Puzzling Scriptures

[Channa]

Some puzzling Scriptures are found in Matthew, if we try to lump together the stated reason for Jesus' earthly ministry to cover both Jew and Gentile. Many years after His death, burial and resurrection, a zealous defender of Judaism turned apostle to the Gentiles brought this new message. Speaking of which, why would there be a NEED for an Apostle to the Gentiles if they were already part of the whole?

What do we do with Matthew 10:5-7:

5] These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
[6] But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[7] And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Who is speaking, and to whom is he speaking? Sounds like Jesus, a Jewish rabbi speaking to his Jewish followers.

So what is the Kingdom of Heaven? Why does Jesus not speak of the free gift of Grace and Paul not speak of the Kingdom of Heaven? Just what is going on here anyway?


And again Jesus states the same thing, this time directly to a Gentile.

Matthew 15:22-28:

[22] And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
[23] But he answered her not a word. And his disciples (Jews) came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
[24] But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
[25] Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
[26] But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
[27] And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
[28] Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus even called her a dog (Gentile) not fit to be given the bread of the children (Jews). Specifically He was not including this Gentile woman in what He was proclaiming throughout the land of Israel.

How can Jesus' earthly ministry be for both Jews and Gentiles when He so clear stated that He came not for the Gentiles?

[HeIsEnough]

Some puzzling Scriptures are found in Matthew, if we try to lump together the stated reason for Jesus' earthly ministry to cover both Jew and Gentile.

Good questions.

I think you already had the answer, Christ came to the lost sheep of Israel. It was prophesied that the covenant would be made with His people Israel, which is not the gentiles. We share in what the Messiah brought to His people, which was also prophesied. A question of timing, or said in a different way in several places within scripture, "To the Jew first, then to the gentile."


Many years after His death, burial and resurrection, a zealous defender of Judaism turned apostle to the Gentiles brought this new message.

If you dig a little deeper into Paul's writings, you will find he tells it a little differently. Paul's claims are that the gospel he received was culled from the scriptures, by way of illumination of the Holy Spirit. He is recorded in Acts as reasoning with any who would listen from the scriptures as to the truth and nature of the Messiah. So it was an unveiling of the truth already recorded, in the main. Paul also recorded some mysteries previously unknown, and John did the same.


Speaking of which, why would there be a NEED for an Apostle to the Gentiles if they were already part of the whole?


God chose Paul to unveil the gospel to Kings, the gentiles AND the nation of Israel, it is a message for all parties. My take is a matter of preference by the Lord. Paul was a man suitable for the task. Up until the time that Cornelius received the Spirit, the gentiles were not included in the new covenant.

How can Jesus' earthly ministry be for both Jews and Gentiles when He so clear stated that He came not for the Gentiles?

As stated previously, it was a question of timing. This parable gives the simplest and most direct answer to His stated purposes when He tabernacled among us.


Matthew 22

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3He 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. 6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7The 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. 9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' 10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, 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'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' 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."

We are the "good and bad" found on the street corner. Israel was the one who "had been invited", as in they are the natural children of God, the original "invitees", if you will.

[Theresa]

Who is the man without wedding clothes?

[HeIsEnough]

Who is the man without wedding clothes?

Shalom.

Another good question.

I personally think it a companion reference to these:


Revelation 3:17
You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.


2 Corinthians 5
Our Heavenly Dwelling
1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.


Galatians 3:26-28

Sons of God
26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Among some other references....

Basically, were are clothed with Christ's righteousness.

[Buzzardhut]

Who is the man without wedding clothes?
The Wedding parable
(http://www.buzzardhut.net/index/htm/wedding.htm)

[Ryan]

We must keep in mine that God through Abraham brought about the nation of Israel. They were given the all the books from Genesis through Malachi, they were promised a redeemer and a King through the line of David. The book of Matthew is written to the Jew presenting Jesus Christ as their promised redeemer and King. The geology of Jesus in Matthew starts with David the son of Abraham. This is the Kingly line; the geology in Luke in the human line. Christ came to the Jews as was promised by God, this why Jesus said; “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” “And as ye go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Their promised King has come. If Jews had accepted him; they would have been sent to evangelize the world. Many Jews believed and accepted Jesus as their Messiah; the church at Pentecost was made up of Jewish believers. But the Jewish nation rejected Jesus and today as a nation they still reject Jesus as their Messiah. All of the books in the New Testament except the book of Luke and the book of Acts were written by Jews.

[Paidfor]

Luk 24:46 and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day,
Luk 24:47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

I have always thought that the disciples were reluctant to go to the gentiles even though they had been clearly told to do so.

Also, it was prophesied that Christ would be a light to the gentiles.

Isa 49:6 He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

[HeIsEnough]

I have always thought that the disciples were reluctant to go to the gentiles even though they had been clearly told to do so.


I've pondered the reasons why it unfolded like it did. Sometimes the Lord has His 'ways' of making things happen. Interesting to note that the Apostles themselves did not leave Jerusalem at the first "door" to open, Samaria.


Acts 8

And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there.


Also, it was prophesied that Christ would be a light to the gentiles.

:thumb

[Paidfor]

Poor Satan - winning all the battles - losing the war.:yeah