Sermon Cloud

The doctrine of election is a grand and powerful Christian paradigm. It’s also one of the most neglected subjects in the church. That’s because no subject has generated such controversy and division. The nature of the election question is much different today, (in the Gentile Church), than it was in the early Church. The ecclesiastical center of the early Church was in Jerusalem. For the first several years it was strictly a Jewish Church, married to Jewish laws and customs. Paul (the Apostle to the Gentiles) found his greatest struggle with the controversy of the election of the Gentiles. Gentiles were not even included in the church until Peter had a vision in the home of Simon the Tanner; eight years after the ascension of Christ. There were two phases to the controversy: First – whether or not Gentiles can be Christians, (Acts 10) and second – whether or not believing Gentiles can be saved without following the law of Moses. (Acts 15) - Paul won the debate at the Jerusalem Counsel. But this controversy would follow him all throughout his ministry with persecution from legalistic believers who followed him from church to church with their poison. Eph 1:4-5, 2 Tim 1:9-10, Rom 9:3-5, Eph 1:9-10, Eph 3:3-6, Acts 10:1-28, Acts 15:1-20 Gal 2:11-21