“… I am speaking to you who are Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle of Gentiles, I magnify my ministry, if somehow I might move to jealousy my fellow countrymen and save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?”( emphasis mine)
In this passage we find the magnification of Paul’ s ministry and it’ s not necessarily what those hearers, or we, might have expected. The magnification of his ministry is not expressed in the many Gentiles who came to faith in Messiah Yeshua or in all the congregations he planted among the Gentiles. Although this part of his ministry was certainly most vital, precious and praiseworthy, Paul magnifies his ministry for how it would be used for Israel’ s salvation.
In the very first chapter of Romans, Paul expresses that the Gospel message of salvation is to the Jew first. Then, in Romans 11 Paul shares how the Jewish people are to be moved to jealousy through the Gentiles, in the witness of the Gentile believers ' love for the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was through the work of the Holy Spirit that these Gentile believers were to lovingly and unashamedly witness the Gospel to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel as a top priority- that this calling above all others would hasten the day when the Jewish people will proclaim Baruch Haba B ' Shem Adonai, ushering in the Lord’ s return to Jerusalem as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Last but not least, back to the question of what we are thinking, and what is the worldwide Body of Messiah thinking of this in 2025? Most importantly, what are we to do with what the Apostle Paul was thinking in stating,“ For I would pray that I myself were cursed, banished from Messiah for the sake of my people— my own flesh and blood, who are Israelites”( Romans 9:3)? From this, let us grasp Paul’ s true message was that even today, we as both Messianic Jews and Gentile believers would desire more than anything, to see Israel saved and known Yeshua, their Messiah! May the Apostle Paul’ s impassioned proclamation greatly impact our priorities today, especially as the Lord Yeshua’ s return is so evermore closer!