The spiritual union that exists between Christ and the believer is the central concept of all of Paul’s doctrine. Paul teaches that each believer is in Christ, and that Christ is in each believer. In I Corinthians and Romans, Paul introduced the idea that believers are members of Christ’s body.
Rom 12:5
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. (NKJ)
1 Cor 12:27
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (KJV)
Paul penned Romans and the letters to the Corinthians around 58 A.D., and Paul’s description of believers as the body of Christ in these epistles is very informal. In fact, it appears to be a simple analogy to illustrate the unity of believers. Paul never calls this body the Church, and he never says that Christ is the Head of this body.
Paul was imprisoned in Rome about 62 A.D. It was there that Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians. In these epistles, Paul declared that Christ now serves as the Head of a new, heavenly institution called the Church which is the Body of Christ.
Eph 1:22-23
22 And (God the Father) put all things under (Christ’s) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (NKJ)
Col 1:24
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, (NKJ)
Paul said that this truth regarding the Church which is the Body of Christ was given only to him and that God had kept it a secret from all other generations in previous ages.
Col 1:25-26
25 of (the Church which is the Body of Christ) I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (NKJ)
In these prison epistles, there is no hint of those things which were associated with the Old Covenant, such as circumcision, animal sacrifices or the Passover. Neither is there any mention of Israel’s New Covenant or the things which were associated with the New Covenant, such as water baptism, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, prophesying, casting out demons, and healing.
God had taken Israel as His wife in the Old Covenant and offered Israel a spiritual reconciliation of that marriage in the New Covenant. Israel rejected God’s offer, and it appears that God set aside Israel’s program shortly after Paul revealed the Church which is the Body of Christ.
With the revelation of the Church which is the Body of Christ came also the revelation of the fulness of Christ. That Christ is not only the Messiah. That Christ is not only the Savior. But that Christ is God. All that God is is absolutely true of Jesus Christ. Believers are totally complete in Jesus Christ and are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus..
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Friday, October 31, 2003
Thursday, October 30, 2003
The Apostle Paul revealed that keeping the Law of Moses could not bring salvation.
Gal 2:16
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (KJV)
Paul revealed that we are saved by God's grace through faith in Christ.
Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. (KJV)
After Paul spoke of the ineffectiveness of the Law in Galatians 2:16, he said something very mysterious in verse 20.
Gal 2:20
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (KJV)
Paul clearly taught that he had experienced a spiritual unity with Christ to the extent that his spirit died with Christ on the cross of Calvary while the Spirit of Christ had come to live within him. In Romans 6, Paul said that this spiritual unity exists between Christ and every believer.
Rom 6:3-4
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (KJV)
The word baptize means to immerse. Therefore, Paul says that those who put their faith in Christ are spiritually immersed into His death, burial and resurrection. The physical body of each believer, therefore, becomes an instrument of the Spirit of Christ, and the believer is forever changed.
2 Cor 5:17 says:
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Gal 2:16
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. (KJV)
Paul revealed that we are saved by God's grace through faith in Christ.
Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. (KJV)
After Paul spoke of the ineffectiveness of the Law in Galatians 2:16, he said something very mysterious in verse 20.
Gal 2:20
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (KJV)
Paul clearly taught that he had experienced a spiritual unity with Christ to the extent that his spirit died with Christ on the cross of Calvary while the Spirit of Christ had come to live within him. In Romans 6, Paul said that this spiritual unity exists between Christ and every believer.
Rom 6:3-4
3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (KJV)
The word baptize means to immerse. Therefore, Paul says that those who put their faith in Christ are spiritually immersed into His death, burial and resurrection. The physical body of each believer, therefore, becomes an instrument of the Spirit of Christ, and the believer is forever changed.
2 Cor 5:17 says:
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Wednesday, October 29, 2003
In Matt 28 we find what is commonly called the "great commission". It reads:
Matt 28:19
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: (KJV)
This passage is often referred to as if the Lord Jesus was telling His disciples to go and teach all people that eternal is given to all who believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins. However, it seems clear that the disciples did not understand His words in that way. The disciples would most certainly have understood Jesus as saying that they should go everywhere and teach people about the fact that Jesus Christ was the promised messiah of the Jewish religion. This message would have been delivered for the most part to the Jews who had been scattered into all nations. This is obvious from the fact that Peter was so reluctant even in Acts 10 to go and talk to Cornelius simply because Cornelius was an uncircumcised Gentile.
Furthermore, when Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, as he addressed the "men of Israel", he spoke to them about the fact that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead and that if they would believe, Jesus Christ would return from heaven to set up His kingdom on the earth. This certainly is not the message we preach today.
Today, we preach that when Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary, His blood was shed for the sins of the whole world and that those who believe are given eternal life. This concept was not really articulated until Paul wrote to the believers at Thessalonica. In 1Thes 5:9-10 Paul said,
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (KJV)
Paul was more specific in 1 Cor 15:3 where he said,
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (KJV)
But Paul really spelled out the details in Rom 3:24-25 where he said,
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood . . . (KJV)
Therefore, the truth of the gospel, as we know it today, was kept secret until God revealed it to the Apostle Paul. It was Paul who taught us that all who believe Christ died for their sins will receive eternal life regardless of their race or religious background.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Matt 28:19
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: (KJV)
This passage is often referred to as if the Lord Jesus was telling His disciples to go and teach all people that eternal is given to all who believe that Jesus Christ died for their sins. However, it seems clear that the disciples did not understand His words in that way. The disciples would most certainly have understood Jesus as saying that they should go everywhere and teach people about the fact that Jesus Christ was the promised messiah of the Jewish religion. This message would have been delivered for the most part to the Jews who had been scattered into all nations. This is obvious from the fact that Peter was so reluctant even in Acts 10 to go and talk to Cornelius simply because Cornelius was an uncircumcised Gentile.
Furthermore, when Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, as he addressed the "men of Israel", he spoke to them about the fact that Jesus Christ had been raised from the dead and that if they would believe, Jesus Christ would return from heaven to set up His kingdom on the earth. This certainly is not the message we preach today.
Today, we preach that when Jesus Christ died on the cross of Calvary, His blood was shed for the sins of the whole world and that those who believe are given eternal life. This concept was not really articulated until Paul wrote to the believers at Thessalonica. In 1Thes 5:9-10 Paul said,
9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. (KJV)
Paul was more specific in 1 Cor 15:3 where he said,
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (KJV)
But Paul really spelled out the details in Rom 3:24-25 where he said,
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood . . . (KJV)
Therefore, the truth of the gospel, as we know it today, was kept secret until God revealed it to the Apostle Paul. It was Paul who taught us that all who believe Christ died for their sins will receive eternal life regardless of their race or religious background.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Tuesday, October 28, 2003
The Bible has some good news for human beings, but to really understand the good news of the Bible, one needs to have a general understanding of the different ways God has worked with people from the beginning. In the beginning, God created all things including the first man and the first woman. They lived in innocence until they disobeyed God, but, when they sinned, the curse of death fell upon them and all of mankind.
About 4000 years ago, God chose Abraham out from among all people because Abraham had faith in God. God told Abraham that from him a great nation would come forth. That nation is the nation of Israel. God loved the nation of Israel with a special love and took her as His wife. God’s marriage covenant with Israel was the Old Covenant Law, and in that covenant, God promised to provide for Israel and protect her as long as she was faithful and loyal to Him. God also promised that in the final chapters of the history of mankind, Israel would rule the world in the spiritual power of God’s love and mercy. God promised that a deliverer or messiah would come through the nation of Israel who would lead the Jews into this worldwide political kingdom.
This marriage between God and Israel was a very rocky marriage from the beginning, for during the wedding ceremony, as Moses was with God on Mt. Sinai, Israel was already showing her rebellious heart by worshiping a golden calf. Through the years Israel would repeatedly wander from God only to be punished and brought back to God in repentance.
Jesus Christ came as the promised messiah about 2000 years ago, but Israel, as a whole, refused to believe that this lowly Jesus could possibly be the messiah. As a result, God set aside His marriage with Israel.
Today, God has a special relationship with the people who do believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He gave His life for the sins of the world. Those who believe are spiritually baptized into Christ to become members of the Church which is the Body of Christ.
Some people make the mistake of thinking that the Church took Israel’s place as the wife of God. They believe that God has established the New Covenant with the Church even as He established the Old Covenant with Israel. This would imply that God transferred the promise of a world wide kingdom from the Jews to the Christian Church. Unfortunately, many Christians today are trying to rule the world for God in their own human power and through their own human reasoning.
The Bible teaches that our present age will end with a great apostasy and that the antichrist will rule thereafter. To rule the world today, Christians would have to completely ignore human rights and all basic human freedoms in order to eliminate evil. This is exactly the means by which the antichrist will gain power and force the world into subjugation to the devil. The book of the Revelation teaches that Jesus Christ will return to the earth to defeat the antichrist and remarry Israel. This new marriage with Israel will be the New Covenant which will bring great blessing to all the world through a great kingdom of righteousness. Jesus Christ will not have to ignore human rights and individual liberty because the Holy Spirit of God and His righteousness will dwell within the hearts of the people.
Today, our goal is not to rule the world. Our goal is to share the good news of Jesus Christ so that those who believe can experience the righteous liberty of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ did not call us to oppress the wicked but to set at liberty those who are in bondage to sin. Those of us who believe in Christ will live forever in the presence of our loving God because Jesus Christ paid for all of our sins on the cross of Calvary.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
About 4000 years ago, God chose Abraham out from among all people because Abraham had faith in God. God told Abraham that from him a great nation would come forth. That nation is the nation of Israel. God loved the nation of Israel with a special love and took her as His wife. God’s marriage covenant with Israel was the Old Covenant Law, and in that covenant, God promised to provide for Israel and protect her as long as she was faithful and loyal to Him. God also promised that in the final chapters of the history of mankind, Israel would rule the world in the spiritual power of God’s love and mercy. God promised that a deliverer or messiah would come through the nation of Israel who would lead the Jews into this worldwide political kingdom.
This marriage between God and Israel was a very rocky marriage from the beginning, for during the wedding ceremony, as Moses was with God on Mt. Sinai, Israel was already showing her rebellious heart by worshiping a golden calf. Through the years Israel would repeatedly wander from God only to be punished and brought back to God in repentance.
Jesus Christ came as the promised messiah about 2000 years ago, but Israel, as a whole, refused to believe that this lowly Jesus could possibly be the messiah. As a result, God set aside His marriage with Israel.
Today, God has a special relationship with the people who do believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and that He gave His life for the sins of the world. Those who believe are spiritually baptized into Christ to become members of the Church which is the Body of Christ.
Some people make the mistake of thinking that the Church took Israel’s place as the wife of God. They believe that God has established the New Covenant with the Church even as He established the Old Covenant with Israel. This would imply that God transferred the promise of a world wide kingdom from the Jews to the Christian Church. Unfortunately, many Christians today are trying to rule the world for God in their own human power and through their own human reasoning.
The Bible teaches that our present age will end with a great apostasy and that the antichrist will rule thereafter. To rule the world today, Christians would have to completely ignore human rights and all basic human freedoms in order to eliminate evil. This is exactly the means by which the antichrist will gain power and force the world into subjugation to the devil. The book of the Revelation teaches that Jesus Christ will return to the earth to defeat the antichrist and remarry Israel. This new marriage with Israel will be the New Covenant which will bring great blessing to all the world through a great kingdom of righteousness. Jesus Christ will not have to ignore human rights and individual liberty because the Holy Spirit of God and His righteousness will dwell within the hearts of the people.
Today, our goal is not to rule the world. Our goal is to share the good news of Jesus Christ so that those who believe can experience the righteous liberty of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ did not call us to oppress the wicked but to set at liberty those who are in bondage to sin. Those of us who believe in Christ will live forever in the presence of our loving God because Jesus Christ paid for all of our sins on the cross of Calvary.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Other church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Monday, October 27, 2003
Sennacherib was king of the Assyrian Empire. He had a great army and had conquered all of the nations around him including the Northern Kingdom of Israel. He had his eyes set on the Southern Kingdom of Judah and was sure they would be an easy target. As he and his army approached Jerusalem, Judah’s King Hezekiah went to the temple of God and asked the Lord for deliverance. Isaiah the prophet sent word to Hezekiah that he should not be afraid of Sennacherib for the Lord would protect Jerusalem.
But the Lord also had a message for Sennacherib. It went this way:
II Kings 19:27-28
27 'But I know your dwelling place, your going out and your coming in, and your rage against Me.
28 Because your rage against Me and your tumult have come up to My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came. (NKJ)
I was struck by the fact Sennacherib had a rage against God. Could it be that the violence in Sennacherib’s life was a result of his rage toward God. I wonder how much of the violence in the world today is a result of a rage that people feel toward God. It could be that people have an internal rage toward God that they themselves have never articulated in their own minds. Maybe that truth would be too hard to accept.
When God refused Cain’s offering, Cain killed his brother, Abel. Does that make any sense? Abel had not done one thing to Cain. Cain really had an uncontrollable rage toward God which resulted in the murder of his brother, Abel. Cain could not deal with the fact that he hated God, so he killed his brother.
Just before the great flood of Noah’s day, God said that
Gen 6:5
5 . . . the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (NKJ)
Then God said:
Gen 6:11
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (NKJ)
Maybe their violence was really a result of their internal rage toward God and His righteousness. So much of the violence we see in the world today is senseless violence. There is terrorism throughout the world. There is violent crime in the streets and homes of every American city. There is only one solution for the rage that people feel toward God, and that is the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said:
John 15:9
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. (NKJ)
The Apostle John said:
I Jn 4:7-8
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
But the Lord also had a message for Sennacherib. It went this way:
II Kings 19:27-28
27 'But I know your dwelling place, your going out and your coming in, and your rage against Me.
28 Because your rage against Me and your tumult have come up to My ears, therefore I will put My hook in your nose and My bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way which you came. (NKJ)
I was struck by the fact Sennacherib had a rage against God. Could it be that the violence in Sennacherib’s life was a result of his rage toward God. I wonder how much of the violence in the world today is a result of a rage that people feel toward God. It could be that people have an internal rage toward God that they themselves have never articulated in their own minds. Maybe that truth would be too hard to accept.
When God refused Cain’s offering, Cain killed his brother, Abel. Does that make any sense? Abel had not done one thing to Cain. Cain really had an uncontrollable rage toward God which resulted in the murder of his brother, Abel. Cain could not deal with the fact that he hated God, so he killed his brother.
Just before the great flood of Noah’s day, God said that
Gen 6:5
5 . . . the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (NKJ)
Then God said:
Gen 6:11
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. (NKJ)
Maybe their violence was really a result of their internal rage toward God and His righteousness. So much of the violence we see in the world today is senseless violence. There is terrorism throughout the world. There is violent crime in the streets and homes of every American city. There is only one solution for the rage that people feel toward God, and that is the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said:
John 15:9
9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. (NKJ)
The Apostle John said:
I Jn 4:7-8
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Friday, October 24, 2003
When Nicodemus came to the Lord Jesus by night, he said:
John 3:2
2 . . . "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." (NKJ)
First of all, if Nicodemus was speaking on behalf of the Pharisees, that was a lie. The Pharisees did not accept the Lord Jesus as a teacher from God but rather as a blasphemer who was worthy of death. But maybe Nicodemus just said that to open up a conversation about who Jesus really was.
However, Jesus ignored his statement and totally changed the subject.
John 3:3
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (NKJ)
It is almost as if Jesus was saying, “Nicodemus, we have to talk about you, before we can talk about me. You want to inherit the kingdom of God, but you aren’t ready for the kingdom. In fact, there is nothing about you that is acceptable to God. Before you can even see the kingdom of God, you will have to be made completely over again.”
This was going to cause Nicodemus to do some real soul searching. He must have started wondering if all of his assumptions about himself were really correct. He had always viewed himself as a law-abiding, responsible person. Even all of his very legalistic friends accepted him as such. As a Pharisee, he was even in a position to judge the actions of other people.
But Jesus told him straight up, “You have to be born again to see the kingdom of God.”
Sometimes, it is hard to be honest with ourselves because the truth hurts. On the road to Damascus, Paul was devastated to realize that all of his good works and religious zeal were actually a curse upon his life rather than a blessing. Later, he said:
Phil 3:4-9
4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (NKJ)
When Paul put his faith in Jesus Christ, he became a new creation in Christ and was born again.
Jesus had to talk to Nicodemus about Nicodemus before He could talk about Jesus. After explaining Nicodemus’ need to be born again, the Lord Jesus went on to explain that He had been sent into the world to save the lost.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
John 3:2
2 . . . "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." (NKJ)
First of all, if Nicodemus was speaking on behalf of the Pharisees, that was a lie. The Pharisees did not accept the Lord Jesus as a teacher from God but rather as a blasphemer who was worthy of death. But maybe Nicodemus just said that to open up a conversation about who Jesus really was.
However, Jesus ignored his statement and totally changed the subject.
John 3:3
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." (NKJ)
It is almost as if Jesus was saying, “Nicodemus, we have to talk about you, before we can talk about me. You want to inherit the kingdom of God, but you aren’t ready for the kingdom. In fact, there is nothing about you that is acceptable to God. Before you can even see the kingdom of God, you will have to be made completely over again.”
This was going to cause Nicodemus to do some real soul searching. He must have started wondering if all of his assumptions about himself were really correct. He had always viewed himself as a law-abiding, responsible person. Even all of his very legalistic friends accepted him as such. As a Pharisee, he was even in a position to judge the actions of other people.
But Jesus told him straight up, “You have to be born again to see the kingdom of God.”
Sometimes, it is hard to be honest with ourselves because the truth hurts. On the road to Damascus, Paul was devastated to realize that all of his good works and religious zeal were actually a curse upon his life rather than a blessing. Later, he said:
Phil 3:4-9
4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (NKJ)
When Paul put his faith in Jesus Christ, he became a new creation in Christ and was born again.
Jesus had to talk to Nicodemus about Nicodemus before He could talk about Jesus. After explaining Nicodemus’ need to be born again, the Lord Jesus went on to explain that He had been sent into the world to save the lost.
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Thursday, October 23, 2003
At the end of Paul’s life, he was so encouraged to know that men such as Timothy were faithfully ministering the word of God to the members of the Church which is the Body of Christ. In his second letter to Timothy he wrote:
2 Tim 4:1-8
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (NKJ)
Above all things, Paul encouraged Timothy to preach the word. The reasons for this charge are evident.
The word of God is the source of our faith.
Rom 10:17
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (NKJ)
The word of God sanctifies and cleanses us.
Eph 5:25-26
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (NKJ)
The word of God is a sword which defeats the devil.
Eph 6:17
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (NKJ)
The word of God works as a living instrument within our hearts to reveal that which is good and that which is evil.
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (NKJ)
God had committed the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ to Paul, and Paul wanted Timothy to pass it on.
2 Tim 2:2
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
2 Tim 4:1-8
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. (NKJ)
Above all things, Paul encouraged Timothy to preach the word. The reasons for this charge are evident.
The word of God is the source of our faith.
Rom 10:17
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (NKJ)
The word of God sanctifies and cleanses us.
Eph 5:25-26
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,
26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (NKJ)
The word of God is a sword which defeats the devil.
Eph 6:17
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (NKJ)
The word of God works as a living instrument within our hearts to reveal that which is good and that which is evil.
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (NKJ)
God had committed the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ to Paul, and Paul wanted Timothy to pass it on.
2 Tim 2:2
2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Daniel, Chapter 9, describes the 70th week of Daniel which is a 7 year period of time occurring after the death of Christ but before Christ’s return to set up the kingdom. It is a 7 year period in which the antichrist will rule the world and persecute the Jews. The Apostle Paul was aware of Daniel’s prophesies but some 30 years after the death of Christ had seen no sign of the distinctive events which were to occur in the 70th week of Daniel.
About this time, God revealed to Paul the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ concerning a heavenly Church which is blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. The calling of its members and their position in Christ was to be separate and apart from Israel’s covenants and promises.
Although the kingdom had clearly been set aside for a short time, as seen by Daniel’s prophesies, we have no reason to believe that Paul thought the kingdom would be postponed for 2000 years. In fact, as far as we know, he continued to believe that the tribulation period and the kingdom were eminent even after the passing of 30 years. This means that Paul saw two different groups of believers on the earth at that time. There were the believers associated with the covenants of Israel and the believers associated with the Church which is the Body of Christ.
At the same time that Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians to reveal the mystery of the Church, he also wrote the book of Hebrews to the believers who had the hope of the kingdom. That these are two distinctly different groups of believers is evident from the fact that they have two different raptures. The rapture of the Church is described in Philippians 3:21 and Colossians 3:4, while the rapture of the kingdom saints is described in Matthew 24:29-31, I Corinthians 15:51-52, I Thessalonians 4:16-17.
At the time Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, he may have envisioned a scenario in which the Church would be raptured very soon and the events of the tribulation period would unfold shortly thereafter. Little did Paul know that Israel’s kingdom program would be set aside while the heavenly citizens of the Church would represent Christ on the earth for at least another 2000 years.
Some people believe that the same two groups of believers still exist in the world today, namely the kingdom saints and the Church saints. While many believers today do fail to realize the great truths concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ and many do erroneously believe that their man-made organizations are the kingdom of God, it would be wrong to think that one’s position in Christ depends upon his/her understanding of the scriptures.
For some time after the death of Christ, believers were called by God to be either members of the Church which is the Body of Christ or they were called to be partakers in the promises given to Abraham. God made that call according to His own perfect plan and purpose.
Although the book of Hebrews makes it clear that the kingdom hope was still very much alive even after Paul’s revelation of the Church, I believe the offer and hope of the kingdom was eventually set aside. After that hope was set aside, all believers were added to the Church which is the Body of Christ even if they knew nothing about the distinctive calling of the Church.
If God were to call out kingdom saints today, they would practice water baptism and experience the sign gifts. They would be anticipating the tribulation period and their rapture at the end of the tribulation period, and they would be anticipating the coming kingdom rather than establishing the kingdom as many Christian groups profess to be doing today. It is also interesting to note that any kingdom saints would have to submit to Jewish leadership in that the promise of the kingdom was made to the Jews.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
About this time, God revealed to Paul the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ concerning a heavenly Church which is blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places. The calling of its members and their position in Christ was to be separate and apart from Israel’s covenants and promises.
Although the kingdom had clearly been set aside for a short time, as seen by Daniel’s prophesies, we have no reason to believe that Paul thought the kingdom would be postponed for 2000 years. In fact, as far as we know, he continued to believe that the tribulation period and the kingdom were eminent even after the passing of 30 years. This means that Paul saw two different groups of believers on the earth at that time. There were the believers associated with the covenants of Israel and the believers associated with the Church which is the Body of Christ.
At the same time that Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians to reveal the mystery of the Church, he also wrote the book of Hebrews to the believers who had the hope of the kingdom. That these are two distinctly different groups of believers is evident from the fact that they have two different raptures. The rapture of the Church is described in Philippians 3:21 and Colossians 3:4, while the rapture of the kingdom saints is described in Matthew 24:29-31, I Corinthians 15:51-52, I Thessalonians 4:16-17.
At the time Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, he may have envisioned a scenario in which the Church would be raptured very soon and the events of the tribulation period would unfold shortly thereafter. Little did Paul know that Israel’s kingdom program would be set aside while the heavenly citizens of the Church would represent Christ on the earth for at least another 2000 years.
Some people believe that the same two groups of believers still exist in the world today, namely the kingdom saints and the Church saints. While many believers today do fail to realize the great truths concerning the Church which is the Body of Christ and many do erroneously believe that their man-made organizations are the kingdom of God, it would be wrong to think that one’s position in Christ depends upon his/her understanding of the scriptures.
For some time after the death of Christ, believers were called by God to be either members of the Church which is the Body of Christ or they were called to be partakers in the promises given to Abraham. God made that call according to His own perfect plan and purpose.
Although the book of Hebrews makes it clear that the kingdom hope was still very much alive even after Paul’s revelation of the Church, I believe the offer and hope of the kingdom was eventually set aside. After that hope was set aside, all believers were added to the Church which is the Body of Christ even if they knew nothing about the distinctive calling of the Church.
If God were to call out kingdom saints today, they would practice water baptism and experience the sign gifts. They would be anticipating the tribulation period and their rapture at the end of the tribulation period, and they would be anticipating the coming kingdom rather than establishing the kingdom as many Christian groups profess to be doing today. It is also interesting to note that any kingdom saints would have to submit to Jewish leadership in that the promise of the kingdom was made to the Jews.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
When Old Testament saints died, their souls could not go into the presence of the Lord because the shed blood of Christ had not yet been offered as a sacrifice for sin. When Christ ascended into heaven after His resurrection, He took the souls of the Old Testament saints with Him into the glory of heaven (Ephesians 4:8).
What happened to these believers that made this rapture possible? When Christ died on the cross, He made it possible for them and all believers from all time periods to be sanctified through spiritual baptism into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Rom 6:3-5
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (NKJ)
Gal 2:20
20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (NKJ)
However, being baptized into the death of Christ does not necessarily make one a member of the Church which is the Body of Christ. If God did add some people from ages past to that Church in accordance with His own plan and purpose, they would not have known anything about the true calling of the Church since it was not formally revealed until the Apostle Paul wrote about it in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.
All through the book of Acts and Paul’s pre-prison epistles, we find references to the body to which believers belong and to the church and the churches but never to that heavenly institution known as the Church which is the Body of Christ.
In the prison epistles, Paul clearly taught the truths of the Church which is the Body of Christ.
Eph 1:22-23
22 (God) put all things under (Christ’s) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (NKJ)
Col 1:18
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (NKJ)
Believers associated with Israel’s Old and New Covenants had the hope of experiencing the New Covenant Kingdom here on the earth, while members of the Church which is the Body of Christ have no such earthly hope.
Phil 3:20
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (NKJ)
Col 3:2
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
What happened to these believers that made this rapture possible? When Christ died on the cross, He made it possible for them and all believers from all time periods to be sanctified through spiritual baptism into the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Rom 6:3-5
3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (NKJ)
Gal 2:20
20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (NKJ)
However, being baptized into the death of Christ does not necessarily make one a member of the Church which is the Body of Christ. If God did add some people from ages past to that Church in accordance with His own plan and purpose, they would not have known anything about the true calling of the Church since it was not formally revealed until the Apostle Paul wrote about it in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians.
All through the book of Acts and Paul’s pre-prison epistles, we find references to the body to which believers belong and to the church and the churches but never to that heavenly institution known as the Church which is the Body of Christ.
In the prison epistles, Paul clearly taught the truths of the Church which is the Body of Christ.
Eph 1:22-23
22 (God) put all things under (Christ’s) feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (NKJ)
Col 1:18
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (NKJ)
Believers associated with Israel’s Old and New Covenants had the hope of experiencing the New Covenant Kingdom here on the earth, while members of the Church which is the Body of Christ have no such earthly hope.
Phil 3:20
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (NKJ)
Col 3:2
2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Monday, October 20, 2003
Is it possible that God added the believers of Acts, Chapter 2, to the Church which is the Body of Christ even though the formal revelation of the Church did not occur for another 30 years? Some would say that would be impossible because the Church which is the Body of Christ does not have sign gifts such as speaking in tongues and healing and neither does it incorporate the practice water baptism or communion in its worship.
The revelation of the Church which is the Body of Christ in the prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians) was most definitely part of a specific dispensation from God. In Colossians, Paul called it the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ.
Col 1:24-25
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (KJV)
In Ephesians, Paul called it the dispensation of the grace of God.
Eph 3:2
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, (NKJ)
The Church may have been in existence before the dispensation of the Church even as grace was in existence before the dispensation of grace. However, anyone who was added to the Church before Paul’s revelation of this particular dispensation would not have known how to live and worship in accordance with that revelation.
In our present age, believers have the great privilege of living according to the full revelation of the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ. In this dispensation there is no evidence of sign gifts such as speaking in tongues or healing, just as there is no evidence of the practice of water baptism or communion.
In Paul’s pre-prison epistles, there are hints of the Body of Christ.
1 Cor 12:12-13
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (NKJ)
But as long as the New Covenant Kingdom was being offered to Israel, the sign gifts continued as a means of validating the offer.
2 Cor 3:6
6 (God has) made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (NKJ)
1 Cor 12:7-10
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (NKJ)
As long as the New Covenant Kingdom was being offered to Israel, the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ could not be revealed.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
The revelation of the Church which is the Body of Christ in the prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians) was most definitely part of a specific dispensation from God. In Colossians, Paul called it the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ.
Col 1:24-25
24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; (KJV)
In Ephesians, Paul called it the dispensation of the grace of God.
Eph 3:2
2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, (NKJ)
The Church may have been in existence before the dispensation of the Church even as grace was in existence before the dispensation of grace. However, anyone who was added to the Church before Paul’s revelation of this particular dispensation would not have known how to live and worship in accordance with that revelation.
In our present age, believers have the great privilege of living according to the full revelation of the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ. In this dispensation there is no evidence of sign gifts such as speaking in tongues or healing, just as there is no evidence of the practice of water baptism or communion.
In Paul’s pre-prison epistles, there are hints of the Body of Christ.
1 Cor 12:12-13
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-- whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-- and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. (NKJ)
But as long as the New Covenant Kingdom was being offered to Israel, the sign gifts continued as a means of validating the offer.
2 Cor 3:6
6 (God has) made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. (NKJ)
1 Cor 12:7-10
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:
8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit,
9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,
10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. (NKJ)
As long as the New Covenant Kingdom was being offered to Israel, the dispensation of the Church which is the Body of Christ could not be revealed.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Friday, October 17, 2003
The Apostle Paul revealed the Church which is the Body of Christ in his prison epistles (Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians). Paul wrote the book of Hebrews after he wrote the prison epistles but did not mention the Church which is the Body of Christ. In fact, Paul returns once again to the subject of the pre-prison epistles, namely, the inheritance of the Abrahamic Covenants.
This indicates that the truths of the Church, the Body of Christ, relate to a parenthetical age between God's offer of the New Covenant Kingdom in the Acts period and God's offer of the New Covenant Kingdom in the tribulation period.
The prison epistles teach that this parenthetical age will end with the catching up of the Church into the glory of heaven.
Phil 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (NKJ)
Col 3:4
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (NKJ)
Some people debate the issue of when the Church began. Some say it began on the day of Pentecost with the giving of the Holy Spirit. Others say it could not begin until Paul was saved because it was revealed through Paul. Others say it could not begin until the first group of Gentiles were saved, and others say it could not begin until God set aside His offer of Israel's New Covenant Kingdom at the end of the Acts period.
The serious Bible student needs to consider that the time the Church began may be different from the time that it was revealed. God did not reveal the Church which is the Body of Christ until Paul revealed it in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, but it is possible that God could have added people to the Church before it's existence was revealed. Since faith in Jesus Christ has always been the one and only criteria for salvation, God has had the liberty to add people to which ever group of believers His perfect plan dictates, with or without their knowledge.
As we study any given text in the scriptures, our task is to base our interpretation upon our understanding of the author's understanding. No author of scripture had the total knowledge of God, but it is reasonable to assume that God revealed to each author truth that was somewhat consistent with the author's general understanding. For instance, Daniel may not have understood everything about the 70 weeks of Daniel 9, but we know that Daniel was aware of the fact that they related to the time period preceding the restoration of Israel's kingdom.
As Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost, God knew that Israel would reject Christ and the Kingdom, but we can be reasonable sure that Peter did not know that. It is also reasonable to assume that Peter's words reflect his limited understanding rather than God's infinite understanding. Accordingly, Peter spoke the following words to the Jews that day.
Acts 2:38-39
38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." (NKJ)
That promise of the King and kingdom were rejected by the nation of Israel many times throughout the Acts period and was finally set aside, but Peter did not know that was going to happen.
Is it possible that God added the believers of Acts 2 to the Church which is the Body of Christ even though they knew nothing about it? With man, that may seem impossible, but with God, all things are possible.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
This indicates that the truths of the Church, the Body of Christ, relate to a parenthetical age between God's offer of the New Covenant Kingdom in the Acts period and God's offer of the New Covenant Kingdom in the tribulation period.
The prison epistles teach that this parenthetical age will end with the catching up of the Church into the glory of heaven.
Phil 3:20-21
20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (NKJ)
Col 3:4
4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (NKJ)
Some people debate the issue of when the Church began. Some say it began on the day of Pentecost with the giving of the Holy Spirit. Others say it could not begin until Paul was saved because it was revealed through Paul. Others say it could not begin until the first group of Gentiles were saved, and others say it could not begin until God set aside His offer of Israel's New Covenant Kingdom at the end of the Acts period.
The serious Bible student needs to consider that the time the Church began may be different from the time that it was revealed. God did not reveal the Church which is the Body of Christ until Paul revealed it in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, but it is possible that God could have added people to the Church before it's existence was revealed. Since faith in Jesus Christ has always been the one and only criteria for salvation, God has had the liberty to add people to which ever group of believers His perfect plan dictates, with or without their knowledge.
As we study any given text in the scriptures, our task is to base our interpretation upon our understanding of the author's understanding. No author of scripture had the total knowledge of God, but it is reasonable to assume that God revealed to each author truth that was somewhat consistent with the author's general understanding. For instance, Daniel may not have understood everything about the 70 weeks of Daniel 9, but we know that Daniel was aware of the fact that they related to the time period preceding the restoration of Israel's kingdom.
As Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost, God knew that Israel would reject Christ and the Kingdom, but we can be reasonable sure that Peter did not know that. It is also reasonable to assume that Peter's words reflect his limited understanding rather than God's infinite understanding. Accordingly, Peter spoke the following words to the Jews that day.
Acts 2:38-39
38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call." (NKJ)
That promise of the King and kingdom were rejected by the nation of Israel many times throughout the Acts period and was finally set aside, but Peter did not know that was going to happen.
Is it possible that God added the believers of Acts 2 to the Church which is the Body of Christ even though they knew nothing about it? With man, that may seem impossible, but with God, all things are possible.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Thursday, October 16, 2003
It appears that the Apostle Paul was at least a co-author of the book of Hebrews. All of the earliest Christian writers accepted him as its author, and further credence is given to that thesis in the final verse where Paul gives the salutation: "Grace be with you all". Paul had told the believers of Thessalonika that he would end his epistles that way in his own handwriting to authenticate his letters.
II Th 3:17-18
17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (NKJ)
We also see evidence of Paul's authorship in the opening verses where he spoke of the preeminence of Christ.
Heb 1:1-4
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (NKJ)
In these verses, Christ is presented as the one who created and sustains the universe, as the very image of God, and as one who is preeminent over the angels. Paul first introduced these concepts in the book of Colossians.
Col 1:15-18
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (NKJ)
In Colossians, Christ is not presented as the heir of all things since that relates more directly to the promises given to Abraham than it does to the Church which is the Body of Christ. However, two times in the book of Colossians, Paul does say that even the members of the Body of Christ will be partakers of the inheritance.
Some have said that Hebrews was one of Paul's earliest epistles. However, it seems unlikely that Paul would reveal in one of his first letters that Christ created all things and then never mention it again until one of his last letters. In fact, Hebrews seems to have been written after the prison epistles because in Philippians 2:19 Paul reveals that he was planning to send Timothy to Philippi, and Hebrews 13:23 reveals that Paul was waiting for Timothy to return for their trip to Jerusalem.
We have seen that the prison epistles do not refer specifically to the inheritance of the Abrahamic covenants while that is the primary discussion of Paul's pre-prison epistles and the Book of Hebrews. Likewise, the pre-prison epistles and the book of Hebrews make no specific reference to the Church which is the Body of Christ. Therefore, we have to conclude that the truths of the Church which is the Body of Christ are separate and apart from the truths that relate to God's program for Israel.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
II Th 3:17-18
17 The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (NKJ)
We also see evidence of Paul's authorship in the opening verses where he spoke of the preeminence of Christ.
Heb 1:1-4
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,
2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;
3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (NKJ)
In these verses, Christ is presented as the one who created and sustains the universe, as the very image of God, and as one who is preeminent over the angels. Paul first introduced these concepts in the book of Colossians.
Col 1:15-18
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.
17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.
18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (NKJ)
In Colossians, Christ is not presented as the heir of all things since that relates more directly to the promises given to Abraham than it does to the Church which is the Body of Christ. However, two times in the book of Colossians, Paul does say that even the members of the Body of Christ will be partakers of the inheritance.
Some have said that Hebrews was one of Paul's earliest epistles. However, it seems unlikely that Paul would reveal in one of his first letters that Christ created all things and then never mention it again until one of his last letters. In fact, Hebrews seems to have been written after the prison epistles because in Philippians 2:19 Paul reveals that he was planning to send Timothy to Philippi, and Hebrews 13:23 reveals that Paul was waiting for Timothy to return for their trip to Jerusalem.
We have seen that the prison epistles do not refer specifically to the inheritance of the Abrahamic covenants while that is the primary discussion of Paul's pre-prison epistles and the Book of Hebrews. Likewise, the pre-prison epistles and the book of Hebrews make no specific reference to the Church which is the Body of Christ. Therefore, we have to conclude that the truths of the Church which is the Body of Christ are separate and apart from the truths that relate to God's program for Israel.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
In the Old Testament, it was a great privilege to be associated with God's Covenant people. The punishment for most sins was to be cut off from the Covenant community. One of the great privileges of being part of the Covenant community was to offer sacrifices at the tabernacle or temple where all sacrifices were to be offered.
Lev 17:8-9
8 "Also you shall say to them: 'Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9 'and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from among his people. (NKJ)
When Daniel was in Babylon, his heart was grieved because the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary of God were desolate.
Dan 9:17
17 "Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. (NKJ)
In the Old Covenant, however, we see that one's relationship to God was separate and apart from one's relationship to the Covenant community. Daniel's personal relationship with God flourished in Babylon even though he was cut off from the temple of God. It appears that the wise men who came to worship Jesus at His birth were true followers of Christ even though they had apparently never been introduced to the fellowship of the Covenant community. It also appears that the Ninevites who repented in Jonah's day were given eternal life apart from fellowship with the Covenant community.
As Paul preached the New Covenant message during the Acts period, he taught that many of the concepts of the Old Covenant would apply to the New Covenant community, including the concept of cutting off those who sin. In II Thessalonians, he wrote:
II Th 3:6
6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. (NKJ)
When a certain man was accused of a particular sin in the church at Corinth, Paul commanded them, as a church, to have nothing to do with him.
1 Cor 5:4-5
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (NKJ)
However, these concepts of discipline apparently did not carry over into the Church which is the Body of Christ. In I Timothy, Chapter 1, Paul told Timothy to instruct those who go astray. Paul mentioned the heresies of Alexander and Hymenaeus and said that he personally had turned them over to Satan so that they would learn not to blaspheme, but he did not instruct the congregation as a whole to do so. In fact, Paul emphasized that the goal of God's commandment is love, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, and that he, Paul, had been a blasphemer but was shone the mercy of God.
Paul did say, in I Timothy, Chapter 5, that an elder who sins should be rebuked publicly so that others may take warning. In Chapter 6, Paul also warned Timothy to flee from the evil of those who teach false doctrine for they are conceited and are often motivated by financial gain.
However, in II Timothy, Chapter 2, Paul warned Timothy about Hymenaeus and Philetus, who were teachers of false doctrine, and, rather than calling a meeting of the Church to administer corporate discipline, Paul simply instructed Timothy to study the Word of God so that he would be able to defend the truth. Paul said that in every house there are some vessels of honor and some vessels of dishonor and the Lord knows those who are His.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Lev 17:8-9
8 "Also you shall say to them: 'Whatever man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell among you, who offers a burnt offering or sacrifice,
9 'and does not bring it to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, to offer it to the LORD, that man shall be cut off from among his people. (NKJ)
When Daniel was in Babylon, his heart was grieved because the city of Jerusalem and the sanctuary of God were desolate.
Dan 9:17
17 "Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. (NKJ)
In the Old Covenant, however, we see that one's relationship to God was separate and apart from one's relationship to the Covenant community. Daniel's personal relationship with God flourished in Babylon even though he was cut off from the temple of God. It appears that the wise men who came to worship Jesus at His birth were true followers of Christ even though they had apparently never been introduced to the fellowship of the Covenant community. It also appears that the Ninevites who repented in Jonah's day were given eternal life apart from fellowship with the Covenant community.
As Paul preached the New Covenant message during the Acts period, he taught that many of the concepts of the Old Covenant would apply to the New Covenant community, including the concept of cutting off those who sin. In II Thessalonians, he wrote:
II Th 3:6
6 But we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us. (NKJ)
When a certain man was accused of a particular sin in the church at Corinth, Paul commanded them, as a church, to have nothing to do with him.
1 Cor 5:4-5
4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
5 deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. (NKJ)
However, these concepts of discipline apparently did not carry over into the Church which is the Body of Christ. In I Timothy, Chapter 1, Paul told Timothy to instruct those who go astray. Paul mentioned the heresies of Alexander and Hymenaeus and said that he personally had turned them over to Satan so that they would learn not to blaspheme, but he did not instruct the congregation as a whole to do so. In fact, Paul emphasized that the goal of God's commandment is love, that Christ came into the world to save sinners, and that he, Paul, had been a blasphemer but was shone the mercy of God.
Paul did say, in I Timothy, Chapter 5, that an elder who sins should be rebuked publicly so that others may take warning. In Chapter 6, Paul also warned Timothy to flee from the evil of those who teach false doctrine for they are conceited and are often motivated by financial gain.
However, in II Timothy, Chapter 2, Paul warned Timothy about Hymenaeus and Philetus, who were teachers of false doctrine, and, rather than calling a meeting of the Church to administer corporate discipline, Paul simply instructed Timothy to study the Word of God so that he would be able to defend the truth. Paul said that in every house there are some vessels of honor and some vessels of dishonor and the Lord knows those who are His.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Tuesday, October 14, 2003
God gave circumcision to Abraham and his descendants as a sign of the promise God had given to Abraham. God told Abraham that anyone who did not submit to circumcision should be cut off from the family.
Gen 17:14
14 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." (NKJ)
When Moses was forced to flee from Egypt, he lived in the desert for 40 years. During that time, he married and had sons. It is interesting that Moses did not circumcise one of his sons until he was on the way back to Egypt to be reunited with the Jewish community (Exodus 4:24-26). As it was from the beginning, the sign of circumcision was associated with being accepted in Jewish society and was formally included as a requirement of the Old Covenant Law when it was given at Mt. Sinai.
When John the Baptist came preaching that the kingdom of heaven was hand, he was essentially introducing God’s offer of the New Covenant Kingdom. This New Covenant Kingdom was to be based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. The sign given in association with the New Covenant was water baptism. It was not a ritual which was required for salvation, but rather it was a sign which was required for association with the New Covenant community. Water baptism was practiced by John the Baptist as well as Jesus and His disciples. In Matthew 28, the Lord sent the disciples out to preach the message of the New Covenant Kingdom and baptize those who believed.
The Apostle Paul practiced water baptism during the period of time covered by the book of Acts, but, even then, he said that God did not send him to baptize.
1 Cor 1:17
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel . . . (NKJ)
Therefore, Paul never operated under the same commission as the other apostles, and from the beginning of his ministry, he emphasized that his message was not learned from the other apostles but was given to him by the Lord.
Gal 1:11-12
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (NKJ)
The book of Acts records Israel’s rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the New Covenant Kingdom. At some point after the events of Acts 28, Paul stopped preaching the New Covenant message to the Jew of his day. In Ephesians, he declared that the Church which is the Body of Christ is a heavenly Church which is not based on the covenants made with Abraham. Accordingly, the water baptism of the New Covenant message passed away, and today, there is only one baptism by one Spirit for the members of the one Body.
Eph 4:4-5
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; (NKJ)
In Colossians, Paul made it clear that our spiritual baptism is an operation of God.
Col 2:12
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Gen 17:14
14 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." (NKJ)
When Moses was forced to flee from Egypt, he lived in the desert for 40 years. During that time, he married and had sons. It is interesting that Moses did not circumcise one of his sons until he was on the way back to Egypt to be reunited with the Jewish community (Exodus 4:24-26). As it was from the beginning, the sign of circumcision was associated with being accepted in Jewish society and was formally included as a requirement of the Old Covenant Law when it was given at Mt. Sinai.
When John the Baptist came preaching that the kingdom of heaven was hand, he was essentially introducing God’s offer of the New Covenant Kingdom. This New Covenant Kingdom was to be based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. The sign given in association with the New Covenant was water baptism. It was not a ritual which was required for salvation, but rather it was a sign which was required for association with the New Covenant community. Water baptism was practiced by John the Baptist as well as Jesus and His disciples. In Matthew 28, the Lord sent the disciples out to preach the message of the New Covenant Kingdom and baptize those who believed.
The Apostle Paul practiced water baptism during the period of time covered by the book of Acts, but, even then, he said that God did not send him to baptize.
1 Cor 1:17
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel . . . (NKJ)
Therefore, Paul never operated under the same commission as the other apostles, and from the beginning of his ministry, he emphasized that his message was not learned from the other apostles but was given to him by the Lord.
Gal 1:11-12
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (NKJ)
The book of Acts records Israel’s rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ and the New Covenant Kingdom. At some point after the events of Acts 28, Paul stopped preaching the New Covenant message to the Jew of his day. In Ephesians, he declared that the Church which is the Body of Christ is a heavenly Church which is not based on the covenants made with Abraham. Accordingly, the water baptism of the New Covenant message passed away, and today, there is only one baptism by one Spirit for the members of the one Body.
Eph 4:4-5
4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; (NKJ)
In Colossians, Paul made it clear that our spiritual baptism is an operation of God.
Col 2:12
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Monday, October 13, 2003
God established the Old Covenant with the nation of Israel at Mr. Sinai, and in that covenant God promised to bless Israel with great physical blessings if they kept the Law.
Deut 28:2,4,7
2 "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
4 "Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
7 "The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. (NKJ)
If anyone broke the Law, they were to be expelled from Jewish society.
Num 15:30-31
30 'But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people.
31 'Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.'" (NKJ)
God had already established that standard when He gave the sign of circumcision to Abraham.
Gen 17:14
14 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." (NKJ)
Jewish society was to be a testimony to the nations of the world concerning the glory of God’s righteousness, but God never promised them eternal life in return for their keeping of the Law. God knew that the Law would prove to be a burden they would not be able to bear. It was given to prove that man can not live up to God’s perfect standard of righteousness.
The Apostle Paul proved from the Old Testament scriptures that God’s standard for eternal salvation had always been faith.
Rom 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (NKJ)
The Bible declares that God allowed the nation of Israel to be defeated by the Babylonians because they had broken God’s Law, but those who had faith in God did not lose their salvation. Daniel and Ezekiel proved that point when their relationship with God flourished even in the spiritual desert of Babylon. They could not offer the sacrifices required by the Law, but their faith sustained them.
When the Jews returned from Babylon to the promised land, they were dedicated to the ideals of the Law. But as time went on, their dedication to the Law resulted in a society that suffered under the oppression of its religious leaders. The Pharisees and the Sadducees established a society in which the people had to submit to their rules or be cut off from society. Those who refused to submit were called “sinners” and were social and economic outcasts. Furthermore, anyone who failed to treat them as outcasts was labeled as a “sinner” and treated accordingly.
This set the stage for Jesus Christ to enter the world, offer is blood as a sin offering, and make possible the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit set the world free from the bondage of the Law.
Rom 8:3-4
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Deut 28:2,4,7
2 "And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God:
4 "Blessed shall be the fruit of your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the offspring of your flocks.
7 "The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways. (NKJ)
If anyone broke the Law, they were to be expelled from Jewish society.
Num 15:30-31
30 'But the person who does anything presumptuously, whether he is native-born or a stranger, that one brings reproach on the LORD, and he shall be cut off from among his people.
31 'Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.'" (NKJ)
God had already established that standard when He gave the sign of circumcision to Abraham.
Gen 17:14
14 "And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant." (NKJ)
Jewish society was to be a testimony to the nations of the world concerning the glory of God’s righteousness, but God never promised them eternal life in return for their keeping of the Law. God knew that the Law would prove to be a burden they would not be able to bear. It was given to prove that man can not live up to God’s perfect standard of righteousness.
The Apostle Paul proved from the Old Testament scriptures that God’s standard for eternal salvation had always been faith.
Rom 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (NKJ)
The Bible declares that God allowed the nation of Israel to be defeated by the Babylonians because they had broken God’s Law, but those who had faith in God did not lose their salvation. Daniel and Ezekiel proved that point when their relationship with God flourished even in the spiritual desert of Babylon. They could not offer the sacrifices required by the Law, but their faith sustained them.
When the Jews returned from Babylon to the promised land, they were dedicated to the ideals of the Law. But as time went on, their dedication to the Law resulted in a society that suffered under the oppression of its religious leaders. The Pharisees and the Sadducees established a society in which the people had to submit to their rules or be cut off from society. Those who refused to submit were called “sinners” and were social and economic outcasts. Furthermore, anyone who failed to treat them as outcasts was labeled as a “sinner” and treated accordingly.
This set the stage for Jesus Christ to enter the world, offer is blood as a sin offering, and make possible the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit set the world free from the bondage of the Law.
Rom 8:3-4
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Thursday, October 09, 2003
In Galatians 4, Paul said that Hagar (the bondwoman) and Sarah (the freewoman) represented the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, respectively. The Old Covenant was glorious. In fact, Moses' face was shining so brightly after his time on Mt. Sinai that he had to wear a veil over his face when he came down to speak with the children of Israel. However, the New Covenant was even more glorious because it brought freedom from sin to those who were subject to it.
In the book of Hebrews, Paul wrote to the believing Jews of the tribulation period to give them confirmation of the promises given to Abraham. He reminded them that Christ was called to be their High Priest.
Heb 5:4-6
4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You."
6 As He also says in another place: "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek"; (NKJ)
But in Hebrews 8, Paul said:
Heb 8:1, 4, 6-8
1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah– (NKJ)
Certainly, there would have to be a new covenant for the Lord Jesus to serve as the High Priest. According to the Old Covenant, only those from the house of Levi could serve as a priest, but the Lord Jesus was from the house of Judah. Paul goes on to say that Jesus serves as the High Priest in the heavenlies where there is a heavenly tabernacle, and the sacrifice that he offered once and for all was that of His own shed blood. Even Abraham was looking for this heavenly city to come down to the earth.
Heb 11:8-10
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (NKJ)
We clearly see the hope of the New Covenant Kingdom held out in Galatians and again in Hebrews. But do we today wait for God’s heavenly city to come down to the earth. Not at all. In Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, Paul revealed the parenthetical age in which we live today. Believers of our present age are members of the Church which is the Body of Christ. God revealed this truth as a special dispensation to the Apostle Paul. In these epistles, Paul implied that the members of the Church are not waiting for heaven to come to earth when he said that we are to be waiting for Christ to take us up to heaven.
Col 3:4
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
In the book of Hebrews, Paul wrote to the believing Jews of the tribulation period to give them confirmation of the promises given to Abraham. He reminded them that Christ was called to be their High Priest.
Heb 5:4-6
4 And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.
5 So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: "You are My Son, today I have begotten You."
6 As He also says in another place: "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek"; (NKJ)
But in Hebrews 8, Paul said:
Heb 8:1, 4, 6-8
1 Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
4 For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;
6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
8 Because finding fault with them, He says: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah– (NKJ)
Certainly, there would have to be a new covenant for the Lord Jesus to serve as the High Priest. According to the Old Covenant, only those from the house of Levi could serve as a priest, but the Lord Jesus was from the house of Judah. Paul goes on to say that Jesus serves as the High Priest in the heavenlies where there is a heavenly tabernacle, and the sacrifice that he offered once and for all was that of His own shed blood. Even Abraham was looking for this heavenly city to come down to the earth.
Heb 11:8-10
8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.
9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise;
10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. (NKJ)
We clearly see the hope of the New Covenant Kingdom held out in Galatians and again in Hebrews. But do we today wait for God’s heavenly city to come down to the earth. Not at all. In Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, Paul revealed the parenthetical age in which we live today. Believers of our present age are members of the Church which is the Body of Christ. God revealed this truth as a special dispensation to the Apostle Paul. In these epistles, Paul implied that the members of the Church are not waiting for heaven to come to earth when he said that we are to be waiting for Christ to take us up to heaven.
Col 3:4
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Wednesday, October 08, 2003
In Paul’s Acts-period epistles, he revealed a mystery which had been given to him by God. This mystery was hidden in the Old Testament scriptures.
Rom 16:25-26
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began
26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations . . . (NKJ)
In Galatians 4, Paul revealed God’s plan concerning the New Covenant in the true story of Sarah and Hagar.
Gal 4:21-26
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,
24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar--
25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children--
26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. (NKJ)
Hagar, being a bondwoman, pictured the Mosaic Law (The Old Covenant) which kept the people in bondage to sin. Sarah, being free, pictured the New Covenant. At the last supper, the Lord Jesus took the cup of wine and said:
Luke 22:20
20 . . . "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (NKJ)
His shed blood provided God’s required atonement for sin, made possible the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and ushered in the initial phase of Israel’s New Covenant. Jeremiah spoke for God when he said:
Jer 31:31
31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah– (NKJ)
This New Covenant was to be a covenant in which the laws of God were written in the hearts of the people by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul refers to this covenant in Galatians 4 as a covenant of freedom which will have its ultimate fulfillment when the heavenly city of Jerusalem comes down from heaven to the earth. He said that the Old Covenant was given in relationship to the earthly city of Jerusalem which, even as Paul wrote to the Galatians, was under the bondage of Roman rule.
Then Paul reminded his readers that God had told Abraham to cast out the bondwoman and her son because her son could not be heir to the promise with the son of the freewoman. Paul’s point: You can not mix Law and grace. It has to be one or the other. To be saved by the Law one has to keep every aspect of the Law every minute of every day. To be saved by grace people have to believe that Christ died for their sin to give them eternal life. Because the logic of this argument can not be disputed, we would pose Paul’s question of verse 21 to those today who wish to be saved by good works:
Gal 4:21
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Rom 16:25-26
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began
26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations . . . (NKJ)
In Galatians 4, Paul revealed God’s plan concerning the New Covenant in the true story of Sarah and Hagar.
Gal 4:21-26
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman.
23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise,
24 which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar--
25 for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children--
26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all. (NKJ)
Hagar, being a bondwoman, pictured the Mosaic Law (The Old Covenant) which kept the people in bondage to sin. Sarah, being free, pictured the New Covenant. At the last supper, the Lord Jesus took the cup of wine and said:
Luke 22:20
20 . . . "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. (NKJ)
His shed blood provided God’s required atonement for sin, made possible the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and ushered in the initial phase of Israel’s New Covenant. Jeremiah spoke for God when he said:
Jer 31:31
31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah– (NKJ)
This New Covenant was to be a covenant in which the laws of God were written in the hearts of the people by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul refers to this covenant in Galatians 4 as a covenant of freedom which will have its ultimate fulfillment when the heavenly city of Jerusalem comes down from heaven to the earth. He said that the Old Covenant was given in relationship to the earthly city of Jerusalem which, even as Paul wrote to the Galatians, was under the bondage of Roman rule.
Then Paul reminded his readers that God had told Abraham to cast out the bondwoman and her son because her son could not be heir to the promise with the son of the freewoman. Paul’s point: You can not mix Law and grace. It has to be one or the other. To be saved by the Law one has to keep every aspect of the Law every minute of every day. To be saved by grace people have to believe that Christ died for their sin to give them eternal life. Because the logic of this argument can not be disputed, we would pose Paul’s question of verse 21 to those today who wish to be saved by good works:
Gal 4:21
21 Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? (NKJ)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Tuesday, October 07, 2003
The Apostle Paul told the believers of Galatia that God had placed Israel under the guardianship of the Law until she was mature enough to receive her inheritance. This inheritance was the fulfilment of the promise made to Abraham that through his seed all nations of the earth would be blessed. Paul said that as long as Israel was under the Law, she was treated as a slave with no rights, but when Christ came, He died for sin and gave the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. If Israel had put her faith in Christ, she would have been brought to spiritual maturity and would have been in a position to receive her inheritance.
Gal 4:3-6
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" (NKJ)
Even Christian people often turn back to the elementary rituals and ceremonies of religion when they feel spiritually weak. However, their faith in Christ should lead them to call out to God, Who is willing to show them great and mighty things (Jer. 33:3). Paul told these people:
Gal 4:9
9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? (NKJ)
When Paul speaks of the weak and beggarly elements, he is primarily thinking of the practice of circumcision for there were Jews who were telling the believers of Galatia that they could not be saved without being circumcised. However, he also has in mind all of the various requirements of the Law.
Gal 4:10
10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. (NKJ)
Galatians was written during the Acts period as God was offering Israel her inheritance, namely an earthly kingdom. During this period of time, Paul did not intend for the Jews to stop practicing the Law (Acts 21:18-26), but he was emphatic that the Gentiles should not.
Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians were written after the Acts period, and in these epistles Paul revealed the Church which is the Body of Christ. Believers today belong to this heavenly Church. We have no longing for Israel’s kingdom inheritance for we set our affections on things above, not on the things of the earth (Colossians 3:2). We have no reason to participate in the beggarly elements of the earth for we are spiritually circumcised and spiritually baptized.
Col 2:11-12
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (NKJ)
Paul admonishes us, as members of Christ’s Church, to recognize our completeness in the fulness of Christ so that we are not cheated by a cowardly return to the rituals associated with the laws of Israel’s promised kingdom.
Col 2:8-10
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Gal 4:3-6
3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.
4 But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.
6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" (NKJ)
Even Christian people often turn back to the elementary rituals and ceremonies of religion when they feel spiritually weak. However, their faith in Christ should lead them to call out to God, Who is willing to show them great and mighty things (Jer. 33:3). Paul told these people:
Gal 4:9
9 But now after you have known God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, to which you desire again to be in bondage? (NKJ)
When Paul speaks of the weak and beggarly elements, he is primarily thinking of the practice of circumcision for there were Jews who were telling the believers of Galatia that they could not be saved without being circumcised. However, he also has in mind all of the various requirements of the Law.
Gal 4:10
10 You observe days and months and seasons and years. (NKJ)
Galatians was written during the Acts period as God was offering Israel her inheritance, namely an earthly kingdom. During this period of time, Paul did not intend for the Jews to stop practicing the Law (Acts 21:18-26), but he was emphatic that the Gentiles should not.
Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians were written after the Acts period, and in these epistles Paul revealed the Church which is the Body of Christ. Believers today belong to this heavenly Church. We have no longing for Israel’s kingdom inheritance for we set our affections on things above, not on the things of the earth (Colossians 3:2). We have no reason to participate in the beggarly elements of the earth for we are spiritually circumcised and spiritually baptized.
Col 2:11-12
11 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,
12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. (NKJ)
Paul admonishes us, as members of Christ’s Church, to recognize our completeness in the fulness of Christ so that we are not cheated by a cowardly return to the rituals associated with the laws of Israel’s promised kingdom.
Col 2:8-10
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: (KJV)
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
Monday, October 06, 2003
Gal 1:11-12
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (NKJ)
These words were written by the Apostle Paul to the believers of Galatia during the time period covered by the book of Acts. In these Acts period epistles, Paul used the Old Testament scriptures to prove that faith has always been God’s requirement for salvation, not works.
Rom 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (NKJ)
Rom 3:10
10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; (NKJ)
Rom 4:3
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." (NKJ)
Rom 4:6-8
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." (NKJ)
Paul’s Acts-period revelation concerning salvation by grace was a mystery which was hidden in the Old Testament scriptures.
Rom 16:25-26
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began
26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations . . . (NKJ)
However, in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, Paul was allowed to reveal the mystery of the Church which is the Body of Christ. The prophets of old knew nothing about this mystery.
Col 1:24-26
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (NKJ)
Eph 3:5
5 (This mystery) in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: (NKJ)
As the mystery of God’s grace was revealed in the Acts period, believers were healed and spoke in tongues. They also practiced water baptism and other rituals of the law. But as Paul revealed the mystery of the Church which is the Body of Christ in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, the sign gifts and the rituals passed away.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
11 But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
12 For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ. (NKJ)
These words were written by the Apostle Paul to the believers of Galatia during the time period covered by the book of Acts. In these Acts period epistles, Paul used the Old Testament scriptures to prove that faith has always been God’s requirement for salvation, not works.
Rom 1:16-17
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith." (NKJ)
Rom 3:10
10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one; (NKJ)
Rom 4:3
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness." (NKJ)
Rom 4:6-8
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin." (NKJ)
Paul’s Acts-period revelation concerning salvation by grace was a mystery which was hidden in the Old Testament scriptures.
Rom 16:25-26
25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began
26 but now has been made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations . . . (NKJ)
However, in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, Paul was allowed to reveal the mystery of the Church which is the Body of Christ. The prophets of old knew nothing about this mystery.
Col 1:24-26
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,
26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. (NKJ)
Eph 3:5
5 (This mystery) in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: (NKJ)
As the mystery of God’s grace was revealed in the Acts period, believers were healed and spoke in tongues. They also practiced water baptism and other rituals of the law. But as Paul revealed the mystery of the Church which is the Body of Christ in Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, the sign gifts and the rituals passed away.
Write me at: jimjoan77@juno.com
Church links:
http://www.peacechurch-ok.org/
http://www.eleventhavenuechurch.com/
http://gracebiblechurch-fw.com/
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