These twelve Jesus sent: commanding them, saying: Go ye not into the way of the Gentiles, and into the city of the Samaritans enter ye not.
τουτους τους δωδεκα απεστειλεν ο ιησους παραγγειλας αυτοις λεγων εις οδον εθνων μη απελθητε και εις πολιν σαμαρειτων μη εισελθητε
12 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Let us consider where Christ directs them and to whom he sends them. Who are these individuals? They include fishermen and tax collectors—four are fishermen while two, Matthew and James, are tax collectors, with one being a betrayer. What instructions does he give them? He promptly commands them, saying, "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter the city of Samaria."
Who are the "Sih"? They are fishermen, ordinary individuals, and tax collectors. The Samaritans are grouped with the Gentiles, as they were Babylonians who settled in Judea and did not accept the prophets, receiving only the Torah.
He dispatched them in pairs, reflecting His own nature, encouraging them to share the message as He had done, in accordance with His directive, “freely ye have received, freely give.” This was so they could embody His example. He sent them forth to proclaim the truth, perform signs and wonders, and endure hardships, just as He had, thus revealing His essence within them as if imprinted on their being. The instruction, “Into the way of the Gentiles ye shall not go,” corresponds to His statement, “unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
This location aligns with the directive provided later, "Go, teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," Matt. 28:19. The initial command was issued prior to the resurrection, while the subsequent instruction came afterward.
Who are these individuals? They include fishermen and tax collectors; specifically, Peter, Andrew, James, and John were fishermen, while Matthew and James, the son of Alphaeus, worked as tax collectors. Luke (Luke 6:12, 13) also describes where He appointed them to the role of apostles. He states, ‘He went up into the mountain to pray: and it was night in the prayer of God. And when it was day, He called His disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom He also named Apostles.’ However, it was not at that moment that He sent them forth. Furthermore, Mark (Mark 6:7) details the method by which He began sending them out in pairs, ensuring they had companionship for support.
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He instructs His messengers not to take the path that leads to the Gentiles and directs them to avoid entering the Samaritan towns, as the Samaritans, who partially maintained their Jewish heritage, were at odds with the Jews.
The Lord instructs the apostles to avoid following the paths of the Gentiles, yet this does not imply that He is not sending them to reach out to the Gentiles; rather, they should steer clear of the actions and lifestyles characteristic of those lacking illumination. The apostles are also prohibited from entering the cities of Samaritans. However, did He not express compassion for the Samaritan woman? Here, the apostles are directed to avoid participating in the gatherings of false teachers since the errors in faith resemble the ignorance found among pagans. Consequently, the Lord commissions them to seek the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Despite the fierce opposition they faced from the Israelites, who spoke with venomous tongues like serpents and bore the fangs of wolves, it was essential that the descendants of the law be the first to receive the message of the gospel. The greater the lack of justification for Israel's wrongdoing, the more persistence was required in urging their repentance.
To refrain from following the path of the Gentiles signifies not aligning one's thoughts with theirs, just as choosing not to enter the city of the Samaritans does not imply shunning association with them, but rather avoiding their wickedness and deception. What is the significance of the instruction given to the Apostles, "Do not walk in the way of the tongue" (Matthew 10:5)?
It is well understood, dear brothers and sisters, that our Savior entered the world to bring salvation to all peoples. When we observe that He continuously invited the Samaritans to embrace faith, we must consider the significance of His instruction to His disciples to avoid certain paths: "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter the city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." This indicates that His intention was to first deliver His message exclusively to the Jewish people, and subsequently to extend it to the Gentiles.
This order was intended so that, upon their rejection of this call to repentance, the dedicated messengers could then be directed towards the Gentiles, showing that what the Jews received as fulfillment of the promises was an overflow of grace for the Gentiles. Additionally, in Judea, there were individuals prepared to respond to the call, whereas among the Gentiles, some were not ready to receive it. The Acts of the Apostles recount that, following Peter’s sermon, three thousand Jews came to faith, followed by five thousand more (Acts 2:41; Acts 4:4). As the Apostles sought to share the Gospel with the Gentiles in Asia, the Spirit prohibited them from doing so (Acts 16:6); ultimately, however, that same Spirit later poured faith into the hearts of the Asians. A long time prior, all of Asia had come to believe. Thus, what was once barred was eventually permitted, because at that time there were not enough people in Asia who were open to salvation.
There were still those among them who did not yet merit the grace of being restored to life, but neither did they fully deserve the harshest condemnation for neglecting the message. In God's divine and mysterious judgment, the sacred proclamation was withheld from some, as they were unworthy of being restored by grace. It is essential, dear friends, that we remain mindful of the hidden purposes of Almighty God in all our actions, so that even when our spirit appears to stray into worldly indulgence, the inner conviction can guide us back through fear. Recognizing this, the Psalmist wisely instructs, "Come and see the works of God, who is more awesome in His deeds than the children of men" (Psalms 45:9; Psalms 65:5). For he perceives that some are called by mercy while others are cast aside by the rigor of justice. Since the Lord administers mercy to some and judgment to others, He has rejected those who remain beyond His reach. Those whom He foresaw as not only resistant but also obstinate in their beliefs were, in His foreknowledge, destined for a fearful end.
Following the enumeration of the twelve apostles, the Holy Evangelist writes: THESE TWENTY-THREE (including four fishermen, two tax collectors, Matthew and James, and one traitor) were commissioned by JESUS to proclaim His Gospel. He did not select the affluent or the aristocratic nor did He choose learned scholars; instead, He chose ordinary men with pure souls and genuine hearts who were ready to receive the precious seed of His teachings. The Lord was aware that the scholarly scribes, lawyers, priests, and Pharisees had distorted all spiritual understanding and were unfit to be proclaimers of His divine truth.
Eventually, He called upon one of the learned men, the renowned apostle Paul, and entrusted the truth of His Gospel not to the wise and knowledgeable, but to those with childlike faith and simplicity in their hearts. Gradually, they were spiritually elevated, perfected, and lost their individual identities as He filled their entire beings—their thoughts and hearts. This transformation gradually renewed their spiritual essence until, following the Holy Spirit's descent upon them at Pentecost after the Lord’s ascension, they became entirely new creations. Only Judas Iscariot marred this radiant group of Christ’s apostles with his presence. He was a self-serving individual who followed Christ with crude, carnal aspirations of the Messiah’s kingdom, driven by a desire for prominence within an earthly realm. Although the Lord recognized Judas’s wicked nature, He selected him as one of the twelve, providing him the chance to be near the Source of all goodness, with the opportunity for redemption. Regrettably, this unfortunate disciple did not embrace his proximity, serving as a stark reminder that God does not compel a sinner to salvation unless the individual genuinely desires it.
Returning to the Gospel account, the moment had arrived for the apostles to gain experience with the challenges and responsibilities of their calling. For now, their message would largely revolve around announcing that the kingdom of God was near, echoing the proclamations of John the Baptist and Jesus Himself. Thus, as He sent them forth to preach, preparing them not only as messengers of the Gospel to the entire world but also as devoted ascetics of faith, the Lord provided them with specific instructions: AND HE CALLED THEM, saying: Now do NOT travel the path of the Gentiles, nor approach that route leading to the Gentiles, lest the Jews accuse you of sharing in the uncleanness and rejection associated with them; and do NOT enter the city of Samaria; otherwise, they will claim you partake in the wickedness and deceit of the Samaritans. The privilege of the first calling into the kingdom of Christ belongs to Israel, the former flock of God, as proclaimed in the Psalms: Shepherd of Israel, hear us; you who lead Joseph like a flock (Psalm 79:2); but now they are lost, unaware of the true path to salvation.
The Evangelist Mark, while providing a succinct description of the Apostles' commissioning, supplements the more comprehensive narrative offered by the Evangelist Matthew. Jesus did not commission all the Apostles at once or individually, but rather He sent them out in pairs (Mark 6:7). This was not for the sake of reaching the greatest number of people or visiting the most places, but to ensure that they could strengthen and uplift each other. Additionally, their paired testimony would carry greater weight, as Mosaic law required at least two witnesses to verify the truth of a matter.
At this stage, Jesus directed His apostles to focus solely on the Jewish people, expressly instructing them to avoid the Gentiles and Samaritans: ‘Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’ He clarified, ‘Do not assume that, because they insult Me and label Me as possessed, I harbor animosity towards them; on the contrary, I strive to guide them towards the truth, which is why I choose not to send you to other nations at this time; instead, I send you as teachers and healers’ (St. John Chrysostom). The prophets had foretold the coming of the Messiah specifically to the Jewish people; thus, it was fitting that this same group would announce the arrival of the Messiah-Christ. After imparting His instructions to the twelve, Jesus traveled through the towns of Galilee to preach. Meanwhile, the Apostles, operating in pairs, journeyed through the villages, calling for repentance, expelling many demons, and anointing numerous sick individuals with oil for healing. The duration of their travels and the exact timing of their return remains uncertain, but it is clear that they reconvened with Jesus upon His receipt of the news regarding the death of John the Baptist.
Prior to their mission, the Savior provided guidance regarding their behavior and duties during this evangelistic journey. They were to focus their efforts solely on the lost sheep of the house of Israel, refraining from engaging with the Samaritans and Gentiles. Their message was to proclaim the imminent arrival of the kingdom of heaven, backed by acts of miracles and charitable deeds. They were instructed to take no provisions with them – no wallet for food, no coins in their belts, no extra garments, no alternate footwear aside from the customary sandals made from palm bark, and no walking stick unless it was already in their possession.
“Do not go to the Gentiles”: the moment had not yet arrived for the message of the kingdom to be shared with the Gentiles. According to divine decree regarding humanity's salvation (cf. Matt. 15:24), the Gospel was to be first delivered to the Jews (cf. John 5:22), the chosen people of God's covenant, to whom the Messiah was foretold in the scriptures and among whom He manifested Himself. “I aim to instruct them prior to others, and I strictly prohibit you from going to the nations,” and furthermore, I forbid you not only from preaching to anyone else before them, but I also prohibit you from approaching the path that leads to the Gentiles or entering the cities of Samaritans...
lest later the Jews claim that the apostles reached out to the uncircumcised Assyrians, leaving them with no valid reason to distance themselves from them. Following the Resurrection, the Lord commanded the Apostles to also reach the Gentiles—proclaiming the Gospel to all nations (Matt. 28:19). “Into the city of the Samaritans”: do not enter any Samaritan city. The Samaritans inhabited the region once belonging to the tribe of Ephraim and the half tribe of Manasseh, which lay between Galilee and Judea, establishing a direct route between the two. Samaria's population was a mix of Jews who remained after the Assyrian captivity of the ten tribes of Israel and Gentiles who were relocated to the area from various regions of the Assyrian empire (4 Samuel 17:23-24). Initially, these newcomers worshipped their own deities; however, after being instructed by a priest to honor the true God, they began to worship Him as well, yet retained the practice of serving their own gods, resulting in a compromised faith that did not reflect the pure religion of the Jews. Tensions and animosities existed between them and the Jews in Judea for several reasons: 1) upon returning from exile, the Jews denied the Samaritans participation in the reconstruction of the new temple; 2) in retaliation, the Samaritans actively obstructed the rebuilding of walls around devastated Jerusalem under Nehemiah; 3) permitted by the Persian king, the Samaritans constructed their own temple on Mount Gerizim and established a distinct priesthood, adhering to the law of Moses, which caused a schism since the Law mandated a singular temple and priesthood for the Jews; 4) over time, Samaria became a haven for Jewish criminals, exacerbating the rift between the two communities; 5) the Samaritans accepted only the first five books of Moses, rejecting the writings of the prophets and Jewish traditions. Consequently, the Jews regarded the Samaritans as equivalent to Gentiles, and it was deemed unacceptable for Jews to engage with Samaritans (John 4:9). Thus, the Lord equated the Samaritans with the Gentiles, forbidding the apostles from sharing the Gospel with them until the appointed time. Nevertheless, the Lord Himself preached to them (John 4:6-26), and after His ascension, the apostles journeyed there to proclaim the Gospel and brought the Samaritans to faith in Christ (Acts 8:5-25).
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 20 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS