Category:Jews & Gentiles (subject)

The relationship between Jews and Gentiles was understood differently by the various components of Second Temple Judaism.

God-fearers in Hellenistic Judaism

Hellenistic Jews welcomed as members of their own communities not only circumcised Gentiles (or Proselytes) but also uncircumcised Gentiles (or God-fearers).

God-fearers were expected to adhere the principles of Jewish monotheism and respect some fundamental purity laws, but not all the requirements of the Mosaic Torah.

Gentiles in the early Jesus movement

Christianity was born a Jewish messianic movement. All the first disciples of Jesus were Jewish, mostly from Galilee.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, the first major change occurred when the first Hellenistic Jews entered the new community and Stephen emerged as their leader. Among them the tradition records also the name of a proselyte from Antioch. Hellenistic Jews had contacts with Gentiles within their own communities and it was only a matter of time that the problem of the baptism of God-fearers were addressed.

When a persecution dispersed the Christian Hellenistic Jews out of Jerusalem, Philip began preaching first among the Samaritans and then to God-fearers. On his way to Gaza, he is said to have met a God-fearer from Ethiopia who was returning from his pilgrimage to the Temple of Jerusalem. They together began discussing the messianic prophecies of Isaiah, which Philip was quick to relate to Jesus. Persuaded by Philip's argument, the God-fearer ask for baptism: "What does prevent me from being baptized?" Philp consented. According the Christian tradition, the Ethiopian Eunuch was the first gentile to ever receive baptism.

The example of Philip was followed by Peter, who accepted the invitation of Cornelius, a Roman centurion and God-fearer, and visited him in his house in Caesarea Maritima. Like in the case of the Ethiopian Eunuch, the meeting ended with the baptism of the God-fearer.

The Baptism of Gentiles was viewed with skepticism by many members of the community, but at the end accepted by the most.