Since the beginning of religion, as it is clear today, controversy has always been on the forefront. As early as before the coming of Christ, the religion has been known to be an emotive issue. A sneak preview into the early days of religion shows that Jews and Gentiles were perhaps some of the worst enemies in matters religion. That was because both groups viewed each other as lesser beings in worshipping and religious practices. This rift was mended partly during the gospel of Jesus Christ, and its completion was visible during the ministries of Paul and Peter.
Evidences of the shift from the Jewish gospel and the Gentile Gospel
The gospel was once for the “clean Jews” who had a perception that they were clean and could not allow themselves to mingle with the Gentiles. There existed a couple of evidences pointing the paradigm shift from the Jewish way to the incorporated way of worshipping which took into account the Gentiles (Elwell and Yarborough, 2005).
The baptism of Cornelius by Peter was a sign of the changing cloud that the Gentiles were being incorporated in the worship in Israel. Cornelius was a Gentile, and they were considered unclean by the Jews. The Gentiles were uncircumcised, and the Jewish people felt any uncircumcised person as unclean. No Jew would allow himself/herself to relate with a Gentile on any grounds. A Jew would not sit or worship in the same place as a Gentile. The baptism that took place under the guidance of a Jew (Peter) was a way of showing that things were changing between the Jews and Gentiles. He is our peace, who has made us one, and He has torn down the middle barrier between us" (Acts 12 14). Paul goes on to preach that Christ made one new body by reconciling both Gentiles and Jews to God. Reconciliation was a difficult concept for any Jew to understand after ages of exclusivity.
Scorn and reproach was a frequent occurrence among the rival groups. The Jews viewed the Gentiles as dirty and saw them as a laughing stock. Jesus in the New Testament brought the news of the embodiment of the new covenant which “re-calibrated” the measure on which Gentiles were. Jesus was unable to seal the crack between Jews and Gentiles since they were two antagonists. The works of Christ were completed by Peter and Paul. Peter was able to succeed to stop the scorning that was going on between these two groups.
Reasons for the shift
This shift from the status quo was a long journey from the exclusion to inclusion. The Jews had enjoyed exclusive rights for a long period. The incorporation was due to the new doctrine that was by virtue of Jesus bringing the new covenant gospel. The gospel was inclusive, and this was to take up anyone who felt the need to embrace the religion. Peter, who was also a follower of Jesus, welcomed servants who were sent by Cornelius. This act of good faith showed Jews that they could welcome Gentiles into their homes. Jesus also sent his disciples to spread the gospel all over the world, and that was to include the Gentiles. The work was under the eyes of Peter and Paul in their ministry.
References
Book
Elwell, W., & Yarbrough, R. (2005). Encountering the New Testament: Historical and theological survey (2nd ed.). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic.
