Paul, an Apostle of Jesus Christ
By Gress Bing
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God."
These
are the opening words of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, words that
are often taken for granted, but words that are of great importance if
we are to understand the Scriptures and properly discern God's plan and
purpose for believers in this present dispensation of grace.
Most
believers make no distinction between Paul's ministry and that of the
Twelve. They lump Paul's writings in with Peter's, John's, and even
Jesus' earthly teaching, assuming they all teach basically the same
thing and they are all written to us for our obedience. While some might
think this would encourage unity among believers, it has resulted,
instead, in unanswered questions, confusion, and disunity.
Paul
was an apostle of Jesus Christ, and while his ministry and apostleship
were not the same as that of the Twelve, he was sent out in accordance
with "the will of God." Believers who stress the importance of studying
the writings and ministry of Paul are often criticized as being
"Paulites," sometimes even accused of placing Paul above Christ. What
these critics fail to see is: the unique nature of Paul's ministry and
apostleship, the special revelation given to Paul by the risen and
ascended Lord Jesus Christ, and the vital importance of Paul's writings
for believers today. In order to understand the nature of Paul's
apostleship, we will address three key questions: (1) How did Paul come
to be an apostle? (2) What was Paul called to do? and (3) What was the
nature of Paul's ministry?
Paul's Dramatic Conversion
Paul was originally known as Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9:11, 21:39). His father was a Pharisee, one of Israel's religious leaders (Acts 23:6). Saul was, therefore, raised according to the strictest sect of the Jews' religion (Acts 26:5). He was trained in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel, one of the most respected teachers of the law (Acts 22:3).
As a student, Saul advanced in Judaism beyond many of his
contemporaries, "being exceedingly zealous for the traditions of the
fathers" (Gal. 1:14). While Saul had a tremendous "zeal for God" (Acts 22:3), it was misplaced, for what he did, he did "ignorantly in unbelief" (1 Tim. 1:13).
We
are introduced to Saul of Tarsus at the stoning of Stephen. Stephen, a
man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, was falsely accused by the Jews
of speaking against the temple and the law of Moses. Stephen was brought
before the Jewish Sanhedrin and given an opportunity to defend himself
against the charges. He used the time to witness to these Jewish
leaders. At the close of his testimony, Stephen brought an indictment
against the Jews, accusing them of resisting the witness of the Holy
Spirit. By betraying and murdering the Lord Jesus, they had followed in
the footsteps of their fathers, who killed the prophets God sent to
them. The Jewish leaders were indignant, stopping up their ears and
dragging Stephen outside to be stoned. The witnesses laid their coats
down at the feet of the young man, Saul of Tarsus (Acts 7:58), who was in complete agreement that Stephen should die (Acts 8:1).
Saul
had a zeal for God, but, like the majority of the Jews of his day, it
was "not according to knowledge." Saul, in his religious zeal, thought
he could "establish his own righteousness" by keeping the traditions of
the fathers, but he was "ignorant of God's righteousness" and refused to
believe in God's righteous Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:1-4).
Thus, Saul became the chief persecutor of the church, that is of all
who believed that Jesus of Nazareth was Lord and Christ. Paul later
would describe himself this way:
"Indeed,
I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of
Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut
up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when
they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished
them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being
exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign
cities." (Acts 26:9-11)
It
was while on the road to Damascus, where he intended to continue his
persecution of Jesus' disciples, that the life of Saul of Tarsus was
changed forever. As he neared the city, suddenly a light from heaven
shone around him. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice from heaven
saying, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" Saul answered, "Who
are You, Lord?" and the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads." Saul,
trembling and astonished, responded, "Lord, what do You want me to do?" (Acts 9:3-6)
What
a tremendous conversion this was—a life completely turned around, and
all because of God's marvelous grace. Saul was not seeking to know God
through Christ, he was persecuting Him. Yet, when brought face to face
with the Lord Jesus Christ, Saul came to see and believe that Jesus of
Nazareth was truly Israel's Messiah, the very Lord of glory. Saul later
wrote to Timothy and described it this way:
"And
the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love
which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all
acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of
whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me
first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those
who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life." (1 Timothy 1:14-16)
Saul's
salvation serves as a pattern to all who will believe in the Lord Jesus
as Savior. If God's grace could save Saul of Tarsus, after all the
terrible sins he committed, it can save anyone, for "where sin abounded,
grace abounded much more" (Rom. 5:20).
Saul was saved when He heard the word of truth, from the Lord Jesus
Himself, and believed it. It was not because of any goodness within him
or because of any works of righteousness on his part (Tit. 3:5), but by simple faith in God's Son (Eph. 2:8-9, John 3:16).
Saul,
whom we will call Paul from this point on, was saved by God for a
purpose, but his calling was distinct from that of those who were
apostles before him. Next month, we will continue this study, looking at
"Paul's Distinct Calling."
Last
month we began a brief study of the distinctive ministry and
apostleship of Paul; a ministry that was clearly not the same as that of
the twelve who were apostles before him. We looked at Paul's dramatic
conversion on the road to Damascus, where he was transformed by God's
grace from the chief persecutor of the church to an apostle of Jesus
Christ. Paul was saved by God for a special purpose, but his calling was
distinct from that of the Twelve.
Paul's Distinct Calling
In
the first chapter of the book of Acts, the apostle Peter directed the
apostles to select a replacement for Judas Iscariot, who had betrayed
Jesus. They narrowed the candidates to two and then cast lots to select
Matthias. There are some Bible teachers who believe Peter and the other
apostles were wrong for doing this. They insist that Paul was God's
choice to take Judas' place. Those who hold to this idea fail to see
that Paul was called by God for a different purpose than that of the
Twelve. Peter understood the number of these apostles must be raised
back up to twelve because their ministry was to the twelve tribes of
Israel. They began this ministry by going to the Jews in the homeland,
starting in Jerusalem and Judea, the capital city and central region of
the nation.
Paul
was not called by God to take part in the ministry of the Twelve. While
he certainly was called to testify before the children of Israel (Acts 9:15), his primary ministry was to be "a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles" (2 Tim. 1:11).
At the time he was saved, this was something new, for up to this point
the ministry both of the Lord Jesus and of His apostles had been limited
to the Jews only. The only way a Gentile could come to God was as a
proselyte, one who had adopted the Jews' religion through circumcision (Acts 2:10). Paul was separated by God for the express purpose of preaching Christ among the Gentiles (Gal. 1:15-16).
Since
Paul's apostleship was something new, the message he was to preach did
not originate with men. Paul wrote to the Galatians:
"But
I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me
is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I
taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ." (Gal. 1:11-12)
After
Paul was saved, he "did not immediately confer with flesh and blood"
nor did he "go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles" before him.
Instead, he went to Arabia and later returned to Damascus (Gal. 1:17).
While Paul was in Arabia, God began to reveal His plan and purpose for
Paul's ministry. God did not reveal everything to Paul at this time, for
we know Paul received an abundance of revelations throughout his
lifetime (2 Cor. 12:1-7).
What is important to see is that Paul did not receive his calling and
instructions from men, specifically not from the Twelve, but by direct
revelation from Jesus Christ. I believe it is significant that the
twelve apostles, who were sent to God's earthly people, Israel, received
their calling and commission from the Lord Jesus while He was still
here on earth. Whereas, Paul received his calling and commission from
the Lord Jesus after He had already ascended back into heaven.
Paul
did not visit Jerusalem until three years after he was saved. He met
with Peter, but only remained with him for fifteen days. During this
time, the only other apostle he saw was James, the Lord's brother (Gal. 1:18-19).
While in Jerusalem, the Lord spoke to Paul as he was praying in the
temple one day and told him, "Make haste and get out of Jerusalem
quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning Me. ...
Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles" (Acts 22:18,21).
While the Twelve remained in Jerusalem, even after the persecution and
scattering of the Jerusalem church that occurred after the stoning of
Stephen (Acts 8:1), the Lord sent Paul away from Jerusalem to minister, instead, to the Gentiles.
Paul
spent the next ten years in the regions of Syria and Cilicia, and was
"unknown by face" to the believing Jews in Judea. All they knew of Paul
was that "he who formerly persecuted them, now preached the faith which
he once tried to destroy," and for this, they glorified God (Gal. 1:21-24).
Paul
and Barnabas, were then led to go to Antioch in Syria, which became
their new home. After a year of ministry in Antioch, these two apostles
were sent out by the Holy Spirit to preach the Word in Asia Minor (Acts 13).
In each city they visited, they preached the Word first to the Jews,
but also to the Gentiles. Paul's ministry to the Gentiles was difficult
for the Jews to understand and accept; not just for the unbelieving
Jews, but for the believing Jews as well. When Paul and Barnabas
returned from this first journey, certain Jews from Judea came to
Antioch and insisted the Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law
in order to be saved, something that Paul and Barnabas strongly disputed
(Acts 15:1-2).
It was determined that Paul and Barnabas should go up to the apostles
and elders in Jerusalem to settle the issue. Luke's account in Acts
chapter 15 seems to indicate that the church at Antioch sent Paul and
Barnabas to Jerusalem (Acts 15:2-3),
but when Paul related this same event to the Galatians, he said, "I
went up by revelation." This statement indicates the Lord Jesus revealed
to Paul that he was to go to Jerusalem. In this same passage, Paul gave
the reason why the Lord sent him to Jerusalem:
"And
I went up by revelation, and communicated to them that gospel which I
preach among the Gentiles, but privately to those who were of
reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in vain." (Gal.
2:2)
This
is another clear indication that Paul's ministry and apostleship, even
the gospel he preached, were distinct from that of the Twelve. Many
people have trouble accepting the idea that Paul was preaching a
different gospel than the Twelve were preaching, but why would Paul need
to communicate to them the gospel he preached among the Gentiles if it
was the same one being preached by the Twelve to the Jews? The fact is,
it was not the same gospel. Paul goes on to say:
"But
from those who seemed to be something—whatever they were, it makes no
difference to me; God shows personal favoritism to no man—for those who
seemed to be something added nothing to me. But on the contrary, when
they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me,
as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter (for He who worked
effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked
effectively in me toward the Gentiles), and when James, Cephas, and
John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given
to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we
should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised." (Gal. 2:6-9)
"Those
who seemed to be something" refers to those who had long had the
reputation of being apostles and elders, the ones who currently held the
leadership roles in the Jerusalem church (specifically James, who was
the Lord's brother, Cephas or Peter, and John). Paul declared of these
men: they "added nothing to me." Paul was not saying they were of no use
to him or that he was, in any way, better than they were. He was simply
indicating that, in regard to his own ministry, particularly the gospel
he preached, these other apostles did not give him any revelation or
direction. As Paul shared with these leaders of the Jerusalem church how
God was working through him and Barnabas to reach the Gentiles for
Christ, they recognized that Paul's ministry was genuinely of God. It
became clear to them that the Lord had given Paul this gospel of grace
to preach among the uncircumcised Gentiles, just as they had been given
the gospel of the kingdom to preach among the Jews. From the testimony
of Paul and Barnabas, it was evident that God was working through these
new apostles, just as He was working through the Twelve, but clearly
according to different callings. So, James, Peter, and John extended to
Paul and Barnabas "the right hand of fellowship," agreeing that each
should continue in the ministry God had sent them to do.
It
is vital that we see and understand what James, Peter, and John came to
see at the Jerusalem Council—that Paul was given a ministry and
apostleship "by the will of God," but one that was distinct from their
own.
We
still need to take a closer look at the overall purpose and nature of
Paul's ministry. For instance, while Paul was called of God to be the
apostle to the Gentiles, he also had a ministry to the children of
Israel. During the Acts period, Paul always went to the Jews first and
then to the Gentiles. Why did God send Paul to the Jews first? What was
the nature of his ministry to the children of Israel?
After
the close of the book of Acts, Paul fully unveiled God's plan and
purpose for a new body of believers, the Church, the Body of Christ, in
which the distinction between Jew and Gentile has been removed. This is
another aspect of Paul's apostleship that must be considered. Next
month, we will continue this study, looking in more detail at "Paul's
Diverse Commission."
The
last two months we have been looking at the ministry and apostleship of
Paul, a ministry that was distinct from that of the twelve apostles
chosen by Jesus during His earthly ministry. We saw Paul's dramatic
conversion on the road to Damascus, and his distinct calling to be God's
apostle to the Gentiles. We continue this month with:
Paul's Diverse Commission
What
was the purpose and nature of Paul's commission? To answer this
question, we must consider two different aspects to his ministry: 1) his
ministry during the Acts period, and 2) his ministry after the close of
the Acts period.
Paul's Acts Period Ministry
The
early chapters of the book of Acts record the ministry of Peter and the
Twelve to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea, preaching the gospel of the
kingdom. The majority of the Jews, led by their religious rulers,
rejected the testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning Jesus Christ,
"crucifying again for themselves the Son of God, and putting Him to an
open shame" (Heb. 6:6).
Things
came to a head when Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,
was falsely accused of blaspheming the temple and the law. During his
defense before the Jewish Sanhedrin, Stephen accused the Jews of
lawlessness in crucifying Jesus Christ and now resisting the conviction
of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51-53).
When they heard this, these Jewish leaders were cut to the heart. They
stopped their ears, cast Stephen out of the city and stoned him to death
(Acts 7:54-60).
Those
who stoned Stephen laid their coats down at the feet of Saul of Tarsus,
a young man who became the chief persecutor of all who believed in
Jesus as the Christ. A few years later, while traveling to Damascus to
continue his persecution of "the Way," the Lord Jesus appeared to Saul
and saved him by His grace. Saul was commissioned by the Lord for a new
ministry: apostle to the Gentiles. The Lord told Ananias, "He (Saul) is a
chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the
children of Israel" (Acts 9:15). The next twelve years of Saul's life were spent in preparation for this special apostleship. Then, in Acts 13,
we read that Saul (who was also called Paul) and Barnabas were
separated by the Holy Spirit for the work to which God had called them.
While the first twelve chapters of Acts centers on the ministry of Peter
and the Twelve, the remaining chapters are devoted to the ministry of
the Apostle Paul.
Though Paul was called to be the apostle to the Gentiles (2 Tim. 1:11),
during the Acts period he was sent to the Jew first. The ministry of
Peter and the Twelve was limited to the Jews in Jerusalem and Judea;
Paul was sent to the Jews of the dispersion who were scattered to "the
uttermost parts of the earth." The nature and purpose of Paul's ministry
to the Jews during this time is pictured in the first recorded miracle
performed by Paul. Paul and Barnabas left Antioch and sailed to the
island of Cyprus.
"Now
when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain
sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with
the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for
Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the
sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn
the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul,
filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, O full of
all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all
righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the
Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall
be blind, not seeing the sun for a time. And immediately a dark mist
fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being
astonished at the teaching of the Lord." (Acts 13:6-12)
Paul
encountered a Jew named Bar-Jesus who was a sorcerer and a false
prophet. He was with a Gentile named Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man
who desired to hear the Word of God. When the Jew withstood Paul and
Barnabas, and then tried to turn the Gentile away from the faith, Paul,
filled with the Holy Spirit, pronounced blindness upon the Jew "for a
time (season)." After seeing these things, the Gentile believed, being
astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
These
events give us a pattern for Paul's Acts period ministry to the Jew
first, then the Gentile. Every time Paul visited a new city, he went to
the Jews first, most often ministering to them in their synagogue. When
the majority of the Jews of that city rejected and opposed Paul's
ministry of the Word, Paul was used of God to pronounce spiritual
blindness upon them. As was the case with Bar-Jesus, Israel's blindness
was to be temporary, as Paul described it in Romans 11:25:
"For
I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery,
lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has
happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in."
Paul
would then turn from the Jews to preach the Word of God to the
Gentiles, who were more eager to receive it. This is why we find the
qualification at the end of Romans 1:16:
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of
God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also
for the Greek (Gentile)."
Though
we see this same pattern in each city where Paul preached, there are
three significant turning points recorded in the book of Acts. The first
of these takes place at Antioch in Pisidia, which is in Asia Minor
(modern day Turkey). After Paul preached in the synagogue to the Jews,
the next Sabbath, the whole city, including Gentiles, came together to
hear the Word of God. When the Jews saw the multitudes,
"...
they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they
opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and
said, It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you
first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of
everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has
commanded us: I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should
be for salvation to the ends of the earth. Now when the Gentiles heard
this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as
had been appointed to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:45-48)
Paul's
subsequent travels brought him further west to Corinth, a city of
Greece. While there Paul "reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and
persuaded the Jews and the Greeks (Gentiles)." When Silas and Timothy
joined him there,
"Paul
was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is
the Christ. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his
garments and said to them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am
clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." (Acts 18:4-6)
The
final turning point occurred in Rome, and is recorded in the final
chapter of the book of Acts. Paul, a prisoner confined to house arrest
and chained to a Roman soldier, could not go to the synagogue, so he
called for the Jewish leaders at Rome to visit him.
"So
when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to
whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God,
persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the
Prophets, from morning till evening. And some were persuaded by the
things which were spoken, and some disbelieved. So when they did not
agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had said one word: The
Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,
saying, Go to this people and say: Hearing you will hear, and shall not
understand; And seeing you will see, and not perceive; For the hearts of
this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their
eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear
with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
so that I should heal them. Therefore let it be known to you that the
salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" (Acts 28:23-28)
This
was clearly a significant turning point. Having preached the Word to
the Jews at Rome, Paul had now taken God's message to the Jews in "the
uttermost parts of the earth," and everywhere he had gone, a large
majority of the Jews had rejected the truth. Paul's quote from Isaiah 6 looms
as a final pronouncement of blindness upon the entire nation of Israel.
It seems evident that at this point Israel, as a nation, was set aside
by God. The promised earthly kingdom was no longer being offered; it was
not even "at hand" any more. God's prophesied program for Israel was
being postponed, at least "for a time."
Paul's
public ministry to the Jews throughout the Acts period was limited to
"no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would
come—that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise
from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the
Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23).
Even to the Jews in Rome, Paul "explained and solemnly testified of the
kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of
Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening" (Acts 28:23).
While
God's purpose for Israel was clearly the subject of prophecy, God had
another plan and purpose, a purpose which was ordained before the
foundation of the world, but which had been kept secret from men of
other ages (Eph. 3:9). This purpose was made known to Paul by direct revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:3). There are mentions of this truth in Paul's earlier epistles, written during the Acts period (Rom. 16:25-26, 1 Cor. 2:6-8), but now, with the setting aside of Israel in Acts 28,
it was time to fully unveil this secret purpose of God. Paul, "the
prisoner of the Lord," was led by the Holy Spirit to write letters to
the saints at Ephesus, Philippi, and Colosse, as well as a letter to his
friend, Philemon. In these "prison epistles" Paul made known the truth
of the mystery of God's will (Eph. 1:9, 3:5).
In
our last three issues we have studied the ministry and apostleship of
Paul. We have looked at his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus,
his distinct calling to be God's apostle to the Gentiles, and his
diverse commission. This commission began with Paul's ministry during
the Acts period, which we reviewed last month, but after the close of
the Acts period, we see another aspect of Paul's commission from the
Lord.
Paul's Post-Acts Ministry
During
the Acts period, Paul's ministry was to the Jew first; however, when
the Jews rejected the Word of God spoken through Paul, he pronounced
blindness upon them and turned to the Gentiles. The book of Acts closes
with Paul's final pronouncement of blindness upon the nation of Israel.
"The
Holy Spirit spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers,
saying, Go to this people and say: Hearing you will hear, and shall not
understand; and seeing you will see, and not perceive; for the hearts of
this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their
eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear
with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
so that I should heal them. Therefore let it be known to you that the
salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!" (Acts 28:25-28)
This
pronouncement marked God's setting aside of Israel as a nation and the
postponement of His prophesied plans and purposes for them, particularly
the promise of an earthly kingdom. While it is not directly stated in
Scripture that Israel was set aside at this time, Paul's writings after
this point clearly indicate this was the case.
From
his prison house in Rome, Paul wrote letters to three churches:
Ephesus, Philippi, and Colosse, as well as a letter to his friend,
Philemon. In these "prison epistles" the Apostle Paul unveiled a new
plan and purpose of God which was ordained before the foundation of the
world, but kept secret from men of other ages. This truth was a mystery;
it was hidden in God until it was given to Paul by direct revelation
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul made mention of this mystery in his
earlier epistles, written during the Acts period (Rom. 16:25-26, 1 Cor. 2:6-8),
but the full revelation of the "mystery of God's will" is not found
until we get to Paul's prison epistles, especially the books of
Ephesians and Colossians (Eph. 3:1-9, Col. 1:24-29).
The mystery is that God is now calling out a new body of believers known as the Church, the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23).
This Church is primarily composed of Gentile believers (Eph. 3:1),
because the majority of those in Israel had rejected the Lord Jesus
Christ; a rejection that continues in the hearts of most Jews today.
However, what is unique about this Church is that the difference between
Jew and Gentile is completely done away with in God's eyes.
From the call of Abram in Genesis 12,
God made a clear distinction between Israel, His chosen nation, and the
rest of the nations (Gentiles). This distinction continued during the
earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus (Matt. 15:21-28)
as well as throughout the Acts period. Even Paul's ministry during this
period was "to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Gentile)" (Rom. 1:16).
When Israel, as a nation, was set aside at the close of the Acts
period, Paul revealed that this distinction between Jew and Gentile has
been done away with in the Church, the Body of Christ. Paul described
the Gentiles' past condition this way:
"Therefore
remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called
Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by
hands—that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise,
having no hope and without God in the world." (Eph. 2:11-12)
What
a terrible condition Gentiles were in: without Christ, separate from
Israel, having no hope, and without God in the world. This was all
changed through the cross of Christ!
"But
now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by
the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both
one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished
in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in
ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus
making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body
through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity." (Eph. 2:13-16)
Through
the shedding of His blood, Christ broke down the middle wall of
separation between Jew and Gentile, a wall erected by God and set forth
in the Mosaic Law. The enmity that existed between Jew and Gentile was
put to death, and Christ Himself became their peace. He brought these
two separate groups together and made them one—a new man, created in
Christ Jesus—one body of believers reconciled to God through the cross.
The preposition used here is "through" the cross, not "at" the cross.
The cross made it possible for Jew and Gentile to be brought together in
this way, but this truth was not made known at that time. The formation
of this new Church is the essence of the mystery revealed to and
through the Apostle Paul.
The
mystery also revealed that God is dealing with the Church under an
entirely new dispensation—"the dispensation of the grace of God" (Eph.
3:2). The word "dispensation" comes from the Greek word "oikonomia,"
which literally means "household law." It refers to the way in which a
household is ordered and managed. Throughout history, God's dealings
with mankind have consisted of a series of different dispensations; God
has dealt with different groups of people (households) under different
arrangements (laws).
Most
of God's dealings with His earthly people Israel were under the
dispensation of law. This law was given through Moses, God's steward or
administrator at that time. The law specified God's requirements for His
earthly people, the nation of Israel; it governed every aspect of their
lives: their relationship with God, their worship, their walk, their
purpose, and their hope. The dispensation of the grace of God was given
to the Apostle Paul, who served as its steward or administrator, much as
Moses did for Israel under the law. God's orders for men under the
present dispensation of grace are vastly different from those who lived
under the law. The law was given that men might know they were sinners
and become guilty before God (Rom. 3:19-20). The law was a tutor or schoolmaster to "bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith" (Gal. 3:24).
All the requirements of the law: its commandments, its judgments, and
its ordinances, were merely a shadow of things to come. The substance,
the reality of what was only pictured by the law, is found in Christ (Col. 2:14-17).
In Christ, we are complete; nothing needs to be added to His finished
work. This truth is a key part of the mystery given to Paul, as he
states in Colossians 2:9-10:
"For
in Him (Christ) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you
are complete in Him, who is the Head of all principality and power."
No
physical circumcision is needed today, because we are circumcised in
Christ "with the circumcision made without hands," a spiritual
circumcision that is of Christ, not of the law (Col. 2:11).
No water baptism is needed today, because we are "buried with Him in
baptism" and "raised with Him through faith in the working of God," (Col. 2:12)
a spiritual baptism performed by God's Holy Spirit, not by some priest
or preacher. Physical circumcision and water baptism were part of the
law; but they were only a shadow of things to come. Why hold onto the
shadow when we now have the reality in Christ?
Why
is it so important to see the distinctive nature of Paul's apostleship
and ministry? Because he is God's apostle to us today. Because he is
God's steward to the Church during the present dispensation of grace. If
we truly desire to know God's will for our lives today, we must see it
can only be found in the writings of the Apostle Paul. This does not
mean that we discard the rest of Scripture. Paul himself told Timothy:
"All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good
work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
Though
all Scripture is written "for" us, "for our learning," not all
Scripture is written directly "to" us, for our obedience. Paul also told
Timothy:
"Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not
need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15)
If
we want to find approval in God's eyes, and be workers who need not be
ashamed before Him, we must "rightly divide the Word of truth." This
means we must take note of the divisions God has placed in His Word; we
must see the different dispensations (or dispensings) of God's will
throughout the ages. In particular, it is vital that we heed His
instructions to us during the present dispensation of God's grace. It is
this dispensation that was given specifically to the Apostle Paul by
God. That is why his apostleship, his ministry, and his writings are so
important.
Grace Bible Church
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
(A 10 Minute Video)
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