Gentiles

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 2min
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 7
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A name commonly used in scripture to denote any and every nation except Israel. At times, when Israel as a people is referred to, the same words are used for them. Thus
1. goi, ἔθνος, is translated “nation,” and refers to the Jewish nation (Deut. 26:55And thou shalt speak and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous: (Deuteronomy 26:5); Luke 7:55For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. (Luke 7:5); John 11:4848If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. (John 11:48)). In the plural the same words refer to the nations generally in distinction from Israel, and are translated “nations,” “Gentiles,” and “heathen” (Deut. 18:99When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. (Deuteronomy 18:9); Deut. 32:4343Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people. (Deuteronomy 32:43); Isa. 60:33And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. (Isaiah 60:3); Isa. 62:22And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. (Isaiah 62:2); Joel 2:1919Yea, the Lord will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: (Joel 2:19); Acts 11:1,181And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. (Acts 11:1)
18When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. (Acts 11:18); Acts 13:1919And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. (Acts 13:19); Acts 28:2828Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. (Acts 28:28); etc).
God had raised a wall between the Jews and the Gentiles, which in Christ’s death was broken down for believers, “to make in himself of twain one new man” (Eph. 2:1414For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; (Ephesians 2:14)). “There is neither Jew nor Greek.... for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:2828There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)). This does not touch unbelieving Jews and Gentiles, who are kept separate in God’s present and future dealings.