Paul’s sharing his history with the Galatians contains this intriguing paragraph:
On the contrary, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been entrusted with the gospel to the circumcised (for he who worked through Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles), and when James and (Peter) and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. (Galatians 2.7 – 9, ESV)
Some people are better with religious insiders, others with religious outsiders. We don’t know why Peter should consider his ministry as being only to Jews. God sent him to the Roman centurion Cornelius in Acts 10. On the other hand, Paul was highly trained in Judaism (see Acts 22.3), but he was chosen to go to Gentiles (see Acts 22.21).
God can and does send anyone anywhere. Consider David Wilkerson, a small-town pastor in Pennsylvania, who went to New York City in 1958 to preach to Puerto Rican street gangs. From the Teen Challenge official history:
Led by incredible faith, David Wilkerson made a seemingly bizarre step from his country pulpit in 1958 to the streets of New York City, where a murder trial of seven teenage boys churned society’s antipathy toward them. Even Wilkerson was bewildered by his sense of compassion but, in spite of doubt, he followed the Spirit’s prompting to help the boys.
Wilkerson’s outreach to gangs in New York led to the development of Teen Challenge. From our simple beginnings, Teen Challenge has grown to over 200 locations in the US and over 1000 around the world. The explosive growth of Teen Challenge continues to be a true move of God.
Amazing.
What part of Acts 1.8 do we not understand? That said, here is Peter, going to Jews, primarily, while Paul goes to Gentiles, primarily. I have been more effective working with church people. Friends of mine are more effective with complete religious outsiders.
God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. (1 Corinthians 12.18, ESV)