Leslie M. John
In this article I have dealt with seven points.
"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the
Gentiles, and that they will hear it" (Acts 28:28).
"Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord
Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him". (Acts 28:31)
Going by the text from verse 23 to 31 of Acts Chapter 28 it is evident that Jews
rejected the message from Apostle Paul. The message he expounded there was about
the kingdom of God, both out of the Law of Moses, and out of the prophets from
morning till evening and yet only some believed and some did not believe. The
phrases “kingdom of heaven” and “kingdom of God” were interchangeably used in
the four Gospels. In the Gospel of Matthew the phrase used was “kingdom of
heaven” and it appears in other Gospels as “kingdom of God”. Some have
interpreted differentiating this phrase as different from one another.
Jesus indeed came in search of the lost sheep of Israel:
“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: But go rather
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The
kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 10:5-7)
While it is true that Lord Jesus Christ sets up literal rule for thousand
years on this earth at his second advent, the phrase used in four Gospels speak
of the same kingdom although the Matthew preferred to call it as “kingdom of
heaven”. The message Paul spoke on different occasions before he finally settled
to speak to the Gentiles was about Salvation which is free gift and is not
associated with law and works. The message Peter spoke initially was about the
“kingdom of God” to Jews before he spoke to Gentiles. The Kingdom, which was
originally supposed to come into existence, provided Jews accepted Jesus as their Messiah was postponed to accommodate Gentiles in the Church. Jews rejected Jesus as their Messiah and this eventually paved the
way for Gentiles to come into the Church. But then, was this a happening without the knowledge of God? No, God had salvation to Gentiles in his plan and deliberately blinded the eyes of Jews. (Romans Chapters.9-11)
Jesus is not referred to as “King of the Church” but He is called “Head of the
Church” and all the believers saved are His body and they are called the “Body
of Christ”. The title of Jesus as “Christ” means that He is the Savior and He is
the “Messiah” about whom the prophets prophesied. About Jesus was written in the
books of Moses. The first one from Gentile to be saved was Cornelius, who was
uncircumcised Gentile. The scriptures do not show anywhere that he was
circumcised or grafted to become proselyte or have the privileges of Jews. Paul
says in his epistles that Jews and Gentiles in the Body of Christ have equal
privileges. It was this mystery hidden in God the Gentiles should be partakers
and become fellow heirs of Jews (Ephesians 3:2 and 3:6). This mystery was hidden in God even from the foundations of the earth.
Magi recognized Jesus as the King of the Jews. It is worth noticing that the wise men from the east came to Jerusalem to see the child Jesus and even before they saw him they recognized him as the King of the Jews born in Bethlehem. King Herod was also troubled. He inquired of the child and when wise men did not go back to him to give information that he needed he was filled with anger and slew all the children of the age up to two in Bethlehem, but by then Jesus was taken to Egypt by his parents. The wise men worshipped neither the mother of Jesus nor Joseph, but worshipped the child Jesus in Bethlehem.
“Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him”. (Matthew 2:2)
Jesus accepted worship as the King of Jews: In Matthew Chapter 21:1-11 there is a description as to how Jesus sent two disciples to get a donkey and a colt with her. He said to them that if any one asked them as to what they were doing he said that they should say to them that the Lord needs them. The disciples did as were commanded by Jesus. Great multitude spread their garments in the way and some others sprayed branches of trees while Jesus rode on that donkey. The multitudes that went before and that followed him cried saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest”
“Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and
sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass”. (Matthew 21:5)
“Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the
daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him”. (Isaiah 62:11)
At the trial when Jesus stood before the governor he asked Jesus if he was the King of the Jews. Then Jesus replied to the governor that he said so. But when Jesus was accused of the chief priests and elders he answered nothing. This was because he was there to fulfill the desire of the Father that he was to be bruised for our sins so that we may receive salvation. Pilate thought he could release Jesus if he wants to but he did not know that he could not do anything without the power given to him from heaven. Jesus said to him that Pilate had not power at all against Jesus except it were given to him from above.
“Then said Pilate unto him, Speak you not unto me? know you not that I have power to crucify you, and have power to release you? Jesus answered, You could have no power at all against me, except it were given you from above: therefore he that delivered me unto you has the greater sin”. (John 19:10-11)
It was not by chance the inscription that Jesus was the 'King of Jews" was put on the cross on which Jesus was crucified but it was as God desired. Later when the chief priests asked Pilate to change the writing as "he said, I am the King of the Jews", "Pilate answered, What I have written I have written" (John 19:22)
Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. (John 19:21)
The “Kingdom of God” is not confined to only the thousand-year-reign of Lord
Jesus Christ, but it has several aspects as we see in the parables recorded in
Matthew Chapter 13.
Jesus did not leave behind an unconcerned attitude towards Gentiles even while
he was seeking the lost sheep of Israel. The Canaanite woman, who was a Gentile, approached Jesus for a favor and although Jesus was initially reluctant to pay heed to her request he granted her request when she showed faith in him.
“And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour”. (Matthew 15:22-28)
In another occasion when Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman he spoke of
everlasting life. But then, she was from the descendants of Jacob mixed with
Gentiles based on this verse.
“Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank
thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?” (John 4:12)
Earlier, Jesus also spoke to a centurion and said that he had more faith than an Israelite:
"When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel". (Matthew 8:10)
That is to say that although the primary purpose of Jesus was to restore the
kingdom to Children and set up ‘kingdom of God’ he not only showed compassion
towards Gentiles while he was on this earth, but he commanded his disciples to
go the regions of Jerusalem first, and then to Judea and Samaria, and then to
uttermost parts of the earth to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:8)
It is purely an assumption that Jesus never spoke to Gentiles in the Gospel of Matthew, which is basically considered as Jewish Gospel. Peter spoke of ‘kingdom of God’ initially as per the instructions given by Lord
Jesus Christ before His ascension into heaven. He spoke to Jews first and then
to Gentiles. Paul also spoke to Jews first and then to Gentiles later. Paul was chosen to speak to Gentiles, but he ventured to Jews before he spoke
to Gentiles. Some Jews accepted his message and some Jews rejected his message. This was fulfilled as was prophesied earlier.His commission is recorded in Acts 9:15
"But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel"
“Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their
eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and convert, and be healed. (Isaiah 6:10)
“For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of
hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be
converted, and I should heal them”. (Acts 28:27)
Thereafter, the message of salvation was sent out to Gentiles. This does not say
that salvation message was not given out earlier than Acts 28:28 or Acts 28:31.
In fact, the text in Acts 28:31 reads…
“Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord
Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him” (Acts 28:31). Note
here the phrase ‘kingdom of God”.
This does not mean that the message proclaimed at that point of time and after Acts 28:28 was only for Gentiles. This kind of interpretation leads to interpretating that the Church did not come into existence in Acts Ch. 2. Contrary to that way of interpreting, the Church indeed came into existence as we read in Acts Chapter 2. The text reads…
“Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the
Gentiles, and that they will hear it” (Acts 28:28).
The salvation of God and the message of kingdom of God that proclaimed here had
the same meaning. Obviously this means that the Church began in Acts 2 when Holy
Spirit came down from heaven and they who gathered there in Jerusalem waiting
for Holy Spirit to come upon them were filled with Holy Spirit. This the Baptism
of Holy Spirit referred to earlier by John the Baptist in Matthew 3:11
“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with
the Holy Ghost and with fire” (Matthew 3:11)
Baptism with fire is meant for those who reject salvation. They will have their
part in the lake of fire along with Satan and fallen angels. It was in Acts
Chapter 2 that the Church began and Jesus became the head of the Church.
According to C.I. Scofield ‘kingdom of heaven’ refers to the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ and ‘kingdom of God’ refers to the universal, including all moral intelligences willingly subject to the will of God, whether angels, the Church, or saints of past of future dispensations 1.
I am not comfortable with his exposition on this point. This exposition could have been accepted only if the same verses from different Gospels did not match the same theme, but it was not so. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John’s Gospels used the same theme at several points using different phrases interchangeably. There are many parallel verses in the four Gospels dealing with a particular theme yet with two different phrases. Moreover, angels do not need salvation nor will fallen angels be forgiven!
Few examples are as follows:
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of
heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17)
“And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent
ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:15)
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these
things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33)
“But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto
you” (Luke 12:31)
“And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little
children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3)
“But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:14)
“Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11)
“For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater
prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is
greater than he”. (Luke 7:28)
1. Bibliography Information
Scofield, C. I. "Scofield Reference Notes on Matthew 6". "Scofield Reference
Notes (1917 Edition)".
<http://www.studylight.org/com/srn/view.cgi?book=mt&chapter=006>. 1917. )