Introduction
The pattern of New Testament missionary preaching is laid out in Acts 13. Paul and Barnabas go to the synagogue first, they preach to the Jewish diaspora, and there the New Creation and New Covenant break into and break apart the Old Creation and Old Covenant. Some Jews believe, but the majority reject Paul’s preaching, but their rejection of Christ is set against and actually drives the preaching of Christ to the Greeks who, despite not having all the advantages of the Jews, believe anyway. The belief of the Greeks drives the Jews who reject Christ into envy and rage against Paul and Barnabas, driving them out of the city.
This, here, is the major conflict throughout the entire New Testament in a microcosm. The Old Creation rejects the New Creation and provokes the gospel going out to and saving the other peoples of the world. Just as God used Israel’s rejection of Christ to bring about the salvation of the world in Christ’s crucifixion, God is using Israel’s rejection of the witness of the Holy Spirit to bring about the salvation of the Gentiles.
