The Distinctive Messages of the Prison and Pre-prison Epistles
MOST instructed believers today know that present truth-the truth for the church which is the body of Christ-is to be found only in Paul's epistles, from Romans to Philemon. (Hebrews is a special epistle to the Hebrew believers, and is not addressed as a church epistle). The rest of the Word of God is for us, and is rich in instruction to us, but only in the church epistles do we find the direct doctrines and practices for the present age of grace. Paul plainly states that to him was given this special revelation, "of the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph. 3:2-3).
But is every statement in Paul's epistles for us today? Are there some things, even in these epistles, that were Jewish and have passed away? Most believers have not been able to give a very good answer to the first question, and though they believe the second one should be answered in the affirmative, they are hard pressed for Scriptural proof.
For instance, in I Corinthians 12:28-30 there are certain gifts listed, including the gifts of healing, speaking in tongues and "workers of miracles." In 14:13 Paul writes, "Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret." Anyone with a correct understanding of dispensational truth knows that all of these special wonders and miracles were Kingdom signs (Isaiah 35:5-6), and belong with the nation Israel, who always require a sign (I Corinthians 1:22). He knows also that these signs simply do not work today, in spite of all the fantastic claims of modem cults. And further, it is stated in 13:8 that one of these, tongues, shall cease.
Again, in Romans 12:6, as well as in First Corinthians, we find the gift of "prophecy ."This gift also was to cease, as we read in I Corinthians13:8. It apparently was a gift given by the Holy Spirit in the early church for the "edification, exhortation and comfort" of the believers (I Corinthians 14:3), while the Word of God was in the making. After the Word was completed there was no longer any need for the New Testament prophet.
But the fact remains that these passages are in Paul's epistles, which we insist are present day truth. If they are for us today, then the Pentecostalists are right. If they are NOT for us today, then we have some explaining to do beyond the fact that things changed, and these sign gifts ceased. For then we must answer the question: WHEN did the change of order come in, and WHY did it come in?
The Numerical Structure
Paul wrote thirteen epistles (not counting Hebrews). This number itself is significant, and shows the amazing perfection of God's Word. Had Paul left out even that small epistle to Philemon, the number would have been twelve, which is the number of Israel throughout the Bible. But the number thirteen goes on beyond Israel to the Gentiles. Paul himself was not one of the twelve apostles. He did not take the place of Judas, as some teach. He was an added apostle, a special apostle, the thirteenth apostle, the apostle to the Gentiles.
Before he went to prison Paul wrote six epistles, and during his imprisonment he wrote seven others. Six is man's number, the number of weakness. And so it is that in these first six epistles we find the HUMAN SIDE of the church, with all its faults and failures. Romans opens with the wickedness of this poor, fallen race, out of which we have been called. In First Corinthians we find carnality, greed, selfishness and even fornication among those who named the name of Christ. In Galatians we find backsliding and legalism. All human weakness. But seven is the number of perfection and completeness. So in the seven Prison Epistles we find the HEAVENLY SIDE of the church, seated in the heavenlies in Ephesians, looking at her heavenly Head in Colossians, looking for heaven itself and the coming of our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, in Philippians.
The Order of the Epistles
As the New Scofield note states (page 1209), the order in which Paul wrote his epistles is generally believed by competent scholars to be as follows: I and II Thessalonians, Galatians, I Corinthians, Romans, II Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, Philippians, I Timothy, Titus and II Timothy. The first six of these are the Preprison Epistles, and the last seven are the Prison Epistles.
The Pre-prison Epistles The Pre-prison Epistles and the dates they were written, according to the New Scofield notes, are as follows:
I and II Thessalonians-A.D. 51.
Galations A.D. 49 or 52.
I Corinthians-A.D. 56.
Romans-A.D. 56.
II Corinthians-A.D. 57.
The Prison Epistles
The Prison Epistles began with the Ephesian Epistle written in A.D. 60 or 62. Colossians, Philemon and Philippians were written also in A.D. 60 or 62. I Timothy was written in A.D. 64 or 67; Titus in 65 or 67; II Timothy in 67 or 68. In other words, Paul wrote his last seven Epistles during his two last years in prison at Rome. It may have been the two years mentioned in Acts 28:30, at the close of the Acts period.
The Dividing Line
You will note that there is a three or four year gap between the last of the Pre-prison Epistles and the first of the Prison Epistles. During the gap the nation Israel rejected God's final offer of His risen Son as their Lord and Messiah, and a tremendous statement was made in Acts 28:28. It reads as follows:
"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."
This Scripture is the great pillar of demarcation that stands between these two groups of epistles. The Pre-prison Epistles on one side, and the Prison Epistles on the other, with Acts 28:28 between them. Although Luke wrote the Book of Acts in A.D. 65, the setting aside of the nation Israel in Acts 28:28 seems to have taken place a year earlier, sometime in A.D. 64. In God's mind it was already the beginning of the end of Israel's occupancy of the land. In a few more years, A.D. 70, He permitted the Romans to completely remove them.
The Pre-prison Epistles, then, were written during the period of time covered by the Book of Acts. Throughout the Book of Acts God was still dealing with the nation Israel. In the Old Testament they had rejected God the Father. In the four Gospels they had rejected God the Son. And in the Book of Acts the rejected the ministry of God the Holy Spirit, even though He displayed before them great
power and the Kingdom signs of healing, miracles, etc.
But it is quite evident that God was also bringing in the church, that He was for a little while engaged in a two-fold program. He was offering Israel her Messianic hope, though in His fore-knowledge God knew this offer would be rejected, and He would visit the Gentiles "to take out of them a people for His name" (Acts 15:14).
So in the Pre-prison Epistles we find some things that are Jewish, and must cease when Israel is set aside. This took place in Acts 28:28, and then we have the Prison Epistles, in which we find the full revelation of the mystery. In these nothing is of Jewish character, nothing temporary, nothing to cease, and no signs and miracles.
The Word does not tell us when Paul received all the revelations of the mystery, though there is considerable conjecture about it. It seems most probable that the Spirit gave him these revelations as he went along. We know that he received the gospel by special revelation (Galatians 1:12). Perhaps he received his final and complete revelation of the mystery in prison at Rome, from whence came those high pinnacles of church truth- Ephesians, Colossians and Philippians.
Some may ask, Why did there have to be Jewish truth at all in the early church epistles? One reason is that the early assemblies were composed of both Jews and Gentiles. In fact, much of the work began with meetings in synagogues. But the main reason is that since God was not yet through dealing with Israel, the Holy Spirit was still working through the apostles in signs and miracles. Paul himself healed and did other miracles during his Acts period ministry (see Acts 14:8-10, 19:11-12). It was needful that some of these things be taken up in his early epistles.
The whole picture changed after Acts 28:28. No more sending handkerchiefs to heal; one brother is sick nigh unto death, and Paul had to leave another "at Miletum sick" (II Timothy 4:20). And he could only prescribe a certain tonic for Timothy's sick stomach (I Timothy 5:23). But only the things that were distinctly church revelations in the Pre-prison Epistles continue on. Healings, tongues and other miracles, for instance, were not Pauline revelations. Nor was water baptism. All these things began before Paul came on the scene, and they are related to Israel and the coming earthly Kingdom.
On the other hand, the things that are distinct church truths, and not brought in until the Spirit revealed them through Paul, these things all continue on. Take the rapture, that "blessed hope" that is so precious to US today.
Our Lord briefly alluded to it in John 14, but it remained for Paul's revelations to give us the full truth of it in detail. In I Corinthians 15:51 he calls it "a mystery," or secret, which he was revealing. But the truth of the rapture goes right on into the Prison Epistles also (Phil. 3:20). All the great doctrines of salvation, faith, separation and church order continue on into the Prison Epistles. But other things did change, and Acts 28:28 was the big turning point.
How
God Saves Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
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By Cecil and Connie Spivey
cspivey1953@gmail.com
cspivey1953@gmail.com
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