Biblical Scholars wonder if Jesus had Gentile Disciples. If it was his intention to spread his message all over the world, then, why didn’t he do it himself when he was alive? Apparently Jesus directs his Eleven Disciples to spread his message in what is called the Great Commission, but, they are soon cast in the shadow of Saul-Paul who comes to own the title ‘Apostle of the Gentiles’. Paul claims Jesus chose him for this special mission after his death and resurrection, he appearing a third time just to put Paul on the right course, because, he was hunting down members of Jesus’ church, putting them in jail, torturing them, and then executing them. What did Saul-Paul do with the children of the First Saints, sell them as slaves to Romans?
The other great question Biblical Scholars ask, is why John the Baptist continues his ministry after he allegedly turned his mission over to Jesus. At least two of John’s disciples went over to Jesus. But, Paul, comes across twelve of John’s Disciple’s in Corinth. Paul asks them what baptism they are applying (why didn’t he know?) and they answer “John’s baptism”. Paul tells them they do not have the right stuff, lays hands on them, and transfers the Holy Spirit over to them…..”and they began to speak in other languages and to prophesy.”
In Luke we read that John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit while in his mother’s womb. This Spirit is transferred over to Jesus while he is in his mother’s womb. Jesus visits John while he is in prison and apparently he get’s another dose. When Jesus dies on the cross, he gives up the Holy Spirit and says;
“It is done!”
What is done? Did Jesus IMPART a massive dose of the Holy Spirit and that Spirit radiated out, filling many with the Holy Spirit? Apparently this Holy Spirit entered the dead, and they rose from their tombs and went into Jerusalem and talked to people. Did they give lessons in a foreign tongue? Are these the Lost Sheep, men and women old in years who came from the Diaspora to be buried in the Promised Land? Jesus says he is the Good Shepherd whose voice will be recognized by the dispersed flocks.
“Even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.…”
In his letter to the Corinthian Church Paul threatens to spare no one upon his return if they do not stop insisting he prove Jesus is speaking to him, and only him from beyond the grave. Paul records his tedious complaint that he is not like the Super Apostles, he a terrible speaker, and – he’s ugly! He rants against Jewish teachers he calls Judiazers. Paul accuses them of spreading a false teaching. Paul dismisses Moses and the laws God gave to him – personally. Moses saw God on the Mount. What became of John’s Disciples that were in Corinth? Were they saying that no way would Jesus anoint the Persecutor of the First Church of the Holy Spirit, the Head of the Way. For one thing, it would create a schism. Survivors of Paul’s mass murdering would walk out of Jesus’ church the moment they heard Paul had TAKEN THE PLACE OF JESUS AND JOHN. Did Paul’s killers rape young girls before they were sold into slavery? Would you believe Paul was the “Dark Prince” that Jesus warned his Disciples about? Some are comparing Paul’s purge to ISIS. There is the distraction of 50,000 scrolls.
When the Roman army would defeat the army of those who resisted the Slave Masters, they would send in Special Priests to mimic the priesthood of the defeated and create a facsimile cosmology that is favorable to Rome, that was founded by two wolves, thus the warning. This is why Wolf-Paul tells his flock to pay taxes and remain slaves. He bids HIS SHEEP to not get married and have children because they world is coming to an end. Meanwhile, the daughters of the First Saints are being used as sex slaves in Rome. How many of these Jewish girls got pregnant by Roman Pigs? Why didn’t the world end?
“Beware of wolves in Shepherd’s clothing!”
I read the Bible for the first time at the age of fifty. After my death I read books on the Indian religion. I read ‘God Speaks’ dictated by Meher Baba, and ‘autobiography of a Yogi’ by Yogananda. I also heard Khrishnamurti speak. Therefor, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that no great teacher would make a mass-murder of his followers, the head of his church, or want this to happen after his death. For twenty-eight years I wondered how Saul-Paul recognized members of Jesus’ church that he decimated. One answer I arrive at, is, that the True Disciple, even the Real Apostles came to debate Paul and prove he was spreading a false teaching. It was them that he arrested these Saints and Disciples, even their wives and children. And he tortured them to get them to “denounce their Lord”.
What Lord?
I have little doubt that when the Twelve Disciples of John the Baptist came to confront Saul-Paul, he had his serial-killers murder them.
I believe Paul was able to recognize the Disciples of the Holy Spirit because there was a aura around their head. They were enlightened by a teaching from India, that was lost, and now….found!
Jon Presco
Copyright 2015
“But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4“When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobiography_of_a_Yogi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Speaks
Twelve Disciples of John the Baptist
19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples 2 and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
“No,” they told him, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 “Then what baptism were you baptized with?” he asked them.
“With John’s baptism,” they replied.
4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people that they should believe in the One who would come after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in other languages and to prophesy. 7 Now there were about 12 men in all.
In the Lecture Hall of Tyrannus
8 Then he entered the synagogue and spoke boldly over a period of three months, engaging in discussion and trying to persuade them about the things of the kingdom of God. 9 But when some became hardened and would not believe, slandering the Way in front of the crowd, he withdrew from them and met separately with the disciples, conducting discussions every day in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10 And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the message about the Lord.
Demonism Defeated at Ephesus
11 God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul’s hands, 12 so that even facecloths or work aprons[a] that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, and the diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists attempted to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “I command you by the Jesus that Paul preaches!” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 The evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I recognize Paul—but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them all, and prevailed against them, so that they ran out of that house naked and wounded. 17 This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then fear fell on all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. 18 And many who had become believers came confessing and disclosing their practices, 19 while many of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them in front of everyone. So they calculated their value and found it to be 50,000 pieces of silver. 20 In this way the Lord’s message flourished and prevailed.
The Riot in Ephesus
21 When these events were over, Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem. “After I’ve been there,” he said, “I must see Rome as well!” 22 So after sending two of those who assisted him, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed in Asia for a while.
23 During that time there was a major[b] disturbance about the Way. 24 For a person named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis,[c] provided a great deal of[d] business for the craftsmen. 25 When he had assembled them, as well as the workers engaged in this type of business, he said: “Men, you know that our prosperity is derived from this business. 26 You both see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods! 27 So not only do we run a risk that our business may be discredited, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin—the very one all of Asia and the world adore.”
28 When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 So the city was filled with confusion, and they rushed all together into the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 30 Though Paul wanted to go in before the people, the disciples did not let him. 31 Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to take a chance by going[e] into the amphitheater. 32 Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, because the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 33 Then some of the crowd gave Alexander advice when the Jews pushed him to the front. So motioning with his hand, Alexander wanted to make his defense to the people. 34 But when they recognized that he was a Jew, a united cry went up from all of them for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
35 However, when the city clerk had calmed the crowd down, he said, “Men of Ephesus! What man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is the temple guardian of the great[f] Artemis, and of the image that fell from heaven? 36 Therefore, since these things are undeniable, you must keep calm and not do anything rash. 37 For you have brought these men here who are not temple robbers or blasphemers of our[g] goddess. 38 So if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a case against anyone, the courts are in session, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. 39 But if you want something else, it must be decided in a legal assembly. 40 In fact, we run a risk of being charged with rioting for what happened today, since there is no justification that we can give as a reason for this disorderly gathering.” 41 After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.
http://guidedbiblestudies.com/topics/andrew.htm
Perhaps the most difficult problem is John 3:25-28:
Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness – look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ (ESV)
This passage sums up the whole problem. Why are these particular disciples – who should be aware that Jesus is the Messiah – still following John? Well, you might say that John’s followers loved him so much that they were unhappy to leave him. That seems possible. Alternatively, perhaps they hadn’t quite “got it” yet.
Even after his death, history records that John had many followers who were not Christians, but this can be explained away if we accept that not every follower of John would have been fully aware of all his teachings. It’s still a bit odd though.
In the end, I’ve not found any really sharp contradiction here, but it’s definitely a thorny issue.
http://errancy.org/disciples.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostle_(Christian)
The most familiar version of the Great Commission is depicted in Matthew 28:16–20,
Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshiped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Other versions of the Great Commission are found in Mark 16:14–18, Luke 24:44–49, Acts 1:4–8, and John 20:19–23. In Luke, Jesus tells the disciples to preach repentance and forgiveness, and promises that they will have divine power. In John, Jesus says the disciples will have the Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive sins and to withhold forgiveness.[3] In Acts, Jesus promises the disciples that the Holy Spirit will inspire them.
All these passages are composed as words of Christ spoken after his resurrection. According to some critics, in Mark Jesus never speaks with his disciples after his resurrection. They argue that the original Gospel of Mark ends at verse Mark 16:8 with the women leaving the tomb (see Mark 16).[4]
The call to go into the world in Matthew 28 is prefaced a mere four chapters earlier when Jesus states that the Gospel message will be heard by representatives of all nations, at which time the end will come. This is accented in Revelation when the Apostle John sees members of every tongue and nation gathered around the throne of God.
The Great Commission of Christianity is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples that they spread his teachings to all the nations of the world. It has become a tenet in Christian theology emphasizing ministry, missionary work, evangelism, and baptism. The Apostles are said to have dispersed from Jerusalem and founded the Apostolic Sees.
In the New Testament, the names of the majority of the apostles are Hebrew names, although some had Greek names.[4] Even Paul, the “apostle of the Gentiles”, who said that Jesus revealed himself to him only after his ascension and appointed him to his mission,[5] was a Jew by birth and proud of it, although after his conversion he adopted the Roman cognomen Paulus, rendered in English as Paul, as his name.[Acts 13:9] Paul claimed with much insistency this title and its rights,[3] and made his case to the Corinthian Church that he was an apostle by the evidence of God’s power working through him.
The period of Early Christianity during the lifetimes of the apostles is called the Apostolic Age.[1] During the first century, the apostles established churches throughout the territories of the Roman Empire and according to tradition through the Middle East, Africa, India, and modern-day Ukraine. The apostle Paul, a Jew named Saul of Tarsus, is considered “the apostle of the Gentiles“,[Romans 11:13] for his missions to spread the gospel message after his conversion. Although not one of the apostles commissioned during the life of Jesus, Paul claimed a special commission from the resurrected Jesus. In his writings, the epistles to Christian churches established throughout the Levant Paul did not restrict the term “apostle” to the Twelve, and often refers to his mentor Barnabas as an apostle.[1] The restricted usage appears in Revelation.[2]
The common belief, as I understand it, is that this refers to the division between Jews and Gentiles. But when Jesus first sends out his disciples he specifically tells them not to preach to Gentiles (Matthew 10:5-6):
In Matthew 15:22-24 he certainly still kept this mindset, saying “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” When he speaks to the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:4-7) it seems to be out of the necessity of thirst that he speaks to her (and it seems to be only out of necessity that he is in Samaria at all). While he does volunteer to help the Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5-13), this may have only been in deference to the authority that centurion seemed to be very keen on asserting. We do know that he did change his mind on this matter, as at the end of his life (or rather after the end of it) he commanded his disciples to preach to all the other nations (e.g. Matthew 28:18-20):
If he was referring to Gentiles when he said “I have other sheep that are not of this fold”, then he must have already by that time put aside the idea that he “was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”. Is there a text that suggests this? (If not, the idea he meant Gentiles must come from somewhere!) When in general does Jesus begin saying that his message should or will be preached to Gentiles? |
| If anyone still wants to prophesy, his father and the mother who gave his birth shall say to him ‘You have no right to live since you utter lies in the name of Yahweh.’ And while he is prophesying, his father and the mother who gave him birth shall run him through. When that day comes, every prophet shall be ashamed of his prophetic vision; they shall no longer put on their hair clocks to utter their lies. . |
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16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. |
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