I’ve always thought that reference to “dogs” meant the Gentiles whom the Sanhedrin and Pharisees despised.
No, quite the opposite.
Jesus’ parable of the WINE SKINS shows what he meant.
In the parable, he says, “Do not put New Wine into old wine skins.”
Now, what is ‘New Wine’?
In Jesus’ time, ‘New Wine’ is wine that has not completed its fermentation process, and still contains lots of fruit sugar as well as an alcohol content, usually 7 to 8 percent.
It was common to drink New Wine since it was sweet as well as having an alcoholic kick.
Now, if you put New Wine (the Gospel and Christianity as a whole) into old wine skins (the Sanhedrin and Pharisees), the fermentation process will continue, causing CO2 to be released (the Holy Spirit). Old wine skins (the Sanhedrin and Pharisees) are stiff and not flexible, thus will burst from the pressure of fermentation CO2 gas release, and both the New Wine (the Gospel and Christianity) and the Wine skins will be lost and destroyed.
Christianity was for the Gentiles (the Nations) and the Jewish religion would be preserved as well, until that day when both would be joined together............
“I’ve always thought that reference to “dogs” meant the Gentiles whom the Sanhedrin and Pharisees despised.”
Salvation you are indeed correct the “dogs” are us Gentiles. This woman was gentile a Syrophoenician,
Mark 7:26-27.
Matthew 15:26-27 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
26 Who answering, said: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs.
27 But she said: Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.
Jesus says this because the His message was first taken to the Jew (Romans 1:16) and once they rejected him and crucified him the message spread to all, Jew and Gentile alike. The bread and pearls verses have been since been directed to mean to the unrepentant sinner.
“Jesus’ parable of the WINE SKINS shows what he meant.”
The wine skins parable refers to putting the Living Holy Spirit into and unrepentant dead spirit. You MUST be born again with a living spirit regenerated and then the Holy Spirit will take up residence in your heart.
Romans 8:9-10 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
9 But you are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
10 And if Christ be in you, the body indeed is dead, because of sin; but the spirit liveth, because of justification.
John 3:6-7 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
6 That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.
7 Wonder not, that I said to thee, you must be born again.
GBA you are “spot on” with the tearing to pieces, but also without faith in Jesus Christ the unrepentant sinner just can’t see the Glory of Christ or Gospel.
2 Corinthians 4:4 Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of unbelievers, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not shine unto them.