preaching or teaching using the same Scriptural references should net the same results; if not, then why not? Not only that, but many believers tend to forget the Apostle Paul’s example, if not outright injunction to offer the message of salvation to the Jews first, and then the Gentiles (Cp. Romans 1: 16).
In the references below are sermons that touched the hearts of those Jews who received the Word and after believing and repenting of their sins, obtained forgiveness of their sins by obedience to what they were taught.
Acts 2: 14, 16
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel (Cp. Joel 2: 28-32).”
NOTE: Peter’s sermon leaves out: For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls.
22-25
Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus [Yeshua] of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves know-Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. “For David said concerning Him: (Cp. Psalms 16: 8-11).”
29-34
“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. “Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God has sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ [“Mesiyach”] to sit on his throne, “he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ [“Mesiyach”], that His [not David’s] soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. “This Jesus God has raised up [from the dead] of which we are witnesses. “Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: (Cp. Psalms 110: 1).”
36-39, 41
“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus [Yeshua], whom you crucified, both LORD and Christ [“Mesiyach”].” Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mesiyach] for the remission (forgiveness) of sins; and you shall (1) receive the gift of the Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh]. For (2) the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off (Cp. Romans 4: 1-3, 9 {Psalms 32: 1-2}, 10-14, 16-17a; 9: 6b-8, 24-25 {Hosea 2: 23; 1: 10} as many as the LORD our God will call.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
NOTE: The (1) Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh] is given to those who obey God (Cp. Acts 4: 31; 8: 15, 17; 10: 44-45; 11: 15-16; 19: 1-2, 4-6; II Corinthians 1: 22; 5: 5; Ephesians 1: 13b-14a). (2) The promise is first mentioned in Genesis 22: 18: “In your Seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice (Cp. Genesis 26: 4b).
Acts 3: 12-15
So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why do you look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus [Yeshua], whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murdered to be granted to you, “and killed the Prince of Life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.
17-23
“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ [Mesiyach] would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the LORD, “and that He may send Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mesiyach], who was ordained for you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. “For Moses truly said to the fathers (Cp. Deuteronomy 18: 15, 18-19).”
24-26
“Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold of these days. “You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham (Cp. Genesis 12: 3b; 18: 18b; 22: 18; 26: 4; 28:14). “To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.”
13: 14-25
But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day and sat down. And after the reading of the Law [“Torah”] and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.” Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: “The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with Mighty power He brought them out of it. “Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. “And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment. “After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. “And afterward they asked for a king; so God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. “And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, “(Cp. Psalms 89: 20a; I Samuel 13: 14b).” From this man’s seed, according to the promise, God raised up for Israel a Savior [“Messiah”]-Jesus [Yeshua] - “after John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. “And John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not He. But behold, there comes One after me, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’ ”
26-33
“Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the message of this salvation has been sent. “For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him. “And though they found no cause for death in Him, they asked Pilate that He should be put to death. “Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb. “But God raised Him from the dead. “He was seen for many days by those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are witnesses to the people. “And we declare to you glad tidings [“Evangelion”- The Gospel or Good News], that promise which was made to the fathers. “God has fulfilled this for us their children, in that He has raised up Jesus [Yeshua]. As it is written in the second Psalm ‘(Cp. Psalms 2: 7)’:
34-40, 43
“And that He raised Him from the dead, no more to return to corruption (decay), He has spoken thus: ‘I will give you the sure mercies of David’ (Cp. Isaiah 55: 3)
NOTE: This passage from Isaiah is out of place and doesn’t belong here.
“Therefore He also says in another Psalm ‘(Cp. Psalm 16: 10)’: “For David, after he served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep, was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption [his body underwent decay]; but He whom God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore let it be known to you brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins; “and by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the Law [“Torah”] of Moses. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
If bringing the Gospel of Jesus Christ [Yeshua Mesiyach] to the Jews is futile, then why does Paul feel like this: “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit [Ruach ha Kodesh], that I have a great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I wish that I myself were accursed from Christ [Mesiyach] for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law ["Torah”], the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ [Mesiyach] came, who is over all; the eternally blessed God. Amen. Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. For Christ [Mesiyach] is the end of the Law [“Torah”] for righteousness to everyone who believes (Cp. Romans 9: 1-5; 10: 1-4).
Following the Missionary activities of the Apostle Paul in the Church history book of ACTS, whether he traveled through GALATIA [Turkey in Asia Minor: These assemblies were in Pisidian Antioch (Cp. Acts 13: 14); Iconium (Cp. Acts 14: 1); Lystra & Derbe (Acts 14: 6-7, 20); Perga {in Pamphylia} (Cp. Acts 14: 25)]. Europe: MACEDONIA [Philippi (Cp. Acts 16: 12); Thessalonica (Cp. Acts 17: 1); Berea (Cp. Acts 17: 10)]; and even the Churches in GREECE (Corinth, Athens), or Rome Italy, he always sought out the synagogues where his Jewish brethren would be conducting Sabbath services first; and of which in many instances there were also in attendance God-fearing Gentile/Greek-speaking proselytes.
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
October 3, 2009
pbks@hotmail.com
