Introduction
This two-word question is the most important question in New Testament studies. It is not an overstatement to say that without a correct answer to this question little can be understood of Christianity. The whole doctrine of ecclesiology, God’s creation of the Church, the body of Christ, rests in the balance of this question. In terms of Biblical revelation, it ranks in importance with God’s call of Abraham and the giving of the Mosaic Law.
The vast majority of Christendom view Paul simply as an extension of the Twelve. Some have gone so far as to say that Peter and the other apostles were wrong to choose Matthias to replace Judas–they should have waited for Paul to fill the vacancy left by Judas. They view Paul as the legitimate 12th apostle. The problem with a view is that the Biblical record does not support it.
Jesus’ Earthly Ministry and the Twelve
The Lord Jesus Christ came to present Himself as the Messiah-King to Israel. The Scriptures reveal detailed information about the events surrounding His birth and these provide the meaning of His ministry. The angel declared to Mary:
30The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end” (Luke 1.30-33).
The angel’s announcement fulfilled what the prophets had foretold for hundreds of years. The Jews longed for a righteous king to deliver them from the heel of Gentile domination and to give them a kingdom. This king and kingdom would fulfill Moses’ prophecy and God’s promise that Israel would be “the head and not the tail” (Deuteronomy 28.13). Mary responded to this glorious news in what is called the Magnificat:
46 And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.
50 “And His mercy is upon generation after generation toward those who fear Him.
51 “He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones, and has exalted those who were humble.
53 “He has filled the hungry with good things; and sent away the rich empty-handed.
54 “He has given help to Israel His servant, in remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever” (Luke 1.46-55).
Everything in Mary’s exaltation recalled the covenant promises God had made with the nation of Israel since God had called Abraham. Zechariah, the father of John the Baptizer, made a similar declaration following the birth of his son:
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people,
69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant—
70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old—
71 Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 To show mercy toward our fathers, and to remember His holy covenant,
73 The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways;
77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1.67-79).
The emphasis of these declarations was upon God’s covenant and prophetic promises to national ISRAEL. The long anticipated KING and KINGDOM were finally at hand. This was understood fully by the prophet John the Baptist in his message to the nation. Matthew recorded:
1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3.1-2).
The Lord Himself proclaimed this message:
12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; 13 and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. 14 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: 15 “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— 16 “The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4.12-17).
One thing worth notice in these passages is that little is mentioned in reference to salvation from sin. At first blush, this may be surprising. But upon reflection, it is not. While hundreds of passages in the Old Testament declared God’s establishment of His kingdom for Israel only one passage spoke of how He would deal with sin–and it was not understood. This was Isaiah 53:
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him (Isaiah 53.4-6).
. . .
12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53.12).
The focus of Jesus’ ministry was the nation of Israel (Romans 15.8). He commanded His disciples not to go to Gentiles (Matthew 10.5-7). He Himself had no dealings with them except for His encounter with the Canaanite woman (Matthew 15.21-28; Mark 7.24-30) and the Roman centurion (Matthew 8.5-13; Luke 7.1-10).1
God’s Prophetic Plan
A reasonable question to raise is why Jesus did not minister to Gentiles and ordered His disciples to avoid them. For 2,000 years God dealt with the human race as a whole. However, in 2,000 B.C., following the Flood and the Tower of Babel, God began a new plan. God created a new race of people through whom He determined to reveal Himself: the Jews. God initiated this plan with His call of Abram. Abraham became the progenitor of the Jewish people and God established covenants with the new race. The first and foundational covenant was the Abrahamic Covenant. In this covenant, God promised Abram (Abraham) a land, that he would become a great nation, and blessings. Through this new people (the Jews) God declared “all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12.3 cf. Genesis 15).
As time progressed, God gave Israel more covenant promises communicated through His prophets. God’s prophetic plan to Israel was simple in concept. What they understood was the following: 1) the Messiah would come, 2) the Messiah would suffer, 3) God would pour His wrath upon the earth and judge the nations, 4) the Messiah would reign as King in a kingdom. God’s kingdom would be worldwide but centered in Jerusalem, ruled by the Messiah. God would fulfill all His promises to Israel during this kingdom period. Israel would be preeminent among the nations of the world (Deuteronomy 28.1, 13) and Gentile nations would look to Israel for guidance and be blessed through them (Isaiah 2.2, 42.1, 6, 49.6, 60.3, 61.6, 62.2; Zechariah 8.22-23). Psalm 2 provided the earliest and most succinct summary of God’s prophetic plan for Israel.2
A major point of note is that God had NO revealed plan to bless Gentiles apart from Israel’s acceptance of their Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom. Also, God revealed nothing of a Church in which Jew and Gentile would be equal.
The 12th Apostle
The Eleven apostles recognized the horrific disaster the nation had perpetrated with the crucifixion of Jesus. They recognized He was the Messiah, the Son of God (Matthew 16.16). Miraculously, however, He had arisen from the dead. Hope for the nation remained–if they would repent. If they did, the Messiah would return and establish His kingdom. This was the message Peter preached in his sermons in Acts 2-3.
Foremost in the minds of the Eleven was the kingdom (Acts 1.6). The Lord had promised the Twelve that they would rule the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19.28). Replacement of the 12th apostle (as a result of Judas’ treachery and subsequent suicide) was therefore critical. If the kingdom was to come, the nation must have 12 apostles. Luke recorded the selection process:
21 Therefore it is necessary that of the men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us— 22 beginning with the baptism of John until the day that He was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” 23 So they put forward two men, Joseph called Barsabbas (who was also called Justus), and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men, show which one of these two You have chosen 25 to occupy this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they drew lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles (Acts 1.21-26).
We read that “all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers” (Acts 1.14). The selection criteria were that candidates had to be men who had accompanied them all the time during the Lord’s ministry beginning with the baptism of John until His ascension and be a witness to His resurrection. Did Saul of Tarsus meet these qualifications? Hardly. Notice they prayed and asked the Lord to make the choice. The matter of casting lots was well established in Israel’s history with the Urim and Thummim (1 Samuel 28.6) and in other instances to determine God’s will (cf. Leviticus 16.8; Joshua 18.6, 8, 10; 1 Chronicles 24.31; Proverbs 16.33). Therefore, the apostles were correct in doing what they did. They prayed about their decision and left the results to God.3 This resulted in the choice of Matthias as the legitimate successor to Judas.
Peter’s Sermons
On the day of Pentecost, following the advent of the Holy Spirit, which the Lord Jesus had instructed them to await (Acts 1.5, 8), Peter preached his first sermon. Whom did Peter address? He addressed Jews only (Acts 2.14, 22, 29, 36, 39). Peter laid the blame for the Messiah’s crucifixion squarely on them (Acts 2.23, 36) and demanded they repent from their sin (Acts 2.38). Peter preached the crucifixion–not as good news but as bad news–something that required Israel’s repentance. Furthermore, for the prophesied kingdom to come, every single Jew had to repent. Peter made this point quite clear: “let all the house of Israel know” (Acts 2.36) and “Repent and every one of you be baptized . . .” (Acts 2.38).
Peter’s second sermon reiterated the above message. He declared,
17 “And now, brethren, I know that you acted in ignorance, just as your rulers did also. 18 But the things which God announced beforehand by the mouth of all the prophets, that His Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; 20 and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, 21 whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time (Acts 3.17-21).
In commanding the nation to repent, Peter made it clear that if they did, God would establish His kingdom, i.e., “the times of refreshing” and the “restoration of all things.” Peter appealed to the nation on the basis of the prophets and the covenants, especially reminding them of the Abrahamic covenant, “and in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Acts 3.25). Again, Peter knew but one plan–God’s prophetic plan for Israel. And in this plan, the ONLY basis for Gentile blessing was through Israel. The nation MUST repent for the kingdom to come and for the covenants to be fulfilled.
National Failure
We know from Acts that the nation refused to repent. Most regard Acts as the record of the birth of the Church. But that is to miss Luke’s purpose. Luke’s primary purpose was not to record the birth of the Church but to document the failure of national Israel. Acts is a bridge from the kingdom program revealed in the Old Testament and Gospels to Paul. Acts began with great promise for Israel. They had crucified their Messiah. But He had risen from the dead. Hope was revived! If the nation repented, God would establish His kingdom and fulfill his covenants. The advent of the Holy Spirit was God’s evidence of this possibility. But Acts ends in great disappointment. Luke recorded:
23 When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening. 24 Some were being persuaded by the things spoken, but others would not believe. 25 And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word, “The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers, 26 saying, ‘Go to this people and say, “You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; and you will keep on seeing, but will not perceive; 27 For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes; Otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.”’ 28 Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will also listen” (Acts 28.23-28).
Paul’s statement to the Jews in Rome was the third time he had warned them about turning from them to the Gentiles (Acts 13.46, 18.6; cf. Romans 1.16-17). This is the last time we hear such language from him. After this, he made no further overtures to national Israel.
The Lord had revealed to Paul that the Jews would not listen to him. But Paul had such a love for his people that he desperately wished to convince them Jesus was the Messiah (Romans 9.1-5). After all, he had been the leader of the opposition! Surely, if he had reversed his course, they could. But the nation’s fate had been sealed in Acts 7 at the trial of Stephen. No real chance for national repentance existed after the Sanhedrin murdered Stephen. Paul addressed the Jews:
17 “It happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, that I fell into a trance, 18 and I saw Him saying to me, ‘Make haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about Me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves understand that in one synagogue after another I used to imprison and beat those who believed in You. 20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him.’ 21 And He said to me, ‘Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles’” (Acts 22.17-21).
God and Saul of Tarsus
Jesus had chosen twelve apostles in His earthly ministry. Why did He need another? As stated above, this question is the most important question of New Testament studies. If one understands the answer to this question the Bible will make sense. Without an understanding of this, the Bible is contradictory and confusing.
As we have seen, God had NO revealed plan to bless Gentiles apart from Israel. But blessing Gentiles was a key component of God’s prophetic plan which He initiated with Abraham (cf. Isaiah 42.1, 49.6, 60.1-3; Zechariah 8.22-23). How could Gentiles be blessed if the Jews refused to repent and accept their Messiah? How could the Great Commission of Matthew 28.16-20, given by the Lord Jesus Christ, be fulfilled apart from Israel? The answer is–it could not.
Israel was prophesied to be God’s agent to bless Gentiles. When it became clear the Jewish nation would not repent (Acts 7), God did something completely unexpected. He saved Saul of Tarsus. As a result, Saul (Paul) assumed the role as the agent of blessing Gentiles in lieu of national Israel (1 Corinthians 15.8). The Lord chose the Twelve during His ministry on earth. He chose Saul from heaven. As such, Paul was an apostle of an entirely different order than the Twelve. The Lord commissioned Paul to minister to Gentiles entirely apart from Israel and the ministry of the Twelve (Acts 9.15, 22.21; Romans 11.13; Ephesians 3.1).
God’s salvation of Saul of Tarsus is the single most important event of the book of Acts. God the Holy Spirit gave us more information about this event than any other. We have three accounts of it: Acts 9.1-19, 22.1-21, 26.1-23. God repeats for a reason: we are to take notice–it is important. When God chose Paul He created a whole new plan–something He had not done for 2,000 years. Through Paul, Gentiles would be blessed apart from national Israel. This was not possible under the covenanted, prophetic program God had begun with Abraham. Paul explained national Israel’s present status in Romans 9-11. Paul wrote:
25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” 27 “This is My covenant with them, when I take away their sins.” 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all (Romans 11.25-32).
Paul declared Israel’s hardening or blindness was a secret (μυστήριον) God had kept hidden. God had revealed nothing in the Old Testament about Israel rejecting her Messiah with the result that He would make a new creation (the Church, the body of Christ) in which Jew and Gentile were equal. The idea of Jew and Gentile being equal was totally and completely alien to Jewish thinking. While Israel was to be the agent of blessing to Gentiles nothing in the Old Testament, nothing in the Gospels, nothing spoken by Peter or any other of the Twelve indicated equality. That truth was revealed only by Paul.
Paul revealed a “partial” hardening had happened to Israel until the “fullness of the Gentiles” was complete. That “fullness” is the completion of the Church, the body of Christ. After this, God will again deal with national Israel. The result will be “all Israel will be saved.” The observant student should recall Peter’s words to the nation in his sermons. How many had to repent? All of them. The entire nation. It did not happen. But it will. Every single Jew living on earth (at the end of the Tribulation) will repent and recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. In the passage above, Paul reminded the Jews that God would fulfill His promise to remove their ungodliness and take away their sins. God is sovereign and keeps His promises. Paul expressed this truth by declaring that the “gifts and calling of God are irrevocable.” While that generation of Jews contemporary with Jesus failed, a future generation will not. When they say, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 23.37-39 cf. Zechariah 12.10) the Lord will return and be their Savior.
Paul’s Special Mission
God commissioned Paul as “the apostle of the Gentiles” (Romans 11.13). As we have seen, the Twelve never had a ministry to Gentiles. Following the Council of Jerusalem, Paul and the Twelve formalized an agreement that they would go to the Jew and Paul would go to the Gentiles (Galatians 2.7-9). Time and again Paul declared his divine authority as the Apostle to the Gentiles to preach the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20.24). Let the reader consider these verses: Acts 9.15, 13.46-47, 14.27, 15.3, 12, 18.6, 21.19, 22.21, 26.16-18; Romans 1.13, 11.13, 15.16; Galatians 2.2, 7-8; Ephesians 3.1, 8; 1 Timothy 2.7; 2 Timothy 1.10-11, 4.17. Did any of the other apostles every say anything like this? Never.
The outcome of the Council of Jerusalem in 51 A.D. is greatly revealing. The reason it was required was to decide the issue of whether Gentiles could be saved apart from circumcision and the keeping of the Mosaic Law (Acts 15.1, 5). The members of the Council were going behind Paul and teaching his converts that they were not really saved by believing Paul’s gospel: that Christ died for them and arose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). They taught that to be saved one must become circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law. Paul argued that according to the gospel he had received from the risen Lord one was saved by believing his gospel (1 Corinthians 15.1-4) and nothing else, that is, by faith alone. On several occasions Paul called this gospel his gospel (Romans 2.16, 16.25; Galatians 2.2; 2 Timothy 2.8). He called it this because it was. The Twelve knew nothing of it until Paul revealed it to them. This is clear from the account in Acts 15. The gospel the Twelve and those who came out of the Jerusalem church preached required keeping the Mosaic Law. They knew nothing of salvation by faith alone. This may be shocking but is what the text says. After much argument, Peter, (who had lost much of his authority to James), finally spoke and recounted how he had gone to the Roman centurion Cornelius’ house by divine revelation. He recalled that Cornelius and his family, Gentiles, had been saved apart from circumcision and Law-keeping. In conclusion, Peter made a startling declaration. Luke recorded:
7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are” (Acts 15.7-11).
Most people do not know these verses are in their Bibles. Peter had declared, “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” Do you grasp Peter’s words? He was saying, “Paul is right; we are wrong.” But more than this, he declared that the gospel they (the Twelve) had been preaching was over. It was Paul’s gospel from then on. Imagine! What a change! According to the gospel of the kingdom, salvation required faith and works. Now, Peter declared Jews had to be saved like Gentiles–according to Paul’s gospel. This was almost incomprehensible for a Jew. Jews had to be saved like Gentiles? Gentiles didn’t had to be save like Jews? Revolutionary! This explains why Paul wrote what he did to the Galatians following the Jerusalem Council (circa 55-57 A.D):
6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed! (Galatians 1.6-9).
These are strong words. Paul could not have written such words prior to the Council of Jerusalem. His statement declared that the gospel the Twelve preached was over. Now there was but one gospel–HIS gospel (Romans 2.16; 16.25; Galatians 1.11-12, 2.2, 7; 2 Timothy 2.8; Titus 1.3). Paul declared if anyone preached a different gospel than his, he was accursed. In plain language, Paul meant they were doomed to hell.
Conclusion
Jesus commissioned twelve perfectly good apostles. Why did He need a thirteenth? While most of Christendom believes Paul was merely an extension of the Twelve, the Scriptures reveal a different story. Paul’s contact with the Twelve was extremely limited (Galatians 1.1, 11-12, 15-19). If he was merely an extension, logically, the first thing God would have done was send him to the Twelve for instruction. But God sent him to the desert. The Scriptures provide a vast amount of evidence that Paul was an apostle of a different order who taught doctrines unknown by the Twelve. Paul called these doctrines “secrets” (μυστήριον).
God’s program with Israel reached an impasse with their refusal to repent and accept Jesus as the Messiah. This became evident in Acts 7, with the Sanhedrin’s stoning of Stephen. God had two choices: 1) to pour out His wrath (the Day of the Lord) which was part of the Old Testament prophetic program or 2) something else. He chose door number 2. That “something else” was the salvation of Paul and the establishment of the age of grace.
When God commissioned Paul as “the apostle to the Gentiles” He gave him the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20.24). God revealed doctrines to Paul that He had given no one else. Paul referred to these revelations as “secrets.”4 As a result, Paul is our apostle, the apostle of the Church, the body of Christ. The Twelve knew nothing of the Church, the body of Christ, in which Jew and Gentile are equal in Christ. Why? Because God did not reveal it to them. What they came to learn about the Church, they learned from Paul, who received it from the risen, glorified Lord. You can read your whole Bible and find no mention of the body of Christ by anyone but Paul. Even at the end of his life, Peter found Paul’s doctrines difficult to grasp (2 Peter 3.14-16). God commanded us to follow Paul not Peter, not James, not John, etc. (1 Corinthians 4.6, 11.1; Philippians 3.7; 1 Thessalonians 1.6; 2 Thessalonians 3.7, 9). Paul is our apostle, the apostle of the Gentiles. To grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ, in this age of grace, it is essential to understand that Paul’s apostleship to Gentiles was unique, that he is our apostle, and that it is he who reveals God’s doctrines for us.
1 Luke’s account revealed Jesus did not have direct contact with the centurion but spoke with Jewish proxies from the centurion.
2 See the author’s study on Messiah’s Advent and the Church.
3 We should note the Biblical record gives no hint of sin among the apostles in the early chapters of Acts.
4 See the author’s study, Paul’s Mystery for an explanation of these revelations.
©2012 Don Samdahl. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold.
G’Day Don
I just got around to reading this article and I have to say it is simply stunning in its simplicity and yet it’s power of argument for the unique ministry Jesus gave Paul.
How have we missed it for so long?
Well done and thank you again for your blog.
God Bless
Ron G
Ron,
Thank you. Glad these things are being understood. Grace and peace.
At Damascus Paul was let down over the wall in a basket because someone wanted to kill him. Did this happen before or after the three years in Arabia?
Joe,
The timing here is difficult to determine but it appears it was after.
Don,
I am so frustrated. There are many who just don’t want to read and understand the scriptures. Then there are many, including pastors, who refuse to recognize the confusion caused by the commingling of the Kingdom on earth, Israel, and The Body of Christ, the church.
Chuck
Chuck,
I understand. All we can do is pray and be faithful to the One we serve. And as David said, “the battle is the Lord’s.”
“confusion caused by commingling…”? Huh? I do not understand.
In Acts 26:20 we read — First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.
This seems to be saying there is some type of “Good Works” required to “prove” repentance. It as seems to be saying that one needs to repent and turn to God.
Can you please clarify what Paul is talking about in this passage? It was given during his defense before King Agrippa. Also, can you explain all these “leaders” such as Porcius Festus and Felix.
Thanks
KJ
KJ,
The passage reads better as, “So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.” The works were not so much “proof” of repentance but a “fitting” response to it. True salvation leads to good works. Paul was defending his life. He was his own lawyer. He stated things the way he did because he knew Agrippa understood Judaism and its prophecies, specifically, the resurrection.
Maybe it’s the times we live in or maybe it’s the culture. If I were to go to a street corner and preach some off the wall theology i think everyone would just ignore me. People might think of me as nuts but I don’t think people would go to those who may have fallen under my teachings and try to dissuade them. My question is why was there such effort made to silence Paul and to re-educate his followers? Seems there are so many places that Paul taught that in time Judaizers later showed up, expending time and effort, to contradict Paul’s teachings. How would a Judaizer benefit by contradicting Paul?
Joe,
Judaism was an ancient religion. The Romans respected ancient religions. The Jews had been under the Mosaic Law for 1,500 years. Moving past that to what Paul taught was radical. Some of the Judaizers were believers and some not. They could not accept Paul. Throughout Paul’s he wrote defending his ministry. Satan had his hand in this also; he knew God was doing something different. The demon said to the sons of the chief priest, Sceva, “Jesus I know and Paul I know but who are you”? (Acts 19.15).
Thank you for your blogs they are very inciteful. It is sad to see churches not able to understand how to rightly divide the Word for appplicable doctrine. You went over breifly that only the Gospel of the Grace of God given to Paul is the only one aplicable today. You quoted Galatians 1:6-9, that if anyone preaches another gospel they are accurrsed. Does this mean that if a person that is saved preaches another gospel in some way they lose their salvation, or does it mean that only unsaved people preach another gospel? And if one were to preach another gospel are they lost forever and cannot believe the gospel and be saved? I have researched about the unpardonable sin, but is not applicable to the body of Christ. If you could shed some incite on this I would really apprecieate it.
Thank you.
Kyle,
Paul used the word ἀνάθεμα in Romans 9.3; 1 Corinthians 12.3, 16.22; Galatians 1.8-9. Exactly what Paul meant in this particular passage is not clear. It was certainly a strong condemnation but probably has a broader sense than loss of salvation. For the believer, loss of salvation is not possible. He is secure in Christ. We know from 1 Corinthians 5 that believers can be given to Satan to die.
Thank you for your writings, they have been enormously beneficial to my learning and spiritual edification. I was reading verse 5 of 1 Corinthians that you referenced above, and I think I may have missed or am misunderstanding something. In your above comment you say that believers can be given to Satan to die? What do you mean by this, and what portion of the verse you referenced indicates this? Thanks.
David,
Paul had to address a serious case of sexual immorality in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 5.1). He delivered this indidivual to Satan to take his life (1 Corinthians 5.3-5). Fortunately, the believer repented so judgment did not fall (2 Corinthians 2.6-8). This believer’s actions were bringing discredit to the Church and needed to be judged but it was also an act of mercy. Better to die and be with the Lord than lose rewards because of sin. Grace and peace.
Don, can Christians or Christian leaders still deliver immoral believers over to satan for the destruction of the flesh today? Or does God directly do it Himself if necessary? Granted Paul was the Lord’s appointed apostle and there are none today.
Brian,
I do not think so. We have the historical record that Paul did this but we have no instructions to do this. There does need to be discipline in the Church but I see no authority to deliver one to Satan. That is in God’s province. Paul told believers to withdraw from believers who caused division and did things contrary to what he taught (Romans 16.17; 2 Thessalonians 3.6, 14; 1 Timothy 6.3-5).
surely satan knows what the unpardonable sin is, and it would be his goal for that sin to be taught as a staple belief in as many churches as possible. and in fact it has.
and if any books were to openly explain what that sin is, they would be omitted from the bible.
the original 1611 KJV included this book, but a decision was made that just as many copies could be sold at a lower production cost- no canon decided on its removal, just greed.
verse 6
http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Wisdom-of-Solomon-Chapter-1/
Mike,
Israel committed the unpardonable sin. No sin is unpardonable today. See http://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/three-brutal-murders/.
Don,
There is no way to respond to The Virgin Birth, so I will ask a question here.
Why was there even a genealogy from Joseph and included Joseph since he was not the father of Jesus. What part did he play in the genealogy of Jesus? How does he being a son-in-law of Mary’s father connect his genealogy to Jesus? This is still unclear to me. If you are able to elaborate, I would appreciate it.
Thank you.
John
John,
Thanks for alerting me that comments were off for The Virgin Birth. In terms of the Mosaic Law, Joseph was Jesus’ father, even though he was not the biological father. Since Joseph was of the line of David it solved legal problems of the validity of Jesus’ claims to be of the lineage of David and the rightful legal heir to the throne of David.
Hi Don,
In Acts 28: 1 – 6 Paul gets bitten by a viper and suffers no ill effects.
Jesus said in Mark 16:18 “They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
My question is this…Was Paul under that dispensation or under grace?
Bearing in mind that the dispensation of Grace was already in effect and Paul was no longer a part of the Kingdom Program.
Thanx,
Vernon.
Vernon,
One could make a sound argument for either way. Paul was definitely under the program of grace but it could be argued from Mark 16.17 that such things would follow for all who believed–in the dispensation of Law or Grace. So, I don’t think we can be dogmatic here. In either case, Paul had the protection, gifts of healing, tongues, etc. for a while. The Acts 28 reference is the last account of these abilities. Once Paul was imprisoned in Rome these supernatural powers ended.
Hi Don :)
Firstly where you say Rom.9-11 and then quote the scripture I think you meant Rom.11:25-32 instead of: (Acts 11.25-32).
The more I’ve studied Acts and Paul’s epistles, it is interesting and of note that when he was ministering to “the Jew first”, is when we see the signs recorded. I wonder if this is the reason they vanished in later epistles.
1 Corinthians 1:22 KJV — For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:
One thing too that I’ve realized is how great a work God did with Paul. Bringing his grace to all men, and having to reteach Jews, and bringing in the Gentiles at the same time. It really was a huge endeavor that was accomplished! One can see all the correction given especially in Corinthians and Galatians, and bringing all these people together who were saved by various teachings.
Paul’s life is a perfect showing of God’s grace, exceeding and abounding in man. From a full enemy of God to a devoted and
loving servant of Christ Jesus. Which is exactly what he says about us and all men in :
Romans 5:10 KJV — For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Colossians 1:21 KJV — And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
He really is a “pattern for us isn’t he! There is so much depth in these epistles.
Bobbi,
Thanks for the correction. The miracles clearly authenticated Paul’s ministry, especially to Jews in light of 1 Corinthians 1.22. Paul is our pattern and for this reason he commanded believers to imitate him. When we stay with Paul, we’re on solid ground for he was the one the Lord chose to found and reveal the Church, the body of Christ.
G’Day Don,
I recieved this response recently on my Facebook group.
You have said that “The Church which is the Body of Christ did not even come into existence until Paul received his new revelation. Paul was its first member.”
Given the following, how could Paul be the first member?
In Romans 16 Paul says:
“Greet Andronicus and Junias, …. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were IN CHRIST BEFORE I WAS.”
Please note the context of this statement. In Ch 16
V1 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of THE CHURCH in Cenchrea”
V3&4 “Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers IN CHRIST JESUS… Not only I but ALL THE CHURCHES of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
V5 “Greet also THE CHURCH that meets at their house.”
V7 “Greet Andronicus and Junias,.…..they were IN CHRIST before I was.
V9 “Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker IN CHRIST,”
V10 “Greet Apelles, tested and approved IN CHRIST.”
There is no hint of two different churches or some people belonging to the body of Christ while others are not.
What are your thoughts,?
Ron G
Ron,
The phrase “in Christ” was used almost exclusively by Paul but not completely (1 Peter 5.14) so this is not as strong a point as one might assume. The phrase “in Christ” is not completely synonymous with being a member of the body of Christ. It simply means a believer. On the other hand, seeing the Church, the body of Christ, as existing before Paul requires a great deal more work. In a nutshell, no Scriptural evidence supports it.
Thanks Don,
I replied with a question which I don’t always like to do. I asked that if Paul was not the first member of the Body of Christ, how do you explain Paul’s words in 1 Timothy 1:15-16?
I used Darby Translation.
“Faithful is the word, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first. But for this reason mercy was shewn me, that in me, the first, Jesus Christ might display the whole long-suffering, for a delineation of those about to believe on him to life eternal.”
1 Timothy 1:15-16 DARBY
The thing is I agree with what you say but for those who are dearly hanging on to the teaching that the Church began with the 11 the Romans 16 passage gives them great comfort. Have you done a full study of this passage and developed a strong counter argument that supports what you posted above?
And thank you Don for this site and your continued faithfulness in answering all the questions.
Still studying to show myself approved….
Ron G
Ron,
Please see the study, The Church (the Body of Christ).
I’m searching for an opinion on how to explain why Paul used the words repent and repentance in several verses in Acts such as Acts 17:30 , 20:31, 26:20. Please help me defend Paul’s gospel + o.
Gary,
All Church doctrine comes from Paul’s letters. Acts is not a doctrinal book. Luke wrote Acts to Jews, to explain to them why the kingdom did not occur. It is not a book for the Church except in the sense to let us know how God saved Paul to begin the Church. I do not understand why anyone gets exercised about repentance. Repentance means a change of mind about God. When one believes, one repents. Thus, Paul emphasized faith, not repentance.
Hi there, very interesting study.
Off topic, but do you think we’re still called to be disciples based on Christ’s teachings? As Paul said to imitate him as he imitated Christ.
Blessings
John,
Jesus ministered to Jews under the Law in His earthly ministry. The Church, the body of Christ, did not exist. We are in an entirely new program now which the risen Lord revealed to Paul. We are to follow the doctrines the heavenly Lord revealed to Paul (2 Corinthians 5.16-17).
Our Pastor is always asking one of our deacons to pray and ask God to bless us and is always praying and asking God to be in our presence. I always thought that in the Dispensation of Grace, God has already blessed us in the heavenlies with all spiritual blessings needed and that He is always in our presence.
Your opinion please.
In Christ, Max
Max,
God has blessed us with all blessings and God is always in our presence and indwells us. The primer for our prayers should be to study how and what Paul prayed. Possible future article but it doesn’t get much better than Ephesians 1. Grace and peace.
Doctrine,
What exactly is meant by Paul in 11 Cor. 5:16?
I realize Christ was not alive in the flesh on earth when Paul wrote this so of course we know him no more in that state. Surely that’s not what he means. Is this a statement by Paul not to judge people by their fleshly works? Are we not to judge Jesus Christ after his works? IMHO the entire Christian universe judges Jesus Christ after His earthly works save few.
Joe,
Paul’s focus is upon our being “new creations” v.17. Believers are new creatures with an eternal, glorious hope. Christ’s earthly ministry was lowly, without glory. It’s end was death. But in resurrection He arose in glory and power. That is the Christ of our focus today. Tragically, most of Christendom’s focus is upon Christ’s earthly ministry, not His heavenly one, which Paul’s doctrines reveal.
Berean Study Bible.Eph 2:12
remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
Does the above scripture above literally mean that all the gentiles for an extended period of time were without God? Were they all going to Hell? Some would say this is not fair. Gentiles were as much his creation as the Jews. Does God put as much weight on the subject of human life as today’s culture and today’s religion wants us to think? God is sovereign. God makes the rules. Is anything God does wrong? Is it possible for God to be unfair? Is that even a question we can ask? Is fairness solely a human invention/desire? Is there a scripture that plainly says God is fair (in the human sense?) thank you.
Joe,
God does everything in His power to bring individuals to Himself respecting man’s will. Peter wrote He’s not willing any should perish and Paul that His will is that all be saved. God created a new program with Abraham after mankind rejected Him for 2,000 years. This was the covenant program with the Jews. Jesus said few find salvation. How many constitute few? How many Jews were saved? Few. At Jerusalem, after 3 years of ministry, 120 were present out of millions. The bottom line is that anyone who wants God, who wants salvation finds it. God knows all hearts. It doesn’t matter if you live next to a church or in a jungle. Nothing is impossible with God.
Joe,
One thing to consider about Gods righteousness, is that the plan of salvation was done from before the beginning. Ephesians 4:1
The things I remember when thinking on those lines of questions, is what Paul says in Romans 3:9-23. And Jeremiah 17:9-10
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Our hearts before Christ were evil. We were not able to discern properly. Even after we are saved, we have to be aware of and careful of the devices of the devil. Just like he asked Eve the first question that changed everything, in Genesis 3:1-7
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons…
he loves to create trouble for us and Paul says in Eph. 4:26-27 to 26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil. Paul is warning us here.
One awesome story as I’m sure you remember is Jonah and Ninevah. Nineveh was Gentile. But God repented of His judgement on them because the whole place heard and repented and humbled themselves before God. That was before we (gentiles)
we knew of salvation, so we know even though we were separate from God, He still has His eyes upon everyone. This shows He is and was fair.
Blessings brother!
Okay, when I re-read the verse I can see the separation from God was man’s choice. In English I can read it as a mandated separation by God from God Himself but that’s not the case.
Thank you.
Don,
Before I jump into reading on this extensive site, may I ask if this is a Mid Acts/Pauline or mainly a Pauline site or??
Crossnote,
Please read the site’s homepage.
I did read the homepage before posting as well as a couple of your articles, that’s what spurned my question. I had studied the Mid Acts position from the literature of Cornelius Stam, J.C. O’Hair, Charles Baker etc., and your’s seemed quite similar.
But don’t feel obligated to answer if you don’t want to.
Crossnote,
I have several articles not related to Paul, several Pauline articles, and several articles that take the mid-Acts position. I do not know the “correct” answer to your question. I leave that up to the readers.
I was slow to accept that the teachings of the NT writers (outside of Paul) was not for Gentiles/Grace believers in the Church Age. But if agreements in Acts 15 and Galatians chapter two between Paul and the 12 is taken literally then Paul and Barnabas went to the Gentiles and ALL the others (including Jesus..Romans 15:8)were ministers of the circumcision (Israel/Jews). this would include the first 3 chapters of Revelation. When was the commandment by Jesus in Matthew 10 for the Apostles to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel revoked? When was agreement for Paul to go to the circumcision (see above) ever revoked? the commandment to the Apostles was to go into all the world…..but they didn’t. They stayed in Jerusalem…..the first 3 chapters in Revelation written by John must be for Jews/Israel.
Hi so I am searching because my dad believes we should only be listening or reading what Paul wrote because the rest of the Bible is for the Jews and not the gentiles is this true?
Tammy,
All the Scripture is FOR us (2 Timothy 3.16; Romans 15.4; 1 Corinthians 10.11) but not all Scripture is TO us. The gospels proclaimed the kingdom of God. Jesus in His earthly ministry came to fulfill God’s promises to Israel (Romans 15.8). All the parables deal with this earthly kingdom and Jesus instructed His disciples to pray for it (Matthew 6.10). Paul’s letters concern the Church, the body of Christ, and all Church doctrine comes from Paul. The Church has a heavenly destiny while Israel has an earthly destiny. These are two separate programs but they came from the same God. Unless one keeps them separate, however, the result is confusion.
Is this Peter telling his readers that Paul has the gospel for their salvation? Of all the times I’ve read this I never saw it until now. Am I correct in concluding this?
2 Peter 3:15-16
And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16 As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Joe,
Yes. And see Acts 15.11. Also, my article, The Great Hinge.
Doctrine, I had to send this. It confirms everything you say in several of your essays. It explains things in different ways. I thank you for your work and guidance. God Bless you and your work.
https://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/the-beginning-and-the-end/?utm_source=twominutes-list&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=twominutes_20170422
Lest we forget:
Romans 11:13: “For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I AM THE APOSTLE OF THE GENTILES: I MAGNIFY MINE OFFICE”.
Galatians 1:11,12: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is NOT AFTER MAN.
“FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT OF MAN, NEITHER WAS I TAUGHT IT, BUT BY THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.”
Ephesians 3:1-3: “For this cause, I PAUL, THE PRISONER OF JESUS CHRIST FOR YOU GENTILES,
“If ye have heard of THE DISPENSATION OF THE GRACE OF GOD, WHICH IS GIVEN ME TO YOU-WARD:
“How that BY REVELATION HE MADE KNOWN UNTO ME THE MYSTERY….”
Colossians 1:25: “…I am made a minister, according to THE DISPENSATION OF GOD WHICH IS GIVEN TO ME FOR YOU, to fulfill [fill full, or complete] the Word of God”.
I Timothy 2:5-7: “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus;
“Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
“WHEREUNTO I AM ORDAINED A PREACH-ER, AND AN APOSTLE (I SPEAK THE TRUTH IN CHRIST, AND LIE NOT); A TEACHER OF THE GENTILES IN FAITH AND VERITY.”
Titus 1:2,3: “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie; promised before the world began;
“But hath in due times manifested His Word THROUGH PREACHING WHICH IS COMMITTED UNTO ME, according to the commandment of God our Saviour.”
From Dixon James : Doctoral student.
I asked the same question in my thesis, ‘Why Paul’ and your article was of great help in understanding the big picture.
Only one problem: You do not provide references for academic info to include in a Thesis and no details such as: date article published; a book perhaps; the publishers etc. Is there a book/books where I can find what you wrote in this article?
Thanks kindly
DIXON JAMES
Dixon,
Thank you and good luck on your thesis. I am the author and the article’s date is at the end, 2012. Every style guide has a format for citing webpages. Should be no problem. As an example, see http://www.bibme.org/citation-guide/chicago/website/.
Hi Don,
Hope you are well. Do you think Pauls “Thorn in his side” came after the start of the Dispensation of Grace began, as surely during the transition period he could have healed himslef. Vernon suggested that maybe he received an injury during his trials and tribulations. What are your thoughts.
Vanessa,
Paul had some kind of eye trouble based upon what he wrote the Galatians (Galatians 4.15, 6.11). Whether the “thorn in the flesh” was this problem or something else is not known. Paul wrote “there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.” As difficult as this was, God allowed it for Paul’s benefit.
Great teaching except for the part” The selection criteria were that candidates had to be men who had accompanied them all the time during the Lord’s ministry beginning with the baptism of John until His ascension and be a witness to His resurrection.”
That is not n the NT and there were more than “12” Apostles. I believe 25 are mentioned and that’s without even getting to Ephesians 4:11-14.
Pfwag,
Please read Acts 1.21-26. This was the requirement to be an apostle of Israel. Paul was chosen directly by the Lord as the apostle of the Gentiles. He did not meet the requirement to be an apostle of Israel and was not a 13th apostle, an extension of the 12. He was an apostle of an entirely new order. He was the founder of the Church, the body of Christ, as he says in 1 Corinthians 3 and 1 Timothy 1. See my article, Paul: Chief of Sinners? As for other apostles, they were apostles chose by local churches, i.e., Apollos, Silas, etc.
Paul speaks of being “in Christ”. I always thought that was only a Pauline phrase. I see that 1 Peter 5:14 uses the phrase. Isn’t being ‘in Christ’ one of Paul’s mysteries? If so, why is Peter using it? thanks
Joe,
While Paul used the phrase most it was not exclusive to him. Paul’s revelation was the Church, the body of Christ, and the secrets attending it. Being “in Christ” included Jews in the kingdom program also for Paul wrote God will gather all in Christ (Ephesians 1.10).
When Paul was in Athens one of the sticking points with the intellectuals was the discussion about resurrection. When Paul speaks to the Thessalonians he wants them to understand there will be a time when those who are asleep will rise (resurrection and not the rapture). Can it be argued that unlike the Jews who knew about the resurrection Paul’s audience are gentiles, like the Athenians, who shied away from believing in a resurrection making this is not a discussion on the rapture? (I can see where this may not be a clear question)
Joe,
Some Greeks believed in the immortality of the soul but the immortality of the body was not in their playlist. Such a thing was shocking to them and that is why they ridiculed Paul’s teaching. The resurrection of the body, the immortality of the body, is a purely Jewish/Christian idea. Paul is speaking in general about resurrection, not the Rapture.
Doctrine,
At the local Methodist church Sunday the preacher told the congregation that the Lord’s removal of the spirits from the possessed man and into the pigs at Gadera was the first recorded reach to gentiles in the NT. How would you reply to that? Isn’t Gad one of the 12 tribes? (assuming this poor fellow was a Gaderine)
Joe,
This is a common error. These Gadarenes were Jews. Gad was one of the tribes and this was the historic territory of that tribe. Gentiles were also living there due to all the invasions—Assyria, Babylon, Mede, Persia, Greece, Rome. Jesus made it clear His ministry was to Jews, not Gentiles (Matthew 10.5-6, 15.24). On a few occasions Jesus made an exception and ministered to a Gentile or Samaritan; this was not one of them. Why anyone thinks Jesus ministered to Gentiles is beyond me. It’s not in the text.
Dear Doctrine , how do you respond to this. (Found on the web)
“Was Paul saved under the kingdom program?”
No, Paul was “a blasphemer” (I Tim. 1:13) who, as a strict, Law-abiding Pharisee (Acts 26:5), would never blaspheme the Father, but was among those who blasphemed the Spirit when they stoned Stephen (Acts 7:51-8:1). This rendered him ineligible for salvation under the kingdom program, for the Lord had warned, “him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven” (Luke 12:10).
How then could God save Saul? Well, remember that the Lord had warned, “whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come” (Matt. 12:32). The nation of Israel blasphemed the Spirit in the world that the Lord spoke of as “this world” when they rejected Stephen, a man filled with the Spirit (Acts 7:55). “The world to come” is defined in Hebrews 2:5 as the kingdom, the “world” which God will “put in subjection” under Christ, where people will fully know “the powers of the world to come” (Heb. 6:5) that they only tasted at Pentecost.
Since blasphemy against the Spirit was unforgivable in both those worlds, we know Saul was saved under the program of a whole new world, the dispensation of grace, “this world” in which we live (Eph. 1:21), “this present world” in which we are to walk and please God (Titus 2:12).
Joe,
Salvation under the gospel of the kingdom was believing in the identity of Christ—that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. This is what Paul believed and proclaimed (Acts 9.5, 20). See 1 Timothy 1.11-13 regarding what Paul wrote about his salvation. Not until later was Paul given the gospel of grace (Galatians 1.11-12; Ephesians 6.19; 1 Timothy 1.11).
Do, where do we find that Paul completed the scriptures?
Craig,
Colossians 1.25. Paul used the word translated “fulfill” to mean complete. See https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G4137&t=KJV
Don, didn’t know where to ask this. In Gal. 6:16 Paul mentions the “Israel of God.” who and what is he referring to?
Craig,
Please see my article, “Israel” as a Technical Term.
Don, so the Israel of God are those Jews who believed in the gospel kingdom under John the baptist, Jesus and the 12 and also those remnant Jews who will be saved in the tribulation?
Craig,
Yes. Israel always means the offspring of Jacob and the “Israel of God” were believing Jews—Jews who had believed the gospel of the kingdom.
Don,
Thanks Don, and God bless you for the huge task you are carrying out. Explaining God’s word as it is without painting it in any way. There are many people out there who cannot help but try to sweeten God’s word through their own capabilities and against God’s intended purpose for His word. Their aim is to accumulate as many followers as possible for the sake of attaining fame and boosting their financial status. I can’t judge their termination, but God knows their destination. As for you Don, wait for God’s reward. Just as you already are. In Jesus name, I pray that God’s light keeps shinning, enlightening the tunnel up to the point where God Himself wills.
Bahati
Bahati,
Thank you for your kind words. Our focus must be fixed upon Whom we serve. The Lord knows all and will not not forget those who are faithful. His reward will far surpass anything we can imagine or attain in this life. As Paul wrote the Corinthians, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” God bless you in your studies.
Don, I’m sure you have answered this a million times, but I can’t find it. When did Paul write his letters? When did Matthew and John write their gospels?
Craig,
This is the chronology I have in Paul: Apostles of Secrets:
52 1st Thessalonians 52 2nd Thessalonians 53 Hebrews 55 Galatians 57 1 Corinthians 57 2 Corinthians 57 Romans 62 Ephesians 62 Colossians 62 Philemon 63 Philippians 65 Titus 66 1 Timothy 67 2 Timothy
Matthew and John likely wrote their gospels in the 50s. Paul completed the NT based upon Colossians 1.25.
Don, I ordered ‘Paul: Apostle of Secrets’ from Amazon and look forward to reading it when it arrives. I now mainly go to you for doctrine/theology. And then I go to C.S. Lewis, Daniel B. Wallace, Hugh Ross, and a few others for philosophical, historical, and scientific apologetics. I also look forward to giving you a great review on Amazon.com.
Brian,
Thank you. Have the book is a blessing to you.
Don, I’ve received your book and am thoroughly reading it. However, Amazon.com states that I currently do not meet the minimum eligibility requirement to post a review. So I’ll give it 5 stars right here. Sometime down the road, when I buy more stuff on Amazon I’ll post a stellar review.
Brian,
Thank you. I pray it will be a blessing to you.
Don, I continue to learn much from reading your book. In particular, you note how the late 1st to 2nd century Church fathers basically abandoned Pauline doctrine. As you cited the Didache for example. However, it seems that John’s disciple, Polycarp, may have been an exception to this. I read in Polycarp’s letter to the Philippians (written around 125 A.D.) how he referenced Paul’s letters as well as John’s. Such as: “… it is by grace ye are saved, not of works…” And he praised Paul as being wise. Ignatius, Clement of Rome, and others, on the other hand, seem to go in an opposite direction.
Don, I know that Paul wrote about the Asian churches abandoning his doctrine. But it disturbs me how late 1st to early 2nd century ‘Apostolic Fathers’ such as Ignatius of Antioch appear to have greatly deviated from Pauline doctrine. His view of the Eucharist is especially troubling. I see how it greatly influenced the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox views. Ignatius plainly describes the Eucharist as being Christ’s flesh. Unlike Paul’s remembrance teaching. Could some of the Apostolic Fathers’ letters have been later altered? Or is it entirely as you said that they simply abandoned Paul’s main teachings in a relatively short span of time? This alone has caused great confusion for Christendom leading to many heresies. And unfortunately, Ignatius and others are still highly venerated by many.
Brian,
Paul’s letters reveal he was constantly fighting false teachers and warning believers about them. The churches in Turkey abandoned Paul and the Didache provides great insight into the teaching deemed important. Consider today. How much time do most churches spend in Paul’s letters versus the Gospels? I would guess that in any given Sunday 90% of the messages of 90% of the churches are from the gospels. I do not think the letters were altered but there were forgeries. They simply abandoned Paul due to the influence of Paul’s enemies.
Don, did Paul say that it’s wrong to practice the Lord’s Supper? I know he accuses the Corinthians of abusing the Lord’s table. I have a friend who’s a right divider and she says it’s wrong to celebrate this sacrament.
Craig,
The risen Lord gave Paul special revelation concerning the Lord’s supper. It represents the defining work of our Lord for our redemption. Paul wrote we are to celebrate it until He returns for it reveals His work on our behalf.
Don, I agree with what you wrote that Paul taught we are to celebrate the Lord’s supper until Christ returns. My friend says that Paul was merely recounting his last passover meal with the disciples. I don’t see that anywhere in 1 Cor. 11. She believes it’s wrong to celebrate the Lord’s Supper today. That it’s church tradition along with water baptism.
Craig,
There’s a great difference between water baptism and the Lord’s supper. Paul wrote clearly on both. For baptism, he declared there was “one baptism,” the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4.5). So water baptism has ended. No so the Lord’s supper.
Don. one more question: was Paul saying the Lords supper is a meal or bread and cup? Which should we do?
Craig,
Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11.24-29 indicate the bread and cup.
Don,
As the bread and the cup were the aspects of “do this in remembrance of me”, from the studies I’ve done of the early church there was a full meal prior. Then at a point in the meal, the broken body and the blood were rememberd or represented by the bread and the cup. Do you have different insight on this?
Matt,
Perhaps. What Jesus commanded, however, was the bread and cup, not a meal.
Don, Les Feldick says on his website that when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, the 4 gospels hadn’t been written yet. (he was referring to the Lord’s Supper and how Paul could not go to Matthew to ask how it was done) Since you say Matthew was written in the 50’s, this would mean Paul had to write before that. Yet you wrote that Paul wrote 1 Corinthians in 57. So, Les is wrong?
Craig,
Dating certain books of the Bible is quite difficult. I think Matthew was written fairly early. I see no good reason why writing the accounts of Jesus’ earthly ministry should be delayed for 30+ years. I believe Les’ larger point was that Paul received a direct revelation from the risen Christ concerning the bread and wine. He didn’t need to ask anyone or read about it.
When Paul said to “rightly divide” what exactly did he mean? I understand it to mean understanding the context of scripture, who was being spoken to, when, and why. As opposed to the idea that it only means to be accurate. Thanks as always.
Keith
Keith,
The expression “rightly dividing” is the present active participle of ὀρθοτομέω. It means to “cut straight,” “hold a straight course.” Throughout Paul’s letters to Timothy he charged him repeatedly to avoid foolish teachings and to teach what he had learned from Paul. So the primary message is to teach Paul. And that means one will recognize that what Paul taught is different from what is in the OT, the gospels, the letters of Peter, James, John, and Jude.
Don,
There seems to be disagreement about, or misunderstanding of, Paul as he relates to the beginning of the Body of Christ. Did anyone preach death burial and resurrection for salvation before Paul? My understanding is that the answer is no. He was the first to know and the first to reveal this to anyone.
And can you speak to the use of the word “before” in this verse? Romans 16:7 KJV
[7] Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Keith,
Paul’s phrase “in Christ” is not exclusive to the Body of Christ. Peter used it 1 Peter 3.16, 5.14.
Hello brother, can u please explain this scripture :
1 Corinthians 3:17 KJV
[17] If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
It seems that In this dispensation of grace where God is not carrying out judgement rather reconciliation for lost mankind, this scripture seems to point out a strict cause and effect punishment on the body of Christ and its members ?
George,
Paul delivered the Corinthian believer to Satan for the destruction of his flesh in 1 Corinthians 5 and also Hymenaeus and Alexander for their sin of blasphemy (1 Timothy 1.20). God will remove some believers due to sin. See also Pastor Stam’s comments: https://www.bereanbiblesociety.org/2003/.
Don, can you talk about Romans 10: 9-10. I understand Paul was addressing Jews but it seems to indicate a difference in gospel from 1 Cor: 15: 1-4. Confession? Was he stating the “current condition” that a believing Jew would believe in WHO Jesus was and His resurrection but still not have knowledge of belief in WHAT Jesus did and His resurrection for salvation? Thanks, as always.
Keith,
Please see https://doctrine.org/assurance-of-salvation#comment-118025.
Some say the Paul was the First Gnostic. Others say that Marcion’s original New Testament only included the book of Luke and Paul’s letters. The other books of the modern NT were added by the Roman Orthodoxy to bridge the gap between the OT and the NT, between the Jews and the Gentiles. There is a lot that can be gleaned from this….
Steve,
That Paul was no Gnostic is clear from his letters. Our NT books are there to show why the Tribulation did not occur and why Christ did not return and establish His kingdom on earth. They record the fall of Israel, Israel’s temporary blindness, and God’s grace in calling Paul and creating the Church. They give us a complete picture of God’s plan.
Don, can you explain 1 Tim 4:1? Those who believe we can lose our salvation claim that this verse destroys OSAS
Craig,
These are unbelievers, not believers. They reject “the faith” and adhere to demonic doctrines. Normally, when Paul wrote “the faith” he meant his doctrines. But he could mean in a more general sense. What Paul meant by “latter times” is not altogether clear since the word ὕστερος is only used here. It seems to indicate a time after the Church is completed and removed. The real problem, however, is that many Scriptures teach the eternal security of the believer. Trying to make this verse overturn this is foolish. Over and over Paul wrote we have forgiveness of sins, we have eternal life. If we have these things they cannot be taken away. If one believes they can be, they must also believe man’s will is greater than God’s will.
Don, you have given the timeline of Paul’s letters and dates of other writings. How did you get this info? So many give a much later date and brag that they went to seminary and studied for years
Craig,
I used several resources. Matthew McGee’s site is a good source. Paul wrote that God gave him the duty to complete the Scripture (Colossians 1.25). He died around 67-68 A.D. so 2 Timothy was the last book written. So everything else has to fit before then. And it really makes sense when you study the internal evidence of these writings. The statements of the Church fathers are unreliable.
Don, in your excellent book ‘God’s Programs: An Introduction to Understanding the Bible,’ you wrote on page 265 that “Paul identified himself as God’s chosen apostle and defined his mission: to proclaim the gospel…” I know that I’m not at the stature of Paul and don’t pretend to be a specially designated Apostle or anything else, but I was inspired by that. Because I’ve also been compelled to spread the true Gospel of Grace everywhere. Whether that be locally or globally on the internet. To proclaim the Gospel IS also my life’s primary mission. Knowing that one human soul is priceless… And more souls even more so, motivates me to get in the spiritual trenches and be a Holy Spirit directed agent who makes a difference in the eternal destinations of other humans. Eternal bliss or damnation is a very powerful motivator!
Brian,
God bless you. We have a glorious message!
Excellent again.
I have asked so many people ( who should know ) whether Paul was the twelfth apostle and never received a satisfactory answer.
One of the better answers was that Paul was a “bridging” apostle.
You have cleared this up for me once and for all.
Many grateful thanks.
Don, in 1 Cor 1:2 where Paul said: “theirs and ours” whom was he referring to. I’ve heard it preached that “theirs” refers to Peter’s converts.
Craig,
The most straightforward understanding of this is Paul meant Church believers in Corinth and those in other churches.
Don, what happened to Paul’s churches? A catholic argues that because there was a church in Rome, this means the RCC already existed. My answer is that Paul wrote to Romans, not to Catholics and there are no Romans today because their culture no longer exists. Is this a good response?
Craig,
The churches Paul established in Asia Minor abandoned him (2 Timothy 1.15). Roman Catholicism did not began until hundreds of years after Paul.
Don, in Gal 1:19 Paul called James the Lord’s brother. What is the Greek word Paul used and does it mean solely “brother” or could it have another meaning as well? I’ve been having a discussion with a catholic
Craig,
The Scriptures state Jesus had half-brothers and half-sisters (Matthew 13.55-56; Luke 8.19; Mark 3.31, 6.3; John 7.1-10; Acts 1.14; Galatians 1.19). The idea ἀδελφοί were “cousins” is far-fetched and without Scriptural merit. Jude was another half-brother of the Lord.
Don,
At the Jerusalem Council James adds some limitations. Was this proper? How do you feel about the commentary I found?
James perceived the grace that was given to Paul (Gal. 2:9), and so recognized that the new Gentile converts were not under the law. But he wasn’t sure what not being under the law would involve! You see, the details of the revelation of the mystery weren’t given to him, they were given to Paul. And so, while James perceived that he could not withstand this new revelation from God to accept the Gentiles any more than Peter could (cf. Acts 11:17), he directed that while the Gentiles were not under the law, they should at least refrain from things that members of the Hebrew kingdom church would find offensive.
But we know that James was in no position to determine God’s policy in the Body of Christ because Paul later reversed the Jerusalem council’s directive that the Gentiles “abstain from meats offered to idols” (Acts 15:29 cf. 1 Cor. 8:1-6; 10:23-27). And when Paul also taught that “every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused” when it came to abstaining from meats (1 Tim. 4:3,4), it is clear that the council’s instruction that the Gentiles abstain from eating “things strangled, and from blood” was similarly not binding on the Gentiles.
Just remember, while you are free to enjoy blood soup, or other such dishes, Paul makes it clear that you should not enjoy them in the presence of someone who is weak in the faith when it comes to their understanding of things like this (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8:7-13; 10:28-33).
Joe,
Generally agree but think Genesis 9.3-4 remains in effect. We bleed animals. We do not drink their blood. The life of the flesh is in the blood remains true. Paul sanctioned eating animals offered to idols but never told believers to drink blood.
Don, was Galatians written before the end of Acts? I have some right division friends who say it was.
Craig,
Paul wrote 6 books during the Acts period: Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, 1-2 Thessalonians, Galatians. Acts ends about 60 A.D.
Jesus taught the 12 the earthly kingdom gospel. And taught Paul the heaven gospel.
Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
Why is John referring to the kingdom of heaven and not earth?
Cig,
The phrase “kingdom of heaven” is a genitive of source. The source of the kingdom is heaven, not earth. It will be established on earth as indicated by hundreds of prophecies. Jesus answered Pilate, My kingdom “is not from this world,” οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, and meant it would not be established by worldly or earthly power but by heavenly or divine power.
A question off topic.
Exo 12:38 And a mixedH6154 multitudeH7227 went upH5927 alsoH1571 withH854 them; and flocks,H6629 and herds,H1241 even veryH3966 muchH3515 cattle.H4735
It was told to me that the word mixed can be translated as “Arab” and that there were others besides Jews that were rescued by Moses. I am not skilled enough to debate the point. Nor does it seem relevant. Your thoughts if you would?
Always appreciate your body of work
Jerry
Jerry,
The Hebrew word sounds like “Arab” but I do not see it etymological linked. See https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h6154/kjv/wlc/0-1/.
Don, Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. I always thought that we are to ask God and then trust him and give him thanks that our prayer was heard. Praying the same thing over and over almost seems like a lack of faith. When do we pray without ceasing and when do we ask God once or twice and just trust him?
Craig,
What Paul is saying is that we are to bring every thought into captivity of Christ. The mind is quick and we can pray about every decision we make.
Don, I have a comment still in moderation but I wanted to comment again. I am conversing with some believers concerning mid Acts vs Acts 28. I am almost leaning towards Acts 28. Simply because I can’t see Paul teaching the Church the grace Gospel in either Acts 9 or 13. So when did the Church begin? Please help!
Craig,
How can Pau write about the body of Christ in 1 Corinthians if the Church does not exist until after Acts 28? How can Paul proclaim the gospel of grace to them, 1 Corinthians 1-4? How can he proclaim the Rapture of the Church in Romans, 1 Corinthians, 1-2 Thessalonians if the Church does not exist until after Acts 28?
So, are Jewish believers “under the law” and so called gentle believers “under grace” ?
William,
Before I answer your question, please answer mine that I asked you: How is a person saved today? What does one believe? Is it the same as what Abraham, Moses, David, the Twelve believed?
“… the nineteenth-century attack on St.Paul was really only a stage in the revolt against Christ. Men were not ready in large numbers to attack Christ Himself. They made the normal first move – that of attacking one of His principle ministers. Everything they disliked in Christianity was therefore attributed to St.Paul. It was unfortunate that their case could not impress anyone who had really read the Gospels and the Epistles with attention: but apparently few people had, and so the first victory was won. St.Paul was impeached and banished and the world went on to the next step – the attack on the King Himself.” (C.S. Lewis, ‘Modern Translations of the Bible,’ 1947, from ‘Compelling Reason’)
A friend of mine who I worked with as an adult told me that of his 6 years of in elementary Catholic school he never remembered opening a bible. (And the nuns were mean) Though he had very good educatioanl training the spiritual aspect of his schooling was all Catholic religious training and traditions. Christianity has been under attack for a very long time. I have grown to love Mr. C.S. Lewis’s writings. It is said his regular radio broadcasts during the darkest days of WWII to the citizens of London was crucial in maintaining moral for so many. A truly great thinker with the greatest ability to articulate his thoughts.
Don.
BAR’s Summer 2023 issue has an article about Paul. If you have time to read it would you please comment. Appx 5 min read. It seems shallow and naive to me. Thank you.
https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=bf3aeddbbcfdd10bJmltdHM9MTY4NTQwNDgwMCZpZ3VpZD0zMDRlYjJkMS1hMjI4LTY1MzYtMzA5Ni1hMDA0YTNiZjY0ODgmaW5zaWQ9NTE4Mw&ptn=3&hsh=3&fclid=304eb2d1-a228-6536-3096-a004a3bf6488&psq=BAR%2c+5+myths+about+Paul&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmFzbGlicmFyeS5vcmcvYmlibGljYWwtYXJjaGFlb2xvZ3ktcmV2aWV3LzQ5LzIvMjY&ntb=1
Joe,
Thanks but I cannot see the article as it requires a login.
More than a year ago Craig asked the question, When did the church begin? The answer to this question is recorded in Acts 11:25-26. These two verses not only identify the first Christian church, they also identify the first Christian. Acts 11:25-26 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pass that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. This Antioch was the one located in Syria, and of course Saul was the original Christian, brought up by the ascended Lord, even before the world knew him as Paul. Don, I have to ask if you have a list of like minded churches? And are you willing to publish such a list? The reason I ask is because we moved recently and I have literally visited dozens of churches, not one can understand where are gospel is recorded, or by whom.
Daniel,
Please see https://doctrine.org/grace-churches. I do not maintain the directory.
Hi Don it’s been awhile since coming here. My Brother in Law wanted me to watch a video on utube by Steven Pidgeon a strong Christian Jewish scholar who wrote the Cepter. Anyway he has a new discussion video discussing Paul who he calls Pa’al and claims that Paul never really wrote most of his books. Now I’m biased and Paul is my Apostle and it gets hard to listen too, yet he is producing some interesting evidence. I would like to invite you to give it a listen and give some of your scholarly thoughts. It’s called “the Dig Pa’al” you might have to click on his name to find it. Thanks David
David,
So Luke, James, Peter, John, Ananias, etc. all got it wrong?
Hi Don thanks for responding. Actually it’s a lot deeper than that. He uses paper trails and history to back him. He believes that Acts 29 is real and was removed by the Catholic Church because it would prove that Paul founded a Church in England (which still exists and claims to be founded by Paul) 3 hundred years before Rome, when he went to Spain and the British Isles. I was surprised by how little is written on Acts 29 that was discovered in the 1800s, and now again in the last thirty years. His claim that much of Pa’al writings were done by Tertius, Lucius, Onesimus yet he believes Paul was number 13 Apostle. He believes that the Druid Priests Paul converted were really Jews from a tribe that left Egypt. This guy published the Cepher which contains all the lost books of King James Bible with commentarys, He has a large following of Masonic Jews. Because of your writings on Paul and your background in Theology I wanted your insight. Don could you remove my last name on the first post thanks. It was late.
David,
Paul was not an appendage to the Twelve, a 13th apostle. Everything he wrote is different from that of the 12. Paul stated he began the Church. After reading Acts 29 it sounds fake. With all the thousands of copies of the New Testament, it is not reasonable it would not be copied.
Thanks Don for your response. God is Good and the devil bad! The devil seems to be relentless he can use Good intending smart people to undermine Gods word. I hate when he trips me up with a new spin! And I find myself questioning how deep does the rabbit go? This rabbit hole of the two gospels has been a adventure for the last seven years! So liberating yet sometimes so scary wondering how can I have this truth yet many anointed mighty men of God don’t see it? Don you have been a big help in confirming Paul’s gospel! Thanks
David,
Thank you. Yes, the Devil is clever, able to deceive and blind recognized and acclaimed ministers. But if we read Paul and not let tradition intrude, a different picture emerges. God bless you as you continue to grow and strengthen. Once you see something it is quite wonderful. And once seen, it cannot be unseen. Always advancing!
Hi Don I don’t want to sound like I’m using you But! I love how you really do respond to us with your vast knowledge. One quick question. How much of the early manuscripts of New Testament do we have written in Hebrew? We find the JW and Messianic Jews always quoting the NT in Hebrew. Thanks
David,
This is not a subject I have expertise. The argument has been made by some that the NT was originally written in Hebrew (Aramaic) and then translated into Greek. No convincing evidence exists for this. It does not make sense for most quotations from the OT in the NT are from the LXX, the Greek translation of the OT. That was the Bible for the Jews, except for certain scholarly questions. The world became Hellenized after Alexander. Almost everyone spoke Greek. It was like English today. I think the earliest Hebrew (Aramaic) texts date from the 5th c. If the NT was written originally in Aramaic, one would think we would have lots of copies. We do not. We have thousands of Greek manuscripts. In any case, what is the issue? Most people do not read Koine Greek, we read translations. The translations are generally good, with some disagreements on some points. An Aramaic NT should read pretty much the same as a Greek one.
David,
By what they teach and not teach, what they see and cannot see, we should be able to know whether they are indeed the anointed mighty men of God or not. Some of these men of God merely pretend to be unware of the truth, yet they know. The reason being that they get personal benefits from the perverted gospel they advance and preach.
God’s mercy be upon those who are genuinely unaware that what they are following is not the truth if the gospel. There can only be one truth and many lies.
May God have mercy on those who are advancing the other gospel in their unawareness
David and others,
I have had encounters with JW’s at my door. They appear zealous in what they are doing but truth be known they are required to spend a number of hours making home visits. I think for many this is why they park far away sometimes and walk slow. These visitors are called ‘publishers’ within their congregations. They have studied hard to handle all sorts of questions. The question I ask is, “What exactly did Christ say or do to get himself killed”. (I don’t use the term crucified. JW’s don’t believe a cross was used). Of course, the answer is Jesus Christ answered, “I am”, when asked if he was the Christ. (Mark 14:61-62) The JW’s can’t accept Jesus Christ as God. They believe Jesus is ‘a’ god. Actually they believe Jesus is the angel, Michael. They have their own version of the bible, The New World Translation”. I have an early copy. The newer updated versions have made many changes. Example: my old ’70 edition in Hebrew 1 vs 6 the angles ‘worshiped’ Jesus. The newer versions basically say the angel admired Jesus. There’s so many more. A good reference book is, “The Kingdome of the Cults”, by Walter Martin. I believe they are sincere. Many ‘religious’ people are sincere. Never miss an opportunity to present the gospel to them: 1 Cor. 15:1-4 and leave it in God’s hands
Joe I ‘am pretty well versed on JWs and the point was they will produce early quotes of NT found in Hebrew. But today more so with Masonic Jews and wannabes. I just wondered if maybe there were more Hebrew NT texts out there than I knew.
Bahati I don’t think that this forum would be big enough to go into another man’s intent. I believed a lot of things for almost 35 years. I have never heard of the two gospels, maybe at most wondered about it but without the internet it was squashed. I have always trusted Jesus death, burial and resurrection and never doubted my salvation. I no longer believe that falling from Grace means going to hell but landing on law! God can play that game with us, and it will wear us out. God is Good and proved it on the cross! I’m not disagreeing with you just think it’s better God judges the intent of the heart not me.
Did the kingdom gospel end with the Jerusalem Council or the fall of the temple?
Cigmd,
See my article, The Great Hinge.
Don,
Wonderful post!! You explained Paul’s role more clearly than I have ever heard it.
Here is my question: My wife and I are both Jewish. Sadly, we are the only ‘saved’ ones in either of our family lines. Clearly, God called us to receive salvation and we are so grateful for it. However, most Jews are not as open to “Paul’s gospel” as we were. As I share my faith with other Jews, receive 99% rejection. However, I meet many Jews, especially Hassidic Jews, who are very zealous for God, love Him (as best they can), and try to follow the Law (which, of course, they can’t). I believe that Paul’s gospel was specifically given to him for the Gentiles. Most Jews have no concept of their Messiah and respond to Yeshua (Jesus) through the eyes of Christianity, which they see as an enemy and persecuting force of Jews (and history tends to support that belief). I am seeking God to find a more effective approach to Jewish evangelism that will overcome some of the prejudices about “Christianity,” which they see as synonymous with belief in Jesus. We actually go to a messianic synagogue (on Saturdays), as well as a church (on Sundays), and 90% of the congregants are Gentile (seeking to discover the “Jewish roots” of Christianity). In 20 years, I have seen only a handful of Jews accept Jesus as their Messiah!! And most Jewish evangelists, entice them by telling them that if they “accept” Jesus as their “Lord and Savior” they will go to Heaven, and, if they don’t, they will go to hell….not a good foundation for real faith!!
I believe that there must be a better way of reaching Jews. After all, as you explain, the Kingdom gospel will be reinstituted in the future.
Do you have any thoughts on this dilemma?
Dean,
Everyone is different, so I do not think there is a superior way to present Christ. Our responsibility is to present the gospel clearly. One of the great passages is when Paul encountered the Jewish women by the river outside Philippi. The text says the Lord opened Lydia heart to heed the things spoken by Paul (Acts 16.14). God opens the heart. In salvation there is the divine side and the human side. I do not think telling people they are going to hell is the best approach usually. I was reared an Episcopalian and active in the church as a young man but did not know Christ. When I got to college someone shared the gospel. God opened my heart and I recognized I did not know Christ. God also put it on my heart I was going to hell apart from Him. God knew me and knew that would drive me to Him. As I said, each of us is different. God uses His word to speak to hearts. I have a great love for the Jewish people. God chose them for a reason. I am the beneficiary of the Jews. I have a Jewish lawyer and told him all blessing to Gentiles comes from Jews. I can understand why many Jews see Christianity as an enemy due to the terrible persecutions done in the name of Christianity. As far as approach, the focus must be on Christ. He died for all, Jew and Gentile. In Christ, there is neither Jew nor Gentile. When one believes Paul’s gospel, one becomes “Church,” a new creation. This may sound a bit weird but it is no different from what God did when he called Abraham and established His covenant with him. He made a new creation, a new race, the Jewish people. Thus, the Church is a new theological race: we now have Jew, Gentile, and Church. This is why Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 10.32. It is frustrating that more Jews do not believe but think in terms of population ratio, just as many Jews come to Christ, believing Paul’s gospel, as Gentiles. God is no respecter of person. I do not know if any of this is helpful but the main point is to trust God. Our responsibility is to tell the wonderful story of Jesus’ love and what He did. He died for our sins and rose from the dead. He defeated sin and death. God will open the heart. He wants all to be saved (1 Timothy 2.3-8).
Thank you…and Amen!!
Paul’s Gospel???
SMA,
Paul’s gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose from the dead. It is the message of salvation (1 Corinthians 15.1-4). Do you know this good news?
Hi Doctrine, Thank you for this wonderful, thoughtful article. It has set me free from several misconceptions. At long last I have realized that preachers have led me, and many others, down the primrosh ie path, rather than to tell the truth. I am shocked, saddened and angry. At them and at myself! I have a question on the statement in Acts 15 by James…”for from old times they have them that teach Moses every Sabbath in the synagogue”. Did James still just not get it?, that we are saved by faith alone, that Paul was THE apostle to the Gentiles and of this message?, and that we are sitting with Christ in the heavenlys, commanded to walk in the Spirit, and that we ARE NOT under Moses? Many messy-antics are teaching that the four prohibited items in the Acts 15 letter were just a primer to get us ready to go to synagogues, and that James was alluding to further teaching to be received there. I really just think James didn’t get it!
Steven,
Thank you. Once you see it, you cannot unsee it. The vast majority of preachers simply follow what they learned in seminary and follow what their denomination teaches without carefully reading what the Scriptures say. As far as James and the rest, they did not understand Paul’s gospel, for it was a secret (Ephesians 6.19). The idea of salvation by faith alone was new. In Judaism, faith and works were enmeshed, e.g., offering an animal sacrifice was a work, but a work of faith (if it was joined by faith—some just went through the motions). Jews saved under the gospel of the kingdom continued to live under the Mosaic Law and Paul did not attempt to bring them under grace. To Jews saved by Paul’s gospel, Paul declared they were under grace (Romans 6.14). This is clear from Acts 21.17-21.
Don,
Luke 1:77
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
This is a verse by John the Baptist’s father when he heard Jesus would be born.
I was under the impression that salvation for Israel was believing who Jesus Christ was (The Messiah). This verse seems to say that salvation for Israel is something else…. (forgiveness of sin?)
Am I misreading this verse?
Joe,
Zechariah knew God would forgive sin for the animal sacrifices pointed to this but did not know how He would do this. At this time, under the gospel of the kingdom, one was saved by believing who Jesus was. Not until Paul did God reveal the significance of Christ’s death and resurrection as it related to forgiveness of sin.
Don, I’m going to order your book on Roman’s, and eventually the one on 1 & 2 Thessalonians. I’ve bought and studied three of your other books. A big theolicial help to me. But while you have an article on 1 & 2 Thessalonians, you don’t have one specifically on Roman’s. Is it because an article on Roman’s would be too long and better suited for a book format? Just curious.
Brian,
Thanks. Hope you are blessed by both books. And, yes, Romans is too long for an article.
Don, what is your opinion on why Paul who was saved under the kingdom gospel could escape the sentence for blasphemy which Jesus announced in Matthew 12?
Would it be that the “pure grace ” Gospel that Paul stated in Acts 13:38 overcame even Jesus saying “will not be forgiven in the ages to come?
Thanks for your answer and you dedicated work.
Carla,
The blasphemy of the the Holy Spirit of which Jesus spoke is taking the mark of the Beast. Jesus said one sin would not be forgiven. The context of everything Jesus spoke about was the Tribulation and the coming earthly kingdom. What is that sin? Read Revelation 14.9-11. This is what Hebrews 6.4-6 is all about—Paul’s message to the Jews who expected to undergo the Tribulation.
Don, I’ve finished reading your excellent ‘Understanding Romans’ book. I’m now awaiting your book on 1 & 2 Thessalonians. Do you plan on writing books on all of Paul’s epistles? Given how most of Chistendom, if not humanity in general, has abandoned, misconstrued, or even rejected Paul’s doctrine, books and articles like yours are a very rare comforting oasis in a very inhospitable desert.
Brian,
Thank you. Glad you enjoyed the Romans book and hope 1 and 2 Thessalonians will be of benefit also. Unknown as to what more I will write on Paul’s letters. Am now working on Matthew since that is where most of Christendom spends most of its time.
So are you saying that up to this point no one has committed the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that this sin will not be committed until the tribulation time? I heard a message the other day and the pastor said that the Jewish people committed this sin when Steven was killed. This can be so confusing. Thanks in advance for explaining. Bren
Bren,
Jesus spoke continually about the kingdom and warned about the coming Tribulation. He strongly warned against the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which is clear from Revelation, that it is the mark of the Beast. This sin cannot be committed until the last 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation, which is when worship of the Beast and the mark is initiated. See also Revelation 13.5-10. Note verse 10 and compare to Matthew 10.22, 24.13. Basically, in the last 3 1/2 years, Satan destroys all religions which have served as proxies for Satan worship. He now, having been thrown out of heaven, decides to come out in the open and tell the world that he is God and to worship him. He removes the mask of religion by which he has deceived mankind for thousands of years and shows his true face. Perhaps others have taught this but I have never heard it from anyone else. The Lord revealed it to me. He gets all the credit and glory. Many times I have heard the teaching that the Jewish people committed this sin at the stoning of Steven. This is impossible. The writings to Jews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, Revelation, and Hebrews kept hoping for Jewish repentance long after Stephen’s stoning. If taking the mark of the Beast is not the blasphemy of the Spirit, we would have another sin that God would not forgive, i.e., not one sin but two. Once you have this settled in your mind, confusion vanishes. It’s all clear and straightforward.