Two Churches Two Men!
Eugene F. Rueweler
Dispensational Chart
Some church organizations and organizations of churches, make the claim that their particular group alone, represents the ONE TRUE CHURCH. This they seek to prove by the Holy Scriptures.
Surely the Bible teaches that God has ONE TRUE CHURCH in this present age. We believe that every saved sinner, saved by HIS GRACE, through FAITH, is a member of that ONE TRUE CHURCH, by virtue of his salvation, regardless of his membership or non-membership in an earthly organization.
Of course it will be the natural thing for those who are, by their salvation, members of the ONE TRUE CHURCH, which is HIS BODY, to seek fellowship with other Christians. To assemble themselves together, to study His Word and to publicly worship their Lord, is truly a Scriptural admonition.
There are then, the visible assemblies of the members of the BODY OF CHRIST. Into these visible assemblies may come some who are not saved, not members of the BODY. Only the Lord can admit members into His Church, so HE alone knows with absolute certainty, those who are members (2 Timothy 2:19).
The word, used by the Holy Spirit in the Greek language, which is translated by the English word, “church”, could be just as correctly and authoritatively transferred by the word, “assembly”.
It is used in Acts 19: 32, 39 and 41, and here it is translated, “assembly”. It refers to an assembly of the opponents of the Gospel, seeking to drive the apostle Paul out of their city.
In Acts 7:37-38 we read, “This is that MOSES, which said unto the children of Israel, a prophet shall the Lord, your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the CHURCH IN THE WILDERNESS with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers who received the living oracles to give unto us.”
Let us compare this CHURCH with the church Paul writes about in his epistles. In Ephesians 1:20-23 “Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principality and power and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world (age), but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under His feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the CHURCH, which is HIS BODY, the fullness of Him, that filleth all in all.” Ephesians 3:1-10 “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; (as I wrote afore in few words. Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ). Which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs (joint heirs) and of the same body (joint-body) and partakers (joint-partakers) of His promise in Christ by the Gospel. Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Unto me who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable (untraceable) riches of Christ. And to make all men see what is the fellowship (dispensation) of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world (ages) hath been HID IN GOD, who created all things by Jesus Christ. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in the heavenly places might be known by the CHURCH the manifold wisdom of God.” Now read in Colossians 1:24-26, “Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for HIS BODY’S SAKE, WHICH IS THE CHURCH. Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill (complete) the Word of God. Even the mystery which hath been HID from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints.”
Surely the careful student will see TWO CHURCHES spoken of in the Scriptures and also TWO MEN, MOSES AND PAUL, each very distinctively related to his particular church. William R. Newell once said, “there are two great REVELA-TORS or unfolders of Divine Truth in the Bible, -Moses in the Old Testament, and Paul in the New.”
That the CHURCH WHICH IS HIS BODY is the ONE TRUE CHURCH for this present dispensation, no intelligent believer of the Bible can doubt. Also, that no member of the BODY OF CHRIST, obeys all the commands of God through Moses to the CHURCH in the wilderness of Sinai, is common knowledge.
The Church or assembly of the true believers in Israel was under the Mosaic ceremonial Law, and was to continue thus until the deliverer would come to take away their sins, covered by the blood of animals. He will come and this program will be carried out, after the CHURCH WHICH IS HIS BODY is taken up at the rapture. Note Romans 11:26-27 “And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.” And also in Acts 3:19-21. “Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins MAY be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. And He shall send Jesus Christ, which was before preached unto you. Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
The Lord’s true remnant in Israel in the future will yet receive the earthly kingdom and the authority promised in Matthew 16:18-21, “And I say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build MY CHURCH (the church which is His body was at that time still a secret. His Jewish church in the kingdom will be built on Himself in resurrection) and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven (the earthly kingdom of the God of heaven, Daniel 2:44) and whatsoever thou shalt bind ON EARTH shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose ON EARTH shall be loosed in heaven. Then charged He His disciples that they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ. From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples how that He must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day.” Matthew 18:17-18, “And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the CHURCH, but if he neglect to hear the CHURCH, let him be unto thee as an heathen man (that is, a Gentile, so in the Greek), and a publican. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind ON EARTH, shall be bound in heaven.”
Now lest us read Matthew 19:28, “And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
No JOINT-BODY can be found here. The Gentiles were still outside of the Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:11-12) and could only come unto God by way of Israel and the Mosaic Law. From Mount Sinai on through the earthly ministry of Christ and into the book of Acts, God had His Jewish CHURCH or ASSEMBLY on earth, and to them He promised the kingdom with the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Temple was their place of worship, the city of Jerusalem was their capital. They were under the God given religion, “Which stood only in meats and drinks and divers washings (baptisms) and carnal ordinances, IMPOSED ON THEM, until the time of reformation.” Hebrews 9:10. The finished work of the cross could only be applied to them by His coming in Glory to, “take away their sins.”
The fulfilment of all of these promises seemed very near on the day of Pentecost. Acts 2:1-2, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.” Now look to verse 5, “And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.” Here we still have only, “Jews and Proselytes.” (verse 10). As we come to the close of this chapter we read at verse 47, “Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the CHURCH daily such as should be saved.” This was surely the Jewish CHURCH, waiting the coming of Christ, as Peter had preached and observing Moses (see verse 46) even as Christ had commanded them in Matthew 23:1-3 and Matthew 28:19-20.
“Then spake Jesus to the multitude and to His disciples, saying, the scribes and the Pharisees sit in MOSES’ seat; All therefore WHATSOEVER they BID YOU OBSERVE, that OBSERVE AND DO.”
“Go ye therefore and teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I HAVE COMMANDED YOU.” ceremonial law, with the meats, drinks, divers baptisms, and carnal ordinances, the keeping of days and seasons and new moons? Only, as we see that the Lord is forming a new church in this age. As Moses was the mouthpiece of God to the CHURCH in the wilderness so PAUL is the mouthpiece to the CHURCH which is the BODY of Christ.
In Galatians 4:9-11, Paul writes, “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days and months and times and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labor in vain.” Colossians 2:16, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon or of the sabbath days. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the BODY IS OF CHRIST.”
As we read previously in the third chapter of Ephesians, God’s purpose to form the CHURCH, WHICH IS HIS BODY, the JOINT-BODY, was kept secret until revealed through Paul. This Joint-Body could not be formed until Israel, in which the Lord had His Jewish CHURCH, was cast aside. Romans 11:11-15. “I say then have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid, but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles . . . Now if the fall (or the casting away) of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness? . . .For if the CASTING AWAY OF THEM BE THE RECONCILING OF THE WORLD, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead?”
In Ephesians 2:16, we understand how we are reconciled to God, “That He might RECONCILE BOTH (Jew and Gentile) unto God in ONE BODY BY THE CROSS.”
Acts 13:46 shows when the casting aside of Israel took place, so that God could take of the believing Jews and of the believing Gentiles, to form ONE BODY. “Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, LO WE TURN TO THE GENTILES.”
A NEW CHURCH BEGAN, which was God’s eternal secret purpose. (Romans 8:28, Ephesians 3:11). Even as Moses was God’s architect for the building of the Tabernacle in the wilderness, so Paul becomes God’s architect for the building of the CHURCH WHICH IS HIS BODY and His temple. I Corinthians 3:10, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder (ARCHITECT) I HAVE LAID THE FOUNDATION . . . FOR OTHER FOUNDATION CAN NO MAN LAY THAN THAT IS LAID, WHICH IS JESUS CHRIST.”
Christ is the center, the Savior and the Deliverer of both churches. To the Jewish church He was the prophesied One, and in the future, their resurrected Glorified King on David’s throne.
To the Church which is His Body He is the Head, “from Whom the whole Body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the BODY unto the edifying of itself in love.”
The Lord GATHERED HIS CHURCH OR ASSEMBLY at Mount Sinai and spoke to Moses from the THICK DARKNESS. (Exodus 20:21-22). He was given the “Patterns of things in the heavens” (Hebrews 9:23) to build the Tabernacle.
THE LORD FORMED THE CHURCH THE BODY OF CHRIST, WITH PAUL AND SPOKE TO HIM IN A GLORY CLOUD OF LIGHT (ACTS 22:6) TELLING HIM TO, “RISE AND STAND UPON THY FEET, FOR I HAVE APPEARED UNTO THEE FOR THIS PURPOSE, TO MAKE THEE A MINISTER AND A WITNESS BOTH OF THESE THINGS WHICH THOU HAST SEEN AND OF THOSE THINGS IN THE WHICH I WILL APPEAR UNTO THEE.”
Paul himself tells us in his first letter to 1 Timothy 1:16, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me FIRST Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering, FOR A PATTERN TO THEM WHICH SHOULD HEREAFTER BELIEVE ON HIM TO LIFE EVERLASTING.”
To Moses, God revealed an earthly CHURCH, for an earthly blessing, to be under the ceremonial law until He comes in Glory to fulfil Psalm 22:22-28. “I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation (CHURCH, see Hebrews 2:12) will I praise Thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him, all ye the seed of JACOB, glorify Him, and fear Him, all ye the seed of ISRAEL . . . All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee. FOR THE KINGDOM IS THE LORD’S AND HE IS THE GOVERNOR AMONG THE NATIONS.”
Through Paul God has revealed HIS HEAVENLY CHURCH. The kingdom has been postponed. There is no salvation by the works of the law. All who will be saved must look to Him, who is seated in the Heavenlies, as the Head of the Body. They must believe that, “By Grace are ye saved, through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
No meats, drinks, divers baptisms, sabbath days or blood sacrifices now. Only “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be SAVED.” . . .”So then FAITH cometh by hearing and hearing BY THE WORD OF GOD.” (Romans 10:9,17), For by ONE SPIRIT are we all baptized into ONE BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or Christ is the center, the Savior and the deliver of both churches. To the Jewish church He was the prophesied One, and in the future, their resurrected Glorified King on David’s throne.
To the Church which is His Body He is the Head, “from Whom the whole Body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the BODY unto the edifying of itself in love.”
The Lord GATHERED HIS CHURCH OR ASSEMBLY at Mount Sinai and spoke to Moses from the THICK DARKNESS. (Exodus 20:21-22). He was given the “Patterns of things in the heavens” (Hebrews 9:23) to build the Tabernacle The Lord formed the CHURCH THE BODY OF CHRIST, with Paul and spoke to him in a GLORY CLOUD OF LIGHT (Acts 22:6) telling him to, “Rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen AND OF THOSE THINGS IN THE WHICH I WILL APPEAR UNTO THEE.”
Paul himself tells us in his first letter to Timothy 1:16, “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me FIRST Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering, FOR A PATTERN TO THEM WHICH SHOULD HEREAFTER BELIEVE ON HIM TO LIFE EVERLASTING.”
To Moses, God revealed an earthly CHURCH, for an earthly blessing, to be under the ceremonial law until He comes in Glory to fulfil Psalm 22:22-28. “I will declare Thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the congregation (CHURCH, see Hebrews 2:12) will I praise Thee. Ye that fear the Lord, praise Him, all ye the seed of JACOB, glorify Him, and fear Him, all ye the seed of ISRAEL . . . All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee. FOR THE KINGDOM IS THE LORD’S AND HE IS THE GOVERNOR AMONG THE NATIONS.”
Through Paul God has revealed HIS HEAVENLY CHURCH. The kingdom has been postponed. There is no salvation by the works of the law. All who will be saved must look to Him, who is seated in the Heavenlies, as the Head of the Body. They must believe that, “By Grace are ye saved, through faith and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should boast.”
No meats, drinks, divers baptisms, sabbath days or blood sacrifices now. Only “that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be SAVED.” . . .”So then FAITH cometh by hearing and hearing BY THE WORD OF GOD.” (Romans 10:9,17), For by ONE SPIRIT are we all baptised into ONE BODY, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free, and have been made to drink into ONE SPIRIT.”
Surely the water baptisms of the Jewish Church are now replaced by the ONE BAPTISM of the SPIRIT OF GOD. Paul said, “For Christ sent me NOT TO BAPTIZE BUT TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, not with the wisdom of words, lest the CROSS OF CHRIST should he made of none effect,” (I Corinthians 1:17).
“Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is ONE BODY, and ONE SPIRIT even as ye are called in ONE HOPE of your calling. ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE GOD and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in you all.” (Ephesians 4:3-6).
In Christ, in His Body, “we are His workmanship (masterpiece), created in Christ Jesus, UNTO GOOD WORKS, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10).
"All Things Reconciled Through Christ"
Pastor Gregg Bing (Colossians 1:19-Sermon:
(A 10 Minute Video)
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)
E-mail this BIBLE STUDY to all your friends
No comments:
Post a Comment