Corrected,Modified,or updated: 11/15/09
All References are New American Standard Unless Otherwise Stated.
Take your own Bible and read for your self what God has to say on this subject.
Dear Family and Loved Ones,
I have shared with some of you my thoughts and beliefs that have developed through years of Bible study, but I can’t help but think I need to write something that will be definitive and explain my beliefs more clearly So please read this in the same spirit in which it is written.
You know that I was a “devout” Southern Baptist and I thought that would last me the rest of my life. But some questions were always there. I chose to accept the usual answers and trust by faith that God knew best and we’d all know the answers some day. I still believe that (I don’t think I know it all now!!!), but I believe through the old Training Union memory verse (“Study to present yourself approved unto God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” (2Tim 2:15), I have found some answers that are obvious when we “rightly divide” the Word of God. I know that turns off some of you immediately, but please consider the following:
(Heb 1:1), We accept that God spoke to people in various ways through the centuries. He spoke directly to Adam and Eve. He spoke to Joseph through dreams. He spoke to the nations Israel and Judah through His prophets. These represent different ways of dispensing God’s justice and love. At the beginning of the New Testament we see him still speaking to His people through prophets (Zacharias, John the Baptist) and the ultimate revelation – His Son.
We generally divide the message between the Testaments. But right off we know that Jesus was a Jew; He lived under Jewish law. To whom did He minister? “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt.15:24). Don’t tell me this has never bothered you! Jesus lived and died as a Jew. He taught his disciples to follow Jewish laws, not to disregard them. Even his Great Commission was to take the Jewish message to all nations: “teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I have told you.”
Do we do this? Really? – celebrating Passover like Jesus and his disciples did?
So where does that leave us? Go on into Acts. We see the resurrected Jesus ascending into heaven, leaving his disciples to carry on His work. Peter immediately took charge (Don’t you love him??). They all were of one accord. On the Day of Pentecost, they were gathered in one place. Let’s check out Peter’s sermon. Pentecost was a Jewish feast. No one but Jews would be included in this celebration. (Acts 2:5), refers to Jews living in Jerusalem and devout men from every nation under heaven; only Jews would be considered to be devout! Remember – Jews had scattered all over the earth, but returned to Jerusalem for Pentecost. So in the following verses he describes the different locations they came from, but they were either natural Jews or proselytes.
So in (Acts 2:14): Peter addresses them: men of Israel. In (Acts 2:16), he refers to the prophet Joel; this would have no meaning to a gentile.
In (Acts 2:22), he again addresses his listeners as “Men of Israel”, then in Acts (2:25-29) he refers to David, again meaningful only to Jews.
In (Acts 2:29), he addresses his listeners as “Brethren.” This from the same Peter who refused to go to Cornelius until God told him to in a vision; he had to have been talking to his Jewish brothers.
In (Acts 2:36), he refers to the house of Israel and their special relationship with God.
In (Acts 2:37), they ask Peter and the rest of the apostles “Brethren what shall we do?” Would a gentile refer to Peter and the disciples as brethren? No! We all know what kind of reaction there was to Peter’s message. Peter and John were still going to the Temple and continuing in the Jewish traditions. In his following sermons he continues to address Jews: (Acts 3:12), – Men of Israel.
And what was he preaching? (Acts 2:38): “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins.” Notice the Jews had to believe AND be baptized. This is consistent with the teachings for the next few years. But we see this did not please the Jewish leaders. They responded to the faithful Stephen by stoning him to death (Acts 7). Note one of the observers in (Acts 7:58); do you think this had an impression on him? (cf. Acts 22:20)
And what effect did Stephen’s death have on the disciples of Christ? they were scattered because of the persecution that arose and carried the word only to the Jews. (Acts 11:10):
In Acts chapter 8 a new person arrives on the scene. Saul of Tarsus. We’re all familiar with his miraculous conversion and turning from persecuting believers to preaching Christ crucified. We see the charge the Lord gave Ananias concerning Saul: “He is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and the kings and the sons of Israel.” (Acts 9:15). Paul didn't waste much time in fulfilling his calling (Acts 9:20). And what was his message? He too began proclaiming Jesus as the Son of God in the synagogues. Before long, he was amazing the Jews. He continued increasing in strength and confounding the Jews.
His testimony gives a more concise accounting of Paul’s journey in preaching Christ crucified. In Gal. 1:11 he begins his testimony: “The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Gal 1:15): “He set me apart even from my mother’s womb…to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia and returned once more to Damascus.”
This assures us of a completely different source of information for Paul’s message: the RISEN CHRIST. He was no longer a physical man, but the Son of God Who had completed the task given to Him by the Father. This changed the face of Christianity. It was no longer necessary to come to God through the Jews; salvation was offered directly to all peoples. The message of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ was emphasized by Paul. We see Calvary in retrospect, not prophecy as the Jews were supposed to. Everything Paul preached centered on the completed work of Christ on the cross; “the gospel (good news) of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24); (1Cor.1:18).
According to Paul, we have redemption through Christ’s blood (Eph. 1:7); are justified by His blood (Rom. 5:9); are reconciled to God by the death of His Son (Rom. 5:10); are made nigh by the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:13); made the righteousness of God in Him because God hath made Him to be sin for us (2Cor. 5:21). This was Paul’s message that he received directly from the RISEN CHRIST.
Peter and the other apostles still preached the message of coming to Christ through the Jews. But the ministry of Peter to the Jews was waning; King Herod arrested Peter and wanted to put him to death. The message to Jews only was fading away.
Paul’s original ministry was to his people, the Jews. In Acts 13, he went to the synagogue and sat down. He spoke to the Men of Israel (Acts 13:16) and continued a Jewish history lesson, concluding that Jesus was the One promised for their forgiveness of sins. The message was not received well by the Jewish leaders. In (Acts 13:46), Paul boldly proclaimed that since they did not accept Jesus as their Messiah, he and Barnabas would turn to the Gentiles. (Strike one.) (Acts 13:48) records the reaction of the Gentiles: jubilation that the God of Israel would include them in His salvation.
By (Acts 15), there was a division between whether the Gentiles had to convert to Judaism before believing (think circumcision!) or if they could be saved only by believing (pure grace). Paul and Barnabas were called back to Jerusalem for the decision. Peter assured them that God gave the Gentiles the same Holy Spirit He gave the Jews, so should they require more of them? James gave his conclusion in (Acts 15:19): “that we do not trouble them who are turning to God from among the Gentiles.” By (Acts 15:22), the council agreed to send others with Paul and Barnabas, requesting only that the Gentiles to abstain from things sacrificed to idols. This Paul already had agreed on.
And now we see a different message in (Acts 16:31): “Believe on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.” Period. Grace – doing nothing. (cf. Hebrews 11): the faithful of the Old Testament pleased God by having faith AND doing something.) In (Acts 17:11), we are told of the believers at Berea: “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, so see whether these things were so.” (That’s for those of you who have asked where the term Berean came from.) It should still be our desire to search the Scriptures.
By (Acts 18:6), Paul once again was led to announce his leaving of teaching to his people, going to the Gentiles. “Your blood be upon your own heads! I am clean. From now on I shall go to the Gentiles.” (Strike two.)
But again, he continues to preach Christ (Messiah) to the Jews; in (Acts 28), when he arrives in Rome, he called together the leaders of the Jews (Acts 28:.17), and told them he was wearing the chains “for the sake of the hope of Israel” (Acts 28:20). How he loved his countrymen! In (Acts 28:23) he continued teaching from the Law and Prophets all day, quoting Isaiah. But by (Acts 28:28), he finally pronounced his third and final denunciation of Israel. (Strike three!) The salvation has been sent to the Gentiles.
OK, what does this mean to us today? What’s the difference? Notice the differences between Peter’s message and Paul’s message:
Peter: Built on God’s relationship with His chosen people: obey God and DO something.
Paul: Built on Jesus’ death and resurrection; pure grace; we can do nothing to please God.
Peter: Founded on the Law of Moses.
Paul: Founded on the Grace of God: (Eph 2:8-9; 2:15-16; Rom 7:4),
Peter: Jesus is Messiah & King of Israel.
Paul: Jesus is Head of the body, the church; our Savior and Lord.
Peter: Faith AND Works (Matt 5:20; 19:16-21; John 3:5) (water baptism);
(Acts 2:38-39; James 2:14-26), (written to the 12 tribes)
Paul: Faith and NOTHING (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom 4:5).
Peter: Remission of sins: by way of water baptism. (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts2:28);- all part of the kingdom.
Paul: Remission of sins: by the shed blood of Jesus Christ – (Col 1:14; Eph 1:7; Rom 3:25)
OK – That’s just a few of the differences, but the whole idea is that God faithfully carried out His promises (covenants) with His people, but they continuously failed on their part. He was prepared to set His kingdom up on earth as He promised throughout the Old Testament; remember how John the Baptist and Jesus both kept saying The kingdom of God is at hand? It was - if the Jews would have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, God’s kingdom would have been set up then.
But God knew His people would reject Him, so He inserted a parenthesis in time to provide the way of salvation for all people equally. Thank God for that! So for the time being, all come to God the same way: by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ until He comes for His own (1 Thess. 4:17). At that time the parenthesis is closed and the Jews have one more chance to fulfill the promises of God until Jesus returns to earth to set up His kingdom of Israel.(Zech.14:4).
If you made it this far, I’m completely dumbfounded and humbled. I just had to share this with you. I just didn’t know how far I could go in one sitting. There’s so much more, but I think that’s probably enough for now. I love you all and this is done in that love and the Love of Christ. I would be more than happy to follow up with you if you are so inclined!