Who Are the Outsiders?

These twelve Jesus sent out after instructing them: “Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 10:5-6 NASB

Israel – Donna Dozier notes the following about first century community concerns:

“This was one of the main disputes of the first century, especially between the prominent schools of Hillel and Shammai and among other sages – whether Gentiles could secure salvation outside Judaism. They knew that Jews found salvation by grace and faith like Noah and Abraham, and that the Jew would gratefully honor the commandments of the Torah (instruction) of God; but could Gentiles be saved, and if so, how? Since the Noahide Commandments were the system of laws which the Jews considered as binding upon all humanity, they were decided upon as the ‘vehicle of salvation.’ But the Noahide laws were not even categorized under the name of Noah until the era of the Tosefta and the Babylonian Talmud. The seven basic Noahide Commandments consist of the prohibitions against idolatry, blasphemy, killing, stealing, sexual sins, the eating of a limb from a living animal (cruelty to animals), and the obligation to establish courts of justice. (Sanhedrin 56A-59B) Another three were added in the third century, prohibitions of homosexuality and cannibalism, and imperative honor of the Torah. Some mention is made of 30 Commandments, but even Rashi admits he does not know what these were. Several others were added, a few at a time, over the years. Today’s Christianity tries to identify the four commandments offered for Gentiles in Acts 15:20 as Noahide Laws, but the connection is nebulous at best, especially when verse 21 continues, ‘For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.’ And furthermore, grace and faith are identified as cleansing the hearts in verse 9 and 11, before the four rules are stated. Gentiles were to be received into the covenant in exactly the same way as Jews – by faith. Peter spoke on behalf of Gentiles at the Jerusalem Council, saying that God ‘…made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith… But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Yeshua, in the same way as they also are.’ (Acts 15:9,11) The four requirements of the Jerusalem Council were not for salvation, but to prohibit idol worship in the pagan temples by the proselytes entering the Jewish community.”[1]

With this in mind, why did Yeshua prohibit his disciples from going to the Gentiles and the Samaritans? Geography provides the answer. Yeshua and the disciples are in Galilee. Galilee was surrounded by Gentile territory on all sides except the south but to the south was Samaria. Yeshua is not restricting his disciples from the ethnic groups of Gentiles and Samaritans (who were also Gentiles). He is telling his disciples that for this assignment they are to remain in Galilee. This is born out by the fact that Yeshua Himself has numerous encounters with Gentiles and Samaritans. But for the moment, He wishes His disciples to stay close to home.

Obviously, as the movement expanded the issue was no longer geographic. By the time of the council recorded in Acts 15, followers of the Way were scattered all over the Roman Empire and included Jews and Gentiles (and by definition, Samaritans). The question was no longer about geography but about ethnicity, but in this verse we should not read into the verse distinctions that only became issues later.

The lesson here is about proper exegesis. Not only must we guard against incorporating our ideas of terms into the text, we must also pay attention to the meanings of the terms within the context. “Jew” and “Gentile” have many connotations and we would be wise to determine which one is meant before we rush to add our own.

Topical Index: Gentile, Samaritan, Acts 15, Matthew 10:5-6, Israel

[1] Donna Dozier, Torn God Crying, pp. 52-53.