Connect Acts 15:14 with Old Testament prophecies about Gentiles joining God's people. Setting the Scene in Acts 15 “Simon has described how God first intervened to choose a people for His name from the Gentiles.” (Acts 15:14) A People for His Name — Old Testament Expectations The idea of Gentiles being gathered into God’s family is not a New Testament surprise. It flows straight out of earlier Scripture: • Genesis 12:3 — “All the families of the earth will be blessed through you.” • Psalm 22:27 — “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD.” • Psalm 67:1-4 — Nations are invited to “be glad and sing for joy.” • Isaiah 2:2-3 — “All nations shall stream to it” (the mountain of the LORD). • Isaiah 11:10 — “The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious.” • Isaiah 42:6; 49:6 — Israel’s Servant called “a light for the nations.” • Isaiah 60:3 — “Nations will come to your light.” • Hosea 2:23 — “I will say to Not My People, ‘You are My people.’” • Zechariah 2:11 — “Many nations will join themselves to the LORD in that day.” • Zechariah 8:22-23 — Peoples from every language “will seek the LORD of Hosts.” • Malachi 1:11 — “My name will be great among the nations.” Amos 9:11-12 — The Passage James Quotes “After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent… so that the remnant of men may seek the LORD—and all the Gentiles who are called by My name.” (Acts 15:16-17 quoting Amos) • The promise to “rebuild David’s fallen tent” is tied to Gentiles being “called by My name.” • James reads Amos literally: the restored kingship of David’s line brings Gentiles under God’s covenant care. From Promise to Fulfillment in Acts 10–15 • Acts 10 — Cornelius, the Spirit falls on uncircumcised Gentiles. • Acts 11 — Peter defends their inclusion: “God gave them the same gift.” • Acts 13-14 — Paul and Barnabas see multitudes of Gentiles believe. • Acts 15:7-11 — Peter testifies that God “made no distinction.” • Acts 15:14 — Summary: God has “chosen a people for His name from the Gentiles.” • Acts 15:15-18 — James anchors this in Amos and the prophetic chorus above. Key Observations • The Old Testament repeatedly foresaw Gentiles entering covenant blessing. • Acts 15:14 declares that those prophecies are now literally coming to pass. • The church at Antioch—and every mixed congregation since—stands as living proof that God keeps His word down to the detail. Living in the Light of the Fulfillment • Jew and Gentile together form “one flock” under the risen Son of David (John 10:16; Ephesians 2:11-22). • God’s mission has always targeted “all the families of the earth,” giving believers confidence and urgency in gospel witness. |
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