First Preaching Tour of Galilee 

On Sunday, January 18, 28 CE, Jesus commenced this public preaching tour going to cities throughout Galilee. The apostles had a year of experience under their belt, having been ordained as preachers of the gospel on January 12, 27 CE. On this tour, Jesus and his twelve apostles, assisted by the former apostles of John, preached the gospel and baptized believers in Rimmon, Jotapata, Ramah, Zebulun, Iron, Gischala, Chorazin, Madon, Cana, Nain, and Endor. In these cities, they tarried and taught, and did not neglect any of the smaller towns they passed through. They always took the time to preach the good news. They started out from Capernaum and, about two months later, returned.

Jesus had been leading and teaching the apostles over the past year. On this tour, Jesus was comfortable letting the apostles preach without any restraint. Given that sense of freedom and confidence the Master placed in them, they became passionate about preaching, ministering to the sick, and baptizing. The work became a joy. Jesus’ only caution concerned certain cities: he advised them to avoid Nazareth and be discreet when passing through Capernaum and Tiberias.

Rimmon, a small city, still embraced earlier Babylonian gods and the later Zoroastrian beliefs, and they were especially dedicated to Ramman, the god of air. Jesus and the twenty-four spent time explaining the differences between these older beliefs and the new gospel of the kingdom. Peter preached an outstanding gospel on “Aaron and the Golden Calf.” Although many of the citizens became believers, their mental confusion between their ingrained beliefs and the new ideas caused uncertainties within themselves, and perplexities when later working with Christians. Such differing beliefs cannot be perfectly reconciled in the short span of one’s life.

Individuals never really leave behind the faith they learned as a child. As additional concepts were integrated into Christian teachings, many became attracted when hearing words they recalled from their childhood. People in the Near East were drawn to the Rimmonites' beliefs in opposing but interconnected forces such as good and evil, light and darkness, time and eternity. Plato’s theories of a world of ideas pleased both the Hebrews and the Greeks. And an individual named Todan, who heard the Gospel in Rimmon, later carried the message into Mesopotamia and far beyond, expanding the gospel’s spread beyond the Euphrates.

Many people in the small town of Jotapata welcomed and accepted the gospel of the kingdom. The standout was an evening session where Jesus taught his twenty-four teachers. Nathanial asked Jesus about prayer, thanksgiving, and worship, and Jesus explained these in detail. Here is an abbreviated summary of his delineated points:

1. Iniquity in the human heart destroys the personal and prayer connection between man and his maker.
2. Prayers inconsistent with God's laws are considered abominations, and deliberate disobedience turns spiritual personalities away from hearing the petitions of such disobedient mortals.
3. When we listen to God’s spirit within speak to the human heart, at the same time God hears those desires. Opening the human end of the channel of the God-man communication, when in silence, we listen, and then God fills the airways with an ever-flowing stream of divine ministry into our souls. Once a frequency is established, cleared of evasions, we hear God, and God hears our prayer. Even divine forgiveness works in this fashion, God forgives our trespasses as we forgive others.
4. Nothing overrides the basic law of justice. There are mandates of justice that even love combined with mercy cannot effectively abrogate. A thoroughly selfish person with zero interest in God also rejects everlasting life.
5. To receive mercy, you must show mercy. Do not judge others harshly or you may face the same. Listen to the cry of the poor. Sincerity is the key to prayer; its spiritual content dictates the time, manner, and degree of the answer. A wise father does not literally grant everything his son asks for.
6. When you dedicate your life to the doing of the Father’s will, your prayers are necessarily answered.
7. The act of faith is the cry of the righteous, where the heaven-bound child finds his Father’s storehouse of good gifts open wide for our taking. It is the motive of our prayers that God hears. Prayer prepares us for a proper attitude toward heaven.
8. Prayer is not a magic chant to gain advantages or help oneself. A selfish soul doesn’t pray in the true sense of the word.
9. Pray for the spiritual progress of your brethren. Ask anything in my name, and I will present your petition, fine-tuned to meet your real needs and desires and in line with the Father’s will.
10. Pray for the welfare of your family and friends, but especially pray for those who curse you and persecute you. Pray for the afflicted, but always combine prayer with loving administration.
11. Pray in secret and ask for the Father’s will to be done, for that is always the best route. Pray in good times and in bad; always talk to your Father.
12. All believers should pray for more laborers. Be careful about what you say, for many offending words flow easily off the tongue.
13. Pray first for knowledge of what the Father’s will is in your life, and secondly for divine guidance in doing that will. That is the gift of wisdom.
14. Approach God with gratitude and thanksgiving, for he loves his children. Prayer must come from the heart. Well-crafted words, ornate ceremonies, fasting, or depravations do not help.
15. Do not be stressed over your daily needs; lessen your worry by praying to your heavenly Father. A spirit of thanksgiving is worth far more to God than any material sacrifice.
16. Prayer is a two-way conversation. After speaking, remain silent. Wait to hear the response from the Father, who uses your heart as a speaker. The more you worship, the more God-like you become.

Jesus imparted other truths about our communion with the very spirit of God the Father that dwells in each of us. Unfortunately, most of it was not well understood by the apostles.

Jesus met an aged Greek philosopher at Ramah who asserted that science and philosophy can meet all the needs and answers of human experience. Jesus listened to all he had to say, complimenting truths he spoke, but noted when he finished, he forgot to explain the “whence, why, and whither,” adding, where you leave off, we begin. Reminiscent of Plato’s Cave analogy, where we see only the shadows cast by real objects walking in front of a fire, Jesus explained that material facts are only shadows of spiritual realities, the true substance. The gospel of the kingdom reveals the truths of being, the essence of things. For more than an hour, Jesus explained the higher realm and, given his sagacious approach and keen understanding, the philosopher parted as a gospel believer.

The apostles were taken aback by Jesus readily agreeing with many of the Greek’s propositions. Afterward, Jesus explained why he was so tolerant of his philosophy, stating that intolerance is a mask used to hide serious doubts. Outward analysis helps with one’s inward assurance. The truth seeker welcomes honest criticism. When you gain confidence in your beliefs, you possess the courage to state them clearly and welcome critical examination, all the while remaining honest of heart.

During the second evening, Thomas asked the question: “How can you really know, really be certain, about the truth of the gospel of the kingdom?” Thomas, a true scientist, was asking for proof. Jesus gave Thomas something he could turn into a formula: Spiritual assurance = intelligent understanding of truth realities + spiritual faith – honest doubts. In short, it is a matter of personal experience of your own faith in the word of truth. Jesus further explained that because we have been given a divine spirit that lives within, we now have the key to the kingdom, the way of eternal life, by recognizing and identifying with that actual living fragment of God. Many followers are now receiving this spirit because of our teaching. And after he returns to the Father, all would be given this spirit to dwell within them and touch their hearts.

While we cannot scientifically record observations of the spirit, we can measure the fruits of his labor by the increase of our love of mankind. As we yield control of our soul to this spirit, we will love God, for this spirit is an actual fragment of the Heavenly Father, and we will see ourselves change. We will develop an urge to worship and to help our brothers and sisters in the flesh. Jesus said after he returns to the Father, he would pour out his own Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, and be with us every second of our journey here on earth and make us aware of the fact that we are sons and daughters of God.

Jesus said, “I have come to earth to make the way from the earth life to the eternal estate, new and living. Once you enter the kingdom, you have eternal life already. You will follow the leadings of the spirit within, know the will of God, and then do that will, for you shall abide forever.” Jesus presented definitive and positive words about eternal survival, a debate that confused many. All those who heard these assurances from the Master were greatly cheered.

The apostles continued to visit house to house, comforting the downcast and ministering to the sick. They preached and baptized everywhere they went. Each of Jesus’ apostles now had one of John’s former apostles as an associate; the two leaders, Andrew and Abner, were paired together. During their stay in Zebulun, Jesus discussed the social aspects of religion, which he rarely focused on. Here he saw a need to make clear the differences between personal religious experience and the goodwill of social religious obligations. The people here were of different origins and a few of them really believed in Jesus.