Gentile Letters Analysis

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Gentile, Jew, or Both?
When Paul wrote letters to numerous groups of Gentiles forming ekklesiae, he divided the world into Gentiles and Jews. Paul shared in the same four characteristics that distinguished Jews from Gentiles during the Second Temple Period. Firstly, Jews like Paul were monotheistic; meanwhile, Gentiles commonly believed in numerous Greco-Roman gods or idols and could be identified as polytheistic. Secondly, Jews were circumcised as a sign of the covenant made with Abraham, but Gentiles remained uncircumcised. Thirdly, the Jewish people believed they were descendants of Abraham, while Gentiles had no lineage connection to Abraham. Lastly, Jews followed the Law of Moses, but Gentiles had no association with the Law of Moses. …show more content…
In fact, even before the life of Paul, the world had been separated into Gentile and Jew. For example, in Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he wrote about how he was chosen by God, before he was born, to preach among the Gentiles (1:15-16). Moreover, it was physically apparent that these new members of the ekklesia were originally Gentile. For instance, the Galatians had not been part of the historical covenant that Abraham made with God, which was signified through circumcision by all Jews; therefore, these uncircumcised Jesus-followers could not have been originally Jewish. In Paul’s writings to the Galatians, he reiterated this fact that the Galatians had not followed the tradition of circumcision in accordance with the Jewish covenant (5:2). He further reinforced this sentiment in Romans 4:11-12 that these members were originally Gentile due to their lack of circumcision, which he identified as a defining characteristic of …show more content…
Paul’s ongoing focus on circumcision signified the perception that these members remained Gentile. In Galatians 5:2, Paul expands on the presumed fact that the Galatians were currently uncircumcised and therefore were originally Gentile; Paul, notably discourages every Gentile from performing circumcision and thus following the Jewish covenant. This continued divergence from the Jewish covenant with Abraham demonstrated Paul’s idea that Galatians were still Gentile in someway. This controversy was such a focal point for Paul that he reiterated this idea in Galatians 6:12-13 that gentiles should not be obliged nor should partake in circumcision. In a similar manner, Paul clarified to the Romans that God, who is the “God of Jews” and the “God of Gentiles”, would justify the uncircumcised through the same ground of faith as the circumcised (Romans 3:29-30). By describing God as both the “God of Jews” and “God of Gentiles” coupled with the description of the two groups as circumcised and uncircumcised, Paul continued to view these members of the ekklesia as Gentile. Moreover, Paul continued this distinction in Romans 11:25 by addressing these Jesus-followers as Gentile when he wrote, “…a hardening has come upon part of Israel, until the full number of Gentiles has come in.” This repeated differentiation symbolizes Paul’s impression that the
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