Philippians 1:9-10
"And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; (or discernment) 10. That ye may approve things that are excellent; (in the Greek that is translated different. So read it in that light.) that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;" How different? As different as night and day. Oh it's the same God, but now a whole new body of Truth and Light is being revealed that had never been revealed before. Just think, was there anything in Christ's earthly ministry that spoke of a Gentile Body of Christ? Not a word. Or a mixed Body made up of people of all nations, tongues, from across the earth, why of course there are many within the Old Testament writings. Or of our salvation by believing Paul's Gospel that we must believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins, was buried, rose again, and ascended. That in God's eyes when we willingly surrender our will to His Will as a young child we are counted as being One within Him through it all, this is found only in Paul's writings. Was there ever a word that the Holy Spirit would indwell individual believers? Not a word. Was there anything in Scripture that the Blood of Christ had atoned for all the sins of the whole world? Not a word. Oh it was all back there in latent language, but to just come right out and say it, we can't find it until we get to Paul. Or have surrendered all to the work of the Holy Spirit, the very purpose for which He is given us.
It's the same way with the doctrine of the Departure of the Church, and we know this throws a curve at people. We won't find this happening anywhere but in Paul's writings, because it is uniquely a Church phenomena, and Israel knew nothing of such a thing for we see it was revealed only to this Apostle, because all these items within this body of Truth are so totally different than anything that had ever been revealed before. For example, the word Justification just came to mind. Can we see a place in Scripture where it says, "and you can be justified from all things by just simple trust or faith in this Gospel." No it's not in there. We know in Amos that it says the just shall live by faith, and it was on that premise that Martin Luther made his move. But to take Justification in the context that Paul teaches it was unheard of. It was a secret held in the mind of God. Now back to Galatians chapter 2 verse 7.
Galatians 2:7
"But contrariwise, (on the other hand) when they (the Twelve and the Jerusalem leaders) saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision (Gentiles) was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision (Hebrew) was (committed) unto Peter; " This is when they suddenly realize that we have a fork in the road. Here we've been coming down through Scripture Hebrew only, Hebrew only, with a few exceptions. But it had been Hebrew only since Abraham back in Genesis chapter 12. Now all of a sudden back in Acts chapter 9, God says, "I'm going to do something different." It's just like a fork in the road, and of course we teach that the Book of Acts is transitional, not a complete break from Judaism and the Jewish believers, but nevertheless there's that bridging over now then from God's dealing with the Hebrews only to His dealing with the Gentiles, and those Hebrews who by free will choice receive this Gospel of Grace and its attached New Covenant of an Endless Life. Both of which are of promise and Israel assumed that it was all theirs and theirs alone. That's where pride came in and puffed up Israel chest so to speak to the point that they refused to hear God's voice again and are still in that very condition, with no humility or contrition of heart.
So this is what these Hebrews are finally seeing. That the Gospel of the Gentiles was committed unto Paul, as the Gospel of the Hebrews was committed to Peter and the others. You can never tell us that it was the same Gospel. There is no way that you can show us the Gospel of the Grace of God was ever in Christ's earthly ministry or as Peter preaches in the Book of Acts. It's just not in there. Now Christ did allude to it but He could not teach or reveal it because its time had not yet come. All was hinged on the finished work of the cross and on the nation of Israel's acceptance of the their kingdom message. Which we've shown they rejected no less than three times and possibly four, as there are no less than three times in Acts alone recorded.
We can't find where we're to believe only for salvation the Gospel of Grace that Jesus died for us, was buried, and rose again and that in God's eyes we were IN Him through it all, except in Paul's writings. That's why so many denominations use works for salvation, they refuse to use Paul's Gospel of simple trust and faith + nothing. But anyway it's just not in the Scriptures except in Paul's teaching. So here they're recognizing this great difference of operations. By their so doing proves that its not subject to ones personal opinion but rather the Light of illumination. And the enter into the New Covenant from the schoolmaster of the old which we enter by way of conversion and or redemption first, then comes the second. How do we know this to be true, through Israel's history. They first had to "come out" of Egypt. Then "IF" all went well with them in seventeen days they'd have been in Canaan But and that's a big But they did not believe. They had to cross the sea and came to the Mountain where God was waiting for them. They ran into problems almost at once which delayed them longer than they wanted to stay and cost them more than they wanted to pay. But then after forty years of wondering in the harsh wilderness of sin they reached a second crisis the sea again. This time they crossed it and went into the promised land but there were more trials and teaching ahead of them, until the day of Christ's birth. This in short is the pattern for all who through conversion come into redemption and receive the Holy Spirit who then in effect takes us all through the learning curve to Christ. The point of great crisis for He asks all to learn of Him, His meekness, His humility, His obedience, His acceptance of death and His passage through it into the second blessing. The remainder of the story which was given to the Apostle Paul and those who are become willing and ready to obey, death. Where spiritual meats carnal again and the Spiritual wins over and defeats pride, the spirit of the power of the world in the flesh of man and brings man to the place of God's dwelling in him again as He is now our all in All. He then is able to do as He desired all along to be God both to us but also in us. Where we're totally dependent on Him for all things. Back to our lesson...
Galatians 2:8
"(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, (Hebrews only) the same (God) was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)" See the difference? Now verse 9 (this is 20 years after Pentecost). We don't like to put a lot of emphasis on the order of names, but there is a certain degree of it. In verse 9 who's listed first? James is.
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