Yes - and so now are Gentiles.
Gentiles were once sinners without Moses' Law, but Jews were entrusted with God's spoken words.
They were adopted.
They saw the glory of God.
They were given the Old Covenant, Moses' Law and the Levitical services.
They were custodians of the promises, including the promise of the New Covenant.
They physically descended from the fathers of our faith.
Christ came from them, as far as His body goes.
All of the first preachers of the Gospel, and the authors of all of the books of the New Testament were Jews.
But the Law had the effect of confirming that Jews had the same moral state as the Gentiles: condemned sinners. Therefore a righteousness which would be independent of the works of the Law, was prophesied.
The Prophets saw that many Jews would not believe and would therefore fail to experience the promised righteousness and blessings when it came. They also saw that many believing Gentiles would experience the blessings, along with believing Jews.
Therefore while the Law placed Jews on the same moral level as the Gentiles: as sinners - the Gospel now elevates all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, to the same privileges.
They were adopted.
They saw the glory of God.
They were given the Old Covenant, Moses' Law and the Levitical services.
They were custodians of the promises, including the promise of the New Covenant.
They physically descended from the fathers of our faith.
Christ came from them, as far as His body goes.
All of the first preachers of the Gospel, and the authors of all of the books of the New Testament were Jews.
But the Law had the effect of confirming that Jews had the same moral state as the Gentiles: condemned sinners. Therefore a righteousness which would be independent of the works of the Law, was prophesied.
The Prophets saw that many Jews would not believe and would therefore fail to experience the promised righteousness and blessings when it came. They also saw that many believing Gentiles would experience the blessings, along with believing Jews.
Therefore while the Law placed Jews on the same moral level as the Gentiles: as sinners - the Gospel now elevates all believers, both Jews and Gentiles, to the same privileges.
That is what Abraham foresaw - He saw Jesus' day - and was glad. God preached the Gospel to Abraham ahead of time, saying, "In your seed (which was Christ) all families of the earth will be blessed (justified)". The Prophets also foresaw the blessings of the Gospel.
God has never revoked anything that He ever made available to the Jews. But neither is He withholding anything from Gentiles who believe. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, as far as blessing, callings and gifts go. God is calling and chooses all who believe in His Son Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile - without discrimination.
God has never revoked anything that He ever made available to the Jews. But neither is He withholding anything from Gentiles who believe. In Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile, as far as blessing, callings and gifts go. God is calling and chooses all who believe in His Son Jesus, whether Jew or Gentile - without discrimination.
This doesn't mean God has revoked His choice of the Jews: everything He ever promised them is still available to any of them who will believe. It just means that God is now offering exactly the same things to all Gentiles who believe.
Many are called but few are chosen. God's chosen people now are believers everywhere, whether Jew or Gentile - and that's the way He always planned it to be since before Jacob ever became Israel.
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