Grace that is Always Greater

Acts 2:39 KJV 1900

39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Acts 10:9–16 KJV 1900

9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: 10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, 11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: 12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. 15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

Acts 10:28–29 KJV 1900

28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for: I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me?

Acts 10:34 KJV 1900

34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Galatians 2:11–16 KJV 1900

11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. 14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, 16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Joel 2:32 (KJV)

32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

The outpouring of the Spirit of God, or the communication of it in all its fulness to the covenant nation, without any limitation whatever, is a standing mark with the prophets of the Messianic times (compare Isaiah 32:15 with 11:9 and 54:13) or new covenant (Jeremiah 31:33-34; Ezekiel 36:26ff.; Zechariah 12:10). And even if the way was opened and prepared for this by the prophetic endowment of particular members of the old covenant, these sporadic communications of the Spirit of God in the Old Testament times cannot be regarded as the first steps in the fulfilment of our prophecy, since they were not outpourings of the Spirit of God. This first took place when Christ Jesus the Son of God had completed the work of redemption, i.e., on the first feast of Pentecost after the resurrection and ascension of Christ. Previous to this the words of John 7:39 applied: οὔπω ἦν πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ὅτι ὁ Ἰησοῦς οὐδέπω ἐδοξάστη. The reference in this prophecy to the founding of the new covenant, or Christian church, is also evident from the words, "And it shall come to pass afterwards," for which Peter substituted, "And it shall come to pass in the last days," interpreting ‏אחרי כן‎, the use of which was occasioned by the retrospective reference to ‏בָּרִאשׁוןֹ‎ in Joel 2:23, with perfect correctness so far as the fact was concerned, by the formula answering to ‏באחרית הימים‎, viz., ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις, which always denotes the Messianic future, or times of the completion of the kingdom of God. And just as achărē khēn precludes any reference to an event in Joel's own time, so does ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις preclude any fulfilment whatever in the times before Christ. But however certain it may be that the fulfilment first took place at the first Christian feast of Pentecost, we must not stop at this one pentecostal miracle. The address of the Apostle Peter by no means requires this limitation, but rather contains distinct indications that Peter himself saw nothing more therein than the commencement of the fulfilment, "but a commencement, indeed, which embraced the ultimate fulfilment, as the germ enfolds the tree." We see this in v. 38, where he exhorts his hearers to repent and be baptized, and adds the promise, "and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost;" and again in v. 39, where he observes, "The promise belongs to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off (τοῖς εἰς μακράν), as many as the Lord our God will call." For if not only the children of the apostle's contemporaries, but also those that were afar off—i.e., not foreign Jews, but the far-off heathen—were to participate in the gift of the Holy Spirit, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which commenced at Pentecost must continue as long as the Lord shall receive into His kingdom those who re still standing afar off, i.e., until the fulness of the Gentiles shall have entered the kingdom of God.

the promises to Noah (Gen. 9:9), Abraham (Gen. 13:15; 17:7-8; Gal. 3:16), and David (Pss. 18:50; 89:34-37; 132:11-12).

New International Commentary, The - The New International Commentary on the New Testament – The Book of Acts.

Deuteronomy 29:14-15

This covenant Moses made not only with those who are present, but with all whether present or not; for it was to embrace not only those who were living then, but their descendants also, to become a covenant of blessing for all nations (cf. Acts 2:39, and the intercession of Christ in John 17:20

John 17:20 KJV 1900

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; Deuteronomy 29:11

The covenant of the Lord embraced, however, not only the men of Israel, but also the wives and children, and the stranger who had attached himself to Israel, such as the Egyptians who came out with Israel (Ex 12:38; Num 11:4), and the Midianites who joined the Israelites with Hobab (Num 10:29), down to the very lowest servant, "from thy hewer of wood to thy drawer of water" (cf. Josh 9:21, 27).

The Gentiles’ lack of the external sign of circumcision also meant that they lacked five privileges that God had given the nation Israel. First, they were separate from (lit., “without”) Christ not only personally (true also of many Jews) but also in that they had no national hope of the Messiah.

Second, they were excluded from citizenship in Israel. They did not belong to the theocratic state of Israel (cf. Rom. 9:4). The word “excluded” is apēllotriōme noi, “alienated” or “estranged.” It is used only two other times (Eph. 4:18; Col. 1:21). Though some Gentiles were admitted into Judaism as proselytes, Gentiles as a whole were excluded; they were thus alienated.

Third, they were foreigners to the covenants of the promise (cf. Eph. 3:6). They were deprived of direct participation in God’s covenants and thus had no hope of future glory and blessing as Israel did. Israel’s “covenants” include the Abrahamic (Gen. 12:1–3; 15:18–21; 17:1–8), the Palestinian (Deut. 28–30), the Davidic (2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 89:1–4), and the New (Jer. 31:31–34; Ezek. 36:24–30). These covenants—all pointing to “the promise” of the Messiah and of blessings through Him—assured Israel of a national existence, a land, a King, and spiritual blessings.

Fourth, the Gentiles were without hope. Unlike Israel they had no expectation of a personal Messiah-Deliverer and the Messianic Age.

Fifth, they were without God (atheoi, “apart from God”) in the world. The Gentiles were in a desperate situation. They had no meaning, hope, purpose, or direction in life.

Ephesians 3:8 KJV 1900

8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Genesis 10:5 KJV 1900

5 By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

The Classic Midrash: Tannaitic Commentaries on the Bible 12. Deuteronomy 32:1, Sifre D. 306, 328

12.

Inside the wall of grace is peace,joy etc, but the wall is solid for it also provides protection and sustenance. There is mo way to get inside the wall buy through the broken body of Jesus.

(gĕwîyâ). Body, carcass, corpse, dead body. The term refers to a body as an object, whether dead (as in the case of the lion’s body, Jud 14:8–9, and Saul’s corpse, I Sam 31:10,12), or else as alive (Egyptians so speak of themselves in Gen 47:18). Living bodies of creatures (Ezk 1:11, 23) and the angelic “man” (Dan 10:6) appear in visions; thus the objectivity of a vision is supported.

גּוֹי‎ (gôy). Gentile, heathen, nation, people. ASV and RSV differ and agree in various instances, e.g. Gen 10:5; goyappears twice. Both translate “nations” in one instance, but RSV has “peoples” in the other. It is difficult to ascertain the exact definition of the term. However, if one takes the various usages into consideration, as well as some seemingly related terms, gaw, gēw, gēwâ, the back part of the body; gew, Aramaic for midst; and gĕwîyâ, living body or corpse (see below), one must conclude that the basic idea is that of a defined body or group of people, or some specific large segment of a given body. 

John 10:16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 

John 17:11And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 

John 17:21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Acts 10:44–48 KJV 1900

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Job 14:4 KJV 1900

Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.