In today’s Christian vocabulary, the term “Gentile believer” gets tossed around with little scrutiny. But what if we told you it’s a theological oxymoron? What if the continued use of the phrase is stalling spiritual maturity and obscuring our covenant identity in Christ?
Are there Gentile believers? According to Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation ..the answer is a decisive NO. In this post, we’ll walk through a full biblical investigation that unmasks the misplaced identity, calls out the shallow assumptions, and invites believers to step fully into their covenant inheritance.
Let’s dismantle confusion with truth and restore what God has declared about our identity.
What Is a Gentile? (And Why the Label No Longer Fits)
To answer the question “Are there Gentile believers?” we need to understand what “Gentile” means in Scripture. The Hebrew word goyim and the Greek ethnē both translate to “nations” ..and more specifically, nations outside of the covenant.
The Biblical Usage of “Gentile”
In the Old Testament:
- Gentiles were not part of Israel’s covenant family.
- They had no access to the Temple.
- They were alienated from the promises.
- They were seen as unclean and distant from the holiness of God.
Examples:
- Deuteronomy 7:6 – Israel is called to be separate from the nations.
- Psalm 147:19–20 – God declares, “He sheweth his word unto Jacob… He hath not dealt so with any nation.”
But all of this changes drastically in the New Testament.
Gentile Identity Is Redefined in Christ
Paul makes it clear: those who were once “far off” have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).
The wall of hostility is removed. The Gentile identity ends at the cross. We are no longer spiritual outsiders, no longer second-tier members of the Kingdom.
The Covenant Shift in Christ: No Longer Strangers
“But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:13 (KJV)
The prophets saw it coming. The apostles declared it fulfilled. The covenant in Christ obliterates the wall between Jew and Gentile. Believers from the nations are no longer spiritual tourists ..they are full family members.
Old Testament Prophecies That Redefine the Gentile Label
God’s intention from the beginning was to bring all nations under one covenant. The Old Testament laid the groundwork:
- Genesis 12:3 Abraham’s promise included “all families of the earth.”
- Deuteronomy 29:10–15 Covenant made even with “him that is not here with us this day.”
- Isaiah 56:3–8 Foreigners are included, even eunuchs. They receive “a name better than of sons and of daughters.”
- Zechariah 2:11 “Many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people.”
- Hosea 1:10; 2:23 “It shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.”
- Ezekiel 47:21–23 Foreigners receive inheritance “as if born in the land.”
New Testament Fulfillment: Grafted, Adopted, and Re-Identified
In the New Covenant:
- Romans 11:17–24 Wild branches are grafted into Israel’s olive tree. That’s not a dual-covenant system, it’s unity.
- Galatians 3:28–29 “If ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed.”
- Ephesians 2:19 “Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints.”
- Romans 8:15 We cry “Abba, Father” as adopted sons, not as tolerated guests.
This isn’t allegory. It’s identity. The Scripture doesn’t leave room for a third category of “Gentile Christians.”
The True Jew and the Heart of Covenant Identity
“He is not a Jew, which is one outwardly… But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly…” Romans 2:28–29 (KJV)
Paul destroys superficial definitions. Circumcision is not about flesh, it’s about the heart.
Inward Covenant Markers in the New Testament
- Philippians 3:3 “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit…”
- Colossians 2:11 “Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands…”
- Galatians 6:15–16 The “Israel of God” refers to those reborn in Christ, not bound by ethnic status.
Being in Christ is being part of the true Israel. Not national Israel. Not physical Israel. But the eternal covenant family.
If we are Christ’s, we are the circumcision by faith, not by lineage.
Are There Gentile Believers in the Church? No. There Are Only Saints
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints…” Ephesians 2:19 (KJV)
The body of Christ is not bifurcated into Jews and Gentiles. The new humanity, the one new man, has no such division.
Theological Problems With the Term “Gentile Believer”
- It implies a second-class citizenry.
- It contradicts Romans 11 and Ephesians 2.
- It ignores the prophetic merging of Israel and the nations.
- It undermines the unity of the body of Christ.
The gospel does not preserve separation. It ends it.
The Two Sticks of Ezekiel: A Prophetic Picture of Unified Identity
“I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel…” Ezekiel 37:22 (KJV)
Ezekiel’s vision is of restoration ..not just for the Jewish exiles, but for the whole house of Israel, scattered and hidden among the nations.
What Do the Two Sticks Represent?
- Stick of Judah = Southern Kingdom (Jews)
- Stick of Joseph (Ephraim) = Northern Kingdom + dispersed among Gentiles
In Christ:
- These are united.
- The covenant is restored.
- The two become one.
Romans 11 parallels this perfectly: God grafts believing branches from both groups into one tree. There is no dual body of Christ. No dual covenant. Just one redeemed people.
The Old Covenant Is Over: Time to Leave the Old Labels Behind
“For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.” Hebrews 7:12 (KJV)
The Old Covenant was always pointing forward. It served as a shadow (Hebrews 10:1). Once the reality arrived, Jesus Christ ..the shadow passed.
The Old Markers Are Gone
- No Levitical priesthood
- No temple
- No animal sacrifices
- No external law codes
The old system has vanished (Hebrews 8:13).
To continue identifying as “Gentile” is to cling to pre-cross categories. It denies the radical shift of the New Covenant.
No Old Covenant Jews Today
Some still imagine there are people faithfully keeping the Old Covenant today. But Scripture paints a different picture.
“He hath made the first old… and ready to vanish away.”
— Hebrews 8:13 (KJV)
There is no functioning priesthood. No temple. No sacrifices. The Mosaic system has come to its appointed end.
“He is the mediator of the new covenant.”
— Hebrews 9:15 (KJV)
“No man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
— John 14:6 (KJV)
Those who reject Christ are NOT living under the Old Covenant. They are living without covenant.
Today, there are only two kinds of people:
Those in Christ, and
Those outside of Him.
Why This Matters: Language Shapes Identity
What we call ourselves matters. It sets the framework for how we see our place in God’s story.
When believers refer to themselves as “Gentile Christians,” they unknowingly:
- Distance themselves from their inheritance
- Undermine their authority in Christ
- Confuse their covenant status
It’s not semantics, it’s identity warfare.
Are there Gentile believers? Not in the Kingdom. Only saints, heirs, sons, and citizens.
Conclusion: Gentiles No More ..Heirs Forever
“Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God…” 1 Peter 2:10 (KJV)
The gospel does not create a third race. It unites all under one name: Christ.
- Grafted into Israel’s tree.
- Adopted into God’s family.
- Empowered with covenant promises.
- Seated with Christ in heavenly places.
Are there Gentile believers? Not according to Scripture. That identity is dead. We are born again into a new people, a holy nation, and a royal priesthood.
Time to speak like it. Time to live like it.
References and Sources
- Holy Bible, King James Version (KJV)
- Romans 2, 8, 9, 11
- Galatians 3, 4, 6
- Ephesians 2, 3
- Philippians 3
- Colossians 2
- Hebrews 7–10
- Isaiah 56
- Ezekiel 37, 47
- Genesis 12
- Deuteronomy 29
- Hosea 1, 2
- Zechariah 2
- Psalm 147
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