John 10:15,16 Sheep of Another Flock
Everyone who was not of the nation of Israel was a Gentile, so that’s us. Up to this time, the people of Israel believed that they had a monopoly on their God and His love. Jesus is making it plain to them that others will be brought into the fellowship of Father God. They will be members, as will His chosen people, Israel. The love of God has been for all mankind since eternity past, but He had called the nation of Israel to be His “chosen people.” They were chosen to be the people from whom the Messiah would come, and that has happened. I’m sure at that time that the two words, “Gentile” and “pagan” had similar meanings for the people of Israel, so it must have been somewhat of a surprise to those who heard Jesus speak the words of John 10:16.
In Romans 11:13, Paul states, “I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry” (NIV). And in Romans 15:15,16 he says, “Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God sanctioned by the Holy Spirit” (NIV). I find it interesting that God chose a most Jewish person to represent Him to the Gentiles. In Acts 22:3, Paul tells us, "...I am a Jew born in Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today" (NIV). Paul had been persecuting the Jews who followed Jesus because he felt that they were dangerous to the “proper” worship of God. The Gentiles had no fear of Paul because He had not been persecuting them, but the Jews were hesitant. Other disciples also spoke to the Gentiles, but Paul was the one called by God to go to the Gentiles.
So Paul spoke to the Gentiles of the gospel spoken by Jesus and many believed, while the other apostles spoke mainly to the Jews. The ministry to both peoples, Jew and Gentile, continues today, and the church of believers in Jesus Christ is now one church, one flock, with one shepherd. Interestingly, during the Tribulation 144,00 Jewish evangelists will take the gospel to the world, and a great harvest will occur. In the end, literally the end of this age, those who call Jesus Christ “Lord” will gather with Him in heaven while all others will spend eternity apart from God, knowing that they had had the opportunity to accept Jesus as Lord and had not done so. There will be no Jews or Gentiles then, only saved and not saved.
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