MATTHEW 10:6 and 28:19, C. H. Cayce Brother Albert Waid, Oneonta, Ala., asks our views on Matt. x. 6 and xxviii. 19. In Matt. x. 5, 6, 7, we find this language: “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.”
Here we have it that Jesus sent the twelve out to preach, and He commanded them not to go among the Gentiles or the Samaritans. This was before His crucifixion. If gospel preaching was necessary in order that sinners receive eternal life, Jesus here forbade the necessary thing thereto being preached among the Samaritans or the Gentiles. Their work in preaching at that time was confined to the Jews—to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” They (the twelve) were to preach among the Jews and were to proclaim the fact in their preaching that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The time was then present—the time had come—that law worship and service was to be done away, and gospel worship and service was being brought in. This was to be proclaimed then to the Jews. In Matt, xxviii. 16-20 we have this language: “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying. All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” This was after the Saviour was crucified, buried and raised again. He appeared unto the eleven. Judas had already hanged himself, so there were then eleven of the apostles. Now, since the Saviour had died and was raised again. He gave the apostles a command different from the one recorded in Matt. x. 6. In the first command to preach their labors were to be confined to the Jews; now they were to go among the nations—among the Gentiles; they were to teach all nations. They were not to teach the unteachable, but to teach the teachable among the Gentiles, as well as among the Jews. Their field of labor was enlarged. Their labors were no longer to be confined to the Jews—”the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
In order to teach, the teacher must have a teachable subject. One cannot teach natural things to one who is not a teachable subject. For one to be a teachable subject in the natural realm, he must have natural life and a natural mind. He must have natural comprehension. The same thing is true in the spiritual realm. For one to be able to teach spiritual things, he must have a teachable subject. For one to be a teachable subject in the spiritual realm, he must have spiritual life and a spiritual mind. He must have spiritual comprehension.
As they were commanded to teach, of course they were to teach natural things, or else they were to teach spiritual things. We suppose no one would say they were to teach natural things, but were to teach spiritual things. They were to preach the gospel. The gospel is something which pertains to spiritual things, the spiritual realm. Certainly no one would say they were to teach the unteachable. Hence, they were to teach the teachable among the Gentiles as well as among the Jews. This is evidence of the fact that the Lord had a people among the Gentiles who were in need of being taught spiritual things, and the Gentiles were to have the blessings and privileges of the gospel.
This command was given to the eleven. Jesus said, “Go ye.” The antecedent of the pronoun “ye” is the eleven. The apostles were chosen witnesses who were with the Lord and witnessed His work and personally saw Him. They were chosen, called and sent out by the Saviour Himself, the second Person in the Trinity, and no others could fill the apostolic office, and no others ever did, or ever will, fill that office, only those whom He called and put into that office. The apostles were not put into that office by the office work of the Holy Spirit, but by the Son. But it is the office work of the Holy Spirit to call and put into the ministry those who are sent out by the Lord for that work, who are not in the apostolic office—who are not apostles. “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.”—Acts xx. 28. This shows that the Holy Ghost now calls men and makes them overseers of the flock— puts them into the ministry. “The harvest truly [pg 108] is plenteous, but the labourers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest.”—Matt. ix. 37, 38. “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth labourers into His harvest.”—Luke x. 2. These few thoughts are offered for the consideration of all our readers. The Primitive Baptist, July 4, 1929