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.
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