By Keith
Thompson
Muslims claim Jesus was only sent
for the Jews and that his mission did not involve Gentiles. Instead, according
to Muslims, it is Muhammad who is meant for the Gentile world. In order to argue
their position they twist certain biblical verses and ignore others. In this
essay we will provide some exegetical and historical clarity on this issue to
help out our Muslim friends see the truth of the matter.
In an essay,
Muslim apologist Osama Abdullah claimed, “Jesus was sent only to the Jews and not to Mankind!” To try to establish
this Osama misapplies Matthew 10:5-6 and 15:24. We will address these texts and
then provide a positive case Jesus was sent for the Gentile world as well.
Matthew 10:5-6
“These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, ‘Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’” (Matthew 10:5-6).
It is erroneous for
Muslims to assume just because at this early period Jesus instructed the
disciples to preach only to the Jews, that this meant this was Jesus’ permanent
plan for them. Instead of this text representing Jesus’ and the disciples’
long-term mission, Craig Keener remarks, “. . .the prohibition does fit a
short-term mission during Jesus’ ministry and its expectation of some fort of
imminent kingdom”(1). Leon Morris also offers some sobering insight: “All this
means that on this first mission the
Twelve were to work in Galilee; the roads to the north and east led to Gentile
territory, while that to the south went to Samaria”(2). R. T. France likewise
notes, “The geographical terms used here (‘way of the Gentiles,’ ‘town of the
Samaritans’; cf. towns of Israel,’ v. 23) indicate a restriction on the area to
be visited rather than a total ban on contact with Gentiles and Samaritans as
such. . . . This limited scope of mission was to apply for the initial period
of proclamation until the undeniably primary focus of Jesus’ mission as Messiah
of Israel had been established; only after that, and after his death and
resurrection, would it be appropriate to widen the scope deliberately to
include Gentile and Samaritan areas”(3).
Twelve verses later we
see recognition the disciples would eventually be going out to the Gentiles,
“you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles”
(Matthew 10:18). The fact is if Jesus went to the Gentiles at the same time as
the Jews in the beginning of the mission, instead of going to the Jews first,
He would unnecessarily offend his Jewish people who anxiously expected their
King to fulfill their history and show special care for them (Luke 2:25). Thus,
this was Jesus’ first mission. Then afterwards he went to the Gentiles (we will
prove the same Scriptures further teach this). This the apostle Paul well
understood when he said, “For I am not
ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who
believes, to the Jew first and also to
the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
In sum, the language in Matthew
10:5-6 does not indicate Jesus and the apostles would never go the Gentiles, but just that this first mission would be
Jew-centered.
Matthew 15:24
“He answered, ‘I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’” (Matthew 15:24).
Here again we are in the
world of that initial or first stage where the Jews are the beginning focus.
However, the narrative itself in context shows Jesus healed a Canaanite woman’s
daughter after she begged him (v. 28) indicating the verse in question’s
alleged absoluteness can be pierced, and that according to vv. 26-27 there was enough of Jesus’ metaphorical bread
even for the dogs (i.e., the way the Jews referred to the ungodly Gentiles in
the ancient world).
Moreover, the totality
of Jesus’ teachings in Matthew as well as Mark, Luke, as well as Old Testament
teaching, demonstrate the second stage in the mission would indeed include the
Gentile world. To this evidence we will now turn.
Positive Case Jesus was sent for Gentile World
That in Matthew’s Gospel Jesus affirmed the
Gentiles would eventually be reached by his disciples, we see in 8:11-12 that
“many will come from east and west
and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven”
(Matthew 8:1-12). This undoubtedly refers to Gentiles coming to God from east
and west(4). Moreover, in 24:14 Jesus says, “this gospel of the kingdom will be
proclaimed throughout the whole world
as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
Also, in 26:13 Jesus affirms, “wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done
will also be told in memory of her” (Matthew 26:13). And lastly Jesus said in
28:19: “Go therefore and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Because this is clear and Osama recognizes it
refutes his position, he has to redefine the Greek word “nations” here to not
refer to Gentiles nations, but to “all people of Israel.” However, the Greek
word is ethnos and according to Baur,
Danker, Arndt and Gingrich’s A Greek
English Lexicon of the New Testament, it does not refer to “all people
of Israel” as Osama claims, but to “a body of persons united by kinship,
culture, and common traditions, nation, people” with, in the New Testament, the
connotation of “gentiles” and “non-Israelite Christians”(5). Thus, the best
academic lexicon says just the opposite of what Osama asserts. This is why many
translations actually render ethnos
as “Gentiles” in many texts (e.g. ESV, Acts 21:25). Also, there are many texts
where ethnos is mentioned in complete
distinction from the Jews proving the error of Osama’s claims. For example,
Acts 14:5 says, “When an attempt was made by both Gentiles [ethnos] and Jews…” (Acts 14:5). If Osama
was right this would be saying “an tempt was made by both Jews and Jews.”
Another example is in Romans 3:29 which says, “is God the God of Jews only? Is
he not the God of Gentiles [ethnos]
also? Yes, of Gentiles [ethnos] also”
(Romans 3:29)
That in Mark and Luke
Jesus also affirms He is for the Gentile world is evidenced by the following
texts. In Mark 13:10 we read, “the gospel must first be proclaimed to all
nations” (Mark 13:10). In Luke 2:32 Jesus is called “a light to the Gentiles.”
In Luke 13:29 Jesus said, “people will come from east and west, and from north
and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God” (Luke 13:29). This again
refers to Gentiles around the world. Finally in Luke 24:47 we read, “repentance
and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47)
The Old Testament predicted the Messiah’s
mission would involve the Gentile world as well. This further proves our case
Jesus was meant for the Gentiles and not only the Jews. In Psalms 2:7-12,
clearly a messianic psalm, we’re told about the Messiah, the Son, who will rule
God’s kingdom including Gentile nations. In v. 8 we’re told the Gentile nations
will become the possession of God. This implies the salvation of many Gentiles
and the destruction of the wicked ones. Moreover, continuing this theme of
Messiah’s role in the salvation of the Gentile nations, Isaiah 2:2 says in the
last days “all the nations shall flow to it [i.e., the mountain of house of the
Lord]” (Isaiah 2:2). This is so that “he [God] may teach us [Gentiles] his ways
and that we may walk in his path” (v. 3). Also, referring to the Messiah and
the Gentiles, Isaiah 11:1, 10 say “There shall come forth a shoot from the
stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. . . . In that day
the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall
the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:1,
10). Similarly, on this same theme, in Isaiah 19:19-25 we’re told one day the
Egyptian and Assyrian Gentiles will make vows to the true God, YHWH. In Isaiah
42:1 we read about the Messiah and the Gentiles nations some more: “Behold my
servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my
Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1).
Moreover, in regards to the servant or Messiah, Isaiah 49:6 says, “I will make
you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of
the earth” (Isaiah 49:6). This is explicit. Lastly, in Amos 9:11-12 we’re
told about the restoration of the house or family of David (i.e., messianic
connotations)(6), and the inclusion of the Gentile nations in light of the
restoration of the house or family of David: “‘In that day I will raise up the
booth of David that is fallen and repair its breaches, and raise up its ruins
and rebuild it as in the days of old, that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations who are called by my
name,’ declares the LORD who does this” (Amos 9:11-12). The inclusion of
the Gentiles connected with Messiah’s reign is clear.
In conclusion, the biblical evidence is decisive
in regards to Jesus coming for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. We haven’t
even discussed Acts or the epistles which also clearly affirm this. The Muslim
idea Jesus was not for the Gentiles but that Muhammad was, is just not a
concept that can be squared with the Bible at all. It is a false teaching
devised by a false prophet who was utterly ignorant about biblical
theology.
Endnotes:
1) Craig Keener, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels, [Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2012], p.
390
2) Leon Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew, ed. D. A. Carson, The Pillar New Testament Commentary, [Wm
B. Eerdmans, 1992], p. 245
3) R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, ed. Joel B.
Green, The New International Commentary
on the New Testament, [2007], p. 382
4) Craig Keener, The Historical Jesus of the Gospels, [Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2012], p.
390
5) Baur, Danker, Arndt and Gingrich,
A Greek English Lexicon of the New
Testament, [The University of Chicago Press, 2000]. pp. 276-277
6) David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, ed. D. A.
Carson, The Pillar New Testament
Commentary, [Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2009], p. 431
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