Galatians 1:17
"Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; (Paul never takes away the authority of Peter and the other eleven apostles, so far as their position as apostles to Israel, is concerned. But on the other hand he's also not going to let them usurp his authority as the Apostle of the Gentiles.) but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus, Now the first thing we like to do when we see that word `Arabia' in verse 17 is take us to chapter 4 here in Galatians.
Galatians 4:25a
"For this Agar (Paul is making an allegory here for bondage, the law (of sin and death the ministration of the first covenant which is to lead to our need for God's righteousness and holiness, just as it was for Israel. And the Levitical Law and answers to Jerusalem and her children, the religious system of legalism ) is mount Sinai in Arabia,..." Now, from that little statement of Paul, we have to feel that, since this man is going to be delegated to receive a whole new Body of Truth from the ascended Lord, and he is going to be given the responsibly to take it out to the whole Gentile world, God did much the same thing with Moses at that same Mount Sinai. When the Lord spoke to Moses there at Mount Sinai and gave him the ten commandments and then the Levitical Law, Moses took the Law down to Israel. And only Israel received the ramifications of both ten commandments and the Law, although the commandments certainly affected the whole human race. So don't get them confused as many do. Know this that the first commandment given was not to “eat” of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and then when it was broken it became a law of bondage over all man-kinds head, a cruel slave master of sin and death. The next commandment was the ten given through Moses as a moral code of conduct which spread over all man-kind as well. Then Moses was given the Levitical Law which was meant as a tutor and corral for the Hebrews only to keep them in check or in alignment until Christ. But never loose sight of the fact God expected all to HEAR His Voice and DO what He wanted them to, period. It, the Law could only teach or convict man of his utter sinfulness and need of righteousness and holiness which leads to salvation. It required a priesthood which was based on the external workings, the material realm and slavery or bondage to its requirements, within which there was no wiggle room provided. Now here's the secret when we through conversion enter the process of redemption God places us within the limitation of the first covenant which is to bring us to Christ just as it was meant to do with Israel. Now when we through/with the work of the Holy Spirit who is given us when we enter this operation He begins the ministration which leads to us to the knowledge of our undoing and need for both righteousness and holiness which brings on the ministration of a death in order to have right of entry into the New Covenant of promise wherein lies our salvation. God then doing all both in us and through us.
But here we are at the time of Paul some 1500 years later, and God hasn't changed. God is still the same, as He never changes. But now He's dealing with a different individual. He now gives to Paul this doctrine of Grace, the secret things or mysteries, which are imbedded in what Paul is always referring to as the mysteries. And then this Apostle is instructed to take the doctrines of Grace to the Gentiles, and for the ones who will listen to him in the Nation of Israel. That, we think, just answers all of our questions as to what part of the Scriptures we are to depend on and trust. For us we're to be concentrating on the New Covenant or Testament and the hearing of the Holy Spirit. Now it's all God's Word, don't ever take that away from it. Every word in this Book is the inspired Word of God, but He has made it so plain that this man is the Apostle of the Gentiles. Go back to the Book of Romans chapter 11:13. And this says it so plainly. There's no arguing over it. The only thing that gets in mans way is his intellect and false reasoning skills taught him in his school system.
Romans 11:13
"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:"
In other words Paul is not going to back down form anything that has to do with his role of the Apostle of the Gentiles. Why can't people adhere to that? That's Paul's authority. He and Moses had a mission given them but Paul's is of greater importance for the world. Its the, "greater works than these shall you do because I go to the Father" as stated by Christ (John 14:12). That's why, as we saw in the Corinthian letters, he was always defending that authority. Now come back to Galatians. So evidently he went down to Arabia, to Mount Sinai, and, of course, there's a difference of opinion among Bible scholars and theologians whether he spent the whole three years at Sinai. Or, did he spend a portion of time at Sinai and then go back to Damascus, and then at the end of the three years begin his ministry. We feel that the Lord took 40 days to one year of dealing with this man all by himself down there in the desert wilderness at Mount Sinai. Christ unveiled the mysteries of God which He could only allude to while here during His earthly ministry to the Hebrews because of their forefathers who had received the promises. For Christ knew that the parenthetical period was coming of Psalm 2 and we know that because when He was in the synagogue and read from the book of Isaiah He did not finish the thought from which He was quoting (Luke 4:17-22).
Now the reason we take that approach is that, when we understand all the trials and tribulations that this man went through, most men would have given up long, long ago. Unless like Paul they have the rest of the story or inspiration of revelation, the Light infused into them, of New Life after death (not a physical death but rather one that reconnects us with God). But the Apostle Paul always kept pressing on. Why? Because we think this 40 days to one year experience was so imbedded in the man's makeup that he could do nothing less (just as the revelation of all this and more is imbeded within us). This is why he says what he does and why we do what we do. Then, on top of that, there were several times that the Lord Jesus conferred with him face to face. Paul says that He appeared to me. So all of these things contributed to his constant pushing forward against all opposition. That is also the warning he states in Hebrews. So, after a that stint, which we think was down at Arabia, for this area was called or known as the wilderness in scripture, he finally gets up to Jerusalem to meet Peter face-to-face for the first time. Now we imagine that was quite a meeting, because, after all, they're coming from two totally different backgrounds, one of works (bond by the legalism of religion) and the other of Grace without works (one separated from those same religious works and entry into the New Covenant of promise).
Galatians 1:18
"Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days."
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Part XIX on Galatians Study
Now a lot of people don't realize this, but when Christ came in His earthly ministry to the Nation of Israel and He chose the Twelve, He had instructions for them.
Matthew 10:5
"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, `Go not into the way of the Gentiles, (the non Hebrews) and into any city of the Samaritans (Samaritans were half breeds) enter ye not: 6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'" Now that was a commandment. They were to go to no one but Hebrews. And the Twelve understood that better than most preachers and teachers today. The Twelve never lost sight of that as we see in Acts chapter 11. They were to go only to the lost sheep, not the goats, not until after the corral had been done away with and destroyed. And this is many years after the Cross and Pentecost. We just want everyone to see how those early Jewish believers adhered to that commandment that Jesus gave to the Twelve. Now there are a lot of people that think that as soon as Jesus began His ministry, the Church began, and God's Grace and the Gospel of that Grace went out to the whole world. That's not according to the Bible. According to this Book He ministered only to the Nation of Israel for the whole three years. That's why most preachers and teachers think the Church today is Israel, but it is not. That way they can try to make it all fit, but listen, the Levitical Law and Grace won't mix. This is the teaching found within the fabric of the three parables of the old and New cloth and the new wine and old wine skins, even the story of the prodigal son is a revelation of this Truth. For in all three the bases is the difference between two covenants. The old which is based upon His death which the old required and the New which inaugurated based on His spilled Blood, resurrection and ascension which it required to bring in the New Covenant in the power of an Endless and Eternal Life. As promised through the prophets.
And even after His ascension, Peter begins at Pentecost, then for several years it was that same format. They could not go to the non-Hebrew. They could not give up their Jewishness and because of the spirit of religions silent hold and through legalisms hold on them. It is this same spirit that draws so many into its web because it sounds right and good but is deadly poison for all caught in its hold.
Acts 11:19
"Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word (Old Testament of Jewish legalism plus the Messiah) to none but unto the Jews only." Can we see how plain that is? Now this is about seven years after Pentecost. They are still adhering to the commandments that Jesus gave to the Twelve in Matthew 10:5-6. The Lord Jesus didn't want the Gentiles to have anything to do with the Jewish religion and its legalism, and we can look at that now and see that the Lord wanted the Apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles and give them pure Grace. Now coming back to Acts chapter 9. Maybe this will be more enlightening as to why the Lord Jesus had to make such an emphasis to this man Ananias, as to what was the purpose of saving this Jewish zealot who had been putting his Hebrew brothers and sisters to death for having embraced Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah. And yet he has to understand that now there's going to be a change of direction in God's plan. Which Saul's name change indicates, remember Abram was change to Abraham which means the Grace of God was upon him.
People must understand that, from Genesis chapter 12 to Acts chapter 9, it's God dealing with the one Nation of Israel. Don't try to draw the Body of Christ into those areas. And believe us there are many who butcher the scriptures trying to do so. But here in Acts chapter 9 there is going to be a change, there's going to be a fork in the road, and we're going to see it explicitly as we go on in Galatians. Now looking at verse 15 again:
Acts 9:15
"But the Lord said unto him, `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16. For I will shew him (Saul) how great things he must suffer for my name sake.'" For many this is a stumbling block because what was true of them (Christ Jesus and Paul) is also true of us when we've passed through the veil (by way of the lower covenant of our learning which holds the administration of judgment in death for all under its power, sin) and truly enter the New Covenant (our promised Canaan land found only in Christ, our liberty). Now remember that in Christ's flesh the Old Testament is found and it pleased God to place us IN Him at our conversion. For our training onto obedience under the Law which brings us to a need of righteousness and holiness and a crisis of death which is required for entry into the New Covenant. Did he suffer? Oh, did he ever and we're no different. In the Corinthian letters we saw how he was beaten, stoned, and scourged, and cold and naked, and many times sick, and living in fear for his life, and all because of what the Lord Jesus had promised him here. Well, now if you will come back with us to Galatians chapter 1. God is going to reveal Himself to this Apostle, Saul of Tarsus, who is now Paul and reading on in verse 16:
Galatians 1:16b
"...immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Now we know a lot of people think this verse should read that immediately he went up to Jerusalem to check it out with the Twelve. That would have been the logical thing wouldn't it? To go back to Jerusalem, and say, "Hey, Peter, you guys were with Him for three years. I want to know everything that He taught you." But we see the Holy Spirit here is making it so positive that He's not going to let this man be tainted whatsoever by what the Twelve had learned at the feet of Jesus. This is the way we're to be as well totally lead by and taught by, empowered and given strength (the gifts) by the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus now has something totally different to show this man, and He doesn't want it mixed up. He does not want the waters muddied. But we see, men are adept at mixing things up. Men have been mixing it ever since the Apostle Paul left the scene. And we're trying our very best to unmix it, and to bring it back again to this clear division between what God did with the one nation of Israel, and what He's doing with the Gentile, and the individual Hebrew now as the Body of Christ. By so doing we're preparing the Way for the Lord just as John the Baptist did. Why? We don't want any one left behind, we know by way of personal experience what burning flesh smells like and we don't like it and neither should you.
Galatians 1:16b
"...I conferred not with flesh and blood:" In other words, not with any other human beings, why? Because he's dealing with flesh and bone, the Lord Christ Jesus up in glory. He's acquiring the second blessing if you will. Now verse 17. And for emphasis, to make sure that we get it straight, he repeats that.
Matthew 10:5
"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, `Go not into the way of the Gentiles, (the non Hebrews) and into any city of the Samaritans (Samaritans were half breeds) enter ye not: 6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'" Now that was a commandment. They were to go to no one but Hebrews. And the Twelve understood that better than most preachers and teachers today. The Twelve never lost sight of that as we see in Acts chapter 11. They were to go only to the lost sheep, not the goats, not until after the corral had been done away with and destroyed. And this is many years after the Cross and Pentecost. We just want everyone to see how those early Jewish believers adhered to that commandment that Jesus gave to the Twelve. Now there are a lot of people that think that as soon as Jesus began His ministry, the Church began, and God's Grace and the Gospel of that Grace went out to the whole world. That's not according to the Bible. According to this Book He ministered only to the Nation of Israel for the whole three years. That's why most preachers and teachers think the Church today is Israel, but it is not. That way they can try to make it all fit, but listen, the Levitical Law and Grace won't mix. This is the teaching found within the fabric of the three parables of the old and New cloth and the new wine and old wine skins, even the story of the prodigal son is a revelation of this Truth. For in all three the bases is the difference between two covenants. The old which is based upon His death which the old required and the New which inaugurated based on His spilled Blood, resurrection and ascension which it required to bring in the New Covenant in the power of an Endless and Eternal Life. As promised through the prophets.
And even after His ascension, Peter begins at Pentecost, then for several years it was that same format. They could not go to the non-Hebrew. They could not give up their Jewishness and because of the spirit of religions silent hold and through legalisms hold on them. It is this same spirit that draws so many into its web because it sounds right and good but is deadly poison for all caught in its hold.
Acts 11:19
"Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word (Old Testament of Jewish legalism plus the Messiah) to none but unto the Jews only." Can we see how plain that is? Now this is about seven years after Pentecost. They are still adhering to the commandments that Jesus gave to the Twelve in Matthew 10:5-6. The Lord Jesus didn't want the Gentiles to have anything to do with the Jewish religion and its legalism, and we can look at that now and see that the Lord wanted the Apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles and give them pure Grace. Now coming back to Acts chapter 9. Maybe this will be more enlightening as to why the Lord Jesus had to make such an emphasis to this man Ananias, as to what was the purpose of saving this Jewish zealot who had been putting his Hebrew brothers and sisters to death for having embraced Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah. And yet he has to understand that now there's going to be a change of direction in God's plan. Which Saul's name change indicates, remember Abram was change to Abraham which means the Grace of God was upon him.
People must understand that, from Genesis chapter 12 to Acts chapter 9, it's God dealing with the one Nation of Israel. Don't try to draw the Body of Christ into those areas. And believe us there are many who butcher the scriptures trying to do so. But here in Acts chapter 9 there is going to be a change, there's going to be a fork in the road, and we're going to see it explicitly as we go on in Galatians. Now looking at verse 15 again:
Acts 9:15
"But the Lord said unto him, `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: 16. For I will shew him (Saul) how great things he must suffer for my name sake.'" For many this is a stumbling block because what was true of them (Christ Jesus and Paul) is also true of us when we've passed through the veil (by way of the lower covenant of our learning which holds the administration of judgment in death for all under its power, sin) and truly enter the New Covenant (our promised Canaan land found only in Christ, our liberty). Now remember that in Christ's flesh the Old Testament is found and it pleased God to place us IN Him at our conversion. For our training onto obedience under the Law which brings us to a need of righteousness and holiness and a crisis of death which is required for entry into the New Covenant. Did he suffer? Oh, did he ever and we're no different. In the Corinthian letters we saw how he was beaten, stoned, and scourged, and cold and naked, and many times sick, and living in fear for his life, and all because of what the Lord Jesus had promised him here. Well, now if you will come back with us to Galatians chapter 1. God is going to reveal Himself to this Apostle, Saul of Tarsus, who is now Paul and reading on in verse 16:
Galatians 1:16b
"...immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" Now we know a lot of people think this verse should read that immediately he went up to Jerusalem to check it out with the Twelve. That would have been the logical thing wouldn't it? To go back to Jerusalem, and say, "Hey, Peter, you guys were with Him for three years. I want to know everything that He taught you." But we see the Holy Spirit here is making it so positive that He's not going to let this man be tainted whatsoever by what the Twelve had learned at the feet of Jesus. This is the way we're to be as well totally lead by and taught by, empowered and given strength (the gifts) by the Holy Spirit. The Lord Jesus now has something totally different to show this man, and He doesn't want it mixed up. He does not want the waters muddied. But we see, men are adept at mixing things up. Men have been mixing it ever since the Apostle Paul left the scene. And we're trying our very best to unmix it, and to bring it back again to this clear division between what God did with the one nation of Israel, and what He's doing with the Gentile, and the individual Hebrew now as the Body of Christ. By so doing we're preparing the Way for the Lord just as John the Baptist did. Why? We don't want any one left behind, we know by way of personal experience what burning flesh smells like and we don't like it and neither should you.
Galatians 1:16b
"...I conferred not with flesh and blood:" In other words, not with any other human beings, why? Because he's dealing with flesh and bone, the Lord Christ Jesus up in glory. He's acquiring the second blessing if you will. Now verse 17. And for emphasis, to make sure that we get it straight, he repeats that.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Part XVIII on Galatians Study
Isaiah 49:1 “Listen, O isles, to me; and hearken, you people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother has He made mention of my name. 2 And He has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand has He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver has He hid me; 3 And said to me, you are my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified”. And now Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 1:4 “Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations”. So He's to be a "Prophet to the nations" not just for Israel, that is the meaning of the "you people from far" in Isaiah 49:1 above. Now back to Galatians chapter 1 verse 15.
So this is what he is referring to when he says in verse 15:
Galatians 1:15-16a
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (Now verse 16.) To reveal his Son (Christ) in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; (anybody that is not a Hebrew and notice the position of the Son of God, the LORD the Spirit is where? in him) Now we ask can you make that claim? Sad to say not many can, in total Truth that is.
Now let's go back to the Book of Acts and look at that account, for after all, with Bible study we have to use references as much as possible to see that all of scripture agrees. We never pick up a verse here and there in order to build some ideas, but all of scripture will substantiate what we are teaching. In Acts chapter 9, after that experience on the road to Damascus, we find God working both ends to the middle. He's working on Saul outside the city, He's also working on Ananias inside the city of Damascus. So now we're going to pick it up where God is speaking to Ananias, this believing Hebrew, and he is somewhere in the city of Damascus.
Acts 9:11-15a
"And the Lord said unto him, `Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. 12. And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.' (this signifying the change from the old and entry into the New, this is the same condition that we find many of our churches and their people in even now, with these same scales covering their eyes and ears, just as with Israel in her blindness, the meaning of this blindness of Saul) 13. Then Ananias answered, `Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: (Saul's persecutions) 14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.' (and here it is in verse 15. Oh we want people from one end of this country to the other to understand this). 15. But the Lord said unto him, (Ananias) `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name (see how this is in agreement of Isaiah 49:1 and Jeremiah 1:5, this also applies or includes those who have been called by Him from before the foundation of the world) before the Gentiles,...'" We just had another thought so let's turn to the account of Lazarus for a moment, its found in John's gospel chapter 11. To get the back ground we'll start at verse 1.
John 11:1
" Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." Now what could the Lord mean by "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God"? And then "that the Son of God might be glorified thereby"? Have we ever thought on this?
John 11:9 "Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him." What is the Lord here saying? think on this. Remember what He said about a mans eye being clear or darkness being found in him?
John 11:24
"Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." What has the Lord here revealed to Martha? That in Him is "the power of resurrection and life and that though one be death yet shall he live." That those who can believe this shall see life even though they are now dead. This is the Gospel which Paul preaches. But we'll not stop here still moving on in John.
John 11:38
"Jesus therefore again groaning (spiritual utterances from the heart) in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? (Jesus is scolding her for her wavering of trust, for He has spoken) 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. (His spiritual utterances, the groaning) 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (proof of who He was and said He was) 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." Now here's the mystery what does Lazarus and the grave cloths mean? Back a few years ago we were attending a local church here and the Lord spoke to me to use this passage the the assembly. Here's what He basically said to say. Lazarus was a type of one being born again from the separation from God, which are those who by way of personal choice have chosen the better way into Eternal Life, that being through death. And that the grave cloths were the first covenants bondage, or yoke to heavy to bear and that we were to remove that bondage in order to enter the promised second covenant. To our knowledge this has not happened with that assembly as of yet, though we still see the pastor on occasion. For us as individuals and the church at large this is true. As Israel when she left the world or Egypt to face the first crisis the Red Sea. We when we've first come through conversion into redemption have by God been placed into the first covenant which carries the ministration of death and proves within us our need for righteousness and holiness. We like Lazarus must pass through a death the crisis to remove those old grave cloths which are by then just rags. the same rags that the prophet Isaiah talks about in chapter 64 verse 6. This has to be done in order to enter the New and Living Covenant of promise which holds the power of an Endless Life and our Canaan Land both are found as Living in Christ. Now turn on your own the 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and then 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and read them and think on these things there in revealed. Ask for help of the Holy Spirit.
Jeremiah 1:4 “Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 5 before I formed you in the belly I knew you; and before you came forth out of the womb I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations”. So He's to be a "Prophet to the nations" not just for Israel, that is the meaning of the "you people from far" in Isaiah 49:1 above. Now back to Galatians chapter 1 verse 15.
So this is what he is referring to when he says in verse 15:
Galatians 1:15-16a
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, (Now verse 16.) To reveal his Son (Christ) in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; (anybody that is not a Hebrew and notice the position of the Son of God, the LORD the Spirit is where? in him) Now we ask can you make that claim? Sad to say not many can, in total Truth that is.
Now let's go back to the Book of Acts and look at that account, for after all, with Bible study we have to use references as much as possible to see that all of scripture agrees. We never pick up a verse here and there in order to build some ideas, but all of scripture will substantiate what we are teaching. In Acts chapter 9, after that experience on the road to Damascus, we find God working both ends to the middle. He's working on Saul outside the city, He's also working on Ananias inside the city of Damascus. So now we're going to pick it up where God is speaking to Ananias, this believing Hebrew, and he is somewhere in the city of Damascus.
Acts 9:11-15a
"And the Lord said unto him, `Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth. 12. And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.' (this signifying the change from the old and entry into the New, this is the same condition that we find many of our churches and their people in even now, with these same scales covering their eyes and ears, just as with Israel in her blindness, the meaning of this blindness of Saul) 13. Then Ananias answered, `Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: (Saul's persecutions) 14. And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.' (and here it is in verse 15. Oh we want people from one end of this country to the other to understand this). 15. But the Lord said unto him, (Ananias) `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name (see how this is in agreement of Isaiah 49:1 and Jeremiah 1:5, this also applies or includes those who have been called by Him from before the foundation of the world) before the Gentiles,...'" We just had another thought so let's turn to the account of Lazarus for a moment, its found in John's gospel chapter 11. To get the back ground we'll start at verse 1.
John 11:1
" Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby." Now what could the Lord mean by "this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God"? And then "that the Son of God might be glorified thereby"? Have we ever thought on this?
John 11:9 "Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. 10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him." What is the Lord here saying? think on this. Remember what He said about a mans eye being clear or darkness being found in him?
John 11:24
"Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world." What has the Lord here revealed to Martha? That in Him is "the power of resurrection and life and that though one be death yet shall he live." That those who can believe this shall see life even though they are now dead. This is the Gospel which Paul preaches. But we'll not stop here still moving on in John.
John 11:38
"Jesus therefore again groaning (spiritual utterances from the heart) in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? (Jesus is scolding her for her wavering of trust, for He has spoken) 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. (His spiritual utterances, the groaning) 42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. (proof of who He was and said He was) 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth." 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." Now here's the mystery what does Lazarus and the grave cloths mean? Back a few years ago we were attending a local church here and the Lord spoke to me to use this passage the the assembly. Here's what He basically said to say. Lazarus was a type of one being born again from the separation from God, which are those who by way of personal choice have chosen the better way into Eternal Life, that being through death. And that the grave cloths were the first covenants bondage, or yoke to heavy to bear and that we were to remove that bondage in order to enter the promised second covenant. To our knowledge this has not happened with that assembly as of yet, though we still see the pastor on occasion. For us as individuals and the church at large this is true. As Israel when she left the world or Egypt to face the first crisis the Red Sea. We when we've first come through conversion into redemption have by God been placed into the first covenant which carries the ministration of death and proves within us our need for righteousness and holiness. We like Lazarus must pass through a death the crisis to remove those old grave cloths which are by then just rags. the same rags that the prophet Isaiah talks about in chapter 64 verse 6. This has to be done in order to enter the New and Living Covenant of promise which holds the power of an Endless Life and our Canaan Land both are found as Living in Christ. Now turn on your own the 1 Corinthians chapter 2 and then 2 Corinthians chapter 3 and read them and think on these things there in revealed. Ask for help of the Holy Spirit.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Part XVII on Galatians Study
Galatians 1:14b
"...being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." In other words, Saul was proud of his genealogy, and he probably was even able to chase it clear back into the Old Testament economy. His heritage as with many Hebrews is and was a bigger thing in fact the purer the blood line the better. Remember, his father must have been some kind of a man of influence as a Roman citizen, because Paul, remember, was also a Roman citizen, so that tells us something about his father and probably his grandfather. All of these things come into play when we look at the man's religious fanaticism. If he could stamp out all of those Hebrews who had followed Christ then he thought he was the winner.
Now its just here we should say that Saul's attitude and ways of interpreting scripture was all reprogrammed by the risen Lord, in other wards Paul was given a New heart. It is this same reprogramming which we as gentiles and the Hebrews as the nation of Israel will one day have happen. This is prophesied by Jeremiah in chapter 31 and verse 34 and is repeated in the Epistle of Hebrews chapter 8 verse 11. Its mans stubborn nature and the religious spirit within him which clings to the old Hebrew traditions of men not knowing the power and nature of God and therefore in a rebellious state disregards all that the New Covenant reveals of the old and its having passed away as an old rag. It is just here that we should mention the story of Lazarus had how those old grave clothes clung to him and then Isaiah's filthy rags in Isaiah 64: 6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness's are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." These rags are but the old testament and the Levitical Laws and in Lazarus's story Jesus tells those close to him to remove the grave clothes which means the old is about to disappear or be done away with. As Lazarus was raised to newness of life to be clothed by Jesus Himself. Just as the two parables of the old cloth and the new cloth and the old wine skin and the new wine are reflections on one and the same thing in meaning. When we learn Christ through the allowing of the Holy Spirit to do His works within us in the school of obedience He brings us to a knowledge of the Truth as He is the Spirit of all Truth. And in His way develops our hungering for righteousness by way of revealing our undoneness and sins hold on us and those things around us (Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans 13:12, 14). He then begins to reveal just how it is that we're required to attain God's righteousness and that its NOT by our sufficiency because we can't put ourselves on the stake and to death.
Galatians 1:7a
"Which is not another; (Gospel) but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." It's not a completely different Gospel, but what they were doing was to add it, yes to Paul's Gospel of Grace by adding the Law and its legalism (the Levitical Law, ordinances, rituals of sacrifice, washings and the other 613 articles), and works. Now nothing thrills us more when some one tells us that, "My what a joy. It's like someone took a load off my shoulders when I came out of all that legalism, and realize that it's in Grace and Grace alone that we have to find our salvation (I Corinthians 15:1-4)" So this is the whole theme now that the Apostle Paul is still defending his apostleship as he did all through the Corinthian letters. We find this also as the theme in the Epistle of Hebrews along side the revelation of there becoming two covenants now in play, which we'll touch on later and how they work.
Can we see now why the Holy Spirit put the Corinthian letters where they are, and why Romans is where it is, even though they were written later. Paul declares in Romans the basic doctrine of his Gospel, and then in the Corinthian letters he had to correct and reprove them for having so many other problems. Not so much like the Galatians with religious legalism, but they had divisions and other problems so he had to correct those problems and in correcting them he had to defend his apostleship.
As Paul's writings and his letters are so often totally ignored, we have to remember what an Ivy League president in the late 1800's once said. He said, "We must realize that it's either back, back, back, to the doctrines of Paul or it's on, on, on to apostasy." We believe that more than ever. If we can't get folks back to an understanding of Paul's doctrines, then Christianity as it is known is in dire straits. As it is now a blending of both the old and the new without understanding the err of so doing. Or people are not looking at it at all and are turning to Judaism out of shear desperation of ignorance on their part and again blending things together, in hopes of some how making it through they know not what. This causes many to remain in darkness because of unbelief, just as Israel is held under a cloud because of hardness of heart. Both to suffer the wrath which is to come, first in Israel (judgment starts with) and then to the nations. Now verse 15. So, in this verse, Paul is pretty much still declaring his apostleship and declaring his authority and so he says:
Galatians 1:15
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace." (Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5) Now that's a Pauline expression. Called me by his Grace. All we have to do is stop and reflect for a moment. What else but Grace could have done what God did with this man on the road to Damascus. Here he was trying to stamp out anyone in Israel that had proclaimed Christ as the Messiah, and had become separated from the mainstream of Judaism, with its legalism, although they (the disciples) were still keeping Temple worship and the religious Law. Evidently Saul had pretty much cleansed the homeland and now he had gone to the chief rulers to get permission to go to Syria and bring back the Jewish believers to Jerusalem for trial, punishment and death. So on the road to Damascus with that heart of absolute hatred with anything contrary to Judaism, the Lord called Him by His Grace. If there was ever a man that didn't deserve what God did for him it was Saul of Tarsus. But, contrary to what most people think, we have to do what is revealed to get right with God. Saul, like Israel of old when they stood on the shores of the Red Sea, did absolutely nothing. Nothing but helplessly call out, "What would you have me do?"
Remember in Genesis when Noah and his family were in the ark? Do we remember what the picture of the sealant of those wood boards is a type of? It was the word "pitch" but in the Hebrew it means "atonement". So it was the atonement that sealed out the flood waters of Noah's ark. Now with the atonement in place and the ark secure, Noah and his family were totally safe. Well, it's the same when we come to Israel standing at their kitchen table in their little huts in Egypt. And the death angel is flying over, and wailing and weeping is carrying on in Egypt, and yet, there, those Hebrew families could stand safe and secure because the blood was on the door frame lentils. Then sometime later they stood on the shores of the Red Sea with no hope. When God spoke, He didn't tell them to do anything except to stand still and see the power of God. And, of course, that was the opening of the Red Sea (the symbol of coming out into the first covenant, we have the same thing when we first come to ourselves and seek redemption the entry into the first covenant is secured at the moment of our conversion and our proof is the in presence of the Holy Spirit's first filling of us ). Now this is exactly where Paul had to find himself. Just exactly like Israel, there was only going to be one place of safety for this man, and that is in the Blood of Christ, and how is he going to appropriate it? Not by doing something, but rather, once the Lord spoke to him, all he could say was, "Lord what would you have me do?" It hasn't changed a bit (he left the first to enter into the second and better covenant). Now we'll look at the two passages referenced above, first Isaiah then Jeremiah.
"...being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." In other words, Saul was proud of his genealogy, and he probably was even able to chase it clear back into the Old Testament economy. His heritage as with many Hebrews is and was a bigger thing in fact the purer the blood line the better. Remember, his father must have been some kind of a man of influence as a Roman citizen, because Paul, remember, was also a Roman citizen, so that tells us something about his father and probably his grandfather. All of these things come into play when we look at the man's religious fanaticism. If he could stamp out all of those Hebrews who had followed Christ then he thought he was the winner.
Now its just here we should say that Saul's attitude and ways of interpreting scripture was all reprogrammed by the risen Lord, in other wards Paul was given a New heart. It is this same reprogramming which we as gentiles and the Hebrews as the nation of Israel will one day have happen. This is prophesied by Jeremiah in chapter 31 and verse 34 and is repeated in the Epistle of Hebrews chapter 8 verse 11. Its mans stubborn nature and the religious spirit within him which clings to the old Hebrew traditions of men not knowing the power and nature of God and therefore in a rebellious state disregards all that the New Covenant reveals of the old and its having passed away as an old rag. It is just here that we should mention the story of Lazarus had how those old grave clothes clung to him and then Isaiah's filthy rags in Isaiah 64: 6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness's are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." These rags are but the old testament and the Levitical Laws and in Lazarus's story Jesus tells those close to him to remove the grave clothes which means the old is about to disappear or be done away with. As Lazarus was raised to newness of life to be clothed by Jesus Himself. Just as the two parables of the old cloth and the new cloth and the old wine skin and the new wine are reflections on one and the same thing in meaning. When we learn Christ through the allowing of the Holy Spirit to do His works within us in the school of obedience He brings us to a knowledge of the Truth as He is the Spirit of all Truth. And in His way develops our hungering for righteousness by way of revealing our undoneness and sins hold on us and those things around us (Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans 13:12, 14). He then begins to reveal just how it is that we're required to attain God's righteousness and that its NOT by our sufficiency because we can't put ourselves on the stake and to death.
Galatians 1:7a
"Which is not another; (Gospel) but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ." It's not a completely different Gospel, but what they were doing was to add it, yes to Paul's Gospel of Grace by adding the Law and its legalism (the Levitical Law, ordinances, rituals of sacrifice, washings and the other 613 articles), and works. Now nothing thrills us more when some one tells us that, "My what a joy. It's like someone took a load off my shoulders when I came out of all that legalism, and realize that it's in Grace and Grace alone that we have to find our salvation (I Corinthians 15:1-4)" So this is the whole theme now that the Apostle Paul is still defending his apostleship as he did all through the Corinthian letters. We find this also as the theme in the Epistle of Hebrews along side the revelation of there becoming two covenants now in play, which we'll touch on later and how they work.
Can we see now why the Holy Spirit put the Corinthian letters where they are, and why Romans is where it is, even though they were written later. Paul declares in Romans the basic doctrine of his Gospel, and then in the Corinthian letters he had to correct and reprove them for having so many other problems. Not so much like the Galatians with religious legalism, but they had divisions and other problems so he had to correct those problems and in correcting them he had to defend his apostleship.
As Paul's writings and his letters are so often totally ignored, we have to remember what an Ivy League president in the late 1800's once said. He said, "We must realize that it's either back, back, back, to the doctrines of Paul or it's on, on, on to apostasy." We believe that more than ever. If we can't get folks back to an understanding of Paul's doctrines, then Christianity as it is known is in dire straits. As it is now a blending of both the old and the new without understanding the err of so doing. Or people are not looking at it at all and are turning to Judaism out of shear desperation of ignorance on their part and again blending things together, in hopes of some how making it through they know not what. This causes many to remain in darkness because of unbelief, just as Israel is held under a cloud because of hardness of heart. Both to suffer the wrath which is to come, first in Israel (judgment starts with) and then to the nations. Now verse 15. So, in this verse, Paul is pretty much still declaring his apostleship and declaring his authority and so he says:
Galatians 1:15
"But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace." (Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5) Now that's a Pauline expression. Called me by his Grace. All we have to do is stop and reflect for a moment. What else but Grace could have done what God did with this man on the road to Damascus. Here he was trying to stamp out anyone in Israel that had proclaimed Christ as the Messiah, and had become separated from the mainstream of Judaism, with its legalism, although they (the disciples) were still keeping Temple worship and the religious Law. Evidently Saul had pretty much cleansed the homeland and now he had gone to the chief rulers to get permission to go to Syria and bring back the Jewish believers to Jerusalem for trial, punishment and death. So on the road to Damascus with that heart of absolute hatred with anything contrary to Judaism, the Lord called Him by His Grace. If there was ever a man that didn't deserve what God did for him it was Saul of Tarsus. But, contrary to what most people think, we have to do what is revealed to get right with God. Saul, like Israel of old when they stood on the shores of the Red Sea, did absolutely nothing. Nothing but helplessly call out, "What would you have me do?"
Remember in Genesis when Noah and his family were in the ark? Do we remember what the picture of the sealant of those wood boards is a type of? It was the word "pitch" but in the Hebrew it means "atonement". So it was the atonement that sealed out the flood waters of Noah's ark. Now with the atonement in place and the ark secure, Noah and his family were totally safe. Well, it's the same when we come to Israel standing at their kitchen table in their little huts in Egypt. And the death angel is flying over, and wailing and weeping is carrying on in Egypt, and yet, there, those Hebrew families could stand safe and secure because the blood was on the door frame lentils. Then sometime later they stood on the shores of the Red Sea with no hope. When God spoke, He didn't tell them to do anything except to stand still and see the power of God. And, of course, that was the opening of the Red Sea (the symbol of coming out into the first covenant, we have the same thing when we first come to ourselves and seek redemption the entry into the first covenant is secured at the moment of our conversion and our proof is the in presence of the Holy Spirit's first filling of us ). Now this is exactly where Paul had to find himself. Just exactly like Israel, there was only going to be one place of safety for this man, and that is in the Blood of Christ, and how is he going to appropriate it? Not by doing something, but rather, once the Lord spoke to him, all he could say was, "Lord what would you have me do?" It hasn't changed a bit (he left the first to enter into the second and better covenant). Now we'll look at the two passages referenced above, first Isaiah then Jeremiah.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Part XVI on Galatians Study
Galatians 1:14a
"And profited in the Jews' religion..." Now at first glance the following would be the obvious scenario of this verse: we've said that we can go into any religion of the world, and go into their headquarters, their upper echelons, what do we find? Wealth. Tremendous wealth, and where have they gotten it? From the peons down there on the lower level. Judaism was no different. Why did Jesus drive out the money changers in the Temple? What was going on? Hey, it was corruption. These people living out in the small alleys and huts of Jerusalem couldn't afford to go out into the Judean hills and buy a nice beautiful lamb, and bring it to the Temple. Nor did they have whatever it took to do that. So what did they have to do?
They had to buy some kind of a sacrifice for some kind of a peon's wage in order to fulfill the demands of their religion, and so what were those religious leaders setting up? A market place right in the Temple. And they would try to charge high prices for whatever these people had to have, whether it was a turtledove, or maybe a little lamb that had something wrong with it. And remember God required a lamb without blemish so this was also a controversy between God and Israel and more so with its priesthood. But these rascals of Israel were taking advantage of the poor people and selling them the off scouring of stuff that they could use for a sacrifice, and charging them bloated prices, and why? The same motivation that people have today. To get rich! Old Saul was right in the middle of that. Remember that Malachi is a warning against the priest for their practice of this evil and wickedness. It was also the warnings which His prophets warned not only the priests but the nation.
If we should see the home of Caiaphas the High Priest. His home has been dug out of the archeological diggings, it's quite a few feet below street level. But even after all of these 1965 plus years of laying under the dirt and sand of the Middle East, we can see by the materials that were on the walls, and with all the bathrooms what they had, they lived sumptuously.
In fact, in one area of that house we can see three or four layers where Caiaphas' wife must have gone to Athens and she came back and said, "Honey we've got to have this on our walls because after all that's what all the rich people in Athens have". And we can just imagine old Caiaphas saying, "Okay, Okay." So maybe a year or so later she went to Rome and saw something there that was even prettier and came back and said, "Honey, you've got what it takes, I've got to have this new material on our walls." And he says, "Well, well Okay." So there was about four layers and we could see that each one was beautiful. Don't we just love the discovery channel and the history channel?
They must have cost tremendous amounts of money. They lived sumptuously. Why? Because they were feeding off the income of that religion. Hey, religion has always been that way. We tell people to look at any religion on the face of the earth today, go up into the higher echelons and we'll find the same thing. It hasn't changed. The human race hasn't changed one iota in 6000 plus years. As they get more they get more corrupt, remember total corruption breeds total corruption. The more corrupt people get, the more corruption there is, and corruption just keeps feeding upon itself and others. Listen, this was Saul of Tarsus. This is the point we wanted to make. This guy was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was corrupt in the religion, he didn't have any mercy for those who opposed it and so he could drag them into the dungeons or commit them to stoning, it never bothered him then. Until he saw his sinfulness and its ties to his religion and its lusts which he had buried deep within himself that he wrestled with himself and within himself. Now read on about his account. But first some thing just came to mind...
Matthew 6:1-8
“Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when you do give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward...... 5 And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly. 7 But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him.” (paraphrased) Now do we hear His (Jesus') reference to the people He calls hypocrites and heathens and their placement is in the synagogues and on the street corners. These are all in references to the Sadducees and Pharisees or members of the Sanhedrin, as is most of the rest of this chapter and on into the next. What's He doing? He's destroying the corral or the foundation of the Levitical Law and the priesthood tied to it. He's calling them all pretenders an actors as being on a stage, why? because they do not do as God had given them to do. They have set themselves above God and made His word a false idol and a stronghold by their traditions of men. Because they had been warned through His prophets to relent of their practices of disobedience. As He'll soon become the cornerstone laid upon that old Foundation (the old covenant soon to become set aside for a New) of divine inspiration and revelation within a matter of a few short years. Now back to verse 14:
Galatians 1:14a
"And profited in the Jews' religion..." Now we should all detest the word `religion.' The Bible always uses it in a bad or negative light. We think in the Book of James there is probably an exception, but for the most part the word `religion' in scripture is a bad word, just like it is here. Paul says, `I was profiting in the Jews' religion,' because it was a bad, corrupt system. He is referring to the forward movement and advancement, its superior over all other religions. Its dependency on the external and materialism of mans works which he later tells us must be put to obedience unto death, the whole reason and purpose of Christ's death in mans flesh (Philippians 2:8; Ephesians 2:14-18). Now we don't have to tell you that. All we have to do is go back and read Jesus' account with the Pharisees, and what were they? They were corrupt, they were a blight or gross darkness because their eyes weren't clear and they refused the light.
Remember when one of them smote the Apostle Paul on the face? What did Paul call him? "You whited sepulcher." That's pretty strong language, and he had to take it back, because he didn't know that he was talking to the high priest of the then defunct religion. Which is about to be removed from the scene by God through Titus. We think there's more there than can be read between the lines, but anyway that's what he called him. Now finishing the verse:
Galatians 1:14
"And profited in the Jews religion above many my equals in mine own nation, (he was probably making more advancement than most of them) being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." Always remember this, "Religion always banks on traditions rather than doctrine. And when we get a little further in Galatians, we're going to show that things haven't changed one bit in the past 2000 plus years. Oh we're not dealing with circumcision, or Pharisees, and Judaism, but we're dealing with the same kind of mentality. It's the same thing, it's religions legalism, and all of its demands on ignorant unsuspecting people (its legalism and yoke of bondage). All natural born humanity requires some form of religion and the practice of legalism found within its framework of rules and regulations. Why? Because its part of mans make up and nature as a receptive being. And is the secret power which holds all mankind because it falsely fills the hole where God's Spirit is to dwell, a hole of hungering for the unknown things, the righteousness of God. But look what he says:
"And profited in the Jews' religion..." Now at first glance the following would be the obvious scenario of this verse: we've said that we can go into any religion of the world, and go into their headquarters, their upper echelons, what do we find? Wealth. Tremendous wealth, and where have they gotten it? From the peons down there on the lower level. Judaism was no different. Why did Jesus drive out the money changers in the Temple? What was going on? Hey, it was corruption. These people living out in the small alleys and huts of Jerusalem couldn't afford to go out into the Judean hills and buy a nice beautiful lamb, and bring it to the Temple. Nor did they have whatever it took to do that. So what did they have to do?
They had to buy some kind of a sacrifice for some kind of a peon's wage in order to fulfill the demands of their religion, and so what were those religious leaders setting up? A market place right in the Temple. And they would try to charge high prices for whatever these people had to have, whether it was a turtledove, or maybe a little lamb that had something wrong with it. And remember God required a lamb without blemish so this was also a controversy between God and Israel and more so with its priesthood. But these rascals of Israel were taking advantage of the poor people and selling them the off scouring of stuff that they could use for a sacrifice, and charging them bloated prices, and why? The same motivation that people have today. To get rich! Old Saul was right in the middle of that. Remember that Malachi is a warning against the priest for their practice of this evil and wickedness. It was also the warnings which His prophets warned not only the priests but the nation.
If we should see the home of Caiaphas the High Priest. His home has been dug out of the archeological diggings, it's quite a few feet below street level. But even after all of these 1965 plus years of laying under the dirt and sand of the Middle East, we can see by the materials that were on the walls, and with all the bathrooms what they had, they lived sumptuously.
In fact, in one area of that house we can see three or four layers where Caiaphas' wife must have gone to Athens and she came back and said, "Honey we've got to have this on our walls because after all that's what all the rich people in Athens have". And we can just imagine old Caiaphas saying, "Okay, Okay." So maybe a year or so later she went to Rome and saw something there that was even prettier and came back and said, "Honey, you've got what it takes, I've got to have this new material on our walls." And he says, "Well, well Okay." So there was about four layers and we could see that each one was beautiful. Don't we just love the discovery channel and the history channel?
They must have cost tremendous amounts of money. They lived sumptuously. Why? Because they were feeding off the income of that religion. Hey, religion has always been that way. We tell people to look at any religion on the face of the earth today, go up into the higher echelons and we'll find the same thing. It hasn't changed. The human race hasn't changed one iota in 6000 plus years. As they get more they get more corrupt, remember total corruption breeds total corruption. The more corrupt people get, the more corruption there is, and corruption just keeps feeding upon itself and others. Listen, this was Saul of Tarsus. This is the point we wanted to make. This guy was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was corrupt in the religion, he didn't have any mercy for those who opposed it and so he could drag them into the dungeons or commit them to stoning, it never bothered him then. Until he saw his sinfulness and its ties to his religion and its lusts which he had buried deep within himself that he wrestled with himself and within himself. Now read on about his account. But first some thing just came to mind...
Matthew 6:1-8
“Take heed that you do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise you have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when you do give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward...... 5 And when you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say to you, They have their reward. 6 But you, when you pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and your Father which sees in secret shall reward you openly. 7 But when you pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knows what things you have need of, before you ask Him.” (paraphrased) Now do we hear His (Jesus') reference to the people He calls hypocrites and heathens and their placement is in the synagogues and on the street corners. These are all in references to the Sadducees and Pharisees or members of the Sanhedrin, as is most of the rest of this chapter and on into the next. What's He doing? He's destroying the corral or the foundation of the Levitical Law and the priesthood tied to it. He's calling them all pretenders an actors as being on a stage, why? because they do not do as God had given them to do. They have set themselves above God and made His word a false idol and a stronghold by their traditions of men. Because they had been warned through His prophets to relent of their practices of disobedience. As He'll soon become the cornerstone laid upon that old Foundation (the old covenant soon to become set aside for a New) of divine inspiration and revelation within a matter of a few short years. Now back to verse 14:
Galatians 1:14a
"And profited in the Jews' religion..." Now we should all detest the word `religion.' The Bible always uses it in a bad or negative light. We think in the Book of James there is probably an exception, but for the most part the word `religion' in scripture is a bad word, just like it is here. Paul says, `I was profiting in the Jews' religion,' because it was a bad, corrupt system. He is referring to the forward movement and advancement, its superior over all other religions. Its dependency on the external and materialism of mans works which he later tells us must be put to obedience unto death, the whole reason and purpose of Christ's death in mans flesh (Philippians 2:8; Ephesians 2:14-18). Now we don't have to tell you that. All we have to do is go back and read Jesus' account with the Pharisees, and what were they? They were corrupt, they were a blight or gross darkness because their eyes weren't clear and they refused the light.
Remember when one of them smote the Apostle Paul on the face? What did Paul call him? "You whited sepulcher." That's pretty strong language, and he had to take it back, because he didn't know that he was talking to the high priest of the then defunct religion. Which is about to be removed from the scene by God through Titus. We think there's more there than can be read between the lines, but anyway that's what he called him. Now finishing the verse:
Galatians 1:14
"And profited in the Jews religion above many my equals in mine own nation, (he was probably making more advancement than most of them) being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." Always remember this, "Religion always banks on traditions rather than doctrine. And when we get a little further in Galatians, we're going to show that things haven't changed one bit in the past 2000 plus years. Oh we're not dealing with circumcision, or Pharisees, and Judaism, but we're dealing with the same kind of mentality. It's the same thing, it's religions legalism, and all of its demands on ignorant unsuspecting people (its legalism and yoke of bondage). All natural born humanity requires some form of religion and the practice of legalism found within its framework of rules and regulations. Why? Because its part of mans make up and nature as a receptive being. And is the secret power which holds all mankind because it falsely fills the hole where God's Spirit is to dwell, a hole of hungering for the unknown things, the righteousness of God. But look what he says:
Monday, March 26, 2012
Part XV on Galatians Study
Acts 7:59
"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'"
We've said before that the only appropriate address for Him today is either Christ, or the Lord Jesus, Christ Jesus or the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Lord, and LORD which is to say Master but don't ever approach Him as just Jesus because it is not a scriptural or spiritual application. Looking again at verse 60:
Acts 7:60a
"And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, `Lord,...'" Now it's the same way with the Apostle Paul with a couple of exceptions. We know in I Thessalonians chapter 4 he will say, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again..." But most every place else he uses the term Lord Jesus Christ, or Jesus Christ but never Jesus alone and only here because it relates to His earthly placement in time and season or epoch. It's just not appropriate now after His resurrection. Now come over to chapter 9 and we'll pick up a description of Saul of Tarsus in his hatred for anything connected to the followers of Jesus Christ.
Acts 9:1a
"And Saul, (the one we just read about in chapter 7) yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter..." Now remember, we mentioned earlier that the Judaic religious people had clout with Rome. They had quite a bit of clout. In fact, it was just their own obstinacy that brought down the temple and city of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD. But the Romans had a lot of respect for Judaism because it was an old religion and a well accepted one. The reason they persecuted the Christians so was because it was something totally new and so the Romans treated it like a sect or cult or something as not being vital or needful. But Judaism had the respect of the Roman authorities, because it was considered one of the ancient religions.
Also remember that the Hebrews from one end of the Roman empire to the other would send vast amounts of money to the Temple as offerings, and never was a dollar lost. Never did they lose an ounce of those gifts because Rome recognized and protected it. Now, as we said before, they also had enough clout with the Roman Government that they could demand extradition of Hebrews that they wanted to deal with in their own religion, and bring them back to Jerusalem. And that's why Saul had the authority to go Damascus which was outside of Israel, and yet Rome permitted them to do just that. Now read on:
Acts 9:1,2
"And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest. 2. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, (see he wasn't going to bother the Syrian population, all he wanted were those Hebrews who had embraced, trusted in, the Messiah.) that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem." Saul was vicious, he had no mercy. He didn't care whether they were young or old, or men or women; if they had embraced Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, then Saul's attitude was, "They're not worth living, get rid of them, they are nothing but a threat to my religion." Have we got the picture? Now come back to the Book of Galatians. And the man never got over that for hurting so many. We imagine as he suffered all of the ramifications of his apostleship he must have constantly remembered it's coming around. He was shown and told of that he must suffer to bring this message out, and he was coming around. Now verse 13.
Galatians 1:13
"For ye have heard of my conversation (manner of living) in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted (how I chased them to the ends of my authority) the church (assembly) of God and wasted it:" What does wasted it mean? Utterly destroyed wherever he went. Now he had evidently made so much headway in the area of Jerusalem and Judea that he thought he had pretty much cleaned house, and there wasn't anything left to do so he said, "Okay, High Priest, let me go to Damascus, because there are still some of these people up there and we know where they are." A lot of those Jewish believers who had to flee Jerusalem, for fear of Saul of Tarsus and the other religious persecutors, did migrate up into the area of Galilee and some as far north as Damascus. Now verse 14. Not only was Saul a religious zealot who had no mercy, who had no compunction in putting those Jewish believers to death, on top of that he was motivated for money and its lust. Does that ring a bell?
"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'"
We've said before that the only appropriate address for Him today is either Christ, or the Lord Jesus, Christ Jesus or the Lord Jesus Christ, or the Lord, and LORD which is to say Master but don't ever approach Him as just Jesus because it is not a scriptural or spiritual application. Looking again at verse 60:
Acts 7:60a
"And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, `Lord,...'" Now it's the same way with the Apostle Paul with a couple of exceptions. We know in I Thessalonians chapter 4 he will say, "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again..." But most every place else he uses the term Lord Jesus Christ, or Jesus Christ but never Jesus alone and only here because it relates to His earthly placement in time and season or epoch. It's just not appropriate now after His resurrection. Now come over to chapter 9 and we'll pick up a description of Saul of Tarsus in his hatred for anything connected to the followers of Jesus Christ.
Acts 9:1a
"And Saul, (the one we just read about in chapter 7) yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter..." Now remember, we mentioned earlier that the Judaic religious people had clout with Rome. They had quite a bit of clout. In fact, it was just their own obstinacy that brought down the temple and city of Jerusalem by Titus in 70 AD. But the Romans had a lot of respect for Judaism because it was an old religion and a well accepted one. The reason they persecuted the Christians so was because it was something totally new and so the Romans treated it like a sect or cult or something as not being vital or needful. But Judaism had the respect of the Roman authorities, because it was considered one of the ancient religions.
Also remember that the Hebrews from one end of the Roman empire to the other would send vast amounts of money to the Temple as offerings, and never was a dollar lost. Never did they lose an ounce of those gifts because Rome recognized and protected it. Now, as we said before, they also had enough clout with the Roman Government that they could demand extradition of Hebrews that they wanted to deal with in their own religion, and bring them back to Jerusalem. And that's why Saul had the authority to go Damascus which was outside of Israel, and yet Rome permitted them to do just that. Now read on:
Acts 9:1,2
"And Saul, yet breathing out threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest. 2. And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, (see he wasn't going to bother the Syrian population, all he wanted were those Hebrews who had embraced, trusted in, the Messiah.) that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem." Saul was vicious, he had no mercy. He didn't care whether they were young or old, or men or women; if they had embraced Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, then Saul's attitude was, "They're not worth living, get rid of them, they are nothing but a threat to my religion." Have we got the picture? Now come back to the Book of Galatians. And the man never got over that for hurting so many. We imagine as he suffered all of the ramifications of his apostleship he must have constantly remembered it's coming around. He was shown and told of that he must suffer to bring this message out, and he was coming around. Now verse 13.
Galatians 1:13
"For ye have heard of my conversation (manner of living) in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted (how I chased them to the ends of my authority) the church (assembly) of God and wasted it:" What does wasted it mean? Utterly destroyed wherever he went. Now he had evidently made so much headway in the area of Jerusalem and Judea that he thought he had pretty much cleaned house, and there wasn't anything left to do so he said, "Okay, High Priest, let me go to Damascus, because there are still some of these people up there and we know where they are." A lot of those Jewish believers who had to flee Jerusalem, for fear of Saul of Tarsus and the other religious persecutors, did migrate up into the area of Galilee and some as far north as Damascus. Now verse 14. Not only was Saul a religious zealot who had no mercy, who had no compunction in putting those Jewish believers to death, on top of that he was motivated for money and its lust. Does that ring a bell?
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Part XIV on Galatians Study
Galatians 1:13b
"...how that beyond measure (it was despicable) I persecuted the church (assembly) of God, and wasted it:" Now we use the word `assembly' here on purpose because too many people get confused by thinking that the word "church" always means what we call the Body of Christ, and it doesn't. Always remember the word translated `church' in our New Testament is the Greek word `ekklesia' (it can be spelled with two c's or two k's) and we pronounce it 'ecclesia'. All that word meant in its true translated form was "a called out assembly." The 'ek' means origin, from, out, when used in composition it denotes completion, and the word 'klesia' means to be called, called-out. Just as Abram was called out from his fathers house and lands and then the Hebrews were called out from Egypt to become wholly God's chosen ones. It is the same for those who come through by way of personal choice come out from among them the world at first and then after passing through the discipline of their first estate of the church of the world by way of death into the New and Living Way. It doesn't mean something with pastors, and bishops and deacons necessarily, although when Paul speaks of the Body of Christ and the local Church, then, yes, it does. Now the word `ecclesia' then was what Stephen referred to in Acts chapter 7 when he said "The church in the wilderness." Remember that? Well, that wasn't a church, but it was a called-out assembly because God called Jacob/Israel out of Egypt unto Himself. And it was called an ecclesia. This holds the same meaning in our day but few of our denominations or religious groups hold to this, nor are true to their profession of faith in God alone, just as these Galatians did not. And was the reason for Paul's writing of the Epistle.
The group of Jewish believers in Jerusalem was a called-out assembly, or ecclesia, in Jerusalem because they had separated themselves from the run-of-the-mill Judaizers. We maintain they were not yet the Body of Christ, because they were still bond in their old traditions and customs. Back in the Book of Acts there was another instance, when it's anything but a spiritual group of people, when they rioted in Ephesus. They ran into the theater, they were a mob, they were rioting because of what the Apostle Paul had been accomplishing among those pagan people, the dogs, and what's it called? An ecclesia. Now, fortunately the King James translators didn't use the word `church' for that, so what did they use? Assembly. So the assembly was being addressed and warned that the Roman authorities were going to call them into question. So we have to be careful how we let these terminologies either confuse us or set us straight. Like the little book of Jasher, Paul sets things straight with a more accurate record through the Holy Spirit. So when Paul says:
Galatians 1:13b
"...I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:" We prefer the word `assembly' because that's what it was. It was a called-out, separated group of Hebrews who we do not feel were, as yet, under the terminology of the Body of Christ which is something so quite different. They were still operating under the soon to become old first covenant and its religious Law and legalism. Take that for what it's worth; you may not agree with us, but that's fine. So Paul persecuted the assembly and wasted it. Let's go back to the Book of Acts and get the scriptural account, and we can see for ourselves what he is talking about. Let's turn to chapter 7 verse 57. Here we have Stephen now, who has addressed the leaders of the Nation of Israel. He has gone through that whole historical record of the nation, and he brings them all the way up to Christ's crucifixion and rejection. He proclaims what Christ Himself had been doing, and as Peter had done at Pentecost, that He was the Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. But remember Peter said back there in chapter 2 that they had murdered Him.
Acts 2:23b
"...ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:"
Acts 3:15a
"And killed the Prince of life,..."
Peter goes on to say that God raised Him from the dead, and He is still in a position to be your King. And like we said earlier: when Saul of Tarsus, that religious practitioner of Judaism, saw the inroads that Jesus of Nazareth and the Twelve were making into Judaism, he just about went into orbit as we would say. He fought it tooth and nail and was trying to stamp it out. Saul was sincere - sincerely wrong; but he was sincere in hating these Hebrews who had embraced Jesus of Nazareth. Look at Stephens account in Acts 7.
Acts 7:57-60
"Then they (these Jewish leaders) cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him (Stephen) with one accord. 58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. (now he's thirty something. He was about the same age as Christ.) 59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' 60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, `Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (His body died but his soul and spirit left him.)
Recently we made a point which many not have been picked up on that it is not appropriate for us in this Age of Grace in the post-resurrection era to refer to the Lord as simply "Jesus." That was His name as the son of man, in the flesh of humiliation. Never in all of the scriptural accounts did the Twelve address Him as "Jesus" They called Him either "Lord" or "Master," but they never called him Jesus. Now the ridiculers did, but His followers never did, and it's the same way here, do you see it? Look at verse 59 again.
"...how that beyond measure (it was despicable) I persecuted the church (assembly) of God, and wasted it:" Now we use the word `assembly' here on purpose because too many people get confused by thinking that the word "church" always means what we call the Body of Christ, and it doesn't. Always remember the word translated `church' in our New Testament is the Greek word `ekklesia' (it can be spelled with two c's or two k's) and we pronounce it 'ecclesia'. All that word meant in its true translated form was "a called out assembly." The 'ek' means origin, from, out, when used in composition it denotes completion, and the word 'klesia' means to be called, called-out. Just as Abram was called out from his fathers house and lands and then the Hebrews were called out from Egypt to become wholly God's chosen ones. It is the same for those who come through by way of personal choice come out from among them the world at first and then after passing through the discipline of their first estate of the church of the world by way of death into the New and Living Way. It doesn't mean something with pastors, and bishops and deacons necessarily, although when Paul speaks of the Body of Christ and the local Church, then, yes, it does. Now the word `ecclesia' then was what Stephen referred to in Acts chapter 7 when he said "The church in the wilderness." Remember that? Well, that wasn't a church, but it was a called-out assembly because God called Jacob/Israel out of Egypt unto Himself. And it was called an ecclesia. This holds the same meaning in our day but few of our denominations or religious groups hold to this, nor are true to their profession of faith in God alone, just as these Galatians did not. And was the reason for Paul's writing of the Epistle.
The group of Jewish believers in Jerusalem was a called-out assembly, or ecclesia, in Jerusalem because they had separated themselves from the run-of-the-mill Judaizers. We maintain they were not yet the Body of Christ, because they were still bond in their old traditions and customs. Back in the Book of Acts there was another instance, when it's anything but a spiritual group of people, when they rioted in Ephesus. They ran into the theater, they were a mob, they were rioting because of what the Apostle Paul had been accomplishing among those pagan people, the dogs, and what's it called? An ecclesia. Now, fortunately the King James translators didn't use the word `church' for that, so what did they use? Assembly. So the assembly was being addressed and warned that the Roman authorities were going to call them into question. So we have to be careful how we let these terminologies either confuse us or set us straight. Like the little book of Jasher, Paul sets things straight with a more accurate record through the Holy Spirit. So when Paul says:
Galatians 1:13b
"...I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:" We prefer the word `assembly' because that's what it was. It was a called-out, separated group of Hebrews who we do not feel were, as yet, under the terminology of the Body of Christ which is something so quite different. They were still operating under the soon to become old first covenant and its religious Law and legalism. Take that for what it's worth; you may not agree with us, but that's fine. So Paul persecuted the assembly and wasted it. Let's go back to the Book of Acts and get the scriptural account, and we can see for ourselves what he is talking about. Let's turn to chapter 7 verse 57. Here we have Stephen now, who has addressed the leaders of the Nation of Israel. He has gone through that whole historical record of the nation, and he brings them all the way up to Christ's crucifixion and rejection. He proclaims what Christ Himself had been doing, and as Peter had done at Pentecost, that He was the Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. But remember Peter said back there in chapter 2 that they had murdered Him.
Acts 2:23b
"...ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:"
Acts 3:15a
"And killed the Prince of life,..."
Peter goes on to say that God raised Him from the dead, and He is still in a position to be your King. And like we said earlier: when Saul of Tarsus, that religious practitioner of Judaism, saw the inroads that Jesus of Nazareth and the Twelve were making into Judaism, he just about went into orbit as we would say. He fought it tooth and nail and was trying to stamp it out. Saul was sincere - sincerely wrong; but he was sincere in hating these Hebrews who had embraced Jesus of Nazareth. Look at Stephens account in Acts 7.
Acts 7:57-60
"Then they (these Jewish leaders) cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him (Stephen) with one accord. 58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. (now he's thirty something. He was about the same age as Christ.) 59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' 60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, `Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (His body died but his soul and spirit left him.)
Recently we made a point which many not have been picked up on that it is not appropriate for us in this Age of Grace in the post-resurrection era to refer to the Lord as simply "Jesus." That was His name as the son of man, in the flesh of humiliation. Never in all of the scriptural accounts did the Twelve address Him as "Jesus" They called Him either "Lord" or "Master," but they never called him Jesus. Now the ridiculers did, but His followers never did, and it's the same way here, do you see it? Look at verse 59 again.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Part XIII on Galatians Study
Galatians 1:12
"For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Who is now in glory so it had to be through some kind of a communication process between the Lord and this apostle. Remember the words revelation and inspiration as they are the key which unlocks the gate or door of the cross which is our alter of sacrifice. They are also the foundation upon which Jesus said that He would build His Church and that is divine illumination which gives us inspiration from within our heart and this then becomes revelation of Him. All inspiration is given by the Holy Spirit who is present within the receptive ones. And which alter the others are not allowed to eat of its meat or fruits or partake of. Now verse 13:
Galatians 1:13a
"For ye have heard of my conversation (now that word `conversation' is always translated throughout the New Testament, as manner of lifestyle, how we think, act and respond to God) in time past in the Jews' religion,..." Why did the Holy Spirit inspire the Apostle Paul to use that term for Judaism? Because that was what it had become. It had become watered down over the last 1500 years from the giving of the ten commandments and Levitical Law on Mt. Sinai, now know this that this Mt. equates to Agar or bondage under the Law, and the establishing of the priesthood of Israel, and all of the sacrificial worship now it had become idolatry (as we shared earlier from Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel). In the beginning, that was pure, that was Law, but oh, as Israel progressed up through those 1500 years, what happened to it? It just got polluted and corrupt, and degenerated, and finally, after that, it had become 613 rules and regulations (one of which was that they could only walk so far on the Sabbath day). That's what the Law had become and it is now a religion with a yoke of heavy bondage.
There was no saving power in the Judaism of Christ's day nor even to-day. Oh, there were a few bonified believers, we know there were. Zacharias, and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. Joseph and Mary no doubt were, but oh, it was precious few Hebrews that were true believers when Christ came to Israel. The majority were not true believers but they were very religious. Oh, you bet they were religious. They kept the feast days, they practiced the sacrifices. You know, Josephus claimed that, at the time of Christ, one million animals were sacrificed every year. Now that means that a bunch of animals had to be sacrificed every day. But whether it was that many or something less than that, don't ever lose sight of the fact that the Hebrew religion of Christ's day was, to the hilt, a practicing of those 613 rules and regulations added by men. What a yoke of slavery for any one to have to carry on his own sufficiency of works. No Grace found there.
The Galatian churches were probably in the Southern half of Turkey. They were being bombarded by false teachers who were claiming that they couldn't be saved by trust and faith alone, but they also had to be circumcised, and they had to keep the Law of Moses, the Hebrew corral, or they couldn't be saved. Does that ring a bell? Well, we don't have circumcision as such, but we've got a lot of other things that are required that are in the same category. It's that which you can do and that which is of works and it does nothing but bring down the anathema of God Himself. Now verse 13.
Galatians 1:13a
"For ye have heard of my conversation (manner of living) in time past in the Jews' religion,..."
He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, he says in the Book of Philippians. We're positive that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, and, as such, he must have been a husband and father or he wouldn't have been a member. We feel that way because he says, in Acts chapter 26, that when they were persecuting these Jewish believers, and they were brought before the religious counsels, he, along with others, voted to have them put to death or have them thrown in prison. So that tells us quite a bit right there. The then Saul of Tarsus was high up in the echelons of Judaism as it was known at the time of Christ with the Temple worship. Now reading on:
"For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Who is now in glory so it had to be through some kind of a communication process between the Lord and this apostle. Remember the words revelation and inspiration as they are the key which unlocks the gate or door of the cross which is our alter of sacrifice. They are also the foundation upon which Jesus said that He would build His Church and that is divine illumination which gives us inspiration from within our heart and this then becomes revelation of Him. All inspiration is given by the Holy Spirit who is present within the receptive ones. And which alter the others are not allowed to eat of its meat or fruits or partake of. Now verse 13:
Galatians 1:13a
"For ye have heard of my conversation (now that word `conversation' is always translated throughout the New Testament, as manner of lifestyle, how we think, act and respond to God) in time past in the Jews' religion,..." Why did the Holy Spirit inspire the Apostle Paul to use that term for Judaism? Because that was what it had become. It had become watered down over the last 1500 years from the giving of the ten commandments and Levitical Law on Mt. Sinai, now know this that this Mt. equates to Agar or bondage under the Law, and the establishing of the priesthood of Israel, and all of the sacrificial worship now it had become idolatry (as we shared earlier from Jeremiah, Isaiah and Ezekiel). In the beginning, that was pure, that was Law, but oh, as Israel progressed up through those 1500 years, what happened to it? It just got polluted and corrupt, and degenerated, and finally, after that, it had become 613 rules and regulations (one of which was that they could only walk so far on the Sabbath day). That's what the Law had become and it is now a religion with a yoke of heavy bondage.
There was no saving power in the Judaism of Christ's day nor even to-day. Oh, there were a few bonified believers, we know there were. Zacharias, and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist. Joseph and Mary no doubt were, but oh, it was precious few Hebrews that were true believers when Christ came to Israel. The majority were not true believers but they were very religious. Oh, you bet they were religious. They kept the feast days, they practiced the sacrifices. You know, Josephus claimed that, at the time of Christ, one million animals were sacrificed every year. Now that means that a bunch of animals had to be sacrificed every day. But whether it was that many or something less than that, don't ever lose sight of the fact that the Hebrew religion of Christ's day was, to the hilt, a practicing of those 613 rules and regulations added by men. What a yoke of slavery for any one to have to carry on his own sufficiency of works. No Grace found there.
The Galatian churches were probably in the Southern half of Turkey. They were being bombarded by false teachers who were claiming that they couldn't be saved by trust and faith alone, but they also had to be circumcised, and they had to keep the Law of Moses, the Hebrew corral, or they couldn't be saved. Does that ring a bell? Well, we don't have circumcision as such, but we've got a lot of other things that are required that are in the same category. It's that which you can do and that which is of works and it does nothing but bring down the anathema of God Himself. Now verse 13.
Galatians 1:13a
"For ye have heard of my conversation (manner of living) in time past in the Jews' religion,..."
He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, he says in the Book of Philippians. We're positive that he was a member of the Sanhedrin, and, as such, he must have been a husband and father or he wouldn't have been a member. We feel that way because he says, in Acts chapter 26, that when they were persecuting these Jewish believers, and they were brought before the religious counsels, he, along with others, voted to have them put to death or have them thrown in prison. So that tells us quite a bit right there. The then Saul of Tarsus was high up in the echelons of Judaism as it was known at the time of Christ with the Temple worship. Now reading on:
Friday, March 23, 2012
Part XII on Galatians Study
Mark 7:9
“And He (Jesus) said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition......13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” This is what people are not hearing and why there is so much trouble in the church.This is what our Apostle to the Gentiles is saying and what those of us who have chosen to become the willing (by death and the faith of Christ) have been revealing also. As we all have heard and responded "yes" Lord, unlike Israel, the world and yes even the church as we know it are in unbelief. It (the church) is in apostasy because it sticks to the traditions of man in its legalism and religious ceremonies, rituals and holidays. In fact we might say it is stuck in the first covenant (that area where God places all at the time of conversion for the sole purpose of developing in us obedience and dependency in the Holy Spirit) if it weren't for the fact that it mixes both covenants into one. Thereby nullifying both and some denominations and groups do practice the lower covenant that being the first by way of the ignorance of man. Now this is the teaching and meaning of the letter to the Romans and is found in the first eight chapters.
Now we'll return to Paul's letter to the Corinthians. This is the cause of what the Lord revealed to the Apostle Paul and put into his month His words to proclaim to the Gentiles. Now we want to remember what it says about this in I Corinthians chapter 15 - where we just left off with the clearest explanation of the Gospel and let's start with verse 5.
I Corinthians 15:5
"And that he was seen of Cephas (Peter) then of the twelve:" Remember the word `twelve' was used as a generalized term for a group of people. Just like the Sanhedrin, or the seventy that were sent forth, it was the same way with the disciples; they were known as the Twelve, although here Paul was speaking of the eleven others, yet he could rightfully call them the Twelve. That happens a couple of other places in scripture and we know that all 12 of them were not there. Now verse 6:
I Corinthians 15:6-8
"After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, (which is now about 60 AD or 30 years after the crucifixion) but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due (or ahead of the ) time. Seen on the way to Damascus and we feel at other times through his ministry.
Let's go all the way back to the Book of Acts chapter 22 and begin with verse 17. Here we want us to see why the Apostle Paul is making such a big deal over his having seen and heard all these things from the resurrected and then ascended Christ. We're always trying to get people to see that, if we stay in the Four Gospels (and there's nothing wrong with reading the Four Gospels. Don't misunderstand us), that was Christ's before the finished work of the Cross. That was before the atoning Blood had been shed, and our alter prepared for us, it was all under the Law (Gal. 4:4). Which is where we're placed by God for our training and teaching by the Holy Spirit to turn our self sufficiency to dependency on Him and the development of obedience to God's word and voice. The very things that Israel refused to do or to believe.
Everything that Christ said was in accordance with the Jewish legal system, their corral or yoke of bondage and slavery. We can find nothing of the Gospel of God's Grace back there. Peter carries that on in the early chapter of Acts. But all this apostle talks about is the crucified, buried, and risen Lord who has now ascended to glory. Oh what a difference. We take the little Jewish epistles at the end of our New Testament, James, I and II Peter, I, II, III John, Jude and Revelation, do we know what? The word `Cross' is not even mentioned. We won't see the word `Cross' in those little Jewish epistles. For them it was not the pinnacle of information like it is for Paul. Paul says, "We preach Christ crucified." All he knows is the work of the Cross our gate or door into the promised New Covenant of Eternal Life. And it's all because Paul saw our Lord in resurrection power - he saw Him in His ascension Light of Glory. The thing still hidden to those who practice the letter of the old Law under the curse which it carries, for the letter kills but the spiritual gives Life. They do it unwittingly because of the traditions of man and who is the spiritual ruler of natural man? Satan. Yes Satan influences even the church system which hangs to the first covenant which was only to serve as a corral and tutor for training and teaching until Christ came. Can we see it, yet?
Acts 22:17-21
"And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, (Paul had already been out into the Gentile world) even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18. And saw him (the Lord Jesus) saying unto me, `Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.' 19. And I said, `Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, (back there in Acts chapter 7) I also was standing by and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.' 21. And he (the resurrected ascended Lord) said unto me, `Depart: (from Jerusalem) for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.'" Do we see how clear that is? Now if we will come back to Galatians again and verse 12.
Paul is, by Holy Spirit inspiration, distancing himself from the Twelve Apostles of the Hebrews to keep his apostleship pure from any of the legalism of Judaism (of which Peter, James and John were the epitome, and stayed within the corral). Now verse 12:
“And He (Jesus) said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition......13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.” This is what people are not hearing and why there is so much trouble in the church.This is what our Apostle to the Gentiles is saying and what those of us who have chosen to become the willing (by death and the faith of Christ) have been revealing also. As we all have heard and responded "yes" Lord, unlike Israel, the world and yes even the church as we know it are in unbelief. It (the church) is in apostasy because it sticks to the traditions of man in its legalism and religious ceremonies, rituals and holidays. In fact we might say it is stuck in the first covenant (that area where God places all at the time of conversion for the sole purpose of developing in us obedience and dependency in the Holy Spirit) if it weren't for the fact that it mixes both covenants into one. Thereby nullifying both and some denominations and groups do practice the lower covenant that being the first by way of the ignorance of man. Now this is the teaching and meaning of the letter to the Romans and is found in the first eight chapters.
Now we'll return to Paul's letter to the Corinthians. This is the cause of what the Lord revealed to the Apostle Paul and put into his month His words to proclaim to the Gentiles. Now we want to remember what it says about this in I Corinthians chapter 15 - where we just left off with the clearest explanation of the Gospel and let's start with verse 5.
I Corinthians 15:5
"And that he was seen of Cephas (Peter) then of the twelve:" Remember the word `twelve' was used as a generalized term for a group of people. Just like the Sanhedrin, or the seventy that were sent forth, it was the same way with the disciples; they were known as the Twelve, although here Paul was speaking of the eleven others, yet he could rightfully call them the Twelve. That happens a couple of other places in scripture and we know that all 12 of them were not there. Now verse 6:
I Corinthians 15:6-8
"After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, (which is now about 60 AD or 30 years after the crucifixion) but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due (or ahead of the ) time. Seen on the way to Damascus and we feel at other times through his ministry.
Let's go all the way back to the Book of Acts chapter 22 and begin with verse 17. Here we want us to see why the Apostle Paul is making such a big deal over his having seen and heard all these things from the resurrected and then ascended Christ. We're always trying to get people to see that, if we stay in the Four Gospels (and there's nothing wrong with reading the Four Gospels. Don't misunderstand us), that was Christ's before the finished work of the Cross. That was before the atoning Blood had been shed, and our alter prepared for us, it was all under the Law (Gal. 4:4). Which is where we're placed by God for our training and teaching by the Holy Spirit to turn our self sufficiency to dependency on Him and the development of obedience to God's word and voice. The very things that Israel refused to do or to believe.
Everything that Christ said was in accordance with the Jewish legal system, their corral or yoke of bondage and slavery. We can find nothing of the Gospel of God's Grace back there. Peter carries that on in the early chapter of Acts. But all this apostle talks about is the crucified, buried, and risen Lord who has now ascended to glory. Oh what a difference. We take the little Jewish epistles at the end of our New Testament, James, I and II Peter, I, II, III John, Jude and Revelation, do we know what? The word `Cross' is not even mentioned. We won't see the word `Cross' in those little Jewish epistles. For them it was not the pinnacle of information like it is for Paul. Paul says, "We preach Christ crucified." All he knows is the work of the Cross our gate or door into the promised New Covenant of Eternal Life. And it's all because Paul saw our Lord in resurrection power - he saw Him in His ascension Light of Glory. The thing still hidden to those who practice the letter of the old Law under the curse which it carries, for the letter kills but the spiritual gives Life. They do it unwittingly because of the traditions of man and who is the spiritual ruler of natural man? Satan. Yes Satan influences even the church system which hangs to the first covenant which was only to serve as a corral and tutor for training and teaching until Christ came. Can we see it, yet?
Acts 22:17-21
"And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, (Paul had already been out into the Gentile world) even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18. And saw him (the Lord Jesus) saying unto me, `Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem; for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.' 19. And I said, `Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: 20. And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, (back there in Acts chapter 7) I also was standing by and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him.' 21. And he (the resurrected ascended Lord) said unto me, `Depart: (from Jerusalem) for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.'" Do we see how clear that is? Now if we will come back to Galatians again and verse 12.
Paul is, by Holy Spirit inspiration, distancing himself from the Twelve Apostles of the Hebrews to keep his apostleship pure from any of the legalism of Judaism (of which Peter, James and John were the epitome, and stayed within the corral). Now verse 12:
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Part XI on Galatians Study
Ephesians 3:1,2
"For this cause (what he had just written in chapter 2 especially) I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for (what people?) you Gentiles, (now back in the Old Testament everything was for the Hebrew's benefit. But this mans apostleship is for our benefit as Gentiles.) 2. If ye have heard of the dispensation (this period of time when God is calling out primarily the Gentiles who become part of the Body of Christ, the Church in this administration or economy) of the grace of God which is given me (and then from me ) to you-ward:"
God revealed to the Apostle Paul these doctrines of Grace, and what did Paul do with them? He didn't do like Moses did when he received the Levitical Law (teachings). Moses took it to the Hebrews, the nation of Israel alone. But the Apostle Paul takes these revelations of the doctrines (teachings) of Grace to everyone. He went to the Hebrews first in their synagogues and they would reject it and he would then go down the street to the Gentiles. His primary mission was to the Gentile world. So this is what he's making reference to. He was given the Grace of God and he gave it to us Gentiles. Why? Do we suppose he did this the answer is simple they had turned their religion into idolatry, yes they idolized all it rituals and forms. How? do we know this lets look what God says through His prophets and we'll limit it to Isaiah and Jeremiah regarding this.
Isaiah 1:11
“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil.” This is in simple language and needs no help in understanding, then we find this in Ezekiel 20:39 and Jeremiah chapter 44 and we'll look at Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 44:4
“Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.” Now this is taken from a judgment of Israels idolatry. Now coming back to Galatians chapter 1, let's read verse 10:
Galatians 1:10
"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." It would be utterly impossible to be a servant or bond slave of Christ if Paul sought to please men. Now verse 11. Boy it gets interesting. We wish people would study chapters 1 and 2 until they almost know it from memory. Know the content of these two chapters like we do our name and address, and it will just blow away all the dust and cobwebs of confusion, because this just opens it all up. Now verse 11:
Galatians 1:11
"But I certify (I guarantee) you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man." All right we'll repeat ourselves once more. What is the Apostle Paul claiming? His apostleship, and his authority, and not because of any relationship with the Twelve or based on his Jewish roots of now dead works or a dead trust. Also, remember, he has totally broken with his Jewish past, and now he is the bond slave of the resurrected and ascended Lord. In this is found new liberty and strength in the Holy Spirit who infuses us with the nature of our Father of spirits in the fruit of the Spirit, which we'll find in chapter 5. Now verse 12:
Galatians 1:12
"For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, (by man) but by the revelation (to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown) of Jesus Christ." Revelation is received by illumination in our inward parts first then it travels up to our minds for processing and the is the way of inspiration which means God breathed or divinely breathed or given. Remember Jesus told Peter that He would build His Church upon this Rock (divine revelation, Matthew 16:18; Zechariah 6: 12-13; Hebrews 3:3-4). Now we'll turn the Jeremiah chapter 7 and verse 20, but first we'll look at verse 1:
Jeremiah 7:1
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. 3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. 8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.” Do we understand that the Lord is tired of the lying words of man? The priesthood had added things to God's commandment that He had not approved of nor did He intend them to be, they corrupted His Word. Does that sound familiar it should because our churches and preachers have done and are guilty of doing the same for so long they're blind to it and so are those who remain among them. Now verse 20:
Jeremiah 7:20
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. 22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: 26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. 27 herefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. 28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.” Now lets look at the 8th chapter while we're here in Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 8:8
“How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?” Now to this what does Jesus say? Lets look at it in Mark chapter 7 dropping down to verse 9 from there we'll look at verse 13.
"For this cause (what he had just written in chapter 2 especially) I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for (what people?) you Gentiles, (now back in the Old Testament everything was for the Hebrew's benefit. But this mans apostleship is for our benefit as Gentiles.) 2. If ye have heard of the dispensation (this period of time when God is calling out primarily the Gentiles who become part of the Body of Christ, the Church in this administration or economy) of the grace of God which is given me (and then from me ) to you-ward:"
God revealed to the Apostle Paul these doctrines of Grace, and what did Paul do with them? He didn't do like Moses did when he received the Levitical Law (teachings). Moses took it to the Hebrews, the nation of Israel alone. But the Apostle Paul takes these revelations of the doctrines (teachings) of Grace to everyone. He went to the Hebrews first in their synagogues and they would reject it and he would then go down the street to the Gentiles. His primary mission was to the Gentile world. So this is what he's making reference to. He was given the Grace of God and he gave it to us Gentiles. Why? Do we suppose he did this the answer is simple they had turned their religion into idolatry, yes they idolized all it rituals and forms. How? do we know this lets look what God says through His prophets and we'll limit it to Isaiah and Jeremiah regarding this.
Isaiah 1:11
“To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. 14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. 15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. 16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil.” This is in simple language and needs no help in understanding, then we find this in Ezekiel 20:39 and Jeremiah chapter 44 and we'll look at Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 44:4
“Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.” Now this is taken from a judgment of Israels idolatry. Now coming back to Galatians chapter 1, let's read verse 10:
Galatians 1:10
"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." It would be utterly impossible to be a servant or bond slave of Christ if Paul sought to please men. Now verse 11. Boy it gets interesting. We wish people would study chapters 1 and 2 until they almost know it from memory. Know the content of these two chapters like we do our name and address, and it will just blow away all the dust and cobwebs of confusion, because this just opens it all up. Now verse 11:
Galatians 1:11
"But I certify (I guarantee) you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man." All right we'll repeat ourselves once more. What is the Apostle Paul claiming? His apostleship, and his authority, and not because of any relationship with the Twelve or based on his Jewish roots of now dead works or a dead trust. Also, remember, he has totally broken with his Jewish past, and now he is the bond slave of the resurrected and ascended Lord. In this is found new liberty and strength in the Holy Spirit who infuses us with the nature of our Father of spirits in the fruit of the Spirit, which we'll find in chapter 5. Now verse 12:
Galatians 1:12
"For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, (by man) but by the revelation (to make known, make manifest, disclose what before was unknown) of Jesus Christ." Revelation is received by illumination in our inward parts first then it travels up to our minds for processing and the is the way of inspiration which means God breathed or divinely breathed or given. Remember Jesus told Peter that He would build His Church upon this Rock (divine revelation, Matthew 16:18; Zechariah 6: 12-13; Hebrews 3:3-4). Now we'll turn the Jeremiah chapter 7 and verse 20, but first we'll look at verse 1:
Jeremiah 7:1
“The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. 3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. 8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.” Do we understand that the Lord is tired of the lying words of man? The priesthood had added things to God's commandment that He had not approved of nor did He intend them to be, they corrupted His Word. Does that sound familiar it should because our churches and preachers have done and are guilty of doing the same for so long they're blind to it and so are those who remain among them. Now verse 20:
Jeremiah 7:20
“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched. 21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. 22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: 23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. 24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. 25 Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them: 26 Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers. 27 herefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee. 28 But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth.” Now lets look at the 8th chapter while we're here in Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 8:8
“How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?” Now to this what does Jesus say? Lets look at it in Mark chapter 7 dropping down to verse 9 from there we'll look at verse 13.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Part X on Galatians Study
Ephesians 4:32
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath (already) forgiven you." So #1: the key to understanding the Scriptures is to whom the particular text is written to. It's high time that we get a fresh view of this again, because we want to remember that when God called Moses up into Mount Sinai there in Exodus, God gave the code of conduct and the Levitical Law to Moses and Moses took it down the mountain and gave it to the Nation of Israel. So Israel came under the Law. Not the rest of the world, just the people of Israel. Now in our day what many don't know is that there are whole denominations or religious groups stuck in that same first covenant administration under a legal system of works, self reliance, ceremonies, Sabbaths, new moons, holidays and the likes.The very things that Paul in this letter warns not to do or practice as it brings the wrath of God upon those who do. And we may ask why? Because to do so makes us lawless, wicked and enemies of God.
But, as Romans 3 says, all the world came under the condemnation power of the Law and proved that no one is righteous, no not one. But so far as the mode of operation of the Law, it was only given to the Nation of Israel as their corral, their pen to keep them away from the spirit of the world, an elementary or primary school. To separate them as a people unto God for training and their learning of their need for righteousness and holiness through obedience but they failed to hear what it was saying. They made it a religious form of legalism which became bondage because there was no way of escape provided for in it. Then as we're going to see as we get into Galatians and Paul's account of his apostleship, we find that Paul is the central character and to that man was revealed these doctrines not of Law, but of Grace. And Grace is for primarily the Gentiles, but it also includes the Hebrews. Though not called or spoken as such it is the New Covenant of Grace and the cornerstone of our system of faith plus nothing. A Hebrew today can be saved under Grace as well as a Gentile. But it is primarily God's time of calling out Gentiles the setting of them apart unto Himself just like He did with Noah and Abraham from among the unbelieving world. Now then, Paul's message, as we saw in our brief look at the first two letters to the Corinthians, was to the pagan world. Paul could come into those abject pagan people with nothing but the Gospel of the Grace of God and they would come out of their paganism and become believers (or as we normally like to use the term "Christians," although that word has certainly lost its real meaning). Today almost everybody, and anything can be called a Christian. So now let's begin in verse 8.
Galatians 1:8
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, (and we just showed this Gospel which is, that Christ died for us, was buried, and rose again, and if they preach any other than that to us for salvation) let him be accursed." Now that's a horribly strong word. Paul, speaking through the Holy Spirit, is not just talking about maybe ending up 15 or 20 years in prison, he's not talking about capital punishment. Paul is talking about an eternal separation from God, an eternal doom to these people who are corrupting and are perverting the pure Gospel of Grace. Hey that's enough to scare anybody. Now verse 9. And again whenever we see the Scripture, whether it's Paul or Moses or the prophets or wherever, if it repeats something we're to take special note. It's there for the purpose of getting our attention. So here this warning is again in verse 9.
Galatians 1:9
"As we said before, so say I now again, `If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, (from the lips of this apostle) let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment).'" Now Paul wasn't talking there out of meanness, or out of envy of some other ministry. He was writing by inspiration of the Spirit, and the Spirit is making the emphasis that if we adulterate and if we pervert the True Gospel, then we are accursed. Now we know apostasy is a terrible thing. Most people don't even know what apostasy means. What is apostasy? Is that something that the apostles taught? No, it has nothing to do with the apostles. Apostasy is turning the back on the revealed truth of Scripture and on God for He IS the revealed Truth.
We were in the library on Lee Universities campus not long ago and picked up a little booklet by the old radio pastor, J. Vernon McGee who has now gone on to be with the Lord. And the little booklet was copyrighted in 1971. In this booklet he was rehearsing a conversation that he and the president of Moody Bible Institute at that time had had. They were in a Bible conference out in Los Angeles, and during that week of Bible conference he and the president of Moody, and a couple of more well-known theologians were visiting with each other, and the president of Moody made this statement. Now remember the time element (1971) That man made the statement that he could never envision the apostasy of the Church at that time. He had no idea that the Church would be into such apostasy short of being in the Tribulation. Now that's only been 41 years ago. But the man had blinders on as some of the older men such as William Law saw its corruption back in the 1800's. What would the man think today? We don't think they could handle it. But you see we've been programmed to see all this creeping in and we just sort of roll with it. We accommodate it, but listen we are in such a state of Apostasy that it's alarming. And why can't people see what these verses say. They're under the condemnation of being accursed for perverting God's Gospel. Now move on to verse 10.
Galatians 1:10
"For do I now persuade men, or God? (who is Paul serving? Well it's certainly not men, because like us, he didn't draw a salary. Paul didn't have to be beholden to anybody. If he needed some money, he went out and sewed some tents or possibly made saddles didn't he. So Paul didn't have to worry about losing his pay, he didn't have to serve men.) or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." (Now that's a pock in the eye of allot of pastors and teachers these days as they bend over backward to serve men. Men with deep pockets and political influences of some kind usually in their denominational structure.)
Now that's quite a statement isn't it? Hey, we can't serve both, we cannot please God and man, Jesus said we can't serve two masters because the one you love the most you put before all others. But listen, this apostle says that there is no way that I am out here suffering imprisonment, suffering beatings, suffering shipwrecks, suffering cold, and heat, and nakedness - all the things we've looked at back there in II Corinthians chapter 11. He says I didn't do that just to be serving men. Paul did that because he was the bond slave of Christ Jesus. Now that reminds us of a verse in the Book of Ephesians chapter 3. Let's turn there for a moment, and this, of course, is the whole motivation of this apostle.
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath (already) forgiven you." So #1: the key to understanding the Scriptures is to whom the particular text is written to. It's high time that we get a fresh view of this again, because we want to remember that when God called Moses up into Mount Sinai there in Exodus, God gave the code of conduct and the Levitical Law to Moses and Moses took it down the mountain and gave it to the Nation of Israel. So Israel came under the Law. Not the rest of the world, just the people of Israel. Now in our day what many don't know is that there are whole denominations or religious groups stuck in that same first covenant administration under a legal system of works, self reliance, ceremonies, Sabbaths, new moons, holidays and the likes.The very things that Paul in this letter warns not to do or practice as it brings the wrath of God upon those who do. And we may ask why? Because to do so makes us lawless, wicked and enemies of God.
But, as Romans 3 says, all the world came under the condemnation power of the Law and proved that no one is righteous, no not one. But so far as the mode of operation of the Law, it was only given to the Nation of Israel as their corral, their pen to keep them away from the spirit of the world, an elementary or primary school. To separate them as a people unto God for training and their learning of their need for righteousness and holiness through obedience but they failed to hear what it was saying. They made it a religious form of legalism which became bondage because there was no way of escape provided for in it. Then as we're going to see as we get into Galatians and Paul's account of his apostleship, we find that Paul is the central character and to that man was revealed these doctrines not of Law, but of Grace. And Grace is for primarily the Gentiles, but it also includes the Hebrews. Though not called or spoken as such it is the New Covenant of Grace and the cornerstone of our system of faith plus nothing. A Hebrew today can be saved under Grace as well as a Gentile. But it is primarily God's time of calling out Gentiles the setting of them apart unto Himself just like He did with Noah and Abraham from among the unbelieving world. Now then, Paul's message, as we saw in our brief look at the first two letters to the Corinthians, was to the pagan world. Paul could come into those abject pagan people with nothing but the Gospel of the Grace of God and they would come out of their paganism and become believers (or as we normally like to use the term "Christians," although that word has certainly lost its real meaning). Today almost everybody, and anything can be called a Christian. So now let's begin in verse 8.
Galatians 1:8
"But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, (and we just showed this Gospel which is, that Christ died for us, was buried, and rose again, and if they preach any other than that to us for salvation) let him be accursed." Now that's a horribly strong word. Paul, speaking through the Holy Spirit, is not just talking about maybe ending up 15 or 20 years in prison, he's not talking about capital punishment. Paul is talking about an eternal separation from God, an eternal doom to these people who are corrupting and are perverting the pure Gospel of Grace. Hey that's enough to scare anybody. Now verse 9. And again whenever we see the Scripture, whether it's Paul or Moses or the prophets or wherever, if it repeats something we're to take special note. It's there for the purpose of getting our attention. So here this warning is again in verse 9.
Galatians 1:9
"As we said before, so say I now again, `If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, (from the lips of this apostle) let him be accursed (anathema, devoted to destruction, doomed to eternal punishment).'" Now Paul wasn't talking there out of meanness, or out of envy of some other ministry. He was writing by inspiration of the Spirit, and the Spirit is making the emphasis that if we adulterate and if we pervert the True Gospel, then we are accursed. Now we know apostasy is a terrible thing. Most people don't even know what apostasy means. What is apostasy? Is that something that the apostles taught? No, it has nothing to do with the apostles. Apostasy is turning the back on the revealed truth of Scripture and on God for He IS the revealed Truth.
We were in the library on Lee Universities campus not long ago and picked up a little booklet by the old radio pastor, J. Vernon McGee who has now gone on to be with the Lord. And the little booklet was copyrighted in 1971. In this booklet he was rehearsing a conversation that he and the president of Moody Bible Institute at that time had had. They were in a Bible conference out in Los Angeles, and during that week of Bible conference he and the president of Moody, and a couple of more well-known theologians were visiting with each other, and the president of Moody made this statement. Now remember the time element (1971) That man made the statement that he could never envision the apostasy of the Church at that time. He had no idea that the Church would be into such apostasy short of being in the Tribulation. Now that's only been 41 years ago. But the man had blinders on as some of the older men such as William Law saw its corruption back in the 1800's. What would the man think today? We don't think they could handle it. But you see we've been programmed to see all this creeping in and we just sort of roll with it. We accommodate it, but listen we are in such a state of Apostasy that it's alarming. And why can't people see what these verses say. They're under the condemnation of being accursed for perverting God's Gospel. Now move on to verse 10.
Galatians 1:10
"For do I now persuade men, or God? (who is Paul serving? Well it's certainly not men, because like us, he didn't draw a salary. Paul didn't have to be beholden to anybody. If he needed some money, he went out and sewed some tents or possibly made saddles didn't he. So Paul didn't have to worry about losing his pay, he didn't have to serve men.) or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." (Now that's a pock in the eye of allot of pastors and teachers these days as they bend over backward to serve men. Men with deep pockets and political influences of some kind usually in their denominational structure.)
Now that's quite a statement isn't it? Hey, we can't serve both, we cannot please God and man, Jesus said we can't serve two masters because the one you love the most you put before all others. But listen, this apostle says that there is no way that I am out here suffering imprisonment, suffering beatings, suffering shipwrecks, suffering cold, and heat, and nakedness - all the things we've looked at back there in II Corinthians chapter 11. He says I didn't do that just to be serving men. Paul did that because he was the bond slave of Christ Jesus. Now that reminds us of a verse in the Book of Ephesians chapter 3. Let's turn there for a moment, and this, of course, is the whole motivation of this apostle.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Part IX on Galatians Study
Ephesians 4:32
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath (already) forgiven you." So #1: the key to understanding the Scriptures is to whom the particular text is written to. It's high time that we get a fresh view of this again, because we want to remember that when God called Moses up into Mount Sinai there in Exodus, God gave the code of conduct and then the Levitical Law (in statues and ordinances as a addendum to the ten, in others He built a corral to hold them in, a legal restrain to lead them to a knowledge of sin and condemnations guilt and its punishment was death) to Moses and Moses took it down the mountain and gave it to the Nation of Israel. So Israel came under the Law as it was a ministration of death or corral to keep them in check as a tutor until the promised seed came, Christ Jesus. Not the rest of the world, just the people of Israel. Paul would later call this the foundation in Ephesians 2:20.
But, as Romans 3 says, all the world came under the condemnation power of the Law and proved that no one is righteous, no not one. But so far as the mode of operation of the Law, it was only given to the Nation of Israel as their corral, their pen to keep them away from the spirit of the world. Then as we're going to see as we get into Galatians and Paul's account of his apostleship, we find that Paul is the central character and to that man is revealed these doctrines not of Law, but of Grace. And Grace is for primarily the Gentiles (those who have become awaken to the things of God), but it also includes the Hebrews. A Hebrew today can be saved under Grace as well as a Gentile. But it is primarily God's time of calling out Gentiles, the setting of them apart unto Himself just like He did with Noah and Abraham from among the unbelieving world. Now then, Paul's message, as we saw in our brief look at the first two letters to the Corinthians, was to the pagan world. Paul could come into these abject pagan people with nothing but the Gospel of the Grace of God and they would come out of their paganism and become believers (or as we normally like to use the term "Christians," although that word has certainly lost its real meaning). Today almost everybody, and anything can be called a Christian. So now let's begin in verse 7.
Galatians 1:7
"Which is not another; (Gospel) but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ." They pervert it unknowingly by way of blending both the old and the new and through distortion as when looking through a window with a blemish or bubble in it and the object looked it is distorted or wavy instead of clear.
Now when we talk about the Gospel of Christ we have to go back to where it is the most explicitly laid out. Remember the Gospel for the Body of Christ was only revealed to Paul so we need to turn to I Corinthians chapter 15, and look at those first four verses. This is the clearest explanation of Paul's Gospel that we can find anywhere. Its better we feel than say the Romans road that many depend upon and is far better than John 3:16 as this was still under the rule of Law or prior to Christ's death. Now he will refer to it as the Gospel of the Grace of God, the Gospel of God, my Gospel, the Gospel according to its revelation of the mysteries, but regardless how he refers to it, it's this Gospel.
I Corinthians 15:1-4
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel (not a Gospel, not a perverted Gospel, not a corrupt Gospel, but the Gospel) which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, (remember Paul even addressed the carnal believer, and here's the key “received” or accepted wholeheartedly, putting total trust in it, at Corinth as saints.) and wherein ye stand; 2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, (not what Peter and the Twelve in Jerusalem have, but what I've preached) unless ye have believed in vain (this is where we are in our time for many are in “vain” declaring to be what they don't have knowledge of). 3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, (and we're going to see how he received it in Galatians in just a moment. Now here comes the Gospel we must believe within our heart for redemption onto salvation.) how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Long before the world or the universe was ever created, God already had the whole scheme of things laid out. He wasn't caught by surprise or taken off guard. The whole human experience was pre-planned, the plan of redemption was already in place long before Adam was ever created. And here it is, how that Christ died (this actually took place when Adam died to God or was separated from Him in the garden), was buried, and rose again, according to the Scriptures. It was prophesied and now all mankind has to do for redemption is done but our salvation is to believed and received through His working again in us, and we're going to see that so clearly as we move on through this little letter to the Galatians. Now come back to Galatians chapter 1, verse 8. Oh the horrors that are going to befall people who are guilty of what Paul is talking about in verse 8. We shudder to think of what one day they are going to have to experience, because look what he says here.
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath (already) forgiven you." So #1: the key to understanding the Scriptures is to whom the particular text is written to. It's high time that we get a fresh view of this again, because we want to remember that when God called Moses up into Mount Sinai there in Exodus, God gave the code of conduct and then the Levitical Law (in statues and ordinances as a addendum to the ten, in others He built a corral to hold them in, a legal restrain to lead them to a knowledge of sin and condemnations guilt and its punishment was death) to Moses and Moses took it down the mountain and gave it to the Nation of Israel. So Israel came under the Law as it was a ministration of death or corral to keep them in check as a tutor until the promised seed came, Christ Jesus. Not the rest of the world, just the people of Israel. Paul would later call this the foundation in Ephesians 2:20.
But, as Romans 3 says, all the world came under the condemnation power of the Law and proved that no one is righteous, no not one. But so far as the mode of operation of the Law, it was only given to the Nation of Israel as their corral, their pen to keep them away from the spirit of the world. Then as we're going to see as we get into Galatians and Paul's account of his apostleship, we find that Paul is the central character and to that man is revealed these doctrines not of Law, but of Grace. And Grace is for primarily the Gentiles (those who have become awaken to the things of God), but it also includes the Hebrews. A Hebrew today can be saved under Grace as well as a Gentile. But it is primarily God's time of calling out Gentiles, the setting of them apart unto Himself just like He did with Noah and Abraham from among the unbelieving world. Now then, Paul's message, as we saw in our brief look at the first two letters to the Corinthians, was to the pagan world. Paul could come into these abject pagan people with nothing but the Gospel of the Grace of God and they would come out of their paganism and become believers (or as we normally like to use the term "Christians," although that word has certainly lost its real meaning). Today almost everybody, and anything can be called a Christian. So now let's begin in verse 7.
Galatians 1:7
"Which is not another; (Gospel) but there be some that trouble you and would pervert the gospel of Christ." They pervert it unknowingly by way of blending both the old and the new and through distortion as when looking through a window with a blemish or bubble in it and the object looked it is distorted or wavy instead of clear.
Now when we talk about the Gospel of Christ we have to go back to where it is the most explicitly laid out. Remember the Gospel for the Body of Christ was only revealed to Paul so we need to turn to I Corinthians chapter 15, and look at those first four verses. This is the clearest explanation of Paul's Gospel that we can find anywhere. Its better we feel than say the Romans road that many depend upon and is far better than John 3:16 as this was still under the rule of Law or prior to Christ's death. Now he will refer to it as the Gospel of the Grace of God, the Gospel of God, my Gospel, the Gospel according to its revelation of the mysteries, but regardless how he refers to it, it's this Gospel.
I Corinthians 15:1-4
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel (not a Gospel, not a perverted Gospel, not a corrupt Gospel, but the Gospel) which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, (remember Paul even addressed the carnal believer, and here's the key “received” or accepted wholeheartedly, putting total trust in it, at Corinth as saints.) and wherein ye stand; 2. By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, (not what Peter and the Twelve in Jerusalem have, but what I've preached) unless ye have believed in vain (this is where we are in our time for many are in “vain” declaring to be what they don't have knowledge of). 3. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, (and we're going to see how he received it in Galatians in just a moment. Now here comes the Gospel we must believe within our heart for redemption onto salvation.) how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4. And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Long before the world or the universe was ever created, God already had the whole scheme of things laid out. He wasn't caught by surprise or taken off guard. The whole human experience was pre-planned, the plan of redemption was already in place long before Adam was ever created. And here it is, how that Christ died (this actually took place when Adam died to God or was separated from Him in the garden), was buried, and rose again, according to the Scriptures. It was prophesied and now all mankind has to do for redemption is done but our salvation is to believed and received through His working again in us, and we're going to see that so clearly as we move on through this little letter to the Galatians. Now come back to Galatians chapter 1, verse 8. Oh the horrors that are going to befall people who are guilty of what Paul is talking about in verse 8. We shudder to think of what one day they are going to have to experience, because look what he says here.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Part VIII on Galatians Study
Ephesians1:1
"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:" Do you see that? All right now come back and look at the Galatian letter again.
Galatians 1:2
"And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:" Isn't that something? There is nothing about them being saints of any kind. They now have become just "the churches of Galatia." We know when we first started seeing these things some time ago it reminded us of God's attitude toward the Nation of Israel back when Daniel was writing. Often He would refer to the Nation of Israel as "Thy people." God didn't call them "My People." Why? Because they had degenerated so far from their love of Yehovah and obedience of Him and His word, that God wasn't really even claiming them. They were Daniel's people, they were Moses' people, but He didn't say "My People" like He did at the beginning. At the beginning He called them "My People" and He will again when the Hebrews finally respond to Him correctly at His second coming. Let's look at it in Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse 33. This is the point that we want us to see with regard to the New Covenant.
Jeremiah 31:33
"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, `I will put my law in their inward parts (that's all who by free will choose to do His Will and purposes now in this time and for Israel in her future), and write it in their hearts (the same here, the Holy Spirits working within us); and will be their God, and they shall be (what?) my people.'" Now they're not tonight. God doesn't call Israel "my people" to-day because they're far from Him. Oh, they may be religious, but they're not God's people per se, the day is coming when they will be, again. Oh, listen God is not through with that nation. Don't you believe all of this garbage that He has completely forgotten His Covenant promises, and that's all it is. For now God has turned His attention on the nations and the gathering from them a people for an inheritance for Christ (called "the time of the gentiles" Luke 2:32, 21:24). God is going to yet complete His prophetic program because prophecy cannot stop in mid-place. Now coming back quickly to the Book of Galatians. Now here in verse 4 comes Paul's major message throughout all his letters.
Galatians 1:4,5
"Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5. To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Now here we come to the crux of this letter. We know what it means to correct someone? For example, we might have a rocket headed out into outer space, and for some reason or another it gets off track a little bit, what do they have to do? Well, they've got to get busy with their computers and bring it back on track or else it's a disaster. Well, it's the same way here. The Galatians were off course, and the whole purpose of this little six chapter Book of Galatians is to correct and bring them back on course to the knowledge of the Truth, and get them away form the false teachings that were besieging them and us to-day.
Galatians 1:6
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:" Yet he goes on to say in the next verse it's not really another, it's not really a totally different one, but it's the same Gospel that he had used in establishing them, but now it was being perverted, twisted and polluted. Let's go for a moment to the Book of II Corinthians chapter 2, and this will be a good place to compare Scripture with Scripture again.
II Corinthians 2:17
"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ." Now remember when we looked at this we took you back to the Book of Isaiah chapter 1:22 because it explains it so graphically, and it's in such simple language. Kids can understand this. And we see the Hebrews understood all this. This was part of their everyday experience, and this is exactly what Paul was referring to when he said, "He didn't do this with spiritual commission."
Isaiah 1:22
"Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:" Now we're not a buff on wine, but we can imagine that if we have an expensive French wine, and we water it down with water, what do we have? Well we've got something that isn't worth trying to swallow. What was the illusion? That somebody was corrupting them. And that's exactly what Paul is talking about back here in Galatians. Now come back with us to that Book. So in verse 7, Paul says, "You're not falling for a totally different Gospel," but there are some that would corrupt, or pollute (or like mixing water with wine, that's what these Judaizers are doing with Paul's Gospel). Why? Because Paul's Gospel says, "You are saved by Faith + NOTHING! And yet these Judaizers are coming in and saying, "You can't be saved that way. Oh Yes! we can believe what Paul tells us, but we have to also practice circumcision, and we have to keep the Law of Moses. If we fail to do this then we can't be saved." Now folks that's a pollution. That's a corrupt corruption of the Truth, and that is why Paul had to write this letter to the Galatians to correct them from this error of believing something that wasn't correct because it was perverted. It will cost us our spiritual Life in Eternity.
When we study our Bible get a good concordance and start chasing these themes down from cover to cover. Because the amazing thing of this Book is that it all fits so beautifully. When doing so ask the Holy Spirit for help in opening our heart to be receptive with spiritual eyes to see with and spiritual ears to hear with, then believe we receive and move forward, in child like trust with expectation and listening. Now there are a lot of people who think the Bible contradicts in places, but it doesn't contradict at all. It's just the vast difference between the Levitical Law and Grace. The difference of two covenants an upper being the Better and the lower being the level of first learning a primary and the ministration of death. A good example of the difference between Law and Grace is found in why we should forgive others. Jesus, during His earthly ministry, speaking to the Nation of Israel, the Jews under the Law said:
Matthew 6:14,15
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Now the Holy Spirit revealed to the Apostle Paul under Grace why we should forgive:
"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:" Do you see that? All right now come back and look at the Galatian letter again.
Galatians 1:2
"And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:" Isn't that something? There is nothing about them being saints of any kind. They now have become just "the churches of Galatia." We know when we first started seeing these things some time ago it reminded us of God's attitude toward the Nation of Israel back when Daniel was writing. Often He would refer to the Nation of Israel as "Thy people." God didn't call them "My People." Why? Because they had degenerated so far from their love of Yehovah and obedience of Him and His word, that God wasn't really even claiming them. They were Daniel's people, they were Moses' people, but He didn't say "My People" like He did at the beginning. At the beginning He called them "My People" and He will again when the Hebrews finally respond to Him correctly at His second coming. Let's look at it in Jeremiah chapter 31 and verse 33. This is the point that we want us to see with regard to the New Covenant.
Jeremiah 31:33
"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, `I will put my law in their inward parts (that's all who by free will choose to do His Will and purposes now in this time and for Israel in her future), and write it in their hearts (the same here, the Holy Spirits working within us); and will be their God, and they shall be (what?) my people.'" Now they're not tonight. God doesn't call Israel "my people" to-day because they're far from Him. Oh, they may be religious, but they're not God's people per se, the day is coming when they will be, again. Oh, listen God is not through with that nation. Don't you believe all of this garbage that He has completely forgotten His Covenant promises, and that's all it is. For now God has turned His attention on the nations and the gathering from them a people for an inheritance for Christ (called "the time of the gentiles" Luke 2:32, 21:24). God is going to yet complete His prophetic program because prophecy cannot stop in mid-place. Now coming back quickly to the Book of Galatians. Now here in verse 4 comes Paul's major message throughout all his letters.
Galatians 1:4,5
"Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: 5. To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." Now here we come to the crux of this letter. We know what it means to correct someone? For example, we might have a rocket headed out into outer space, and for some reason or another it gets off track a little bit, what do they have to do? Well, they've got to get busy with their computers and bring it back on track or else it's a disaster. Well, it's the same way here. The Galatians were off course, and the whole purpose of this little six chapter Book of Galatians is to correct and bring them back on course to the knowledge of the Truth, and get them away form the false teachings that were besieging them and us to-day.
Galatians 1:6
"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:" Yet he goes on to say in the next verse it's not really another, it's not really a totally different one, but it's the same Gospel that he had used in establishing them, but now it was being perverted, twisted and polluted. Let's go for a moment to the Book of II Corinthians chapter 2, and this will be a good place to compare Scripture with Scripture again.
II Corinthians 2:17
"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ." Now remember when we looked at this we took you back to the Book of Isaiah chapter 1:22 because it explains it so graphically, and it's in such simple language. Kids can understand this. And we see the Hebrews understood all this. This was part of their everyday experience, and this is exactly what Paul was referring to when he said, "He didn't do this with spiritual commission."
Isaiah 1:22
"Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water:" Now we're not a buff on wine, but we can imagine that if we have an expensive French wine, and we water it down with water, what do we have? Well we've got something that isn't worth trying to swallow. What was the illusion? That somebody was corrupting them. And that's exactly what Paul is talking about back here in Galatians. Now come back with us to that Book. So in verse 7, Paul says, "You're not falling for a totally different Gospel," but there are some that would corrupt, or pollute (or like mixing water with wine, that's what these Judaizers are doing with Paul's Gospel). Why? Because Paul's Gospel says, "You are saved by Faith + NOTHING! And yet these Judaizers are coming in and saying, "You can't be saved that way. Oh Yes! we can believe what Paul tells us, but we have to also practice circumcision, and we have to keep the Law of Moses. If we fail to do this then we can't be saved." Now folks that's a pollution. That's a corrupt corruption of the Truth, and that is why Paul had to write this letter to the Galatians to correct them from this error of believing something that wasn't correct because it was perverted. It will cost us our spiritual Life in Eternity.
When we study our Bible get a good concordance and start chasing these themes down from cover to cover. Because the amazing thing of this Book is that it all fits so beautifully. When doing so ask the Holy Spirit for help in opening our heart to be receptive with spiritual eyes to see with and spiritual ears to hear with, then believe we receive and move forward, in child like trust with expectation and listening. Now there are a lot of people who think the Bible contradicts in places, but it doesn't contradict at all. It's just the vast difference between the Levitical Law and Grace. The difference of two covenants an upper being the Better and the lower being the level of first learning a primary and the ministration of death. A good example of the difference between Law and Grace is found in why we should forgive others. Jesus, during His earthly ministry, speaking to the Nation of Israel, the Jews under the Law said:
Matthew 6:14,15
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." Now the Holy Spirit revealed to the Apostle Paul under Grace why we should forgive:
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Part VII on Galatians Study
II Corinthians 11:22,23
"Are they Hebrews? so am I, Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) (he knows he may sound a little braggadocios, but remember he's inspired by the Holy Spirit to write. He says) I am more; (do you see that? This apostle says he was more than those back there at Jerusalem. More) in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft." Then he goes on to show how he suffered for the sake of the Gospel, the likes of which Peter, James and John never did. Now coming on into chapter 12 and, for emphasis, the Holy Spirit has Paul repeat this for the third time in just a few verses. So this is very important to the Spirit of God.
II Corinthians 12:11
"I am become a fool in glorying; (Paul didn't like to bring up his own credentials, but he had to defend himself because they were trying to put him down as a no account) ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing." Paul knew he was nothing. He never took any of the credit, but he has to constantly affirm his apostleship, and even in this day and age we have to defend him even as much as when he was writing. We've stressed it over and over, how many theologians, pastors, and preachers, and ministers totally ignore this man's writings? His writings are almost treated like a plague. And yet, this is where we get our doctrines of salvation, this is where we have to be if we're going to know the Truth and Grace of God during this Age of Grace. Now for the Book of Galatians.
Remember Galatia was that central part of what is now the country of Turkey. It was probably in the southern half of Galatia where Paul had his first bad experience on his first missionary journey as he visited these cities of Antioch, Persidia, Listra and Derbe. Remember, Listra is also where he was stoned and left for dead. But here he writes to this group of little Churches that no doubt he had planted. Now they were being bombarded by these Judaizers. They were the believing Jewish element from Jerusalem. Whether it was the Orthodox who still rejected Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, or whether it was the Judaizers who had embraced Christ we don't know. Either way it doesn't make much difference.
They both were so hung up on the fact that we had to be circumcised and keep the Levitical Law of Moses or we couldn't be saved. So these Judaizers were coming into these little congregations that Paul had been able to plant through his sweat, blood, and tears and they're telling them, "You can't be saved by Paul's message alone (which was "By believing in your heart that Jesus died for us, was buried and rose again and that God saw us IN Christ through it all, as he is the All in all."). These Judaizers were saying "You can't be saved like he says, but rather you must be circumcised, and keep the whole of the letter of the Law." They just couldn't get it out of their craw. Let me show you what we're talking about. We're going to see it again in Galatians chapter 2. Come back with me to Acts chapter 15.
Acts 15:1
"And certain men which came down from Judaea (that's Jerusalem) taught the brethren, and said, (see they somehow wiggled their way into Paul's converts who had recently came out of paganism and some from Judaism. But these Judaizers said) `Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.'" Do you see how plain that is? Now jump over to verse 5 in this same chapter.
Acts 15:5
"But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, (now these were people who had believed like the Twelve that Jesus was the Messiah.) saying, `That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'" Now these people were trying to pervert Paul's Gospel of Grace without works. And they didn't just suggest that they keep the Law of Moses, they commanded them to do it. When they commanded it they were attaching the keeping of the legalism of the Law to Paul's Gospel. Now that's what our Bible says. We don't care what translation that we have they can't foul it up that much. We and understand and know some of the translators do a pretty good job of fouling up the Word of God. Now then back to the Book of Galatians.
Here the Apostle Paul is probably back at Corinth if we're not mistaken. Now at this writing it's about 60 AD, so it's been about 20 years since he began his ministry to the Gentiles. He is now getting word that his little congregations up there in Galatia are being bombarded and heavily harassed to come under the legalism of the Law of Moses. So this little Book is written to correct this false teaching and bring them back under the pure Grace of God (remember that God put the whole of Israel on notice because their leaders had added to His Word with things He did not say). Now listen, it's just as appropriate for the world today as it was then. We're speaking of the world of Church people. Now verse 1, and we know we've looked at a few of these verses so we'll just skim over them.
Galatians 1:1,2
"Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, (in other words the Antioch Church didn't commission him an apostle) but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2. And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:" Now the brethren that were with Paul would probably include Luke, and Silias, and maybe Timothy. Now verse 3:
Galatians 1:3
"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ," Now we've got to make a point about something up there in verse 2. Because they had given in to false teaching, we find Paul leaves an important part out of his address to the Galatian Church. Now you probably won't catch it unless we tell you. Look at the verse again.
Galatians 1:2
"And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:" Let me show you. A good example is found in the Book of Romans chapter 1:7. Let's compare Scripture with Scripture. That's the only way we learn some of these things. And it's a subtle way of telling us how far these Galatians had already degenerated because of the perverted Gospel.
Romans 1:7a
"To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:..." Do you see that? Now that's quite a commendation isn't it? He is commending the Romans for that kind of a position. Now let's look at the Corinthians. We're pretty sure that it's in there also.
I Corinthians 1:2
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,..." Now we don't know whether II Corinthians does it or not. Let's look and see.
II Corinthians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:" Even the Corinthian Church. Remember, what kind of a church were they? Carnal. Now let's look at the Book of Ephesians and that will be far enough because we think we've made our point.
"Are they Hebrews? so am I, Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23. Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) (he knows he may sound a little braggadocios, but remember he's inspired by the Holy Spirit to write. He says) I am more; (do you see that? This apostle says he was more than those back there at Jerusalem. More) in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft." Then he goes on to show how he suffered for the sake of the Gospel, the likes of which Peter, James and John never did. Now coming on into chapter 12 and, for emphasis, the Holy Spirit has Paul repeat this for the third time in just a few verses. So this is very important to the Spirit of God.
II Corinthians 12:11
"I am become a fool in glorying; (Paul didn't like to bring up his own credentials, but he had to defend himself because they were trying to put him down as a no account) ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing." Paul knew he was nothing. He never took any of the credit, but he has to constantly affirm his apostleship, and even in this day and age we have to defend him even as much as when he was writing. We've stressed it over and over, how many theologians, pastors, and preachers, and ministers totally ignore this man's writings? His writings are almost treated like a plague. And yet, this is where we get our doctrines of salvation, this is where we have to be if we're going to know the Truth and Grace of God during this Age of Grace. Now for the Book of Galatians.
Remember Galatia was that central part of what is now the country of Turkey. It was probably in the southern half of Galatia where Paul had his first bad experience on his first missionary journey as he visited these cities of Antioch, Persidia, Listra and Derbe. Remember, Listra is also where he was stoned and left for dead. But here he writes to this group of little Churches that no doubt he had planted. Now they were being bombarded by these Judaizers. They were the believing Jewish element from Jerusalem. Whether it was the Orthodox who still rejected Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, or whether it was the Judaizers who had embraced Christ we don't know. Either way it doesn't make much difference.
They both were so hung up on the fact that we had to be circumcised and keep the Levitical Law of Moses or we couldn't be saved. So these Judaizers were coming into these little congregations that Paul had been able to plant through his sweat, blood, and tears and they're telling them, "You can't be saved by Paul's message alone (which was "By believing in your heart that Jesus died for us, was buried and rose again and that God saw us IN Christ through it all, as he is the All in all."). These Judaizers were saying "You can't be saved like he says, but rather you must be circumcised, and keep the whole of the letter of the Law." They just couldn't get it out of their craw. Let me show you what we're talking about. We're going to see it again in Galatians chapter 2. Come back with me to Acts chapter 15.
Acts 15:1
"And certain men which came down from Judaea (that's Jerusalem) taught the brethren, and said, (see they somehow wiggled their way into Paul's converts who had recently came out of paganism and some from Judaism. But these Judaizers said) `Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.'" Do you see how plain that is? Now jump over to verse 5 in this same chapter.
Acts 15:5
"But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, (now these were people who had believed like the Twelve that Jesus was the Messiah.) saying, `That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.'" Now these people were trying to pervert Paul's Gospel of Grace without works. And they didn't just suggest that they keep the Law of Moses, they commanded them to do it. When they commanded it they were attaching the keeping of the legalism of the Law to Paul's Gospel. Now that's what our Bible says. We don't care what translation that we have they can't foul it up that much. We and understand and know some of the translators do a pretty good job of fouling up the Word of God. Now then back to the Book of Galatians.
Here the Apostle Paul is probably back at Corinth if we're not mistaken. Now at this writing it's about 60 AD, so it's been about 20 years since he began his ministry to the Gentiles. He is now getting word that his little congregations up there in Galatia are being bombarded and heavily harassed to come under the legalism of the Law of Moses. So this little Book is written to correct this false teaching and bring them back under the pure Grace of God (remember that God put the whole of Israel on notice because their leaders had added to His Word with things He did not say). Now listen, it's just as appropriate for the world today as it was then. We're speaking of the world of Church people. Now verse 1, and we know we've looked at a few of these verses so we'll just skim over them.
Galatians 1:1,2
"Paul, an apostle, not of men, neither by man, (in other words the Antioch Church didn't commission him an apostle) but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2. And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:" Now the brethren that were with Paul would probably include Luke, and Silias, and maybe Timothy. Now verse 3:
Galatians 1:3
"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ," Now we've got to make a point about something up there in verse 2. Because they had given in to false teaching, we find Paul leaves an important part out of his address to the Galatian Church. Now you probably won't catch it unless we tell you. Look at the verse again.
Galatians 1:2
"And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:" Let me show you. A good example is found in the Book of Romans chapter 1:7. Let's compare Scripture with Scripture. That's the only way we learn some of these things. And it's a subtle way of telling us how far these Galatians had already degenerated because of the perverted Gospel.
Romans 1:7a
"To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints:..." Do you see that? Now that's quite a commendation isn't it? He is commending the Romans for that kind of a position. Now let's look at the Corinthians. We're pretty sure that it's in there also.
I Corinthians 1:2
"Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,..." Now we don't know whether II Corinthians does it or not. Let's look and see.
II Corinthians 1:1
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:" Even the Corinthian Church. Remember, what kind of a church were they? Carnal. Now let's look at the Book of Ephesians and that will be far enough because we think we've made our point.
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