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Post by mystic on Jul 7, 2021 2:34:06 GMT -8
Jesus summoned his Twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out
and to cure every disease and every illness.
The names of the Twelve Apostles are these:
first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew,
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;
Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot
who betrayed Jesus.
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,
“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.
Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’“
Why were the disciples instructed to do so when Jesus said he came to save the lost and then in the end instructed them to spread the Gospel all over the earth?
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Post by alon on Jul 7, 2021 13:55:31 GMT -8
Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus, “ Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’“ Why were the disciples instructed to do so when Jesus said he came to save the lost and then in the end instructed them to spread the Gospel all over the earth?
This was relatively early in Yeshua's ministry, so it was not yet time for the message to go out to the Gentile/pagan/Greek peoples. Also, I believe this was part of the training process for his disciples. Yeshua was looking forward to the time they would be sent out, scattered into the nations. But they were not yet ready for this. So He kept them home where they were relatively safe for their early forays into ministry on their own. Romans 1:16 (ESV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Even after they went into the nations, now as shaliachim/apostles, the message was still "to the Jew first." Reading Acts we see them time and again going first into the synagogues. It is not until about halfway through Acts that the gospel is even offered to the Gentiles other than when one came to them (which had always been the case in Judaism).
Recall too that when they first went out the diaspora had not yet been ordered by Rome. There was as yet no great animosity between believing Jews and non- believers. So still there was a progression in their learning- we all learn and become seasoned with experience. Not to say there were not problems; there certainly were many. But it was as yet not the hatred of the split after the loss of the Bar'Kochba war and subsequent mass expulsion from ha'Eretz Yisroel. And as bad as Rome was, it was worse after that war. So for the shaliachim and their heirs in the sect of the Notsarim there was a sort of progression of learning, starting with witnessing at home first. There is method and purpose in all God does. |
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Post by mystic on Jul 8, 2021 3:16:57 GMT -8
Makes sense.
Moving on,
Jesus said to his Apostles:
“As you go, make this proclamation:
‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.’
Cure the sick, raise the dead,
cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.
Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.
Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts;
no sack for the journey, or a second tunic,
or sandals, or walking stick.
The laborer deserves his keep.
Why did he tell them not to accept any money or anything else? All Ministers make a living off of this.
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Post by alon on Jul 8, 2021 14:46:25 GMT -8
I think that to understand what is being said we must read this entire passage in context:
Matthew 10: 5 These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And proclaim as you go, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay. 9 Acquire no gold or silver or copper for your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics or sandals or a staff, for the laborer deserves his food. 11 And whatever town or village you enter, find out who is worthy in it and stay there until you depart. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town. 15 Truly, I say to you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah than for that town.
Another reason the disciples may have been confined to ministering to the Jews was they were God's chosen people. They had already endured much for Him, and would endure much, much more. It is likely God wanted them to have every chance to accept their Messiah, Yeshua; their salvation. And salvation comes through the Jewish people, as Yeshua indicated to the Samaritan woman:
John 4:22 You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews.
It was always meant to be this way. The Jews were supposed to be a light unto the nations:
Isaiah 49:6b I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”
Yeshua, Salvation itself in human form came through the Jewish people. His disciples were meant to go out, soon to be dispersed throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. By their example others, Gentiles would be drawn to the God of Israel. But for now, the Jewish people must first be converted.
Look at the progression in the passage from Matthew:
- they are sent out to the Jewish people only
- they are to proclaim the kingdom of heaven is at hand, the message of Yochanon the Immerser and of Yeshua
- the proof that they are of God is they will perform miracles which minister to and help people
- they are not to accept payment for their services in money or in goods
--- this would make their efforts for gain, not for service, thus cheapening the message
- they were to be entirely dependent on their God and the good graces of those they ministered to for food and shelter
--- this too was to be a witness
- the last part where their "peace," (their εἰρήνη eirēnē, prosperity, quietness, rest) a type of blessing would come on a worthy house, and what can only be described as a curse would come on the unworthy is reminiscent of the promise God made to Avraham:
Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” [Or by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves]
Now take note of the bracketed portion, which is a footnote in the ESV. That is how the Hebrew transcript actually reads; the families of the earth shall bless themselves. They either accept the message and treat the messenger with dignity, giving food and shelter, and thus bring the blessing on themselves; or they refuse the message, rebuke the messenger, and bring upon themselves a terrible curse. This fits perfectly with our passage. It also shows that biblical principles are eternal. It was thus in the time of Avraham, it was that way in that time the disciples first went out, and it would be that way when the shaliachim, those made apostles would go out into the world. It would also be the same when the Sect of the Notsarim were sent into the far corners with the diaspora. And it is the same today. We bring a blessing or a curse upon ourselves by our decision for or against Yeshua, and by how we treat those called to be His messengers.
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- there are 70 faces to 
