Through the Bible in 7 Hours: Session XI | A Strategic Grasp of The Pauline Epistles

Through the Bible in 7 Hours session XI | A Strategic Grasp of The Pauline Epistles

Welcome to Paul’s Epistles! When we arrive at these epistles, we have officially gotten to “our mail”. When you look at the Bible and who it is to, and for, you will notice that the whole bible is for us, but it isn’t to us. It is all “for our admonition and learning”. We as the Body of Christ, we aren’t the only people in God’s plans and purpose. We can’t be so selfish that we think that every promise in the Bible is ours. Rather, as we are instructed to do, we must “rightly divide the Word of truth” like it says in 2 Timothy 2:15. It is our faith, resting in the Word of God and our intelligent understanding that liberates its power into the details of our lives.

Let’s pray

Good morning, all! We are so excited to have you here as we get into Paul’s epistles. This is Walking in Grace with Matthew and Whitney.

This about this with me. Let’s break down this to us and for us thing. When I was in the military, we would often have meetings. Whenever we would fly there would be a pre-flight briefing. Now I would sit in the back of the helicopter and there would be two pilots of front. During this preflight briefing we would go over everything in this flight, where we were going, what to do in case of an emergency, how high we were going to fly and the speed that we are going to go. In all of this information which could take between 30 minutes to an hour, do you think that everything said applied to me? No it didn’t, but it was good for me to know what they were doing in front. Think about if they told me what height and speed we were to go and I said that it was to me and that I was going to make sure we did that. I didn’t have controls in the back to ensure that happened so it wasn’t possible for me to do that. Therefore, that part of the brief was for me to know but it wasn’t to me. That pilot was informintg us both of that information but it was TO the other pilot and FOR my edification. Now when he got to the potential rescue information, THAT was to me because I would essentially be running the situation if needed. I hope that makes sense.

Let’s talk first about “The Mutual Faith”.

Paul is “our apostle” and as such he is God’s spokesman for today.

[Rom 11:13 KJV] 13 For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

He says plain as day that he is here as the apostle of the Gentiles. He isn’t beating around the bush or anything like that, he is saying straight forward that he is bringing the Word of God to the Gentiles.

[Rom 15:15-16 KJV] 15 Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God, 16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. He is giving the gospel of God to the Gentiles in order for the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable. Paul was sent to give us, the Gentiles, the gospel.

[1Co 11:1 KJV] 1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also [am] of Christ.

Paul is telling us to follow the Gospel that he is bringing to us in the same way that he is following Jesus Christ. Remember, Paul was given the gospel by Jesus at the Damascus awakening.

[Gal 1:11-12 KJV] 11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught [it], but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul was not given this gospel by any man. He wasn’t taught this gospel by any man. Paul’s background is that he learned the scriptures from a very young age and was very knowledgeable because of who he studied under. This gospel isn’t any of those or given to him by any man. This was given to him by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

[Eph 3:1-9 KJV] 1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (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; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

The gospel that Paul was given was a mystery from all men. It was NOT made known to the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto hi hold apostles and prophets by the Spirit. We are now to be fellowheirs, and of the same body as everybody else! There is no more jew or greek or gentile! We have all been made the same! We are now in the Dispensation of the Grace of God!

We know that Paul was made the apostle of the Gentiles, and there are many many more verses on that if you want to look them up. Let us now turn to some of the unique things that Paul brought to us that weren’t discussed in “time past”.

First of all the Body of Christ. Turn with me to

[Eph 3:3-6 KJV] 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (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; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

Being a part of the body hasn’t been discussed prior to this. This is a new revelation and part of the mystery.

What about the dispensation of grace

[Eph 3:2 KJV] 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

One thing I have heard from people who don’t know about rightly dividing is that dispensation started in the 19th century. It’s weird that there is belief that it started then when Paul is the one who first brought it to light through the mystery that was given to him by Jesus Christ. You can’t believe some things in the Bible and not the rest. You don’t get to pick and choose. It is either all true or what is even the point in reading it? Why do you think that you get to choose what is real and what isn’t? There are 3 other verses in the epistles that mention dispensation, so this one verse isn’t just random.

1Co 9:17

Eph 1:10

Col 1:25

Feel free to look them up.

The next new thing that Paul brings is the Gospel of Grace.

[Act 20:24 KJV] 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

[1Co 15:1-4 KJV] 1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

There is also the setting aside of Israel:

[Rom 11:11, 25 KJV] 11 I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but [rather] through their fall salvation [is come] unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. ... 25 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.

During this dispensation, Israel is not held higher than any other person. We are all equal in the eyes of the Lord.

[Rom 10:12 KJV] 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

[Eph 2:13-18 KJV] 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us]; 15 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; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Paul also brought us the one baptism

[Eph 4:5 KJV] 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

[1Co 12:13 KJV] 13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether [we be] Jews or Gentiles, whether [we be] bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

NO MORE INDIVIDUAL BAPTISM BY WATER

What was the reason “the Mystery” was a mystery?

[1Co 2:6-8 KJV] 6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Do you know what that is saying? If it hadn’t been kept a mystery, who else would have known what would happen if Christ was crucified? Yes, the princes of this world! The devil would have known what the plan was, so Christ would not have been crucified! God wouldn’t have been able to offer up His Son for our justification through our belief! That was the reason it was a mystery! That is why this gospel is completely different from the information in the time past. That is the reason!

[Eph 3:7-11 KJV] 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 9 And to make all [men] see what [is] the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly [places] might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, 11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

We are in the BUT NOW time in the Bible. There are 4 important points you need to remember as you go through this time in the Bible and the purposes of this dispensation.

The Body of Christ is God’s agency for the heavenly places.

Meaning that we aren’t part of the kingdom of God, but we are part of the Body of Christ. Israel is the Kingdom of God, not us.

The operation system today is Grace.

Salvation and blessing are provided to ALL people on an equal basis

There is no difference

God’s purpose is to exalt Jesus Christ as Head of the government in the heavenly places through the instrumentality of the Body of Christ.

There is a quote i am going to leave you with and then we will be done. This quote is from Miles Stanford and it is the essence of Bible believing Christianity. It says:

“God has one grand purpose, to glorify Himself in Christ. This plan involves glory in TWO spheres, the earthly and the heavenly.”

Next week we are going to talk more about our gospel. The Gospel of Grace from the apostle Paul. Have a great week and remember, Study to show thyself approved, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
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