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Gentiles

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Holy Scripture › Gentiles

The question

Why did the early Christian Jews resist the idea of the Gentiles being accepted into the faith until Peter explained to them the incident of Cornelius, while in the Old Testament, we see that Jews were accepting proselytes like Rahab and Ruth—both grandmothers of Christ, and the many others? If the idea was accepted to them in Judaism, how come they rejected it after they converted to Christianity, where they are supposed to be more tolerant?

I am not referring to the Judaizers whom St. Paul confronted and the issue was resolved at the council of Jerusalem. I was rather referring to an earlier situation. I meant the Jew Christians who contended with Peter (Acts 11) because of Cornelius and his household and friends, although Cornelius was clearly observing the Jewish religion as we can see in Acts 10, that he was devout, fearing God, praying, and fasting, etc.

The answer

Rahab and Ruth became part of the Jewish people and adopted all their customs and traditions. On the other hand, the Gentiles that were converting to Christianity were abandoning the Mosaic Law. Thus, the Jews wanted them to first follow the Mosaic Law and then add the Christian doctrine.

What is mentioned in Acts 10 is that Cornelius was praying and giving alms. Nothing was mentioned about him following Jewish customs, or the Jewish Law as far as rules according Leviticus or the Mosaic Law, or if the prayers were in accordance to Jewish rites, or if he was following the Ten Commandments. It was the hard-core Judaizers that disputed with St. Peter about eating with Cornelius, who was a Gentile. However the Jewish Christians that heard St. Peter's explanation and interpretation of the dream (Acts 11) glorified God and believed that God could accept now the Gentiles and they, too, could have an inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Related questions

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 2225 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.