What does the word 'heathen' mean in the New Testament?
In the New Testament, the term 'heathen' denotes anyone who is not a Jew—anyone outside the twelve tribes or the sons of Abraham. It refers to the non-Jew, that is, the Gentile. Thus the term is equivalent to Gentile in this usage.
Les explains that in the New Testament the word heathen means anybody who is not a Jew, anybody not of the twelve tribes or the sons of Abraham. In the quoted testimony, the speaker says it pleased God to call him by His grace and reveal His Son in him so that he might preach Him among the heathen. Les points out this means he was being sent to the non-Jew. The same section connects this to Acts chapter 9, where God works both ends to the middle: while dealing with Saul outside Damascus, He also speaks to Ananias in the city, preparing him to go to Saul. Thus 'heathen' is defined by contrast with Israel—the non-Jew, not the sons of Abraham.