Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these

STATEMENT:

Feed the hungry, clothe the needy, visit the sick, welcome the stranger, help the less fortunate. (Jesus words, Matt 25:35-40.) I’ve always thought it curious that Jesus makes the distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous based on this criteria. Curiously missing is “confessing and believing”, having correct theology, “sinners prayer”, etc. In fact, according to this passage some people will have been doing these things without even knowing Jesus or that they were doing it for him.

ANSWER:

The passage you quote in Matt 25 will occur throughout the 7-year Tribulation. It does not apply today because Jews are not the chosen and preeminent nation during this grace dispensation. In actual fact, both Jew and Gentile are equal in God’s eyes today, so feeding, clothing, visiting the sick and in prison, etc, of the Jews does not have the salvific value as it will in the Trib.

Who is the pearl of great price? (Matthew 13:45-46)

Who is the pearl of great price? (Matthew 13:45-46)

Not who. What. The pearl of great price is the Millennial Kingdom.

Let’s look at the scripture passage below.

Mat 13:43-46 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (44) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. (45) Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: (46) Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

The pearl of great price is part of an extended lesson Jesus spoke in parables. Before the pearl, we have a treasure in a field. Jesus informs us that, just like the pearl, the treasure is the Kingdom, in verse 44. Before this parable is the parable of the weeds, in verses 36–43. This is where we learn that there will be good seed and bad seed sown and harvested. The tares are gathered at harvest and thrown into the fire, but the harvest of good seed will enjoy the kingdom of their Father.

Is Israel's program suspended throughout Christ's heavenly ministry?

Is Israel's program suspended throughout Christ's heavenly ministry?

QUESTION:

You quote Rom 11:25 about the blinding of Israel, but the very next verse clarifies that God has not suspended His plan with Israel but that they would all still be rescued. Rather God encourages them doing so by opening the door to the Gentiles via Paul. Please explain. 

Also, I find it interesting but rather strange that you conclude that Jesus has two ministries. The triune God is the Alpha and the Omega and knew from the very beginning all that would unfold in future. What is your meaning on this?

ANSWER:

The word "suspend", (as in, God would suspend His plans for Israel), is just that. It does not mean cancelled. The plan for Israel is temporarily halted, by design of our all-knowing God, and because of the unbelief of Israel. During this suspension, God is saving all men (Jews and Gentiles) by means of grace, through the cross work of Christ. This too was in the plan of God because God's plan is two-fold. He will use Israel to restore the earth and He will use the Body of Christ to restore the heavens.

How many Apostles to the Body of Christ?

How many Apostles to the Body of Christ?

QUESTION:

How many Apostles to the Body of Christ? In Eph 4:11-13 it appears to suggest that Paul was not the only one. What am I not understanding correctly?

ANSWER:

The following are my views regarding this question.

Eph 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; (12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Paul, in Rom.11:13 calls himself ‘the’ apostle to the Gentiles. Paul, like the 12 -apostles to Israel, was called by Jesus Christ Himself. Thus, Paul is the only true apostle over the Body of Christ. Paul was sent by the Lord to establish Gentile churches and to provide the doctrine for the churches to follow. No other minister had this absolute commission. Although Paul writes about co-labourers who supported him in his ministry, none of these men added to the doctrine for the Body of Christ.

Rightly dividing is not a doctrine, nor is it an identify, it’s an inevitable conclusion.

Rightly dividing is not a doctrine, nor is it an identify, it’s an inevitable conclusion.

People who hold to a dispensational view of the Bible often justify their view by quoting the following verse …

2Tim 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

… and they focus almost exclusively on the part of the verse that instructs one to rightly divide the Word of truth.

Now, although there is nothing wrong with that, since right division is of crucial importance to understand the Bible in the correct context, I do want to point out something that is often overlooked in the verse above, which is in fact the primary key to this whole concept of rightly dividing.

Why did Cornelius receive the Holy Spirit before Water Baptism?

QUESTION:

Explain how Cornelius and the Gentiles had received the remission of sins by believing in Him as Peter said and received the Holy Ghost BEFORE water baptism.

I still say Peter did not preach another gospel as that gospel of the kingdom is the same gospel of grace as the gospel of the kingdom was never going to happen until after His death, resurrection and ascension as Jesus said to Nicodemus and again in John 6th chapter.

REPLY:

There are many types and shadows in the Bible. The life of Joseph has about 40 similarities to the life of Jesus. Abraham’s almost sacrifice of Isaac was a shadow of the crucifixion, etc, etc. God confirms His Word with events or happenings that depict Christ or that announces his will.

Before I get to Cornelius, consider what happened in the beginning of Paul’s ministry to herald the blinding of the Jews and a new dispensation of grace to the Gentiles without the need for Israel. Read Acts 13:6-12 and consider the blinding of Barjesus (who represented Israel, being blinded for a season).