When did God's program shift away from dealing only with the Jews?
God's program shifted away from dealing only with the Jews when He turned to Saul of Tarsus in Acts chapter 9. Up to that point, God had dealt almost exclusively with His covenant people, Israel, with some exceptions. Then a parting of the ways occurred in God's program for the human race.
Les teaches that everything up to that point in the Acts account, and throughout the Old Testament, was God dealing with His covenant people, Israel, almost exclusively, though there were some exceptions. The stoning of Stephen and the persecution of believing Jews at Jerusalem preceded this shift. Then, with the introduction of Saul of Tarsus, there was a parting of the ways in God's program for the human race. For the first time, God would deviate from the whole concept of Jew only and make a tremendous statement to Saul of Tarsus.
And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,