RBL 01/2011

Bird, Michael F.

Jesus and the Origins of the Gentile Mission

Library of New Testament Studies 331

New York: T&T Clark, 2007. Pp. xi + 212. Cloth.

$168.00. ISBN 0567044734.

Craig A. Evans
Acadia Divinity College
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada

That the message and activities of Jesus were oriented toward the Jewish people and that
his mission, in one way or another, concerned the redemption of Israel are readily
acknowledged. How this Jewish figure and his message for Israel so quickly developed a
mission to Gentiles—and a very successful one at that—is an interesting but not easily
answered question. Did the historical Jesus foresee a mission to Gentiles? Or was a
mission to the Gentiles a not unexpected outcome of his program of outreach to the
marginalized of Jewish society? How is the mission to the Gentiles to be explained, given
the lack of precedent in Judaism, the parent faith out of which the Christian movement
sprang?

These are the questions with which Michael Bird grapples in this revision of his PhD
dissertation submitted to the University of Queensland. Bird challenges the widely held
view that Jesus had little interest in Gentiles: “Jesus linked the salvation of the Gentiles
with the restoration of Israel.” His “intention was to renew and restore Israel, so that a
restored Israel would extend God’s salvation to the world” (3). Bird argues his case in
seven chapters.

This review was published by RBL 2011 by the Society of Biblical Literature. For more information on obtaining a
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After reviewing the lay of the land in chapter 1, in which the supposed weaknesses in the
conclusions of several leading scholars, from Harnack and Jeremias of old to Hengel and
Sanders in more recent times, are pointed out, Bird argues in chapter 2 that Jesus
announced a form of Jewish restoration that envisioned the salvation of Gentiles. In
chapter 3 he argues that the negative comments about Gentiles are consistent with the
prophetic tradition that condemns pagan immorality and idolatry but do not cancel the
anticipated salvation of the Gentiles. In chapter 4 Bird examines a number of biblical texts
that assert or imply the inclusion of Gentiles in God’s redemptive plan. In chapter 5 he
probes the significance of Jesus’ encounters with Gentiles, which seem more than
incidental but suggest that Gentiles are part of Jesus’ mission. In chapter 6 Bird sees the
disciples as embodying the role of Israel and its temple as a “light to the nations,” which
strongly implies mission to the Gentiles. In chapter 7 Bird sums up his findings: “the
propulsion and momentum for the origin of the various Gentile missions in the early
church ultimately derives from the effective history of the historical Jesus” (177).

In a general sense, it is hard to disagree with Bird’s conclusion. If the Gospel materials are
treated with respect, there can be little doubt that Jesus principally focused on Israel but
seemed open to extending “messianic blessings” to Gentiles as well (as Hengel, Sanders,
and others have contended). Nevertheless, questions are bound to be raised over some of
the particulars of Bird’s arguments along the way, as well as how far he pushes the
argument.

If the historical Jesus (i.e., the “pre-Easter” Jesus, not the risen Jesus, seen in visions)
engaged in a conscious mission to the Gentiles to the degree that Bird thinks he did, we
must wonder about a number of passages in the Gospels and Acts. Bird discusses all of
them, to be sure, but in my opinion they resist the thesis of his book. Let me briefly review
a few examples.

If we are to speak of a “mission to Gentiles” in the activities and teaching of Jesus, then
why does Jesus reply to the Syro-Phoenician woman, who has petitioned Jesus on behalf
of her daughter: “Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread
and throw it to the dogs” (Mark 7:27)? Bird discusses this passage, of course (51–52), but
placing it in a category of passages in which we have “renunciation of Gentile immorality
and idolatry” (57) does not do it justice. The children (Israel) are to be fed first; that is,
Israel receives the priority. Gentiles must wait their turn (nothing about immorality or
idolatry here—indeed, Jesus is impressed with the woman’s great faith!). That the
Gentiles (the dogs) may in due course also be fed is hinted at, but where in Jesus’ ministry
do we see this happen?

This review was published by RBL 2011 by the Society of Biblical Literature. For more information on obtaining a
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If there was a consciousness of Gentile mission in Jesus, then why does he instruct his
disciples to “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but
go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 10:5–6)? It is true that later in this
discourse Jesus will speak of the disciples being “dragged before governors and kings …
to bear testimony before them and the Gentiles” (Matt 10:18), but it is not clear how this
amounts to a deliberate, calculated mission to the Gentiles that Bird thinks was part of
Jesus’ intentions and aims. This material could easily be explained as the result of
Christians being thrown out of the synagogue and accused before Gentile authorities. For
the Matthean Evangelist, 10:18 may well cohere with the words of the missionary charge
in 28:18–20, but in a pre-Easter setting, the words may well have had a different nuance.

One should think that Luke-Acts would lend Bird’s thesis great support (given its keen
interest in Gentile mission). But, alas, it really does not. Luke 4:16–30 and its references to
activities of Elijah and Elisha, who extended Israel’s blessings to Gentiles, and the banquet
in Luke 14:15–24, especially its references to going out “to the highways and hedges” to
compel people to enter (14:23), lay a theological foundation on which a mission to the
Gentiles may be built, but it is not until the death and resurrection of Jesus that a mission
to the Gentiles truly gets under way. Many Jews respond to Peter’s preaching in Acts 2
and 3, but not until Jewish opposition (Acts 4–8) do we see the beginnings of the Gentile
mission. This is given eloquent expression by the Paul of Acts, who says to the synagogue
in Antioch of Pisidia: “‘It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken first to
you. Since you thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold,
we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have set you to be a
light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.’
And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of God” (Acts
13:46–48).

In the Fourth Gospel, when the Greeks request to see Jesus, Jesus speaks of his death and
resurrection (John 12:20–26). Similarly, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman that “the hour is
coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father”
(John 4:21). The implication is that the mission to the Samaritans will come after Easter
(i.e., after Jesus’ “hour” of glorification).

The impression left by these passages in the Gospels and Acts is that, although a
foundation for later Gentile mission has been established in the teaching and activities of
Jesus (and such a foundation, of course, is richly supported and informed by prophetic
material in the Old Testament), it is after Easter that this mission—as a planned and
organized mission—truly gets under way.

This review was published by RBL 2011 by the Society of Biblical Literature. For more information on obtaining a
subscription to RBL, please visit http://www.bookreviews.org/subscribe.asp.
Bird gives his readers much to think about and throws new light on many familiar
passages. His stimulating work makes an important contribution to a very important
topic. But whether his thesis will carry the day remains to be seen.

This review was published by RBL 2011 by the Society of Biblical Literature. For more information on obtaining a
subscription to RBL, please visit http://www.bookreviews.org/subscribe.asp.