Part 3 – The Acts ‘Transition Period’

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Paul’s Acts Ministry.

Paul as “The apostle of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:13) is the so-to-speak Moses of “the body of Christ.”

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I [Paul] write unto you are the commandments [Gk. entole, precept] of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 14:37)

Not being “under the Law,” Paul’s “commandments” are ‘precepts’ or ‘prescriptions’ as to the “rules intended to regulate behavior or thought” as grace believers, including Paul’s gospel of the grace of God.”

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” (Romans 2:16)

Whereas the “gospel of the kingdom” that Jesus preached and the Twelve preached was at that time exclusively for and unto “the lost sheep of the house of Israel,” (cf. Matt. 15:24, 10:5-6), Paul’s ministry was not exclusive but rather applicable to “all men,” both Gentiles and Jews. Paul was God’s spokesman to ALL men,” since ‘ALL” races and genders since all are seen in God’s eyes as potential ‘Gentile receptors” of God’s mercy and grace during this ~2,000-year age of grace. God sees lost Jews just as lost as any lost Gentile, allowing that Jews may be “saved by grace through faith” in Christ alone, if they want to join “the body of Christ” just as any Gentile may.

During the Acts ‘Transition Period (chapters 9-28), in order to validate Paul’s ministry and to show Israel that her program was “DIMINISHING”God temporarily granted Paul the power to perform miraculous demonstrations and exhibit other ‘Jewish-related behaviors.’ The supernatural gifts, included ‘tongues,’ which was not gibberish such as we hear of today, but rather the miraculous speaking of existing known intelligent human languages that had never been learned by the speakers.

Paul here wrote of the ‘knowledge gifts’ of 1Corinthians 14 coming to an end.

“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom” (1 Cor. 1:22 (KJV)

In the law it is written (Isa. 28:11-12), With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people [Israel]; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. 22 Wherefore TONGUES ARE FOR A SIGN, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not [the unbelieving Jews]: but prophesying [speaking forth] serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe (1 Cor. 14:21-22).

By temporarily granting the supernatural ‘knowledge gift’ of “tongues” to Gentiles… Israel’s God, was communicating to Israel (v22) that He had now started a new program with a ‘new gospel for the Gentiles’ … through Paul’s ministry.

Paul wrote the great doctrinal book of Romans, one of his early books, written during the time of about Acts chapter 20. This was to offer both Israel’s “little flock” believers and the Gentile “body of Christ,” which includes “all men” the knowledge of … the full doctrinal basis of salvation …‘by grace through faith (Yet, Israel was still required to have faith plus works, cf. James 2:10, 17).

The Gentiles program of ‘pure grace alone through faith alone’ basis (“without works,” cf. Rom. 4:5-8) was and is contrary to Israel’s ‘continued Law program’ that requires both ‘faith and performance under of “the Law. Paul wrote of the Gentiles; “… for ye are NOT under the law, but under grace.” (Rom. 6:14b)

Throughout Acts, until Acts 28:28, we read how the Apostle Paul did these Jewish things.

  • Paul healed the sick, sending cloths from his body (Acts 14:8-18; Acts 19:11-12; Acts 28:8-10),
  • physically circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:1-3),
  • he for a time water baptized new converts (Acts 16:14-15; Acts 16:30-33; Acts 18:7-8),
  • he cast out a devil (Acts 16:16-18),
  • he laid hands on people for them to receive the Holy Ghost (Acts 19:1-7),
  • he raised the dead (Acts 20:7-12),
  • he offered sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem (Acts 21:18-30),
  • he spoke in tongues (1 Cor. 14:18), and he survived a snake bite (Acts 28:1-6).

God had Paul to mimic the miraculous demonstrations and other behaviors associated with Jesus and His Twelve Apostles in His ministry as seen from Matthew through John and into the early Acts period.

Note that Paul was ONLY able to do these things during the Acts period, NOT after Acts 28:28. Paul’s ministry during the Acts period was God’s way of communicating to unbelieving Israel that Her God Was Now Amongst the Gentiles… Through Paul’s Ministry.

As stated earlier, Acts 9 through 28 is atransitional section of the Bible’; going from Israel and “the Law” to the Grace economy for ALL men as Gentiles. It is the record of God being just and fair in setting Israel aside for a time and going to the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry. You can study the book of Acts to see how unbelieving Israel continually harassed and hindered (Gal. 2:4) God’s new ministry to “all men” (1Cor. 9:22)through Paul.

Now let’s re-read Romans 11:14,

“If by any means I may provoke to emulation them [Israel] which are my flesh [as Jews], and might save some of them [of Israel].” Paul would “provoke to emulation them which are my flesh [the Israelites],”

God’s move and blessing upon the Gentiles was how Paul would encourage his lost Jewish brethren to believe like the Gentiles who trusted Jesus Christ. By this he was magnifying or highlighting his Gentile apostleship (v13). So, Paul’s Gentile apostleship initially involved Gentile believers experiencing Israel’s signs, miracles, and wonders.

Unbelieving Israel hated Paul, actually, they hated the Jesus Christ whom Paul served. They desperately tried to hinder Paul’s ministry throughout Acts. They could not help but be aware that the God of their fathers was now working in and through Paul. Their Pentecost miracles were now evident amongst the Gentiles; their God had signified to Israel that He was now working apart from Israel.

The lost apostate Jews knew Paul’s ministry and message was valid, albeit they rejected it in unbelief, just as they had rejected Peter and the other Apostle’s ministries in early Acts.

Notice what the believing Messianic Jerusalem Church leaders witnessed and acknowledged.

“Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14Simeon [Peter] hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name (Acts 15:12-14).

Even Jesus’ believing “little flock” of Israel (i.e., Peter, James, John, et al.) had to learn and accept that God had moved on and was now working through Paul. Note what was decided in their Acts 15 meeting.

when James, Cephas [Peter], and John… gave to me [Paul] and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen (Gk. ethnos, Gentiles), and they unto the circumcision [Israel].” (Gal. 2:9)

They decided to turn over to Paul their Gentiles ministry, with his new gospel of grace, and they would limit themselves to the Jerusalem Messianic church ministry, to the circumcision, the Jews ONLY. Actually, they never went much beyond Israel, just as Jesus had said it would be.

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.(Matt. 10:23).

Israel’s program was set aside as Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles grew throughout Acts.

So, Jesus knew that Israel would NOT at that time carry out their so-called ‘great commission (Matt. 25), but it will be fulfilled by Israel in the Tribulation and Millennium.

Therefore, today’s “dispensation of the Grace of God” began after Israel’s fall and with the salvation of the Apostle Paul. Nevertheless, initially, during the Acts 9-28 transition period, in order to validate Paul’s ministry for the lost Jews’ sakes, God had Paul go to the “Jew first” (Rom. 1:16) while also temporarily granting Paul the gift of miracle-working and had him perform other “Jewish” things and behaviors. The miracles, signs and wonders of Israel’s program were carried over into Paul’s ministry, but only for a time. God was demonstrating to Israel that her program was falling away.

“Charity [love] never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.” (1 Corinthians 13:8)

1 Corinthians was written during the time of the book of Acts. At that time God was using the ‘knowledge gifts’ of prophesy, and tongues in the early church, “the body of Christ” to present truth that would later be included in Paul’s epistles when he later completed the Bible, after the Acts period. After Acts Paul wrote his last seven pure grace epistles in which no ‘Jew first’ related information was included.

During the later Act period, Paul’s ministry was replacing Peter’s early Acts ministry (Rom. 11:11-13; 2 Cor. 12:12). Yet, Paul did the same things Peter did; water baptism (Acts 2:38-41 cf. 16:30-33), healing the sick (Acts 3:6-8 cf. 14:8-10), raising the dead (Acts 9:36-42 cf. 20:9-11), laying on hands to give the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:14-20 cf. 19:1-7).