Hi Bob,
To recap, the gentiles, who do not have the law, have God's law written in their hearts, according to Romans 2.
The Israelites, on the other hand, will have the law written in their hearts at some future time.
So these must refer to 2 different concepts.
In the case of the Gentiles having the law written in their hearts, their consciences both accuse and excuse, meaning that they do things which both agree and disagree with their “internal law”.
In the case of the Israelites, when they will have the law written in their hearts, they will keep the law completely.
So then in the case of the gentiles, it is the knowledge of right and wrong that Paul was talking about.
In the case of the Israelites, it is a behavioral change, and I think actually a new nature, that causes them to become completely compliant to the law.
These are two different things.
The Scripture is very clear concerning who has the Law of Yahweh
written in their hearts. We have three witnesses. The first is in Jeremiah 31, the second is in Hebrews chapter 8 and the third in Hebrews chapter 10.
Jeremiah 31:33 "But this
is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says YHVH: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people."
This makes the point very well. These who will have the law written on their hearts are the people of God.
But lets read a little further:
Jeremiah 31:33-34 ESV
(33) But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(34) And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
These are forgiven and accepted.
Compare to:
Romans 2:12-16 ESV
(12) For
all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.
(13) For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
(14) For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.
(15) They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness,
and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them
(16) on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
This is not the same thing. Hebrews 8 and 10 reaffirm the same thing, displaying the same difference.
There is one place you did not mention.
Ezekiel 11:17-20 ESV
(17) Therefore say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.'
(18) And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations.
(19) And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,
(20) that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God.
Again, this affirms the same point, albeit more strongly.
You've made the assertion:
If you don't have the law written on your heart then you are not of the house of Israel
But let's return to Jeremiah momentarily:
Jeremiah 31:33-34 ESV
(33) But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
God's Covenant with the house of Israel is that He will – future – write His law on their hearts. This is the house of Israel. God's law is not written on their hearts at the time of this prophecy. We know that is true because prophet foretells it to come in the future. Yet they are the house of Israel.
OK, since this is so clearly stated, I'm not going to reply to every passage you've cited. There are none that actual make the case, only that you've defined gentile as “unbelieving Jew”.
One more though that I will respond to:
John 7:33 "Then Jesus said to them, "I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.
34 "You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come."
35 Then the Judeans said among themselves, "Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him? Does He intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?"
The word "dispersion" is from the Greek word "diaspora". The definition is, "Israelite residents in Gentile countries". This refers to the Assyrian captivity from which most of Israel escaped and dispersed themselves to every corner of the earth. Many Israelites went to Europe, but in John 7 the Judeans were referring to those who moved to Greece.
They wondered if Jesus was going to where the Jews lived among the Greeks, to teach the Greeks. This in no wise identifies gentiles as unbelieving Jews.
Please show me anywhere in the OT where Yahweh says He intends to save anyone other than the House of Jacob or for that fact anywhere where Yeshua says He will write the New Covenant on the hearts of anyone other than the House of Jacob.
Genesis 12:1-3 ESV
(1) Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
(2) And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.
(3) I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
Out of the many places Greeks are mentioned in the NT, clearly indicating that non-Israelites (Israelites = children of Jacob) were being saved, this is perhaps the more interesting in this context:
Acts 17:4 ESV
(4) And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the
devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
“Devout Greeks” forestalls your argument that “Greeks” is euphemistic for “unbelieving Jews”.
Love in Christ,
Mark