A Radical Change

The covenant with Abraham and his descendants included a provision for Gentiles; however, the view of rabbinic Judaism concerning Gentiles was not favorable since the distilled hatred and discrimination of the Talmud viewed them as animals with no soul. The apostolic leadership was raised with this insidious doctrine and the fact that a Moabite woman was in the lineage of King David and the Messiah was overlooked.

It was the Talmud which forbade Jews from mingling with Gentiles and the great commission was largely ignored because the early church did not see any value in them. It took divine intervention with a Roman centurion to open the eyes of the apostles to the truth that God loves the Gentiles as well and Jesus died on the cross for everyone.

This fact established a radical change within the early church and it transformed from being exclusively Jewish to a church that represented all nations.