Why did the Jews in Paul's day consider it anathema for Gentiles to have the same access to God as themselves?
Jewish thinking held that they were the only ones with any access to God. Placing Gentiles in that same category was anathema; they could not stomach it. When Paul said Jesus would send him far hence to the Gentiles, the Jerusalem crowd erupted in uproar.
Les explains that the Jewish mentality, all the way up into Paul's ministry and to a certain degree into our own day, was that they were the only ones who had any access to God. To put the Gentile in that same category with them was anathema; they could not stomach the very thought of it. Les points to Acts, where Paul addressed the huge Jewish crowd in Jerusalem after Roman authorities rescued him from mob rule. From the stairway he spoke in Hebrew to get their attention, rehearsed what had taken place through Jewish history and how Christ died, and quoted Jesus' words about departing Jerusalem because they would not hear him concerning Him. Then he repeated Jesus' statement, "Depart, for I will send you far hence to the Gentiles." At that one word, Gentile, the Jewish crowd went into an uproar, and if not for the Roman authorities, they would have torn Paul in pieces. Les says that was the thinking of the Jew, and now Saul of Tarsus, Paul, comes saying there is no difference—can you imagine what that did to Israel?