Community of Faith (Isa. 66:21)
The Israelites were “a priestly kingdom and a holy nation” (Exod.
19:6, NRSV), with special priests set apart to represent them as worship leaders. But in the future, some Gentiles would become worship leaders (Isa. 66:21).
How would this change affect the renewed community of faith? (See Matt. 28:19, Acts 26:20, Gal. 3:28, Col. 3:11, 1 Tim. 3:16.)
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In God’s “new world order,” Gentiles would not only join God’s people but they also would be equal partners with Jews in a combined community of faith that would be a “royal priesthood.” Therefore, the distinction between Jews and Gentiles would become functionally irrelevant.
When was this prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled?
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Paul, the missionary to the Gentiles, proclaimed: “There is no longer
Jew or Greek, . . . for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you
belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to
the promise” (Gal. 3:28, 29, NRSV).
Becoming heirs of the promise and therefore an exalted “royal priesthood” was not a mandate for smug elitism but a commission to join the Jews in proclaiming “the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9, NRSV; compare Isa. 66:19).
The elevation of Gentiles did not entitle Jews to grumble that God was
unfair in giving them the same reward. Nor did it entitle Gentiles to treat their Jewish brothers and sisters with disrespect, any more than workershired later in the day should look down on those hired earlier (see Matt. 20:1–16). The Jews had first been “entrusted with the oracles of God” (Rom. 3:2, NRSV) as God’s channel of revelation. Paul wrote to Gentiles: “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place to share the rich root of the olive tree, do not boast over the branches” (Rom. 11:17, 18, NRSV).
In light of the Cross, in light of the gospel commission, why is any kind of spiritual or ethnic or even political elitism so abhorrent in the sight of God? Look closely at yourself; are you harboring any sense of spiritual or ethnic superiority? If so, repent!