Paper 159 Overview: The Decapolis Tour

This paper describes a four-week teaching tour Jesus and his followers made through the Decapolis region. Jesus divided his apostles into twelve groups, each working with an evangelist, to spread his message in many cities. During this tour, Jesus gave important teachings about forgiveness, accepting followers who weren't part of their group, respecting other people's personalities, and the positive nature of true religion.

Jesus taught that God actively seeks to find lost people rather than just waiting for them to repent. He explained that his followers should not try to force others into the kingdom but appeal to the divine spirit within them. Jesus also taught about the scriptures, saying they contained beautiful truths but were written by imperfect humans and should not be treated as perfect in every word.

When Jesus and the twelve apostles arrived at Magadan Park, they found almost one hundred evangelists and disciples waiting for them, including the women's corps. This group was ready to begin teaching and preaching in the cities of the Decapolis.

On Thursday morning, August 18, Jesus gathered his followers and instructed each apostle to team up with one of the twelve evangelists. With other evangelists, they formed twelve groups to work in the cities and villages of the Decapolis. Jesus gave them four weeks for this tour, asking them to return to Magadan by Friday, September 16. Throughout the month, these groups worked in many cities, but no healing miracles or extraordinary events happened during this time.

One evening in Hippos, a disciple asked Jesus about forgiveness. Jesus taught them using the parable of the lost sheep. He explained that a good shepherd would leave ninety-nine safe sheep to find one lost one, and there is more joy in heaven over one repentant sinner than over ninety-nine who need no repentance.

Jesus also taught about how to handle conflicts between believers. First, talk privately with the person who wronged you. If that doesn't work, bring one or two friends as witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, tell the congregation. Jesus said whatever the believers decided about such matters on earth would be recognized in heaven, as long as their decisions matched the Father's will.

Jesus visited John and his workers in Gamala. That evening, John told Jesus he had stopped a man from teaching and casting out devils in Jesus's name because the man wasn't part of their group. Jesus told John, "Forbid him not." He explained that as the gospel spread worldwide, many would believe who weren't under the apostles' direction.

Jesus said they should be happy that their teaching was spreading beyond their personal influence. Anyone doing good works in Jesus's name would support their cause and not speak evil of him. Jesus summarized his view by saying, "He who is not against us is for us." John remembered this lesson later in his work for the kingdom.

In Edrei, where Thomas and his associates were working, Jesus spent a day and night giving important principles for those who teach truth and spread the gospel. He stressed that they should always respect people's personalities and never use force to promote their cause.

Jesus taught that they shouldn't crush people's minds with clever arguments or appeal directly to emotions. Instead, they should appeal to the divine spirit within each person. Jesus also explained that they should help restore self-respect to those who had lost it and be careful not to wound the self-respect of timid souls. He warned against using fear to bring people into the kingdom.

Jesus visited Abila, where Nathaniel and his associates were working. Nathaniel was troubled by some of Jesus's statements that seemed to question the authority of the Hebrew scriptures. In private, Nathaniel asked Jesus about the Scriptures, and Jesus gave him a frank answer.

Jesus explained that the Scriptures were written by men, some holy and some not. They contain the best religious wisdom from their times but are not perfect or infallible. Jesus warned against believing stories where God directed people to kill their enemies, saying these were human ideas, not God's word. He advised looking for the growing concept of God that develops from Samuel to Isaiah.

In Philadelphia, where James was working, Jesus taught about the positive nature of his gospel. When James asked how to choose the best passages from Scripture, Jesus suggested looking for eternally true and divinely beautiful teachings like "Create in me a clean heart" and "The Lord is my shepherd."

Jesus took the best parts of the Jewish religion and placed them in his new teachings about the kingdom. He changed passive religious practices into positive action. Where the Jewish law said "love your neighbor," Jesus emphasized doing good actively rather than just avoiding harm. Jesus explained three ways to deal with evil: returning evil (wrong), passively suffering evil (negative), or actively returning good for evil (right and positive).

The four-week mission in the Decapolis was moderately successful. Hundreds of people joined the kingdom, and the apostles gained valuable experience working without Jesus's direct presence. On Friday, September 16, all the workers gathered at Magadan Park as planned.

The next day, they held a council with over one hundred believers to plan future work. David's messengers reported on believers throughout the region. These messengers not only kept everyone connected but also collected funds to support Jesus and the apostles. After this meeting, Jesus and his associates prepared for a week's rest before starting their final mission in Perea, which would continue until they reached Jerusalem for the final events of Jesus's life.