Between the Magazine and the Readers
Between the Magazine and the Readers
(From the questions answered in the Friday Meeting at the Cathedral, which are sent to the magazine)
Question:
Was the message of the Lord Jesus limited only to the Jews?
Answer:
Of course not, for one of the conditions of religion is that it must be universal.
And the Lord Jesus came first and foremost for the salvation of the whole world.
John the Baptist testified concerning Him, saying: “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). And the Divine Revelation said: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish” (John 3:16).
The Lord Jesus did not restrict Himself to preaching to the Jews alone, but also preached in Samaria, which was hostile to them, and many there believed in Him. He also preached in the Decapolis, the Gentile region, and many Gentiles came to Him, such as the centurion.
Likewise, the Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to carry the good news to the whole world.
He said to them: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them…” (Matthew 28:19).
He also said: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
And He said again: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).
Also, in special missions, the Lord Jesus commanded His apostles to preach to the Gentiles.
He said to the Apostle Paul: “As you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome” (Acts 23:11).
And He also said to him: “Go, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles” (Acts 22:21).
He commanded the Apostle Peter to preach to Cornelius, the Gentile (Acts 10).
And He allowed Philip to baptize the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8).
Because of all these commandments, the disciples of the Lord went and preached the Christian faith throughout the whole world. The commandments of the Lord in the Gospel are binding upon the entire world. As for the Jews, they rejected Him as a nation; but those among them who accepted Him became Christians and were no longer Jews.
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Question by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III – El-Keraza Magazine, Year 5 – Issue 9, 30-11-1974
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