In preparation for the overview of the 9-church epistles

In preparation for the overview of the 9-church epistles

INTRODUCTION:

In his epistles, Paul uses a few analogies that indicate progression. Consider, milk and meat. Also consider babes, to children, to sons. How about from carnal to spiritual, from the outer man to the inner man and from the natural to the spiritual. All these examples can be applied to the 9-church epistles which make up the curriculum for the grace believer. Using these analogies helps to clarify the fact that the curriculum is indeed progressive and importantly, it should be recognised, studied, and understood in this manner to.

In this post, I’d like to draw your attention to this progressive concept by working through an overview of the 9-epistles, and assigning these analogical classifications to them, so you can identify the primary theme of the epistles and start to understand their position within the curriculum.

Before we get into the epistles however, it is necessary to define some terms that are used within the epistle comparisons. Please take note of these terms and consider them when working through the rest of this post.

Epistle Format

• Doctrine: The set of principles or teachings laid out in Paul’s letters that we are to know and obey (not by our own power, but by the Spirit working within us).
• Reproof: Identifying and expressing disapproval or criticism of a mistake or fault.
• Correction: Providing guidance or actions to rectifying or improving a mistake or fault.
• Instruction: Providing knowledge, information, or direction to help someone learn and grow.

Milk and Meat

To truly grasp the significance of the terms, “milk” and “meat” when used as analogies in the curriculum, it is important to understand what they really mean. Many will logically understand the milk is the beginner level of doctrine, whereas the meat has deeper, or more mature, significance. However, we learn more valuable insights into these terms when we turn to the scripture and learn of more intricate spiritual understanding. Have a look at the following verses,

1 Cor.3:1-3  And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.  [2]  I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear [process, understand] it, neither yet now are ye able.  [3]  For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

Heb.5:13-14  For every one that useth MILK is unskilful [ignorant] in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe --- [who’s mind is in visible things]. [14] But STRONG MEAT belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use [habit, practice, understanding] have their [mental] senses [the faculty of perceiving truth;] exercised to discern both good and evil [sound and unsound doctrine].

Thus, understand that carnal believers cannot understand the meat of the word, which as we will see from Hebrews, pertains to more spiritual doctrine. If you look at the Corinthians, they exhibited characteristics that relate to the natural realm. They were controlled by the outer man and were influenced by their 5-senses, swayed by feelings and emotions. There was no spiritual depth or maturity in them, and they were unskillful in the word of righteousness.

On the other hand, the passage in Hebrews clearly tells us that those who could understand the meat of the word were strong in faith and had a maturity about them which allowed them to perceive and understand spiritual truths, allowing them to discern good doctrine from false doctrine. A believer’s level of maturity would result in them being able to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God, Rom.12:2. Additional scriptures that enforce this view, which all happen to come from epistles further up in the curriculum, are as follows,

Eph.5:17-18: "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;"

Phil.1:9-10: "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;"

Col.1:9-10: "For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

1Thess.5:21-22: "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil."

2Tim.2:7: "Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things."

Faith, Love, and Hope

There is a more obscure analogy that Paul uses, but it is nevertheless still progressive, not in imagery, but more so in understanding. This analogy starts with faith, which produces love, which then provides the hope to endure while waiting for the return of the Lord. Notice the progressive revelation of this analogy as we advance through Paul’s epistles. 

In Romans, the foundational epistle, we are encouraged to learn and obey “the” faith. The faith Paul refers to here is our doctrine, the grace doctrine, specific to grace believers who make up the body of Christ. Faith is the first step as a believer. There must be a grounding or establishment that happens first, which is our justification through the grace gospel. Thereafter, we are to learn about “the” faith, and grow in knowledge of it in order to become stablished (stabilized, Rom.16:25; Col.2:7; 1Th.3:13) as believer; not tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine, Eph.4:14.

Rom.1:5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Rom.16:26  But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

As “the” faith starts to renew the mind and take root in the heart, it will produce love, 1Jn.2:3-6, which also happens to be the first of the fruits of the Spirit (which is the word dwelling within you), Gal.5:22. This love is not something manufactured by the believer. It is not something produced by their own willpower, or mental ascent. There is no true love present in sinful flesh. What produces a naturally manifesting, godly love, which comes without effort on the part of the believer, is when an overflow of “the” faith in the heart and mind starts to innately influence the life of the believer. Their choices, their actions, their speech, and their behaviours, will align with the faith they now believe in, and its overflow will start to produce the works of righteousness as mentioned in Rom.4:5.  This is when that labour of love is manifested. When the word of God is exercised in sincere obedience, the word of God will naturally produce love. Notice how Paul hints on this happening in the believers at Colossae and at Thessalonica. First there was obedience to a work of faith. That produced a natural outflow of a labour of love, 

Col.1:4  Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,

Finally, we come to hope, the third part of this progressive analogy. Paul says that the greatest attribute between faith, hope, and love, is love. It is the power of love that sustains hope, and it is hope that helps a believer to endure in this corrupt world as they look for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, Tit 2:13. 

Paul sums up this progressive analogy beautifully in the verse below, written to the Thessalonians, who are at the pinnacle of our curriculum, who are mature believers, adopted sons of God, ensamples for all who believe, 1Th.1:7, and who may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye suffered, 2Th.1:5, 

1Th.1:3  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

1Th.5:8  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

I encourage you to remember these progressive analogies and especially the deeper spiritual truths they represent as we now dive into the comparison of the 9-church epistles. You will see these terms being used in their context as we move up the curriculum and as the growth and maturing of the saints naturally occur through their knowledge of the truth (of our doctrine) and their labour of love depicted in these letters.

In the next post we will begin the overview of each epistle in relation to the analogies above and additional comparative details mentioned within the overview.

DM#15: For whatever is not from faith is sin

Doctrine of the Mysteries #15

For whatever is not from faith is sin

Romans chapter 14 has such a wealth of information to keep us on the righteous path. In the previous post (DM#14) I dealt with Rom 14:1-5. Let's now look at some key statements in the last part of the chapter. 

Let's continue with Paul's advice,

Romans 14:22 Do you have faith [believing that what you do or choose is right in your heart]? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts [what he approves] is condemned [and sins] if he eats [or does or says], because he does not eat [or do or say] from faith [but acts under condemnation, not being fully convinced in his heart]; for whatever is not from faith is sin. (Gal.2:20)

This part of the passage is jam-packed with information that we can use to judge our heart and determine where we stand regarding 'doubtful' sins. It starts by pointing out again that we cannot judge another in any regard. These are personal convictions that we cannot place upon others. This is why it says, "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God." Did you catch that? Have it to yourself before God! Your conviction is yours before God. You cannot place it on someone else! If you are convicted of smoking, then you cannot tell someone else that they are sinning because they are smoking! That person might not have been convicted in their heart about it. The Holy Spirit might be dealing with them about other issues that they perceive as sin, but smoking might not be one of them yet. We are all on a different part of the road to sanctification.

DM#14: Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

Doctrine of the Mysteries #14

Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind 

We all know that lying and stealing is sin. The Bible verifies this explicitly, including other actions like adultery, murder, coveting, idolatry, pride, etc. There is no doubt that these are sins to be avoided. But is smoking a sin? Is speeding on the road a sin? How many glasses of wine can you consume before it becomes a sin? What about calling in sick when you really are not? How do we know and judge if these are sinful? The Bible does not explicitly tell us that they are. 

Romans chapter 14 is one of my absolute favourite chapters because it proves how dynamic our individual relationships are with God when it comes to walking in righteousness. Furthermore, it utterly obliterates the static dictatorship of traditional and religious, man-made Christianity. In this chapter, Paul tells us plainly, that we, as grace believers, walk in our own faith and conscience before God, and bear the consequences of our own deeds before God’s judgement seat. This is why Paul personalizes his advice when he says, 

Rom 14:22  “Hast THOU faith? have it to THYSELF before God.”, and 

Rom 14:10  “But why dost thou judge thy brother? … for WE SHALL ALL STAND [individually] before the judgment seat of Christ.  …  (12)  So then EVERY ONE OF US [individually] shall give account of HIMSELF to God.

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 2)

As grace believers, what is our primary objective? (Part 2)

Start this series of posts with: Part 1

In the first part of this series, I motivated the fact that the single most important thing to do, after getting saved, is to spend time in the Word of God and gain the knowledge of the Word rightly divided. In upcoming parts, I will also deal with points instructing why this is important, what happens when we do, and God’s will and purpose for us in doing this.

In this post I want to focus on what is milk and what is meat. As previously mentioned, a babe in Christ cannot be fed meat. So, it becomes really important to know what milk is in the Word, and where we will find the solid food. In this regard, we will find that God’s Word is so perfectly designed. As with the nine Hebrew epistles, Hebrews to Revelation, Paul’s nine church epistles to the Gentiles are also arranged in a form of curriculum, starting with Romans to 2-Thessalonians. It shouldn’t be surprising to note that these Gentile letters, for us in this dispensation of grace, start with a letter called Romans and the Jewish letters, for the Jewish believers in the tribulation, start with a letter called Hebrews. God could not have made this distinction clearer.