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The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Vol 1 - Predestination

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chiefly recruited from Samaritans <strong>and</strong> Gentiles <strong>of</strong><br />

•jtacABi. Cassarea.* Nor is <strong>the</strong>re <strong>the</strong> slightest<br />

evidence that this Centurion was a ^ proselyte <strong>of</strong><br />

righteousness.' <strong>The</strong> accounts both in St. Mat<strong>the</strong>w<br />

<strong>and</strong> in St. Luke are incompatible with this idea. A<br />

^ proselyte <strong>of</strong> righteousness' could have had no<br />

reason for not approaching Christ directly, nor<br />

would he have spoken <strong>of</strong> himself as ^ unfit' that<br />

Christ should come under his ro<strong>of</strong>. But such<br />

language quite accorded with Jewish notions <strong>of</strong> a<br />

Oentilsy since <strong>the</strong> houses <strong>of</strong> Gentiles were con-<br />

l^&^ 7 sidered as defiled, <strong>and</strong> as defiling those<br />

who entered <strong>the</strong>m.^ On <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r h<strong>and</strong>, <strong>the</strong> *<br />

proselytes <strong>of</strong> righteousness * were in all respects<br />

equal to Jews, so that <strong>the</strong> words <strong>of</strong> Christ<br />

concerning Jews <strong>and</strong> Gentiles, as reported by St.<br />

Mat<strong>the</strong>w, would not have been applicable to <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

<strong>The</strong> Centurion was simply one who had learned to<br />

love Israel <strong>and</strong> to reverence Israel's Gt)d; one<br />

who, not only in his <strong>of</strong>ficial position, but from love<br />

<strong>and</strong> reverence, had built that Synagogue, <strong>of</strong> which,

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