Saturday, May 19, 2012

The Mission and Ministry of Jesus – [Courtesy Dr. Jerald Dirks Doctor of Divinity]


The Mission and Ministry of  Jesus – [Courtesy Dr. Jerald Dirks Doctor of Divinity]

The mission and ministry of Jesus, peace be upon him)1, may be analyzed in several different ways. One would be to examine the content of his message to his listeners/followers.  Another way would  be  to analyze the source and precedents  of  Jesus' message. For example, how often are the alleged words of Jesus actually a quota­tion or paraphrase of earlier canonical, apocryphal, or pseudepigraphical scripture. A third way would be to determine the scope of his mission, i.e. to what range of people did Jesus deliver his message. In this brief chapter, the third approach has been attempted.

The modern Christian churches, with their theology primarily influ­enced by and based on the post-Jesus writings of Paul and on the Pauline tradition, maintain that the message of Jesus was addressed to the whole world, both to Jews and to gentiles. As such, Jesus is seen as a universal messenger of Allah.2 In marked contrast, Islam reserves the concept of the universal messenger to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and sees Jesus as being a prophet and messenger whose prophetic mission and ministry were limited to the Jews alone. (From the Islamic perspective, these Jews were Israelites who were backsliders and deviators from the true religion of Allah, i.e. Islam, and who adopted a specific, formalistic, and ritualistic code of conduct termed Judaism.3)

Behold!  the angels said:  "0 Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus... And Allah will teach him the book and wisdom, the law and the gospel, and (appoint him) a messenger to the children of Israel... "4
When (Jesus) the son of Mary is held up as an example, behold thy people raise a clamor thereat (in ridicule)! And
they say, "Are our gods best, or he? This they set forth to thee, only by way of disputation: yea, they are a contentious people. He was no more than a servant: We granted Our favor to him, and We made him an example to the children of Israel.5

As will be seen in what follows, the preponderance of  evidence from that part of  the Christian scriptures, specifically attributed to the words of  Jesus, as  opposed  to those  of  his  alleged  disciples  or to Paul (Saul  of 
Tarsus),  clearly refute the  concept that the mission and ministry of Jesus were  universal in nature. Rather, the alleged words  of  Jesus in Christian, as opposed to Islamic, scripture delineate a mission and ministry that are
defined by stringent, nationalistic and ethnic boundaries. Jesus limits the mission field There  are  several  places  within the  canonical  gospels  in  which Jesus allegedly  discusses  his  mission  field. Here, only those  statements
in which Jesus  restricts  his  mission  according  to  national  and  ethnic limitations are presented.  The  clearest statements in this regard are to be found in Matthew.

The first  example is the  Matthean  account of  Jesus  commissioning his 12 disciples to go into the land of  Palestine, and to preach his message to the people there. This  passage, quoted below, specifically refutes the
Sunday  school  interpretation  of  a  universal  ministry  for  Jesus  and his disciples.

These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel... "6

As can be judged from the above citation, Jesus specifically instruct­ed his disciples not to preach his gospel to the gentiles, i.e. non-Jews, but restricted the teaching to "the lost sheep  of  the house of I s r a e l " .  Further, Jesus also  commanded  the  disciples  not to  enter  the towns of the Samaritans, i.e., individuals of  mixed Assyrian and Israelite descent, who practiced their own brand of  Judaism, complete with their own version of  the Torah. With this restriction, Jesus reportedly limited his mission, and that of  his disciples, not only to "the lost sheep of the  house of I s r a e l " ,  but also to jus t  one segment of  those "lost sheep", i.e., those, whose  ancestry was  not  "polluted"  with Assyrian blood. 
However ,   only  five   chapters   later,  Matthew  offers   an  even  more  dramatic   account  of  Jesus  limiting hi s  mission and ministry to  " the  lost sheep  of  the house   of  I s r a e l " .   In this   account ,  Jesus  refuses   to  heal   an afflicted sufferer, only be cause  the  victim' s  mother is a  Canaanite ,  i.e.  a member  of  the   ethni c  group of  people ,   who inhabited Palestine  before ,  and then a long side  of, the  I s r a e l i t e s . 

Jesus  left that  place and  went  away to the  district of  Tyre and  Sidon.  Jus t  then a Canaanite woman f rom tha t  region c ame  out and  started shouting,  "Have me r cy on me,  Lord, Son of David; my  daught e r  is tormented by a demon." But  he  did  not  answe r  her at all. And his  disciples  came and urged him,  saying,  "Send he r  away, for she  keeps shout ing after us."  He  answered, "I was sent only to the los t  she ep of  the  hous e   of  Israel."  But she  carne and  kne l t  be for e   him, saying, "Lord, help me." He answered, "It is not  fair to take the  chi ldr en' s   food and  throw  it to the  dogs."  She  said, "Yes, Lord,  yet  even the dogs e a t  the  c rumbs  that fall  from the i r  ma s t e r ' s   table."  Then Jesus  answered  her,  "Woman, great is your  faith!  Le t  it be done  for you as you wish." And he r  daughter was  healed instantly,7

Onc e   aga in,   the   quot ed  pa s s age   runs   count e r   to  the   image   of  the  unive r s a l   ministry,  whi ch  is  typi c a l ly  por t r ayed  for   young  Chr i s t i ans  a t t ending Sunday s chool .   Howeve r ,  it is the  Sunday s chool  l e s son,  whi ch indoc t r ina t e s   the   Chr i s t i an  youth,   and  whi ch  l a t e r  guide s   the  Chr i s t i an adul t  in  hi s  unde r s t anding of  the  Chr i s t i an s c r iptur e s ,  r ega rdl e s s  of  wha t  thos e  s c r iptur e s  may  a c tua l ly state.  I f  one  is  t aught  long  enough,   of t en enough,   and e a r ly  enough wha t  some thing  " r e a l ly"   me ans ,   then tha t   is wha t  he or  she  wi l l  unde r s t and,  even when the  a c tua l  words  convey some ­thing f a r  di f f e r ent . 
In the  above  c a s e ,  the  a l l eged words   of  J e sus  convey some thing f a r  di f f e r ent  than a unive r s a l  ministry. Fur the rmor e ,  J e sus  r epor t edly r e f e r s  to non- J ews ,  i.e. thos e  wi th de s c ent  othe r  than tha t  f rom the  I s r a e l i t e  t r ibe  of  Judah",  wi th the  me t aphor  of  be ing "dogs " .   It is  only  a f t e r  the  ext r eme  s t a t ement  of  f a i th  a t t r ibut ed to the  gr i eving mothe r  tha t  J e sus  r epor t edly conde s c ended and de igned to  make  a spe c i f i c  except ion,  and to he a l  the  woman' s  daught e r .   Howeve r ,  the   use  of  the  me t aphor  of  "dogs "   allows  one to interpret a third passage from Matthew as being a restriction on the mission and ministry of Jesus.  Again, the words reported in this passage, quoted below, are  attributed by Matthew  to Jesus.

Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot
and tum and maul you.9

It may be noted that the  above Matthean passage is  corroborated by an  almost identical one found in the  93rd saying recorded in the  Gospel of  Thomas,  discovered  in 1945  among  the  Coptic  manuscripts  at Nag Hammadi, Egypt. This  passage is quoted below:

(Jesus said,) "Do not give what is holy to dogs, lest they throw them on the dung heap. Do not throw the pearls (to)
swine, lest they. . .it (... )"10

The  presence of  this saying in both Matthew and  Thomas, despite its absence  from  Luke,  clearly  demonstrates  that this  saying  was  initially found in Q, a book of  alleged sayings  of  Jesus. This  book preceded even the  gospel of  Mark,  Le., the  earliest of  the four  canonical  gospels,  and was probably in existence during the middle pa r t  of  the first  century CEo Q had a probable origin within 20 years of  Jesus' actual ministry and at least 20 years  before Mark; though this book no longer exists. Read  together,  the  three passages from  Matthew  and the one  f rom Thomas clearly demarcate and limit the mission field  of  Jesus to "the lost sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel". This is in total  contrast  to the  be l i e f  of  Christians that the message of Jesus was universal. Further, each of these passages is attributed to Jesus' ministry prior to his alleged crucifixion.11 This  point   will  be come   increasingly  important  in what follows, when apparently contrary evidence surfaces from the Christian scriptures.

Contrary Evidence to the limited Ministry of Jesus
Notwithstanding  the  convincing nature  of  the  above  quoted statements from  the early  gospel  writers  of   the  Christian  tradition,  it  must  be acknowledged  that  there  are verses  within  the   Christian  scriptures where Jesus is  alleged to  have confirmed  a  universal ministry.  In  what follows,  these passages  are  presented,  and  their grave defects regarding authenticity are illustrated.

The alleged behavior of Jesus
One  example, which is frequently c i t ed by Christians in support of the  so­called universality of the  ministry of  Jesus, is the  healing of  the  slave of  a Roman centurion in Capernaum, a town at the  northern end  of  the  Se a 
of  Galilee (Lake  Tiberias).  Be c aus e  this  exampl e  is so frequently  cited, a single exception will be made  to the usua l  format of  restricting evidenc e  to the  alleged sayings of  Jesus as recorded in the  Christian scripture. Thi s 
instance  appears  both  in  Luke  and  Matthew.  However,  as the  former pa s s age   provides  the  mos t   revealing  details  surrounding  the  circum­stances  of  this  healing,  it is the  Lukan  account,  which  is  reproduced
below.
After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and Who  was i l l  and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, "He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us." And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, "Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed ... When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith." When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. 12

Granted that  Jesus healed the slave of a Roman centurion (a  minor  Roman a rmy officer in command of  a contingent of  100 Roman soldiers), the  specific t ext  actually tends to conf i rm tha t  the mission and ministry of  Jesus were limited to "the lost sheep of  the house of  Israel". In tha t  regard, one mus t  note the  highly unusual circumstances involved in this  example of  healing. First, the  Roman centurion did not,  himself,  entreat Jesus to
he a l  the slave. Rather, the  centurion sent a delegation of  Jewish elders to appeal to Jesus.  Second, these Jewish elders were able to  make  a direct and convincing case for special circumstances, stating that the centurion:
loved the Jewish people; and had actually gone to the extremely unusual step of building a synagogue for the Jewish people of Capernaum, no doubt the same synagogue in which Jesus occasionally taught. Third, like the example of the Canaanite woman cited earlier, the Roman centurion completely abases  himself  before Jesus, by saying, "I am not worthy to have you come under my  roof'.  Fourth, the faith of the Roman centurion, like that of the Canaanite woman, was immense and impres­sive. For the centurion, it was sufficient that Jesus merely say a word from a distance, to heal the slave.
Given these highly unusual considerations, it must be seen that the example cited is actually the exception that proves the rule. Only in the most exceptional of circumstances, e.g., that of  the Canaanite woman of  Tyre and Sidon and the Roman centurion of Capernaum, did Jesus reach out beyond "the lost sheep of  the house of  Israel". However, even then, the outreach of Jesus was in the form of a miraculous healing, not in the form of preaching the message with which he had been entrusted. Nowhere do the Christian scriptures indicate that Jesus taught or
preached to .either this Canaanite woman or that Roman centurion. The example merely confirms that Jesus did, under very exceptional circum­stances, heal outside of the "the house of Israel", but he still did not preach to other than "the lost sheep of the house of  Israel".
The  alleged Sayings of J e sus 
The various books  of  the New Testament  record three alleged sayings of  Jesus, each of  which appears to suggest an international or universal ministry for Jesus and his followers. In what follows, after a  brief presentation  of  the purported setting to which the alleged saying is affixed, each of these three passages is quoted verbatim, and the Biblical passage in question is critiqued.

THE FIRST EXAMPLE.
The first passage to be considered is from the gospel according to Matthew.  The setting is in Galilee, which is in the
north of  Palestine. The time is some days after the alleged crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus'13, as it would have taken the eleven disciples'14  at least a few days to walk from Jerusalem, where they supposedly were on Easter Sunday, to Galilee.
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they sawhim, they worshiped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."15
On the face of it, the above passage appears to be a pretty strong piece of evidence that Jesus was proclaiming  a universal ministry. However, there are grave and serious defects in the above passage. Let us examine these.
First and foremost, it must be noted that Matthew portrays the above statement as being from the mouth of the "risen" Jesus, not from the time of Jesus' "earthly ministry". Within the New Testament scriptures, the use of  the concept of  the "risen" Jesus is often a code, which indicates that the so-called "witness" has had a "vision". In that regard, one need only consider the case of  the "vision" pfPaul  (Saul of Tarsus), as he journeyed from Jerusalem to Damascus, in order to persecute the early followers of  J e sus . 16  Clearly, a "vision" cannot on its own authority claim the same sort of  historical credence as a saying made by Jesus during his earthy life and ministry. As such, some  considerable  doubt regarding historical accuracy becomes immediately apparent.
Second, the  reported  wording of  Jesus'  alleged command to his disciples is in the literary form  of  a liturgical  baptismal formula, which indicates an origin in the nascent Christian churches. With later editing and redacting of Matthew,  this liturgical baptismal formula appears to have been retrofitted  into the mouth  of  the "risen" Jesus. Thus, a form critical analysis  (Formgeshichte)  of  the purported saying leads to its attribution to early Christian churches, probably at some point not earlier than the second century CEo  That this baptismal formula dates to a time much later than Jesus can be seen by the fact that the disciples continued to baptize only in the name of Jesus, eschewing any mention of a so­called trinity in their liturgical baptismal formula.
Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be
forgiven;  and you will receive the gift of the  Holy Spirit."17
 Third, text  criticism indicates that the above  passage from Matthew has suffered from various later interpolations.  For example, in his fourth century CE quoting  of  the above passage, Eusebius18 has it as "baptizing them in my name", instead of  "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and  of  the Holy Spirit" .19  Thus, as late as the fourth century CE, the above  passage  from  Matthew  was still  undergoing editorial  redaction  and  interpolations  by those within the  Christian churches! This fact alone is sufficient to render the historical value of  the Matthean passage totally  without merit.
Fourth, if Jesus actually gave the disciples the command to carry the ministry to "all nations", the historical record clearly  indicates that they greatly hesitated in obeying this command, and often flatly  disobeyed it.
Such  disobedience  and/or  hesitance  in  obeying  the alleged  command of  the "risen" Jesus to take the message to "all nations" is quickly and easily  verified  and  corroborated by  numerous New Testament passages, including Acts 11:1-18, in which Peter was chastised by members of  the early Jerusalem "church'20 for even eating with gentile  Christians. How could these elders of the Jerusalem "church" have confronted Peter about his eating with gentile  Christians,  i f   Jesus had actually given the command  to go out into "all  nations"?  In addition,  Galatians 2:1-9 documents  the  difficulty  Paul had in  convincing  the early  Jerusalem "church" to allow him to take the gospel  message to the gentiles. How could Paul have had any such difficulty, if Jesus had actually given a universal commission to his disciples?  Remember, Paul was not and had never been a  disciple  of  Jesus, and had never even met Jesus during Jesus' earthly life. Further, Acts,  which is basically a book of  propagan­da, allegedly reporting the history of the early churches, but really prose­lytizing for the deviant Pauline tradition in early Christianity, even goes to the extent to record that Jesus' actual disciples explicitly rejected Paul as being a fellow disciple.

When he had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples; and they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple.21

As such,  Paul ' s   argument  for taking the gospel  message  to the gentiles is not in any way the action of a disciple, and this action of his met with  frequent  reproof from the original "church", which was in Jerusalem.22 One  additional example is worth quoting verbatim.
Now those who were scattered because  of  the persecu­tion that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews.23
In regard to the purported  commissioning  of  the disciples to "(g)o therefore and make disciples of all nations",  just this fourth defect is sufficient to indicate that "(i)t is improbable that Jesus said this. . .  "24
Taken together, the four defects noted above provide convincing proof that the words narrated in Matthew 28:18-20 cannot be said to be coming from Jesus, if any semblance of historical accuracy is to be maintained. As noted by one Christian theologian and Biblical commen­tator: "(t)hese verses probably reflect the early  church's  interpretation more than Jesus' actual words. . .  "25
THE SECOND EXAMPLE. The second passage to be considered is from the gospel of Luke.  The setting of this passage is Jerusalem, where Jesus allegedly confronts many of his remaining 11 disciples, as well as a few other believers. At this time, he reportedly instructs them in the real meaning,  interpretation,  or understanding of his earthly sayings and ministry. The date  of  this meeting is assumed to have been on Easter Sunday. With the above context and  background  in mind, the relevant passage from Luke  is quoted here.

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus is it written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimedin his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You  are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."26

Once again, there are grave defects in the passage under considera­. tion. Yet again, the defects undermine any claim for the alleged histori­cal accuracy of the passage. Four of these defects are presented immedi­ately below.
The first defect is that the words attributed to Jesus in the above passage are attributed to the allegedly "risen" Jesus. The alleged words and actions of the "risen" Jesus are frequently to be understood as words heard and actions seen in a "vision". The historical authenticity, credibility,  and  reliability  of   such "vision"  testimony  have to be approached with a healthy dose of skepticism.
The second flaw is that the actual disciples of Jesus had great hesitations in approaching gentiles, and tended to avoid proselytizing to those who were not of  "the house of Israel' 27 In that regard, it is worth­while to note once again the following passage from Acts,  which clearly states the position  of  the early "church" at Jerusalem, whose "member­ship" included the original disciples of Jesus.
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews.28
In addition to the above demerits, the Lukan account is tied to a statement regarding the alleged  crucifixion  and resurrection of Jesus, which both the apocryphal and canonical gospels suggest may never have happened.29  This raises some additional concern about the historical veracity of the Lukan passage under consideration.
The fourth defect is that the Lukan narrative is not an absolute endorsement of  a universal ministry. Rather,  i f  taken at face value, the Lukan account is at most a  conditional  endorsement  of a universal ministry. Christians, who attempt to use this passage as a commissioning to a universal ministry, too frequently overlook this conditional nature of the statement in Luke.  However, the passage clearly states that: A) the ministry was to begin in Jerusalem; B) the ministry was to stay centered in Jerusalem until Jesus had sent "upon you what my Father promised" and until "you have been clothed with power from on high"; and C) only after the conditions in "B" were met, was the ministry to expand out from Jerusalem into "all nations".
Quite simply, the mission and ministry were to be restricted to "the lost sheep of  the house of Israel", until such time as: "what my Father has promised" has been fulfilled; and "you have been clothed with power from on high". What had Allah promised to send? What was this "power from on high"? Traditional Christian interpretation has been that it was the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  I f  that interpretation were accepted, then the condition was met on Pentecost, just 50 days after the events described in the above passage from  Luke.  However, there are good and sufficient reasons to doubt that interpretation, and recorded statements made  e l s ewhe r e  in the New Testament scriptures dramatically refute that  interpretation.
THE THIRD EXAMPLE.   The  third example, in whi ch it is  a l l eged that Jesus  authorized  a  universal  mi s s ion  and ministry,  is  found  in the book  of  Acts.  The   setting  is the  Mount   of  Olives,  whi ch  is  e a s t   of  Jerusalem, and jus t  across the Kidron Valley from the walls of  Jerusalem.
The  t ime  is 40 days after Ea s t e r  Sunday. "While staying with them, he  ordered  them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now . . .But you will  receive power when the Holy  Spirit has  come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out
of their sight.30
The  first two  defects in this  pa s s age  have  be en previously  encoun­t e r ed in analyzing the previous Ma t the an and Lukan narratives.  First, the a l l eged commissioning to a  universal mission and ministry is  purpor t ed to be  given by the  "risen" Jesus, not by the  earthly Jesus.  As  previously noted,  the  "risen" J e sus   is  frequently  a  me t aphor  for  having r e c e ived  a "vision", in which Jesus was  allegedly s e en and heard.  Second, the  early disciples  of  Jesus continually  exercised great hesitation in  preaching,  i f  not  actual refusal  to  preach,  the  gospe l  message of  Jesus  to  othe r  than those of  "the house of  Israel. "31

The third de f e c t  in utilizing the  above  passage f rom Ac t s  to support a universal ministry for  Jesus  is the  s ame  as  that previously  not ed  as the fourth  defect unde rmining  the  Lukan  narrative,  i.e. the  commi s s ioning to a  universal  ministry  is  conditional,  not  absolute.  Jesus  specifically orde r ed his disciples to wa i t  in Jerusalem, i.e. to confine their ministry to the  "house of  Israel", until "the promi s e  of  the Father" had  be en fulfilled.
Only  after Al l ah had  fulfilled  this  promise,  whi ch is  neve r  specifically identified in the  above passage,  were the  followers  of  Jesus  to  take the gospe l  me s s age  to "the ends of the  earth".  Until Al l ah' s  promi s e  had be en fulfilled, the followers ofJesus were to restrict their mission and ministry to Jerusalem, i.e. to "the hous e  of  Israel". As was the case with the Lukan narrative previously quoted, the traditional Christian interpretation of this
"promise of the Father" is that it refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit. This traditional Christian interpretation finds some superficial support in the above passage from Acts, in that the conditional clause concerning the "promise of the Father" is immediately followed by a discussion  of  the Holy Spirit and a prediction of the Pentecost (the day the disciples were supposedly filled with the Holy Spirit, who allegedly descended on them), which reportedly followed 10 days later. However, as will be seen below, this interpretation of the conditional nature of the universal commissioning represents a serious distortion of the actual Biblical message.
The Conditional Commissioning: The Advocate and the Holy Spirit It is an unfortunate fact that people of understanding often restrict their thinking only to what they have been taught to understand, rather than comprehending the real meaning of the words in front of them. This is evident among Christians when one considers their understanding of many key Biblical passages. They understand only what they have been taught to understand in Sunday school, decade after decade, with additional Sunday morning sermonsfurther setting limits on the subject.
In other words, their understanding of the Bible  is not so much based upon what the Bible actually says, but upon what they have been taught that the  Bible says. This is especially the case when considering the Biblical portrayal of the Advocate, Holy Spirit, and Spirit of Truth. The average Christian's understanding of the Holy Spirit is vague and fuzzy, often consisting of  no more than a rote recital that the Holy Spirit is the third person of  the trinity. However, the average Christian is quite clear, because he/she has been indoctrinated and programmed by the church to believe, that the Holy Spirit first entered the world of  man at Pentecost, i.e., 50 days after Easter Sunday. Given this understanding, it is easy to see how the average Christian can maintain that the conditional clause in the alleged commissioning to a universal ministry (as reported both in Luke  and in Acts) was fulfilled at Pentecost by the descent of the Holy Spirit.  In support of that position, Christians often refer to the reported words of Jesus, as recorded in a passage from the gospel  of   John, consisting of only two verses, which need to be understood in the context provided by the five verses that follow them. The above referenced verses are given below for ready  reckoning,  with the five additional verses being  placed  in italics. This gives a clear  picture  as to what is typically  quoted and what is left out.
I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will
send in my name, will teach you everything, and rern.(nd you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you;
my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let
them be afraid. You heard me say to you, "I am going away, and I am coming to you."  I f  you loved me, you would
rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than  I.  And now I have told you this before it
occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe. I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is
coming. He has no power over me; but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us be on our way.32
Ina  second passage,  i.e., John  16:7, it is definitively stated that the Advocate cannot come into the world, until Jesus has left the world. This establishes  a clear  temporal  sequence in which Jesus precedes the Advocate,  and in  which  the roles  of  Jesus and the  Advocate  are not allowed to overlap chronologically.
Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not
come to you; but i f !  go, I will send him to you.33
Did the Holy Spirit enter the world of man only after the ascension of  Jesus? Was it necessary that Jesus should leave, in order that the Holy Spirit would first  come? Was Jesus speaking  of  the Holy Spirit when he reportedly  uttered,  according  to the  Lukan narrative  quoted previously, "I am sending upon you what my  Father  promised"? Was it the Holy Spirit who would, according to the same Lukan narrative, clothe mankind "with  power from on high?" Was the Holy Spirit "the promise  of  the Father" noted in the quoted  passage  from  Acts?  The  Biblically  based answer to all of  the above  questions is "no". The Bible records numerous examples  of  the Holy Spirit working within the world  of  man far before the reported ascension of Jesus.
More than one Biblical passage refers to the Holy Spirit being present in the world during the time of  King David, peace be upon him, during the 11th and 10th centuries BCE, and as being the source of David's  inspiration  and  revelation.34  Likewise, it was the Holy Spirit, who reportedly was the source of revelation to Isaiah.
35
It was the Holy Spirit, who allegedly  enlightened  the entire nation  of  Israel prior to Isaiah's prophecies in Old Testament times."  It was the Holy Spirit, who reportedly imparted  revelation to Simeon  of  Jerusalem  during the first centuries BCE and CE.37  It was the Holy Spirit, who gave revelation to John the Baptist, peace be upon him.
38
It was the Holy Spirit, who gave revelation to Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist . 39   It was the Holy
Spirit, who gave revelation to Zechariah, the father of  John the Baptist40 It was the Holy Spirit, who descended upon Mary, the mother of Jesus.41 It was the Holy  Spirit,  who  infused  Jesus  with  inspiration  and revelation.42  Clearly, the Holy Spirit was already at work in the world of  mankind, fulfilling its role of giving revelation and inspiration, far before and many times before the ascension of Jesus!
So how could it be the Holy Spirit upon whom the disciples must wait before  undertaking  a universal ministry? The Holy Spirit was already present. In fact, Jesus, had already given the gift of the Holy Spirit as a source of inspiration and revelation to the disciples via the power given to him by Allah, prior to the ascension of Jesus.43 Perhaps the clearest Biblical statements that the disciples had already received the Holy Spirit are to be found in John  and in Acts,  with both passages quoted below.

When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit... "44

In the first book, Theophilus,I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chos en. 45

  Quite obviously, the disciples could not be waiting for the gift  of  something that they had already been given! (A brief digression is in order at this point. In the above referenced and quoted verses  of  the  Bible,  the consistent  presentation  of the Holy Spirit is as the one who brings inspiration and revelation from Allah to the chosen one of  Allah, whether that be David, Isaiah, the children of  Israel, Simeon of  Jerusalem, Elizabeth, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Mary, Jesus, or the disciples of  Jesus. In that r ega rd;  it is worth noting that the tradi­
tional Islamic understanding of  the term "Holy Spirit" is that it refers to the angel  Gabriel,  who is the  intermediary  between  Allah and His prophets and messengers, the one who conveys the revelation of  Allah to those men who declare that revelation to others.46)
As noted above, the Bible  gives  numerous statements that the Holy Spirit was  present and  operating in the world as a source  of  inspiration and revelation far before the  ascension  of  Jesus. Further, the  disciples of  Jesus had already received the gift of  the Holy Spirit prior to the ascen­sion of  Jesus. So, what was  it, for which the disciples must wait,  before expanding  the ministry  of  Jesus  outside  the  confines  of  "the house  of  Israel"?  Luke 24:49 indicates that it was "what my father  promised" and that which was promised would result in Jesus' followers being  "clothed with power from on high". Ac t s  1:4 refers to the  "promise of  the Father" , and Acts 1:8 refers to the receipt of  "power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you". Both  passages refer to  something  coming,  which has  been promised by Allah. Clearly, that is not the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit was already present and had already been received by the disciples. Both passages link that promised "something" with the receipt of power, one of  which links that power with something to do with the Holy Spirit, i.e., with the receipt of  revelation.
Having arrived at this point in the analysis, one needs now to tum to the passages previously quoted from  John  14:25-31 and 16:7. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.. .if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.47

Since it has already been  shown  that the Holy Spirit was already present and active in the world, i.e. had already been sent by Allah,  prior to the time Jesus reportedly spoke the above quoted words, the only way the above verses make conceptual sense is to interpret the "Advocate" and the "Holy Spirit" are two different entities.
So, who is the "Advocate"?  The clues to the identity of the Advocate  are  presented in the  passage  of  John  14:25-31, in the verses  originally italicized when quoted previously. "And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe." This simply cannot be a reference to Pentecost. Why would Jesus need to say this for the disciples to believe post Pentecost in the Holy Spirit, when they had just reportedly been filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost? The infusion of the Holy Spirit should be an event beyond the recipient being in any doubt about it! The recipient of the Holy Spirit would not need to reflect back on the words of Jesus in order to believe. The reported words  of  Jesus cannot refer to the Holy Spirit, whom the disciples have already
received, and in whom they already believe. Therefore, the words must be applied to the Advocate. The followers of  Jesus may not readily believe the Advocate, so Jesus specifically reports his coming, in order that when the appearance of the Advocate "does occur, you may believe". Does the passage from  John  provide any other clues as to the identity of the Advocate? Yes, it does. "I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of  this world is coming." The Advocate is a coming, temporal "ruler of this world".
To summarize, the "promise of the Father" is the Advocate. The Advocate will be inspired by and receive revelation from the Holy Spirit, and that revelation will clothe those who accept it with "power from on high". Unfortunately, the followers of Jesus may have trouble in recognizing the Advocate, and in believing in the revelation received
by the Advocate. Therefore, Jesus must warn his followers about the coming of this Advocate, who will also be "the ruler of this world". While Muslim readers will probably be quick to identify the only person who can possibly fit this identification, it is now gently suggested to Christian readers that the only person after Jesus who can even vaguely fit this identification is Prophet Muhammad. In that regard, for the benefit of Christian readers, it may be noted that: the passage in John 14 states that the Advocate is the one "whom the Father will send in my name"; and the  Qur'an  (the revelation received by Muhammad) repeatedly refers to Jesus and to the revelation sent to him.48 

Say ye: "We believe in Allah, and the revelationgiven to us, and to Abraham,  Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: we make no differencebetween one and another of them: and we bow to Allah (in Islam)"49
Those messengers We endowed with gifts, some above others: to one of them Allah spoke; others He raised to degrees (of honor); to Jesus, the son of Mary, We gave clear (signs), and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. If Allah had so willed, succeeding  generations  would not have fought among each other, after clear (signs) had come to them, but they (chose) to wrangle, some believing and others rejecting.  I f  Allah had so willed, they would not have fought each other; but Allah fulfilleth His plans 50

Given the above  understanding,  one can readily see that the revelation, mission, and ministry of Jesus were to stay confined to "the house of Israel", until the coming of Prophet Muhammad, i.e., the Advocate, and his undoubted international and universal ministry!

A Problem of Chronology
There is yet one other defect relating to the assumption of the universal ministry of Jesus. Luke  24:50 indicates that the ascension of  Jesus was on Easter Sunday, which would indicate that Jesus was not present to have made the speeches recorded in  Matthew  28:16-20 (the first example above) and Ac t s   1:7-8 (the third example above) both of which were previously quoted verbatim. However, as the author of Luke  is held to have also been the author of  Acts, one is immediately struck by a major discrepancy and inconsistency. In Luke, the ascension is said to have been on Easter Sunday.51 However, in Acts, the very same writer maintains that the ascension was 40 days after Easter Sunday.52  Thus,  i f  the Lukan narrative were accepted, the passages from  Matthew  and from  Ac t s 
must be considered baseless and faulty. However, if the passages from Matthew and Ac t s  were accepted, the Lukan narrative would have to be rejected.

Conclusions
An in depth analysis of the relevant Biblical passages has revealed that the traditional Christian interpretation of the mission and ministry of Jesus is erroneous. Rather than having had a ministry to both Jews and gentiles, Jesus' ministry was limited to "the house of Israel". Further, Jesus appears to have given his disciples explicit instructions that the ministry and revelation of Jesus and his followers were to remain limited and  circumscribed  until the arrival  of  the  international  and universal ministry of Prophet Muhammad, i.e., the Advocate. In short, the actual
Biblical portrayal of the scope of the ministry of Jesus is highly consistent with the traditional Islamic interpretation found in the Qur'an.

Behold! the angels said:  "0 Mary! Allah giveth thee glad tidings of a word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus... And Allah will teach him the book and wisdom, the law and the gospel, and (appoint him) a messenger to the children of Israel... 53

Chapter 6. The Mission and Ministry of  Jesus
1. See the author ' s  preface regarding the use of  the phrase "peace be upon him". (Ref.
Use of the phrase "peace be upon him" to the names of the prophets of Allah in this article.)
2. See the author's preface regarding the use of  the term "Allah". (Western Christians are used to the word "God", and typically find the word "Allah" somewhat mysterious and troubling. They do not understand that "Allah" is nothing more than the contraction of two Arabic words, which mean "the God", or by implication "the One God". As such, it is not surprising that Arab Christians commonly use the word "Allah" when speaking of the deity.)
3. See the chapter entitled "Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Origins and Relationships" for a fuller exposition of  this concept.
4. Qur'an 3:45a, 48-49a.
5. Qur'an 43:57-59.
6. Matthew 10:5-6.  Of  note, the parallel accounts of  this commissioning to be found in Mark  6:6b-13 and Luke  9:1-6 conveniently leave out the restrictions found in Matthew's narrative.
7. Matthew 15:21-28.
8. The descendants ofthe Israelite tribe  ofBenjamin are also typically referred to as being Jews.
9. Matthew 7:6.
10. The Gospel ofThomas.  In Robinson JM (1990). Page 136. An alternative translation can be found in Guillaumont A, Puech HC, Quispel G, Till W, 'Abd AI-Masih Y (1959).
11. As to the alleged crucifixion of  Jesus, see the chapter entitled "The  Crucifixion:  A Question ofIdentity".
12. Luk e  7:1-7,9-10. The Matthean parallel can be found in Matthew 8:5-13. However, the account in Matthew fails to record the special circumstances involved, whereby Jesus makes an exception to the usual limits of  his ministry.
13. See the chapter entitled "The Crucifixion:  A Question of Ident i ty"  for a discussion of the issues involved in the Biblical presentation of  the alleged crucifixion of  Jesus.
14. Presumably, the II disciples refer to the 12 disciples minus Judas Iscariot.
15. Matthew  28:16-20.
16. Acts 9:1-9.
17. Acts 2:38.
18. Eusebius Parnphili was a 4th century CE bishop  ofCaesarea.  He was the author of  the monumental Ecclesiastical History, Chronicle, and various apologies and commentaries. --- (1998c).
19. Davies IN (1929b). 239
20. The disciples and elders grouped together in Jerusalem are traditionally referred to as the Jerusalem church.  However, they were not a " chur ch" .   They  continued to congregate and pr ay at the Jewish temple, and obviously maintained themselves as being part ofthe "hous e  of I s r a e l " .   They were not a new religion, i.e. Christianity, but were instead among those Jews who had returned to prope r  submission to Allah. (See the chapter entitled "Judaism, Christianity, and Islam:  Origins and Relationships".)
21. Acts 9:26.
22. Acts 15:1-5 ; 21:17-26; Galatians 2:1-9.  Remember  that  the  book of Acts was written by the Pauline tradition and school, and thus  presents a ve ry biased report of the conflict between Paul and the early " chur ch"  at Jerusalem.  For example, Acts 21: 17-26 purports to show that the Jerusalem " chur ch"  backed Paul.  However, the fact ofthe matter was, as recorded in tha t  very  passage, that the elders ofthe Jerusalem " chur ch"  made Paul undergo the temporary rites of  being a Nazarite, indicating that he was made to purify hims e l f  and to pay penance for what he had  be en doing.
23. Acts 11:19. 
24. Fenton JC (1973). Page 453.
25. Hamilton W (1959).  Page  109.
26. Luke  24:45-49.
27.  Acts 11:1-18; 15:1-5; 21:17-26;  Galatians 2:1-9.
28.  Acts 11:19. 
29. See the  chapter entitled "The  Crucifixion:  A Question of Identity" . 
30. Acts  1:4-5,8-9.
31.  Acts 11: 1-19;  15:1-5; 21:17-26; Galatians 2:1-9.
32. John 14:25-31. The reader ofthis  passage should note that the al1eged words of Jesus specifically state that Jesus is subordinate to " the  Father", i.e, to Allah.  In short, this passage is also a direct refutation of  the concept of the trinity.
33. John 16:7.
34. Psalms 51:11; Mark 12:36; Acts 1:16; 4:25.
35. Acts 28:25.
36. Isaiah 63:10-11.
37. Luke 2:25-26.
38. Luke 1:15
39. Luke 1:41.
40. Luke 1:67.
41. Luke 1:35.
42. Matthew 1:20; 3: I I ;  Mark  1:8; Luke  3:16,22;4:1:  10:21; John 1:33; Acts  10:38.
43. Mark 13: I I ;  Luke 12:12; John 20:22; Acts  1:2.
44. John 20:22.
45. Acts  1:1-2.
46. For a fuller discussion ofthese issues, see the chapter entitled "A  Concise Introduction to Islam:  Articles of  Faith and Pillars of  Practice".
47. John  14:26; 16:7b.
48. Qur 'an 2:87,136,253; 3:45-59; 4:157-159,163,171-172; 5:17,46,72-75,78,I I 0- I I8; 6:85;  9:30-31;  19:19-35,88-93; 21:91; 23:50; 33:7;  42:13; 43:57-65; 57:27;  61:6,14.
49. Qur'an 2:136.
50. Qur'an 2:253.
51. Luke 24:50.
52. Acts  1:3.
53. Qur'an 3:45a, 48-49a.

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One may be confused to learn that Jesus said “I was sent ONLY the lost sheep of the house of Israel” Matthew 15:24RSV. Yet Jesus' Gospel is now undestood to be for all of mankind since Jesus also said: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19. But is that what Jesus really meant!!
SHOCKINGLY the same verse in the original Greek gospel included the Greek word "τὰ -THE” before the word “nations” as seen HERE. The use of the word “THE” makes these nations specifically targeted as opposed to a general usage, meaning specifically the Twelve tribes of Israel. Yet the word "THE" remains absent in all Bibles, so that the Bible reader will understand making disciples is generally for all nations.
AMAZINGLY, the Bible translators repeated the same error in all verses that says “all THE nation” as in Matthew 24:14RSV “and this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations". see the proofHERE
Before the Gospels' earthly revelation through Jesus Christ, God told Mary that “He will save his people from their sins. Matthew 1:21 RSV”. It is very obvious that his people in this verse are the Children of Israel . Note that God did not say ALL people.
In fact when Jesus uses the phrase “the world” he means the world he was send to, which is the Children of Israel. why, becouse he said "For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."John 6:33.NIV. We all know the bread here is the revelation of Jesus, for he made it very clear that his revelation was indeed for the children of Israel only. For he said: "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs." Matthew 15:26.
Yet on his last days on earth, Jesus instructed his disciples that they “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:6 RSV. Did Jesus change his mind by speaking to non -Israelites peoples like the Samaritans?.
The Mystery of Jesus & The Samaritan People ?
In the gospel of John 4:5-40 Jesus came to encounter the Samaritans and stay with them for 2 days ONLY, which is not enough to teach them the gospel that existed at Jesus' time, for the Gospel of John says " But there are also many other things which Jesus did; were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written"21:25 . What was Jesus doing with the Samaritans for 2 days?
Jesus first encounters a Samaritan woman who said to him "I know that Christ is coming, when he comes, he will show us all things" One would ask what are the things Jesus will show them ? She answered "He told me all that I ever did." In reality John chapter (4) is saying that Jesus was proving to the Samaritans that he is The Christ by only telling them all the things they ever did , and that is the reason they said " we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world (Children of Israel)", notice they did not say "our savior".
Why would Jesus take the time to prove to them who he is?
Jesus tought his disciples that: "For he that is not against us is for us. Mark 9:40". In other words Jesus was establishing the foundation for his movement to have as less enemies as possible, for he told his follower that they "will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons.. Luke 21:12. When it came to teaching the Gospel Jesus did say: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans . But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Matthew 10:6 RSV.
Shockingly the Bible says "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Numbers 23:19. And Jesus did say: "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Matthew 15:24. Did Jesus change his mind or some misquote him for their own purposes?
Jesus' Gospel becoming a divine revelation to all mankind is clearly revealed by the era in which the New Testament was composed. That era was famous for the lack of professional scribes and institutional documentation until the Roman Empire adapted christianity where Pauls letters became the major source of the New Testament theology.
Yet in our modern time questions remain:
1.      Did the desire of the apostle Paul's early believers help to bridge the gap between his teaching and that of Jesus' gospel. As a result was the bible deliberately falsely translated for all these centuries?
2.      Should one accept Jesus' words OR the Bible translation errors along the Bible scribes?.
3.      Paul claims that Jesus sent him to the gentiles (Non-Jews), however Paul never met Jesus in the flesh. Yet Paul said "I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Galatians 1:11". How ture is Pauls claim? the astonishing answer in the next in depth study of apostle Paul in the new testament.(The Shocking Truth of Christianty's Founder?)
By World Religion Researcher: Tark El Nimir


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 In John 11:48 it's a Pharisees Jewish plot to kill Jesus son of Mary they are talking about all the Jewish community just like Matthew 28:19 and 24:14

John 11:50 refers THE whole Jewish nation! 11:51 also refers targeted THAT nation. Jews considered themselves children of God so all THOSE who were scattered john 11:52 around nearby villages

Mark 7:27 Jesus son of Mary pbuh told her the rule she was not part of his mission but on special request with her intelligent reply of left over he solved her issue.
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"But he (Jesus) answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." [Matthew 15:24]

"And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." [Luke 19:9-10]

Jesus (pbuh) said, "For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost. “What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray." [Matthew 18:11-13 KJV only]


A well documented fact that the 12 Tribes of Judah were spread amongst other nations so that is why Jesus teachings and guidence for them specifically required long wide spread journeys otherwise the gospel would not reach them.


'Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else to the nearby villages so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." [Mark 1:38]
'But he (Jesus) said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent." [Luke 4:43]


"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]


Jesus said, "You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is of the Jews." [John 4:22]




Jesus said, "I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." [John 17:19-20]

"He (Jesus) came unto his own, and his own received him not." [John 1:11]


IN THE QUR'AN WE READ ABOUT JESUS TRUE MISSION TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL:
"And Allah will teach him (Jesus) the book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel, and (appoint him) an apostle to the Children of Israel, (with this message): "I have come to you, with a Sign from your Lord, in that I make for you out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by Allah's leave: And I heal those born blind, and the lepers, and I quicken the dead, by Allah's leave; and I declare to you what ye eat, and what ye store in your houses. Surely therein is a Sign for you if ye did believe; (I have come to you), to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was (Before) forbidden to you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So fear Allah, and obey me." [Qur'an 3:48-3:50]


LET'S EXAMINE THE PROPHESY OF ISAIAH REGARDING THE PROPHET WHO WILL BE SENT TO THE GENTILES THAT PAUL CLEVERLY ATTEMPTED TO TAKE CREDIT FOR BY APPOINTING HIMSELF THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES:

Paul rejected Jesus' command of NOT preaching to the Gentiles. Jesus' Gospel and message was restricted only for the Children of Israel. Paul openly preached among the Gentiles a totally different gospel and religion altogether, but then again he wasn't one of Jesus' disciples anyways. The one who was to come for the Gentiles is mentioned in Isaiah 42 of the Bible. Who clearly is an Arab according to the description of his ancestor, "Kedar" and not a Jew Pharisee like Paul who then attempts to deceive many by assuming the role of the respected prophet to come as prophesied in the text.
Paul said, "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:" [Romans 11:13]

THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH) WAS THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES NOT PAUL THE LIAR:
"Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." [Isaiah 42:1-7 KJV]





John 4:42 is not what Jesus son of Mary pbuh himself said rather it was some people who Wrongly thought that he was saviour of the world which he is Infact NOT. 
Regarding 1 john 2:2 it was the work was written to counter docetism, which is the belief that Jesus did not come "in the flesh", but only as a spirit. So 1st epistle's basic objective was wrong because we all know Jesus son of Mary was in flesh was in the womb of Mary pbuh with all blood and urine in the sack https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Epistle_of_John 

WE ALL KNOW THAT JESUS (PBUH) WAS ONLY SENT TO THE LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL (JEWS) AND NOT TO THE GENTILES SO THIS PROPHESY IS NOT ABOUT HIM.
"I am the LORD; that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. `Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth'. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voices, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare His praise in the inlands." [Isaiah 42:7-12]

In the Bible there is only one personality called Kedar. He was the grandson of prophet Abraham (pbuh), through his son Ishmael (Gen.25:13). Kedar's descendants had settled in Paran (Syno-Arabian dessert). In the Rabbinic literature Arabia is called the "Land of Kedar". Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a descendant of Kedar.


"Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bare unto Abraham: And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah." [Genesis 25:13-15]

Allah did reveal in the Land of Kedar, through prophet Muhammad (pbuh) a direct descendant of Kedar, a "New Song" (Recitation) - The Qur'an. This happens to be the only Scripture to be revealed in the language of the Kedarites. The verses of the Qur'an are recited like a poem. Nearly 1.2 billion Muslims, residing all over the world, recite this "new song" and Glorify Allah, in their daily prayers, five times in a day. The initial Revelation came to prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a cave of Mount Hira near the city of Mecca. There are several mountains near Mecca. During the annual Islamic Pilgrimage called "Hajj", Muslims from all over the world, assemble in Mecca and shout Glory to the Lord from the top of Mount Arafat. The pilgrims continuously give Glory to Allah on their ways, to and from Mecca.



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