These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10.5-6).
Introduction
Most people do not know the above verses are in the Bible. Most who do know, don’t know what they mean. This study will reveal what the verses mean and why Jesus said them.
Separation of Jew and Gentile
Throughout the Old Testament, Jews were commanded to remain separate from Gentiles. The reason for the prohibition was that Israel was to be a special people (Deuteronomy 14.2, 26.18) before the Lord. The purpose of this separation was largely to prevent Jews from being drawn away into worshiping false gods (cf Exodus 20.2-6).
Despite this, some Gentiles became believers in the God of Israel. Examples of these were Rahab (Joshua 2, Joshua 6; Matthew 1.5; Hebrews 11.31), Ruth (Ruth 1; Matthew 1.5)–both of whom were our Lord’s ancestors–and Naaman the Syrian (2 Kings 5.1-19). God commanded Jonah to go to the Ninevites and the entire city was saved (Jonah 1.1-2; 3.4-10). After the conquest and captivity of the northern kingdom and later the southern kingdom, Jews were forced to have greater contact with Gentiles. The testimony of Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon who conquered the southern kingdom, is recorded in Daniel 4. He came to trust the God of Israel–Daniel’s God. Therefore, there were always exceptions in which Gentiles were blessed by Jews under the provisions of God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12.1-3).
Universal Blessing of Gentiles
According to prophecy, Gentiles were to be blessed by Jews in a much larger manner than the examples above (Isaiah 42.1-4; Isaiah 60.1-5; Zechariah 8.20-23; Romans 15.8-12). Such blessings would be the result of Israel’s kingdom and the presence of their King, the Messiah. All this presupposed Israel’s acceptance of their Messiah. Until this occurred, a universal blessing of Gentiles by the nation was not possible.
Presentation of the King
The gospels are the story of Jesus’ presentation of Himself as Israel’s King and Messiah. Jesus proclaimed that His kingdom, which had been proclaimed by the prophets, was near (Matthew 3.2, 4.17; Mark 1.15; Romans 15.8-9). In it, the Messiah would be established as King over the nation as David’s greater Son. This was what the angel told Mary (Luke 1.28-33). In this kingdom, Israel would be preeminent nation among the nations (Deuteronomy 28.1, 13) and Israel’s covenants would be fulfilled. As such, the nation would be the source of blessing to Gentiles.
Even a casual reading of the gospels should reveal that Jesus had no ministry to Gentiles. But to most, this statement is shocking. Most people think Jesus came to proclaim salvation to all who would believe in Him. But the Biblical record does not support this claim. In His earthly ministry, Jesus came to proclaim Himself as Israel’s Messiah. Not until later, through God’s revelation to Paul, did He reveal that Jesus was the Savior of the whole world.
According to Old Testament prophecy, no plan existed for Gentiles to be blessed universally apart from the Jews accepting their Messiah. But the Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah. How then could Gentiles possibly be blessed? Was God’s plan thwarted? The answer is both yes and no. The Jews had a legitimate choice but God knew how they would choose. Einstein once said God does not play dice. But in reality, God not only plays dice, His dice are loaded. God had an answer to how Gentiles could be blessed despite Israel’s failure. His answer was Paul. But we’re getting ahead of the story.
The reason Jesus commanded His disciples not to go to Gentiles was that ever since God called Abraham, Jews had priority. Gentiles were excluded (Ephesians 2.11-13). God gave Israel an opportunity to accept their Messiah. If they had, the kingdom would have come and universal blessing of Gentiles would have come in the kingdom of God (Matthew 6.10). Peter was still hoping for this result even after the nation had crucified her Messiah (Acts 3.17-21).
In the meantime, the Abrahamic covenant was in effect. While Jews had the priority of God’s blessings this priority was not exclusive. There could be exceptions, noted above. During Jesus’ earthly ministry are two exceptions to the general rule of Jewish priority. They are quite remarkable.
Remarkable Healing 1
Matthew recorded Jesus’ healing of a Canaanite woman. Below is the account.
21 Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once (Matthew 15.21-28).
Jesus had escaped the pressures of the crowd and gone north to the area of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman found Him. She found Him because she had a problem. Aren’t we all this woman? This woman’s problem was her daughter: she was demon-possessed. We can only imagine what suffering she had endured and how hopeless her situation seemed. We do not know what she had heard about Jesus. But she knew exactly who He was and addressed Him by His proper title. Notice what she said: she asked for mercy, she called Him Lord, and she called Him “Son of David.” The woman had her facts straight. Jesus’ lack of response seems almost cruel. He refused even to acknowledge her.
The disciples then got into the picture. How embarrassing! What a nuisance! This Gentile, and a woman to boot, was causing a scene! They implored the Lord to send her away. We don’t know how long this went on but it is reasonable to assume several minutes. Finally, because of her persistence, Jesus told her He was sent only to Jews. The woman would not be turned aside. She was desperate. She got into His way. She bowed down before Him and begged Him to help her. Matthew’s language is that she was continually prostrating herself before the Lord (ἐλθοῦσα προσεκύνει αὐτῷ). Again Jesus rebuffed her. He told her that it was not “good” (καλός), that is, right or proper to “take the children’s (Jews) bread and throw it to dogs (κυνάριον)–little dogs–(Gentiles) such as she. The woman was remarkable. No doubt distraught, she kept her presence of mind: she agreed with Him. She (you have to love her nimble mind) replied that even “little dogs” got crumbs from the master’s table. The woman did everything right. She recognized Jesus for who He was. She agreed with Him about everything He had said. But she used His own words to keep her hope alive. What must have the Lord thought of her? This was a woman to be reckoned with! Her faith was beyond compare. Jesus replied, “Oh woman!” (In today’s language we would say, “What a woman!”) “Great is your faith! Your wish is granted.” And we read her daughter was healed immediately.
Remarkable Healing 2
One day Jesus went to Capernaum, a village on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. While there He encountered a Roman centurion. Matthew recorded:
5 And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, 6 and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” 7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 “For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 10 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel. 11 “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; 12 but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment (Matthew 8.5-13).
A centurion (a Roman officer who commanded a hundred soldiers) came to Jesus and implored (παρακαλέω) Him to attend to his suffering (βασανίζω), paralyzed servant. We do not know if his suffering was the result of battle or from some other cause. We only know that the centurion deeply cared for the man. Interestingly, particularly in view of the passage we have just examined, Jesus did not hesitate to say that He would go to the centurion’s house and heal him.1 But the centurion protested. He recognized who Jesus was. He understood Jesus had the authority and power to heal his servant without going to his house. Even though he was a good man, he knew he was unworthy for Jesus to enter his house–Jews were not supposed to enter the house of a Gentile (Acts 10.28). As a commander, he understood authority. Therefore, he asked Jesus simply to give the command. He was confident his servant would be healed. When Jesus heard his response he marveled at the man. Turning to His followers he said, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.” Jesus healed the centurion’s servant as the man had believed.
In this exchange, Jesus gave a telling indictment to the Jewish crowd following Him. He said, “I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Those who come from the east and west are Gentiles. The “sons of the kingdom” were Jews. Though they were the natural heirs of the kingdom, their fate would be hell. The reason: unbelief.
Ministry to Gentiles
As we have noted, Jesus had no ministry to Gentiles. His role was to fulfill what the prophets had written about Him (Romans 15.8). Ever since God had called Abraham, He had set aside the Gentiles and revealed Himself to Jews. They had the priority, the covenants, and the word of God (Romans 3.2-3; Ephesians 2.11-12). God did make exceptions, however. In Jesus’ ministry, the Canaanite woman and the Roman centurion were exceptions. They exhibited extraordinary faith and because of this faith, Jesus granted their requests.
The Twelve continued to proclaim the prophetic plan of Jesus as the Messiah, even after he had been crucified, resurrected, and had ascended. They also had no ministry to Gentiles. They continued to preach the kingdom of God and hoped Israel would repent (Acts 2.22, 29, 36-39, 3.19-20). But the nation refused.
Conclusion
God in His mercy, however, remembered the Gentiles. He changed His greatest enemy, Saul of Tarsus, to become Paul, the “apostle to the Gentiles” (Romans 11.13). Paul’s ministry was primarily to Gentiles. Gentiles could not be blessed according to God’s prophetic plan with Israel because of Israel’s disobedience. But God in His wisdom and great mercy, created a new salvific plan through His saving and commissioning of Paul to bless Gentiles in spite of Israel’s disobedience. This work was completely outside God’s revealed plan. The prophets knew nothing of it and Jesus had revealed nothing of it in His earthly ministry. But God keeps secrets and reveals them when He wishes. In His own time, He manifested Himself to Paul and commissioned Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles (Romans 11.13; 1 Timothy 2.7). To this apostle the ascended Lord revealed secrets (μυστήριον) He had kept hidden.2 One of these was the Church, the body of Christ (Ephesians 3.4-7; 4.15-16; Colossians 1.24) in which there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile but which is composed mainly of Gentiles.
God is sovereign and He works all things for good according to His will. God has mercy upon all. Until Abraham God dealt with mankind. After Abraham, he created the Jewish people and dealt with them. With the call of Paul God put no distinction between Jew and Gentile. But for the past 2000 years the Church, the body of Christ has been composed of mainly Gentiles. And what of Israel? Has God abandoned them? Absolutely not! (μὴ γένοιτο). When the Church, body of Christ is completed, God will again deal with national Israel. Paul answered this question in his great dissertation upon the nation in Romans 9-11 and concluded his argument thusly:
33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things To Him be the glory forever. Amen (Romans 11.33-36).
1 Luke’s account may shed some light. According to Luke, the centurion was a great friend of the Jews. Apparently, the man was wealthy for he had built the Jews a synagogue. Because of this, influential Jews interceded on his behalf to Jesus. In Luke’s account, Jesus did not interact directly with the centurion. The request was most likely mediated by Jews. Therefore, according to the Biblical record, this Canaanite woman was the only Gentile that Jesus granted a wish directly in His three years of ministry. Luke’s wrote:
1 When He had completed all His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum. 2 And a centurion’s slave, who was highly regarded by him, was sick and about to die. 3 When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders asking Him to come and save the life of his slave. 4 When they came to Jesus, they earnestly implored Him, saying, “He is worthy for You to grant this to him; 5 for he loves our nation and it was he who built us our synagogue.” 6 Now Jesus started on His way with them; and when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof; 7 for this reason I did not even consider myself worthy to come to You, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 “For I also am a man placed under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” 9 Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, “I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.” 10 When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health (Luke 7.1-10).
2 See the study Paul’s Mystery for more on this subject.
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Hello Don,
What a great article; what a great God we have. Your quote from Romans 11:33 in the footnotes says it all: 33Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
That we, the gentile “dogs,” might benefit from the failure of the Jews to accept Jesus, their messiah, is a blessing that most of us never even think about. The church, the body of Christ was known by God from the foundation of creation and yet he kept it secret until revealing it to Paul; another gentile blessing beyond our comprehension.
Thank you for all of your study and work in providing us with more insight into God’s Word.
Regards…..Jack
Meridian, ID
Amen!
Hi Don,
I just want to let you know that there are probably many of us out here who read and study these lessons on a regular basis and learn so much from your great teaching, but don’t say much or ask a lot of questions or post many comments.
I personally have found through the years that if I have a spiritual question the Lord Jesus will eventually show me the answer in some way, either through His Word or some life experience. But He is always faithful. It may take some time because most of us are slow learners. Actually I think I can safely speak for all of us on that! Praise God for His infinite patience! :-)
Bottom line: just wanted to thank you for your hard work here for us. Grace and peace to you.
Now on to the next lesson…
Maranatha!
Tom,
Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. I second everything! Praise God for His patience! Grace and peace.
Don, once again thank you for your scholarship. I teach a Christian discipleship class for the last 19 years in one of the roughest prisons in the U.S., a maximum security prison in Beaumont, Texas. This class has become the most sought after Christian class being taught on the unit. We seek to rightly divide the word of God 2 TIM 2:15 as Paul instructed Timothy. Your copyright info allows me to print out your articles to distribute to the men in my class. Had you not have that copyright info allowing free distribution at the bottom of your writings the state would never allow me to bring it in.
We will be studying ‘Two Remarkable Healings’ this Thursday on the unit. I cannot impress on you enough how much doctrine.org has been a blessing to our class and to me personally as a teacher of the Word. You have helped a bunch of men who know, understand, and stood before a judgement bar and who at one time thought they had no standing with God whatsoever. That by the Gospel of the Grace of God, Acts 20:24, Romans 5:8, 1 Cor 15:1-4, by their faith they can now stand before the judgement bar of God Almighty, clothed in the infinite rightousnous of Christ himself.
Thank you, from one of the ransomed ones,
YBIC,
William Black
William,
Thank you for your kind and encouraging comments. What you are doing to help these men know and learn about our glorious Savior and His salvation makes what I do worthwhile. All of us come into the world as prisoners of Adam’s sin and the deception of Satan. The Lord Jesus Christ, by His dying for our sins and rising from the dead, has set us free from sin and death. Thank you for sharing this glorious message of salvation (1 Corinthians 15.1-4) to those in prison. Paul spent many days in prison and as the “apostle of the grace of God” is able to empathize with them and the Lord Himself was condemned by men and suffered the humiliation and ignominy of crucifixion for us. May the Lord continue to bless you and your men. Grace and peace.
Don,
I too have been blessed and have learned much from your articles. My question is, it seems Jesus healed many after departing from the Canaanite woman, traveling further into Gentile territory. Decapolis and the legion, the feeding of the 4,000. It seems many Gentiles were healed. I know the program was that Gentiles would be blessed through Israel, but weren’t there more than 2 exceptions?
Robert70,
None are recorded. While Jesus ministered in Decapolis, the historic area of the tribe of Gad, His ministry was confined to Jews. Even right before His crucifixion, the disciples were flummoxed as to what to do with Gentiles who wished to see Jesus (John 12.20-26). Had Jesus regularly been making exceptions and ministering to Gentiles, their hesitation would not make sense. The text does not indicate He saw them.
Don,
Thank you for your quick reply, I so appreciate this site because my understanding of Scripture has grown, strengthening my belief.
If I may follow-up…other scholars say Tyre and Sidon are Gentile territories and Jesus’ command to not ‘go in the way of the Gentiles or any Samaritan city’ must not have been in effect during this time. Do they unintentionally find themselves there?
If Jesus was in Gentile territory when he fed the 4000, how do we know none of those on whom he had compassion were Gentiles?
Does the ‘Woman at the Well’ predate the command of avoiding a Samaritan city? He reveals Himself as the Messiah to her and many Samaritans believed.
Again, I thank you for your scholarship. I share these articles with other Christians but I’m not sure how to answer the above potential challenges.
Robert,
What we know for certain is what the Scriptures reveal. They do not reveal a ministry to Gentiles. When people start assuming things, error occurs. Stay with the text. Everything in the Gospels pointed to Him being the Jewish hope and Messiah. Read Luke 1-2 and note how Jewish everything is. See what Paul wrote in Romans 15.8. All these things support the view that Jesus came to minister to Jews alone. Peter did not address Gentiles at Pentecost. If there was an ongoing ministry to Gentiles, don’t you think he would have? No, all the evidence points to the fact that Jesus had no ministry to Gentiles.
Don,
I certainly do not believe Jesus had an ongoing ministry to Gentiles. The text is absolutely clear in Romans 15 and Luke 1-2 and the Matthew ‘dogs’ references. I’m under no false impression on this. I genuinely want to learn. The text shows Jesus commanded his apostles not to go in the way of the Gentiles or any city of the Samaritan. Then we find them in Tyre and Sidon…why? Is it because of those who wanted to kill him, he ‘withdrew’. The text also shows Jesus ‘had’ to go through a Samaritan town where he encountered the woman at the well. What was his purpose in revealing that He was the Messiah to Samaritans and telling his apostles the harvest is great? He stays 2 days with them and because of his words, many believed.
I’m sticking with the text here, but still need help understanding. Samaritans were half-breed Jews, correct? Did Jesus consider himself to be the Messiah of these people also?
I’m so thankful and impressed that you answer these questions. My Biblical knowledge has grown because of your work. If you want to take our conversation off-site, feel free to e-mail me directly. Thank you also for your patience with me.
Robert70,
Yes, Samaritans were Jews who had intermarried Gentiles and were looked down upon by Jews. Jesus said not to go to them (Matthew 10.5-6) but violated this general rule Himself. The text is clear that Jesus had to go there. But we are given no explanation about this. What is remarkable too, is that Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah very clearly to this woman. He did not veil His identity. All we can say is there are a lot of unknowns here and that God reserves the right to do what He wants and make exceptions when He wishes.
Thanks for that excellent reply. Our Lord’s compassion is boundless. Jesus of Nazareth knew the program. Jew first, then Gentile. They would be blessed through Israel. But His compassion for humanity are what we see in these exceptions (along with the other reasons unknown to us). In His mercy He delayed judgement, raised up Saul and allowed a way for this ‘dog’ to get saved. Please keep up the good work.
Don,
According to this passage, He healed many Gentiles, but He did tell them not to make Him known –
Mat 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all;
Mat 12:16 And charged them that they should not make him known:
Mat 12:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 12:18 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.
Mat 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
Mat 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Mat 12:21 And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
Bmariez,
Read the passage carefully. It does not state Jesus healed Gentiles. The passage speaks of the Messiah’s rule (judgment) of Gentiles. This was promised by many prophetic passages, the first being in Psalm 2. When the Messianic kingdom is set up, Israel will be supreme over the nations of the world and Jesus will rule from Jerusalem (Isaiah 2.2; Zechariah 8.18-23, 14.9).
Don,
It says He healed them all and charged them, etc., that it might be fulfilled….and then it tells what Jesus fulfilled
Bmariez,
These were Jewish crowds, not Gentile. Jesus had no ministry to Gentiles according to Matthew 10.5-6, 15.24, John 12.20-22. Had Jesus been ministering to Gentiles Philip and Andrew would not have needed to discuss this request. Note that the text does not state He saw them. See also Romans 15.8.
Don,
The prophecy being fulfilled says Mat 12:19 He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. But Jesus in fact did cry out many times. So it must be making a reference to the Gentiles. I think the key words in this verse are “in the streets.” Then the following verse says “A bruised reed shall He not break and smoking flax shall he not quench, till He send forth judgment unto victory”…..the judgment spoken of in verse 18. He did not send away this multitude of Gentiles because they were broken reeds and smoking flax. “And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.”
Again, what is being fulfilled, because it said something was fulfilled?
bmariez,
I think you are right. The context of the passage anticipates the Messiah’s blessing Jews and Gentiles in the kingdom and His inheritance of Gentiles (Psalm 2.8). Verse 14 anticipates His rejection. The passage then describes how Jesus went away and multitudes followed Him. While Matthew has explicit statements that Jesus commanded His disciples not to go to Gentiles, and He Himself did not go to them except in exceptional cases, it appears the multitude here represented and anticipated God’s blessing of Jew and Gentiles in the kingdom. Matthew gave no explicit statement Gentiles were in the multitude but this seems pretty clear by his quotation of Isaiah, which describes God’s blessings of Gentiles in the kingdom. Good job!
Don,
So what does it mean when it says, “that it might be fulfilled…” That what ymight be fulfilled?
Bmariez,
I’m not ignoring you. I’m pondering.
Don,
I found the prophecy in Isaiah 42 that Matthew 12:17 was referencing. These verses jumped out at me:
Isa 42:6 I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;
Isa 42:7 To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.
Jesus had to fulfill this prophecy, which He did in Matthew. Wow. This chapter prophecies about Jesus and Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. (Many years ago i was troubled about all the preachers in the world because so many preach truth and yet could also get way off track. I prayed and asked the Lord, Who can i trust? Who can i follow? I immediately, almost audibly, heard “Paul.” I even turned around to see who was talking to me.) The Holy Spirit has continually opened my eyes to Paul’s writings.) Jesus was sent to the Jews and yet He had to fulfill this prophecy.
I looked at Strong’s definition of “judgment” (as used in Matthew and Isaiah in the above passages). Above you stated “The passage speaks of the Messiah’s rule (judgment) of Gentiles.” What do you mean when you say “rule”? Thx
Bmariez,
Look at the references and consider the context. This “judgment” will take place in the Millennial kingdom. Jesus will rule the earth as King over Jews and Gentiles (not Church). He will exercise judgment but rule will be the defining operation (Revelation 2.27 (notice this is one of the “churches,” and one can see how Jewish this all is, i.e., not Pauline churches but Jewish assemblies, Revelation 12.5, 19.15).
//Look at the references and consider the context.//
Don, pardon me but you seem to be saying that the context has to be within the framework you have already decided on, rather than the context of the scripture itself.
Matt 4:13-17 clearly says that Jesus went out from His own country and preached to the Gentiles. This was at the beginning of His ministry. How do we know He did that? Matthew tells us so, and quotes the Old Testament prophet:
Mat 4:14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
Mat 4:15 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;
Mat 4:16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.
And the next verse even says that Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom to these people!
Mat 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Anyone who denies this explicit clear language has a dog in the fight, quite frankly.
Pete,
This passage does not say Jesus preached to Gentiles. Matthew 12 is different, as I indicated in my answer to bmariez. On the contrary, this passage clearly referred to Jews, not Gentiles. The context of Isaiah 9.1-2, which is quoted regarded Jews of the northern kingdom. “People” almost always referred to Israel, not Gentiles. It was a promise to Jews who had forsaken God and embraced idolatry that they would be restored and brought into the light of the Messiah. That is what is going on in Matthew 4.
Don, verse 15 says it was “Gentiles” and verse 17 says Jesus began to preach at this time, about the kingdom of heaven. The OT is full of prophecies about Gentiles coming into blessings, starting with God’s promise to Abraham.
God always planned to include Gentiles in the kingdom under Jesus Christ.
Jesus entered into these GENTILE territories right at the beginning of His ministry. What do you think He was doing there? Shopping? Not sure how you arrive at the idea that these were Jews.
Galatians 3 backs all of this up.
Pete,
Verse 15 reads “Galilee of the Gentiles.” This was Jewish land which had been overtaken by invasion, beginning with the Assyrians during Isaiah’s day. This is what Matthew 4 is about. The 10 tribes had split and gone into idolatry. God disciplined them with invading Assyrians. But God promised they would be restored. This is the meaning of Matthew 4. Yes, Gentiles were living there along with Jews. But it was Jewish land. Zebulun and Naphtali were sons of Jacob. And again, “people” refers to Jews. Gentiles are גּוֹי, not עַם. And yes, God promised to include Gentiles, but Israel had to come first. Why do you think the 12 never went to Gentiles? Why do you think Peter did not address Gentiles at Pentecost? Why do you think the 12 stayed in Jerusalem, even under intense persecution, when the other Jewish believers fled (Acts 8.1)? Why do you think Jesus gave the order of ministry in Acts 1.8? God’s promise of blessing Gentiles was through Israel. God revealed no plan to bless Gentiles apart from Israel repenting and accepting the Messiah.
Don, thanks for the correction. I agree and will change my thinking on that one.
Pete
Pete,
We learn together as iron sharpens iron.
Don, please look at the entire prophecy that was fulfilled in Matthew 12. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.
The first day i posted this was the first day I’d seen it myself. And you were the first person that came to mind. I know and recognize the Holy Spirit’s leading. Ask the Lord to open your eyes.
bmariez,–I answered this on Sept. 26, but for some reason it did not post.
I think you are right. The context of the passage anticipates the Messiah’s blessing Jews and Gentiles in the kingdom and His inheritance of Gentiles (Psalm 2.8). Verse 14 anticipates His rejection. The passage then describes how Jesus went away and multitudes followed Him. While Matthew has explicit statements that Jesus commanded His disciples not to go to Gentiles, and He Himself did not go to them except in exceptional cases, it appears the multitude here represented and anticipated God’s blessing of Jew and Gentiles in the kingdom. Matthew gave no explicit statement Gentiles were in the multitude but this seems pretty clear by his quotation of Isaiah, which describes God’s blessings of Gentiles in the kingdom. Good job!
Don,
Regarding John 12:20-23
Joh 12:20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
Joh 12:21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
Joh 12:22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
Joh 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
It doesn’t say that He saw them, like you said. But His reply is clearer to me now in light of what I have seen from Matt 12. In cross referencing vs. 23, i came to Isa 49:5-6 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.
It sounds to me that with the Greeks, Gentiles, coming and saying, We would “see” Jesus, Jesus knew His hour had come to be glorified. We really are forced to stop and think, Why was this His reply?
Bmariez,
The great secret of prophecy was how the Messiah would deal with sin. It is only mentioned in one passage, Isaiah 53. No Jew understood this passage. All blessing, whether to Israel or Gentiles, required the Messiah die. I doubt Jesus saw these Gentiles but it was a sign of His soon crucifixion which would draw “all men to Himself” (John 12.32).
Don,
Yes, draw all men to Himself….reminds me of this passage:
Luk 2:27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
Luk 2:28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Luk 2:29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
Luk 2:30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Luk 2:31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
Luk 2:32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
Don, where you said, “it was a sign of his soon crucifixion,” are you referring to the Greeks asking to see Him as the “sign”? Thx.
Bmariez,
What I meant by this was that all blessing, to Jews and Gentiles, depended ultimately upon Christ’s sacrifice of Himself. He is promised the inheritance of the nations (Psalm 2.8).
Don, are you planning on incorporating this into your study?
Bmariez,
Yes, but I’m pretty busy right now so don’t know when I’ll get to it. The basic point remains sound, that Jesus did not have a ministry to Gentiles. When He did on occasion, it was an exception or pointed to fulfillment of His inheritance of the nations and blessing them.
Bmariez,
Dear sister. Am not a scholar, or affiliated with this site. However I perceive you are looking at these things with your “Jesus” glasses on. Because the mysteries have been revealed to us. However I just want to caution you to not linger too long on this path. It’s better to be aware of where the doctrine of Grace is offered through the Risen Jesus for the Gentiles. For in Matthew it is not yet clear nor is it offered as of yet. I HAVE DONE the same thing, lol. I encourage you to get more familiar with the covenants and ALL of Paul’s epistles. And linger there. That’s the safest place to be. There are many devices used against us by the enemy… The enemy would like to draw us away from the Gospel of Grace and draw us into murkey waters. May the Lord bless you richly in your studies.
Doctrine,
One interesting point in the miracle done to the Canaanite woman, is that first she implores Jesus as “thou son of David”. She is not given what she wants with this address. It’s interesting that after she calls upon Him as “Lord” (of all) does He grant her wish.
Taken to mean that as “Son of David ” He came to minister to Jews. So she didn’t have place in that ministry.
This taken from Donald Barnhouse commentary on Revelation.
Thank you. Grace and Peace .
Hello brother, did Satan ever heal anyone in the bible, does he have the power to heal, ie. antichrist coming back to life or fallen angel stirring up the waters on solomon’s porch( survival of the fittest?!) Thanks for your help.
George,
I do not know of a passage which specifically states this but Paul wrote the Corinthians 2 Corinthians 11.13-15. The Jews had exorcists and demons caused certain diseases (Acts 19.11-16). The antichrist will clearly have miraculous powers to deceive.
Don,
Another remarkable healing occurred when Jesus passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee in Luke chapter 17, the healing of the stranger, the Samaritan leper. Thanks.
Bmariez,
Yes. These accounts are polemical. The healing of the two Gentiles was a polemic against Israel for its lack of faith. The same is true of the Samaritan. The Jews condemned these half-breed Jews but Jesus pointed out this one out as more faithful than pure-blood Jews. The same is the case of the “Good Samaritan.” He was the “good neighbor,” better than either the priest and the Levite who would not help the wounded man. Jesus’ healing of Gentiles in Matthew 12 came after the Jews conspired to kill Him. All of these accounts demonstrate Israel impenitence and lack of faith. Because of this the kingdom of God could not come upon earth.
Don,
In the Gospel records we often get additional details from the different writers, but with the Centurion, Matthew’s account had Jesus and the Centurion in a dialog together. They were talking to each other and having a conversation. In Luke’s account (footnote 1) the Centurion did not seem to want Jesus to come to his home, that he felt he was unworthy of a personal visit, but only wanted Jesus to heal the servant – from some distance. The Centurion stayed at his house, and Jesus never got to the house.
To me this would be better understood as two separate events. I understand both were in Capernaum and it is highly unlikely that there were two centurions there with two remarkably similar – but different – encounters with Christ. Jesus could not meet the Centurion and have a conversation with him (Matthew) and explicitly not come face to face with the Centurion, and have others carrying messages between the two men so that they would not actually meet.
If these two are the save event, they contradict each other. They are not just different details shared by the two Gospel writers. Either they met face to face and spoke to each other; or they didn’t. I can not harmonize these two accounts – unless something is lost in Matthew’s account when translated into English. I’d be pleased to hear your thoughts. Thanks,
Rob,
It’s highly unlikely they were two events. The only way to harmonize them is that Jesus spoke to the centurion through proxies.
Very informative. I’m not sure that it’s important enough to resolve whether Jesus spoke to the Centurian directly or indirectly. I think sometimes we can get lost in mute points. As for me I read this and looked at the overall critical elements that Jesus put forth and that he would also establish a way and a means for the Gentiles to come and be embraced as a child ood God as well. And I am forever grateful for that.
Don,
Another example of when Jesus went to the Gentiles was when He went to the “other side” (the side of the Gentiles) in Mark 5 and Luke 8 and dealt with Legion.
BMartin,
Historically, this was land that belonged to Manasseh. While Gentiles lived in the area, it is highly doubtful Jesus went to them. The Scriptures declare He ministered to Jews only except in rare exceptions.
Was the nobleman in John 4:46 a Jew?
BMartin,
Yes. A better translation is “royal official.” Jews served as royal officials of Gentiles their entire history beginning with Joseph. Cf. Daniel, Mordecai, Nehemiah, Ethiopian eunuch, etc.
Good day sir… Thank you for your awesome article..
I have a question.. Has Jesus not taken our infirmities?
Are we believers still supposed to be sick??
Are we not supposed to have healing when we pray?
Paul said, is any sick among you??…
What is the place of healing in the church today
Thank you
Phantom,
The audience for Isaiah 53 is Israel, not the whole world. Jesus healed in His earthly ministry. God still heals but the gift of healing has ended. Paul could no longer heal after he left Malta and began his Roman imprisonment. Healing has ceased long before this among the 12. This is why James said to anoint with oil and prayer for one who was sick (James 5.14). James wrote to Jews, not to members of the Church, the body of Christ. See my article, Sign Gifts: Valid Today?
Okay thank you sir.. I’ve seen the article….
Does God determine when every person dies??
Phantom,
God knows all.
Great article and wow, the faith of the Centurion. I know you enjoy writing in place of Paul or Peter, a conversation. I wonder what an article would look like from your perspective of what Jesus experienced when HE came down here as a man. What did HE think about being around humans and what did HE see? What was it like being God and then man with feeling of hurt and pain, never mind betrayals. Did he find any beauty in us or nature? I’d sure like to see that.
David,
Jesus spoke a lot in His earthly ministry so we know exactly what He thought about the subjects you mentioned. No need for me to write an article.
Hi Doctrine,
I thought I would let you know that I am reading your articles on my Christian You Tube channel because I find they are well researched and well done. I tend to read others articles and I do share them in my description box. The Heart of David if you would ever like to see. I don’t usually tell people I read their articles but seeing how there’s a space here. You helped iron out my theology on the kingdom vs Paul’s gospel which truly helped my own understanding and I’m grateful for that. It sure causes backlash.
God bless You are also through my videos helping others understand the differences.
David,
Thank you. May God bless your work. Yes, it causes a backlash because most people and most pastors have never learned or heard these things. Mainstream Christendom is largely based on tradition rather than having a correct understanding of the Scriptures and how God has designed His programs.