Traditional Christian Doctrine versus The Truth for Today
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Acts 28

By Arthur J Licursi

Following Paul’s admonition to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2Tim. 2:15) is important. If we are to ever understand God’s eternal plan and purposes during ages of “time past,” the “but now” of today, and for “the ages to come” (Eph. 2:2, 7, 13) it is required that we rightly divided the Pauline epistles. P

Properly understood, the Bible explains;

the place, hope, and calling of the Nation Israel on earth … in the light of Paul’s added revelation that he received from the ascended Lord Post-Acts (after Acts 28:28) concerning the heaven-bound Gentile church, “the body of Christ.”

We as genuine God-seeking Bible students know that among the many errors of the traditional teachings of Christendom today is the false idea that says the Bible presents only one gospel, Many hold that that the Bible all runs together with one plan for both Jews and Gentiles, without righty dividing. The Traditional Christian Doctrine taught among most of the divisions and denominations assumes that the church of today gradually evolved from Jesus and the twelve Apostles to what we see today. This idea is one that seriously veils the truth of God in the Bible, hiding the truth from most Christians, pastors, teachers, and believers, thus robbing them of their inheritance in Christ.

It is the cause of the confusion that frustrates an intelligent understanding of seeing God’s plan for Israel being quite different from that of the Gentile church of “the body of Christ.”

  • In eternity Israel will be God’s agent on the earth (Rev. 5:10, 20:6).
  • In eternity the ‘faithful’ members of “His body” will reign with Christ “in the heavenly places” (2Tim. 2:12).

They wrongly believe the church today ‘assumed’ the role of Israel and Israel’s kingdom promises and ordinances, including ‘water baptism’ and ‘the Lord’s supper. But this is not truth for “the body of Christ” since the time when Paul, as “the Apostle to the Gentiles,” declared this in Acts 28:28.

Acts 28:25-28 (KJV) 25 And when they [the Jews] agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, [quoting Isaiah’s prophecy] Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people [Israel] , and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people [Israel] is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you [Israel], that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

Sadly, traditional fundamentalist, evangelicals, and other Christian sects today ignore the doctrinal facts of Acts 28:28, and the important doctrinal change that has thereby transpired. Many claim to ‘rightly divide the word’ but they fail to recognize and divide in Paul’s fourteen epistles, dividing Paul’s 7 Acts Period from his 7 POST-Acts epistles. This division of epistles is the only means by which we can clearly understand the great “mystery [Gk. musterion, ‘secret’]” found in Paul’s seven POST-Acts’ period epistles, to be properly understood. These 7 epistles are; Eph., Philippians, Col. Titus, 1 & 2 Tim., and Philemon.

In Acts 28:28 we have the most important doctrinal DIVIDE between the Nation Israel’s Acts-Period hope of “The kingdom of heaven” to come “ON EARTH” and that of the POST-ACTS hope and calling of church of “the body of Christ,” which is Already positionally “Seated In The Heavenly Places,” “Far Above” “In Christ.”  Paul prayed that this would be revealed to “the saints” at Ephesus saying “my prayers; 17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you The Spirit Of Wisdom And Revelation In The Knowledge Of Him [Christ as He as the “Head” of “His body” today]:

Ephesians 1:3 (KJV) 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who Hath [already] Blessed Us With All Spiritual Blessings In Heavenly Places In Christ:

Ephesians 1:18-22 (KJV) 18 The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of His Inheritance In The Saints, 19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to Us-Ward Who Believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and Set Him At His Own Right Hand IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES, 21 Far Above All principality, and power, and might, and dominion, (see Eph. 6:12, Col 2:10) and every name that is named, not only in this world [Gk. aion, ‘AGE’], but also in that [Age] which is to come: 22 And hath Put All Things Under His Feet [the feet of His Body], And Gave Him To Be ‘The HEAD’ Over All Things To The Church,

With Acts 28:28 God called a ‘time-out’ before fulfilling the Israel’s National calling:

  1. He Removed Israel’s former Priority Status (Acts 28:28, Rom. 3:10, 10:12)
  2. He Invoked the Lo-ammi condition upon the Nation Israel as “not my people” (cf. Hosea 1:9-10, 6:2)
  3. He Authorized salvation to ALL men of ALL nations and of ALL races equally.
  4. He tore down the “middle wall of partition” (Eph. 2:14)
  5. He Suspended His dealings with the Nation Israel (Rom. 11:25).
  6. He Silenced all appeals to Moses [law] and the Prophets (Rom. 6:14, 11:25)
  7. He Withdrew the miraculous ‘sign-gifts’ of the Acts period, as prophesied (1Cor 13:8-9)
  8. He Postponed the Great Commission (Rom. 11:25)
  9. He Postponed Jesus Christ’s 2nd coming “until” today’s Gentile age ends (read Rom. 11:25)
  10. He Revealed God’s great “Mystery [secret plan]” for ALL believers of today’s grace age. (Eph. 1, 3)

You might ask; “How do we know all this?

We know all this by observing what is ‘written in’ and what is ‘omitted from’ Paul’s last seven epistles written AFTER Acts 28:28.

Most saved believers do not realize the Apostle Paul had two ministries in two successive dispensational ages (or administrations) of God, each with seven epistles as seen below.

 

Israel’s Kingdom Hope on Earth

As Seen in Paul’s Acts Period Epistles listed Chronologically

‘Body of Christ’s’ hope in Heaven

As Seen in Paul’s Post-Acts Epistles listed Chronologically

Galatians

Philippians

1 Thessalonians

Ephesians

2 Thessalonians

Colossians

Hebrews

Philemon

1 Corinthians

1Timothy

2 Corinthians

Titus

Romans

2Timothy

 

Although the New Testament books in our Bibles contain the cornerstone of the Cross and the doctrines of grace and salvation, … Paul’s POST-Acts epistles were necessary to reveal a separate ‘calling’ of believers for a different purpose. The church of God’s choice today, “the church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a), the church in which Christ is “the Head,” is found only in Paul’s POST-Acts epistles; primarily in Eph. 1:1-23 and Colossians 1:21-26, 2:11-15, 3:1-4. This church of “the body of Christ” is of a different CALLING and different HOPE than that of the National Israel’s Messianic Kingdom calling and hope that had been prophesied in the OT, and offered in the gospels and Acts but Rejected by Israel during the Acts period.

Let’s carefully consider these of Paul’s POST-Acts verses below.

Ephesians 1:1-23 (KJV) 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus: 2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath [already] blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8  Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto us the mystery [secret] of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: 10  That in the dispensation of the fulness of times [in the concluding age] He Might Gather Together In One All Things In Christ, Both Which Are In Heaven, And Which Are On Earth; even [that is] in him:

11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: 12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. 13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. 15  Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, 16  Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; 17  That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18  The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19  And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20  Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21  Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 22  And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be ‘the head’ over all things to THE CHURCH, 23  WHICH IS HIS BODY, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Colossians 1:21-26 (KJV) 21 And you [believers], that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 23  If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope [cf. Tit. 2:13] of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body's sake, which is the church: 25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation [administration] of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil [pleroo, complete] the word of God; 26 Even [that is] the mystery [‘the secret’] which Hath Been Hid From Ages And From Generations, but Now Is Made Manifest To His Saints [His set apart ones]:

Colossians 2:11-15 (KJV) 11 In whom [in Christ] also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ [at the cross]: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the Faith Of The Operation Of God, Who Hath Raised Him From The Dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened [made alive] together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of [religious] ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and Took It Out Of The Way, Nailing It To His Cross; 15 And having spoiled [disempowered the Satanic] principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Colossians 3:1-4 (KJV) 1 If [Since] Ye Then Be Risen With Christ, seek those things which are Above [heavenly], Where Christ Sitteth On The Right Hand Of God. 2 Set your affection on things Above, NOT on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and YOUR LIFE IS HID WITH CHRIST IN GOD.  4 WHEN CHRIST, Who Is Our Life, Shall APPEAR, Then Shall YE also APPEAR WITH HIM IN GLORY

Thus we today are to be; “Looking for that Blessed Hope, and the Glorious APPEARING of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ [in glory]” (Titus 2:13 (KJV)

Philippians 3:20-21 (KJV) For our conversation [Old English for ‘citizenship’] Is IN HEAVEN; from whence also we LOOK FOR the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile [corruptible] body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious [resurrection] body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Sadly, Paul’s message of “the Mystery [secret]” of “the church, which is His body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) ‘seemed’ to have died with Paul, as many had abandoned him (2Tim. 4:10). So, what did happen to “the Mystery” after Paul and Timothy had died?

This truth was still right there in Paul’s Post Acts epistles. It certainly must have been manifest to some individuals through the ages, but only God knows, yet we today by the sovereignty of God can know this revealed truth. Paul’s principle of ‘right division’ of Scripture (2Tim. 2:15) has now come to the fore with many serious “faithful” Bible students, unveiling this formerly hidden precious truth.

The recovery of God’s truth for today has been progressive over many years. The doctrine of ‘salvation by grace through faith alone’ was recovered by the Luther and other reformers of the 15th-16th centuries, only about 550 years ago. The recorded manifestation of this “rightly divided” Post-Acts “mystery [secret]” was been recovered less than 200 years ago. By this God is presently calling out His invisible Gentile church: the fulness of “the body of Christ,” which is destined to “APPEAR,” and REIGN “IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST.”

Colossians 3:4 (KJV) When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
2 Timothy 2:12 (KJV) If we suffer [ i.e., endure], we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us [that reigning, but yet be saved]:

Printed English Bibles have only been available for about 500 years. Thankfully, we still have the Authorized King James Version and its Received N.T. Greek Text. We know the modern English versions sold are Satanically corrupted, twisting the word of truth; eliminating and adding words and phrases to the Bible.

After Paul passed, many of the early believers reverted, returning to the Acts period doctrine that was for Israel, but we know the Acts period doctrine was superseded with Acts 28:28 Post-Acts truth. Yet sadly, Christendom today largely adheres to much of Israel’s defunct program. The continuance of Israel’s suspended Kingdom gospel among Christians today became one of Satan’s great deceptions, hiding or veiling the truth, thus robbing believers of the knowledge of their rightful Heavenly ‘inheritance’ that is ‘in Christ.’

May the Lord’s Spirit give us all “revelation” to see and understand the critical truths to be seen in the Pauline POST-Acts epistles…freeing us from Traditions of today’s churchianity (e.g., Col 2:16).