The statement that the gospel brings salvation “to the Jew first and then to the Gentile” comes from Romans 1:16, where Paul writes, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” This verse has caused some confusion over the years, but when we look at the context and Paul’s other writings, we can understand his meaning more clearly.
First, it’s important to note that Paul is not saying salvation is only for the Jews first. He is simply acknowledging the historical progression of the gospel. Jesus himself said that “salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22), meaning that the Messiah and the gospel message originated with the Jewish people before spreading to the Gentiles. As a Jew himself, Paul saw the Jews as having a certain priority or advantage when it came to receiving the gospel (Romans 3:1-2).
However, Paul makes it very clear elsewhere that salvation through Christ is available to all people regardless of ethnicity. In Romans 10:12 he writes, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.” And in Galatians 3:28 he says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
So why does Paul still speak of the gospel coming to the Jew first? There seem to be a few reasons behind this:
- Historically, the gospel was preached to the Jews first, beginning at Pentecost (Acts 2). Jesus himself confined his ministry almost exclusively to the Jewish people during his time on earth (Matthew 15:24). So there was a clear precedence of sharing the gospel with the Jews before the Gentiles.
- Paul’s normal pattern when entering a new city was to begin preaching in the synagogue to the Jews first before taking the message to the Gentiles (Acts 13:14-52, 14:1, 17:1-3, 18:4-6, 19:8).
- There was a theological order and advantage to the Jews receiving the gospel first. Since they already knew and believed in the one true God, they did not have to overcome idolatry and polytheism like the Gentiles (Romans 3:1-2).
- God still had promises and plans to fulfill with Israel (Romans 9-11). Their hardness of heart toward the gospel was only temporary, and someday all Israel would be saved (Romans 11:25-26).
- Gentile believers were cautioned not to become prideful, as though they were somehow superior to the Jews (Romans 11:17-24). We are only grafted into the true olive tree.
So in summary, Paul’s priority of going to the Jew first flowed naturally from the history of redemption and God’s covenant relationship with Israel. But he firmly believed the gospel was for all people, Jew and Gentile alike. The phrase “to the Jew first” indicates sequence, not exclusivity. All who believe in Jesus are children of God and beneficiaries of the salvation accomplished through Christ (Galatians 3:7-9, 26-29).
Paul’s ministry to the Jews first
We see Paul’s practice of preaching to the Jews first throughout the book of Acts:
- In Pisidian Antioch, Paul went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and preached the gospel (Acts 13:14-16). When the Jewish leaders rejected him, he said “we had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46).
- In Iconium, Paul went to the Jewish synagogue as was his custom (Acts 14:1).
- In Thessalonica, Paul reasoned with the Jews from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise again (Acts 17:2-3). Some Jews believed, while others formed a mob against them.
- In Corinth, Paul reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks (Acts 18:4). When they opposed him, he turned to minister instead to the Gentiles.
- In Ephesus, Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading about the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8). When some became stubborn, he took the disciples and moved to the lecture hall of Tyrannus instead.
From Paul’s custom and words, we see clearly that his normal strategy was to preach to the Jews first in every city, presumably because they already knew the Scriptures and were more easily able to receive the fulfillment of God’s promises in the person of Jesus Christ. When many persisted in unbelief, he would then turn his focus to the Gentiles instead. Yet Paul never gave up hope for his fellow Jews to know Jesus as Messiah.
Paul’s teachings on salvation for all people
While Paul consistently went to the Jews first, he firmly taught that the gospel was for all people – both Jew and Gentile alike. Consider the following passages:
- “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
- “For God shows no partiality. 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.” (Romans 2:11-12)
- “For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.” (Romans 10:11-12)
- “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Paul clearly taught that Christ died for all (2 Corinthians 5:15) and that salvation was by God’s grace alone received through faith alone. Every human being faced the same problem of sin, and God provided the same solution of salvation to all who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. As Paul says in Romans 3:22-24:
For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
The ground is level at the foot of the cross. His atoning death purchased people from every tribe, tongue and nation – both Jew and Gentile alike (Revelation 5:9). The mystery hidden for ages was that the Gentiles would now be fellow heirs and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel (Ephesians 3:4-6). There is no longer any distinction or advantage – we are all justified by faith.
Why salvation was “to the Jew first”
Given Paul’s insistence that salvation was equally available to all people on the same basis, why did he persist in the pattern of preaching to the Jews first in each new city? As previously mentioned, there seem to be several theological and historical factors behind this practice:
- Jesus confined His earthly ministry almost exclusively to Israel, declaring He was sent only to “the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). So the gospel spread first to the Jews following this precedent.
- The Old Testament prophecies, covenants, and promises were made to Israel. The Jews were God’s chosen people with a long history with Him. It was natural for them to receive the gospel first. As Paul says, “The gospel…was promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures” (Romans 1:2).
- The Jews already believed in one Creator God. They did not have to overcome idolatry and polytheism like the Gentiles. In that sense, they had an advantage when it came to receiving the gospel of Christ.
- Some promises and prophecies to Israel were yet to be fulfilled. God still had plans for the nation of Israel (Romans 9-11). Her stumbling was only temporary until the full number of Gentiles came to faith.
- Gentiles were cautioned not to become proud. Natural branches (Jews) could be grafted back in, even though Gentiles as wild branches were currently partakers of the rich root of the olive tree (Romans 11:17-24).
So the “Jew first” principle served both theological and practical purposes. It recognized the history of redemption leading up to Christ. And it was strategic for spreading the gospel, since the Jews already had knowledge of God and the Scriptures. Paul seemed to follow this pattern to stay true to Jesus’ own method and the biblical covenants, not because of ethnic favoritism.
Paul’s agony for his fellow Jews
Ironically, while Paul preached to the Jew first, he was also called to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). He regularly faced fierce opposition from unbelieving Jews who stirred up persecution against him almost everywhere he went. Yet he never relented in his efforts to see his Jewish brethren come to know their Messiah, even expressing that he would be willing to be accursed and cut off from Christ if it could save them (Romans 9:3). As he writes movingly in Romans 10:1:
Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.
Paul longed to see all Israel saved (Romans 11:26). Despite their hostility toward him, he never forgot his kinsmen according to the flesh. He regularly contended in the synagogues to open the eyes of the Jews to the truth of who Jesus was as the promised Messiah and Savior. Though the gospel was spreading rapidly among the Gentiles, Paul remained hopeful that there would come a day when his fellow Jews would turn and recognize Jesus as Lord, even if it required God’s direct supernatural intervention (Romans 11:25-29).
Far from contradicting Paul’s principle of salvation for all people on equal grounds, his special burden for the Jews’ salvation stemmed from the same heart of love that drove him to endure sufferings to preach the good news of Christ to the nations (Colossians 1:24-29). Just as God did not show favoritism between Jew and Greek in providing salvation to all who believe, neither did Paul show partiality in lovingly laboring to see both Jews and Gentiles come to saving faith in Jesus.
Conclusion
So in summary, Paul’s statement about the gospel coming “to the Jew first” was a statement of historical sequence and priority, not of ethnic exclusion or favoritism. Jesus Himself came as Israel’s Messiah, and the gospel spread first in Jerusalem before extending to the ends of the earth. But Paul taught clearly that this same gospel was the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, equally for both Jew and Gentile. The ground is level at the foot of the cross.
This “Jew first, then Gentile” principle was important to Paul for theological and practical reasons. But the book of Romans and all of Paul’s letters make it abundantly clear that the free gift of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus is available to all people without distinction. And this amazing good news is certainly reason for both Jews and Gentiles to rejoice and praise God!