Blaine writes > Jesus himself never went to the Gentiles.
He never spoke to them except on one occasion that was an exception
to his rule.
NKJ Mark 5:1 Then they came to the
other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes. 2 And when He had
come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with
an unclean spirit, ... 18 And when He got into the boat, he who had been
demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. 19 However, Jesus did
not permit him, but said to him, "Go home to your friends, and tell them
what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion
on you." 20 And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that
Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.
You might want to ruminate on this
passage a while, Blaine. Only one of the "ten cities" which together made
up the Decapolis was located to the west of the River Jordan (it was called
Scythopolis, a.k.a. Bethshaen). The rest were situated beyond the banks
of the "promised land," in what could only be classified Gentile
territory (the other nine cities were Hippos, Gadara, Pella, Philadelphia,
Gerasa [home of the "Garasenes," a.k.a. "Gadarenes"], Dion, Canatha, Raphana,
and Damascus). Indeed Jesus sent this duly impressed Gentile into
the far country to "publish" (GR. karussein) his story until
throughout Decapolis "all kept on marveling (imperfect tense) at what
Jesus had done."
And, Blaine, I find it quite
noteworthy that Jesus did this without first proselytizing him in
the doctrines and duties of the Jewish people. IF I had a complaint, it
would be that many Christians get bogged done in the minutiae of their
peculiar forms of legalism and fail to realize this subtle but profound point.
To their shame, the astonishing truth remains that Jesus sent this brand
new Gentile convert out without any discipling at all, not
permitting him to stay on with them and learn through the traditions of
his people the proper way of holiness. The truth is he sent him out
without so much as a whisper from the law and prophets, off without
a word on the do's and don'ts of godly living. No law. No commandments.
No holy days. No feasts or ordinances -- just a simple request:
"Tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had
compassion on you."
In your post you claim that Peter was
the first to introduce the Gospel to the Gentiles. In
fact, Blaine, he was not. A caveman from Gerasa gets credit for that
one. What Peter was was the first JEW to go to the Gentiles. Ah yes, but
before he was fit to go, he had to come to grips with the fact that what Jesus
had done under law for the Jews, he had accomplished as well for the Gentiles
-- and this he did for them apart from the law! Indeed before he could go,
Peter had to grasp the fact that he dare not foist upon Greeks his Jewish
customs: for who was he to call unholy what God in Christ had
cleansed?
Bill
