I'll give you a few points with some verses to back up the statements.
1.) Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all old testament, up until the Point of Jesus' s death. The old testament could not end, nor could the N.T. begin until His death.
Hebrews 9:16
For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
2.)Jesus' ministry was Solely to the House of Israel. No gentiles at all was his intention. The only gentile occurrences he had was with gentile individuals who took their place as dogs in comparison to Israel and recognized Jesus as the Messiah.
Matthew 15:22-28
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. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 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.
3.) Jesus himself said he was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He also instructed that his disciples go ONLY to Israel.
Matthew 15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 10:5-6
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: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
John 1:11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.(Who was his own? Jesus is a Jew, right?)
4.) What was the substance of the gospel preached in MMLJ? It could not POSSIBLY be the death and resurrection.
Luke 18:31-34
Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. (They knew none of the things spoken)
Remember when he ressurected. ... why did Thomas doubt... why didn't Peter believe it at first? Why did they think someone had stolen his body?
So if Jesus only came to earth for Israel, how do we fit into the equation? How did He die for our sins if we are not Israel and He came only for Israel?
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Glad you asked! :-)
You know how I've been throwing that word mystery around a lot?
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yes!
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This is the substance of what it is all about. That very question.
Ok... Read this VERY SLOWLY.
Ephesians 3:1-12
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord: In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
DISPENSATION: This means not so much of a time period, but rather a span of dominion or authoritative rule. Think like a 4 year term of a president. .. during his 4 year dispensation, he has authority.
Also, think like a pez dispenser. It dispenses candy.
Paul was the "dispenser" of the Gospel of Grace during the "Dispensation of Grace..."
We are still in the Dispensation of grace, btw.
He preaches the what? "Known"riches among the gentiles? No! The "unsearchable" riches, meaning no one can go back to prophecy and excavate these truths of Jesus.
Paul says he wants to "make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery"
Must be pretty important.
"Which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God"
This is Information that has not always been known. It had been revealed to Apostle Paul. Programs had changed. God was/is no longer dealing with Israel due to their rejection, in part, of Jesus as Messiah. In part meaning some did believe. (Disciples, those in Acts 2,3,4,5,6,7.... but by acts 8... they kill Stephen... God is shifting gears at that point. This is the purpose of him calling Paul in Acts 9... Paul is not just lucky number 13..... His apostleship means something. He is God's minister of the mystery revelation.
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So when Jesus tells the disciples (after his death) to go and teach all nations to observe all that He has commanded them...what does that mean if non of His teachings were for us?
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Look at that verse very carefully. .. "preaching and teaching ALL that I have commanded you."
Do we do everything Jesus commanded, during his earthly ministry, in this dispensation?
Let’s outline quickly and simply what all is packed into this "Great Commission" that is supposedly that of the church, the Body of Christ, today.
Teach All Nations- these men in attendance of Jesus’ command was instructed to go to ALL nations. Did this happen? Nope. See Galatians 2:7-9 for more study, but in short, Paul was the one to go to the Gentiles, while Peter and the other Apostles confined themselves to the Jew ONLY. It is noted in Acts 10 that Peter went to a Gentile, but it was clearly against his own will and conscience. It actually took a vision from Christ before he would even talk to Cornelius the Italian.
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you- To say that this is our commission today would make us responsible to do exactly this. Teach and preach ALL that Jesus commanded. Would the average preacher today preach all that Jesus commanded? Let’s see:
Matthew 23:1-3- Then spake Jesus to the multitudes, and to his disciples, Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do…
When is the last time you heard a protestant preacher commanding that his congregation follow the law of Moses? Paul make clear in Galatians 2:19 that we are “dead to the law.” Big difference… Not a contradiction, just a change in instructions.
He was still only dealing with Israel in that commission.
Gentiles were to be reached, but only after all of Israel had taken their position as a Nation of priests. We know that didn't happen though. Instead, they rejected and God shifted gears to begin the dispensation of grace, without the necessity of Israel. But, do not be unwise concerning this mystery....
Romans 11:25-33
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
so..... without the mystery, what we have today in Christ, would be non-existent.
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