A Question for Christians

[EricaJoyce]

Hi all! I have a question that I have always wanted answered, but was afraid to ask. Before I ask, I should disclose that I am not a Christian (I was baptized in the Baptist church as a child.) I am one of those strange :many paths" people.

My question is concerning the seemingly small area of the world in which Christ brought his teachings. I just wonder why Christianity was not brought to any other areas by God during that time. (When Jesus walked the Earth) Why were people left with no knowledge of Christ or his teachings, or that there is No god but God, for thousands of years? Is there any explanation in the Bible about other parts of the world (The Americas, Asia, Western Europe, for example) were not taught the word of God?

I hope I am making sense?

Please don't feel that I am trying to be rude or mean, this is an honest, sincere question.

ETA I have been a lurker on LHCF for a while and I don't know if this or similar question has been asked, so please forgive me if this has already been discussed.

 

[Guitarhero]

Christianity is 2,000 years old in the continent of Africa. Jesus also lived in India, Egypt, and possibly other places I'm not aware of at the moment. That's a lot of distance for the time period, considering that people didn't have what we have in the way of modern and fast transportation. There are prophecies of the Tree of Life here in the Americas and of a White brother who would unite people (one who was not like the other white people cuz I gotta make that clear, no pun intended).

Hmm, the word of G-d... Judaism was in many places, esp. after the Babylonian exile. Have to remember that the first christians were followers of the Messiah Rabbi Jesus, son of Joseph, so they were still Jews. As to why it took time to spread further, I would say that seeds take time to germinate. Plus, Jesus commanded them to make disciples all over the world. I don't think he meant to "beat folks over the head" by it either.

I don't take offense to your questions, I know you are sincere. And if you weren't, it wouldn't trump my belief nor security...so don't worry about all that. You are not the first to entertain these thoughts. I think that, if people are honest, we will see all of us as brothers/children of our Creator.

 

[Rainbow Dash]

The book of Acts records Paul preaching and reasoning with the Gentiles (as well as the Jews). The Apostle Paul made long journeys to distant lands to preach the Gospel to people who had not yet heard about God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

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

Paul and his helper Barnabas went by ship to the island of Cyprus, in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea, to tell the people there that Jesus wanted to save them. The inhabitants there listened to them carefully, and some believed the Gospel. Thus, a Christian church was established in Cyprus.

From Cyprus, Paul and Barnabas sailed to Asia Minor (known today as Turkey), and proclaimed the Gospel there. As a result of these efforts, Christian churches were set up in Perga, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe.

Afterwards, Paul and Barnabas returned to Jerusalem where they met with church leaders. With great enthusiasm, the two disciples reported what they had done in the nations of Asia Minor. They all praised God together, because many people had found truth, receiving Jesus Christ as Lord in their lives.

Paul journeyed through Lebanon and Syria on his way to Asia Minor where he visited the believers and strengthened their faith in Christ. In time, the number of people who followed Jesus increased.

Paul reached the mountains in Turkey on his way to Derbe and then travelled to Lystra. There was only one way open for them to go; they travelled to the city of Troas by the sea.

During the night, a vision came to Paul. He saw a man standing on the seashore, saying: Come across to Macedonia and help us. Paul then realized God's will and plan. God wanted them to go to another continent, Europe, to present the Gospel to the nations there.

From Troas, the ship sailed directly to the island of Samothrace. The next day they sailed on to Neapolis where, for the first time, they set foot on European soil. From there they went to the capital of Macedonia.

The disciples then encouraged the faith of the brothers and sisters in Philippi before continuing their journey through Europe. They spread the message of salvation to Thesselonica; Berea, Athens, and Corinth. Then they returned to Jerusalem via Ephesus.

There are several countries where this message is banned, but that does not mean it is not being preached. Many of these countries have underground meetings.

Every year about four billion Gospel tracts are distributed around the globe and over 120 million Bibles. The entire Bible, or portions of it, have now been translated into some 2,062 different languages.

 

[CoilyFields]

The answers above were on target but I'll just add my two cents.

Jesus commissioned His diciples to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. And so they began...on two feet and sometimes ships lol. We have to remember that what the diciples and others achieved in a small amount of time was enormous...when you consider the restraints of their time-period. No facebook, no phones,no internet, no newspapers,(not even a written doctrine-tract or bible) and people were not mobile back then like we are today...rarely did they leave their villages so word of mouth was even limited. The spread of the gospel has actually been very fast and thorough all things considered.

Hope that helps...Unless Im misinterpreting your question and you really mean why didnt God send Jesus to America, Australia etc. to preach to those folks during the same time period so they would hear right then too?

 

[Shimmie]

Hi Erica Joyce

:welcome3:

The Ladies have given you excellent answers.

In Matthew Chapter 10,
it also gives a picture of what the great commission was that Jesus has called His followers to:

10:1 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

10:3 Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

10:5 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:

10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
10:9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

10:10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

10:11 And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

10:12 And when ye come into an house, salute it.

10:13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

Erica... One thing that I must add is that many people who were approached also did not receive Jesus or His Word.

He gave the following directive to His diciples:

10:14 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

10:15 Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues;

10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

10:19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

10:20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

Erica.. remember in the other thread when I mentioned that Christians are criticized for standing upon their faith...

Here's why:

10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
10:27 What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Many 'who call themselves Christians' cannot handle the persecution that comes with it. This is why they compromise the Word of God in order to appear 'neutral' to avoid the persecution that comes from following and obeying Jesus Christ.

With this 'neutrality', this is where the 'many paths to God' kicks in. There are many who cannot take a stand for Jesus Christ'... as they are fearful. And this is where 'Oprah' comes in. She chose to be 'neutral' to avoid being rejected as a Christian. However, it's not what God has called Christians to be.

Jesus says clearly:

10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

10:33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

I came not to send peace, but a sword. ... A man's foes shall be they of his own household."

10:35 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

I know that I gave you more than you asked, however, I feel it is important for you to also understand what our mission is about. While there are some Christians who mispresent our faith, it is not the heart of a true Christian to appear hard, callous, without compassion. Christians are among the most compassionate persons in this earth for we move with the love of God in our hearts.

However when it comes to standing upon our faith, 'standing firm' we must. Otherwise the enemy (satan) will take advantage of it.

We stand firm because 'we' are not fearful of our faith nor of those who attack us or come to us with a reproach; we love God is who the Author and Finisher of not only our faith, but of us. And we also love people; far more than we are falsely accused of not loving.

I hope this makes sense, if not, please do not hesitate to ask me anything. I don't know it all, but I will share with you all that I do know and with love.

Take care and thank you for your loving questions. I appreciate your honesty and your approach.

 

[makeupgirl]

This is why we have missionaries that go into countries that doesn't believe in Jesus or even never heard of him to spread this gospel of Christ. They get killed for this but their death is not in vain. Many souls come to know Christ because of Missionaries. God's word has been given and exposed to every single state, county, city, country, and continent. So basically, if someone desires to know God, he is going to make it possible for his word to be spread and taught to that person.

The story of Paul that Health&Hair28 has beautifully explained this. Paul's letters, from Romans to Hebrews gives an account of his travels, struggles, and what he had to encounter in order to get God's word out. Even from the beginning as Luke tells us in Acts.

 

[Crown]

Hi all! I have a question that I have always wanted answered, but was afraid to ask. Before I ask, I should disclose that I am not a Christian (I was baptized in the Baptist church as a child.) I am one of those strange :many paths" people.

My question is concerning the seemingly small area of the world in which Christ brought his teachings. I just wonder why Christianity was not brought to any other areas by God during that time. (When Jesus walked the Earth) Why were people left with no knowledge of Christ or his teachings, or that there is No god but God, for thousands of years? Is there any explanation in the Bible about other parts of the world (The Americas, Asia, Western Europe, for example) were not taught the word of God?

I hope I am making sense?

Please don't feel that I am trying to be rude or mean, this is an honest, sincere question.

ETA I have been a lurker on LHCF for a while and I don't know if this or similar question has been asked, so please forgive me if this has already been discussed.

Sorry, it's long, but necessary.

[FONT=&quot]Gen. 15 : 18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates…[/FONT]

Gen. 17 : 3 Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,… 8 The whole land of Canaan, where you now reside as a foreigner, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

Deut. 7 : 6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. 7 The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. 8 But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath he swore to your ancestors …

Ps. 106.8 Nevertheless he saved them for his name's sake, that he might make his mighty power to be known.

Jer. [SIZE=-1]50.6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their resting place. 50.7 All that found them have devoured them: and their adversaries said, We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.

[/SIZE] Is. 41 : 14 Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

[FONT=&quot]Luke 1 : 68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us— 72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, 73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Jn. 1 : 29 [FONT=&quot]The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.[/FONT][/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Mat. 4 : 17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Mat. 15 : 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” [/FONT]

Mat. 10 : 5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’

Mat. 28 : 16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

[FONT=&quot]Lu. 24 : 44 He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”[/FONT]

Mat. 23 : 37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”

Lu. 21 : 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Acts 2 : 5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

[FONT=&quot]36[FONT=&quot] “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Acts 13 : 46 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] 48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

Rom. 1 : 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.[/FONT]

 

[EricaJoyce]

The answers above were on target but I'll just add my two cents.

Jesus commissioned His diciples to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth. And so they began...on two feet and sometimes ships lol. We have to remember that what the diciples and others achieved in a small amount of time was enormous...when you consider the restraints of their time-period. No facebook, no phones,no internet, no newspapers,(not even a written doctrine-tract or bible) and people were not mobile back then like we are today...rarely did they leave their villages so word of mouth was even limited. The spread of the gospel has actually been very fast and thorough all things considered.

Hope that helps...Unless Im misinterpreting your question and you really mean why didnt God send Jesus to America, Australia etc. to preach to those folks during the same time period so they would hear right then too?

*Bolded emphasis mine* Yes! This is what I was asking. I've just always wondered why the Gospel was limited to such an area. I know that the Gospel was spread later, otherwise we wouldn't be practicing Christianity ourselves.

I do appreciate you all being so patient with me, and I've learned a great deal of what you've shared so far. I am not religious but am very interested in religion in general, and I often ask questions of my friends who practice other religions. Thank you ladies!!!

 

[makeupgirl]

*Bolded emphasis mine* Yes! This is what I was asking. I've just always wondered why the Gospel was limited to such an area. I know that the Gospel was spread later, otherwise we wouldn't be practicing Christianity ourselves.

I do appreciate you all being so patient with me, and I've learned a great deal of what you've shared so far. I am not religious but am very interested in religion in general, and I often ask questions of my friends who practice other religions. Thank you ladies!!!

Thank you for being open-minded for learning. I hope we have answered your questions. I'm also impressed in how gracious and respectful you've been. It's rare and I've done some battles with non-believers over some topics but I'm glad that God has given you a gracious spirit.

Come back anytime.

 

[CoilyFields]

*Bolded emphasis mine* Yes! This is what I was asking. I've just always wondered why the Gospel was limited to such an area. I know that the Gospel was spread later, otherwise we wouldn't be practicing Christianity ourselves.

I do appreciate you all being so patient with me, and I've learned a great deal of what you've shared so far. I am not religious but am very interested in religion in general, and I often ask questions of my friends who practice other religions. Thank you ladies!!!

Ok I gotcha!

Back in the day (old testament times) as the world began to expand (all people were created from one man and one woman and spread out mostly after the fall of the tower of babel-the creation of different languages) different groups of people began to create idol gods.

gods were tied to the land. *I think I mentioned this in some other thread*. So for exmaple there would be a god of New York, god of Georgia etc. and it belonged to the people who inhabited that area.

So when people began to get outta hand again after the flood, God decided it was time for Him to "reappear" on the scene. So he choose to re-introduce himself in a way that they earth would be familiar with...he Chose a people and then a land to be tied/associated with. So then, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob used His chosen people (the children of Isreal to whom he gave the promised land of Canaan or present day Isreal) to show that He was the true and living God (as opposed to the dead idols other nations were serving).

There are numerous reasons we can surmise as to why He choose that nation and not another.

For example, the Jew were extrememely meticulouis record keepers (all of the boring "jim beget hosea who beget tommy" etc. are actually extremely necessary to trace the lineage of Jesus).

They were keeping written records when other folks were still drawing stick figures on cave walls. They made sure that everything copied was precise-there were master scribes who counted the letters in the sacred books and each copy had to be perfect, one mistake and it was set on fire to make sure the false copy wasnt distributed. Thats deep lol.

There were many prophecies that God gave and that He shared with His prophets in the Old Testament (specifically about Jesus and how they would know that HE was the messiah) that could only have been fulfilled in that area with that people at that time.

Also the Jews were an extrememly cohesive group, keeping traditions and sacred knowledge to an extent that Ive not seen with anyone else. I mean, who else is a religion AND a "race/culture"? And no other group has been through such drastic persecution (captive in egypt for 400 yrs, captive in babylon for 70 yrs, under roman rule for hundrends of years, holocaust etc.) and STILL maintained its religion/culture/traditions.

Bottom line is that God knew He could use the Jews to relay His Self, His Word, and Salvation through His Son to the rest of the world.

 

[EricaJoyce]

Ok I gotcha!

Back in the day (old testament times) as the world began to expand (all people were created from one man and one woman and spread out mostly after the fall of the tower of babel-the creation of different languages) different groups of people began to create idol gods.

gods were tied to the land. *I think I mentioned this in some other thread*. So for exmaple there would be a god of New York, god of Georgia etc. and it belonged to the people who inhabited that area.

So when people began to get outta hand again after the flood, God decided it was time for Him to "reappear" on the scene. So he choose to re-introduce himself in a way that they earth would be familiar with...he Chose a people and then a land to be tied/associated with. So then, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob used His chosen people (the children of Isreal to whom he gave the promised land of Canaan or present day Isreal) to show that He was the true and living God (as opposed to the dead idols other nations were serving).

There are numerous reasons we can surmise as to why He choose that nation and not another.

For example, the Jew were extrememely meticulouis record keepers (all of the boring "jim beget hosea who beget tommy" etc. are actually extremely necessary to trace the lineage of Jesus).

They were keeping written records when other folks were still drawing stick figures on cave walls. They made sure that everything copied was precise-there were master scribes who counted the letters in the sacred books and each copy had to be perfect, one mistake and it was set on fire to make sure the false copy wasnt distributed. Thats deep lol.

There were many prophecies that God gave and that He shared with His prophets in the Old Testament (specifically about Jesus and how they would know that HE was the messiah) that could only have been fulfilled in that area with that people at that time.

Also the Jews were an extrememly cohesive group, keeping traditions and sacred knowledge to an extent that Ive not seen with anyone else. I mean, who else is a religion AND a "race/culture"? And no other group has been through such drastic persecution (captive in egypt for 400 yrs, captive in babylon for 70 yrs, under roman rule for hundrends of years, holocaust etc.) and STILL maintained its religion/culture/traditions.

Bottom line is that God knew He could use the Jews to relay His Self, His Word, and Salvation through His Son to the rest of the world.

WOW! This is so interesting! Thank you so much for your answer! I'm off to do some reading now! I've got LOTS to learn!