Peter and the apostles did not evangelize the Gentiles because the revealed Old Testament program required Israel to receive her King first, and only then would the nation evangelize the nations.
Les Feldick teaches that Peter and the eleven operated strictly on what God had revealed to that point, which was the Old Testament program for Israel. They understood that the Messiah was alive and could yet come to be Israel's King, and they were not to go to the Gentile world until that king was in place. Their staying in Jerusalem was not disobedience; they had no concept that God would turn to the Gentiles for the Church Age.
Acts 8:1 — Shows that the apostles remained in Jerusalem when all other Jewish believers were scattered, raising the question of why they did not go out.
Acts 3:26 — Peter's 'Unto you first' message to Israel shows that the offer of the Messiah came to the Jews first, before any Gentile mission.
Matthew 28:19 — The Great Commission is the command that is often used to ask why the apostles did not immediately go to all nations.
Acts 10:20 — God directly commanded Peter to go with Cornelius's men, showing that Peter would not have gone to the Gentiles on his own.
In the opening chapters of Acts, the apostles remain in Jerusalem even while the believers are scattered. Acts 8:1 says, 'And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.' This is the biblical picture immediately after Stephen's death: the apostles stayed while others were scattered. Earlier, in Acts 3:26, Peter preached to Israel, saying, 'Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.' The message was directed to the nation of Israel first. In the Gospels, Jesus gave the apostles a commission that included all nations. Matthew 28:19 records, 'Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.' However, the book of Acts shows that the apostles did not immediately fulfill that commission, and God had to directly instruct Peter to go to the Gentile Cornelius. Acts 10:20 says, 'Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.'
Les Feldick teaches that Peter and the other apostles were deliberately staying in Jerusalem because they understood the Old Testament program: the Messiah was to come to Israel first, be received as King, and then the nation would evangelize the Gentile world. He notes that after the persecution following Stephen, all the Jewish believers were scattered, but the twelve 'sat tight in Jerusalem.' Even seven years after Pentecost, they had not gone out to the Gentiles. Les explains that the apostles were not disobedient to the Great Commission. They knew their theology better than most people do today; it was not for them to go to the ends of the earth under the covenant until they had the King. Peter and the eleven preached to Israel that the One they crucified was the Christ and He could yet come and be their King. If Israel had repented and believed, they could have had the Tribulation, the King, and the Kingdom, and then Israel could have evangelized the whole Gentile world. Peter and the other apostles had no concept of God turning to the Gentiles for the Church Age. It was a secret God was holding, and He did not expect them to know it. Even when God sent Peter to Cornelius, Peter would never have gone without God's direct pressure. And even after that, Peter and those with him did not tell Israel for another eight or ten years that God was now dealing with the Gentiles apart from the nation.
Les Feldick answers no. He points to Matthew 28:19 and notes that Peter and the eleven did not go to all the world in the early chapters of Acts. But he says they were not remiss; they were not supposed to go under the covenant program until Israel had her King. They knew their theology better than most people do today.
Les explains that after the persecution scattered the Jerusalem believers throughout Judea and Samaria, the twelve apostles stayed in Jerusalem. Seven years had elapsed and they still were not out among the Gentiles. They understood the revealed program: the Messiah was yet to come and be Israel's King. Peter could see the tribulation, the return of Christ, and the setting up of the kingdom coming, after which Israel would take the knowledge of Jehovah to the ends of the earth.
Les teaches that Peter's message to Israel was that the One they crucified was the Christ, and that God would yet send Him to bless them. Every Jew had to believe and be converted. Then they could have had the Tribulation, the King, and the Kingdom just that quickly, and Israel could have evangelized the whole Gentile world as the Old Testament prophesied.
Under the Abrahamic covenant, Israel was to be established in the land over which God Himself would one day be King, and then Israel could evangelize the nations. So the Jewish believers were correct in their mentality that they were to have nothing to do with Gentiles until that time. Les says that if God had not pressured Peter and given proof, Peter would never have gone to Cornelius; he would have been more obstinate than Jonah. Even after Cornelius, Peter and those with him did not tell Israel for another eight or ten years that God was now dealing with the Gentiles on His own ground.
The Apostles Stayed in Jerusalem
Les shows that when persecution scattered the Jerusalem believers, the twelve apostles remained in Jerusalem, and even seven years later they still had not gone out to the Gentiles.
Peter Had No Gentile Mindset
Les states that Peter would not have addressed Gentiles as brethren at this point; he and the other apostles had no idea they were to have anything to do with Gentiles.
The Kingdom Offer Still Before Israel
Peter and the eleven preached that the crucified Jesus was alive and could yet be Israel's King, and only after Israel received the King would the nation evangelize the Gentiles.
Not Disobedient to the Great Commission
Les asks whether Peter and the eleven fulfilled Matthew 28:19, answers no, and explains they were not remiss because under the covenant they were not to go to the ends of the earth until they had the King.
Operating Only on the Old Testament Program
Peter and the other apostles operated only on what God had revealed in the Old Testament; they had no concept of God turning to the Gentiles for the Church Age.
Unto You First
Peter's message in Acts 3:26 shows that every Jew had to believe first, and then Israel could evangelize the Gentile world.
Israel's Priority and Peter's Reluctance
Israel was to be established under God as King before exporting the knowledge of Jehovah to the nations, and Peter would never have gone to Cornelius without God's direct pressure.
Silence Even After Cornelius
Even after Cornelius, Peter and those with him did not tell Israel for another eight or ten years that God was now dealing with the Gentiles apart from Israel.
Acts 8:1: And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
This verse records that only the apostles remained in Jerusalem while the other Jewish believers were scattered, which is the starting point for why they did not evangelize the Gentiles.
Acts 3:26: Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
Peter's words show that the offer of the resurrected Messiah was directed to Israel first, before any Gentile mission.
Matthew 28:19: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
This Great Commission is the command that raises the question of why the apostles did not immediately go to the Gentiles.
Acts 10:20: Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.
God's direct instruction to Peter shows that Peter would not have gone to the Gentile Cornelius without a divine command.
Les Feldick teaches that the apostles stayed in Jerusalem because they understood the Old Testament program. The Messiah was to come to Israel and be their King, and only then would Israel evangelize the nations. Even when persecution scattered other believers, the twelve remained in Jerusalem.
Les says no. They knew their theology better than most people do today. Under the covenant program, they were not to go to the ends of the earth preaching the gospel until they had the King. So their staying was not disobedience.
No. Les says Peter and the other apostles had no concept of God turning to the Gentiles for the Church Age. It was a secret God had been holding, and He did not expect them to know it.
Watch the Teaching: Revelation vs. Instruction: How Paul Received the Gospel