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Did Jesus Exclude Gentiles? Yes, he
did. Jesus told his followers
that they were to teach the word of God only to the chosen few: "Go not into the way
of the Gentiles....but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. I
am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
(Matthew 10:7) |
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The Hebrews' Messiah Expectations The Hebrews long had expectation of an heroic messiah of mythic proportions--a saviour--who would break the chains which enslaved them. When Jesus appeared and was aggressively promoted as the true messiah, the Jews initially were attracted by his charisma and message of salvation and promise to escort them to the kingdom of heaven on doomsday. They were special, Jesus said, for there would be no hope or preached promises to anyone other than God's chosen people--the Jews. According to Saint Matthew, thus spake Jesus to his disciples: "Go not into the way of the Gentiles....but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel....I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matthew 10:7, Matthew 15:24)
The church fathers decided to expand their influence by extending Jesus' promise of salvation to the ones ignored by Jesus--the pagan Gentiles-- the uncircumcised. Joseph Wheless, in "Is It God's Word?," explains: The gentiles were the superstitious pagans of Palestine, Asia Minor, and parts thereabouts; they were steeped in belief in all the fables of all the gods of the heathen world. They knew nothing of the Jewish Scriptures or of the promised Messiah; they had no critical sense in religion, but, like Paul and his converts, believed all things and hoped all things. A new God was to them just one more god among many.
Apostles' Actions Expose the Deception As will be shown below, the apostles did not know that Jesus had evidently changed his mind and decided to allow Gentiles into the kingdom of heaven. They could not know it because, as we have already alleged, Jesus' mind was changed only in the lying imaginations of the forging fathers. Damning proof of this is offered below, where we begin by looking closely at the behavior of Simon Peter. A Doubting Peter Agrees to Meet Gentiles While in a trance, Peter had a vision that he should meet with the Gentiles. His doubt about the meaning of this vision is strong evidence that Jesus never told his disciples to convert the Gentiles: "Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean." (Acts 10:9-17). Meanwhile, a Gentile centurion from Caesarea named Cornelius had a revelation that he should meet with Peter to be converted to the all-Jewish sect (Acts 10:1-9). Learning of this, Peter, still doubtful, met with Cornelius and his household. As further proof that Peter knew nothing of Jesus' command to his disciples to teach and baptize those of all nations, we have these words from Peter to Cornelius and his family: "Ye know how it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation." (Acts 10:17-28)
The Apostles Were Angry at Peter The apostles also evidently did not know anything about an alleged command by Jesus to "go, teach all nations....preach the gospel to every creature", because they were upset that Peter had embraced the Gentiles: "And when Peter had come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision, contended with him, Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them." (Acts 11:2, 3) Peter defended himself, explained his trance vision and Cornelius's revelation, and the speaking in tongues, and then told the apostles, "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us,....what am I, that I could withstand God? When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." (Acts 11:4-18). If the apostles ever had heard the son of God urge the acceptance of the Gentiles, and if they had actually "preached everywhere"--as alleged by Matthew and Mark, they surely never would have questioned Peter's meeting with the Gentiles. As if the foregoing were not proof enough of the cynical forgeries of the church fathers, we discuss below further incriminating comments by learned authorities.
Concerning the genuineness of Mark 16:9-20, the Catholic Encyclopedia states,
Hear also the words of the New Standard Bible Dictionary, and the Encyclopedia Biblica, as quoted by Joseph Wheless in "Forgery In Christianity": Mark 16:9-20 "has against it the testimony of the two oldest [related manuscripts] [4], which close the chapter at verse 8. In addition to this is the very significant silence of Patristic literature as to anything following verse 8" [5], and Mark 16:9-20 "is admittedly not genuine." [6] [1] Late Addition to Mark |