Is the Gospel really to the Jew First?

All known translations of Apostle Paul’s letter to God’s people in Rome convey a sentiment along the lines of,

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to anyone who believes, to the Jew (Ἰουδαίῳ) first and also to the Greek (Ἕλληνι),” with “the Greek” often being translated as Gentile. (Rom 1:16) However, in Romans 1:14 Paul writes that he was under obligation to bring the Gospel to two kinds of Gentiles: Hellens/Greeks (Ἕλλησίν) and Barbarians (Βαρβάροις) (Rom 1:14).

Thus, it appears that Apostle Paul categorizes the entire global population into three distinct groups at least: Judeans (commonly referred to as Jews), Hellenes (individuals belonging to the Graeco-Roman world or what would evolve into Western civilization), and Barbarians (those he and others considered uncivilized). Thus, Hellens were not Gentiles in general and should not be treated as such. For Gentiles as a whole, Paul uses a different word – nations (ἔθνη), although we must also be clear that Paul considers Hellens to be part of the Gentile world (1 Cor 1:22-23).

One other Jew living roughly at the same time as Apostle Paul, whose works have survived to our time, was Philo of Alexandria. He, just as Paul, was a Hellenistic Jew. In his works, he, too, divided up the world into Hellens and Barbarians (I counted 34 instances). There are many examples as this one that set forth Hellens/Barbarians as a fundamental category of the ancient Greek-centered world:

“…for by what kind of contemplation could a man attain to this good thing? What seas must he cross over? What islands, or what continents, must he visit? Must he dwell among Greeks or among the barbarians?” (Philo, On the Change of Names, 4.35)

Apostle Paul was a Jew and a Pharisee, even after he met the risen Jesus (Acts 23:6), but because he had been raised in one of the most important centers of Hellenistic philosophy (Tarsus), he is also highly appreciative of Greek philosophy (there are several significant parallels between Paul and the Stoic authors). Paul appears intimately familiar with the works of Hellenistic philosophers and is even able to quote them by heart (Acts 17:27–28; Titus 1:12).  Here, Paul conveys that what Jews receive from above as revelation, Hellens achieve because of their love of virtue and wisdom. Both groups are equally in need of the Gospel of the Jewish Christ as far as Apostle Paul is concerned.

One of the greatest arguments amongst Christian theologians over the years has been in which way the Gospel is intended for the Jew first (πρῶτον). Some say that it is only chronologically that it came to the Jews first and then sequentially, later, to the Gentiles. Others maintain the primacy of the Gospel to the Jews and its secondary application to the Gentiles.

I am suggesting that there is another way to understand Rom 1:16. It is possible that since Paul has a high appreciation for both the Judaism of his time and a Hellenic love for virtue and wisdom, that he means that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is equally needed by both (Judean and Hellen) and, therefore, is (rhetorically) first/foremost to them. Most importantly, note that he does not mention the Barbarian in Rom 1:16 (Ἰουδαίῳ τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνι) while stating that he is a debtor to them as well (Ἕλλησίν τε καὶ Βαρβάροις) in Rom 1:14. My proposed alternative reconstruction seems to work with Paul’s letter to 1 Corinthians as well:

For indeed Jews (Ἰουδαῖοι) ask for signs and Greeks (Ἕλληνες) search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block (Ἰουδαίοις μὲν σκάνδαλον) and to Gentiles foolishness (ἔθνεσιν δὲ μωρίαν), but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks (Ἰουδαίοις τε καὶ Ἕλλησιν), Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (1 Cor 1:22-25)

In Rom 1:16 itself the Greek (οὐ γὰρ ἐπαισχύνομαι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον· δύναμις γὰρ Θεοῦ ἐστιν εἰς σωτηρίαν παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι, Ἰουδαίῳ τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνι.) allows all suggested meanings including mine.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Judean and Hellen first/foremost!” (Ἰουδαίῳ τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνι) (Rom 1:16, translation is mine).

To my knowledge, no one else has translated it this way, but we should still allow for this translation as an option since the structure of Greek itself (anyone who understands the grammar of Greek works will confirm this) can be read this way very easily. I am not at all dogmatic about this, but I have long suspected that there could be more to Rom 1:16 than meets the eye.