Comparing Paul’s ACTS-PERIOD and POST-ACT PERIOD Epistles

The differences noted below serve to point to major changes that occurred with “the Dispensation of the grace of God” that came AFTER the Acts-period ended and Israel was set aside as it remains during today’s interval. Below you will note the many Israel-related terms that appear in Paul’s epistles written during the Acts period when he was going to “the Jew first” and their absence in Paul’s Post-Acts epistles.

The detail below was compiled by Thomas Cesar, a long-time friend and brother in the Lord. Arthur J. Licursi

      Paul’s Letters DURING Acts                                                           Paul’s Letters AFTER Acts                                                       

1, 2 Thessalonians, 1, 2 Corinthians                                                            Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians   

Galatians and Romans                                                                                   1, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon

     # of mentionings in verses                                                                            # of mentionings in verses                                      

1. Synagogue (s)              21                                                                            1.                         0                           

           2. Disciples                        32                                                                            2.                         0                           

           3. Signs                              11                                                                            3.                          0                           

           4. Abraham                       19                                                                            4.                          0                          

          5. Jerusalem                      52                                                                           5.                           0                           

          6. Jew (s)                           85                                                                            6.                           1, in Col 3:1              

          7. Israel                              44                                                                            7.                           2, Eph2:12, Phi3:5      

          8. Coming (Parousia)       6                                                                              8.                            0                   

          9. Miracles/Signs *          24                                                                            9.                            0                 

         10. Tongues /Signs*         16                                                                           10.                          0                  

         11. Promises (ed)              8                                                                              11.                          1, Eph 2:12                 

         12. Prophesy, ied,ing,eth 19                                                                           12.                          0                 

         13. Covenant (s)                 7                                                                             13.                          1. Eph 2:12     

         Total                                 344                                                                                                            5

• Miraculous Signs “by the hands of Paul” During Acts Period:                                                                                                                                  
• Acts 19:11 And God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were carried away to the sick and their diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them.                                                                
•  Rom 15:19 By the power of signs and wonders, by spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ.                                
• 1 Cor 13:8 Love never fails: but whether prophecies, they will fail (be done away); or tongues, they will cease…                                                                                                                                      1:Cor 14:21 In the law it is written, “with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak to this people; [Israel] and yet for all that they will not hear Me, says the Lord.” 22a Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: This is a quote from Isa 28:11 “For by a people of strange lips and with foreign tongue (language) the Lord will speak to this people, 12. to whom he said. “This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is refreshing: yet they would not hear.”           

The meeting place for the church in Corinth was next door to a synagogue where those in the synagogue who would not believe in Christ could hear those Gentiles speaking in tongues in the Corinthians meeting.  We know this from Acts 18:7 “And he left there and went to the house of a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.”                                                                                                                                                      The foreign tongues were a sign for Israel and was recognized by a remnant of Jews who believed on Christ, their Messiah, yet others would not hear and not believe.                                                                                                                          

Acts 28:8 It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him healed him. 9 And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.          

 

• NO Miraculous Signs “by the hands of Paul” AFTER the Acts-Period:                                                                                                                       
• Phil 2:25 I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, 26 for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. 27 Indeed he was ill, near to death, But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. (No healings by Paul)                                                                                                                                      

I Tim 5: No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments. (No healing signs)                                                                                                          

2 Tim 4:20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. (No signs or healing. Paul’s authority to heal had ceased after Acts)                                                               

1Cor 13:8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. (According to Isa 28 and 1 Cor 14:22 Tongues were a sign for Israel. Israel was broken off at the end of Acts 28)

Promises: Rom 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision [Israel]for the   truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers: (Israel, not “His body”)                                               

The Concluding words of Paul to the Jewish leadership of the Jewish Dispersion as seen in Acts 28: 19-20; 23, 28

Acts 28: 19 “But because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, though I had no charge to bring against my nation. 20. For this reason, therefore, I have asked to see you and speak with you, since it is because of the hope of Israel that I am wearing this chain” … 23 When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening, he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets… 25. And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made this one statement.

The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet: 

“Go to this people [Israel], and say, hearing you shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; unless 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” (cf. Isa 6:9-10.  26) Therefore, let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles: they will listen.       

Does “being sent to Gentiles” mean that Paul had not testified of the grace of the Lord Jesus to Gentiles? Certainly not! For many Gentiles had believed in the Lord Jesus during his traveling to synagogues as he was fulfilling his calling by the Lord in Acts 9:15:  But the Lord said to him, “Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.  During his fulfillment of his service to Israel, Gentiles also heard the gospel of grace and believed.

In Acts 13:43 And after the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who, as they spoke with them, urged them to continue in the grace of God… 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. (Who? Israel) Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47. For the Lord has commanded us, saying, “I have made you (Israel) a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.” (Isa 49:6) 48. And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. The next scene in chapter 14:1, Paul goes right back to a Synagogue.

                              In Letters AFTER Acts                                                                   In Letters DURING Acts                                                

                             1.  The Secret/Mystery        10                                                 1 - Rom. 16:25 as ‘Post Script’                                             

2.  Christ the Head of the Body  16                  

3.  The One New Man           1                  

4.  Seated in the heavens     1

5.  Secret Hid in God              1                                      

6.  Completes the Word        1

# The One New Man – Eph 2:12 Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ, 14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create himself one new man                                     in place of the two, so making peace. 16. And might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. In the earlier epistles, they were identified separately.

“Complete the Word” – These later writings of Paul after Acts are not based upon Old Testament prophesy but on revelation that he received and explicitly records in Ephesians. Additionally, In Col 1:25 Paul writes: Whereof, I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill (complete) the word of God; 26 the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to His saints. This mystery cannot refer to the blessing of Gentiles in connection with Israel.  Both blessings to Israel and the Gentiles were made known at the very same time, (Gen 12:3) and they were never a secret.

Words of Paul to the Gentiles according to “the Mystery of Christ” as The “Head of His Body” AFTER the Acts Period

Paul’s stewardship after the close of Acts was not based upon anything from the Old Testament prophesy, the Gospels, or Acts. Paul writes in Eph 3:1 For this reason, I, Paul a prisoner for Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles. 2. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given to me for you. (This grace, or favor, was given to Paul for the Gentiles.) 3. How the mystery (Secret) was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. 4. When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ.

What was given?

Vs. 3 How by revelation the mystery was made known to me as I wrote before in a few words. (Rom 16:25,26) 4. When you read this, you can perceive my knowledge in the mystery of Christ.

Vs. 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in spirit. 6. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel.

In verses 7-9 Paul tells us that the secret was made known to him according to his stewardship that was given to him by God. Vs. 7 I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God which was given to me for the effectual working of His power. 8. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. 9. And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery hidden from the ages in God, who created all things.    

(The conjunction ‘and’ joins the riches of Christ with “the mystery.” Paul states that this mystery was hidden in God, not the Scriptures. The mystery, Christ as head of His body, was not foretold in the Old Testament nor made known until after God’s final words to Israel through Paul in Acts 28)  

Vs 10. To the intent that now to the principalities and powers in the heavenlies might be known the manifold wisdom of God, 11. According to the eternal purpose which He made in Christ Jesus the Lord. 12. In whom we have boldness and access in confidence through the faith of him. (This revelation of the secret is found in no other writings in the Bible but Paul’s later epistles) He writes in Col 1:25 Whereof, I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfill (Gk. pleroo, complete) the word of God;

In 2Tim 3:16 we are told, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”

Praise the Lord for the wealth that we have in all the Scripture. However, not all Scripture is to us or about us in the body of Christ. If we mix Scripture that applies to another people into this dispensation of the body of Christ, we bring in confusion.  

The Lord told the Pharisees in Matt 15:1-9 that because of their traditions they make void the word of God.

Paul later tells us in 2 Tim 4:3,4 that at the end of the age God’s people will accumulate teachers that teach myths and fables while turning away from the truth.  In 2 Tim 2:14-15 Paul admonishes Timothy, “Study to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

¹⁰ That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: Ephesians 1:10 (KJV)

By: Slightly adapted from Thomas Cesar 3/23

 

Tom Cesar  11/24