ECT The Things That Differ...

[Danoh]

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Consider the two routes depicted in the following map...

One of those two ways or routes, was "into the way of the Gentiles."

In other words "into any city of the Samaritans."

 

[tetelestai]

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Consider the two routes depicted in the following map...

One of those two ways or routes, was "into the way of the Gentiles."

In other words "into any city of the Samaritans."

Back then, Samaritans were not the same thing as a Gentile.

If you knew the difference, you wouldn't be so confused.

 

[oatmeal]

Indeed, things that differ are not the same.

Likewise, things that are similar are not identical.

Ie, there may be a group of kids playing basketball. There are two basketballs that were brought by two different kids, same brand, same model, they are certainly similar, but they are not identical for there are different in some ways, besides being two different balls. One has worn differently than the other, they are owned by two different kids. Therefore, though similar, they are not identical.

Identical twins are not literally identical, they are indeed very similar. Supposedly, their DNA patter is the same, but they are two different individuals. Certainly one is slightly older than the other. They did not eat the identical pieces of food. etc. They may be standing side by side and very difficult to tell apart, but they are not occupying the same space, they are not identical, although by appearance, they may be very similar to each other.

 

[Interplanner]

Back then, Samaritans were not the same thing as a Gentile.

If you knew the difference, you wouldn't be so confused.

Why Tet? They were hostile, would not touch common dishes; temple Judaism disdained them for fomenting revolt against Rome; and they advocated a different place of worship.

 

[tetelestai]

Why Tet?

Because the Samaritans were descendants of Jacob. Their forefathers were Israelites before God divorced the House of Israel. It would have been an abomination for God to return to His divorced wife (House of Israel). Only after the cross(death) could the wife remarry.(Deut 24:4)

The Samaritan women at the well said the following:

(John 4:12) Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

So, why would Jesus tell His Disciples not to go into a city that contained descendants of the House of Israel, when at the same time Jesus said said "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel"?

 

[Interplanner]

Because the Samaritans were descendants of Jacob. Their forefathers were Israelites before God divorced the House of Israel. It would have been an abomination for God to return to His divorced wife (House of Israel). Only after the cross(death) could the wife remarry.(Deut 24:4)

The Samaritan women at the well said the following:

(John 4:12) Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

So, why would Jesus tell His Disciples not to go into a city that contained descendants of the House of Israel, when at the same time Jesus said said "Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel"?

They wouldn't have had the training to explain the Gospel to a case with so many particular problems (Samaria) like he did himself in Jn 4 where he did reach a whole Samaritan village.

He was trying to find as many solid believers among Israel to be trained and ready to be missionaries by the time of the outbreak of the Spirit.

 

[Danoh]

Back then, Samaritans were not the same thing as a Gentile.

If you knew the difference, you wouldn't be so confused.

Welcome back you old headache, you :chuckle:

By the way, I never said they were Gentiles: I don't hold that they were and never have.

My point was that He was not telling the Twelve to avoid the Gentiles; He would not have had to: they were rightly Law keeping Jews.

Spoiler

"The way of the Gentiles" refers to one of those two then well-known travel routes on that map.

The one of those two that obliged a Jew to have go into and or through Samaria to get to and from Jerusalem.

The Samaritans were viewed as "an heathen unto you" by Jews, becuase they had their own version of Judaism, their own central place of worship, and so on.

Which is why He said this...

John 4:21 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

There, He is referring not only to their own fallen system, but to Jerusalem's, and to His mission to bring them, as His "other sheep" considered by the rest "not of" the "fold...of the house of Israel," into said fold, under Him as the Shepard.

And He had also rejected that Samaritan woman's claim that her people had the right Israelite worship...

John 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.

The result being that were not favorably looked at by balance of the house of Israel...

John 4:9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

John 4:27 And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her?

They were perceived as unclean, or heathen-like, or having gone "the way of the Gentiles."

John 8:48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

Their version of Judaism was considered polluted by Gentile influence, and thus at enmity with righteousness.

As in the following verses, where this same principle is depicted.

Acts 13:10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

1 Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

Their majority never did fully part from the following...

1 Kings 16:29 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel: and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years. 16:30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all that were before him. 16:31 And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took to wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians, and went and served Baal, and worshipped him. 16:32 And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 16:33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him.

Theirs had been a failed attempt at reforming the thing and build on on it (their own central place of worship).

Rather, there's was to have been to tear it down and head for Jerusalem - "the city of the great king" Matt. 5:35.

Though it too had ended having turned into anything but the place of the Father's House...

Matthew 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.