Can you help me out with something in the New Testament?

Question

Jesus said he came for the lost sheep of Israel, the Jews, and not for the gentiles. Paul later decided to include the gentiles, even though he had no authority to do so, and never met Jesus to get permission. If Christianity is right, then Paul must have more authority than Jesus. How does that work?

Can't help but wonder how many will actually research, rather than spout their opinions.

Father K ™, and Spoken4: *applause*
Nice to see someone who actually answers instead of acting like a hatemongering moron.

Tricia R: that pretty much covers what I believe, but the Christians have their explanation in the bible. If it's good enough for them, so be it. I was just wondering how many of them could actually answer it. lol

Answer 1

Yes, you are correct..... It works interestingly now doesn't it. Shouldn't all the faithful be worshiping Paul? Paul pretty much made the whole idea up but did the writing to send his message - with the writing came the control and so it went and still does to this date.

Note: Paul was a Jew on his fathers side. Paul never met JC supposedly only met JC's brother James the Just.

Answer 2

Partially correct.
Yes, Jesus did come "only" for Israel-that was His prime directive. But-if you read the Gospels and Acts, you see that the Jews rejected Jesus.
It was Jesus who called Paul on the road to Damascus -Acts 9:1-10. Then in v.15 Jesus commissions Paul to go to the Gentiles.
Paul had all authority to go to the Gentiles-he got it straight form Jesus.
No, Paul was a servant of Jesus-he did not have more authority.

Answer 3

At times Jesus would be interested in only giving the word of God to the Jews, as in Matthew 10. But Jesus had a conversation with a Samaritan woman who was not a Jew. That's in John 4. She was a Hebrew! Because she admitted to being a descendant of Jacob, and she said that 'our father' Jacob built the well.

So what was she? Well, the argument isn't that Jesus only came to save Hebrews, but that he only came to save Jews. All Jews are considered Hebrews, but not all Hebrews are Jews, some being not from the tribe of Judah, nor were they residents of the southern kingdom of Judah. There was even a time when the northern kingdom of Israel was not practicing the Law of Moses, and we considered 'not my people' according to Hosea.

So it is established that the woman was not a Jew yet Jesus didn't stop himself from preaching to her and her people for two more days. ( I wonder how thrilled Jesus' Jewish disciples were about that! )

So by this example, I do not believe that Jesus was all about the Jews only. He was about bringing the Gospel to all, and those who God chose out of the world were given the ability to respond, but no one else.

I would give you also Old Testament prophesies concerning these times, where it was expected that the message of the Lord would go out into the world. That would make this a long post, and I don't want to burden you with too much though.

e-mail me if you want more, please.

Answer 4

Good question. Jesus' ministry on earth was for "the lost sheep of Israel" but He died for the sins of the whole world. He commissioned His disciples at the end to go into all nations (Matthew 28:18-20). So His restricted ministry was just during His three years before the Crucifixion. There was a practical reason for that: The Jewish people with their knowledge of the Old Testament would be able to get a deeper grasp of His message, and thus be well equipped to spread the gospel all over the world.
Sometimes it is better to concentrate your ministry on a limited group of people who would be able to do a lot more. That is why Jesus also told His disciples that they would do greater things than He had done up till then: not so much greater miracles, but bringing people of all nations to God.

Answer 5

i believe paul doesn't have authority over jesus. i believe jesus knew what paul was going to do, there for he doesn't need permission; and does have authority to go into all the world and give the gospel or the good news.Jesus always was with the Father. Jesus said,For when you see me you are seeing the one who sent me.john12;45. JOHN .B

Answer 6

First, the lost sheep of Israel, was not the Jews. There were two separate kingdoms, Israel and Judah. Israel was assimilated into the Assyrian empire and scattered. They have not come back to their homeland, yet. The Jews are of Judah.

Act 9:27 But taking hold of him, Barnabas led him to the apostles and told them how he saw the Lord in the highway, and that He spoke to him, and how in Damascus he spoke boldly in the name of Jesus.
Act 9:28 And he was with them, going in and going out in Jerusalem, and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Paul had a dramatic turnaround from persecuting the Church, to preaching Christ. No other explanation is logical except he had a personal encounter with Christ. He was accepted in as an apostle and preacher of the Gospel. He first went to the Jews and was rejected, then went to the Gentile nations, as Christ instructed.

Act 26:14 And all of us falling to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me, and saying in the Hebrew dialect, Saul, Saul why do you persecute Me? It is hard for you to kick against the prods.
Act 26:15 And I said, Who are you, Sir? And He said, I am Jesus whom you persecute;
Act 26:16 but rise up and stand on your feet, for it is for this reason I appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and a witness both of what you saw, and in what I shall appear to you,
Act 26:17 having delivered you from the people and the nations, to whom I now send you,
Act 26:18 to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the authority of Satan to God, in order that they may receive remission of sins, and an inheritance among those being sanctified by faith in Me.
Act 26:19 Upon this, king Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,
Act 26:20 but to those first in Damascus, and Jerusalem, and to all the country of Judea, and to the nations, I proclaimed the command to repent and to turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.

The term "nation" here is ethnos, which means:

ethnos
A race (as of the same habit), that is, a tribe; specifically a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually by implication pagan): - Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

He was called first to the Jews, then the Gentiles.

Answer 7

Paul was chosen by God.
Common sense.
If the apostle were only speaking to the Jews then there would be no use of speaking in tongues(languages).

Jesus him self says;

Matthew 10:18
On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.

Answer 8

I think Jesus was calling the Jews and then have the Jews take the gospel to the gentiles. It was meant for the whole world.

Answer 9

Acts 9

Saul's Conversion
1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

5"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.

"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6"Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.

11The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."

13"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."

15But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."

Answer 10

The Sheppard only leaves the flock to gather the lost sheep who have ventured so far away from the herd that they cannot find their way back on their own. They no longer can hear see or smell the herd, they are LOST sheep so the Sheppard must retrieve them. What is so hard to understand about that?