"But NOW in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ." Eph. 2:13
Who were those that who "sometimes were far off."? Verses 11 and 12 tell you. It was the Gentiles. We were strangers from the covenants God made with Israel, having no hope, and without God in the world.
But notice v. 13. It is the blood of Christ that makes us nigh now.
"And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body BY THE CROSS, having slain the enmity thereby:" Eph. 2:16.
It is BY THE CROSS that Jew and Gentile are made one in Christ.
Does Matt. 10:5,6 and Matt.15:24 make more sense now? BEFORE the cross, Christ says He was NOT SENT but UNTO the LOST SHEEP of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL. He came to fulfill prophecy concerning the nation Israel, and to make them a kingdom of priests and a blessing to all nations. He was their Messiah and the Savior of the World. But they had to accept Him first. As we know they did not. They, as a nation, rejected Him.
And then we have the cross. Where the blood of Christ is shed for all, Jew and Gentile, and we are NOW on equal standing before God.
Everything that pertains to Jesus Christ's earthly ministry BEFORE the cross pertains to Israel and covenants and promises made to them by God. That's why the Beatitudes and the "Rules for Christian Living" in the four gospels does absolutely NOTHING toward salvation. It is at the CROSS that we find His finished work for us and our salvation."
I do hope you will read Ephesians, Chapter Two. It is an eye opener. Truly. God Bless!"
Now here, everyone, is a proper hermeneutic in action. This is someone who is reading the ENTIRE story, catching the movement of the narrative UNTIL it actually comes along and adds us to to the story. I cannot thank you enough, smvoice, although you should be LGVOICE. Everyone on FR should read and reread this entire post to understand how this not only makes the Bible a cogent story, but explains why the Gospel is Good News and not just more "Golden Rule" Law. Thank you, again, my FRiend and brother.
Sorry, but I don’t believe for a moment that everything Jesus said prior to Acts Chapter 10 applied to the Jews and not to the large majority of the future Church of God. The Beatitudes were not preached by Jesus and recorded just for the Jews.
Was this meant just for the Jews:
7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
10 Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread,
12 and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Remember, we are grafted on to the stock - we are not a separate plant:
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
I take issue with the premise of the article that these are questions “you must answer”. On the contrary, I believe these are questions that reflect our hearts and conscious-they have no answers.
“Why do we do evil?” I like to hear a Catholic or an Orthodox (or even some Protestants) explain to me that. I can tell you why. We’re evil people. And in understanding that we’re evil, we can understand that there is nothing we can do that is good and we will never seek after God. We run from Him. We hide from Him. We lie to Him. On and on. He seeks for us. We never seek for Him.