The Scandal of God's Forgiveness

Do we appreciate to the full why the Jewish believers of the early church "were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on Gentiles"? Why they were amazed that "God had granted repentance" to Gentiles for eternal life? Sacred history is to be seen through enlightened Jewish eyes, revealing that Israel was initially the sole beneficiary of God's revelation before Christ. For the most part the Gentiles were "allowed . . . to walk in their own ways." Such was according t...