Romans is so doctrinal, it's so basic, we have to work hard to mess it up. And then in Corinthians with all the problems that had to be reproved, and Galatians trying to go back into religions legalism or paganism, and how that had to be corrected. But here in this little Book of Ephesians we're not going to deal with any of those things. Here we're going to deal with hammering home the fact that we are now positioned in Christ, in the Body, to find the roots of that position, we're going to see it in verse 3. Where we are now positioned? In the heavenlies. Do you see that? We're not an earthly people, any longer but rather a heavenly people, spiritual people. A people set apart for God's purposes and not our own. If we retain our own desires, worldly lusts and religious idolatress forms or paganism we are NOT His but rather deceive our own selves. However we are on the earth, but everything that we constantly think about, everything that makes up our being even as we live, work, and move in this old sin-cursed world among the unbelieving ones is our position in the heavenlies. That should be uppermost in our thinking.
So now Paul's letter to the receiving believers in the area of Ephesus probably went out to the other cities in that area. We're sure it got to Colossi, and probably up to Troas, and maybe even got inland as far as Antioch, and Derbe. Isn't it amazing that as these various letters of Paul went out to the various congregations back there in the ancient world where there were no copy machines, no mail system that we know of and no instant communication, that they didn't get lost. Because faithful righteous men rewrote word for word all these letters. However like so many of God's words if they're not received by our spirit they mean remain veiled from our understanding or until the still small or quiet voice speaks to us from our inner being.
Somebody was providentially aware that, "Hey these letters are important, and we'd better protect them." Somehow or other they were kept intact for 300+ years before the Church fathers put them together and put them into what we call the Scriptures. Now that in itself is miraculous. These were just simple letters that were sent out to a congregation, and they only had the one copy, they took the trouble to laboriously hand write each one of these for a Church. This letter especially was rewritten many times as it was sent and circulated among all the Churches in the area around Ephesus, and yet they never got lost. It's just amazing. This is just a little tidbit that too often we forget that makes this Book supernatural. Much of Paul's revelation of Grace, Faith, Love and Truth are revealed by such followers as Clements and a small host of others. We'll quote from some of Clements writings as we progress but for now verse 2.
Ephesians 1:2-3
"Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath (it's already done) blessed us with all (not a Cadillac in every believer's garage. Not a seven bedroom home, but rather we already have) spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:"
Now remember that all of our earthly blessings will only last till we die or they fade from our view by usage or just plan rot. Some of us might get past 90, but most of us are going to come to the end of the road somewhere after 40, 70 or 80, that is if the departure doesn't happen first, and we trust it will, happen soon. But remember these material things are here for such a little while. How did the Psalmist put it? "A blade of grass shoots up in the morning, and in the afternoon it's withered and gone." Thusly bearing witness to our progress unto spiritual resurrection and ascension (salvation). Another good example is up in the north country of Minnesota when it's real cold. Boy you get a -30 degree morning and every breath just becomes a cloud of vapor, but how long does it last? Puff and it's gone. Now that's what the Bible compares our earthly life span to.
But these spiritual blessings, how long will they last? All Eternity and Forever! The world scoffs and thinks we're a bunch of nuts, they think we have to give up all the good times, and we have to shun these things, and we're only living a life of sacrifice. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We don't even have an appetite for those things. Our appetite is now to be on things spiritual because the Lord has given us enough insight that spiritual things are going to last forever - not just for 40 to say 70 years. He's also shown us by example what He expects of us as well, to mix with the sinners, the spiritually wicked (religious) and publicans and the self-righteous ones is to deny Christ. Just as Paul said that he was all things to all peoples so are we to take the same position in Christ. Now this is just what happened when the Hebrews and Romans executed Jesus outside the city wall of Jerusalem. It was done to bring in a New and Living Hope through Faith by Loves activity of receptivity of Grace. For if they had not taken Him outside the city their sin and blood guilt could not the reckoned upon them or the Gentiles. His execution would have remained only a Jewish execution of a righteous and innocent man. From here and before I progress I feel that we need to look at a few of Clements statements in books one and two and we'll skip between books and the chapters: starting with chapter 30 of book two:
“Let Us Do Those Things That Please God, and Flee from Those He Hates, That We May Be Blessed.”
“Seeing, therefore, that we are the portion of the Holy One, let us do all those things which pertain to holiness, avoiding all evil-speaking, all abominable and impure embraces, together with all drunkenness, seeking after change, all abominable lusts, detestable adultery, and execrable pride. “For God,” said [the Scripture], “I resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6; 1Peter 5:5) Let us cleave, then, to those to whom grace has been given by God. Let us cloth ourselves with concord and humility, ever exercising Godly self-control, standing far off from all whispering and evil-speaking, being justified by our spiritual works, and not our words. For [the Scripture] says, “He that speaks much, shall also hear much in answer. And does he that is ready in speech deem himself righteous? Blessed is he that is born of woman, who lives but a short time: be not given to much speaking.” Let our praise be in God, and not of ourselves; for God hates those that commend themselves. Let testimony to our good deeds be borne by others, as it was in the case of our righteous forefathers. Boldness, and arrogance, and audacity belong to those that are accursed of God (the religious man or woman); but moderation, humility, and meekness to such as are blessed by Him.”
Now chapter 33: “But Let Us Not Give up the Practice of Good Works and Love. God Himself Is an Example to Us of Good Works.”
“What shall we do, then, brethren? Shall we become slothful in well-doing, and cease from the practice of love? God forbid that any such course should be followed by us! But rather let us hasten with all energy and readiness of mind to perform every good spiritual work. For the Creator and Lord of all Himself rejoices in His works. For by His infinitely great power He established the heavens, and by His incomprehensible wisdom He adorned them. He also divided the earth from the water which surrounds it, and fixed it upon the immoveable foundation of His own Will. The animals also which are upon it He commanded by His own word into existence. So likewise, when He had formed the sea, and the living creatures which are in it, He enclosed them [within their proper bounds] by His own power. Above all, with His holy and undefiled hands He formed man, the most excellent [of His creatures], and truly great through the understanding given him — the express likeness of His own image. For thus says God: “Let us make man in Our image, and after Our likeness. So God made man; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26-27) Having thus finished all these things, He approved them, and blessed them, and said, “Increase and multiply.” (Genesis 1:28) We see, then, how all righteous men have been adorned with good works, and how the Lord Himself, adorning Himself with His works, rejoiced. Having therefore such an example, let us without delay accede to His Will, and let us work the work of righteousness with our whole strength.”
Chapter 34: “Great Is the Reward of Good Works with God. Joined Together in Harmony, Let Us Implore That Reward from Him.”
“The good servant receives the bread of his labor with confidence; the lazy and slothful cannot look his employer in the face. It is requisite, therefore, that we be prompt in the practice of well-doing; for of Him are all things. And thus He forewarns us: “Behold, the Lord [comes], and His reward is before His face, to render to every man according to his work.” (Isaiah 40:10, 62:11; Revelation 22:12) He exhorts us, therefore, with our whole heart to attend to this, that we be not lazy or slothful in any good spiritual work. Let our boasting and our confidence be in Him. Let us submit ourselves to His Will. Let us consider the whole multitude of His angels, how they stand ever ready to minister to His Will. For the Scripture says, “Ten thousand times ten thousand stood around Him, and thousands of thousands ministered to Him, (Daniel 7:10) and cried, Holy, holy, holy, [is] the Lord of Sabaoth; the whole creation is full of His glory.” (Isaiah 6:3) And let us therefore, conscientiously gathering together in harmony, cry to Him earnestly, as with one mouth, that we may be made partakers of His great and glorious promises. For [the Scripture] says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which He has prepared for them that wait for Him.” (1Corinthians 2:9)
Chapter 35: “Immense Is This Reward. How Shall We Obtain It?”
“How blessed and wonderful, beloved, are the gifts of God! Life in immortality, splendor in righteousness, truth in perfect confidence, faith in assurance, Godly self-control in holiness! And all these fall under the cognizance of our understandings [now]; what then shall those things be which are prepared for such as wait for Him? The Creator and Father of all worlds, the Most Holy, alone knows their amount and their beauty. Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those that wait for Him, in order that we may share in His promised gifts. But how, beloved, shall this be done? If our understanding be fixed by faith's reward of God; if we earnestly seek the things which are pleasing and acceptable to Him; if we do the things which are in harmony with His blameless Will; and if we follow the way of truth, casting away from us all unrighteousness and iniquity, along with all covetousness, strife, evil practices, deceit, whispering, and evil-speaking, all hatred of God, pride and haughtiness, vainglory and ambition (which are of religions practices). For they that do such things are hateful to God; and not only they that do them, but also those that take pleasure in them that do them. (Roman 1:32) For the Scripture says, “But to the sinner God said, Wherefore do you declare My statutes, and take My covenant into your mouth, seeing you hate instruction, and cast My words behind you? When you see a thief, you consented with him, and did make your portion with adulterers. Your mouth has abounded with wickedness, and your tongue contrived deceit. You sit, and speak against your brother; you slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silence; you thought like the wicked one, that I should be like to yourself. But I will reprove you, and set yourself before you. Consider now these things, you that forget God, lest He tear you in pieces, like a lion, and there be none to deliver. The sacrifice of praise will glorify Me, and a way is there by which I will show him the salvation of God (Psalm 50: 16-23).”
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Ephesians Lesson 1 part 5
Before we progress into Ephesians please allow me to share what Clements said in chapter 22 of his writings written during the first 100 years of church history and I quote: These Exhortations Are Confirmed by the Christian Faith, Which Proclaims the Misery of Sinful Conduct.
"Now the faith which is in Christ confirms all these [admonitions]. For He Himself by the Holy Ghost thus addresses us: “Come, children, hearken to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desires life, and loves to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are [open] to their prayers. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cried, and the Lord heard him, and delivered him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:11-17) “Many are the stripes [appointed for] the wicked; but mercy shall compass those about who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 32:10)"
Now for those who have a good Hebrew concordance I'm going to put the Old Testament herein quoted with the Strong's Hebrew numbering system for reference sake:
Psa 34:11-17 Come,H1980 ye children,H1121 hearkenH8085 unto me: I will teachH3925 you the fearH3374 of the LORD.H3068
Psa 34:12 WhatH4310 manH376 is he that desirethH2655 life,H2416 and lovethH157 many days,H3117 that he may seeH7200 good?H2896
Psa 34:13 KeepH5341 thy tongueH3956 from evil,H4480 H7451 and thy lipsH8193 from speakingH4480 H1696 guile.H4820
Psa 34:14 DepartH5493 from evil,H4480 H7451 and doH6213 good;H2896 seekH1245 peace,H7965 and pursueH7291 it.
Psa 34:15 The eyesH5869 of the LORDH3068 are uponH413 the righteous,H6662 and his earsH241 are open untoH413 their cry.H7775
Psa 34:16 The faceH6440 of the LORDH3068 is against them that doH6213 evil,H7451 to cut offH3772 the remembranceH2143 of them from the earth.H4480 H776
Psa 34:17 The righteous cry,H6817 and the LORDH3068 heareth,H8085 and deliverethH5337 them out of allH4480 H3605 their troubles.H6869
Now for the second reference quoted:
Psa 32:10 ManyH7227 sorrowsH4341 shall be to the wicked:H7563 but he that trustethH982 in the LORD,H3068 mercyH2617 shall compass him about.H5437
If you have available a Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible and can do a word search using it you'll gain a wealth of understanding if you have spiritual eyes and ears. Or are willing to sit under God to listen to Him He'll speak to your heart of the secret things here hidden from view, but remember that as long as we look for the earthy, practical or worldly things that is all that we'll get from Him. In other words our desires have to change to the spiritual.
Now let's get right into the meat of the Book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:1
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:”
Ephesians 1:1a
"Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,..."
Paul didn't just one day say, "Hmm, I think I'll just become an apostle. I like the way people look up to Peter, James, and John. I just think I'll become an apostle." No that's not the way it was. We want to remember he was the one who hated Jesus of Nazareth. He hated anything associated with this Jesus Christ of Nazareth or Calvary. He thought Jesus was destroying his pet religion, "Judaism". But God in His Grace saved him on the road to Damascus, and immediately gave instructions that, "This man would be going to the non-Jew, the Gentiles with a whole new format," This format was not based on Judaism or the Law, not based on the Old Testament - but a whole New revelation of New Truths that had never been revealed before. Though they are buried within the language of the old by means of parables, metaphors and allegories which require our having become born again in order to hear and see these things.
He sent him out among those pagan Gentiles, and how the man was constantly confronted with the abject immorality of his day. By both sides the Religious of Judaism and the paganism of the gentiles. It was unbelievable, and yet out of that wickedness and out gross pagan immorality the man turned the Roman empire upside down by simply preaching the Gospel of Christ. The Grace of God given those in Christ, that Paul was given to preach to us. Paul wasn't a crusader, he wasn't a great politician, he wasn't a great moralist, but he preached the Gospel of the Grace of God. Now then as he ends up in prison because of his Apostleship, he's going to be writing these next three letters from prison. So he's an Apostle not of his own will, but by the Will of God. And those who find their way to God through the blood of Christ are to behave likewise as living witnesses of His divine resurrection within themselves to bear witness of this Truth to the lost of the world, both Jew and Gentile and those caught in the worlds false Religion.
Now then this Apostle is writing this particular letter to the saints there in Ephesus. And how many times have we heard it said over the years, "to whom does Paul always write?" The Believer. The Christian. He doesn't write to the unsaved world. Not that he didn't have a heart for them, but Paul knew that which too many people today don't understand, "You don't just simply win the lost by screaming at them, and preaching at them, but rather you win the lost by disciplining the receptive believer." And when that receiving believer is disciplined by the Holy Spirit. He can go out there among the ungodly world, the wicked religionists and reflect the righteousness of Christ, he's going to have an impact on lost people because the Holy Spirit's going to gush out of his inner parts as a river of Living Water. And then the unsaved is going to say, "Hey what must I do to have what you've got?" And then there's our opportunity. "Oh you believe that Christ died for you. You believe with all your heart that He rose from the dead for you, and you will be saved. (Reference I Corinthians 15:1-4)" The Book declares it, and it cannot lie.
Now we have to be careful because we had someone else question this. "Well Bill, what do you mean when you say `only believe?'" Well we don't mean just a superficial mental assent to these things, we mean that when we honestly with all our being, say, "I believe this with all my heart without a doubt, I believe from cover to cover, I believe especially that when Christ died He died for me, and I believe that He arose from the dead, He rose to give me that same resurrection Life." And that of course is what we call faith, and it's by that and that alone that we enter in to this relationship that Paul is always expounding on. So he writes to the saints. And now looking at verse 1 again we find.
Ephesians 1:1
"Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful (now the last three words in this verse are the key to the whole letter) in Christ Jesus:"
Now what kind of phrase is that? It's a prepositional phrase. Now I think there are 93 prepositional phrases in the six chapters of Ephesians that always denote our position. Such as "In Christ, In whom, In Him," or in similar fashion. The whole six chapters are constantly driving that home that we are now in a peculiar position as a receptive believer. We see back there in Romans the whole idea of the letter of Romans was to show that we were nothing but hell-bound, filthy, wicked sinners. Every one of us were capable of going to the very depth of sin, now that's what Romans shows us and it makes no difference whether we're a Hebrew or a Gentile. Then the remedy for it is this Gospel, that Christ has already forgiven us. He's already died for us, His blood has already paid the ransom payment, when we've passed through His blood it strengthens us (the meaning of H4820, guile), He arose from the dead, and all we have to do to appropriate it by believing it, that is to say receive Him, now that's the Book of Romans.
"Now the faith which is in Christ confirms all these [admonitions]. For He Himself by the Holy Ghost thus addresses us: “Come, children, hearken to Me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desires life, and loves to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are [open] to their prayers. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cried, and the Lord heard him, and delivered him out of all his troubles.” (Psalm 34:11-17) “Many are the stripes [appointed for] the wicked; but mercy shall compass those about who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 32:10)"
Now for those who have a good Hebrew concordance I'm going to put the Old Testament herein quoted with the Strong's Hebrew numbering system for reference sake:
Psa 34:11-17 Come,H1980 ye children,H1121 hearkenH8085 unto me: I will teachH3925 you the fearH3374 of the LORD.H3068
Psa 34:12 WhatH4310 manH376 is he that desirethH2655 life,H2416 and lovethH157 many days,H3117 that he may seeH7200 good?H2896
Psa 34:13 KeepH5341 thy tongueH3956 from evil,H4480 H7451 and thy lipsH8193 from speakingH4480 H1696 guile.H4820
Psa 34:14 DepartH5493 from evil,H4480 H7451 and doH6213 good;H2896 seekH1245 peace,H7965 and pursueH7291 it.
Psa 34:15 The eyesH5869 of the LORDH3068 are uponH413 the righteous,H6662 and his earsH241 are open untoH413 their cry.H7775
Psa 34:16 The faceH6440 of the LORDH3068 is against them that doH6213 evil,H7451 to cut offH3772 the remembranceH2143 of them from the earth.H4480 H776
Psa 34:17 The righteous cry,H6817 and the LORDH3068 heareth,H8085 and deliverethH5337 them out of allH4480 H3605 their troubles.H6869
Now for the second reference quoted:
Psa 32:10 ManyH7227 sorrowsH4341 shall be to the wicked:H7563 but he that trustethH982 in the LORD,H3068 mercyH2617 shall compass him about.H5437
If you have available a Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible and can do a word search using it you'll gain a wealth of understanding if you have spiritual eyes and ears. Or are willing to sit under God to listen to Him He'll speak to your heart of the secret things here hidden from view, but remember that as long as we look for the earthy, practical or worldly things that is all that we'll get from Him. In other words our desires have to change to the spiritual.
Now let's get right into the meat of the Book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:1
“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:”
Ephesians 1:1a
"Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God,..."
Paul didn't just one day say, "Hmm, I think I'll just become an apostle. I like the way people look up to Peter, James, and John. I just think I'll become an apostle." No that's not the way it was. We want to remember he was the one who hated Jesus of Nazareth. He hated anything associated with this Jesus Christ of Nazareth or Calvary. He thought Jesus was destroying his pet religion, "Judaism". But God in His Grace saved him on the road to Damascus, and immediately gave instructions that, "This man would be going to the non-Jew, the Gentiles with a whole new format," This format was not based on Judaism or the Law, not based on the Old Testament - but a whole New revelation of New Truths that had never been revealed before. Though they are buried within the language of the old by means of parables, metaphors and allegories which require our having become born again in order to hear and see these things.
He sent him out among those pagan Gentiles, and how the man was constantly confronted with the abject immorality of his day. By both sides the Religious of Judaism and the paganism of the gentiles. It was unbelievable, and yet out of that wickedness and out gross pagan immorality the man turned the Roman empire upside down by simply preaching the Gospel of Christ. The Grace of God given those in Christ, that Paul was given to preach to us. Paul wasn't a crusader, he wasn't a great politician, he wasn't a great moralist, but he preached the Gospel of the Grace of God. Now then as he ends up in prison because of his Apostleship, he's going to be writing these next three letters from prison. So he's an Apostle not of his own will, but by the Will of God. And those who find their way to God through the blood of Christ are to behave likewise as living witnesses of His divine resurrection within themselves to bear witness of this Truth to the lost of the world, both Jew and Gentile and those caught in the worlds false Religion.
Now then this Apostle is writing this particular letter to the saints there in Ephesus. And how many times have we heard it said over the years, "to whom does Paul always write?" The Believer. The Christian. He doesn't write to the unsaved world. Not that he didn't have a heart for them, but Paul knew that which too many people today don't understand, "You don't just simply win the lost by screaming at them, and preaching at them, but rather you win the lost by disciplining the receptive believer." And when that receiving believer is disciplined by the Holy Spirit. He can go out there among the ungodly world, the wicked religionists and reflect the righteousness of Christ, he's going to have an impact on lost people because the Holy Spirit's going to gush out of his inner parts as a river of Living Water. And then the unsaved is going to say, "Hey what must I do to have what you've got?" And then there's our opportunity. "Oh you believe that Christ died for you. You believe with all your heart that He rose from the dead for you, and you will be saved. (Reference I Corinthians 15:1-4)" The Book declares it, and it cannot lie.
Now we have to be careful because we had someone else question this. "Well Bill, what do you mean when you say `only believe?'" Well we don't mean just a superficial mental assent to these things, we mean that when we honestly with all our being, say, "I believe this with all my heart without a doubt, I believe from cover to cover, I believe especially that when Christ died He died for me, and I believe that He arose from the dead, He rose to give me that same resurrection Life." And that of course is what we call faith, and it's by that and that alone that we enter in to this relationship that Paul is always expounding on. So he writes to the saints. And now looking at verse 1 again we find.
Ephesians 1:1
"Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful (now the last three words in this verse are the key to the whole letter) in Christ Jesus:"
Now what kind of phrase is that? It's a prepositional phrase. Now I think there are 93 prepositional phrases in the six chapters of Ephesians that always denote our position. Such as "In Christ, In whom, In Him," or in similar fashion. The whole six chapters are constantly driving that home that we are now in a peculiar position as a receptive believer. We see back there in Romans the whole idea of the letter of Romans was to show that we were nothing but hell-bound, filthy, wicked sinners. Every one of us were capable of going to the very depth of sin, now that's what Romans shows us and it makes no difference whether we're a Hebrew or a Gentile. Then the remedy for it is this Gospel, that Christ has already forgiven us. He's already died for us, His blood has already paid the ransom payment, when we've passed through His blood it strengthens us (the meaning of H4820, guile), He arose from the dead, and all we have to do to appropriate it by believing it, that is to say receive Him, now that's the Book of Romans.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Ephesians Lesson 1 part 4
Acts 28:29
"And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning (or arguing, vain imaginations of debate, questionings) among themselves."
Now you say, "What are you bringing all this out for?" Well, you see this makes again a point of departure of the Hebrews in Paul's writing of this Gospel of Grace written to the Church, and we're going to do it like this. On our outline we have Romans, I & II Corinthians and Galatians. But now we would like to draw another line above the first elementary line. And here we reach a plateau that goes above Romans, I & II Corinthians and Galatians and when we get now up to the letter of Ephesians we come to what we call the prison epistles or prison letters. After Acts 28, while in prison, Paul writes Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians (as a high revelation of spiritual things, that is to say the greater workings of Christ within us), we're going to have the same format that we had on the first line with Romans, I & II Corinthians, and Galatians. Except now Ephesians is now going to be a higher level of doctrine. Philippians is going to be a higher level of reproof, and Colossians is going to be a higher level of correction. You won't see that until we get to it verse by verse, but here's the point we want to make. Once Paul makes this jump up into higher or deeper spiritual truths we will find there is no longer any mention of a Hebrew or the Old Testament. Now isn't that amazing? For from this point on its all about Grace and Faith working in us through Love. Because as Israel did not pass through the night of darkness (the cloud that separated them from the Egyptians is but one example of this) those who have become son's of God have by this time so passed. After the statement of Acts 28, in fact Paul does not make any references to the devil, Satan or demons, they're mute -
Acts 28:28
"Be it know therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will hear it."
There is not another word out of the Old Testament, and not once is the Hebrew mentioned again in the inspired letters of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, and what's the purpose? Well, as soon as we get into these prison epistles and higher or deeper Church truths, we're no longer concerned with that demarcation between Hebrew and Gentiles because now God is dealing with the whole human race on one level ground, the promise land which is Christ. Every person that is saved comes into the One Body of Christ on the same level ground whether he's Hebrew or Gentile or whatever.
The Hebrew has lost his identity so far as the Church Age and the New Covenant (the break of Psalm 2 between verses 8 and 9, the parenthetical insertion by God in His divine timeline) is concerned as such. And this is what we have to be aware of that this is in God's purposes that now the whole idea is the bringing together of both Hebrew and Gentile into One Body, and there is no difference. Now this is what a lot of even our messianic Jews, are beginning to turn away from, and this is these Pauline teaching that for the Age of Grace there is no difference. A Hebrew has to be saved (redeemed) today as a sinner, as a fallen son of Adam just exactly like we Gentiles), and too many of them are losing sight of that. They're trying to jump back up into that place of privilege that they enjoyed before (because as I was told "I'm a futurist, meaning that all that was said about obedient Israel still hold true for rebellious Israel, NOT so), and listen it's not there, and they have to understand that. We are now all One in Christ, and in these prison Epistles of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. There is no division between a Hebrew or a Gentile. There is no reference to the Old Testament, and it's all for a purpose.
This again leads to our teaching over and over that people have to get out of the Four Gospels and get into Paul's writings because the Four Gospels are still 90% Jewish, though Jesus spoke by means of metaphoric, symbolic and parabolic language to reveal spiritual realities they're not understood by most people. All of that has now been set aside, and is no longer in God's program. Though when properly understood they will reveal the animosity between the Jewish priests and say John the Baptist and Jesus. Remember Christ's betrayer thought originally that Jesus would become a zealot for the cause of nationalism. But when he realized that He would not do so he turned against Him and betrayed Him and then repented for his error. Now that doesn't mean that you throw it away anymore than you throw away the Old Testament. But it's just as ridiculous to say, "Well I go by what Jesus says" as it is what we discussed about touching dead things, and bringing a sacrifice to the Temple. It's the same difference. So we have to put all these things in perspective of the unfolding and the progressive revelation of Christ, even of the letters of the Apostle Paul. So we're going to start a verse by verse study of Ephesians and be constantly aware that God is no longer making any reference to the Hebrew or to the Old Testament, and it's for His own purposes.
Before we start the Book of Ephesians we have one more segment of this unfolding of the Church Epistles of Paul, and that is the I & II Thessalonian letters. Again we came through Paul's original ministry among the area, especially Asia minor and Greece, Corinth, and the letters to the Romans and Corinthians, Galatians. That we saw beginning with Acts 28:28 from his time in prison he writes what is called the prison epistles of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. These three Books are just a jump up doctrinally, in depth, and understanding from what we have back in Romans, I&II Corinthians, and Galatians. When we come to earlier letters that were written, but they're really final in their content, and those are I & II Thessalonians which can now follow the format of doctrine, reproof, correction and we go to instruction in righteousness. And again it's up on a higher plane even than what we have in the prison epistles because in I & II Thessalonians, where does the Word take us? Up to glory! Remember I Thessalonians chapter 4?
I Thessalonians 4:17
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
And in II Thessalonians Paul speaks of the Church being taken out of the way in verse 7, and verse 8 we find.
II Thessalonians 2:8a
"And then shall that Wicked (now many would say, wicked one) be revealed...."
But the truth is that it's not "one" but many because all who profess to be "Christian" but are in a religion institution of religious performance are the wicked herein spoken of. They remain so because they've used or taken His name in vain not understanding that they like Israel serve with lip service only, not in spirit and truth. This can best be illustrated by way of marriage where the woman takes the mans name but does NOT submit to his lordship of the house. She wants it her way no matter what her mate say or does, after all its her house, her phone account....her money and bank account because she may work outside the home as well..her...her, do you get the point, she may even be a liberal in mindset. So those two letters take us on up to that which we are all waiting for, and that is the fruition of everything, when we will finally be in glory with our crucified, resurrected, and ascended Lord. Now let's get right into the meat of the Book of Ephesians.
"And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning (or arguing, vain imaginations of debate, questionings) among themselves."
Now you say, "What are you bringing all this out for?" Well, you see this makes again a point of departure of the Hebrews in Paul's writing of this Gospel of Grace written to the Church, and we're going to do it like this. On our outline we have Romans, I & II Corinthians and Galatians. But now we would like to draw another line above the first elementary line. And here we reach a plateau that goes above Romans, I & II Corinthians and Galatians and when we get now up to the letter of Ephesians we come to what we call the prison epistles or prison letters. After Acts 28, while in prison, Paul writes Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians (as a high revelation of spiritual things, that is to say the greater workings of Christ within us), we're going to have the same format that we had on the first line with Romans, I & II Corinthians, and Galatians. Except now Ephesians is now going to be a higher level of doctrine. Philippians is going to be a higher level of reproof, and Colossians is going to be a higher level of correction. You won't see that until we get to it verse by verse, but here's the point we want to make. Once Paul makes this jump up into higher or deeper spiritual truths we will find there is no longer any mention of a Hebrew or the Old Testament. Now isn't that amazing? For from this point on its all about Grace and Faith working in us through Love. Because as Israel did not pass through the night of darkness (the cloud that separated them from the Egyptians is but one example of this) those who have become son's of God have by this time so passed. After the statement of Acts 28, in fact Paul does not make any references to the devil, Satan or demons, they're mute -
Acts 28:28
"Be it know therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles and that they will hear it."
There is not another word out of the Old Testament, and not once is the Hebrew mentioned again in the inspired letters of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, and what's the purpose? Well, as soon as we get into these prison epistles and higher or deeper Church truths, we're no longer concerned with that demarcation between Hebrew and Gentiles because now God is dealing with the whole human race on one level ground, the promise land which is Christ. Every person that is saved comes into the One Body of Christ on the same level ground whether he's Hebrew or Gentile or whatever.
The Hebrew has lost his identity so far as the Church Age and the New Covenant (the break of Psalm 2 between verses 8 and 9, the parenthetical insertion by God in His divine timeline) is concerned as such. And this is what we have to be aware of that this is in God's purposes that now the whole idea is the bringing together of both Hebrew and Gentile into One Body, and there is no difference. Now this is what a lot of even our messianic Jews, are beginning to turn away from, and this is these Pauline teaching that for the Age of Grace there is no difference. A Hebrew has to be saved (redeemed) today as a sinner, as a fallen son of Adam just exactly like we Gentiles), and too many of them are losing sight of that. They're trying to jump back up into that place of privilege that they enjoyed before (because as I was told "I'm a futurist, meaning that all that was said about obedient Israel still hold true for rebellious Israel, NOT so), and listen it's not there, and they have to understand that. We are now all One in Christ, and in these prison Epistles of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. There is no division between a Hebrew or a Gentile. There is no reference to the Old Testament, and it's all for a purpose.
This again leads to our teaching over and over that people have to get out of the Four Gospels and get into Paul's writings because the Four Gospels are still 90% Jewish, though Jesus spoke by means of metaphoric, symbolic and parabolic language to reveal spiritual realities they're not understood by most people. All of that has now been set aside, and is no longer in God's program. Though when properly understood they will reveal the animosity between the Jewish priests and say John the Baptist and Jesus. Remember Christ's betrayer thought originally that Jesus would become a zealot for the cause of nationalism. But when he realized that He would not do so he turned against Him and betrayed Him and then repented for his error. Now that doesn't mean that you throw it away anymore than you throw away the Old Testament. But it's just as ridiculous to say, "Well I go by what Jesus says" as it is what we discussed about touching dead things, and bringing a sacrifice to the Temple. It's the same difference. So we have to put all these things in perspective of the unfolding and the progressive revelation of Christ, even of the letters of the Apostle Paul. So we're going to start a verse by verse study of Ephesians and be constantly aware that God is no longer making any reference to the Hebrew or to the Old Testament, and it's for His own purposes.
Before we start the Book of Ephesians we have one more segment of this unfolding of the Church Epistles of Paul, and that is the I & II Thessalonian letters. Again we came through Paul's original ministry among the area, especially Asia minor and Greece, Corinth, and the letters to the Romans and Corinthians, Galatians. That we saw beginning with Acts 28:28 from his time in prison he writes what is called the prison epistles of Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. These three Books are just a jump up doctrinally, in depth, and understanding from what we have back in Romans, I&II Corinthians, and Galatians. When we come to earlier letters that were written, but they're really final in their content, and those are I & II Thessalonians which can now follow the format of doctrine, reproof, correction and we go to instruction in righteousness. And again it's up on a higher plane even than what we have in the prison epistles because in I & II Thessalonians, where does the Word take us? Up to glory! Remember I Thessalonians chapter 4?
I Thessalonians 4:17
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
And in II Thessalonians Paul speaks of the Church being taken out of the way in verse 7, and verse 8 we find.
II Thessalonians 2:8a
"And then shall that Wicked (now many would say, wicked one) be revealed...."
But the truth is that it's not "one" but many because all who profess to be "Christian" but are in a religion institution of religious performance are the wicked herein spoken of. They remain so because they've used or taken His name in vain not understanding that they like Israel serve with lip service only, not in spirit and truth. This can best be illustrated by way of marriage where the woman takes the mans name but does NOT submit to his lordship of the house. She wants it her way no matter what her mate say or does, after all its her house, her phone account....her money and bank account because she may work outside the home as well..her...her, do you get the point, she may even be a liberal in mindset. So those two letters take us on up to that which we are all waiting for, and that is the fruition of everything, when we will finally be in glory with our crucified, resurrected, and ascended Lord. Now let's get right into the meat of the Book of Ephesians.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Ephesians Lesson 1 part 3
In other words, Israel has been constantly covered with a veneer of blindness even way back in Isaiah's and Ezekiel's day and before. And here Paul is saying the same thing. "I'm in the same situation. I have tried to get you to see the truth, but you would not." and what was the Truth, Jesus was and is the Truth, which many search for by looking in all the wrong places, directions and in the wrong way. What does scripture tell us about these days? Lets look at what is said about John the Baptizer to find out. We'll find our answer in both Matthew and Luke. First Matthew chapter 11 verses 12 and 13 in particular and then Luke chapter 16 verse 16:
Matthew 11:7-19
“As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went you out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went you out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went you out for to see? A prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, which shall prepare your way before You. Verily I say to you, Among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (12-13) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John (they spoke of the end of days which John ushered in unnoticed by Israel and its Religious leadership). And if you will receive it, this is Elias (meaning: my God is Yehovah, who was a true Israelite), which was for to come. He that has ears to hear, let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like to children sitting in the markets, and calling to their fellows, and saying, We have piped for you, and you have not danced; we have mourned for you, and you have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He had a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.”
And now Luke 16 and verse 16: 14-17 “The Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (16) The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law (in this case love or faith as to the doling out of food) to fail.”
What is here revealed is this; John was the promised and was the expected herald who would usher in the promised New Covenant or kingdom/Church age and was in effect the end of the old. How is this revealed? By this phrase "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached," so he ushered in the New through repentance from unbelief and idolatry in which the hole of the nation of Israel was overwhelmed. It was also because of this that Paul could say, a partial hardening had come upon Israel, because they were already being governed by a familiar spirit of Religion which blinded them and caused their not knowing the time or the season of Christ's first visitation. Not to mention the spiritual aspect of God's language through out the Old Testament. This same spirit caused the nation to be looking for a national military leader who would rise up a worrier mentality to over through the Romans and reestablish the Kingdom of David before their eyes. What they and the religious of this present darkness could not see or understand was this; that God in Christ was activating His promised New Covenant and kingdom/Church age in His son and through His actions and words. Now I used the lower case for "son" because it was in Jesus' flesh as the "son of man" that this was done and which His statement from the cross brought about when He said, "It is finished". But more importantly it was while He was with the disciples in the garden, the garden because it was in the garden that Adam gave away the Glory of God for a bite of the forbidden fruit to fall into death and sins grip and slavery. Making all mankind sinners in their nature or natural state of being, that is to say sons of the devil, Satan. And now for the cup of affliction was welcomed and received by these words "not My will but Your Will O' God be done", paraphrased. It is through this revelation that we are all required to pass in order to enter the kingdom/Church and the Body of Christ and the New Covenant for a seed has to fall into the ground and die before Newness of Life can come from it (John12:24). The doling out of food is the receiving of Christ in the flesh of those who have by trusting as Abraham trusted that faith's activity of Divine Love restored and Faith causes Grace to be operative within those who have entered Salvation. Wherein God is doing all for His glory in the receive being, Christ-one...."Christian".
All right now, verse 28 of Acts 28. And remember where Paul is. He's in Rome in prison. Now he says-
Acts 28:28
"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."
He had told them earlier in his ministry that if they're not going to believe it, then we'll go to the Gentiles, so this isn't the first time, but it's the final time (in fact in total in Acts alone the Hebrews had rejected God's offer no less than six times). He told them earlier, "I'm going to go to the Gentles," and of course he always did, but he would still come back and appeal to the Nation of Israel. But now it's final, he's taking the higher road less traveled and taking it as we saw in verse 28.
Acts 28:28
"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."
It doesn't say they will all believe it, but rather they will hear it. That was Israel's problem from the get go back there in Exodus where they refused to hear God's voice and harken unto Him only. By so doing they remained in the fog of darkness and the deepest of nights just like the cloud that followed and separated them from the Egyptians as recorded in Exodus 14:18-20. And because they chose to remain in this fog they were given a familiar spirit to believe the lie (Isaiah 29). And now verse 29.
Acts 28:29
"And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves."
Matthew 11:7-19
“As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John, What went you out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went you out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what went you out for to see? A prophet? yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before your face, which shall prepare your way before You. Verily I say to you, Among them that are born of women there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. (12-13) And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John (they spoke of the end of days which John ushered in unnoticed by Israel and its Religious leadership). And if you will receive it, this is Elias (meaning: my God is Yehovah, who was a true Israelite), which was for to come. He that has ears to hear, let him hear. But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like to children sitting in the markets, and calling to their fellows, and saying, We have piped for you, and you have not danced; we have mourned for you, and you have not lamented. For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He had a devil. The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.”
And now Luke 16 and verse 16: 14-17 “The Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, You are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knows your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. (16) The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presses into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law (in this case love or faith as to the doling out of food) to fail.”
What is here revealed is this; John was the promised and was the expected herald who would usher in the promised New Covenant or kingdom/Church age and was in effect the end of the old. How is this revealed? By this phrase "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached," so he ushered in the New through repentance from unbelief and idolatry in which the hole of the nation of Israel was overwhelmed. It was also because of this that Paul could say, a partial hardening had come upon Israel, because they were already being governed by a familiar spirit of Religion which blinded them and caused their not knowing the time or the season of Christ's first visitation. Not to mention the spiritual aspect of God's language through out the Old Testament. This same spirit caused the nation to be looking for a national military leader who would rise up a worrier mentality to over through the Romans and reestablish the Kingdom of David before their eyes. What they and the religious of this present darkness could not see or understand was this; that God in Christ was activating His promised New Covenant and kingdom/Church age in His son and through His actions and words. Now I used the lower case for "son" because it was in Jesus' flesh as the "son of man" that this was done and which His statement from the cross brought about when He said, "It is finished". But more importantly it was while He was with the disciples in the garden, the garden because it was in the garden that Adam gave away the Glory of God for a bite of the forbidden fruit to fall into death and sins grip and slavery. Making all mankind sinners in their nature or natural state of being, that is to say sons of the devil, Satan. And now for the cup of affliction was welcomed and received by these words "not My will but Your Will O' God be done", paraphrased. It is through this revelation that we are all required to pass in order to enter the kingdom/Church and the Body of Christ and the New Covenant for a seed has to fall into the ground and die before Newness of Life can come from it (John12:24). The doling out of food is the receiving of Christ in the flesh of those who have by trusting as Abraham trusted that faith's activity of Divine Love restored and Faith causes Grace to be operative within those who have entered Salvation. Wherein God is doing all for His glory in the receive being, Christ-one...."Christian".
All right now, verse 28 of Acts 28. And remember where Paul is. He's in Rome in prison. Now he says-
Acts 28:28
"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."
He had told them earlier in his ministry that if they're not going to believe it, then we'll go to the Gentiles, so this isn't the first time, but it's the final time (in fact in total in Acts alone the Hebrews had rejected God's offer no less than six times). He told them earlier, "I'm going to go to the Gentles," and of course he always did, but he would still come back and appeal to the Nation of Israel. But now it's final, he's taking the higher road less traveled and taking it as we saw in verse 28.
Acts 28:28
"Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."
It doesn't say they will all believe it, but rather they will hear it. That was Israel's problem from the get go back there in Exodus where they refused to hear God's voice and harken unto Him only. By so doing they remained in the fog of darkness and the deepest of nights just like the cloud that followed and separated them from the Egyptians as recorded in Exodus 14:18-20. And because they chose to remain in this fog they were given a familiar spirit to believe the lie (Isaiah 29). And now verse 29.
Acts 28:29
"And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves."
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Ephesians Lesson 1 part 2
Before we get into Paul's missionary journeys allow me to interject a thought on faith. Now this is taken from the Old Testament scriptures and are dealing with darkness wherein or through which we come to God. Then we'll look at what Paul has said about these scriptures. For while we remain in His darkness He is at work developing His Faith in us. Hear what the Spirit is saying through Job in chapters 10 and 12 and David and is found in Psalm 18:
Job 10:21-22
“Before I go, I shall not return, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness is of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.” and Job 12:22 “He discovers (reveals) deep things out of darkness (misery, ignorance, and wickedness), and brings out to light the shadow of death (pestilence, ruin).” and now for David Psalm 18:9-11, 28 “He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.......28-29, 30-31 "For You will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. For by Thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall..... As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust Him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?” now what has Paul revealed to us about these things? 1Corinthians 4:4-5 “For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” and now we'll only look at a portion of scripture as found in 2 Corinthians 5:5-8 “Now He that has wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” and from here we'll look at Hebrews chapter 11: Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear......(6) But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and He is a reward of them that diligently seek Him.” So from all that we've shared here we find that God in Christ is our reward because for the rest of humanity He is hid in darkness but when we've become willing to pass through the valley of the shadow of death we in effect pass through the darkness of the unknown and come out in His Light and Life. Now back to our study.
Remember his missionaries journeys up into Asia Minor beginning about 40 AD around the city of Antioch up in Syria. During those early years from 40 AD until he goes to prison probably in 64 AD, during this period of time of about 25 years, he is constantly appealing to the Hebrews on the basis of the Old Testament, but he has now written Romans which is the Book of Doctrine (coming from the earthy or fleshly things to spiritual teaching). So even though Galatians was written earlier, yet the Holy Spirit put Romans in our New Testament/Covenant exactly where it belongs because all Scripture is given and is profitable for first of all "Doctrine." Then the next 2 Books that we have are I & II Corinthians were for the next part of the format and that is for "Reproof." You'll remember when we look at the Corinthian letters, what do they need reproof in? All the problems they were having. They had immorality, they had dissension in the Church, they had divisions, they were having problems with legal and religious matters with one another. They had problems with what they could eat and couldn't eat. The Church was just beset with all kinds of religious problems. So Paul had to reprove them with those two letters of I & II Corinthians. But they're still appropriate for us even today. They were to have remained spiritual and in trusting Faith which works through God's Love in receptivity of Grace.
When we come to the Book of Galatians, even though it was written earlier, but is 4th in the order of the Church Epistles. Now we have a Book that was written for "correction." Do you remember what the Galatians needed to correct? Where were they slipping off course to? Legalism/Religion. They were slipping off course, and going back into religious legalism. Much as the letter to the Hebrew-Christians had done or were about to do. So the Books of Galatians and Hebrews were written to simply bring them back on course. We're not under Law, or Religion but rather under Grace(which operates through Faith), the whole six chapters of that little Book were on that theme, and that theme alone. But if you remember when we were in Galatians, what was he constantly referring to? Abraham. And then we used the allegory of Isaac and Ishmael as pictures of Law and Religion as compared to Grace, see? Constantly flipping back into the Old Testament, and using the Hebrews as examples and appealing to the Hebrews to come out of their blindness, and out of their religious legalism (from under the familiar spirit given them by Yehovah because of their stubbornness as recorded by Isaiah), and step into the light of God's Grace activities through His faithfulness as the operating force. Now that covered this whole period of time while Paul was roaming the Roman Empire, establishing Churches. Now do you still have Acts 28? All of a sudden there's an interruption in Paul's ministry, and he's going to be arrested, and he's going to be taken to prison in Rome. So let's look at that. Remember Paul had arrived at Rome after all the shipwrecks and turmoil of getting from the region of the Caesarean's.
Acts 28:17
"And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews (that is the Jewish community in Rome.) together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people (Israel), or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans;"
We all remember how the Hebrews hated the Apostle Paul. They treated him just like he treated them earlier. So they were constantly after his life, trying to kill him one way or another. Just as they had done with Jesus because He spoke of their false religion and nationalism none of which He had anything to do with. Because they did not know God's plan or course of direction from earthy to spiritual. I might say that most of this evil darkness don't know nor understand this still. They had totally miss read His intent and the purpose of Jesus' first coming and the restoration of all things to God through Christ Jesus as the son of man. Then remember the Romans took Paul under their wings and he had to appeal to Caesar, now he is in Rome waiting for justice to be meted out. Now verse 18 & 19.
Acts 28:18-20
"Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. But when the Jews spake against it, (that is his message of salvation, the revelation of Christ) I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; (and that's why he's in Rome) not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. For this cause (because he had no controversy that had caused his arrest) therefore have I called for you, to see you, and speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel (what was Israel hoping for? Their savior and salvation from the worlds evils but they did not know nor understand God's plan was not to be in the physical and material but rather the spiritual) I am bound with this chain."
See the man never lost his love for his kinsmen according to the flesh. Even in spite of the fact that they were constantly trying to put him to death. They were trying to upset his ministry, but Paul never lost his love for them and the hope of Israel. Now after these Jewish leaders in Rome had come to meet with him where he was under house arrest. We find in verse 25.
Acts 28:25-27
"And when they agreed not among themselves, (that is these Jewish leaders at home) they departed, (in other words they left. They couldn't agree on anything) after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spoke the Holy Ghost by Esaias (Isaiah 6:9-10) the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." ( also Ezekiel 12:2)
Job 10:21-22
“Before I go, I shall not return, to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness is of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.” and Job 12:22 “He discovers (reveals) deep things out of darkness (misery, ignorance, and wickedness), and brings out to light the shadow of death (pestilence, ruin).” and now for David Psalm 18:9-11, 28 “He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under His feet. And He rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, He did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.......28-29, 30-31 "For You will light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. For by Thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall..... As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust Him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?” now what has Paul revealed to us about these things? 1Corinthians 4:4-5 “For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.” and now we'll only look at a portion of scripture as found in 2 Corinthians 5:5-8 “Now He that has wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also has given to us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” and from here we'll look at Hebrews chapter 11: Hebrews 11:1-3, 6 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear......(6) But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and He is a reward of them that diligently seek Him.” So from all that we've shared here we find that God in Christ is our reward because for the rest of humanity He is hid in darkness but when we've become willing to pass through the valley of the shadow of death we in effect pass through the darkness of the unknown and come out in His Light and Life. Now back to our study.
Remember his missionaries journeys up into Asia Minor beginning about 40 AD around the city of Antioch up in Syria. During those early years from 40 AD until he goes to prison probably in 64 AD, during this period of time of about 25 years, he is constantly appealing to the Hebrews on the basis of the Old Testament, but he has now written Romans which is the Book of Doctrine (coming from the earthy or fleshly things to spiritual teaching). So even though Galatians was written earlier, yet the Holy Spirit put Romans in our New Testament/Covenant exactly where it belongs because all Scripture is given and is profitable for first of all "Doctrine." Then the next 2 Books that we have are I & II Corinthians were for the next part of the format and that is for "Reproof." You'll remember when we look at the Corinthian letters, what do they need reproof in? All the problems they were having. They had immorality, they had dissension in the Church, they had divisions, they were having problems with legal and religious matters with one another. They had problems with what they could eat and couldn't eat. The Church was just beset with all kinds of religious problems. So Paul had to reprove them with those two letters of I & II Corinthians. But they're still appropriate for us even today. They were to have remained spiritual and in trusting Faith which works through God's Love in receptivity of Grace.
When we come to the Book of Galatians, even though it was written earlier, but is 4th in the order of the Church Epistles. Now we have a Book that was written for "correction." Do you remember what the Galatians needed to correct? Where were they slipping off course to? Legalism/Religion. They were slipping off course, and going back into religious legalism. Much as the letter to the Hebrew-Christians had done or were about to do. So the Books of Galatians and Hebrews were written to simply bring them back on course. We're not under Law, or Religion but rather under Grace(which operates through Faith), the whole six chapters of that little Book were on that theme, and that theme alone. But if you remember when we were in Galatians, what was he constantly referring to? Abraham. And then we used the allegory of Isaac and Ishmael as pictures of Law and Religion as compared to Grace, see? Constantly flipping back into the Old Testament, and using the Hebrews as examples and appealing to the Hebrews to come out of their blindness, and out of their religious legalism (from under the familiar spirit given them by Yehovah because of their stubbornness as recorded by Isaiah), and step into the light of God's Grace activities through His faithfulness as the operating force. Now that covered this whole period of time while Paul was roaming the Roman Empire, establishing Churches. Now do you still have Acts 28? All of a sudden there's an interruption in Paul's ministry, and he's going to be arrested, and he's going to be taken to prison in Rome. So let's look at that. Remember Paul had arrived at Rome after all the shipwrecks and turmoil of getting from the region of the Caesarean's.
Acts 28:17
"And it came to pass, that after three days Paul called the chief of the Jews (that is the Jewish community in Rome.) together: and when they were come together, he said unto them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people (Israel), or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans;"
We all remember how the Hebrews hated the Apostle Paul. They treated him just like he treated them earlier. So they were constantly after his life, trying to kill him one way or another. Just as they had done with Jesus because He spoke of their false religion and nationalism none of which He had anything to do with. Because they did not know God's plan or course of direction from earthy to spiritual. I might say that most of this evil darkness don't know nor understand this still. They had totally miss read His intent and the purpose of Jesus' first coming and the restoration of all things to God through Christ Jesus as the son of man. Then remember the Romans took Paul under their wings and he had to appeal to Caesar, now he is in Rome waiting for justice to be meted out. Now verse 18 & 19.
Acts 28:18-20
"Who, when they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. But when the Jews spake against it, (that is his message of salvation, the revelation of Christ) I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar; (and that's why he's in Rome) not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. For this cause (because he had no controversy that had caused his arrest) therefore have I called for you, to see you, and speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel (what was Israel hoping for? Their savior and salvation from the worlds evils but they did not know nor understand God's plan was not to be in the physical and material but rather the spiritual) I am bound with this chain."
See the man never lost his love for his kinsmen according to the flesh. Even in spite of the fact that they were constantly trying to put him to death. They were trying to upset his ministry, but Paul never lost his love for them and the hope of Israel. Now after these Jewish leaders in Rome had come to meet with him where he was under house arrest. We find in verse 25.
Acts 28:25-27
"And when they agreed not among themselves, (that is these Jewish leaders at home) they departed, (in other words they left. They couldn't agree on anything) after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spoke the Holy Ghost by Esaias (Isaiah 6:9-10) the prophet unto our fathers, Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." ( also Ezekiel 12:2)
Friday, March 22, 2013
Ephesians Lesson 1 our introduction through #5
DOCTRINE, REPROOF, CORRECTION, INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS
Before we get into this study I must acknowledge the wealth of knowledge both natural and spiritual which we've received first from God the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit who are one Spirit of all Truth and indwells us. Then such mystics as St. John of the Cross, Jacob Behman, William Law, Andrew Murray, Major William Ian Thomas and lastly James A. Fowler of Christ In You Ministries and Watchman Nee, E.W. Kenyon and a few others who's materials we read during our early years as babes in Christ, while we struggled through our first estate in redemption. As with all of the outlines used by us we've taken the basics from Les Feldick and his program of Through the Bible with Les Feldick, as they are the most simple to use and follow.
Before we get into the meat of this study it might be said that Paul was Christcentered or Christocentric in his approach to this Gospel of Christ because Christ is the Gospel and the Gospel is Christ. Which is the revelation of John in his book titled Revelation. In fact we've tried to hold to this same line of thought in all our writings. As with all our writings as we begin to move forward in each days sharing the Holy Spirit reveals more of Christ and His activity and through them adjusts what we have as notes and at times has changed them. As we learn all that Christ is through this method.
We're going to look at a different timeline that covers Paul's Church Epistles. The reason we like to share these things is to show how intrinsically and how beautifully, all the Bible just fits together. Everything is so programmed that no human could have ever dreamed it up. Now we're going to see that there are seven of Paul's Epistles that were written to the Church, and they're called the Church Epistles. Paul just wrote those letters as it was appropriate and it just fell out that there were seven of them that were written directly for the Church. In the Book of Romans we find that he comes out with seven distinct things that God had accomplished with the Nation of Israel. All of this just points out the inspiration of everything, even to the way they were lined up in our New Testament, which is not according to the chronological order that he wrote them. But the Holy Spirit put them in the way they were supposed to be when men of God put the New Testament together.
The Books of the New Testament are sometimes in various copies of antiquity in different orders. In other words, the New Testaments in libraries across the world are not always Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Even the Four Gospels may be mixed up, and the same way with the little epistles of Peter, James, Jude and John, as they're not always in that order. But every one of Paul's epistles are always (in every copy of the New Testament that's available) in the same order that we have them today. Now that tells us that the Holy Spirit was in total control when the men who met (in approximately 350 AD) put the cannon of Scripture together, formulating our New Testament. So always remember that God has particularly brooded over these Pauline Epistles because they are the ones appropriate for us. But like so much of scripture unless we have eyes to see and ears to hear we'll miss the underlying tones such as the wickedness of religion and the animosity towards all things of religion (the familiar spirit of Isaiah 19 and 29) which both John the Baptist and Jesus brought to the front or foreground in the gospels. Even though many miss the sternness of the language which they both used especially when addressing those of the Jewish priesthood though it was not limited to them alone. It also carried over to those of the militant or nationalistic propensity of the day which later caused the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem just as Jesus and Daniel and the prophets said would come about. Which happened shortly after Paul and Peter were removed from the scene.
Now turn for a moment to II Timothy 3. We'll be looking at Ephesians verse by verse, but before we get started there let's look at II Timothy, where the Apostle Paul writes in verse 16 -
II Timothy 3:16
"All scripture (the whole Bible from cover to cover that we now have) is given by inspiration of God,..."
Now we know nothing irks us more when (even) good men, and we're sure they mean well, for example they'll say Luke was a Gentile. Remember Luke wrote a good portion of our New Testament, the Book of Luke and Acts and as we've said that he was not a Gentile, but rather he was Jewish and physician. And now there's articles from out in television land proving almost beyond a shadow of doubt that Luke was indeed a Hebrew. We just based it on a verse in Romans where Paul says -
Romans 3:1-2
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them (the Hebrews) were committed the oracles (Words, a set discourse or utterance) of God."
Now how in the world can we make a statement like that and then have something like the Book of Luke and Acts written by a Gentile? Well we're sorry but it just won't fit, and so on that basis we've felt that Luke was a Hebrew. Now granted he had a Roman name, but Paul did also (see Saul was Paul's Jewish name). Paul was a Roman name and we think much of the same thing happened with Luke. You know they tell us Luke must have been a tremendous diarist. In other words he must have kept a perfect diary every day, especially as he traveled. No. We're sure a lot of these things were in Luke's mind, as he remembered things that took place, but he didn't write the Scripture from what was in his memory. Luke wrote the Scripture as the Holy Spirit inspired him to write it, and it was the same way with the other gospel writers.
They may have remembered a lot of the things that took place in Christ's earthly ministry, but they didn't write from what they remembered. They wrote from what the Holy Spirit inspired them to write, and always remember that. All writers of Scripture even though they were part and parcel of that point in time and their personality shines through because of it, yet what they wrote was not from notes they had gathered, it wasn't from hearsay, but as the Holy Spirit moved them to write. Now looking at verse 16 again.
II Timothy 3:16a
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctorine, (good teaching) for reproof, (when things have to be straightened out) for correction,..." (for someone who gets off course)
Now we were mulling this word correction over, and we remembered when we were putting men on the moon. And as those rockets were going though space that they had to constantly correct their trajectory because if they were off just a fraction of a degree with the distance involved they would have missed the moon for example by who knows how much. So what did they constantly have to do? Correct. Now that's what the Scripture has to do. It's so easy to get off course, but the Scripture is here to bring us back on course, and that's what correction stands for. That's why we're admonished to study and then to study yet again and then again. So the Scriptures are profitable -
II Timothy 3:16b
"...for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
It's kind of unique that all of Paul's Church letters especially the seven that we're going to note, all fall into doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. We've said before that all Scripture from Genesis through Revelation is a progressive revelation of Christ. In other words, as we come up through the Old Testament, God is always revealing something that the fellows back there didn't know. Even those of Jesus' day did not know what was written in the same fashion as those who have the Holy Spirit or Spirit of all Truth now have. Because it was hidden from sight (as fragments of a picture) and in some cases it was veiled from view. We come into the New Testament, or more correctly the promised New Covenant and God begins to reveal things that weren't in clear sight in the Old Testament. And especially when we get to the Apostle Paul's writings. Revelations that were never hinted at in the Old Testament (but were none the less still there), revelation that Jesus never spoke of accept in veiled language as parables, allegories or metaphors.
And within the letters of Paul and especially the seven Church letters that we're going to be looking at, again it's a progressive revelation going from the beginning of his writings to the end, but it's going to be under this format. First doctrine, then reproof, then correction, and last instruction in righteousness. Now we point that out only to show how beautifully this Book is put together. Paul didn't sit down and say, "Now how can I do this, I've got to be able to put doctrine first, I've got to somehow be able to write in the area of reproof." No. We don't think the Apostle Paul, when he wrote his letters, even realized that he was writing Scripture. We think that he would have been aghast if he could have seen down through the corridors of history what his writing have become. Paul just wrote as the Holy Spirit inspired him to write, and fired the letter off to these various Churches by courier.
The Book of Romans he sent to Rome from Corinth with Phoebe, a lady. Other letters went with some of his other friends such as Titus and Timothy, but we don't think he had any idea that this was going to become what we call cannon of Scripture. But whether he knew it or not he put it out with this very format of doctrine, reproof, correction and then instruction in righteousness.
We're going to put again a timeline of sorts dealing with Paul's Epistles and we'll start back here with his letter that was written during early missionary travels. Most people are aware of missionary travel when he left Antioch and went up into Asia Minor, Derbe, and so forth. And then later on in his second journey he went all the way over to Greece, and so forth. Those journeys began about 40 AD, when he came back from Arabia and his year or so of instruction given him by the Lord and in the area of Mount Sinai which began about 37 AD. These letters then became what we now know as Hebrews, Romans, I & II Corinthians, and then came the Book of Galatians.
Romans was written about 64 AD, and Galatians was written earlier than that in about 60 AD. Then the Corinthian letters were written somewhere around 61 or 62 AD. Those four letters then were written during his time of missionary travels. By virtue of the Hebrews being in every city in the Roman Empire, wherever the Apostle Paul went, where did he go first? To the Hebrews, to the Synagogue or temple. So being a Hebrew himself and having been steeped in Judaism, having a love for his kinsman according to the flesh as he calls them, he would always go first to the Hebrews. He would expound to them out of the Old Testament because we want to remember that there was no New Testament. (Nor was the New Covenant fully revealed at or during that time because we're still in the enigma of the interim between the Lord's first coming and His second. During this period we're to live by trusting as Abraham and Jesus did. Trusting God's faithfulness, by receptivity of His Grace. For Faith is an action word of Love. Not a stagnate or lifeless form but rather Living and actively working through Grace within those of receptive by faith, the same faith which Jesus activated and demonstrated by His life style. One writer of the mysteries of God calls faith a darkness of night because therein we're to learn not only Christ but also God as God develops His faith within us through a darkness of sorts. Because in darkness we learn trust and then the Light comes within our soul/spirit only through faith's activity.) Even the Four Gospels weren't written until after Paul had written his letters, so he couldn't even tell people, "If you want to know a little more about Jesus and His earthly ministry, then read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John." NO! So, everywhere he went he had to simply speak the Word verbally, out of the Old Scriptures scrolls because there was nothing written until he began his letters. For its through them that we learn of Christ and the fulness of Christ and His day to day operations within us who have become receptive of Him and His Grace and Truth, as our All in all.
Now we're going to come to I & II Thessalonians which are going to be at the very end of the seven letters to the churches, and they're going to be the ones that are "instruction in righteousness." But the amazing thing is, even though they're at the end of the line of revelation given Paul, these were written first, probably about 57 or 58 AD. But the Holy Spirit, even though He prompted the Apostle Paul to write them earlier, saw fit to put them at the end in our New Testament/Covenant order. Now then, we want to turn to Acts chapter 28. Because, this is all history as well as Bible study, because if we understand the historical setting, then we can understand where the apostle is coming from and why the Holy Spirit does what He does.
Before we get into this study I must acknowledge the wealth of knowledge both natural and spiritual which we've received first from God the Father, Christ and the Holy Spirit who are one Spirit of all Truth and indwells us. Then such mystics as St. John of the Cross, Jacob Behman, William Law, Andrew Murray, Major William Ian Thomas and lastly James A. Fowler of Christ In You Ministries and Watchman Nee, E.W. Kenyon and a few others who's materials we read during our early years as babes in Christ, while we struggled through our first estate in redemption. As with all of the outlines used by us we've taken the basics from Les Feldick and his program of Through the Bible with Les Feldick, as they are the most simple to use and follow.
Before we get into the meat of this study it might be said that Paul was Christcentered or Christocentric in his approach to this Gospel of Christ because Christ is the Gospel and the Gospel is Christ. Which is the revelation of John in his book titled Revelation. In fact we've tried to hold to this same line of thought in all our writings. As with all our writings as we begin to move forward in each days sharing the Holy Spirit reveals more of Christ and His activity and through them adjusts what we have as notes and at times has changed them. As we learn all that Christ is through this method.
We're going to look at a different timeline that covers Paul's Church Epistles. The reason we like to share these things is to show how intrinsically and how beautifully, all the Bible just fits together. Everything is so programmed that no human could have ever dreamed it up. Now we're going to see that there are seven of Paul's Epistles that were written to the Church, and they're called the Church Epistles. Paul just wrote those letters as it was appropriate and it just fell out that there were seven of them that were written directly for the Church. In the Book of Romans we find that he comes out with seven distinct things that God had accomplished with the Nation of Israel. All of this just points out the inspiration of everything, even to the way they were lined up in our New Testament, which is not according to the chronological order that he wrote them. But the Holy Spirit put them in the way they were supposed to be when men of God put the New Testament together.
The Books of the New Testament are sometimes in various copies of antiquity in different orders. In other words, the New Testaments in libraries across the world are not always Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Even the Four Gospels may be mixed up, and the same way with the little epistles of Peter, James, Jude and John, as they're not always in that order. But every one of Paul's epistles are always (in every copy of the New Testament that's available) in the same order that we have them today. Now that tells us that the Holy Spirit was in total control when the men who met (in approximately 350 AD) put the cannon of Scripture together, formulating our New Testament. So always remember that God has particularly brooded over these Pauline Epistles because they are the ones appropriate for us. But like so much of scripture unless we have eyes to see and ears to hear we'll miss the underlying tones such as the wickedness of religion and the animosity towards all things of religion (the familiar spirit of Isaiah 19 and 29) which both John the Baptist and Jesus brought to the front or foreground in the gospels. Even though many miss the sternness of the language which they both used especially when addressing those of the Jewish priesthood though it was not limited to them alone. It also carried over to those of the militant or nationalistic propensity of the day which later caused the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem just as Jesus and Daniel and the prophets said would come about. Which happened shortly after Paul and Peter were removed from the scene.
Now turn for a moment to II Timothy 3. We'll be looking at Ephesians verse by verse, but before we get started there let's look at II Timothy, where the Apostle Paul writes in verse 16 -
II Timothy 3:16
"All scripture (the whole Bible from cover to cover that we now have) is given by inspiration of God,..."
Now we know nothing irks us more when (even) good men, and we're sure they mean well, for example they'll say Luke was a Gentile. Remember Luke wrote a good portion of our New Testament, the Book of Luke and Acts and as we've said that he was not a Gentile, but rather he was Jewish and physician. And now there's articles from out in television land proving almost beyond a shadow of doubt that Luke was indeed a Hebrew. We just based it on a verse in Romans where Paul says -
Romans 3:1-2
"What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision? Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them (the Hebrews) were committed the oracles (Words, a set discourse or utterance) of God."
Now how in the world can we make a statement like that and then have something like the Book of Luke and Acts written by a Gentile? Well we're sorry but it just won't fit, and so on that basis we've felt that Luke was a Hebrew. Now granted he had a Roman name, but Paul did also (see Saul was Paul's Jewish name). Paul was a Roman name and we think much of the same thing happened with Luke. You know they tell us Luke must have been a tremendous diarist. In other words he must have kept a perfect diary every day, especially as he traveled. No. We're sure a lot of these things were in Luke's mind, as he remembered things that took place, but he didn't write the Scripture from what was in his memory. Luke wrote the Scripture as the Holy Spirit inspired him to write it, and it was the same way with the other gospel writers.
They may have remembered a lot of the things that took place in Christ's earthly ministry, but they didn't write from what they remembered. They wrote from what the Holy Spirit inspired them to write, and always remember that. All writers of Scripture even though they were part and parcel of that point in time and their personality shines through because of it, yet what they wrote was not from notes they had gathered, it wasn't from hearsay, but as the Holy Spirit moved them to write. Now looking at verse 16 again.
II Timothy 3:16a
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctorine, (good teaching) for reproof, (when things have to be straightened out) for correction,..." (for someone who gets off course)
Now we were mulling this word correction over, and we remembered when we were putting men on the moon. And as those rockets were going though space that they had to constantly correct their trajectory because if they were off just a fraction of a degree with the distance involved they would have missed the moon for example by who knows how much. So what did they constantly have to do? Correct. Now that's what the Scripture has to do. It's so easy to get off course, but the Scripture is here to bring us back on course, and that's what correction stands for. That's why we're admonished to study and then to study yet again and then again. So the Scriptures are profitable -
II Timothy 3:16b
"...for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
It's kind of unique that all of Paul's Church letters especially the seven that we're going to note, all fall into doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. We've said before that all Scripture from Genesis through Revelation is a progressive revelation of Christ. In other words, as we come up through the Old Testament, God is always revealing something that the fellows back there didn't know. Even those of Jesus' day did not know what was written in the same fashion as those who have the Holy Spirit or Spirit of all Truth now have. Because it was hidden from sight (as fragments of a picture) and in some cases it was veiled from view. We come into the New Testament, or more correctly the promised New Covenant and God begins to reveal things that weren't in clear sight in the Old Testament. And especially when we get to the Apostle Paul's writings. Revelations that were never hinted at in the Old Testament (but were none the less still there), revelation that Jesus never spoke of accept in veiled language as parables, allegories or metaphors.
And within the letters of Paul and especially the seven Church letters that we're going to be looking at, again it's a progressive revelation going from the beginning of his writings to the end, but it's going to be under this format. First doctrine, then reproof, then correction, and last instruction in righteousness. Now we point that out only to show how beautifully this Book is put together. Paul didn't sit down and say, "Now how can I do this, I've got to be able to put doctrine first, I've got to somehow be able to write in the area of reproof." No. We don't think the Apostle Paul, when he wrote his letters, even realized that he was writing Scripture. We think that he would have been aghast if he could have seen down through the corridors of history what his writing have become. Paul just wrote as the Holy Spirit inspired him to write, and fired the letter off to these various Churches by courier.
The Book of Romans he sent to Rome from Corinth with Phoebe, a lady. Other letters went with some of his other friends such as Titus and Timothy, but we don't think he had any idea that this was going to become what we call cannon of Scripture. But whether he knew it or not he put it out with this very format of doctrine, reproof, correction and then instruction in righteousness.
We're going to put again a timeline of sorts dealing with Paul's Epistles and we'll start back here with his letter that was written during early missionary travels. Most people are aware of missionary travel when he left Antioch and went up into Asia Minor, Derbe, and so forth. And then later on in his second journey he went all the way over to Greece, and so forth. Those journeys began about 40 AD, when he came back from Arabia and his year or so of instruction given him by the Lord and in the area of Mount Sinai which began about 37 AD. These letters then became what we now know as Hebrews, Romans, I & II Corinthians, and then came the Book of Galatians.
Romans was written about 64 AD, and Galatians was written earlier than that in about 60 AD. Then the Corinthian letters were written somewhere around 61 or 62 AD. Those four letters then were written during his time of missionary travels. By virtue of the Hebrews being in every city in the Roman Empire, wherever the Apostle Paul went, where did he go first? To the Hebrews, to the Synagogue or temple. So being a Hebrew himself and having been steeped in Judaism, having a love for his kinsman according to the flesh as he calls them, he would always go first to the Hebrews. He would expound to them out of the Old Testament because we want to remember that there was no New Testament. (Nor was the New Covenant fully revealed at or during that time because we're still in the enigma of the interim between the Lord's first coming and His second. During this period we're to live by trusting as Abraham and Jesus did. Trusting God's faithfulness, by receptivity of His Grace. For Faith is an action word of Love. Not a stagnate or lifeless form but rather Living and actively working through Grace within those of receptive by faith, the same faith which Jesus activated and demonstrated by His life style. One writer of the mysteries of God calls faith a darkness of night because therein we're to learn not only Christ but also God as God develops His faith within us through a darkness of sorts. Because in darkness we learn trust and then the Light comes within our soul/spirit only through faith's activity.) Even the Four Gospels weren't written until after Paul had written his letters, so he couldn't even tell people, "If you want to know a little more about Jesus and His earthly ministry, then read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John." NO! So, everywhere he went he had to simply speak the Word verbally, out of the Old Scriptures scrolls because there was nothing written until he began his letters. For its through them that we learn of Christ and the fulness of Christ and His day to day operations within us who have become receptive of Him and His Grace and Truth, as our All in all.
Now we're going to come to I & II Thessalonians which are going to be at the very end of the seven letters to the churches, and they're going to be the ones that are "instruction in righteousness." But the amazing thing is, even though they're at the end of the line of revelation given Paul, these were written first, probably about 57 or 58 AD. But the Holy Spirit, even though He prompted the Apostle Paul to write them earlier, saw fit to put them at the end in our New Testament/Covenant order. Now then, we want to turn to Acts chapter 28. Because, this is all history as well as Bible study, because if we understand the historical setting, then we can understand where the apostle is coming from and why the Holy Spirit does what He does.
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