Rebuttal to a Family Member

It’s not uncommon for young believers in the faith of Christ to rest easy in the earthly ministry of Jesus as recorded in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. After all, they are the sayings of our Lord. Shouldn’t Christians be following Christ?

An in-law of mine, two years caught up in the red letters of a copy of the New International Version, is concerned that I might be off my rocker, and a heretic, because I do not take my doctrine from the first four books of the New Testament. I really want to avoid taking up serpents and accidentally drinking any deadly thing to prove it won’t hurt me. People who do that, usually die.

Instead, I choose to believe all sixty-six books of Scripture are inspired of God, and we are to study them to be approved unto Him, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Every word of it is true, but I pay attention to what is said, where it says it, and to whom it says it.

Since Christ was not sent but unto the lost sheep of the House of Israel, every word he spoke was either spoken openly to all who could claim lineage in the twelve tribes originating from their father Jacob, or privately to twelve Jewish disciples, each one representing a different tribe. Jesus did not call Gentiles to repentance, nor did he spend much time with them, except to fulfill that which was written in the Scriptures of the prophets.

But back to my in-law. I am curious, if he thinks the first four books are to be obeyed, why doesn’t he sell everything he owns, bring it to his pastor’s feet and live in common with everyone in his church? A first century true communist.

And how about that charge, when out preaching the Kingdom of God, to take nothing for the journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither two coats? I know without a doubt he follows none of this.

Where’s his demonstration of power and authority over all devils, and his ability to cure all diseases? Never, once.

Does he leave his neighbor’s house and if they didn’t receive his message, does he shake off the very dust from his feet as a testimony against them?

And ye shall know them by their fruits? In that same chapter, Jesus likens the man who heareth his sayings and doeth them not (Matt 7:26), as a foolish man who builds his house upon the sand. So let’s get those devils cast out and go the extra mile.

Hmm, I also think he might have skipped over that part about being hated:

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake; but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. — Matt 10:22

Well, the end has not come. I trust he’s learning to endure the hate and persecution of his fellow men, so he can be saved.

But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. — 10:23

This is a big one. I know for sure my in-law has never even been to Israel. So, tell me, how does this apply?

And don’t forget to love your enemies (have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth? Gal 4:16), bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. Surely he’s got that one down!

Apostle Paul worried his letters might be hard to understand

I have reason to believe my in-law is trapped in a mainstream denomination, following the edicts of that particular church, because the people there are nice and the teaching sounds good. But he will be there awhile. And that’s ok. Because everyone born of God must drink spiritual milk for some time before they are weaned and ready to chew on meat.

And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. — 1 Cor 3:1-2

The Corinthians were rich and comfortable, and very carnal. It took Paul two letters to get them to grow up!

Because all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness, Matthew thru the first part of Acts is not a bad place to be. It’s actually a good place to learn about Israel’s program and the work of the cross, as it picks up after four hundred years of silence from heaven.

God’s covenant with the people he chose to call by his name had been broken numerous times, to the point they appeared no different from the nations around them. So God spoke through OT prophets to determine seventy weeks of punishment for their disobedience:

Seventy weeks (one week is seven years or 490 years) are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.

Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem (under the Medes and Persian) unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (49 years), and threescore and two weeks (62 weeks or 434 years): the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times (49 + 434 = 483 ÷ 7 = 69 weeks).

And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary (70 AD); and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. — Dan 9:24-26

Verse 27 then jumps to the middle of the “troublous times” and describes the abomination of desolation that takes place in the middle of the last “week”, seven years. The time referred to as Jacob’s Trouble. The time of God’s wrath upon all disobedient, ungodly men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. That’s everyone on earth at that time, who did not escape through salvation that is still being offered today. Get in while grace is extended freely to all.

Paul writes about our safe removal from that time of pure hell on earth:

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first (the dead in Christ are apparently asleep and will awaken with that shout from heaven):

Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. — I Thess 4:16-18

But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

For God hath not appointed us to wrath (tribulation), but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. Who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. — I Thess 5:8-10

So what my in-law is missing is the understanding that Messiah the Prince has been “cut off” (seated presently at the right hand of the Father in heaven) and the time of the end is future prophecy. If one does not understand the mystery revealed to the Apostle Paul, the Bible student will have no clue how to resolve the seemingly random jumping from one time period to another to throw the non-student off. Because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.

But if the in-law would not be ignorant and be wise in his own conceits, he would do well to ascribe to the doctrine of Paul:

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

Revealed to Paul first, was that salvation by grace through faith alone is now open to all nations and all people, to form a new creature, neither Jew nor Greek:

For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us (this is in reference to the temple where Jews and Gentiles did not mix); Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;

And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh (afar off Gentiles and those nigh the promises to Israel). — Eph 2:14-17

This mystery kept secret since the world began is not easy to swallow by the new Christian because he needs to be established by the books that come before.

So it’s appropriate for my in-law and any new believer to start at the beginning and work through the books in order. An observant student who believes the Bible, will eventually see after Matthew - John that a transition is going on in the book of Acts. By the end of that book, the gospel of the grace of God, without the law, is entirely in the hands of the Apostle Paul, who is sent, not to Israel because they won’t hear it, but to the Gentiles… because they will!

Moving into the book of Romans, the student will become stablished in the faith and working toward maturity as he begins to stand on his feet, walk, and converse in the things that he has learned. Years after he has continued, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, one should see a stong and capable soldier equipped with the full armour of God, learning to wrestle well — because he will have to fight spiritual battles througout his life — to becoming spiritually fit by sound doctrine, and prepared for the work which is to come.

Paul, according to the grace that God had given him, as a wise masterbuilder, laid the foundation for all saints to be built up, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which is the work God is doing today. We are not going backward and trying to build our faith with Israel’s building blocks. They have their calling in God to rule and reign on earth according to the promises made to their fathers.

The church today is called by God to preach the gospel of grace to all men, and grow up. A two year old believer is only two years old in the faith. By the time we get to Ephesians and beyond, it is imperative…

That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. — Eph 14-16

All Scripture in italics is from the authorized King James Bible, naturally. God’s words in English.

Please leave a comment or challenge me on any thing I’ve written. I grew up hearing the Bible taught the first twenty years of my life. Then I read and studied on my own the next forty, rightly dividing the word of truth the past fifteen. In other words, I grew up spiritually and learned how to use the Scriptures to profit, and feel able to be used of God to minister to others likeminded in the faith. Or to clarify that God’s righteousness is applied to anyone who will believe him. Plus nothing.

When I speak of Israel, the nation of Israel, those chosen by God… I am not referring to the State of Israel today. For a study of the difference, see my post here.

Thank you to all who subscribe and read these posts. Each piece I write, I strive to present the gospel of Christ clearly, and to build on his foundation through study, comparing Scripture with Scripture.

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.