I must say I’m of a different opinion on a number of details posted by multiple respondents in this thread. I’d like to clarify a few things so we’re all on the same page, or closer to it.
Among other things, it appears that many on this forum as well as in this thread don’t follow some of the basic rules of Bible study:
1. Determine WHO is writing or speaking
2. Determine TO WHOM is it written or spoken to
3. Determine the conditions, events, and historical timing of the passage
4. What is the intended goal of the passage
5. Context, context, context.
With that in mind, I’d like to start by discussing the ‘church’ as it is used in the Bible. Although Jews gathered in synagogues, Jesus likely used the term ‘church’ to apply to any faith. Most believe that the first reference to ‘church’ in the Bible is Jesus telling Peter that He will build my church… Note He said MY church, not the Roman Catholic church as some believe.
Whenever Christians see the word ‘church’, we immediately think it is referring to the Gentile churches and denominations we are familiar with. Unfortunately, that is NOT always true in the Bible. A quick check of the Greek word ‘ekklesia’(Strongs’ G3450) is translated to ‘church’ in every Bible version I know of. Ekklesia literally means ‘a called out assembly’. Most often it refers to a religious congregation of any faith. It has nothing to do with a physical building, location, or a denomination.
Let’s look at the timeline of events here. Jesus went to Jew only, He even ordered the 12 to NOT go to anyone but Jews – and Paul confirmed it:
Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel., (KJV)
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: (KJV)
Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: (KJV)
Jesus made only 2.5 exceptions to that: the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15, the Roman centurion in Matthew 8, and the Samaritan woman in John 4. So it’s 100% guaranteed that there were ZERO Gentiles in the ‘church’ as referenced by Jesus.
Jesus referred to ‘church’ again in Matthew 18:17 in reference to a brother sinning against another brother. Again, referring to the ‘called out assembly’, which, at that point, was still Jews only.
Now we get down to the Book of Acts and its references to ‘church’. It should be noted that Acts covers a span of time of perhaps a dozen years give or take, not a handful of weeks or months as some may think. Keep in mind, too, that Pauls’ post road to Damascus journeys covered more than 30 years (38+- to 69-70 AD)!
Starting with Pentecost in Acts 2:
Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (KJV)
How many Gentiles are referenced in the verse above? What about those from other countries in verses 6-11? I don’t know about you, but I strongly believe those from other countries were Jews ‘scattered abroad’ fearing for their lives as believers that Jesus is the Messiah that Saul and others like him are persecuting. Other than possibly a few curious Gentile onlookers, from Greece, for example, the entire crowd there is all Jewish.
In particular, Pentecost (aka, the Feast of Weeks) was a Jew ONLY feast as directed by Mosaic Law to occur 50 days after the Feast of the First Fruits (Gentiles generally call that, Easter):
Leviticus 23:15-17 (KJV)
15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.
17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
Deuteronomy 16:16 Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty: (KJV)
I don’t know about you, but I always thought that Pentecost was a Christian only ‘holy day’ until Gods’ Word changed my life forever almost 23 years ago.
Does anyone ‘see’ any Gentiles in the rest of Acts 2?
Act 2:14,46-47 (KJV)
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
And the ‘church’ in Acts 5? Start reading at Acts 4:32 and finish at Acts 5:42. Peter, apostles, even the jailers, were all Jewish. No Gentiles there.
No Gentiles in Acts 7, either, where Stephen is ‘on trial’. Don’t get fooled by the word ‘priest’ in the first verse. Priests were all of the tribe of Levi, per Mosaic law.
And Saul, later known as Paul, still hated Jesus and all His followers:
Act_8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. (KJV)
And the Eunuch in Acts 8? He only believed as Peter believed in Matthew 16:18 –
Act 8:37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (KJV)
No reference to Jesus dying for our sins, His blood, etc. Simply that Jesus IS the promised Messiah, eg, the Son of God.
Acts 11 and 12 only speak of Jews.
Meanwhile, Acts 13 shows Saul and Barnabas going to Synagogues, so it is at that point in Acts that indicates sometime AFTER Saul was met by Jesus on the road to Damascus. And John was with them per verse 5. Had Paul spent 3 ½ years with Jesus at that point? As Acts 15 contains no references to Jesus death for sin and His shed blood, I don’t think so.
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas are in more synagogues and preached the gospel (of the Kingdom, most likely, as he was talking to Jews...the Gospel of Grace? I suspect the former). But there were some Greeks there that believed as well. The Jews were exceedingly upset with the Gentiles, so it's clear the Jews did not hear of Pauls' saying there's no difference between Jew and Gentile, which was a later revelation from Jesus while Paul was in Arabia.
A significant number of years pass between Acts 14 and Acts 15, the Jerusalem council as it is Pauls' 2nd trip to Jerusalem, the first to see Peter and James only some years before.
So, it would seem that the Gentile church that we are familiar with didn’t start until sometime between the Acts 14 & 15. Given that Saul was out destroying believers in Acts 8. It would be reasonable to believe that 7-10 years elapsed between Acts 8 and Acts 15 as many theologians place Pauls’ time with Jesus in Arabia about 40 AD.