Gentiles

[trn2him]

I have a childlike understanding of the bible and this is a very simple and basic question, I'm trying to get a deeper understanding of it so hopefully someone can help. If we all came from Adam and eve, where did the gentiles come from? :confused Please tell me if I'm right, but does it have to do with the tower of Babel when all people were separated? I'm sorry for such a simple question but I just recently started to study the Word and I'm trying to figure these things out. :redface

[Hootmon]

I have a childlike understanding of the bible and this is a very simple and basic question, I'm trying to get a deeper understanding of it so hopefully someone can help. If we all came from Adam and eve, where did the gentiles come from? :confused Please tell me if I'm right, but does it have to do with the tower of Babel when all people were separated? I'm sorry for such a simple question but I just recently started to study the Word and I'm trying to figure these things out. :redfaceThe definition of 'Gentile' is those who are not 'Jewish'. That is, decended from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

There were many people in the world when Abraham was 'singled out', and those remained 'Gentile'.

[antsinmypants]

The first Hebrew was Abraham. He crossed over the Jordan and was called "Ivrit" (One who crossed over) after that.

His children, after the name & son- Isaac-- were called Hebrews/Israelis.

Everyone else are called "Goyim" - - the nations..

[IC333]

It has been my understanding that the Bible is the recorded history of the generations of Jesus and the Jewish peoples in general. Please correct me if I'm wrong. :):

[Silly Daddy]

The bible is God's book about Himself, His creation, His creation of man, man's fall, and God's plan for the redemption of man. Much is told to and through the perspective of His chosen people, but is meant for all mankind.

[antsinmypants]

The bible is God's book about Himself, His creation, His creation of man, man's fall, and God's plan for the redemption of man. Much is told to and through the perspective of His chosen people, but is meant for all mankind.

...To tell us everything we need to know about how to live, how to please him, and how to have a very meaningful and deep relationship with Him, and how much He loves, cares for, and wants to be with us. :):

Not one letter is idle in there.

[ToBpleasing]

I've never really understood Jews vs. Gentiles either. Besides, the New Testament, I don't remember seeing the word "Jew" in the Old Testament.
The entire bible begins in Iraq (Garden of Eden) and ends in Jerusalem, with references made in the New Testament to Paul, etc. traveling to Rome, modern day Turkey, etc., but basically limits itself to the general surrounding area of Jerusalem. So, like IC333 said, doesn't the Bible pretty much take place in and around the 'Holy Land' and center around God the Father and Jesus Christ's interaction with the Israeli/Hebrew (Jewish?) people? Hootmon, you're saying only Abraham's direct decendants are Jews, because he was "singled out"? I've always felt the Lord "singled me out" and I "crossed over" to christianity, so could someone please further define what makes a "Jew" and what makes a "Gentile". (Silly Daddy and Antsinmypants, the question was not define the "Bible", but define "gentile") These questions may seem funny to some, but I never really understood this clearly.
God bless.

[Gordon b]

In New Testiment the Gentiles were specifically the Greeks

In the New Testament the Greek word Hellenes, meaning literally Greek (as in Acts 16:1, 3; 18:17; Rom. 1:14), generally denotes any non-Jewish nation.

[Silly Daddy]

As Hootmon indicated, Jews are the direct descendants of Abraham. The term "Jew" comes from Jacob's son Judah. Later it became the name given to all the descendants of Jacob (Israel). It's good to note that when a Jew accepts Jesus as his messiah he is still a Jew. Today they are called messianic Jews.

A gentile is anyone not a direct descendant of Abraham, or put another way, not of the Jewish race. The bible also refers to all gentiles as the "nations" sometimes.

Paul talks about the elect, the church that is called out from the gentiles, as having been "grafted in" to the "root" that is Jesus, as opposed to his "flesh" (Jews).

Romans 11(7) What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.
(8) Just as it is written:
"God has given them a spirit of stupor,
Eyes that they should not see
And ears that they should not hear,
To this very day."
(9) And David says:
"Let their table become a snare and a trap,
A stumbling block and a recompense to them.
(10) Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see,
And bow down their back always.
(11) I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. (12) Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!
(13) For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, (14) if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh and save some of them. (15) For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?
(16) For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. (17) And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, (18) do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.
(19) You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." (20) Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. (21) For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either. (22) Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. (23) And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. (24) For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?
(25) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written:
"The Deliverer will come out of Zion,
And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;
(27) For this is My covenant with them,
When I take away their sins."

Asking about the difference between Jews and gentiles is a great question, especially for a new believer. When reading the bible pay close attention to the intended audience of the passage. Making the distinction between Jews and gentiles will help your understanding of the text greatly. If more people did this many of the issues that divide the church would vanish.

[ToBpleasing]

I am slowly, but surely getting the picture. Even though I am not a direct blood relative of Jacob/Abraham, I still was (by my belief and faith in Christ) "grafted in" the vine of Christ, now being part of the elect or Body of Christ. Silly Daddy those were very good scriptural explainations. God bless you both........

[Hootmon]

...doesn't the Bible pretty much take place in and around the 'Holy Land' and center around God the Father and Jesus Christ's interaction with the Israeli/Hebrew (Jewish?) people? That is the main focus to be sure...


...Hootmon, you're saying only Abraham's direct decendants are Jews, because he was "singled out"?

I've always felt the Lord "singled me out" and I "crossed over" to christianity, so could someone please further define what makes a "Jew" and what makes a "Gentile". [/quote] I suppose it depends on which aspect of 'Jewishness' you are talking about. Religious, Ethnic or National. It gets confusing.

Religious Jews have Judaism as their Religion.
Ethnic Jews are decended from Jacob.
National Jews were/are citizens of Judah/Israel.

Many mixes of the three are possible.

Then there is the issue of the 'Remnant' aka 'Israel of God'.

As you can see, there isnt a simple answer to be had...

[ToBpleasing]

Bless you Hootmon, it always warms my heart to see the Spirit speak through a child of God. I understand the "Jewish" thing...