Was Jesus only sent to the lost sheep of Israel?

[GeorgeTwo]

Was Jesus sent ONLY to Israel?


Muslims seem to think so based on the following two Scriptures


Matthew 10:5-6 (NIV)
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

Matthew 15:24 (NIV)


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

but they don’t seen to realize or do not want to admit that Jesus’ mission was to the Jews and the Gentiles alike. In order to understand the scope of Jesus’ mission, we must take all relevant Scriptures into account.

The Jews needed to hear the Gospel first; they needed to be convinced that Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promises to them. As one theologian said “If Jesus and his followers had simply begun an indiscriminate mission to the wider world, before God’s purpose had unfolded, they would have made God a liar.” God loves the whole world and intends to save the whole world, including the Gentiles, by fulfilling His promises to Israel and this was accomplished through His Messiah, Jesus.

It would be wrong to suggest that the portrait of Jesus in the Gospels ignored the potential inclusion of the nations in Jesus’ mission. Notice Jesus preformed miracles that involved Gentiles.

Jesus’ mission was universal:

Matthew 8:11 (New International Version © 2010)
11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.


As Jesus said in Luke 24:

45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And as Apostle Peter said:


Acts 3:25-26 (New International Version)
25And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'[a] 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Jesus concentrated primarily on the Jews during His time on earth, but after He rose from the dead, He said:

Acts 1:8 (New International Version)
8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Matthew 28: 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

Jesus anticipated that the Gentiles were to be included in His mission:


Matthew 24:14 (New International Version)
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.


John 10:16 (New International Version)
16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.


If Jesus had meant that His Gospel was only to be preached to the Jews, His disciples would never have gone to the Gentiles, but they did. After Jesus’ resurrection the Gospel was to be preached to all nations – Jew and Gentile alike.


Luke 2:


25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:


29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."



(Simeon quotes from Isaiah; Jesus is the servant of Isaiah., the Messiah)



The Messiah appointed Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles, but Paul was not the only one who spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. There were others.



Barnabas accepted what Paul was preaching and brought him to the Apostles. (Acts 9:27-28)
Acts 13:45-47 (New International Version)
45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
" 'I have made you[a] a light for the Gentiles,
that you[b] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'[c]"



Barnabas and Paul quote Isaiah 9:6.



Isaiah 49:6 (New International Version)
6 he says:
"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

Jesus’ mission was two-fold – first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

 

[Ken Rank]

Was Jesus sent ONLY to Israel?


Muslims seem to think so based on the following two Scriptures


Matthew 10:5-6 (NIV)
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

Matthew 15:24 (NIV)


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

but they don’t seen to realize or do not want to admit that Jesus’ mission was to the Jews and the Gentiles alike. In order to understand the scope of Jesus’ mission, we must take all relevant Scriptures into account.

The Jews needed to hear the Gospel first; they needed to be convinced that Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promises to them. As one theologian said “If Jesus and his followers had simply begun an indiscriminate mission to the wider world, before God’s purpose had unfolded, they would have made God a liar.” God loves the whole world and intends to save the whole world, including the Gentiles, by fulfilling His promises to Israel and this was accomplished through His Messiah, Jesus.

It would be wrong to suggest that the portrait of Jesus in the Gospels ignored the potential inclusion of the nations in Jesus’ mission. Notice Jesus preformed miracles that involved Gentiles.

Jesus’ mission was universal:

Matthew 8:11 (New International Version © 2010)
11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.


As Jesus said in Luke 24:

45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And as Apostle Peter said:


Acts 3:25-26 (New International Version)
25And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'[a] 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Jesus concentrated primarily on the Jews during His time on earth, but after He rose from the dead, He said:

Acts 1:8 (New International Version)
8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Matthew 28: 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

Jesus anticipated that the Gentiles were to be included in His mission:


Matthew 24:14 (New International Version)
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.


John 10:16 (New International Version)
16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.


If Jesus had meant that His Gospel was only to be preached to the Jews, His disciples would never have gone to the Gentiles, but they did. After Jesus’ resurrection the Gospel was to be preached to all nations – Jew and Gentile alike.


Luke 2:


25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:


29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."



(Simeon quotes from Isaiah; Jesus is the servant of Isaiah., the Messiah)



The Messiah appointed Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles, but Paul was not the only one who spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. There were others.



Barnabas accepted what Paul was preaching and brought him to the Apostles. (Acts 9:27-28)
Acts 13:45-47 (New International Version)
45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
" 'I have made you[a] a light for the Gentiles,
that you[b] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'[c]"



Barnabas and Paul quote Isaiah 9:6.



Isaiah 49:6 (New International Version)
6 he says:
"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

Jesus’ mission was two-fold – first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

I believe that the "weight" was on the Lost Sheep but that his message of salvation... and redeeming work, was meant for and will ultimately before extended to, all.

I have not been sent BUT to the lost sheep.... is not arguable, those are his words. What is arguable is WHO the lost sheep are? Israel in the nations (lost sheep of Israel is a phrase used to describe them) or is it wayward Jews or ANYONE who is lost and without God? All of the above? There is where the debate comes in... not on who he said he came for.

 

[david.d]

Jesus' audience was the lost Sheep of Israel, but His gospel was not only for Israel:

And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:15 KJV

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

So was Jesus sent to the lost sheep of Israel or not ? (in OT and NT)

Did Jesus (Himself, on earth) go anywhere in OT and NT to pagan nations ?

 

[GeorgeTwo]

However, it would be wrong to suggest that the portrait of Jesus in the Gospels ignored the potential inclusion of the nations in Jesus' mission." Three of his more prominent miracles involved Gentiles (the centurion [Matt. 8:5-13 = Luke 7:1-10]; the Gentile woman's daughter [Mark 7:24-30 = Matt. 15:21-28]; the Gadarene demoniac-probably Gentile, as this Decapolis area was predominantly Gentile and pigs are involved in the miracle [Mark 5: 1- 20; Matt. 8:28-34 = Luke 8:26-39]). Even though Jesus' initial response to the Gentile woman asking him to heal her daughter is a reply about the exclusive focus of his call, he moves to honor her request. Jesus also drew from Gentile areas, as the summaries of the location of his work and the sources of the crowds before the Sermon on the Mount make clear (Matt. 4:13-15, 24-25). Jesus' ministry of bringing justice and hope to the nations in line with the call of the Servant is expressed in a narrative note in Matt. 12:18-21. Luke also strikes this note. In the synagogue sermon in Luke 4:25-27, Jesus suggests that Israel's lack of response will produce a time like that of Elijah and Elisha, when blessing came only to Gentiles, a remark that sparks the Jewish audience's anger. In addition, the work of John the Baptist and the one who comes after him represent the time when "all flesh will see the salvation of God" (Luke 3:6).


Other texts explicitly have Jesus teaching that those included in the banquet at the end will involve many coming from north, south, east, and west, but some of Israel will be excluded (Matt. 8:11-12; Luke 13:28-29). John 4 and 12 present Jesus in dialogues with Samaritans and Greeks, while Luke 9:51-56 has Jesus sending a mission into Samaria. Luke 17: 11-19 has Jesus commending the faith of a foreigner. In Mark 11: 17, the temple is to be a place of prayer for the nations, probably looking to a day in the future when the nations will stream to Jerusalem to pray and worship (citing Isa. 56:7; see also Isa. 2:2-4; 19:23-25; 42:6; 49:6; 66: 19-20; Mic. 4:1-2; Zech. 14: 16 [all rooted in Gen. 12: 13]). Jesus explicitly mentions how the mission of the disciples involves going out into all the world (Matt. 24: 14 = Mark 13: 10; Matt. 26:13 = Mark 14:9). The vineyard, lacking fruit from Israel, will be given to another nation bearing fruit (Matt. 21:33-46 = Mark 12:1-10 = Luke 20:9-19). Jesus gives commissions to this effect at the end of his ministry (Matt. 28:18-20; Luke 24:44-47; Acts 1:8).


The Book of Acts makes it clear that the import of these instructions to go to all the nations, running so counter to the focus of Jesus' own earthly ministry, took time to sink in for the disciples. However, nothing in Jesus' ministry, even as it focused on Israel, precluded the inclusion of the nations. In fact, a look at how the relationship of Jew and Gentile plays itself out underscores what Paul said later about the gospel being "to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1: 16). All of this emphasis is in line with the prophetic hope, except that Jesus' teaching lacks any notes of retribution against the nations as such. As we will see, the vindication that God brings in judgment will be directed at the wicked, whoever they may be. God will move to gather the righteous who have welcomed Jesus and those associated with him (Matt. 25:31-46). The kingdom's authority and reach will extend out over the entire world (Matt. 13:37-43). (Source: “Jesus according to Scripture” by Darrell L. Bock, , Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, Copyright 2002, Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without written permission from Baker Publishing Group. http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com. Website visitors may not copy, transfer, or download the material. Permission is non-exclusive and may not be transferred. No deletions, insertions, or changes may be made to the text without prior written approval from Baker Publishing Group.)

 

[awitch]

Jesus' audience was the lost Sheep of Israel, but His gospel was not only for Israel:

And he (Jesus) said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
Mark 16:15 KJV

"Every creature"? Like, horseshoe crabs, and aardvarks, and Komodo dragons?

 

[HawgWyld]

[Staff edit].

That verse is part of a larger narrative about the faith of a gentile woman. Christ was with his disciples when a gentile approached him, asking him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. While Christ said in Matthew 15:24 that he was sent to help only the people of Israel, that appeared to be more for the purpose of illustrating a point than something to be taken for the truth. We know this because we see by the end of the encounter, Christ said the gentile woman's faith is great and then granted the request to heal the daughter.

The point here is that Christ came for Jew and gentile alike. Faith in Him is all that is needed.

[Staff edit].

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

... oops ... (was marketing site, 'sort of',didn't realize it)

 

[Phil 1:21]

Matthew 22:1-14

22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.

13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

 

[withwonderingawe]

If Jesus had meant that His Gospel was only to be preached to the Jews, His disciples would never have gone to the Gentiles, but they did. After Jesus’ resurrection the Gospel was to be preached to all nations – Jew and Gentile alike.

There is a difference between hearing his voice and hearing his message.

Gen 12
"And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Isa 49 can be read several different ways I suppose but there are several lines which have a lot to say;

"3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified....
Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength..... I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth."

It was Israel's calling to bring the message of the Messiah to the Gentiles.

Jesus sent his Apostles to the gentile world;
"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost"

 

[GeorgeTwo]

I believe that the "weight" was on the Lost Sheep but that his message of salvation... and redeeming work, was meant for and will ultimately before extended to, all.

I have not been sent BUT to the lost sheep.... is not arguable, those are his words. What is arguable is WHO the lost sheep are? Israel in the nations (lost sheep of Israel is a phrase used to describe them) or is it wayward Jews or ANYONE who is lost and without God? All of the above? There is where the debate comes in... not on who he said he came for.

Who are the lost sheep? That is a good question.

God said:

Jeremiah 50:6Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

6 My people are lost sheep;
their shepherds have led them astray,
guiding them the wrong way in the mountains.
They have wandered from mountain to hill;
they have forgotten their resting place.

Ezekiel 34:23-24Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

23 I will appoint over them a single shepherd, My servant David, and he will shepherd them. He will tend them himself and will be their shepherd. 24 I, Yahweh, will be their God, and My servant David will be a prince among them. I, Yahweh, have spoken.

Jesus said: John 10:11-16Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them[a] and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them. 13 This happens because he is a hired man and doesn’t care about the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd. I know My own sheep, and they know Me,15 as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.

It is the Messiah, son of David, who will lead the sheep. He is the shepherd.

Taking this further, I would say that anyone who does not accept Jesus as their shepherd can be called “lost sheep.”

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

"Taking this further, I would say that anyone who does not accept Jesus as their shepherd can be called “lost sheep.”..."


Or perhaps wolves, or sons of disobedience, or sons of the devil.
Jesus pointed this out Himself, in His Word.

 

[Ken Rank]

Taking this further, I would say that anyone who does not accept Jesus as their shepherd can be called “lost sheep.”

Let me ask you... Yeshua said, "I have not been sent to call the righteous but rather the sinners unto repentance." Who are those two people in that verse... who are the righteous he wasn't concerned about and who are the sinners he was? And... and this isn't being nitpicky nor an attempt to cause strife... I really want the verse for this... which verse says that we have to "accept" Jesus as their shepherd? Thanks.

 

[Soyeong]

Was Jesus sent ONLY to Israel?


Muslims seem to think so based on the following two Scriptures


Matthew 10:5-6 (NIV)
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

Matthew 15:24 (NIV)


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

but they don’t seen to realize or do not want to admit that Jesus’ mission was to the Jews and the Gentiles alike. In order to understand the scope of Jesus’ mission, we must take all relevant Scriptures into account.

The Jews needed to hear the Gospel first; they needed to be convinced that Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s promises to them. As one theologian said “If Jesus and his followers had simply begun an indiscriminate mission to the wider world, before God’s purpose had unfolded, they would have made God a liar.” God loves the whole world and intends to save the whole world, including the Gentiles, by fulfilling His promises to Israel and this was accomplished through His Messiah, Jesus.

It would be wrong to suggest that the portrait of Jesus in the Gospels ignored the potential inclusion of the nations in Jesus’ mission. Notice Jesus preformed miracles that involved Gentiles.

Jesus’ mission was universal:

Matthew 8:11 (New International Version © 2010)
11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.


As Jesus said in Luke 24:

45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

And as Apostle Peter said:


Acts 3:25-26 (New International Version)
25And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'[a] 26When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

Jesus concentrated primarily on the Jews during His time on earth, but after He rose from the dead, He said:

Acts 1:8 (New International Version)
8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Matthew 28: 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

Jesus anticipated that the Gentiles were to be included in His mission:


Matthew 24:14 (New International Version)
14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.


John 10:16 (New International Version)
16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.


If Jesus had meant that His Gospel was only to be preached to the Jews, His disciples would never have gone to the Gentiles, but they did. After Jesus’ resurrection the Gospel was to be preached to all nations – Jew and Gentile alike.


Luke 2:


25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:


29"Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss[d] your servant in peace.
30For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel."



(Simeon quotes from Isaiah; Jesus is the servant of Isaiah., the Messiah)



The Messiah appointed Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles, but Paul was not the only one who spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. There were others.



Barnabas accepted what Paul was preaching and brought him to the Apostles. (Acts 9:27-28)
Acts 13:45-47 (New International Version)
45When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.

46Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
" 'I have made you[a] a light for the Gentiles,
that you[b] may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'[c]"



Barnabas and Paul quote Isaiah 9:6.



Isaiah 49:6 (New International Version)
6 he says:
"It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."

Jesus’ mission was two-fold – first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles.

Jesus said he came only for the lost sheep of Israel, so that was his only mission, but that mission does not exclude Gentiles because Gentiles are able align themselves and become fellow citizens of Israel through faith in him. According to Romans 9:6-8, Israel is made up of those who have faith in the promised messiah. According to Ephesians 2:12-19, Gentiles were once separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world, but through faith in Messiah all of that is no longer true in that Gentiles are no longer foreigners or strangers, but are fellow citizens of Israel and members of God's household. According to 1 Peter 2:9-10, Gentiles are now part of God's chosen people, which is Israel. Furthermore, the New Covenant was only made with the house of Judah and the house of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31), so Gentiles need to become part of Israel in order to become part of the New Covenant. The Jews were set apart by God for the role of being a light to the nations (Deuteronomy 4:5-8, Isaiah 2:2-3, Isaiah 49:6) to teach them how to serve God and to walk in His ways, so the Gospel message needed to go to them first so that they could fulfill this role.

 

[danny ski]

Jesus said he came only for the lost sheep of Israel, so that was his only mission, but that mission does not exclude Gentiles because Gentiles are able align themselves and become fellow citizens of Israel through faith in him. According to Romans 9:6-8, Israel is made up of those who have faith in the promised messiah. According to Ephesians 2:12-19, Gentiles were once separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel, foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world, but through faith in Messiah all of that is no longer true in that Gentiles are no longer foreigners or strangers, but are fellow citizens of Israel and members of God's household. According to 1 Peter 2:9-10, Gentiles are now part of God's chosen people, which is Israel. Furthermore, the New Covenant was only made with the house of Judah and the house of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31), so Gentiles need to become part of Israel in order to become part of the New Covenant. The Jews were set apart by God for the role of being a light to the nations (Deuteronomy 4:5-8, Isaiah 2:2-3, Isaiah 49:6) to teach them how to serve God and to walk in His ways, so the Gospel message needed to go to them first so that they could fulfill this role.

That's as good of an explanation as any, except that the early church chose to separate itself from the Jewish people by excluding its members from the most basic attributes that make a person a member of the Israel- like Shabbat observance and circumcision (just to name two). Without those, the followers of Jesus may be attached to something, just not to Israel.

 

[GeorgeTwo]

That's as good of an explanation as any, except that the early church chose to separate itself from the Jewish people by excluding its members from the most basic attributes that make a person a member of the Israel- like Shabbat observance and circumcision (just to name two). Without those, the followers of Jesus may be attached to something, just not to Israel.

The question in the early church was "do Gentiles have to convert to Judaism" in order to be saved? Jesus' disciples, His brother, James, said no. See Acts 15.

I think you will also see that Judaism separated itself from the followers of Jesus.

 

[Soyeong]

That's as good of an explanation as any, except that the early church chose to separate itself from the Jewish people by excluding its members from the most basic attributes that make a person a member of the Israel- like Shabbat observance and circumcision (just to name two). Without those, the followers of Jesus may be attached to something, just not to Israel.

According to Isaiah 45:25, all Israel will be saved, which gets back to the question of who is Israel? A number of Jews in the early church thought that meant that Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes in order to become saved, which would involve circumcision, and which would involve joining the group of people who agreed at Sinai to do everything Moses said (Exodus 20:19, Deuteronomy 5:22-27), and which would involve living as Jews according to Jewish oral laws, traditions, rulings, and fences that we passed down from Moses. This issue came to a head in Acts 15, where it was ruled that because Gentiles had received the holy Spirit without first becoming Jewish proselytes that therefore that was not a requirement, so Gentiles are able to become part of God's chosen people, Israel, through faith in Messiah without having to become Jewish proselytes.

In the OT, circumcision was never required of all Gentiles, but only those who were Abraham's descendents or had been purchased as servants (Genesis 17:12) or those who wanted to participate in eating the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:48). The issue of importance was having a circumcised heart, of which circumcision of the flesh is an outward sign, and the way to deduce that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to God's Law (Romans 2:26), which is the same way as it is for Jews (Deuteronomy 30:6). So I agree that Gentiles should be keeping the Mosaic Law as it applies to them, which included keeping the Sabbath in accordance with Messiah's example. A relationship with Messiah is the goal of the Law for righteousness for all who believe, so we cannot follow one without following the other.

 

[Soyeong]

The question in the early church was "do Gentiles have to convert to Judaism" in order to be saved? Jesus' disciples, His brother, James, said no. See Acts 15.

I think you will also see that Judaism separated itself from the followers of Jesus.

The Torah is the way (Deuteronomy 8:6, Jeremiah 6:16-19, Psalms 119:1), the truth (Psalms 119:142), and the life (Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Proverbs 3:18, Matthew 19:17), Messiah is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), the Torah is God's Word, and Messiah is God's Word made flesh. He is the living embodiment of the Torah of God and there is no following one without the other. Jews who follow the Torah without following their Messiah are just as separated from the truth as Christians who follow the Messiah, but without following the Torah that he taught and lived out by example. The issue in Acts 15 was whether Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes in order to become part of God's people, Israel, not whether Gentiles had to learn to serve God and walk in His ways according to His Law and Messiah's example.

 

[danny ski]

According to Isaiah 45:25, all Israel will be saved, which gets back to the question of who is Israel? A number of Jews in the early church thought that meant that Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes in order to become saved, which would involve circumcision, and which would involve joining the group of people who agreed at Sinai to do everything Moses said (Exodus 20:19, Deuteronomy 5:22-27), and which would involve living as Jews according to Jewish oral laws, traditions, rulings, and fences that we passed down from Moses. This issue came to a head in Acts 15, where it was ruled that because Gentiles had received the holy Spirit without first becoming Jewish proselytes that therefore that was not a requirement, so Gentiles are able to become part of God's chosen people, Israel, through faith in Messiah without having to become Jewish proselytes.

In the OT, circumcision was never required of all Gentiles, but only those who were Abraham's descendents or had been purchased as servants (Genesis 17:12) or those who wanted to participate in eating the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:48). The issue of importance was having a circumcised heart, of which circumcision of the flesh is an outward sign, and the way to deduce that a Gentile has a circumcised heart is by observing their obedience to God's Law (Romans 2:26), which is the same way as it is for Jews (Deuteronomy 30:6). So I agree that Gentiles should be keeping the Mosaic Law as it applies to them, which included keeping the Sabbath in accordance with Messiah's example. A relationship with Messiah is the goal of the Law for righteousness for all who believe, so we cannot follow one without following the other.

No one can become a part of Israel without fulfilling the Mosaic Covenant requirements. It does not matter how well one's heart is circumcised or who is or is not one's messiah. There are clear commandments that established that. There's just no way around it. Hence, there's no such thing as half Jew. You either are or aren't. The early church tried to work around it by introducing the spiritual component, however, they erred by disregarding the Mosaic fundamentals and without those, well... what else is there to sa

 

[GeorgeTwo]

The Torah is the way (Deuteronomy 8:6, Jeremiah 6:16-19, Psalms 119:1), the truth (Psalms 119:142), and the life (Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Proverbs 3:18, Matthew 19:17), Messiah is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), the Torah is God's Word, and Messiah is God's Word made flesh. He is the living embodiment of the Torah of God and there is no following one without the other. Jews who follow the Torah without following their Messiah are just as separated from the truth as Christians who follow the Messiah, but without following the Torah that he taught and lived out by example. The issue in Acts 15 was whether Gentiles had to become Jewish proselytes in order to become part of God's people, Israel, not whether Gentiles had to learn to serve God and walk in His ways according to His Law and Messiah's example.

Jesus said He was the way and no one comes to the Father except through Him. I think you are reading into it more than the Messiah meant.

Acts 15:

15 Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!”

6 Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you,that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”

19 Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”