Doesn't this fly in the face of "Mainstream Christianity's" declaration about [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 event (in Galilee) shortly after the resurrection..... occurred sometime before the event at Caesarea with Cornelius. If the disciples were informed about preaching to the Gentiles at Galilee....then why are they so surprised when Peter (at the insistence of the Holy Spirit [Acts 10:19-20]) does exactly that [Acts 10:45]?
In fact, Peter was chastised by the Church in Jerusalem upon his return:
[Acts 11:1-3] 1And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, 3Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them.
Can't you just hear the tones of their voices as they sneer at him for daring to eat with Gentiles?
Later on....they all seem to come to an agreement that maybe Yahweh, indeed wants salvation taken to the Gentiles:
Acts 11:18] When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
But..........because of their Talmudic teachings (from early childhood) the early Christians (all Jews) reverted back to their separatism:
[Acts 11:19]Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
I guess the real question is.........Did Yeshua really direct the disciples to go out and preach the gospel to the world? It appears not.....on the surface, because of the subsequent actions of the very early church.
I think the early disciples were hardheaded, much as people today. They had to be told more than once. Peter had to be given a special revelation (the vision of the descending blanket with forbidden animals). And even then, he was pressured into eating with the Jewish Christians separately from the Gentile Christians until Paul confronted him.
These were real human beings. They weren’t perfect, and they weren’t always consistent.
>> “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” <<
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Even the early Greek texts don’t have quite that wording, calling only for baptising in the name of Yeshua. Those in the original Hebrew are in agreement.