By Arthur J Licursi

Part 1 – Who are we to follow during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God”?

Are you a really a ‘Jesus follower’ as so many Christians suppose or claim they are. We can answer this question and determine if we really are a ‘Jesus follower’ by noting what Jesus of Nazareth said and what He expected of His followers during His earthly ministry.

In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John we learn what it means to be a ‘Jesus follower.’ Below you can see for yourself if you today really are a Jesus follower according to what Jesus of Nazareth said, and by which He described His followers. Then you can see if you really qualify as a ‘Jesus follower.’

Jesus said the 12 Apostles were to go to Israel only, Not the Gentiles. This only fits you, if you are an Israelite.

“These twelve [Apostles] Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ … go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Mat. 10:5-6 (KJV)

The 12 Apostles were ‘Jesus followers,’ who had “forsaken all” to follow Him and have His calling upon you. But neither you nor I have “forsaken all” as they did.

“Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? ²⁸ And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Matthew 19:27-28 (KJV)

Note what Jesus promised His disciples (followers) and see if it first you today.

Matt 10:19 “But when they (the governors and kings) deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.”

Matt 10:22 “he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”

Matt 10:37-38 “He that loveth [family member] more than me is not worthy of me” “³⁸He that taketh not his cross and followeth me, is not worthy of me.”

In Luke 12:31-32 Jesus said “Seek ye the kingdom and all of these things will be added unto you ³² Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell That Ye Have, And Give Alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. - Do we sell all and seek the Messianic kingdom of heaven to come on earth?

Luke 14:25-26 Jesus said “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life [Gk. psuche, soul, self-life] also, he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33 ³³ So likewise, whosoever he be of you that Forsaketh NOT ALL that he hath, he Cannot Be My Disciple. Do we do such things?

Acts 2:42-43 “And they [the believing remnant of Israel] continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ⁴³ And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all that believed were together, and Had All Things Common [Communally]; ⁴⁵ And Sold Their Possessions And Goods, And Parted Them To All Men, As Every Man Had Need.” Acts 2:45 (KJV)

If You Are A Genuine ‘Jesus Follower’ Then All The Foregoing Would Apply To You.

But God knew Israel would reject Christ and His kingdom. So he sent the world ‘another Apostle,’ “the Apostle Paul” with another message entirely, it was called “the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Then, keeping “the law” as a basis for salvation was out … in favor of faith in God’s grace by the Cross.

Romans 6:14b …for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (cf. Eph. 2:8-9)

Larter, after the Acts period ended, we have Paul’s added “revelation of the mystery [secret]” that concerns the Gentile “body of Christ” that is destined to dwell “in the heavenly places.”

Ephesians 3:3-5 “How that by revelation he made known unto me [Paul] the mystery [Gk. musterion, secret]; (as I wrote afore in few words, ⁴ Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) ⁵ Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;”

Early on in his Acts ministry Paul tells us WHO and HOW to ‘follow.’ This verse seals it.

“Be ye followers of me [Paul], even as [in the same way that] I also am of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 (KJV)

So when we get to Paul’s ministry, the manner of ‘following Jesus” has changed because when you come to Paul, his message is not related to that which was first spoken in the earthly ministry of Jesus toward ‘the lost sheep of Israel,’ and then repeated by “them that heard Him” (i.e., the Twelve Apostles]. In Acts, before Paul, the message of Jesus and the 12 Apostles had been the promise of salvation from judgement “in the ages to come” by repenting and being baptized in water for the remission of sins and “enduring to the end.”

Paul then came as the messenger of “the grace of God” to “ALL men” without racial distinction (cf. Gal 3:28). Then later Paul succinctly tells us God’s will is that “ALL men would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1Tim. 2:4) of Paul’s ‘mystery gospel’ for today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God. (Eph. 3:2). The ascended Lord Jesus Christ sent us Gentiles one very special Apostle a few years after Jesus had been crucified, rose from the dead, and ascended to heaven, in ~ AD36. Paul wrote;

“… I [Paul] speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I [Paul] am The apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify [honor] mine office:” – Romans 11:13

Does that sound strange to you? It shouldn’t. The ‘Apostles’ were men “sent” [Gk. apostolos, sent ones] to preach the message they were given, but there was a difference as follows.

• Both ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ and His “Twelve Apostles” were sent with the “gospel of the kingdom” to and for a specific people called “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
• By contrast Paul “the Apostle” was sent with “the Gospel Of The Grace Of God” for ALL men now seen as Gentiles. In Rom. 11:13 (above.) we see that Paul was sent as “the apostle of the Gentiles.”

It’s important to know exactly WHICH gospel message these two sets of Apostles were given and to WHOM they were sent. Thereby we have the ‘context’ of the words that these Apostles spoke.

So, in fact Christ sent us a special apostle, Paul. Wouldn’t you want to hear his message To You more than the gospel message of the other Apostles who were sent ONLY to Israel?

“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, GO NOT into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But GO RATHER TO the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matt. 10:5-6 (KJV)