Paul, the Jewish Apostle to the Gentiles
We can never hope to fully understand Paul unless we constantly bear two things in mind about him: (1) his identity as a Jew , and (2) his calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles . To lose sight of either of these (or both!) is to miss the most important context for understanding him. Paul lived at a very critical time in the history of redemption—when the saving benefits of the covenant God made with Abraham and his descendants were first extended en masse to all nations. It was a period of remarkable transition, quite unlike anything Israel had ever experienced. And Paul was called to participate in that transition. It brought about a fundamental change in the composition of the covenant people. Throughout history, God had dealt in a unique way with Israel. They were his “treasured possession among all peoples…a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex. 19:5-6). The Lord regarded them as “the apple of his eye” (Deut. 32:10; Zech. 2:8) and gave them many special favors. A...