Please explain this to me?

Question

If jesus taught that christianity was not for the gentiles but for the jews, how did the apostles turn it into a religion for the gentiles that turned the jews into the murderers of jesus?

Jesus preaching christianity is for the jews only,

Matthew

10:5 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:

10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

If you want to see the apostles accuse the jews of deicide, just read most of the rest of the bible.

So jesus decided that the gentiles should be included after he was dead and someone believed this?

Answer 1

Talk about a can of worms... there's no short answer to this.

I'm just gonna say, 1) Matthew is preoccupied with proving that Jesus is the expected (Jewish) Messiah. Jesus never refused help to the "unclean", or even the outright "enemies" (i.e. Samaritans, Roman Centurions, etc). But he did (or the gospel writers did) make a point out of them.

Example, in Mat 15, which you cite, the whole discussion is about what makes someone clean or unclean. One of the most "defiling" things a Jew could do was to have contact with a gentile. Jesus is very clear in redefining "defilement" not as a state of ritual purity, but as a condition of the heart. The healing of the Canaanite's daughter is an object lesson to reinforce to the Jewish audience what Jesus has just talked about.

2) The gospel writers, especially Matthew and John, tend to soft-peddle the Roman role in Jesus' death and play up the role of the Jewish authorities, but that's expected given that in the time they were writing the Romans would probably toss you to the lions for accusing them of "murdering God". What's tragic is that their writings have been used to demonize Jews for centuries.

There's a lot more to be said about the nature of "the Messiah" and Jesus' message to the Jews vs the gentiles and all of that, but better theologians than I have filled hundreds of pages on that topic. I can't begin to do justice to it here.

Peace to you.

Answer 2

Firstly, Jesus did NOT send the Apostles to the Jews. You quoted it yourself, but did not read it:

Matthew
10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL.

15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of ISRAEL.

The Jews are not all of Israel! They are only a small fraction of Israel.

If you want to see this, just read most of the rest of the bible.

And if you knew where the lost Israelites were, you would not see any conflict.

However, as Paul and Barnabas explained, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you [the Jews] first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the LORD HAS COMMANDED US: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.' " (Acts 13:46-47)

The Apostles didn't decide it, the Lord did.

Answer 3

The Jews were first since they were the initial chosen people. However Jesus did include gentiles like the Samaritan woman (who was half Jew half Gentile) and the other woman who had the possessed daughter who the disciples tried to get her to shut up.

But ultimately we are ALL guilty of murdering Jesus because of our sins is the reason He died but He is alive and will save all who call on Him in humbleness and repentance.

Answer 4

Yoda was spot on. Even the dogs eat the crumbs off the plates of His Children. Gentiles grafted unto the olive tree when Jews became disobedient (Romans 11:11-24). Yet God can prune off disobedient Jew or Gentile from the tree at anytime; hence, Gentiles should not become arrogant but grateful because of being given the opportunity for God's adoption of them into His Family.

ADD: It wasn't me FP. I don't thumb down. I leave those thumbs alone.

Answer 5

Jesus message was for the Jewish nation first. However, AFTER the Jews, as a nation, rejected him as the Messiah Jesus sent the apostles to the Gentiles.

He instituted a NEW covenant, by which ALL (Gentile and Jew) were able to come to a knowledge of Him. This covenant replaced the Abrahamic covenant by which the Jews were named God's chosen nation and formed "spiritual Israel".


Added:

Yes, this was after his death and resurrection. Read the book of Acts.

Answer 6

hmmmm you could read the book of acts adn onwards for the answer. jesus was sent for exactly what you showed however if you read the rest of the bible as you suggested you may notice that he commisioned his apostles to go spread the word to every nation and to be a light to all nations, i do believe in every nation you may find gentiles. picking and choosing verses can be done esaily to make just about any point, read it in context and put all the pieces together for the truth, a little harder but we do have the roman catholic church to help us out. to read the bible some things are important, knowing different literary forms, know soemthing about the author of each book and whom they intended to reach from the book, the culture of the time etc..........

there are so many different ways to answer this, ie how does the lost house of israel relate to us etc....... study some more and god bless.

Answer 7

Jesus also told a parable of a king who threw a huge banquet and asked only the higher-ups to attend. They all blew him off, so he invited people off the street instead. This concept is mirrored later when the Jews (the higher-ups) rejected Jesus (the king) and so the Gentiles (the people off the street) were given the invitation instead. The Jews are still welcome into God's kingdom, absolutely, and many are already there. But many more continue to reject him.

Answer 8

The struggle between Jews and gentiles in the gospels, is actually an allegory for the struggles between Jewish and gentile Christianity.

Answer 9

your statement is false
therefore your reasoning is false
first the Jew, then the Gentile, Jesus never called it christianity, he simply asked to follow him.
the apostles were given a command to go forth and witness
the word apostle means friend
the jews were expecting an earthly king, to rid themselves of roman rule...Jesus was and is offering his eternal kingdom
the jews were thinking in a physical sense, as Jesus was talking spiritual...that is why he cried for Jerusalem, for their rejection of him.
the sadducees...'they were sad you see'..and the pharasees, wanted to control by power and money, false sheep in wolves clothing.

Paul was a Jew, and look how he was converted by Christ himself on the road to Damascus..a real road.
Isreal is a real place.
Samaria at that time, considered dirt to the jews.
Jesus was not having them step into Samaria yet, he wanted them to go to outlying areas of the 12 tribes of Israel first.
reread how he accepted the samaritain at the well.

This is what he means by the first will be last, and the last will be first.
Jews rejected, Gentiles accepted, the Jews pardoned accepted.
The orthodox jew is still waiting for the earthly kingdom, where as the Christian is waiting for the heavenly kingdom.
The reformed Jew also, knows of the heavenly kingdom.

In order to understand what your reading, keep it in context, and know your Israel history.

Jesus simply still is asking to follow him.
I knock at the door, meaning he is knocking at your heart.
He will not force his way in...but if invited will eat and drink with you, spiritually, as you will hunger even more for the Word, meaning Him.

Answer 10

Paul.

He pretty much twisted and changed everything Jesus may have actually said, stood for, and/or wanted and turned "Christianity" into his own bizarre religion.

I wish I were an expert on this so I could give you a long, detailed answer, but the answer is basically that Paul did it.