CHRISTIANS ARE NOT GENTILES
"Jews and Gentiles" was the title of a manuscript presented for examination as to the doctrinal and historical correctness of its contents, the greater part of which dealt with Judaism. Belief that the manuscript was presented for approval, rather than analysis of its contents, prompted the return of it to the writer with but one suggestion, that the title be changed from "Jews and Gentiles," to Jews and Christians, as Christians are not "Gentiles."
The designation Christians as "Gentiles" is an offense, though not so intended by non-Jewish writers and speakers. Rather is the phrase used, by persons who are not Jews through failure to appreciate its historic significance; or through desire to soft-pedal what is said regarding Christians or Christianity, thus to make what they write, or say, more acceptable to Jewish readers or audiences.
The designation, Jews and Gentiles, was entirely proper during the pre-Christian revealed-religion centuries. The phrase distinguished believers in the Mosaic Law, which was Divinely, exclusively given in the keeping of the children of Israel, believers in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, from non-believers.
The Judaism of the pre-Christian centuries was the one and only religion of Almighty God, as the existence of one God permits of the existence of only one true organic religion of God, which was the Jewish religion. All other religions during the pre-Christian centuries were man-made religions; as are all religions that exist today, or have existed during the Christian centuries, save the Catholic religion. Hence it was correct to refer to the world being divided between Jews and Gentiles, before the Christian era.
The end of referring to the religious world as being divided between Jews and Gentiles came when the Mosaic Law and the Prophesies, recorded in the Old Testament, were fulfilled by the coming of the predicted "Emmanuel" (God with us), Jesus Christ (Isa. 7:14); and His establishment of the Catholic Church with its hierarchy, priesthood, Sacrifice and Sacraments; which displaced the Aaronic priesthood, Temple Altar, and Mosaic sacrifices.
The term Gentiles, contemptuously expressed in the Hebrew equivalent, "Goyim," referred to non-believers in Judaism who were suspected of debauchery and murderous intent, being sometimes compared to "dogs" (St. Matt. 15:26). "Goyim" means strangers, idolators, pagans, deniers of belief in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Members of the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints", popularly called Mormons, refer to all persons who are not members of the sect, including the Jews, as "Gentiles." These "Latter-Day Saints," who claim that their religion is derived from the ancient tribe of Israel, prompted a writer to say, "in this strange Community, all the brethren are Saints, and all the outsiders, and all Jews, Gentiles," This caused Simon Bamberger, the Jew who was Governor of Utah (1917-1921), to jokingly say, "In my State I am both a Jew and a Gentile."
One of the primary causes of religious divisions, in the Protestant and the Jewish world, is due to lack of terminological exactitude, which is an intellectual characteristic of the Catholic Church, and of her only. This distinguishing characteristic is marred when a Catholic, such as the writer of the manuscript that was returned, designates Christians as "Gentiles." We believe that historic exactness, and right reasoning, demand that writers and speakers cease the misuse of the phrase.
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The "King's English" is so frequently misused in ordinary conversation, that it is not surprising that intellectual confusion obtains in the religious world. Some popular expressions are entirely devoid of rational meaning. "I hope to die;" "I died laughing;" "He was killingly funny;" "I was tickled to death," are some of them.