Jesus Was Sent To Israel -- What Does That Tell Us About The Mission to the Gentiles?

John's email of August 14, 2012 says:

Jesus is our Lord, I have never found any contradictions in the bible yet. Mat.15:24 is a question for you.

My Reply

John

How is Matt 15:24 a question for me? It reads:

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."

At the same time, Isaiah said the Gentiles have seen a great light in reference to Messiah. And Jesus taught in His last words to the apostles:

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:19-20 NIV)

So pre-Ascension, Jesus made the thrust of the the ministry to non-Gentiles, although this did not prohibit Jesus from trying, when the opportunity arose, to reach the Samaritan woman by the well, and the centurion, and other Gentiles. Then when Jesus was about to ascend, Jesus gave the original Apostles a new thrust of their ministry -- to make disciples of all "nations" (which in Hebrew would be Gentiles), and to "teach them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Hence, while Jesus was sent to Israel, Jesus sent the original apostles (which means "messenger" in Greek) to the Gentiles to make them disciples and teach all His commands pre-Ascension.

Do you read this differently?

Doug

[5/6/2013 In response to the same question by someone else, I added the following]

Ray, I would add that Peter in Acts 11 was told by God to evangelize the Gentile Cornelius, and to treat them as a target of evangelization... Paul was still not around in ministry. In Acts 15, Peter stands up at a conference at which Paul attended, and Peter says the HOLY SPIRIT appointed PETER (not Paul) as the "Apostle to the Gentiles."

Thus, Jesus had clearly directed the 12 to evangelize Gentiles. The Holy Spirit aso pushed Peter in particular, to evangelize Gentiles. All before Paul was involved in any major ministry. The Holy Spirit designated Peter, not Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. So nothing was vital about Paul in God's plan, and nothing revealed in Acts that Paul later was chosen over God's earlier choice of Peter to be the 'apostle to the Gentiles.'

Blessings,

Doug

Jesus' Words Only

Jesus Was Sent To Israel -- What Does That Tell Us About The Mission to the Gentiles?

John's email of August 14, 2012 says:

My Reply