All
Jews are Gentiles, goyim; but not all
Gentiles are Jews. That is not meant to be offensive, it simply is the truth
found in scripture. What we find in the Bible is that Noah’s descendants are
all goy, and Abraham’s promised descendants are all goy, or goyim, which is
plural. People who are descended from Abraham are goyim; however, in our modern world, goyim has a negative connotation for people other than Jews, or as
we call those who are not Jews, Gentiles.
The word goy is translated 561 times,
and as we will see, we are at the mercy of the hands of translators to
determine who or what they are speaking of; as goy is translated nation(s),
gentile(s), heathen, and people.
There was never any Greek word for non-Jews either, the word in the Greek, ethnos, means nation(s), which includes
all people. I find it fascinating that this word has evolved over time and now
has negative connotations, when the reality is that all people are gentiles,
even those who claim they descend from Jacob. The catch is that not everyone is
descended from Jacob.
This
then shades our view of people called Gentiles. We think of Gentiles as a lower
class or lesser people, because the Jews were special. While Jacob’s lineage was important, because that group of
people were to teach the world about God as well as bring forth the Messiah,
the separation between Jew and non-Jew (Gentile) no longer exists. Let’s read
the definitions of these words and see where it takes us.
OT:1471 gowy (go'-ee); rarely (shortened) goy (go'-ee); apparently from the same
root as OT:1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation;
hence, a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of
locusts: KJV - Gentile, heathen, nation, people.(Biblesoft's
New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew
Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and International
Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:1465 gevah
(gay-vaw'); feminine of OT:1460; the back, i.e. (by
extensive) the person: KJV -
body.(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with Expanded
Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc. and
International Bible Translators, Inc.)
OT:1471 gowy rarely (shortened) goy — as a noun, masculine: nation,
people a) nation, people 1) usually of non-Hebrew people 2) used of descendants of Abraham 3) used of Israel b) used of a swarm of locusts or other
animals (figurative)
as a proper noun, masculine:c) Goyim? = "nations"(from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)
as a proper noun, masculine:c) Goyim? = "nations"(from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright © 1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)
Gentiles (Heb., usually in plural,
goyim), meaning in general all nations except the Jews. In course of time, as
the Jews began more and more to pride themselves on their peculiar privileges,
it acquired unpleasant associations, and was used as a term of contempt.
In the New Testament the Greek
word Hellenes, meaning literally
Greek (as in Acts 16:1,3; 18:17; Rom 1:14), generally denotes any
non-Jewish nation. (from Easton's Bible
Dictionary, PC Study Bible formatted electronic database Copyright © 2003, 2006
Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
It seems odd that
Strong’s defines the word as “a massing of people”, then it says “foreign
nation” and “Gentile” in light of these verses. What we are about to see is the
Biblical definition of goy/goyim includes all people, not non-Jewish people,
aka Gentiles.
Gen 10:5 By
these were the isles of the Gentiles [1471] divided in their lands; every one
after his tongue, after their families, in their nations[1471].KJV
Here the
translators used the very first biblical usage of goyim as Gentiles, and
the second usage as nations. The
context from verse 2 is the sons of
Japheth. So we might agree, the sons of Japheth could be Gentiles. But
there is a problem with this. Let’s go on.
Gen 10:20 These are the sons of Ham, after
their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations [1471].KJV
The sons
of Ham are thought of as nations, and if this word is interchangeable as verse
5 suggest, Hams descendants are goyim as well, Gentiles.
Gen
10:31-32 These are
the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands,
after their nations [1471].32 These are
the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations:
and by these were the nations [1471] divided in the earth after the flood. KJV
Now it
seems we have a problem, the descendants of Shem are goyim as well, Gentiles. Verse 32 concludes that the descendants of
Noah after the flood are all goyim. Now we have to ask the question, didn’t
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all descend from Shem and Noah? Well this presents
problems if the usage of goyim is
derogatory. Let’s continue.
Gen 12:1-3 Now the Lord had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's
house, unto a land that I will shew thee:2 And I
will make of thee a great nation [1471], and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:3 And I
will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee
shall all families of the earth be blessed.KJV
Abraham will be made
a great goy, should we be looking at
this word in a derogatory way? Now we have an even bigger problem, Abraham had
eight sons. His first son came from an Egyptian woman, his second son came from
a Hebrew woman, and his six other sons came from a Canaanite woman (Incidentally,
Canaanites were giants). How do we make
sense of this? All of Abraham’s sons procreated and spread out all over the
Middle East. Was God saying to Abraham that all his sons are heathen Gentiles,
even the ones from Jacob, or was God simply using goy or goyim as a word
meaning nation(s)? So far, all that we can ascertain is that all of Noah’s and
Abraham’s descendants are either all heathens or all simply nations. All people
are offensive or all people are not.
Just
because a word has become derogatory and belittling in its modern usage doesn’t
mean it was always insulting. If God thought of goy as a lesser group or a
heathen group, he would not have included the descendants of Jacob, the
Israelites, along with heathen people. But God included all people under this
heading of goy. Again, this puts us at the mercy of the translators to
interpret this word. But what if the word simply meant nation or people rather
than heathen or Gentile; or as the original definition states, “the massing of
people”; would other scriptures speak differently to us?
Ps 9:5
Thou hast rebuked the heathen [1471], thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast
put out their name for ever and ever.KJV
Ps 9:15
The heathen [1471] are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which
they hid is their own foot taken.KJV
Ps 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into
hell, and all the nations [1471] that forget God.KJV
Ps
9:19-20 Arise, O Lord ; let not man prevail: let the
heathen[1471] be judged in thy sight.20 Put them
in fear, O Lord : that the nations
[1471]may know themselves to be but men. Selah.KJV
Here the translators
used the word heathen, but the usage really was nation (a mass of people), then David’s Psalm becomes personal to
all people, especially Israel as a nation. This entire Psalm then speaks of the
evil people within Israel, as well as outside of Israel. Used five times in
this Psalm, David is not talking about God judging “other nations”, he is
including all people here, his own nation of Israel as well. For some reason,
there are translators that have tried to exclude Israel from God’s judgment,
but that is not the case. The other nations of the world were not judged by
Israel’s commandments, meaning they were to observe the commandments, they were
judged by how they treated Israel. Let’s read another Psalm.
Ps
135:14-18 For the Lord will judge his people, and he will repent
himself concerning his servants.15 The idols
of the heathen [1471]are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.16 They have mouths, but they speak
not; eyes have they, but they see not;17 They have
ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.18 They that make them are like unto
them: so is every one that trusteth in them.KJV
What if this word heathen is translated as people in verse 15, then all those who
are Israelites who have idols within Israel are going to be judged. We see from
the context that we are not speaking of an outside group being judged by God,
we are speaking of His servants. Somehow, we have this dichotomy where we
believe Israelites are above reproach, and at the same time we see the nation
that fell into idol worship, and bondage to other nations. Israel was never
above reproach, some of us have just been led to believe that. The Torah was
not written for the entire world, it was written for Israelites. The world is
not judged according to the laws of Israel, especially at this time in history,
as the rest of the world did not know about God. That was what Israel was to
do, teach the world, and bring forth the Messiah. Today, Israel has no
atonement for sin, and when they die they go to Hades. There is only one way
for Israelites to become above reproach, that is to confess Jesus as their
Lord, and then they will have atonement for sin.
How did we end up with this type
of “us and them” idea regarding the Bible? It would seem that in later years,
after the exiles of Israel moved back to the area, the Israelites separated
themselves from everyone else; and with good reason. When Nehemiah and Ezra
started rebuilding the walls and the temple, the people were told to separate
themselves from non-Israelites. Nehemiah 13:23-ff. The Israelites were chosen
by God to teach all nations about God, just like Abraham did. Can you imagine
the spiritual pressure from the god of this world that those people endured?
That is the last thing the devil wants people to know about, but Jesus changed
that dynamic. Jesus exposed the workings of satan and made the announcement of
the Heavenly Father which is still spreading worldwide today. Now, with new
rules and no atonement for sin other than Jesus, the truth has been twisted. Persecution
by other nations did not help the Israelites either.
Today, we have to understand a
couple of things that seem a bit cloudy; Firstly, Israelites are descendants
from Jacob (Israel). To be an Israelite, one must trace ones lineage from ones
mother; that is the physical heritage of being an Israelite. Then there are
Jews, descendants of Judah (one of the sons of Jacob). This group of people is
predominantly from the southern region of Israel, they came from the Southern
Kingdom; but the name attached itself to all people who believe and practice
religious devotions from the Torah. So we have some people who are religious
Jews, and some people who are Israelites by heritage. All Jews and Israelites
are goyim. That is what God told Abraham and Noah. Not all goyim are practicing
religious Judaism.
By the time we get to the New
Testament in history, the words Gentile and heathen are used to describe anyone
who is not a Jew. That includes Israelites from other parts of the nation of
Israel. If we remember our study on Samarians, we saw that because they didn’t
worship in Jerusalem, they were thought of as lesser people than the Jews. That
group of lesser people also included Galileans, even though many Galileans
traveled to worship in the temple for holy days. Now we see just how narrow
people became. Israelites by lineage were not included in the “in crowd”. But
we all should take heart; Jesus came and rectified all of the separation the
devil tried to put in place.
By about 300 BC, Hebrew
was nearly a lost language. Ptolemy commissioned Hebrew scholars to translate
the 70 books of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, which gave us the Septuagint.
About 300 AD, the Greek Septuagint was translated back into Hebrew, but
translators tried to take the “Christianity” out of the Old Testament, further
separating people into the “us and them” category. The New Testament is generally
not accepted as scripture by Jews today. Let’s look at the words used for
nation(s), Gentile(s), people, and heathen in the Greek.
NT:1484 ethnos (eth'-nos); probably from NT:1486; a race
(as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one
(usually by implication, pagan):KJV - Gentile, heathen,
nation, people. (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance
with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft,
Inc. and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:1486 etho (eth'-o);
a primary verb; to be used (by habit or conventionality); neuter perfect
participle usage: KJV - be custom (manner,
wont).(Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's Numbers and Concordance with
Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright © 1994, 2003, 2006 Biblesoft, Inc.
and International Bible Translators, Inc.)
NT:1484 ethnos, ethnous, to: 1. a multitude (whether of men or of
beasts) associated or living together; a company,
troop, swarm 2. a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus 3. race,
nation: Matt 21:43; Acts 10:35
4. foreign nations not worshipping
the true God, pagans, Gentiles 5. Paul
uses ta ethnee even of Gentile Christians:
Rom 11:13 (from Thayer's Greek Lexicon, Electronic
Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Matt
21:42-45 Jesus
asked them, Have you never read in the Scriptures: The very Stone which the
builders rejected and threw
away has become the Cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous
in our eyes? [Ps 118:22,23.] 43 I tell
you, for this reason the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given
to a people [1484] who will produce the fruits of it. 44 dAnd whoever falls on this Stone will be
broken to pieces, but he on whom It falls will be crushed to powder [and It
will ewinnow him, fscattering
him like dust]. [Isa 8:14; Dan 2:34,35.]
45 And when the chief priests and
the Pharisees heard His parables (comparisons, stories used to illustrate and
explain), they perceived that He was talking about them. AMP
Because the Jews
didn’t recognize Jesus as their Messiah, nor the hour of His visitation, the
kingdom was taken away from them and given to an ethnos, a race or multitude.
They missed the hour of Jesus’ visitation. Remember, the Greeks did not have a
word for non-Jews. So this word is
also at the mercy of translators to determine how it should be written. Think
this through; the Greek culture dominated the world, even when the Roman
kingdom dominated the land. The Greeks and Romans were not making reference to
themselves as heathens, or non-Jews. Why would they? If there is bias by the
translator, we will have a bias in the scriptures.
Matt
28:16-20 Then the
eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had
appointed them.17 And when
they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.18 And Jesus
came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth.19 Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations [1484], baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20 Teaching
them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with
you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.KJV
Who was Jesus asking
them to teach? He was asking them to teach All
nations or all tribes. These were Jesus’ last words in His
resurrected body to his disciples. They were supposed to baptize people as
well.
Luke
24:40-50 And when
he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.41 And while they yet believed not
for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?42 And they gave him a piece of a
broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.43 And he
took it, and did eat before them.44 And he
said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with
you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses,
and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.45 Then opened he their
understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,46 And said unto them, Thus it
is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the
third day:47 And
that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all
nations [1484], beginning at Jerusalem.48 And ye
are witnesses of these things.49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you:
but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on
high.50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his
hands, and blessed them.KJV
Jesus
opened their understanding about the Old Testament scriptures regarding
himself. Repentance and remission of sins should be preached among all nations,
starting in Jerusalem. He also told them to wait until the Holy Spirit clothes
them. Just before Jesus’ crucifixion, the chief priests and Pharisees got
together to talk about the Jesus
situation.
John
11:47-53 Then
gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we?
for this man doeth many miracles.48 If we let
him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take
away both our place and nation[1484] .49 And one
of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them,
Ye know nothing at all,50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man
should die for the people, and that the whole nation [1484] perish not.51 And this spake he not of himself: but being high priest
that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation [1484];52 And not for that nation [1484] only, but that also he should gather together in one the
children of God that were scattered abroad.53 Then from
that day forth they took counsel together for to put him to death.KJV
We see the usage of
this word [Strong’s 1484] as nation
when the Jews are talking about themselves. Their rationalization was that the
Romans would take away their right to exist if people believed on Jesus,
therefore it would be better if Jesus died to save the nation. While Caiaphas
didn’t realize it, he was speaking prophetically that Jesus would in fact die
for the entire nation, and for all the people who would believe on God as well.
God writes history before it happens. Here is another reference to Abraham,
however the translators used the word heathen
instead of nations first, and then nations second.
Gal 3:6-9
Even as Abraham believed God, and
it was accounted to him for righteousness.7 Know ye
therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.8 And the scripture, foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen nations [1484] through faith,
preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations
[1484] be blessed.9 So then
they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.KJV
According
to Genesis 12, there was no “us and them” there was just goy. The nation that
came from Abraham was made up of all the people who believed on the Messiah,
either before he came, or after he was crucified and ascended. The goyim/ethnos
are justified through faith and the goyim/ethnos shall all be blessed because
of Abraham’s faith. This promise is simply to all those who believe on the
Messiah, not only Israelites (hereditary birthers), Jews (religious observers),
Samarians (heathen dogs), Greeks (heathens), or Romans (heathen oppressors).
All humans are from Noah, all are goyim. All those who have faith, are of
Abraham, all are goyim.
Rom
4:17-18 (As it is
written, I have made thee a father of many nations [1484],) before him whom he
believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be
not as though they were.18 Who
against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations[1484];
according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.KJV
Is
Abraham the father of many nations, or isn’t he? He had eight sons, so
physically he had a multitude of progeny, all of different races. One group
became Israelites, from Jacob/Israel. From Jacob/Israel came Judah, and
therefore the Jews. That lineage is narrow compared to all goyim. Here is a
section from Romans where we hear about grafting
Rom
11:11-25 So I ask, Have they stumbled so as to fall [to
their utter spiritual ruin, irretrievably]? By no means! But through their
false step and transgression
salvation [has come] to the Gentiles multitudes/nations [1484],
so as to arouse Israel [to see and feel what they forfeited] and so to
make them jealous. 12 Now if
their stumbling (their lapse, their transgression) has so enriched the world [at
large], and if [Israel's] failure means such riches for the Gentiles
multitudes/nations [1484], think what an enrichment and greater advantage will follow their full reinstatement! 13 But now I am speaking to you who
are Gentiles the multitudes/nations [1484]. Inasmuch then as I am an
apostle to the Gentiles multitudes/nations [1484], I lay great stress on
my ministry and magnify
my office, 14 In the
hope of making my fellow Jews jealous [in order to stir them up to
imitate, copy, and appropriate], and thus managing to save some of them. 15 For if their rejection and exclusion from the benefits of
salvation were [overruled] for the reconciliation of a world to God,
what will their acceptance and admission
mean? [It will be nothing short of] life from the dead! 16 Now if the first handful of dough
offered as the firstfruits [Abraham and the patriarchs] is
consecrated (holy), so is the whole mass [the nation of Israel]; and if
the root [Abraham] is consecrated (holy), so are the branches. [Num
15:19-21.] 17 But if
some of the branches were broken off, while you, a wild olive shoot, were
grafted in among them to share the richness [of the root and sap] of the
olive tree, 18 Do not
boast over the branches and pride
yourself at their expense. If you do boast and feel superior, remember it is not you that support the root, but
the root [that supports] you. 19 You will
say then, Branches were broken (pruned) off so that I might be grafted in! 20 That is true. But they were
broken (pruned) off because of their unbelief (their lack of real faith), and
you are established through faith [because you do believe]. So do
not become proud and conceited,
but rather stand in awe and be
reverently afraid. 21 For if
God did not spare the natural branches [because of unbelief], neither
will He spare you [if you are guilty of the same offense]. 22 Then note and appreciate the gracious kindness
and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God's
gracious kindness to you — provided you continue in His grace and abide in His kindness; otherwise
you too will be cut off (pruned away). 23 And even
those others [the fallen branches, Jews], if they do not persist in [clinging
to] their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft
them in again. 24 For if
you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and against nature
grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier will it be to graft these
natural [branches] back on [the original parent stock of] their own
olive tree. AMP_
Those not
of Israel are grafted into the root of Abraham.
There is grafting by faith, not by works. Again we see the nations,
goyim/ethnos, are of Abraham. This is a very interesting point, the natural
branches are cut off because of unbelief, but if they believe they can be
grafted in again. This very specifically tells us that even if one can trace
their lineage on their mother’s side to Jacob/Israel, and has been an observant
Jew, but not a believer in Jesus, they can be cast into the fire. The first
disciples were observant Galileans who believed on Jesus as Messiah. They did
not miss his hour of visitation and they are the ones who were the remnant who
were chosen by grace as verse 5 tells us.
Rom 11:5
So too at the present time there is a remnant (a small believing minority),
selected (chosen) by grace (by God's unmerited favor and graciousness). AMP
As we
have studied before, the blindness of Israel was due in part so that God could
graft in as many people from the nations as possible.
Rom 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that
ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own
conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of
the Gentiles multitudes/nations [1484] be come in.KJV
Paul was
the one to tell all the nations of the mystery.
Eph 3:6-8
That the Gentiles multitudes [1484] should be fellowheirs, and of the
same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:7 Whereof I was made a minister,
according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual
working of his power.8 Unto me,
who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should
preach among the Gentiles multitudes [1484] the unsearchable riches of
Christ; KJV
Because
the mystery was given by grace to everyone, many people were grafted into the faith
of Abraham. Luke was a non-Israelite who we believe wrote the Gospel of Luke
and Acts. His brother was a non-Israelite named Titus who was in charge of
establishing churches for Paul. Timothy had a non-Israelite father and a
Jewish/Christian mother. These people are not “less than” any Jewish person.
There is no difference between Jew and non-Jew, all are goy. The believer is
the one who is of Abraham. Let’s look at what Jesus said.
Rev
2:26-27 And he
that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power
over the nations [1484]:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels
of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.KJV
Jesus
says he is going to give power over the multitudes to the overcomer who keeps
his word to the end of his life. That overcomer will rule the multitudes with a
rod of iron. Considering that the Greeks did not have a word for themselves
that meant they were of a lesser class of people, or beneath the Jews, we have
to recognize there is a bias that the translators added to the word of God.
While we are reminded of being heathens or Gentiles when we read our Bibles, we
know that the original intent of the definitions was not of a religious cast
system. God, who gave Moses the words of the Torah, had no intent of demeaning
the entire world. People demean other people, God does not. All Jews are goyim,
just as all humans coming from Noah are goyim. Instead of thinking of Gentile
as a bad word, we should recognize that all people are goyim, including Jews,
but not all goyim are Jews. If one wishes to use the word Gentile or heathen,
then all Jews are just as much Gentiles and heathens as anyone else.
End Notes:
LUKE
A "fellow laborer" of
the apostle Paul (Philem 24) and the probable author of the Gospel of
Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. By profession he was a physician (Col
4:14). During one of Paul's imprisonments, probably in Rome, Luke's
faithfulness was recorded by Paul when he declared, "Only Luke is with
me" (2 Tim 4:11). These three references are our only direct
knowledge of Luke in the New Testament.
A bit more of Luke's life and
personality can be pieced together with the aid of his writings (Luke and Acts)
and some outside sources. Tradition records that he came from Antioch in Syria.
This is possible, because Antioch played a significant role in the early
Gentile mission which Luke described in Acts (Acts 11; 13; 14; 15; 18). Luke
was a Gentile (Col 4:10-17) and the only non-Jewish author of a New
Testament book. A comparison of 2 Cor 8:18 and 12:18 has led
some to suppose that Luke and Titus were brothers, but this is a guess.
Luke accompanied Paul on parts of
his second third, and final missionary journeys. At three places in Acts, the
narrative changes to the first person ("we"). This probably indicates
that Luke was personally present during those episodes. On the second journey (
A.D. 49-53), Luke accompanied Paul on the short voyage
from Troas to Philippi (Acts 16:10-17). On the
third journey ( A.D. 54-58), Luke was present on the voyage from
Philippi to Jerusalem (Acts 20:5-21:18).
Whether Luke had spent the intervening time in Philippi is uncertain, but his
connection with Philippi has led some to favor it (rather than Antioch) as
Luke's home.
Once in Palestine, Luke probably
remained close by Paul during his two-year imprisonment in Caesarea. During
this time, Luke probably drew together material, both oral and written, which
he later used in the composition of his gospel (Luke 4). A
third "we" passage describes in masterful suspense the shipwreck
during Paul's voyage to Rome for his trial before Caesar. Each of the
"we" passages involves Luke on a voyage, and the description of the
journey from Jerusalem to Rome is full of observations and knowledge of
nautical matters.
Luke apparently was a humble man,
with no desire to sound his own horn. More than one-fourth of the New Testament
comes from his pen, but not once does he mention himself by name. He had a
greater command of the Greek language and was probably more broad-minded and
urbane than any New Testament writer. He was a careful historian, both by his
own admission (Luke 1:1-4), and by the judgment of later history.
Luke's gospel reveals his concern
for the poor, sick, and outcast, thus offering a clue to why Paul called him
"the beloved physician" (Col 4:14). He was
faithful not only to Paul, but to the greater cause which he served-the
publication of "good tidings of great joy" (Luke
2:10).
(from
Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson
Publishers)
TITUS
[TIGH tuhs] (pleasant) - a "partner and fellow worker" (2 Cor
8:23) of the apostle Paul. Although Titus is not mentioned in the Book
of Acts, Paul's letters reveal that he was the man of the hour at a number of
key points in Paul's life.
Paul first mentions Titus in Gal
2:1-3. As an uncircumcised Gentile, Titus accompanied Paul and Barnabas
to Jerusalem as a living example of a great theological truth: Gentiles need
not be circumcised in order to be saved.
Titus next appears in connection
with Paul's mission to Corinth. While Paul was in Ephesus during his third
missionary journey, he received disturbing news from the church at Corinth.
After writing two letters and paying one visit to Corinth, Paul sent Titus to
Corinth with a third letter (2 Cor 7:6-9). When
Titus failed to return with news of the situation, Paul left Ephesus and, with
a troubled spirit (2 Cor 7:5), traveled north to Troas (2 Cor
2:12-13).
Finally, in Macedonia, Titus met
the anxious apostle with the good news that the church at Corinth had repented.
In relief and joy, Paul wrote yet another letter to Corinth (2 Corinthians),
perhaps from Philippi, sending it again through Titus (2 Cor
7:5-16). In addition, Titus was given responsibility for completing the
collection for the poor of Jerusalem (2 Cor 8:6,16-24; 12:18).
Titus appears in another
important role on the island of Crete (Titus 1:4). Beset
by a rise in false teaching and declining morality, Titus was told by Paul to
strengthen the churches by teaching sound doctrine and good works, and by
appointing elders in every city (Titus 1:5). Paul
then urged Titus to join him in Nicopolis (on the west coast of Greece) for
winter (Titus 3:12). Not surprisingly, Titus was remembered in
church tradition as the first bishop of Crete.
A final reference to Titus comes
from 2 Tim 4:10, where Paul remarks in passing that Titus
has departed for mission work in Dalmatia (modern Yugoslavia).
Titus was a man for the tough
tasks. According to Paul, he was dependable (2 Cor 8:17),
reliable (2 Cor 7:6), and diligent (2 Cor
8:17); and he had a great capacity for human affection (2 Cor
7:13-15). Possessing both strength and tact, Titus calmed a desperate
situation on more than one occasion. He is a good model for Christians who are
called to live out their witness in trying circumstances.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986,
Thomas Nelson Publishers)
TIMOTHY
[TIM uh thih] (honored of God) - Paul's friend and chief associate, who is
mentioned as joint sender in six of Paul's epistles (2 Cor
1:1; Phil 1:1; Col 1:1; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; Philem 1).
Timothy first appears in the
second missionary journey when Paul revisited Lystra (Acts
16:1-3). Timothy was the son of a Gentile father and a Jewish-Christian
mother named Eunice, and the grandson of Lois (Acts
16:1; 2 Tim 1:5). Timothy may have been converted under Paul's ministry, because
the apostle refers to him as his "beloved and faithful son in the
Lord" (1 Cor 4:17) and as his "true son in the
faith" (1 Tim 1:2). Timothy was held in high regard in Lystra
and Iconium, and Paul desired to take him along as a traveling companion (Acts
16:3).
Timothy played a prominent role
in the remainder of the second missionary journey. When Paul was forced to
leave Berea because of an uproar started by Jews from Thessalonica, Silas and
Timothy were left behind to strengthen the work in Macedonia (Acts
17:14). After they rejoined Paul in Athens (Acts
18:5), Paul sent Timothy back to the believers in Thessalonica to
establish them and to encourage them to maintain the faith (1 Thess
3:1-9). Timothy's report of the faith and love of the Thessalonians
greatly encouraged Paul.
During Paul's third missionary
journey, Timothy was active in the evangelizing of Corinth, although he had
little success. When news of disturbances at Corinth reached Paul at Ephesus,
he sent Timothy, perhaps along with Erastus (Acts 19:22), to
resolve the difficulties. The mission failed, perhaps because of fear on
Timothy's part (1 Cor 16:10-11). Paul then sent the more
forceful Titus, who was able to calm the situation at Corinth (2 Cor 7). Later
in the third journey, Timothy is listed as one of the group that accompanied
Paul along the coast of Asia Minor on his way to Jerusalem (Acts
20:4-5).
Timothy also appears as a
companion of Paul during his imprisonment in Rome (Col
1:1; Phil 1:1; Philem 1). From Rome, Paul sent Timothy to Philippi
to bring back word of the congregation that had supported the apostle so
faithfully over the years.
Timothy's strongest traits were
his sensitivity, affection, and loyalty. Paul commends him to the Philippians,
for example, as one of proven character, faithful to Paul like a son to a
father, and without rival in his concern for the Philippians (Phil
2:19-23; also 2 Tim 1:4; 3:10). Paul's warnings, however, to
"be strong" (2 Tim 2:1) suggests that Timothy
suffered from fearfulness (1 Cor 16:10-11; 2 Tim 1:7) and
perhaps youthful lusts (2 Tim 2:22). But in
spite of his weaknesses, Paul was closer to Timothy than to any other
associate.
Writing about A.D. 325,
Eusebius reported that Timothy was the first bishop of Ephesus. In 356
Constantius transferred what was thought to be Timothy's remains from Ephesus
to Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and buried them in the Church of the
Apostles, which had been built by his father Constantine.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986,
Thomas Nelson Publishers)
PHILEMON
[fie LEE mun] — a wealthy Christian of
Colossae who hosted a house-church. Philemon was converted under the apostle
Paul (Philem 19), perhaps when Paul ministered in Ephesus (Acts
19:10). He is remembered because of his runaway slave, Onesimus, who,
after damaging or stealing his master's property (Philem
11,18), made his way to Rome, where he was converted under Paul's
ministry (Philem 10).
Accompanied by Tychicus (Col 4:7),
Onesimus later returned to his master, Philemon. He carried with him the
Epistle to the Colossians, plus the shorter Epistle to Philemon. In the latter,
Paul asked Philemon to receive Onesimus, not as a slave but as a "beloved
brother" (Philem 16). Nothing further is known of Philemon.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986,
Thomas Nelson Publishers)
TYCHICUS
[TIKE ih kuhs] (fortuitous) - a Christian of the province of ASIA (Acts
20:4). Tychicus was a faithful friend fellow worker and messenger of
the apostle Paui (Eph 6:21-22; Col 4:7-8). Along with other disciples,
Tychicus traveled ahead of Paul from Macedonia to Troas, where he waited for
the apostle's arrival (Acts 20:4).
Paul also sent Tychicus to
Ephesus to deliver and perhaps to read his epistle to the Christians in that
city (Eph 6:21). He did the same with the Epistle to the
Colossians (Col 4:7). Paul sent him as a messenger to Titus in
Crete (Titus 3:12) and afterward to Ephesus (2 Tim 4:12).
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986,
Thomas Nelson Publishers)
LYDIA
[LID ih uh] (meaning unknown) - the name of a
woman and a geographical region:
1. A prosperous businesswoman of
the city of THYATIRA who became a convert to Christianity after
hearing the apostle Paul speak (Acts 16:12-15,40).
Thyatira was noted for its "purple"-its beautifully dyed cloth.
Lydia, who lived in Philippi, sold dyes or dyed goods from as far away as
Thyatira. Already a worshiper of God, the usual designation for a PROSELYTE
to Judaism, Lydia believed the gospel when Paul preached in
Philippi. She became the first convert to Christianity in Macedonia and, in
fact, in all of Europe. Lydia is a good example for Christians in the business
world today. A devout Christian and a conscientious businesswoman, she used her
work to help further God's purpose.
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986,
Thomas Nelson Publishers)
GENTILES
A term used by Jewish people to
refer to foreigners, or any other people who were not a part of the Jewish
race.
The Jews were the Chosen People
of God who had entered a covenant with God. God initiated the covenant with
Abraham (Gen 12:1-7) and affirmed it repeatedly through Israel's
leaders and prophets.
Because of this covenant
relationship, a feeling of exclusivism gradually developed among the Jews over
a period of several centuries. In early Hebrew history, Gentiles or non-Jews
were treated cordially by the Israelites (Deut 10:19; Num 35:15;
Ezek 47:2). Men of Israel often married Gentile women, including Rahab,
Ruth, and Bathsheba. However, after the Hebrews returned from their period of CAPTIVITY
in Babylon, the practice of intermarriage was discouraged (Ezra
9:12; 10:2-44; Neh 10:30). Separation between Jews and Gentiles
became increasingly strict; by the New Testament period the hostility was
complete. The persecution of the Jews by the Greeks and Romans from about 400
B.C. to the New Testament era caused the Jews to retaliate with hatred for
all Gentiles and to avoid all contact with foreigners.
The life and teachings of Jesus
set the ideal for positive relationships between Jews and Gentiles, as recorded
in the apostle Paul's writings (Rom 1:16; Eph 2:14; Col 3:11). But
the process of such idealism becoming a reality was a struggle for the early
church.
The Book of Acts pictures the
struggle of the early church to include the Gentiles in its life. When Peter,
taught by the vision at Joppa, broke with Jewish tradition by visiting and
eating with the Gentile Cornelius, it gave offense even to the Christian Jews (Acts
10:28; 11:3).
The apostle Paul became an
effective missionary to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46-49; 15:14). At
first the early church was composed of converted Jews who accepted Jesus as the
Messiah, God's Anointed One. But more and more Gentiles came to accept the
teaching of the gospel. Some Jewish leaders warned that they could not enter
the church unless they also submitted to the Jewish ritual of CIRCUMCISION
(Acts 15:1-31). But Paul fought against this requirement
as a denial of the gospel and ultimately convinced the churches. The only
condition of salvation is repentance from sin and faith in Christ Jesus (Acts
20:21). "There is neither Jew nor Greek...for you are all one in
Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28).
(from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986,
Thomas Nelson Publishers)
