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.
No comments:
Post a Comment