Topical Bible: The Jews: Many of, Believed the Gospel

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Topical Encyclopedia

The early spread of the Gospel message among the Jewish people is a significant theme in the New Testament. The initial proclamation of the Gospel was directed towards the Jews, as Jesus Himself was born into a Jewish family and His ministry was primarily among the Jewish people. The apostles, following Jesus' command, began their mission in Jerusalem, the heart of Jewish religious life.

Pentecost and the Early Church

The Book of Acts records the events of Pentecost, where the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, enabling them to speak in various languages. This miraculous event drew a large crowd of Jews from different regions who were in Jerusalem for the feast. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, delivered a powerful sermon, explaining that Jesus was the promised Messiah. Acts 2:41 states, "Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day." This marked the beginning of the early church, composed primarily of Jewish converts.

Continued Jewish Belief

The apostles continued to preach in synagogues and Jewish communities. Acts 6:7 notes, "So the word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a great number of priests became obedient to the faith." This indicates that even among the Jewish religious leaders, there was a significant acceptance of the Gospel.

Paul's Ministry

The Apostle Paul, a Jew himself, played a crucial role in spreading the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. In his missionary journeys, Paul consistently began his ministry in each city by preaching in the synagogues. Acts 17:1-4 describes his visit to Thessalonica: "Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. 'This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,' he declared. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women."

Challenges and Opposition

Despite the many Jews who believed, there was also significant opposition. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and other cities often resisted the message of Jesus as the Messiah, leading to persecution of the early Christians. Acts 13:45 recounts, "But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him." This opposition, however, did not deter the spread of the Gospel.

Theological Implications

The belief of many Jews in the Gospel fulfilled Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah and the inclusion of Israel in God's redemptive plan. Romans 1:16 emphasizes the priority of the Gospel for the Jews: "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek."

Conclusion

The early acceptance of the Gospel by many Jews laid the foundation for the Christian faith and demonstrated the fulfillment of God's promises to Israel. The initial Jewish believers played a crucial role in the establishment and spread of Christianity, bridging the Old Covenant with the New Covenant through faith in Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Acts 21:20
And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said to him, You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law:
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Gospel was Preached to Jews and Gentiles in Hades.
... 3269] Further the Gospel [3270] says, "that many bodies of ... God is not only Lord of
the Jews, but of ... that their punishment was just, because they believed not? ...
/.../clement/the stromata or miscellanies/chapter vi the gospel was preached.htm

Salvation to the Jews
... their unbelief: even so have these also now not believed, that through your ... was
destroyed and the temple laid in ruins, many thousands of the Jews were sold ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 35 salvation to the.htm

Heralds of the Gospel
... But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled ... the word of the Lord: and
as many as were ... Those who believed were zealous in communicating the gospel ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 17 heralds of the.htm

The Gospel in Samaria
... Now, when the Jews were trying to destroy the infant church, Nicodemus came forward ...
For two days He stayed with them, "and many more believed because of ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 11 the gospel in.htm

John Chapter iv. 43-54
... I am speaking to God's people; so many of us have believed, what signs have we ... The
Jews were, or rather are, like the Galileans; we, like those Samaritans. ...
/.../augustine/homilies on the gospel of john/tractate xvi john chapter iv.htm

The Difference Between Believing in the Name of Jesus and ...
Origen's Commentary on the Gospel of John. ... when the passover is called that of the
Jews, it is ... at the passover during the feast, and many believed, even though ...
/.../28 the difference between believing.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Luke xxiv. 36, "He Himself Stood in ...
... The Apostles believed; through them many of the inhabitants of Jerusalem believed ...
Samaria believed. ... laid, which is Christ Jesus." [3568] Let the Jews rage madly ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon lxvi on the words.htm

Feast of the Dedication. The Jews Attempt to Stone Jesus and He ...
... The Jews regarded the Scripture as final authority. ... The supplementary nature of John's
Gospel makes this latter ... related to Jesus.] 42 And many believed on him ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxxxviii feast of the dedication.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xxii. 42, Where the Lord Asks ...
... Hence it was, that they believed that He could be ... which He had proposed to the Jews,
when they ... He answered them, "Have ye forgotten how many thousands were ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xli on the words.htm

The Gospel Message in Antioch
... were usually confined to the Hebrew and Greek Jews, large colonies ... that populous
center brought to the city many people of ... "A great number believed, and turned ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 16 the gospel message.htm