Jews, Gentiles, and God’s Plan

Host Jerry Eicher of Anabaptist Theological Perspectives continues a series on God’s chosen people, examining how God worked through Israel and then opened the way for Gentiles. Drawing from Old and New Testament texts—Isaiah 53, the stories of Rahab and Ruth, and Matthew 15’s Canaanite woman—Eicher revisits three core questions: Were the Jews God’s chosen people? Why were they chosen? Are they still chosen? He argues that choice and faith (beginning with Abraham) are central, not mere physical lineage. The episode covers Paul’s redefinition of what makes someone a ‘Jew’ (faith, not heritage), biblical examples of Gentile inclusion, and the theological tension between divine plan and human free response. Practical themes include humility for those welcomed as Gentiles, the role of faith in salvation history, and how unexpected forms of faith—like Rahab’s and the Canaanite woman’s—reveal God’s purposes. This is a solo reflection by Jerry Eicher offering biblical exegesis and pastoral insight. Listeners can expect close readings of scripture, thoughtful theological questions (including about foreknowledge and genuine human response), and encouragement to value faith over privilege.