In the book of Hosea, specifically chapters 1 and 2, there are passages that professing Hebrews often use to lay the false belief that the Israelites, specifically the Northern Kingdom in this case, were scattered and rejected by God to the point that it made them gentiles. This is the ground of reason that they make the claim of the gentiles in the new testament being lost Israelites and descendants of the Northern Kingdom.
But were they ever actually called gentiles for their apostasy and sin? The Following is and answer to this question from a brilliant wife and mother, Sister Beatrice Wells. Note how this is proven in the old covenant ironically.
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"The problem that those who appeal to the Books of Maccabees to defend the position that those who took on Greek Culture are called "Gentiles" or "Greeks" is that neither of the Books of Maccabees describe those people in that way. The books of Maccabees always makes a distinction between "Gentiles/"Greeks" and Jews who had joined with the Greeks by referring to them as: "lawless" "renegades" "ungodly" or "sinners." They never called them "Gentiles/Greeks". In some places "Gentiles" and "lawless" or "sinful men" are found in the same passage. The NT makes the same distinction when mentioning Zaccheus. He was called a "sinner" for working for the Roman government, but never a Gentile. The following are examples of this from the book of Maccabees:
The question of the adoption of the Greek polytheism was first raised in Judaea by apostate Jews themselves. Lawless men, παράνομοι "
1 Mac 1:11 NRSV
11 In those days certain renegades came out from Israel and misled many, saying, “Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles around us, *(Gentiles are mentioned in the same passage)
KJV
11 In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us
1 Mac 6:21. NRSV
21 But some of the garrison escaped from the siege and some of the ungodly Israelites joined them.
KJV
21 Howbeit certain of them that were besieged got forth, unto whom some ungodly men of Israel joined themselves:
1 Mac 7:5 NRSV
5 Then there came to him all the renegade and godless men of Israel; they were led by Alcimus, who wanted to be high priest
KJV
5 There came unto him all the wicked and ungodly men of Israel, having Alcimus, who was desirous to be high priest, for their captain
1 Mac 9:25. NRSV
25 Bacchides chose the godless and put them in charge of the country
KJV
25 Then Bacchides chose the wicked men, and made them lords of the country
1 Mac 10:61 NRSV
61 A group of malcontents from Israel, renegades, gathered together against him to accuse him; but the king paid no attention to them
KJV
61 At that time certain pestilent fellows of Israel, men of a wicked life, assembled themselves against him, to accuse
"Even Israelites who were described as hating their own nation were not called Gentiles/Greeks:"
1 Mac 11:21 NRSV
21 But certain renegades who hated their nation went to the king and reported to him that Jonathan was besieging the citadel.
KJV
21 Then came ungodly persons, who hated their own people, went unto the king, and told him that Jonathan besieged the tower
1 Mac 11:25
25 Although certain renegades of his nation kept making complaints against him
KJV
25 And though certain ungodly men of the people had made complaints against him,
"A Traitor to the Law and His Country:"
2 Mac 5:15 NRSV
guided by Menelaus, who had become a traitor both to the laws and to his country
KJV
15 Yet was he not content with this, but presumed to go into the most holy temple of all the world; Menelaus, that traitor to the laws, and to his own country, being his guide
"To Ssoreal's point: The following shows that those who had become uncircumcised were "recovered" and were circumcised again: Even these uncircumcised Jews were never called Gentiles/Greeks: They were called: "sinners", "fugitives". "renegades". Gentiles are mentioned in the same passage and as you can see they make a distinction between the two groups of men in the same way that the
NT does."
1 Mac 2:42–48. NRSV
42 Then there united with them a company of Hasideans, mighty warriors of Israel, all who offered themselves willingly for the law. 43 And all who became fugitives to escape their troubles joined them and reinforced them. 44 They organized an army, and struck down sinners in their anger and renegades in their wrath; the survivors fled to the Gentiles for safety. 45 And Mattathias and his friends went around and tore down the altars; 46 they forcibly circumcised all the uncircumcised boys that they found within the borders of Israel. 47 They hunted down the arrogant, and the work prospered in their hands. 48 They rescued the law out of the hands of the Gentiles and kings, and they never let the sinner gain the upper hand.
KJV
44 So they joined their forces, and smote sinful men in their anger, and wicked men in their wrath: but the rest fled to the heathen for succour. 45 Then Mattathias and his friends went round about, and pulled down the altars: 46 And what children soever they found within the coast of Israel uncircumcised, those they circumcised valiantly. 47 They pursued also after the proud men, and the work prospered in their hand. 48 So they recovered the law out of the hand of the Gentiles, and out of the hand of kings, neither suffered they the sinner to triumph.
So in summary they were called, "lawless men" "sinners", "fugitives", "renegades" and I'm sure plenty more things but never were they called Gentiles. And when they repented and returned to Judaism they were were acknowledged as "recovered"......
Not a single passage in the new testament describes gentiles as ones having returned or recovered to the faith... The only verse you see that states such a return is the unbelieving Jews who come to Jesus and thereby become "grafted back in to their own olive tree" in Romans 11 where there was a distinction between believing Jews, believing gentiles, and unbelieving Jews, NOT "lost Israelites called gentiles". This false doctrine was stolen by the black Hebrew Israelites from the actual books in THE BRITISH ISRAELISM CULT.
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