"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission." (www.Lockman.org) Gentiles 1. All mankind was under the general moral laws God gave Adam and Eve and all humanity. a. Men were to worship the one true God. Idolatry has always been wrong - wrong from the beginning of mankind. b. It was wrong to lie, to commit adultery, to murder, steal, curse God, dishonor parents, etc. c. The Ten Commandments, with the exception of the Sabbath commandment, were binding on mankind. d. All men remained under these laws until God gave the written Ten Commandments and all the laws based on them to the Jews at Mount Sinai. (Exod. 20; Deut. 5). 2. At Mount Sinai God gave the Jews a special law to follow (Deut. 5), but the Gentiles remained under the same law they had from the beginning. DEU 5:2 "The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. DEU 5:3 "The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. a. They did not have a written law, but they had law and could sin. See Book of Jonah and Matt. 12:41,42. b. They could observe from creation that there was a God. ROM 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ROM 1:19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ROM 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. ROM 1:21 For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. ROM 1:22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, ROM 1:23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. c. The Gentiles were lost because they rejected God and the revelation God had given them. ROM 1:24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, that their bodies might be dishonored among them. ROM 1:25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ROM 1:26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, ROM 1:27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. 1 ROM 1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, ROM 1:29 being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, ROM 1:30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, ROM 1:31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; ROM 1:32 and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. d. Acts 17:30 is often misunderstood. ACT 17:30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, ACT 17:31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. " • The word “overlooked” does not mean they were not accountable. • It is best explained by Acts 14:16. ACT 14:16 "And in the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; • God turned away from most Gentiles because most Gentiles chose to turn away from Him and practice every kind of abomination. • There were some exceptions. Some were saved. • Rahab was an exception. HEB 11:31 By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. JAM 2:25 And in the same way was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works, when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? • The men of Nineveh were exceptions. MAT 12:41 "The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at the judgment, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. JON 3:4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." JON 3:5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. JON 3:6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat on the ashes. JON 3:7 And he issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. JON 3:8 "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. 2 JON 3:9 "Who knows, God may turn and relent, and withdraw His burning anger so that we shall not perish?" JON 3:10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. • The centurion at Capernaum had great faith. MAT 8:5 And when He had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, entreating Him, MAT 8:6 and saying, "Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering great pain." MAT 8:7 And He said to him, "I will come and heal him." MAT 8:8 But the centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. MAT 8:9 "For I, too, am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, 'Go!' and he goes, and to another, 'Come!' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this!' and he does it." MAT 8:10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled, and said to those who were following, "Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. MAT 8:11 "And I say to you, that many shall come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven; MAT 8:12 but the sons of the kingdom [unbelieving Jews] shall be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. " MAT 8:13 And Jesus said to the centurion, "Go your way; let it be done to you as you have believed." And the servant was healed that very hour. Some Additional Observations 1. Romans 2:14, 15 indicates the Gentiles were accountable when they violated the law of the heart, that is, the things they knew were right and wrong. ROM 2:14 For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, ROM 2:15 in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 2. Romans 3:10, 11, 23 reveals all (Jews and Gentiles) have sinned. ROM 3:10 as it is written, "There is none righteous, not even one; ROM 3:11 There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God; ROM 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 3. Romans 6:23 affirms all stand condemned without Christ. ROM 6:23 For the wages of sin is death [spiritual death], but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 4. Romans 15:9-12 manifests that God planned to save Gentiles through the gospel. ROM 15:9 and for the Gentiles to glorify God for His mercy; as it is written, "Therefore I will give praise to Thee among the Gentiles, And I will sing to Thy name." 2 Sam. 22:50; Psa. 18:49 ROM 15:10 And again he says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people." Deut. 32:43 ROM 15:11 And again, "Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, And let all the peoples praise Him." Psa.