Understanding and Interpreting the Bible
(Part 1A --- Recognizing the NECESSITY of dividing the Word)
From the colours assigned to the above scriptures, we see that there is reference to two specific agencies. We have Israel and we have 'The Body of Christ'. If one does not have understanding of the importance of keeping these two agencies separated, there is a huge risk of misunderstanding the scriptures and skewing its context.
As an example, both agencies are involved in raptures, but these events are very different, and the timings of the raptures are separated by at least 7-years. The Body of Christ is raptured first, BEFORE the Tribulation. This rapture is silent and without any visible appearance in the clouds, or a resurrection of the dead, or a trumpet blast. On the converse, the second coming of Jesus Christ, AFTER the tribulation, has a resurrection of all dead saints (those who believed in the Gospel message in their day), and a rapture of the saints who are living and trusting in Christ when He appears in the clouds. (All this is explained in detail in the lesson series called: The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return.) So, with the inherent differences between these events and the agencies for which they occur, one can understand that keeping them separate is of primary importance to maintain context in the passages.
Let's move on to another set of scriptures and continue to bring awareness of the importance of this topic of dividing the Word that we will be investigating. Have a look at this passage in Matthew 15, which details the account of a Canaanite woman pleading for Jesus to deliver her daughter from a demon.
Matt.15:23-26 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but [except] unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet [proper] to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs [Gentiles].
The response of Jesus is extraordinary!
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The response of Jesus is extraordinary! The statement, from His own lips, that He was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of the house of Israel is hard to grasp. Did you get that? Jesus is saying that His focus and purpose is towards Israel alone at this time! It is certainly not the picture that many pastors and preachers paint of Jesus today. Why? Simply for the reason that they do not exercise the necessity to separate the earthly ministry of Jesus from that of the Body of Christ. Preachers today go about blindly teaching their denominations to follow and adhere to the parables and practices of Jesus during his 3-years of ministry in the flesh. This is wrong, and it's a false doctrine in the church today. —Now if you are shocked at my statements, I'll explain and qualified them in Part 1B.
Now, continuing in this passage, there is one more statement that Jesus makes to this Canaanite woman which is just as hard to grasp. After one more plea to heal her daughter, Jesus answers her by saying that it is not proper for Him to take the children's bread, that is; his teachings, and blessings, and ministry, which was specifically towards Israel, and share it with the dogs, (a slang term in that day to refer to Gentiles [or anyone who was not a Jew]). In this statement, not only is Jesus emphasizing His ministry to the Jews only, but He also points out that the Gentiles were not on God's 'radar' at that time. This can be confirmed by the passage Paul writes in Ephesians 2,
Eph.2:11-12 Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
These phrases of truth are hard to understand if you do not recognize that Israel stands apart for the Gentiles throughout all of scripture. During Jesus' earthly ministry, His focus was ONLY on Israel, as this was predetermined in God's overarching redemption plan, and the timing of Jesus ministry in the flesh was for this purpose. So, with this in mind, let's look at a converse scenario that occurs a little bit further down the line in the New Testament. Let's read from Romans 11,
Rom.11:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Firstly, spot the colours. Remember, blue refers to Israel and green refers to the Body of Christ. Notice here in Romans 11 that we have both blue and green highlighting, just like we did in Matthew 15 above. However, you will see that when reading this verse, the emphasis is on the Gentiles! Paul is writing to say that the Jews have been blinded and set aside for a while, until the current and active program of the Gentiles be completed. Can you see the difference? Where Matthew 15 was focused on Israel only, now Romans 11 is focused on the Gentiles only. Somewhere between Matthew and Romans there was a switch in program.
Why am I emphasizing this? Well, if you do not divide the Word and distinguish between Israel and the Body of Christ, you can end up with replacement theology, where one is taught that the Church today has become spiritual Israel, and that all the blessings of Israel are now for the church and that it can name and claim all those blessings for itself. It's always interesting that the focus is only on the blessings and never on the curses?! Nobody wants the curses, right?
Israel and the Body of Christ are two separate entities
that cannot be mixed, and do NOT replace each other.
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Let's get back to the point! Israel and the Body of Christ are two separate entities that cannot be mixed, and do NOT replace each other. They remain separate and God's redemption program has place for both. This is why we need to be so vigilant about recognizing both and knowing how to divide between then correctly, thereby keeping the correct context of scripture.
In part 'B' of this lesson I'm going to raise one last example to emphasize the importance of maintaining right division in scripture. Unlike in this part, where I used the agency of Israel and the Body of Christ to make the point, in part 'B' I'll put the stress on timing, that is, to recognize a change in program and to separate what happened before from what happens after a key moment of time. If we overlook these key sections of scripture, ignoring the difference between agencies and disregarding the stress on moments of time, we will butcher scripture and completely miss the blessings and truth it can offer us as we study the Word.
let me end by saying that what you have read above is completely scriptural to do. The Bible actually instructs us to divide the Word and to recognize agencies and realms and programs within God's redemption plan. I will bring this all to your attention in the next post, but for now, if what I've said above is new to you, I'd recommend reading it through slowly again and just contemplate it. When you get to part 'B', it will all start to become clearer.
Grace and peace be yours in Christ Jesus.
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