What was the condition of the Gentiles while God was dealing with Israel?
While God was dealing with Israel, Gentiles were left outside the covenant promises, not citizens of the commonwealth of Israel, without Christ, without God in the world, far off, and without hope, as Paul describes their condition before being made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Les explains that while God was dealing with the nation of Israel, He left the Gentiles in the state Paul describes: they were outside the covenant promises, not citizens of the commonwealth of Israel, without Christ, and without God in the world. They were far off and without hope. Les points out that Paul later writes 'but now' because things have changed. The Gentile is no longer in that position. In Christ Jesus, those who were once far off—outside the covenants and citizenship of Israel, without hope and without God—have been made nigh by the blood of Christ, which refers to the crucifixion. Les also stresses that God did not reveal things until His own timing and did not expect people to believe something He had never said before.