31 Bible Verses about Gentiles

Some of the people were convinced, and threw in their lot with Paul and Silas, as did also a large body of Greeks who were accustomed to join in the Jewish services, and a great number of women belonging to the leading families.

This, then, as one in union with the Lord, I say to you and urge upon you: Do not continue to live such purposeless lives as the Gentiles live, With their powers of discernment darkened, cut off from the Life of God, owing to the ignorance that prevails among them and to the hardness of their hearts. Lost to all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, in order to practice every kind of impurity without restraint.

Do not then ask anxiously 'What can we get to eat?' or 'What can we get to drink?' or 'What can we get to wear?' All these are the things for which the nations are seeking, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

Remember that you were at that time far from Christ; you were shut out from the citizenship of Israel; you were strangers to the Covenants founded on God's Promise; you were in the world without hope and without God.

No; what I say is that the sacrifices offered by the Gentiles 'are offered to demons and to a Being who is no God,' and I do not want you to share with demons.

On hearing this, the Gentiles were glad and extolled God's Message; and all those who had been enrolled for Immortal Life became believers in Christ;

Those converts from Judaism, who had come with Peter, were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed even upon the Gentiles;

However, as they set themselves against him and became abusive, Paul shook his clothes in protest and said to them: "Your blood be on your own heads. My conscience is clear. From this time forward I shall go to the Gentiles."

Then the seventh angel blew; and loud voices were heard in Heaven saying-- 'The Kingdom of the World has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.'

The Apostles and the Brethren throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God's Message.

And they transformed the Glory of the immortal God into the likeness of mortal man, and of birds, and beasts, and reptiles.

You know that there was a time when you were Gentiles, going astray after idols that could not speak, just as you happened to be led.

For they had substituted a lie for the truth about God, and had reverenced and worshiped created things more than the Creator, who is to be praised for ever. Amen.

Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out fearlessly, and said: "It was necessary that the Message of God should be told to you first; but, since you reject it and reckon yourselves not worthy of the Immortal Life--we turn to the Gentiles!

These twelve Jesus sent out as his Messengers, after giving them these instructions-- "Do not go to the Gentiles, nor enter any Samaritan town,

And that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed on his authority to all the nations--beginning at Jerusalem.

And whom he called-even us-Not only from among the Jews but from among the Gentiles also!

Will fall upon every human being who persists in wrong-doing- -upon the Jew first, but also upon the Greek.

What follows, then? Are we Jews in any way superior to others? Not at all. Our indictment against both Jews and Greeks was that all alike were in subjection to sin.

And not for the mere gratification of his passions, like the Gentiles who know nothing of God;

Because, although they learned to know God, yet they did not offer him as God either praise or thanksgiving. Their speculations about him proved futile, and their undiscerning minds were darkened.

He it is who is our Peace. He made the two divisions of mankind one, broke down the barrier that separated them,

But omit the court outside the Temple, and do not measure that, for it has been given up to the nations; and the holy City will be under their heel for forty-two months.

Lost to all sense of shame, they have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, in order to practice every kind of impurity without restraint.

Then, as they would not keep God before their minds, God abandoned them to depraved thoughts, so that they did all kinds of shameful things. They reveled in every form of wickedness, evil, greed, vice. Their lives were full of envy, murder, quarreling, treachery, malice. They became back-biters, slanderers, impious, insolent, boastful. They devised new sins. They disobeyed their parents. read more.
They were undiscerning, untrustworthy, without natural affection or pity. Well aware of God's decree, that those who do such things deserve to die, not only are they guilty of them themselves, but they even applaud those who do them.

But the Lord said to him: "Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to uphold my Name before the Gentiles and their kings, and the people of Israel.

On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the Good News for the Gentiles, just as Peter had been for the Jews. For he who gave Peter power for his mission to the Jews gave me, also, power to go to the Gentiles.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News; it is the power of God which brings Salvation to every one who believes in Christ, to the Jew first, but also to the Greek.

For no distinction is made between the Jew and the Greek, for all have the same Lord, and he is bountiful to all who invoke him.

Then Peter began. "I see, beyond all doubt," he said, "that 'God does not show partiality,' But that in every nation he who reverences him and does what is right is acceptable to him. God has sent his Message to the Israelites and told them, through Jesus Christ, the Good News of peace--and Jesus is Lord of all! read more.
You yourselves know the story which spread through all Judea, how, beginning form Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed-- The story, I mean, of Jesus of Nazareth, and how God consecrated him his Christ by enduing him with the Holy Spirit and with power; and how he went about doing good and curing all who were under the power of the Devil, because God was with him. We are ourselves, too, witnesses to all that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem; yet they put him to death by hanging him on a cross! This Jesus God raised on the third day, and enabled him to appear, Not indeed to every one, but to witnesses chosen beforehand by God--to us, who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead. Further, God charged us to proclaim to the people, and solemnly affirm, that it is Jesus who has been appointed by God Judge of the living and the dead. To him it is that all the Prophets bear witness, when they say that every one who believes in him receives through his Name forgiveness of sins." Before Peter had finished saying these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the Message. Those converts from Judaism, who had come with Peter, were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed even upon the Gentiles;

Simon has described the manner in which God first visited the Gentiles, in order to take from among them a people to bear his Name.

On hearing this, the Gentiles were glad and extolled God's Message; and all those who had been enrolled for Immortal Life became believers in Christ; And the Lord's Message was carried throughout that district.

Every voice in the assembly was hushed, as they listened to Barnabas and Paul, while they gave an account of all the signs and wonders which God had shown among the Gentiles through them.

And Scripture, foreseeing that God would pronounce the Gentiles righteous as the result of faith, foretold the Good News to Abraham in the words--'Through thee all the Gentiles shall be blessed.'

But, when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were converts from Judaism began to attack him, On the ground that he had visited people who were not circumcised, and had taken meals with them.

"You are doubtless aware that it is forbidden for a Jew to be intimate with a foreigner, or even to enter his house; and yet God has shown me that I ought not to call any man 'defiled' or 'unclean.'

A Light to bring light to the Gentiles, And to be the Glory of thy people Israel."

Remember, therefore, that you were once Gentiles yourselves, as your bodies showed; you were called 'The Uncircumcised' by those who were called 'The Circumcised'--circumcised only by the hand of man! Remember that you were at that time far from Christ; you were shut out from the citizenship of Israel; you were strangers to the Covenants founded on God's Promise; you were in the world without hope and without God.

"It is not fair," replied Jesus, "to take the children's food and throw it to dogs."

"Men of Israel! help! This is the man who teaches every one everywhere against our People, our Law, and this Place; and, what is more, he has actually brought Greeks into the Temple and defiled this sacred place." (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in Paul's company in the city, and were under the belief that Paul had taken him into the Temple.)

Brothers, for fear that you should think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognize the truth, hitherto hidden, that the callousness which has come over Israel is only partial, and will continue only till the whole Gentile world has been gathered in.

Then, as they would not keep God before their minds, God abandoned them to depraved thoughts, so that they did all kinds of shameful things.

When Gentiles, who have no Law, do instinctively what the Law requires, they, though they have no Law, are a Law to themselves;

If, then, an uncircumcised man pays regard to the requirements of the Law, will not he, although not circumcised, be regarded by God as if he were?

They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be taken prisoners to every land, and 'Jerusalem will be under the heel of the Gentiles,' until their day is over--as it shall be.

"Where is this man going," the Jews asked one another, "that we shall not find him? Will he go to our countrymen abroad, and teach foreigners?

There have indeed gathered together in this city against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you has consecrated the Christ, not Herod and Pontius Pilate only, but the nations and the people of Israel besides--

Yet formerly, in your ignorance of God, you became slaves to 'gods' which were no gods.

On our arrival at Jerusalem, the Brethren there gave us a hearty welcome; And the next day Paul went with us to see James, and all the Officers of the Church were present. After greeting them, Paul related in detail all that God had done among the Gentiles through his efforts; read more.
And, when they had heard it, they began praising God, and said to Paul: "You see, Brother, that the Jews who have become believers in Christ may be numbered by tens of thousands, and they are all naturally earnest in upholding the Jewish Law. Now they have heard it said about you, that you teach all Jews in foreign countries to forsake Moses, for you tell them not to circumcise their children or even to observe Jewish customs. Well now, as they are certain to hear of your arrival, do what we are going to suggest. We have four men here, who have of their own accord put themselves under a vow. Join these men, share their purification, and bear their expenses, so that they may shave their heads; and then all will see that there is no truth in what they have been told about you, but that, on the contrary, you yourself rule your life in obedience to the Jewish Law. As to the Gentiles who have become believers in Christ, we have sent our decision that they should avoid food offered to idols, and blood, and the flesh of strangled animals, and impurity."

The Apostles and the Brethren throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God's Message. But, when Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who were converts from Judaism began to attack him, On the ground that he had visited people who were not circumcised, and had taken meals with them. read more.
So Peter began to relate the facts to them as they had occurred. "I was in the town of Jaffa," he said, "and was praying; and, while in a trance, I saw a vision. There was something like a great sail descending, let down by its four corners out of the heavens; and it came right down to me. Looking intently at it, I began to distinguish quadrupeds, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds; And I also heard a voice saying to me-- 'Stand up, Peter, kill something and eat.' 'No, Lord, I cannot,' I answered, 'for nothing 'defiled' or 'unclean' has ever passed my lips.' Then a second time there came a voice from the heavens. "What God has pronounced 'clean'," it said, "you must not call 'defiled'." This happened three times, and then all was drawn up again into the heavens. At that moment three men, who had been sent from Caesarea to see me, came up to the house in which we were. The Spirit told me to go with them without hesitation. These six Brothers also went with me. And, when we came into the man's house, He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and how the angel had said to him--'Send to Jaffa and fetch the Simon, who is also known as Peter; For he will tell you truths, which will prove the means of Salvation to you and all your household.' I had but just begun to speak," continued Peter, "when the Holy Spirit fell on them, exactly as on us at the first; And I recalled the saying of the Master-- 'John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' Since then, God had given them the very same gift as he gave us when we became believers in Jesus Christ the Master--who was I that I could thwart God?" On hearing this statement, they said no more, but broke out into praise of God. "So even to the Gentiles," they exclaimed, "God has granted the repentance which leads to Life!"

After much discussion, Peter rose and said: "You, my Brothers, know well that long ago God singled me out--that through my lips the Gentiles should hear the Message of the Good News, and become believers in Christ. Now God, who reads all hearts, declared his acceptance of the Gentiles, by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between them and us, when he purified their hearts by their faith. read more.
Why, then, do you now provoke God, by putting on the necks of these disciples a yoke which neither our ancestors nor we were able to bear? No, it is through the loving-kindness of the Lord Jesus that we, just as they do, believe that we have been saved."

And yet again--'Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and let all Peoples sing his praises.'