A Racial Misinterpretation of Jews and Gentiles

I often hear today messages against racism by pointing to the division of Jews and Gentiles in the New Testament. But the division of Jews and Gentiles in the New Testament had nothing to do with race.

First, Jews were not a race, they were a faith. Because of their long Old Testament history, Jews have numerous blood-lines. And the word “Gentiles” simply means “Nations” or “Peoples.” To the Jews, Gentiles referred to the paganism of all the peoples outside of the Jewish people. So, the division between Jews and Gentiles in the New Testament was an issue of faith, not race.