Q.--- I understand you see a Biblical difference between the Jew and Gentile?
A.--- Yes, we see a Biblical difference in the way God has dealt with the Jew versus the way He dealt with the Gentile. The Jews are direct descendants from Abraham through Jacob. Jacob’s twelve sons are the twelve tribes of Israel. We are Gentiles and are not descendants from Jacob.
Q.--- I see what you are saying, but the only thing important is that we all believe into Jesus and these other things are not important.
A.--- I would point out to you, every word in the Bible is important and if God has given different instructions to the Jew than what He gave to the Gentile, it is important also.
I believe the foundation of Christianity rests upon the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work upon the cross of Calvary. Many church believers are happy to confess their faith and then forget about it. Then they can believe exactly what their church teaches , not caring if it be true or false.
My time and effort is spent preaching Christ. I teach the whole Bible because it concerns Him and of course, He is the subject of the Book. I also have a love for the truth. I am constantly seeking truth in this word on all subjects. 3 John 1:3-4.
I am also aware of what God gave through the apostle Paul (Eph.3:1-9) That I am to rightly divide the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15. “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
I am also told that “all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works”.
Q.--- I understand that there was a difference between the Jew and Gentile in the Old Testament but that changed in the New Testament.
A.---If there is a change in the New Testament, the scripture will show this change.
If you will notice, Matthew’s gospel begins by re-affirming that Christ is a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, a Jew of the twelve tribes of Israel. There are no Gentile here. Matthew 1:1-17.
The scriptures at Matthew 1:21 tells us who Christ came to save. 21—“And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for He shall save His people (Israel) from their sins.” His people that He came to save are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is the limited work of Christ.
Q.---I have always thought that Christ came to save everyone.
A.---I think you are referring to the unlimited work of Christ. This did not begin until much later, after the end of the Acts period. We are dealing here only with the limited work of Christ, which we believe the scripture teaches in the four gospels and the Acts period.
If you will note, Matthew 10:5-6, where the writer says “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying “Go not unto the way of the Gentiles and into any city of Samaritans enter ye not. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”.
Now, most people would understand that the Lord Jesus is giving specific orders---DON’T GO TO ANY GENTILES ! And then the writer says, “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. The lost sheep are Jews and not Gentiles. It is impossible to say here that Christ has sent the twelve to the Gentiles.
If you will turn to Matthew 15:22, there is a great witness of how Christ dealt with a woman that was not a Jew. “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”. Here is a non-Jew that is asking for mercy and calls him Lord. What does He do?
He answered her not a word and His’ disciples told Him to send her away. Why didn’t He bless her? He could not bless her because of His limited work of only going to the Jew. Matthew 15:24 says “But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel”
Now, many say that He blessed her when she gave Him his proper place as Lord, but is this the case? She came again. 25—Then came she and worshipped Him saying “Lord, help me”. Did He bless her? Emphatic no!! 26—“But He answered and said it is not meet( fair to take the children’s bread) ( God’s plan for Israel) and to cast it to dogs( Gentiles) The Gentiles were called dogs by the Jews.
27.—And then she said “ Truth Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table”. Is it true that saying “Truth Lord” was the reason that He blessed her? She had already addressed Him as Lord twice before and He did not bless her.
27.--- She goes on to say “yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table”. This is the key to Him blessing her. She placed herself under Israel’s table where she could be blessed as a dog and be blessed with God’s message to Israel
She called Christ, “ Lord”, but Christ would not bless her. As soon as she placed herself as one that eats of the crumbs that fall from Israel’s table, He immediately accepted her faith and blessed her.
This is the provision that came out of the Old Testament, where a stranger could be blessed with Israel if they accepted God’s message to Israel and became part of Israel. Matthew 23:15, Acts 6:5.
Q.--- I have always believed that this unlimited work was taught in these four gospels. (Mat,Mark,Luke,John)
A.--- I know this has been taught for many years but it just isn’t scripturally correct. The road of factual evidence shows us that Gentiles are not in view in these four gospels. If we turn to John's gospel, we find even more evidence that God was dealing with His own people and no one else.
At John 4:12, our Lord is having a conversation with a Samaritan woman. This woman destroys the notion she was a Gentile woman when she says “Art thou greater than our father Jacob which gave us the well and drank”. She further says in John 4:20, “Our fathers worshipped in this mountain”. He went on to answer her in verse 22 when He said “Ye worship ye know not what, for we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. Romans 15:8.
This woman would not come under what He told His disciples at Matthew 10:5 because she is a descendant of Jacob, of the chosen family of God. She was not living under the provisions laid down according to the law and prophets. Christ could talk to her and deal with her as one of the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:5, 15:24.
Q.--- I have never heard this explained this way. Doesn’t this Samaritan woman go into the city and tell about this meeting with Christ to the other Samaritans? Would not these other Samaritans be Gentiles?
A.--- This is the great problem we have with Bible study---If we do not put all the scriptures together and mark what is said before, then read the scriptures correctly and according to context.
If we note that Christ by His own words and proven by His deeds, that He was only sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:5,15:24. His disciples were not with Him when He talked to this woman and when they came, they marveled that He talked with her but they did not question Him and say why are you talking to this Samaritan woman? They knew she had to be of the lost sheep of the house of Israel or Christ could not talk to her. Matthew 15:24.
All these Samaritans that came to the second meeting were also of the lost sheep of the house of Israel and were descendants of Jacob. Christ could not have spoken to these Samaritans because of what He said at Matthew 10:5, 15:24.
Would any reader right here like to claim that Christ doesn’t keep His word? The limited work of Christ to Israel is still in view.
Q.--- I am certain no one believes that Christ does not keep His word! This is something different from what I have always believed. I have always believed that the unlimited work of Christ began in the four gospels and the church began at Acts 2.
A.--- We have showed that people ,such as we, are not in view in these four gospels.
Our question is , when did the church the body of Christ begin ? We know that a Gentile church cannot begin when the limited work of Christ is in view.
Is the unlimited work of Christ at Acts 2? We can search in vain for Gentiles at Acts 2, so a Gentile church did not begin there.
I think we must continue our theme that for Gentiles to begin, we must find Gentiles, such as we, believing what the Holy Spirit says at Colossians 3:10-11, “And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all”.
If the church of today began at Acts 2, then this is a direct contradiction of Colossians 3:10-11 because we do not find this new man during the Acts period., It would be the height of hypocrisy to claim that in the Acts period there is neither Greek nor Jew nor circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free.
If we compare Romans 1:16 with Colossians 3:10-11, we find that salvation is to the Jew first in the Acts and all those books written during the Acts period. In comparison, we find the new man of Colossians saying that there is no priority to the Jew.
During the Acts and books written during this period, circumcision is very much in effect according to Acts 16:3-21,23-24, Romans 3:1-2. Paul circumcises Timothy, takes a vow upon himself that proves that he didn’t tell the people not to circumcise their children and keep the law. He also writes at Romans 3:1 that circumcision is profitable in every way.
I have pointed out that if the body of Christ began at Acts 2, then there is a contradiction between the new man of Colossians and the old man of Acts. I believe everything about Acts 2 but the one new man of Colossians was not there.
If you will notice at Acts 2:5, the writer tell us what people are present on this day of Pentecost. This Jewish feast day comes around once every year..
Is our name here whereby we can claim that the birthday of the new man began here? Acts 2:5, “And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.”
The people present at Jerusalem were Jews and they are devout Jews out of every nation under heaven. By no method of honest interpretation can we present Gentiles here. Acts 2:9-10-11 tells us of the nations these Jews were from.
Q.--- I understand what you are saying, but at Acts 2:10 it says strangers and proselytes. Doesn’t this include us?
A.--- No, this does not include us. Strangers means that they were Jewish sojourners from Rome. Proselytes are Gentiles that have come over to the Jewish faith and belong to the church of Israel.
We note further at Acts 2:14,22 where the writer settles who he is talking to. “Ye men of Judea” “Ye men of Israel” and he also says at 2:36, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know.” This is very specific that only Jews were here. Our name is not here.
There is no indication before or at this time that any Gentile, such as we, would have been allowed to attend this Jewish feast day. If the Jews could not go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5), it is ridiculous to think that the Gentiles would have been welcome at their feast.