My Old Pastor and teacher of Dispensational Truth, The Late Dr Dennis Spackman. One of New Zealands greatest theologans.
Two weeks ago I posted an introduction to the doctrine of dispensationalism which may be described as ‘Rightly dividing the word of truth’ (2Tim2vs15).
This is necessary to distinguish changes in doctrine that have occurred with the process of time as God has made new covenants with mankind, and with the outworking of his purposes … each ‘stage’ and ‘Milestone’ being understood as Dispensationally relative.
Today I want to jump in boots and all.
I chose my title (why I follow St Paul… not Jesus) to provoke thought.
I have no doubt that a majority of readers will have already torn their shirts, accused me of heresy, … and are now not even reading these words that I’m typing.
They have already switched off.
How dare this Upstart Wikiriwhi teach people to follow Paul…not Jesus????
He must be deranged!
For those of you whom are still reading let me tell you that I am about to show you one of the most important…yet least understood biblical truths… Indeed nothing less than the ‘Revelation of the mystery’ *Which was given to St Paul to reveal*
“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 unto 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, and of the same body, and 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 riches of Christ;
And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:”
Ephesians 3vs1-9.
The Apostle of The Dispensation and Gospel of Grace, St Paul in prison for his service to The gospel of Gods grace.
The Irony.
Thus I am about to show you that Paul was given his special ministry By Jesus Christ, and that by following St Paul… *we are being obedient to Christ.* to refuse to follow St Paul… is to reject the Doctrine that Jesus Christ Specifically gave to Paul…for us.
Note that this mystery revealed to St Paul *Was Hidden* in other ages. Thus St Paul opens up hidden truth unknown in other ages, and ironically not to follow St Paul is to be both ignorant and disobedient to Christ!
Paul said …” Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” 1Cor11vs1.
*We do not worship Paul. He is not our savior…Christ is yet Paul is our God appointed Apostle, minister, teacher whose authority comes from Christ himself*
Why God saved the Antichrist Saul.
Most Christians are blind to the primary reasons God saved St Paul and made him an Apostle. They think he is just a late comer to the faith, virtually a tag a long. This is because they have been taught to think that Jesus ministry is the most important part of the Bible, and that Christ made St Peter the Chief Apostle. This is a gross error, founded upon poor teaching, false assumption, and ignorance. I pray that the Lord uses my testimony here to open your eyes to the mystery he revealed to St Paul and made him the Chief minister.
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
(1Tim 1vs 15,16.)
Here we Read that there was something very special about Paul’s salvation.
1. It was a demonstration of absolute grace.
2. It was for a pattern of Salvation for those whom would believe afterwards.
Thus Pauls conversion is a Dispensational milestone. A Marker for a dispensational change. A change from what you may ask? I will attempt to show you. If you do not harden you hearts to what I am saying, the Lord may grant you understanding. Ultimately this will open up to you the realization that the purpose of the Book of Acts is not merely to record the history of the deeds of the apostles, but to show the dispensational change and transition from the God’s Jewish ministries through Christ and St Peter to that of an outpouring of Grace upon the Gentiles via St Paul.
Do not loose track of the fact that Paul *preached Christ* yet I hope to show you he preached Christ in a completely new way via *a completely new Gospel.*
Are you still with me? I know for many of you the news that Paul preached *a different Gospel* than was preached by Jesus or by St Peter is a mind blowing thing to contemplate… and that many of you will flat out refuse to consider it. Such people have blinders over their eyes. I will continue my message for the sake of those bold readers whom at least wish to see where I am coming from.
Enter Saul of Tarsus.
Before St Paul became the Apostle of the Gospel of Grace unto the gentiles he was a Zealous Jewish Pharisee of very high standing, and he was the chief persecutor of the Jewish followers of Christ. He was an Anti-Christ, whom rejected the notion that Jesus Christ was the true messiah of the Jews. He saw the Apostles and their followers as just one group of many heretical sects that followed one of many false messiahs that popped up from time to time, and that as a Zealous Jew it was his duty to suppress this heresy.
To understand the dispensational change that occurred at the conversion of St Paul on the Damascus rd it is essential to understand exactly what was going on prior to his conversion firstly under the Ministry of Christ before the crucifixion, and then under the ministry of Peter, who preached to the Jews that the crucified Christ was their Messiah… their King, and that they ought to repent from murdering him and be baptized as a token of their submission.
To understand what Peter was preaching after the cross we must go back to the ministry of Christ himself before the cross and see what he preached, and how he trained his disciples to preach and teach in his name.
Thus we will be looking at the chronological order of the ministries of Jesus, Peter, and Paul, and distinguishing what was common doctrine among them, and what was dispensationally distinct
Each of these ministries deserves thorough investigation, yet for the sake of maintaining the thread of this message I must necessarily skim over a great body of scripture and hope to go into greater detail at a later date.
The Good Shepherd
Why did Jesus visit Israel?
St Paul tells us this:
“Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:” (Rom15vs8)
Now those are very important things to understand!
1. Jesus was specifically a minister to the Jews.
2. He came to confirm promises God had made to their fathers.
These promises are scattered through the Old testament and are the special deals/ covenants God made with Abraham, Isaac, Jacoob, Moses, King David, King Solomon…
and are the subject of many Messianic prophecies.
These prophecies take on a mysterious form, and are much easier to understand with the wisdom of hindsight …after their fulfillment none the less many devout Jews of the first century suffering under the Roman yoke lived in earnest expectation that God would soon deliver them from this subjection by raising up a Messiah born of the lineage of King David, who would overthrow the enemies of Israel and establish his Kingdom from which he would rule the world.
*This is the Redemption they expected from the Messiah* Not personal salvation from sin which they believed they already had via circumcision which made them part of the Abrahamic covenant, and the Temple sacrifices which atoned for their breaches of the mosaic Law), but National salvation from under the Yoke of the Gentiles!
This thread is found through out the four gospels.
Read Luke chapter 1vs68-74, Luke 2vs38,
They did not expect Christ to die a criminals death…but to rule as their King.
*Christs work of Salvation on the cross was unknown to them… It was a hidden mystery.*
It was to fulfill Gods Kingdom promises to the Jews Christ was born of the house of King David.
God visited his people. Luke1vs68.
Yet Christ came unto his own and his own (The Jews) received him not. John1vs 11.
And it is with this in mind that we can understand ‘The Gospel’ which Christ preached which is specifically called ‘The gospel of the Kingdom’
…Jesus came into Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark1vs14,15
Notice what Christ does not say! He does not say he has come to die on the cross to save mankind from their sins! That is a completely different gospel which st Paul would later preach… after the Jews had twice rejected their Messiah. Once before the cross when they rejected Christ and had him crucified, and they again reject him when he is preached as their Messiah by Peter after the resurrection, who preaches the cross…not as salvation… but as condemnation and the resurrection as evidence that Christ is indeed the prophesied Son of David.
It will be a surprise to many of you to be told that even after the resurrection St Peter did not understand the cross of Christ as we do today… as the Divine work of atonement. That was still a secret. In the early book of Acts Peter preaches the cross as a heinous act of murder and rebellion against God. He warns the jews that to continue to reject their messiah will result in the wrath of God falling upon Israel… thus for Peter the cross was not a glorious act of Love on the part of God, but a shocking crime against God perpetrated by Israel.
What most Christians fail to understand is that Christ preached the Kingdom…not the cross, and Christ trained his disciples about things pertaining to his millennial kingdom, and sent them to preach the kingdom was at hand. And he specifically sent them *to the Jews*. Why? Because it was to their fathers God had made his promises! Read Mat 10vs1-7, and Mat15vs-22-28.
Furthermore to enter his kingdom was not by grace alone but required obedience to the Law, and other special works of repentance.
It required Baptism.
They had to be faithful to Christ unto death…(Mat
It required the wealthy to sell their possessions and give their wealth to the poor to prove they were prepared to forsake all the benefits they had under the worldly system of Mammon, and to follow after Christ. Thus Christ said it would be easier of a camel to pass thorough the eye of a needle (a very narrow canyon-like passage) than for a rich man to enter his kingdom. Many people mistake these conditions of the kingdom gospel as evidence that Christ was anti-wealth, when in fact these are merely temporary conditions to pass trough the transition from the Kingdom of Mammon into the millennial kingdom of Christ. (See Mark 10vs17-27)
All these conditions do not apply today under Pauls gospel of grace.
The greatest proof that the Cross had nothing to do with the Gospel of the kingdom is that Christ began to progressively tell his disciples about his betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection very late in his ministry
… after they had been for a long time preaching the gospel of the Kingdom and that when he told them what would Happen they did not understand it at all! Peter in fact tried to correct Christ on this very thing because it did not make any sense to them.
“Be it far from thee Lord!” declared Peter.
He believed Christ was supposed to lead a revolution against the Romans and conquer them,…that was the what the gospel of the Kingdom was about!… Christ was not supposed to be defeated and killed!
Read Matt 16vs 21-23. Note this is when Christ began to show his disciples about his death, burial, and resurrection.
Grasp that before this time…when they were preaching the ‘Gospel of the kingdom’ (eg Matt 10vs1-7) they did not have a clue about the cross or the resurrection…thus it is impossible that they the gospel they preached said anything about it.
Whatmore even after he told them he would die on the cross and rise again the third day…they did not understand it…*and it was hidden from them*
Read Luke 18vs31-34.
Thus Peter and his fellow Disciples were completely ignorant of work of Salvation which Christ would achieve at Calvary! That’s an amazing fact! *It was a Hidden mystery* which was kept secret until The Jews rejected their Messiah twice, and God raised up St Paul and revealed to him the wonderful Gospel of Grace…and the secret of the cross…It was Christ’s sacrifice for the Sins of Mankind, and his resurrection was evidence of his victory over sin and death, and that whosoever simply believes and calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!
The one and only condition upon the sinner is believing that Christ died on the cross for his sins, was buried, and rose again the third day for our justification.
No works!
Absolute Grace!
Here we see the Pattern which God showed us when he saved the Anti-Christ Saul. (St Paul).
In perfect Accord with his conditional covenants with the Jewish fathers, God postponed his kingdom and set Israel aside because they rejected their Messiah. Instead of establishing his kingdom in Israel, and them receiving all the blessing that would flow from that. Israel was to be destroyed, enslaved by the gentile powers…because as Christ prophesied
“knewest not the time of their visitation” (Luke19vs42-44)
The arch of Titus celebrating the Destruction of Israel
Thus Christ visited his people Israel… to fulfill the promises God made to their Fathers, yet because he did not appear as they expected him to appear…(Like a conquering King) they rejected him, and framed him, and gave him over to the Romans to be wrongfully crucified.
Doubting Thomas
Another evidence that the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ was hidden from the understanding of his disciple is the confusion that occurred when Christ was betrayed and killed.
While Jesus was as harmless as a lamb, Peter resisted the party which came to arrest Jesus and sliced off one of the guards ears. (In his mind it was revolution time…yet Christ restored the ear and went peacefully into custody.
This was absolutely contrary to what the disciple believed the messiah would do! They began to doubt that Christ was the messiah and before the cock crew Peter denied Christ three times.
Then after the crucifixion and Christ was buried, They disciples were full of doubts about Christ because they thought he was to ‘redeem Israel’ and when the woman reported Christ was risen…they did not say ‘We knew this would happen’…we have been preaching about it to the people for years!…. They had to go and see for themselves…Thomas refused to believe it untill he put his finger in the nail holes of the risen Christ!….Thus The death, Burial and resurrection were complete mysteries to the disciples….even after Christ had told them it would happen… they did not understand it because it did not fit into their comprehension of the Messiah overthrowing the Romans and Ruling as King of Kings…Gods Kingdom on Earth…which they had been preaching. Read Luke 24!
Yet still when he was on the cross Christ prayed “Father forgive them for they know not what the do” (Luke 23vs 34)
And it is in accordance with this prayer that God gives Israel a final chance to receive Christ…after the resurrection when he sends out Peter and the Apostles yet again to the Jews, this time preaching that They had murdered their Messiah, and that God was wrath with them for this wicked deed, and that The Death, burial, and Resurrection of Christ was actually the fulfillment of prophesy , and Peter called them to repent…”Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Acts chapter 2.)… and God would send them Jesus their King.
Though many thousands of Jews did repent, ultimately Peters re-offer of the Kingdom was rejected…and they began to persecute Peter and the rest of the believers… culmination in the stoning of St Stephen. He preached to them about the Lord Jesus Christ and called them “Stiff necked and uncircumcised of heart and ears”…called them “Betrayers and Murderers” of Christ….and they cried out and ‘stopped their ears’ and ran upon him… And they stoned him to death. (Acts 7 vs51-60)
Saul was present. Before he died Stephen declared that he saw Christ ‘standing on the right hand of God’. Christ was ready at that very moment to descend from heaven and wipe out all the unrepentant Jews, and to overthrow the Romans and set up his kingdom…ie Christ was ready for Armageddon, Yet God the Father had other plans. God Indeed instead of establishing his kingdom at this point in time, he would judge Israel as Christ had prophesied, yet he had a most wonderful surprise in store for the rest of humanity! And to reveal this surprise he chose the very chief of Sinners Saul of Tarsus ( St Paul).
Up to the Conversion of St Paul, in the early part of the book of Acts the Cross of Christ was not preached as salvation but as condemnation. Yet the Jews having rejected their messiah as reoffered to them by St Peter, In the ultimate act of grace…God saved st Paul…”He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts9vs 15)
From this part of the book of Acts Peter and his Kingdom Gospel to the Jews fades out and is superseded by St Paul and his Individualistic Gospel of the Grace, which is a completely New Gospel… nothing to do with the establishment of God’s kingdom on Earth… and it is to Paul That God reveals the Mystery of the Cross of Christ as Salvation from sin for whosoever believes.
Paul tells us His gospel was received be special revelation (Gal1vs11,12)
He calls the Gospel of grace “My Gospel” Rom2vs 16.
And again
“ Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Rom 16vs25,26
Paul tells us the Gospel of Grace to the gentiles was given to him, just as the Jewish kingdom gospel was given to Peter (Gal2vs 7,8)
Paul declares that he is the Apostle of the gentiles.
“For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:” Rom 11vs13
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. Col1vs 23-29
Paul declares … That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost. Romans 15vs 16.
The return of Christ in Power and Glory…as King of kings and Lord of lords.
The current Dispensation of grace will not last for ever. It will finnish at the appointed time of God known as ‘The Rapture’ Then begins the short but terrible dispensation known as the Great tribulation period which will be the Kingdom of the Antichrist. During this time the Kingdom of Christ will again be ‘At hand’ and christ will return in Power and Glory and destroy the Antichrist and save Israel from their enemies…and then will establish his Kingdom on Earth.
Christ will indeed appear in power and glory as the Jews expected and will overthrow the AntiChrist and set up his Kingdom upon the Earth, and rule from Israel… yet that is still dispensationally/ chronologically specking still in the future.
I must leave off now. I pray that you may see the truth of dispensational right division and realize that while all scripture is given by inspiration of God and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness… that none the less there are important distinctions to be made, and that not every scripture is applicable doctrine for today. This means that we must be careful to give the doctrines of grace as taught by St Paul pre-eminence over the doctrine of other teachers and prophets…even over The 4 gospels which contain the teachings of The lord Jesus Christ himself! As Paul said to the Thessalonians…”For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which ye herd of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe…” (1Thes2vs13).
*Understand that Pauls words are Christs words!* specifically given to him for us Gentiles living in the present dispensation of grace.
“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” (1 Cor14vs37)
Thus if any of my readers truly desire to serve God as they ought and to understand Gods plan and purpose for our dispensation… you must receive St Paul’s Gospel and doctrines which specifically apply to our age, and you must appreciate the The four Gospels primarily deal with Christ’s kingdom gospel and ministry ‘to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ … most of which is not applicable doctrine for our age. I will expand upon these truths in future posts and contrast many differences in doctrine between What Christ taught pertaining to his Kingdom, from what Paul teaches us as being applicable today…here, and now. Thus I hope to secure in your minds the absolute importance of “Rightly dividing the word of truth”.
My next message will focus upon the political distinctions to be made between St Pauls doctrines and those of Christ’s conditions for Jews to enter his Kingdom.
Amen.
(I will be editing this post over the next few days. I post it in the Raw as Sunday is fast evaporating… God Bless those of you whom have taken the time to read this message)
Tim Wikiriwhi Dispensational truth.
Tim I read and will pray and search the scripture on your article I pray you will do the same with this – The Kingdom:
Yesterday, Today, and Forever
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:10, 33)
Fulfilling these verses was a prime objective of the 17th-century Puritans:
Their exodus [from England] was that of a chosen people who were at length to lay the everlasting foundations of God’s kingdom here upon earth…. This steadfast faith in an unseen ruler and guide was to them a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. It was of great moral value. It gave them clearness of purpose and concentration of strength, and contributed towards making them, like the children of Israel, a people of indestructible vitality and aggressive energy.28
To promote Yahweh’s law in all facets of society is to contribute to restoring Yahweh’s kingdom, His government here on earth. If this is to be accomplished, it must first be scripturally demonstrated that Yahweh’s kingdom exists both in heaven and here on earth, and that Yahweh intends His kingdom to fill the entire earth, with His people ruling now and forever.
Yahweh’s Eternal Kingdom
Yahweh’s kingdom is eternal: it exists yesterday, today, and forever. It is definitive in that it has always been and always will be in existence (Psalm 145:13). It is progressive in that He intends it to fill the entire earth (Isaiah 9:6-7, Daniel 2:35, Zechariah 9:9-10, Matthew 13:31-33). It is final in that it will be established fully at some point in the future (Revelation 21:1-2).
Because Yahweh is the creator of the universe, He is sovereign over the universe, time without end:
…his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation. …the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will…. (Daniel 4:3, 17)
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. (1 Timothy 1:17)
Yahweh never abdicated His throne. He is as much King now as He was at the beginning of creation. As perpetual King, the kingdom He rules over is perpetual.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations. (Psalm 145:13)
To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. (Jude 1:25)
Many Christians reject these inescapable facts of Yahweh’s sovereignty, believing He has no kingdom at present or that His kingdom is limited to heaven. They lift their favorite proof text from John 18:
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. (John 18:36)
The exact same Greek phrase ek toú kósmou, translated “not of this world,” is used several times and is explained in the preceding chapter:
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world…. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. (John 17:14-18)
Clearly ek toú kósmou does not mean Yahweh’s kingdom exists only in heaven. Although it is certainly true that His kingdom is not of this world, this does not mean that He does not intend for it to be in this world. His statement in John 18 is better understood to mean that His kingdom is nothing like the other kingdoms in this world. As someone once said, “The only kingdom that will prevail in this world is the kingdom that is not of this world.” Martin Luther correctly taught John 18:36:
…Christ came in order to begin the kingdom of God and to establish it in the world. This is why he said before Pilate: “My kingdom is not of this world, but whoever belongs to the truth hears my voice,” and why throughout the Gospel he announces the kingdom of God, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand;” and again: “Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness.” And indeed he calls the Gospel a gospel of the kingdom of God, in that it teaches, governs and preserves the kingdom of God.29
The teaching that Yahweh’s kingdom does not exist on earth or that Yahweh has abandoned the earth to His enemies is not new to this age:
…Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? For they say, YHWH seest us not; YHWH hath forsaken the earth. (Ezekiel 8:12)
Christians who reject Yahweh’s extant kingdom here on earth are looking for a future king and a future kingdom. This erroneous theology has all but destroyed Yahweh’s kingdom, at least in practice, here on earth. It is certainly one of the principal reasons why the antichrists and non-Christians rule today. This anti-kingdom theology has also been one of the prime contributors to today’s fulfillment of Jesus’ warning in Matthew 5:
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (Matthew 5:13)
This is a fulfillment of Yahweh’s curse in Deuteronomy 28:
But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of YHWH thy God, to observe to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee…. The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low…. Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which YHWH shall send against thee…. (Deuteronomy 28:15, 43-48)
One cannot get any lower than beneath the feet of those who rule over you. Rejecting Yahweh, His kingdom, and His laws has always been prime cause of His people’s calamities. By rejecting Yahweh’s laws, Christians abdicate dominion and relinquish Yahweh’s earthly kingdom to His enemies:
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. (Matthew 11:12)
Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat…. But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. (Matthew 23:1-13)
Neither of these passages can be referring to the kingdom in heaven. Instead, they refer to the kingdom of heaven here on earth. The only difference between what was occurring in Jesus’ day and what has occurred in modern times is that Yahweh’s enemies have not needed to take the kingdom by force. Because Christianity is glutted with doctrines proclaiming that Yahweh’s laws are irrelevant under the New Covenant, that Christians are obligated to keep all of man’s laws,30 and that the kingdom is yet to come or that it is found exclusively in heaven, the kingdom has been handed over to Yahweh’s enemies without a struggle. Most pastors have colluded with the Internal Revenue Service in exchange for their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, turning over the jurisdiction and ultimate control of even their churches and ministries to the government.31 When Yahweh’s subjects are diligent to observe His law, Yahweh promises His people dominion rather than servitude:
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of YHWH thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that YHWH thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth. (Deuteronomy 28:1)
And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:10)
Yahweh’s Kingdom Relationship with Israel
Although it is true that the Old Testament contains many prophecies regarding a future Messianic kingdom, this in no way detracts from the fact that Yahweh was, is, and always will be King. The prophecies in question concern Yahweh’s special New Covenant kingdom relationship with a remnant of Israel. This kingdom relationship is indicative of His marital relationship with Israelites, which originally existed between Him and the entire nation of Israel:
And YHWH said unto … Israel … I am married unto you…. (Jeremiah 3:11-14)
Exodus records Yahweh’s marriage proposal to all twelve tribes of Israel:
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people…. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation…. (Exodus 19:5-6)
This is the first time a reference to Yahweh’s kingdom appears in the Bible. Yahweh established a kingdom relationship with the nation of Israel when He married her at Mt. Sinai. Ezekiel 16 provides a second witness to the affinity between His marriage to Israel and His kingdom:
Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord YHWH, and thou becamest mine … and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. (Ezekiel 16:8-13)
King David commented upon this kingdom relationship:
….God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. (Psalm 59:13)
While wrestling with an angel, Jacob was given the name “Israel.” This name means “power” or “ruling with El” (Genesis 32:28). El, translated “God,” is the abbreviated form of the Hebrew Elohiym. Yahweh Elohiym married the twelve tribes of Israel, making her His helpmeet. As both His wife and His queen, she ruled with El over His kingdom and was thus named Isra El – “ruling with God.” Later, because the ten-tribed house of Israel worshiped other gods, an act Yahweh identified as adultery, he divorced and put her away:
And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce…. (Jeremiah 3:8)
Yahweh declared to Hosea that, as a result of His divorcing the house of Israel, she would no longer be His people (His wife). He stripped that house of her name (His name), and her kingdom relationship with Him ceased to exist:
And YHWH said unto him, … I will … cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel…. Then said God, … ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. (Hosea 1:4-9)
Yahweh’s eventual divorce of the remaining two-tribed house of Judah in 70 A.D. was prophesied in 2 Kings 23:
And YHWH said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there. (2 Kings 23:27)
Just as in Hosea 1, the removal of the kingdom was equivalent to Judah’s divorce:
Therefore say I unto you [religious leaders representing the house of Judah], The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. (Matthew 21:43)
The Apostle Peter identified the nation to whom the kingdom was given as the elect (a remnant) of the Israelites, those sanctified by the blood of Jesus – with whom, according to Hebrew 8:8, the New Covenant was made:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ…. (1 Peter 1:1-2)
The English word “scattered” is translated from the Greek word diaspora:
…dispersion, i.e. (spec.[ially] and conc.[retely]) the converted Isr[aelite]. resident in Gentile countries. 32
Diaspora is the Greek word used in James 1:1 in the phrase “to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad,” and by the translators of the Septuagint Old Testament in Deuteronomy 28:25, 30:4; Nehemiah 1:8; and Psalm 147:2, in describing the dispersion of the Old Testament Israelites. The Greek word parepideémois, translated “strangers” in 1 Peter 1:1, conveys a similar thought:
…one who comes from a foreign country into a city or land to reside there by the side of the natives; hence stranger; sojourning in a strange place, a foreigner…. 33
Peter wrote his first epistle to Israelite foreigners living in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia – the precise locations to which the house of Israel had been dispersed after Yahweh divorced them. Peter wrote the
following to these Christian Israelites:
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…. Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
The first phrase in verse 9 is a quotation from Exodus 19:5-6, in which Yahweh first proposed marriage to the nation of Israel. The last two phrases in verse 10 are quotations from Hosea 1:9 and 2:23, in which He promised to remarry Israel and ultimately restore His kingdom relationship with a remnant of Israelites from both the house of Israel and the house of Judah under the New Covenant. It is this remnant that forms the nation prophesied by Jesus in Matthew 21:43 and to whom the kingdom was given. 34
The prophets foretold this special New Covenant kingdom relationship between Yahweh and Israel:
I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days…. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed…. But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever…. Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom…. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. (Daniel 7:13-27)
In Psalm 148, the saints of the Most High are identified as Israelites:
He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye YHWH. (Psalm 148:14)
The Apostles also understood the saints in Daniel 7 to be Israelites. In anticipation of the fulfillment of numerous Old Testament prophesies concerning the restoration of the kingdom to Israel, they questioned Jesus about the specific timing of the restoration – which they knew, from the Prophet Daniel, was to occur sometime during the days of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2:36-44, 7:13-27):
Then they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? (Acts 1:6)
Because many people have misidentified today’s Jews 35 as Israelites, and because the Jews have rejected Jesus and His kingdom, much of Christianity has come to the erroneous conclusion that this restored kingdom relationship with Israel has yet to occur. However, the New Testament declares that this kingdom relationship has existed since the second chapter of Acts when the first Judahite Israelites, in faith and repentance, were immersed into Christ. Before this event in the book of Acts, John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostles all preached that the kingdom of God was at hand:
In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven 36 is at hand. (Matthew 3:1-2)
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, …But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. (Matthew 10:5-7)
…if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:28)
Either the kingdom was literally at hand when Jesus made this last statement, or He was casting out demons by Beelzebub, just as the Pharisees accused. In Mark 1:15, the kingdom is described as being at hand because its preparation time was fulfilled:
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:14-15)
Perhaps the most potent proof that the kingdom of Christ has already been established is that the Apostles were told that some of them would live to see the kingdom restored:
And he [Jesus] said unto them [His disciples], Verily I say unto you, That there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power. (Mark 9:1)
In Acts 1, the Apostles anticipated the restored kingdom in their lifetime, and, in Acts 2, it was indeed restored with power on the day of Pentecost. The renowned 18th-century commentator Matthew Henry agreed:
…the kingdom of Christ began … immediately after his ascension, and will continue in the doing till the mystery of God be finished. 37
Following the events in Acts 2, the 1st-century Christians proclaimed Jesus to be a reigning King and themselves to be citizens of His kingdom – not sometime yet future or merely in heaven, but then and there:
But the Jews which believed not … set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason … crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus. (Acts 17:5-7)
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins…. (Colossians 1:12-14)
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children, that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory. (1 Thessalonians 2:11-12)
I John, who also am your brother, and companion [fellow partaker, NASB] in tribulation, and in the kingdom…. (Revelation 1:9)
Redemption through Jesus’ blood results in deliverance from the power of darkness. Because we are delivered from the power of darkness into the kingdom, the Colossians’ demands that if the kingdom is not in existence now, then redemption and forgiveness of sins are not yet valid. If the kingdom is yet future, no one has been delivered from the power of darkness, nor partaken of the inheritance of the saints. In short, no one has yet become a Christian.
In Acts 17:7, the disciples were described as already serving Jesus as their King on earth, according to His laws. The very fact that Rome persecuted, imprisoned, and murdered Christians demonstrates the Romans understood that the kingdom the Christians preached and lived was an extant rival kingdom. Had Christianity been merely a religion, Rome would not have concerned itself with Christianity anymore than it did with the other religions in its realm. Christendom’s King, His kingdom, and His laws posed a threat to the Roman Empire, just as Daniel prophesied.
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. (Daniel 2:44)
The kingdom is currently under the rule of non-Christians, not because it has yet to be established, but because Christians have bought into the lie that the kingdom doesn’t exist on earth at this time. They have consequently abdicated leadership of society. The church has become governmentally and culturally impotent because Christians have been convinced that everything outside the four walls of their church buildings is off-limits to them as Christians.
Pursuing the Kingdom
The kingdom was the focus of Jesus’ earthly ministry and is the central issue of the entire Bible. The phrases “the Father’s kingdom,” “the kingdom of God,” “the kingdom of heaven,” “the heavenly kingdom,” “the kingdom of Christ,” “the gospel of the kingdom,” and the word “kingdom” appear 146 times in the New Testament alone.
Because the kingdom of God is in existence today, our principal objective as ambassadors of the King of kings (2 Corinthians 5:20), should be to please our King and advance His kingdom. We should be pursuing His kingdom – taking dominion and implementing His perfect laws – everywhere we possibly can, including government:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness [found in His perfect laws, Isaiah 51:7-8]…. (Matthew 6:33)
Seek His kingdom where?
…Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:9-10)
All the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer refer to earthly present benefits. Some of the aspects of the kingdom are that God provides our “daily bread,” that He “forgives our debts,” and that He “delivers us from temptation.” …It is a kingdom prayer, and we are in the kingdom!38
Christians understood this in 1643 when the colonies of New Plymouth, Massachusetts and New Haven, Connecticut formed the New England Confederation with the goal of advancing the kingdom of Christ here in America:
…we all came into these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely to advance the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. 39
Christians who understand the present reality of Yahweh’s kingdom here on earth seldom see its relevance beyond the four walls of their homes or church buildings. “We have secularized everything not illuminated by stained glass windows.” 40 This limited vision is usually the consequence of antinomianism. However, Yahweh’s will is that His kingdom, operating by His moral laws, be established here on earth as it is in heaven. There is nowhere in heaven Yahweh does not reign, nowhere His kingdom cannot be found, and nowhere His laws are not intact. This is His will for earth as well, but He has left to His subjects the task of fully establishing His kingdom on earth:
Ye are blessed of YHWH which made heaven and earth. The heaven, even the heavens, are YHWH’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men. (Psalm 115:15-16)
Although it is true that the earth was made for all of mankind to inhabit, no Christian in his right mind would maintain that Yahweh intends non-Christians to reign over His children, except as judgment. The dominion mandate was given to Adam and his descendants, particularly Christians under the New Covenant:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in readiness to revenge all disobedience…. (2 Corinthians 10:3-6)
Yahweh intends His subjects to inherit the earth:
The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever…. Wait on YHWH, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. (Psalm 37:29-34)
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)
These promises are conditional. If we expect Yahweh to fulfill His promises, we must return to Him and His laws. Inherent in the dominion mandate is Yahweh’s expectation for His people to maintain, protect, and increase their holdings in furtherance of His kingdom. That Yahweh expects this of His kingdom ambassadors is evident in that His stone kingdom is depicted as becoming a great mountain (Daniel 2:35), a mustard seed that is to grow into a great tree (Matthew 13:31), and leaven that leavens the entire world (Matthew 13:33). Pretribulation dispensationalist Dave Hunt believes this is not only impossible for Christians to accomplish, but that it is even impossible for Yahweh:
In fact, dominion – taking dominion and setting up the kingdom for Christ – is an impossibility, even for God. The millennial reign of Christ, far from being the kingdom, is actually the final proof of the incorrigible nature of the human heart, because Christ Himself can’t do what these people [dominionists] say they are going to do…. 41
No wonder Christianity has lost control of the kingdom. Modern Christians have squandered the kingdom and handed it over to Yahweh’s enemies. This abdication occurred for two reasons: 1) Christians’ belief that Yahweh’s law has been abolished under the New Covenant, and 2) their teachings that the kingdom will manifest itself only in the future or exclusively in heaven. Non-Christians and antichrists have been delighted to fill the void with their gods’ laws and governments.
If This Is the Kingdom. . .
Some people respond to the idea of a present kingdom by declaring that if this is Yahweh’s kingdom, who wants it? The culpability for the deplorable state of the kingdom belongs, not to God, but to Christians who are so heavenly minded that they are of no earthly good. Christianity is full of savorless salt that is good for nothing but to be trampled under the foot of man. Christians today are the “trampled” rather than the “tramplers.” What used to be known as Christendom (short for Christ’s or Christian dominion) is now simply Christianity, or worse Judeo-Christianity. 42 That Yahweh expects His people to be the tramplers is evident not only in Matthew 5, but also in Revelation 5:
…Thou … hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Revelation 5:9-10)
Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians that “I would to God ye did reign….” (1 Corinthians 4:8). To reign means to rule, and to rule means to establish the law of the land:
For YHWH will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel … and they shall rule over their oppressors. (Isaiah 14:1-2)
“Government” has become a dirty word to most Christians. But this thinking is an aberration from that of the Christians who first came here from Europe. They looked upon government as an ordinance of God for the purpose of advancing His kingdom and furthering Christianity:
Whereas the glory of Almighty God and the good of mankind is the reason and end of government and, therefore, government in itself is a venerable ordinance of God. And forasmuch as it is principally desired and intended by the Proprietary and Governor and the freemen of the province of Pennsylvania and the territories thereunto belonging to make and establish such laws as shall best preserve true Christian civil liberty in opposition to all unchristian, licentious, and unjust practices…. Charter to William Penn, 1682 43
Many Christians are peering into heaven and wondering when Yahweh is going to clean up this mess. Could it be Yahweh is looking down upon us and wondering when we are going to clean it up? Yahweh is not responsible for our making a mess of things. He has given us the tools by which to right society, if we would only believe in Him and implement His perfect laws. Every generation that rejects Yahweh’s plan for the kingdom is another generation destined to live under the heel of non-Christian dominion.
Restoration of the kingdom will not happen overnight. The few today who understand the kingdom of Yahweh are beginning to prepare the ground for a future generation. This preparation begins with convincing modern Christianity that they are supposed to be ruling instead of serving the non-Christians and antichrists. Eventually, Christendom will be able to establish and prosper as the kingdom Yahweh intends us to be.
Dominion for Our Posterity
My ultimate objective in this book is to awaken today’s Christians to the perfection of Yahweh, His kingdom, and His laws, in order to prepare tomorrow’s Christians to take dominion of Yahweh’s kingdom. If I cannot change the eschatology of those Christians who believe Yahweh’s kingdom has yet to appear – and have therefore trapped themselves in cultural paralysis – then let me at least appeal to your common sense. In the time between now and forever, would you not rather live by Yahweh’s perfect laws of liberty than by man’s laws of bondage?
Although many Christians may not be politically active, they are nonetheless always hoping, praying, and voting for those they trust will improve their standard of living. However, a higher standard of living will never be achieved through man’s laws. Neither can man’s law deliver us from the oppression of ever-encroaching government. I am asking that we set aside our eschatological differences (Yahweh will take care of the eschatological future) and work together for liberty and justice through the only means possible – Yahweh’s kingdom and His laws – so that, at the very least, we can help make His kingdom on earth a reality for our posterity.
All thy works shall praise thee, O YHWH; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. (Psalm 145:10-12)
Pursuing Yahweh’s kingdom begins by speaking of its glory and power to the sons of men. This is the very least we can do as Yahweh’s ambassadors, and it is something we can all do. May Yahweh open our eyes to the possibilities of His kingdom and His perfect laws. May He grant us the same fervor for Him and His kingdom as the liberals have for their democracy and the Constitutionalists have for their republic:
And YHWH stirred up the spirit of … all the remnant of the people; and they came and did work in the house of YHWH of hosts, their God. (Haggai 1:14)
– from; http://www.missiontoisrael.org/law-kingdom.php
Roman Ropp you are way to Knowledgeable in the scriptures for me an unworthy sinner saved by Grace to even try and comment on your post.
Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
I will point out that I’m going to Heaven, I will be a joint-heir with Christ and I’m excited about that!
Romans 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Have you got that assurance do you no were you are going?
Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Comparison & Contrast of the teachings of Jesus vs. Paul
JESUS
Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these TWO commandments.” [Matthew 22:36-40, Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18]
Of all the commandments, which is the most important?
“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “ is this: ‘Hear, of Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than THESE.” [Mark 12:28-31, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Leviticus 19:18]
PAUL
But, in contrast, Paul didn’t know the greatest, most important, first commandment according to Jesus. Paul made up his own rule. Paul wrote:
“The entire law is summed up in a SINGLE command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” [Galatians 5:14, Leviticus 19:18]
And again, Paul wrote:
“He how loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not covet, and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this ONE RULE: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” [Romans 13:8-10, Leviticus 19:18]
Jesus said it’s TWO commandments, with the greatest, most important, first command to
.1) first, love God with everything you’ve got, and
.2) second, love people.
Paul said no, it ONE commandment- to love people.
Paul, and the Beatles, were wrong.
Jesus is right. I’m following Jesus.
Thanks for that, Matthew. I’ll let Tim reply.
Meanwhile, great blog! I added you to our blogroll. 🙂
Hi Richard,
I’m glad you liked the blog.
Parable of the 12 heavenly chalkboards
What is a common analogy for a permanent decision?
“Written in stone.”
What could be more permanent than that?
How about written in stone in heaven (in other words, for eternity.)
And what kind of a stone is the most solid, permanent, and unchangeable?
Perhaps a foundation stone?
The Book of Revelation written by the Apostle John, chapter 21 verse 14 says… “The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostle of the Lamb.”
Nothing about a “13th Apostle” or an “Apostle of the Gentiles”…. Hmmmm…..
Parable of the 12 heavenly chalkboards
Imagine “Wackyjesus” in “Wackyheaven”, built on the foundations of 12 chalkboards:
“Matthias, you should have developed your skills in writing and public speaking. Your name never appears in the Bible after your appointment as the 12th Apostle in Acts 1. [erase erase erase]
Actually, the same is true for you Thaddaeus, after you were appointed. You should have hired a PR firm to promote your name and make if famous. [erase erase erase]
Of course, you both are specifically mentioned in Acts 6:2. “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together.” And this is before Saul/Paul is even mentioned. But let us not confuse the issue with facts. Paul did a much better job of marketing himself, and he wrote about himself hundreds of times. Share of voice equals share of mind. And most Evangelical pastors who read the Bible spend most of their time listening to the voice of Paul, so they become “like Paul.” But I digress…
James, we had a good run. I didn’t think King Herod would knock you off so quickly. [erase erase erase]
Oh well. Wow, they’re dropping like flies. Now I’ve got 3 slots open. I’d better buy a case of chalk and some more erasers. I’ll have to change the names on these 12 chalkboards hundreds of times in the next couple of millennia.
I guess I had better plan ahead, and save a slot for the last Pope, Francis. And the head Mormon Apostle. And I need to save a throne for my mom, or she’ll be mad. And one for Muhammad too. Who needs truth in relationship, when I can quickly get market share, and totally dominate the market, through mergers and acquisitions?
And one throne for that other guy named Peter. When he was younger, he used to have the great theological insight about territorial spirits and wrestling with dark angels. What was his last name? Begins with a consonant. Sounds almost like he was in the personal transportation industry back in “sword and sandal epic” days… “Peter Charioteer?” Maybe not. This isn’t the “fullest” description of him, but it’s full enough. Anyway, I should save a throne for him too.”
So what is the application of this parable?
Beware of the NAR whale – it’s really a killer whale with a man-made horn strapped on top. The only place in the New Testament that mentions anything like “Seven Mountains” is Revelation 17, “seven hills on which the woman sits.” (The Great Prostitute, that is.) Rome is the city that sits on seven hills, the perfect place for Peter the Roman, the New World Pope for the New World Order, to replace the original Apostle Peter in the apostate church of the Antichrist.
One word…”BLASPHEMOUS”
Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
Well Matthew Perri you know as well as I do we are Not under the Law!
We are commanded “not” to follow the lowly earthly Jesus
2 Cor 5:16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Paul was commissioned by the Risen Glorified Lord Jesus christ
Act 9 Acts 22 Acts 26
1 Cor 9:1 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
1 Cor 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
Colossians 1:25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
Paul wrote the commandments of our Risen Glorified Lord Jesus Christ
1 Cor 14: 37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1 Cor 13:10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
It is not the Apostle Paul you blaspheme but the Risen Glorified Lord Jesus Christ!
2 Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
Everyone should turn away from what you are saying here, for your words show yourself to be still fleshly: “for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men?” ~1 Corinthians 3:3-4
I understand your title is merely to catch readers attention, increase your website footprints, and get an “in” to make a theological point that over-complicates the Word of God and relies on controversy rather than grace and truth to stand, however, don’t think that your perversion of God’s word will go unpunished by the Lord Himself on judgment.
Not many should be teachers, and you’ve taken up damnation for your own soul.
You say Jesus was specifically a minister of the Jews, yet He Himself said “I have sheep that are not of this fold”. He ministered as well to the gentiles, though their time had not yet come.
You are trying to mingle many lies closely intertwined with SOME truths (Paul was, indeed, an apostle to the gentiles, and his gospel is to be believed and trusted as it reveals Christ), but you are making distinctions not made in God’s word and I weep because you make yourself doubly a child of hell!
Onesimus,….. Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:..Jeremiah 5:21
Suggest you don’t take verses out of context study the chapter the book even!
According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.1 Corinthians 3:10
Let me see what’s a master builder…..
I A person (orig. & usu. a man) having control or authority.
1 gen. A man having direction or control over the action of another or others; a director, a leader, a chief, a commander; a ruler, a governor.
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:1 Corinthians 2:7
What does mystery mean? .., a hidden or secret thing; a thing beyond human knowledge or comprehension; a riddle, an enigma, a puzzle; a person or thing not understood. lME.
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.
17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.2 Peter 3vs 15:18
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. 1 Corinthians 3:18
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.2 Corinthians 4vs 2:5
I’m so glad I’m a fool..just a wretched sinner saved by Grace
Romans 11:7 KJV
What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded