If you choose to ignore Paul, you ignore the entire doctrine for the Body of Christ

STATEMENT:

Jesus preached repentance and baptism and following, the Sermon on the Mount. Paul WAS NOT one of the 12 Apostles, nor was he the successor of Judas. If you study the 4 Gospels, then read any of Paul’s epistles, you will be utterly confused. Paul was a believer, just like we are believers. We should not be taking Paul’s words and placing them on an equal level with Jesus’ words.

RESPONSE:

I agree that Paul was not one of the 12, nor did he replace Judas. I do however acknowledge that Paul was called as an apostle by the Lord Himself for a unique and important ministry, not to Israel, as the 12 were, but to the Gentiles. This is why his epistles contain different information; because the information is a whole NEW doctrine designed for a new people group, and for a new purpose in God’s redemption plan, 2Cor.5:15-21.

Not Made Perfect by the Flesh

Not Made Perfect by the Flesh

“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1-3 KJV).

Can “the flesh” add anything to the Holy Spirit’s work? Nay, it cannot!

The Galatians were preoccupied with the Law of Moses (cf. Galatians 4:21). Religious rules and regulations captivated them. They were deceived into believing their performance—their “flesh”—could somehow enhance their Christian life (cf. Galatians 3:1-3). Did the Holy Spirit come to indwell these saints because of their religious works? No! Would He need their pious deeds to continue living in and through them? No! Sadly, today’s professing church is equally “foolish.” Nearly 20 centuries later, it still refuses to recognize rites, rituals, and ceremonies are incompatible with God’s grace! Like the Galatians not thinking clearly, we lack even basic spiritual common sense. We too have not let the Message of Grace renew our mind.

The price of ignorance and the glory of knowledge in the word of God.

The price of ignorance and the glory of knowledge in the word of God.

What is the biggest hindrance to spiritual growth and maturity? Unbelief? No! It's ignorance of the word of God.

Rom 10:3  For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

Eph 4:18  Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

The bible says that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So, you don't have to hear the word of God to be in unbelief, you just have to not hear it. The root of unbelief is ignorance of the word. Paul said, "I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief." Ignorance fosters unbelief.

DM#23: Be ye followers of me

Doctrine of the Mysteries #23

Be ye followers of me

1Co 1:11-12  For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.  (12)  Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ.

There are two points to extract from verse 12. The first is a truth that babes in Christ will incline to outward attractions over spiritual truth. The second is a yearning that people would choose to follow Paul, or more accurately, Paul’s doctrine, than that of Apollos, or Cephas (Peter), or the earthly ministry of Christ. Let me elaborate on both points.

DM#20: We speak wisdom among them that are perfect

 

Doctrine of the Mysteries #20

We speak wisdom among them that are perfect

1Cor 2:6  Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:  (7)  But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

My previous post ended by saying that due to ignorance of the progressive curriculum of Paul’s epistles, many believers today remain babes and children in Christ, unable to comprehend its spiritual nature. Let me explain this statement with a simple analogy. If a student, who is new to mathematics, ignores a prescribed mathematics curriculum, and skips over the first few chapters, jumping to calculus or trigonometry, it is safe to say that they will quickly get lost in the advanced concepts. The first few chapters would have introduced them to concepts that are crucial and relevant to the later understanding of these higher disciplines and theories.

DM#19: Perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgement

Doctrine of the Mysteries #19

Perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment

1Co 1:10  Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

The Bible presents Paul’s epistles in an order specific to how we should study it and teach it. This order is important to unifying believers in the principles of ‘the faith’, Rom 1:5, to promote unity through doctrinal knowledge.

DM#10: Debtors to the Spirit

Doctrine of the Mysteries #10

Debtors to the Spirit

Rom 8:12-14  Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.  (13)  For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.  (14)  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Our principal duty as believers, which is also the will of God for us, is to come to the knowledge of the truth, 1Tim 2:4. How do we come to the knowledge of the truth? We study the written Word of truth and learn how to rightly divide it, 2Tim 2:15. We allow the Word of God to dwell in us richly, Col 3:16. We allow it to renew our mind so that it makes us wise unto its doctrine, allowing it to reprove, correct, and instruct us.

Being led by the Spirit of God is not being led by some ethereal voice or premonitions, but rather, it is simply having a knowledge and understanding of the written Word within you. You walk by the Spirit (or walk by faith) when you obey the truth of God’s Word, applying it to your life circumstances and scenarios. Notice what Paul says here,

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 1)

As grace believers, what is our primary objective?

After we get saved by the grace gospel, what is our primary objective as believers? In other words, what is expected of us? Do we just carry on with our lives, hoping that God will work in us and make us better? Do we join a church and abide by its rules of performance? Should we seek after spiritual gifts and ordinances, or start to prophecy and heal the sick? What about becoming a spiritual Jew, believing this will give us some form of added esteem?

No! All these things have an outward appearance of godliness but do little to grow the inner man of a person according to the Bible. So, what then is our primary objective? What does the Bible really say about our obligations after salvation? Well, it is so simple that it is often overlooked. Let’s see what God’s will is for us as grace believers,

1Tim.2:3-4  … in the sight of God our Saviour;  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

First John is not a book for New Converts (as many pastors and preachers suggest)

First John is not a book for New Converts (as many pastors and preachers suggest)

In our modern denominational churches today, most pastors and preachers will point new converts and uninformed believers to the first epistle of John because it speaks of loving one’s brother, obeying the commandments, walking in the light, and that we are to overcome the world.

Dear friends, even though there are a few trans-dispensational truths in John’s epistle, that we can relate to in this dispensation of grace, the greater majority of first John is an intensely deep book, filled with Kingdom doctrine, which is specifically written for Jews living during the 7-year Tribulation and under the reign of the Antichrist. The advice and commands in this book are absolutely not relevant or appropriate to new converts or uninformed Christians in this age of grace. The content will throw most believers today for a wild loop and place them on a course that is definitely not suitable for grace living today.

Can we fall from grace by our will to sin? What does the Bible say?

QUESTION/STATEMENT:

Heb 10:26-27  For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,  27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Hebrews 6:4 and several others make it plain that a person may choose their sin over salvation and many do. Saying that they weren’t really saved beforehand is twisting the Word of God to make it say what it plainly does not.

We are in agreement that salvation is by grace through faith alone, without any mixture of works. We seem to disagree that a Christian will continue in grace despite choosing willful sin. The Bible clearly teaches that we can fall from grace by our will to sin.

The Journey: Part 9 - The Babes in Corinth and the Children of Galatia

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 9 - The Babes of Corinth and the Children of Galatia

What is sanctification? It is the life-long progressive growth of your knowledge of the written Word of God and the subsequent and inevitable changes that this knowledge brings to your life after salvation. Most believers, however, stop right there at salvation. After the initial revelation of justification through the cross of Christ, there is not much growth after this. They never push on to studying the Word and seeking the deeper things of God. It always reminds me of the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13.

The Journey: Part 4 - The Two Natures of a Believer in Christ

Start here at the Introduction: The Journey Begins

The Journey: Part 4 - The Two Natures of a Believer in Christ

As we progress in this journey, we need to keep two things in mind,

First, to provide us hope, strength, and passion to continue, we must know what our destination is.  We are making our way to that destination of being adopted sons of God and being glorified beyond measure in our Head, Jesus Christ. The vehicle to get us there is the Word of God, and our fuel is studying the Word so that it becomes part of us, quickening us in spirit and energizing us to growth. 

Q-A: What does it REALLY mean to be 'In Christ'?

Q-A: What does it REALLY mean to be 'In Christ'?

Read the shaded verses below slowly and carefully and then compare the first two verses to the last three. There is a HUGE difference in how Paul describes the believers at Corinth.

1 Cor 1:2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,