What was the state of the Gentiles when God was dealing with the circumcision?
When God was dealing with the circumcision, Gentiles were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise. They had no hope and were without God in the world. The circumcision had no time for Gentiles in spiritual things, leaving them outside Israel’s covenant promises.
Les explains that Paul, writing to Gentiles, describes their condition at that time: while God was dealing with the circumcision, and the circumcision had no time for Gentiles in spiritual things, the Gentiles were without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise. They had no hope and were without God in the world. That was the lot of those Greeks, but Les notes they were not without hope, because death, burial, and resurrection were soon to take place. He illustrates this with wheat growing up not as one kernel but many, and points to nature, seasons, winter, spring, and Easter as reminders of death, burial, and resurrection, while warning that Satan has adulterated these things.