Brethren Writer C.H. Mackintosh (and Other Dispensationalists), So Close and Yet So Far

Below are some quotes from 19th Century Plymouth Brethren writer C.H. Mackintosh. It's important to see how far the professing church has fallen from Paul, including the movement Mackintosh was integral in expanding.

From my experience, the doctrines espoused in most Plymouth Brethren and classic dispensationalist circles have fallen from where they used to be. It appears that classic Acts 2 dispensationalism has tumbled into confusion in recent years.

I fellowshipped among the Plymouth Brethren for a decade. I want my intentions to be clear here. I do not question their commitment to the Lord and their reliance on His word over all. It was in those ranks that I discovered the life-altering truths of a dispensational understanding of scripture. I give all honor due to men like John Nelson Darby (I have a daughter with Darby as a her middle name in his honor), William Kelly, F.W. Grant, and C.H. Mackintosh. Tremendous teachers and writers. I also would be remiss if I didn't note the significant impact of contemporary Brethren teachers like William MacDonald, William King, Steve Hulshizer, Randy Amos, Tom Taylor, John Phillips, and many many more.

And, although they (and other writers such as A.C. Gaebelein and Sir Robert Anderson) walked me to the threshold of the Mystery, they did not enter into full blessing (as far as I can glean from their works). While I dare not question their commitment to Christ or cast any shadow on their work an evangelists, I still despair that they did not enter the land. I am not the judge of another man's servant, but I am responsible, as an individual, to test all they teach. After reading Harry Ironsides' false accusations of what is commonly called "ultra-dispensationalism" I want to be careful to accurately reflect these men in their own words.

In our last study we saw how easily error or complacency or busying ourselves with unbiblical practices slips in when we do not understand the different callings and hope in scripture. When you don't enter in, some will begin to slip farther and farther away. Let's take a look at where classic dispensationalists once were.

We have looked at topics like the New Covenant in previous posts and have noted from scripture how it is yet future and centered on the people and nation of Israel. This truth is often at the root of the drift. However, it used to be understood among all dispensationalists, but you can hardly find that position held today (while there are, thankfully, a few exceptions).

[The Church’s] new proffered blessings in this dispensation do not consist in being permitted to share Israel's earthly covenant [i.e. the New Covenant], which even Israel is not now enjoying; but rather, through the riches of grace in Christ Jesus, they are privileged to be partakers of a heavenly citizenship and glory. Those who would intrude the Mosaic system of merit into the Church's heaven-high divine administration of super-abounding grace either have no conception of the character of that merit which the law required, or are lacking in the comprehension of the glories of divine grace (Systematic Theology IV:19).” 

-Lewis Sperry Chafer

I do not say we, Christians, have got the new covenant itself, but we have got the blood of the new covenant. We have that on which the new covenant is founded. The new covenant itself supposes the land of Israel blessed and the house of Israel delivered, but neither the one nor the other has become true yet. 

– William Kelly

[T]he ministry of Jesus is more excellent, because He is the Mediator of a better covenant, spoken of in Jeremiah 31, which is here quoted [Heb 8]; a clear and simple proof that the first covenant was not to continue. We again find here that particular development of the truth which was called for by the character of the persons to whom this letter was addressed [the Hebrews]. The first covenant was made with Israel; the second must be so likewise, according to the prophecy of Jeremiah… Although there is no difficulty here, it is important to have light with regard to these two covenants, because some have very vague ideas on this point, and many souls, putting themselves under covenants, that is, in relationship with God under conditions in which He has not placed them-lose their simplicity, and do not hold fast grace and the fullness of the work of Christ, and the position He has acquired for them in heaven. A covenant is a principle of relationship with God on the earth-conditions established by God under which man is to live with Him. The word may perhaps be used figuratively, or by accommodation. It is applied to details of the relationship of God with Israel, and so to Abraham (Gen.15), and like cases; but, strictly speaking, there are but two covenants, in which God has dealt with man on earth, or will-the old and the new. The old was established at Sinai. The new covenant is made also with the two houses of Israel. The gospel is not a covenant... 

- John Nelson Darby

While these men never embraced (as far as we have record) a full understanding of the Dispensation of the Mystery, they did understand the distinctive and particular nature of the New Covenant and its relation to Israel alone. Yet today, many so-called dispensational meetings (including many Plymouth Brethren gatherings) would shun these men if they taught this from their pulpits.

Of all these men connected with Classic Dispensationalism (or Acts 2 Dispensationalism), the two who seem to have come closest to the a full understanding are Sir Robert Anderson and C.H. Mackintosh. Anderson in his finest work, The Silence of God, he speaks of the "Pentecostal Age" which he states ended at the end of the Acts. Here is is a clear statement on the place of the Book of Acts.

Acts of the Apostles - a book which is primarily the record, not, as commonly supposed, of the founding of the Christian Church, but of the apostasy of the favored nation… And we have turned to the Acts of the Apostles to find how fallacious is the popular belief that the Jerusalem Church was Christian. In fact, it was thoroughly and altogether Jewish.   

- Sir Robert Anderson

 

Mackintosh never fully embraced (that I can tell) the full understanding of the Dispensation of the Mystery as revealed in Ephesians either, but he comes awfully close. His words, "we may expect that the truth of the Church’s heavenly character will only be apprehended and carried out by a very small and feeble minority," are certainly true. His description of the minority who embrace Paul's unique gospel as "deserted and despised" is also true. He laments, "it is to be feared, few really enter into it.

“Have we here [Acts 3] the development of the Church? No, the time had not yet arrived for this . . . . . The Church as seen in the opening of the Acts exhibits but a sample of lovely grace and order . . . . . but not anything beyond what man could take cognizance of and value. In a word it was still the Kingdom, and not the great mystery of the Church. Those who think that the opening chapters of Acts present the Church in its essential aspect, have by no means reached the divine thought on the subject.” 

-Miscellaneous Writings of C.H. Mackintosh, Vol. V

Peter gives us no instruction for the Body. Mackintosh recognized this late and was concerned that so little of Christendom sees the differences between the hope of the Kingdom in Israel (still the hope of the Acts Age) and the inheritance of the "one new man" of Ephesians. Pentecost, The Acts, was not the start of something, but the beginning of an end.

“Let us see what this ‘Mystery’ this ‘gospel’ . . . . . really was, and wherein its peculiarity consisted. To understand this is of the utmost importance, what therefore, was Paul’s gospel? Was it a different method of justifying a sinner from that preached by the other Apostles? No, by no means . . . . . the peculiarity of the gospel preached by Paul had not so much reference to God’s way of dealing with the sinner as with the saint; it was not so much how God justified a sinner as what He did with him when justified. Yes, it was the place into which Paul’s gospel conducted the saint that marked its peculiarity . . . . . Paul’s gospel went far beyond them all (i.e. other servants of God). It was not the Kingdom offered to Israel on the ground of repentance, as by John the Baptist and our Lord; nor was it the Kingdom opened to Jew and Gentile by Peter in Acts three and ten; but it was the heavenly calling of the Church of God composed of Jew and Gentile, in one Body, united to a glorified Christ by the presence of the Holy Ghost. 

“The Epistle to the Ephesians fully develops the mystery of the will of God concerning this. There we find ample instruction as to our heavenly standing, heavenly hopes and heavenly conflict . . . . . ‘He hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus’. It is not that He will do this, but ‘He hath’ done it. When Christ was raised from the dead, all the members of His Body were raised also; when He ascended into heaven, they ascended also; when He sat down, they sat down also; that is, in the counsel of God, and to be actualized in the process of time by the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven . . . . . Believers did not know this at the first; it was not unfolded by the ministry of the twelve, as seen in the Acts of the Apostles, because the testimony to Israel was still going on, and so long as earth was the manifested scene of divine operation, and so long as there was any ground of hope in connection with Israel, the heavenly mystery was held back; but when earth had been abandoned and Israel set aside, the Apostle of the Gentiles from his prison at Rome, writes to the Church and opens out all the glorious privileges connected with its place in the heavens with Christ.”  

(Ibid)

Mackintosh goes on to comment on the fact that so few believers have had “eyes to see” and ability to grasp such exalted and wonderful teaching. The blinding power of tradition and the pull earthwards of the senses all combine to prevent this: 

“We have seen how long it was ere man could take hold of it . . . . . and we have only to glance at the history of the Church for the last eighteen centuries to see how feebly it was held and how speedily it was let go. The heart naturally clings to earth and the thoughts of an earthly corporation is attractive to it. Hence we may expect that the truth of the Church’s heavenly character will only be apprehended and carried out by a very small and feeble minority . . . . . to understand all this requires a larger measure of spirituality than is to be found with many Christians.” “. . . . . Those who will maintain Paul’s gospel find themselves, like him, deserted and despised amid the pomp and glitter of the world. The clashing of ecclesiastical systems, the jarring of sects, and the din of religious controversy will surely drown the feeble voice of those who would speak of the heavenly calling and rapture of the Church . . . . . I am deeply conscious of how feebly and incoherently I have developed what I have in my mind concerning the doctrine of the Church, but I have no doubt of its real importance and feel assured that, as the time draws near, much light will be communicated to believers about it. At present, it is to be feared, few really enter into it.”
(Ibid) 

-Mackintosh as quoted in The Berean Expositor, 1970, Vol 45

And yet classic dispensationalists in our day find talk of the Dispensation of the Mystery as revealed by Paul after the end of the Acts Age to be foreign, even heretical to the faith. Unless we step into this blessing, we can know all about the promises, yet never experience them. 

By not fully embracing the Dispensation of the Mystery, Classic Dispensationalism has retreated back to practices and beliefs held by sacramentalist and Reformed (Replacement) churches. Even F.W. Grant (Chief Men Among the [Plymouth] Brethren) saw what would come with the diminishing of the plan of God for Israel.

 

“To take from Israel what is hers is only to diminish her and not enrich ourselves; nay, what has been called in this way the spiritualizing of the promises has led most surely and emphatically to the carnalizing, and the legalizing, of the Church.” 

-F.W. Grant

Sadly, many of his own Plymouth Brethren brothers and sisters have lost sight of Israel's New Covenant and have claimed it as their own. But that is to be expected. If you see the "Body" at Pentecost and in the Book of Acts, confusion will follow. That confusion, as Grant saw, but failed to recognize across all this theology, has led to churches embracing sacraments, Israel's ordinances, and the imposition of manmade laws on congregants. 

And you can hardly blame them. Without teachers who will "compare the things that differ," men will crave ritual and earthly ordinances. Without understanding that all our blessings in this age are "spiritual blessings," men will crave the carnal. 

 

The Bible Is a Story of Restoration and Man's Failure to Understand the Plan of God

The Bible is the account of the loss and restoration of the original creation, humans, Israel/Kingdom, and the heavens. It deals almost exclusively with the Earth, its chaos (Genesis) and its future restoration (the Revelation). The future hope (in the pages of scripture) for most is the Earth. Even the hope of the New Jerusalem is only realized when it comes down to Earth. All from Adam receive the gift of life the same way (by grace through faith), but not all have the same hope.

Christians today claim to be the children of Abraham and heirs of his promises. If you are in that company, your hope is the promised land, the restored kingdom, or (for those who qualify), the New Jerusalem. It is an earthly hope. Neither the hope of the land (the restoration of the Kingdom and David's throne as well as justice over all nations) nor the New Jerusalem have been realized yet.

"In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates..."

"By faith [Abraham] sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

"Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"
(The 11 Apostles, after the resurrection, with minds opened)

"[Ye Men of Israel] Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."
(Peter speaking to Israel after Pentecost)

"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'"

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations..."

"when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, you [the 12 Apostles] also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."

We must remember the Lord's earthly mission was primarily "to confirm the promises made to the [Jewish] fathers [patriarchs]" (Rom 15:8). That is, the restoration of the people, the land, and the Kingdom in Israel. Peter states this after Pentecost (as quoted above from Acts 3) and to the High Priest and Sanhedrin in Jerusalem in Acts 5.

"Him [Christ] hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."

Peter is still witnessing to the calling of the Lord Jesus after Pentecost. Paul witnesses to this in his Acts Age epistles as we see in the quote from Romans 15 above and in his declaration in Galatians concerning the believers of that age and their place as the children of Abraham.

Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.

-Galatians 3:7-9

It is not until we get to the Post Acts epistles and the revelation of the current age in the Book of Ephesians that we see a "heavenly" hope with "heavenly" blessings. This hope (as are all hopes) is entered into by faith. And unlike the hope referred to in Galatians, the hope of the Dispensation of the Mystery (for those who will enter in) is not seen before in scripture. This blessing in "the far above the heavens" is a new hope; a hope hidden in God from "before the overthrow of the world." 

Gentile blessing through Abraham and Israel has been the plan of God since Abraham. It is the basis for the Sinai Covenant and the New Covenant. We see believing gentiles in the Law, and believers from from Naaman of Syria, to Nineveh in the Book of Jonah, to the Centurion and Canaanite woman in the Gospel of Matthew. Gentile salvation is certainly not the New Covenant. That covenant is specifically for Israel alone. Neither is grace a covenant.   

To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the dispensation of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places... 

-Ephesians 3:8-10

 

I became a minister according to the dispensation from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.

-Col 1:25-26

This step in the restoration was hidden and must be distinguished from the revealed plan for the restoration of the Earth. This period in nearly at an end. Soon, we will be back on the prophetic clock and the events spoken of in the Revelation and in the Prophets will come to pass. Scripture speaks of those things revealed "from the overthrow of the world [age]" and the Dispensation of the Mystery which is from "before the overthrown of the world [age]." 

There is a great plan for the Earth. But we are called to higher calling, if we will enter into it.

Oscar M. Baker stated in regard to God's plan for the Earth and those destined for that calling:

"It's surprising how few believers today (and we have a lot of people today who really are believers, they know the Lord, there's no question about that) who don't have anywhere in their teaching God's purpose for the Earth. Nearly all of them think that being saved means surely going to heaven. Isn't that right? In fact, that's a synonym for being saved, ('are you going to heaven?') ... The majority of people today think about people going to heaven. Now, what heaven is and where it is and so on, they don't know, of course. And so that which spans the future ages upon the earth is entirely beyond their comprehension ... These people have failed to see two lines of purpose; one for the Earth and one for the heavens, or heavenly places. So, the average Christian you meet on the street thinks, he's saved, so he's going to heaven. And if he doesn't know about the Mystery, he isn't. He'll be among the saved peoples of the Earth." 

-Oscar M Baker (Excerpt from Audio: Steps to a Goal, Part 2)

Stepping back, we point out that which should be obvious: the current age started neither with the birth of the Lord nor on the Day of Pentecost.  A failure to see or understand or acknowledge this truth leads to other errors. We see Christians adopting practices given only to Israel such as the Passover meal (Lord's Supper), Baptism, Pentecost, Sabbath-Keeping, and the like. 

The keeping of earthly ordinances puffs up the old nature (the flesh). Men seem to crave these outward displays. And in doing so, they ignore the great truths and spiritual blessings of the Dispensation of the Mystery which sits before them. Catering to the flesh (the carnal old nature), men forfeit future blessings.

 

Let no-one defraud you of your prize, while he exercises his will in humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding onto the head, from where the whole body, supplied and united by joints and bands, grows with growth from God.

Colossians 2:18-19

I've fellowshipped in two different local churches over the last 15 years which both enthusiastically adopted the unbiblical practice of "Advent Candles" before "Christmas." Now, I am not saying God is seething with anger with them or that they have committed an unpardonable sin. Rather my point is that it shows a dissatisfaction with Christ and scripture; a need to have a tangible (man-made) ordinance. 

Mythology has become wrapped up in the daily walk of many. We see this clearly in the sacramentalist churches, but we also see it down to the most "fundamental" and "evangelical" churches. Dissatisfaction with a heavenly hope (a true understanding rather than from Greek mythology) leads men to outward displays of religion and piety. And as Paul concludes in Colossians 2:

If you have died with Christ to the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are you imposed upon with ordinances? – “Do not touch, and do not taste, and do not handle”, which are all destined for decay with falling into disuse, these being after the commandments and teachings of men, which indeed have a reputation for wisdom in self-willed worship and humility and austerity of the body, but not of any value for satisfying the flesh.

Note that the outward ordinances have a "reputation for wisdom." Society worships those who display outward piety. Mother Teresa is revered in many Christian circles, yet this woman denied the finished work of the Savior. On at least one occasion she refused to send her Sisters of Charity to an impoverished area because there was no priest. Without a priest, she deemed their work useless.

In her hospitals, patients were sometimes denied pain-relieving medicine. In the throes of agony these poor creatures were encouraged to "offer up" their suffering for their sins. Those of us who grew up in Catholicism are familiar with this. Step on a nail? Offer up your pain for your sins. It felt holy, but it was a direct insult to finished work of the Savior.

All of these practices, no matter how pious or religious they may appear, display a dissatisfaction with Christ, a failure to keep him as the Head of the Body, and a rejection of the heavenly calling (some rejecting the very work of the Savior).

The Lord plans on restoring that which was lost or destroyed by the various rebellions of the Sons of God in the heavens and that of men on the Earth.  Central to these plans is the precious blood of the Great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Failure to rightly divide the different hopes in scripture and the failure to compare things that differ in scripture leaves men confused. And in that confusion, they grasp for the simplicity of outward displays of religion.

May it not be so of us.

God is surely patient and loving. He wants to gently brings us back to a place of rest in Him. But if we continue in our rebellion, it will result in a loss of reward at the judgment of our service for Him.

Most of the Bible Is About God's Plans for Earth

The Bible is the account of the loss and restoration of the original creation, humans, Israel/Kingdom, and the heavens. It deals almost exclusively with the Earth, its chaos (Genesis) and its future restoration (the Revelation). The future hope (in the pages of scripture) for most is the Earth. Even the hope of the New Jerusalem is only realized when it comes down to Earth. All from Adam receive the gift of life the same way (by grace through faith), but not all have the same hope.

Christians today claim to be the children of Abraham and heirs of his promises. If you are in that company, your hope is the promised land, the restored kingdom, or (for those who qualify), the New Jerusalem. It is an earthly hope. Neither the hope of the land (the restoration of the Kingdom and David's throne as well as justice over all nations) nor the New Jerusalem have been realized yet.

"In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates..."

"By faith [Abraham] sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God."

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven say, “Behold, God's home is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and he will be God with them. And he will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor wailing, nor will there be any toil any more, for the former things will have passed away.” And he who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I am making everything afresh.” And he said to me, “Write it down, for these words are true and faithful.”

"Lord, will you at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"
(The 11 Apostles, after the resurrection, with minds opened)

"[Ye Men of Israel] Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."
(Peter speaking to Israel after Pentecost)

"And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.'"

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations..."

"when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, you [the 12 Apostles] also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."

We also note that what is currently understood to be and called the "church" today is not the "Bride of Christ." That phrase is foreign to scripture and, as we see above, the title of Bride belongs to an earthly people who have achieved the New Jerusalem.

"It's surprising how few believers today (and we have a lot of people today who really are believers, they know the Lord, there's no question about that) who don't have anywhere in their teaching God's purpose for the Earth. Nearly all of them think that being saved means surely going to heaven. Isn't that right? In fact, that's a synonym for being saved, ('are you going to heaven?') ... The majority of people today think about people going to heaven. Now, what heaven is and where it is and so on, they don't know, of course. And so that which spans the future ages upon the earth is entirely beyond their comprehension ... These people have failed to see two lines of purpose; one for the Earth and one for the heavens, or heavenly places. So, the average Christian you meet on the street thinks, he's saved, so he's going to heaven. And if he doesn't know about the Mystery, he isn't. He'll be among the saved peoples of the Earth."
-Oscar M Baker (Excerpt from Audio: Steps to a Goal, Part 2)

The doctrine of the "rapture" must also be looked at here. The Lord will return as he left, in the clouds. And when he returns it will be as promised, to set up the Kingdom in Israel and fulfill the promises made to her. The Lord was sent to none but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel. His ministry was to confirm the promises made to the fathers. These are the fathers of Israel. The Patriarchs. 

But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of 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: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

We noted in the verses from Matthew quoted above that the Lord's return will be in the clouds. He also notes this fact to the leadership in Israel in Mark.

Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

His return in the clouds is part of the prophetic word in Daniel.

I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

This is accompanied by the trump of God. This is part of the resurrection of those who sleep (the dead). This is when and where we see the start of resurrection. 

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

We see in this passage from 1 Cor 15 some who are alive and remain at His coming and those who "sleep" (the dead) who will be raised. There is no thought here of bodiless souls returning to meet the living in the clouds. We have covered the topic of immortality elsewhere, but we note here that only in resurrection can one be "immortal."

Scripture teaches the dead "know nothing," the dead "praise not." The dead are not yet immortal. Believers in death are as though they sleep. When we see this plan in scripture for the return of the Savior and the final conquering of death, we can see the "rapture" passage in 1 Thess 4 in light of the full counsel of God.

For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

 

Paul writes a second letter to the these believers. Remember, both 1 Cor and 1 Thess are written to believers in the Acts Age. They are looking for the soon return ("at hand") of the Lord. These conditions will again be active when that age resumes at the end of the the current age.

In Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians, he continues to encourage them and continues to point to the soon return of the Savior. And the context of all the teaching concerning the earthly kingdom is obedience. The free gift of resurrection life is by grace alone, but placement in the Kingdom (or the New Jerusalem) is by works.

This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be made worthy of the kingdom of God... when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance upon those who do not know God and upon those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They shall suffer the punishment of eternal destruction and exclusion from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at in all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his call, and may fulfil every good resolve and work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our minds should take us right back to the Lord's words in the gospel accounts in regard to his coming in the clouds with the angels. And the picture of the judgment of fire. This is common to the parables of Matthew. 2 Thessalonians is referring to the same coming found in 1 Thessalonians.

Chapter 2 of 2 Thessalonians is a warning to the Acts Age believers of the coming Man of Sin (Lawlessness), the Antichrist. This is a relevant warning to them. It is not just information. And it, again, is given as part of the hope of his return to the Earth. It speaks of the expectation of the Day of the Lord upon believers. 

Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our assembling to meet him, we beg you, brethren, not to be quickly shaken in mind or excited, either by spirit or by word, or by letter purporting to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship...

Note verse of 1 of 2 Thess in Young's Literal Translation:

And we ask you, brethren, in regard to the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of our gathering together unto him

The Greek word translated "presence" is the word "parousía." This word speaks of the presence of the King to establish his kingdom, judge, etc. This word is never used of the Lord in Paul's seven Post Acts epistles. There (for the current age) we are told we are to look for the "epipháneia" of the Lord. We are to love his "epipháneia." This is the appearing of the Lord, not his coming as King to the Earth.

We can never understand these differences unless we "rightly divide the Word of Truth." We see the whole plan of God. His plan for the Earth. This plan involves Israel, the New Jerusalem, the wedding feast, and the guests at the wedding. All this leading to the restoration of the Tree of Life (as seen in the Revelation).

The insertion of the doctrine of the "rapture" and the deification and infallibility applies to the book "The Late Great Planet Earth" are blinding many Christians to the spiritual blessings and glorious hope in high above the heavens in the true holy of holies for those who understand this age and embrace the Mystery revealed by Paul in the Book of Ephesians.  

We've bitten off more than we can chew here. I encourage to look back on related studies for more.

• 2 Thessalonians Clarifies 1 Thessalonians
• A Quick Look at the Rapture Verse - Part 1
• A Quick Look at the Rapture Verse - Part 2
• The Place of the Book of Acts
• Paul's Post Acts Ministry
• The Importance of Making Distinctions
• The Immediate Return of the Lord in the Acts Age
• Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
• Are You Immortal?
• The Hope of the Present Age -Part 1
• The Hope of the Present Age -Part 2
• The Bride, The Lamb's Wife
• Our Life, Our Hope, In the Present Age

Same Words, Different Meanings Based on Context

We've noted in several studies how the same word is used, but clearly there are different connotations. We see this in Greek as well as in English. Let's just take the word and idea of being justified. When scripture states that the Lord was "justified in the Spirit" (1 Tim 3:16), that is quite different than the statement "that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law" (Rom 3:28), "justified by His blood" (Rom 5:9), etc. 

Just as often, we hear words given ecclesiastical (churchy) meanings which have nothing to do with their uses in scripture. 

We've see one or other of these issues with certain words. Here are just a few concepts that Christendom has distorted to one degree or another (with links to direct or tangential posts):

• Kingdom
• Salvation
• Hell
• Resurrection
• Condemnation
• Baptism
• Old/New Testament
• Lord's Day
• Immortality
• Sanctified
• Gospel
• Death
• Church
• Assembly
• Soul
• The Body
• The Bride
• Forever
• Mystery

In this post, we'll quickly look at the word "saved."

Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. [Greek: sṓzō]
-Rom 5:9

"But he who endures to the end shall be saved." [Greek: sṓzō]
-Matthew 24:13

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved" [Greek: sṓzō]
-Matthew 24:22

“He saved others; Himself He cannot save." [Greek: sṓzō]
-Matthew 27:42

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. [Greek: sṓzō]
-Mark 16:16 

Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” [Greek: sṓzō]
-Matthew 8:25

But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” [Greek: sṓzō]
-Matthew 14:30

"Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." [Greek: diasṓzō]
-Matthew 16:25

And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. [Greek: sṓzō]
-James 5:15

Etc.

We see in these verses, that word "save" must be interpreted in its context. Let is look at one more example, this time from the lips of the father of John the Baptist.

Now [John's] father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:
 “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world [ages] began,
 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
And to remember His holy covenant
-Luke 1:67-72

We see here the backdrop for the earthly ministry of the Lord. We recognize from a previous post the key phrase "since the world [ages] began." We juxtapose this against the called-out Body of the current age (the dispensation of the Mystery) who are said to have been hidden from "before the [overthrow/foundation] of the world [ages]" (Eph 1:4). 

God's redeemed people, Israel, have an earthly calling and an earthly hope. They look for the Son of David to take the throne in the promised restored Kingdom in the land. They look to be "saved" from gentile oppression, from sickness, from the anti-Christ, from the Tribulation, etc.

Take a look at Matthew 16:25 above. The word translated "life" there is not the Greek word "zoe," but rather the word "psychḗ." This is what we know as "soul." Remember, you do not "have" a soul, you "are" a soul. 

So, let's change "life" to "soul."

"Whoever wishes to save his soul will lose it. But whoever loses his soul for my sake will find it."

In ecclesiastical language (the language used by visible Christendom), it does not register that the Lord is calling on his disciples to "lose" their souls. We say we are about the business of "saving" souls. Again, we must look at contexts. We must discard the ruinous saved/lost dichotomy.

See how Peter uses the words "saved" and "souls" in regard to Noah:

the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls [psychḗ], were saved [diasṓzō] through water... -1 Peter 3:20

diasṓzō is combination of "dia" (by or through) and "sṓzō." That is, "saved through." We would not look at this verse and argue: "Noah and his family were saved from eternal death because of water." But the way "saved" and "soul" in the modern age almost forces us to draw that conclusion. And while we know immediately that is a foolish assumption, we fail to apply the same careful analysis to other verses using either "saved" or "soul."

Let us turn to one of James' uses of "save."

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save [sṓzō] a soul [psychḗ] from death and cover a multitude of sins. 

-James 5:19-20 

 

The context here is "brethren" who are "among you." Are these "souls" that lost the free gift of resurrection life because they sinned? Of course not. How does one then "save a soul from death?" To answer, we will look at a similar warning to a similar people in the Acts age.

For he who eats and drinks [the Lord's Supper] in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep [die]. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged.

-1 Cor 11:29-31

 

We see some here who not only risk sickness, but death, if they fail to take the Lord's Supper in a worthy manner. First question, is this true today? If so, why would any gathering take the Lord's Supper much at all? I know some locales take it every week (e.g. Plymouth Brethren) and some quarterly (e.g. the artist formerly known as The Southern Baptist Church). 

But to our point, in that age, you could "save a soul" through self-judgment and/or correction of behavior. Is that what we mean when a "soul" is saved from the penalty of sin either then or now?

Let's circle back to the beginning. We must get past the "saved/lost" mentality. We must understand what "soul" constitutes. We have to understand that just because a word is used in scripture, it does not mean we are bound to interpret it the same way in every case, in every age, for every group.

I leave you with the word "ekklēsía" [translated as "church" often in the KJV].

To the church [ekklēsía] of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

-1 Cor 1:2-3 

This is he who was in the congregation [ekklēsía] in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us...

-Acts 7:38

Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” So the whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater with one accord, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul’s travel companions. And when Paul wanted to go in to the people, the disciples would not allow him. Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly [ekklēsía] was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

-Acts 19:28-32

The translators tried to be slick. I guess they just didn't know what to do with the word "church" when it was applied to Israel or to an angry mob. 

Two quick final points. 

First, we must note that there are "churches" in the "church" during the Acts age (and in the age to come as seen in the Revelation), yet only a single "church" in the current age. The plural is used in 6 of Paul's Acts Age epistles as well as in the Book of Acts and in the Revelation. 

There was a body of believers in the Acts age, and that body had its own head. As described in 1 Cor 12, in that body, some members functioned as "eyes," others as ears and noses. Yet in the One New Man body of Ephesians (Greek: sussomos, only use by Paul), we see that Christ is the Head of the "church." This reflected in the Post Acts epistles of Colossians as well.

And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the [dispensation] from God which was given to me for you, to [complete] the word of God. 

-Colossians 1:18, 24-25 

 

One enters this Body by understanding the current age. This is not the focus of this post, but I do want us to see this. Paul has a warning in Colossians 1 regarding the "gospel" of this age (there are multiple gospels in scripture) which was entrusted to Paul alone: "if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister."

Again, Paul does not threaten the loss of a free gift of resurrection life, but rather the loss of spiritual blessings in the far above the heavens. Paul is pleading for Christians to enter into this body of blessing by faith. We've covered that elsewhere, so we'll move on to our final point.

Our second point in regard to what we construe as the church takes us back to James. Let's look again at how the KJV translators chose to handle the word ekklēsía in Acts 19.

Then some of the officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent to him pleading that he would not venture into the theater. Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly [ekklēsía] was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

-Acts 19:32

They chose the word "assembly" for the mob. Where else did they choose to use "assembly?"

My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly...

-James 2:1-2a

We're back in James, the epistle written to "the twelve tribes scattered abroad" (1:1). Is it ekklēsía we have in James 2 as we had in Acts 19?  No, it is not. we have a very familiar word, synagōgḗ, that is, "synagogue," a place of gathering for Jews. This word is used 57 times in the Greek New Testament and is translated "synagogue" 55 times. Only in Acts 13 ("congregation" in context of Jews there) and here in James 2. We must ask why the KJV translators (or anyone else) would choose to depart from the obvious? It cannot be context as we've noted the context is "the twelve tribes" of Israel. That is, Jews.

We must be careful with our words. The KJV translators cast some confusion over the setting of James by choosing to discard "synagogue" for the safer "assembly," and by doing so, they muddy the interpretive water. 

We must let scripture speak for itself. When we impose the saved/lost or Israel/church or old testament/new testament dichotomies on our theology instead of letting our theology be informed by scripture, we fall into tradition and error. 

When we read a word, we must Rightly Divide (2 Tim 2:15) that word, we must compare the things that differ (Phil 1:10). We must note the age it is given and the audience to which it has been addressed. We must understand the context.

 

Rightly Dividing Eternal Life in Matthew and John

We've previously touched on the place of "eternal" life in a POST from last October. There we looked at the English words "eternal" and "forever" (etc.) and how they obscure the original languages. Today, I'd like to come at it from a more hands-on angle and concentrate on its use in Matthew versus its use in John.

We've previously noted that God's plan (His purpose for the ages) permeate both scripture's prophetic words and scripture's doctrinal words. It should be clear from even a cursory reading of scripture that God dealt with men (and angels) differently in different ages and that God has plans for this age and the ages (plural) to come.

Biblical ages are not tied to time as much as they are connected to conditions. 

Scripture speaks of

• the age
• the ages
• the age of the age
• the age of the ages

We see a similar pattern with the word "Day." Scripture speaks of "the day of Man," "the day of the Lord" ("the Lord's day), "the day of God," the day of Christ." These are also tied to conditions rather than to time.

The distinctions among the different application of "age" and "ages" are lost in the English use of "eternal" and "forever and ever," etc. We noted in the previous study how Young's Literal Translation sheds light on the word (we give the NKJV for a comparative). 

The Lord shall reign forever and ever! - Ex 15:18 [NKJV] 

Jehovah reigneth -- to the age, and for ever!' - Ex 15:18 [YLT]

We noted in our previous study how confusing the English translations can be.

In the Greek, we see the words "aionios" and "aion" translated as "forever and ever." But when they used separately, "aion" is given a variety of translations: “world”, “course”, “age”, “eternal” as well as being part of "since the world began." It is a word well-connected to earth and time as well as to the ethereal idea of "eternal.".

When the translators couldn't use "forever" or "eternal" they resorted to other words. We are always aware that context plays a part in our understanding of a word and its use, but we lose quite a bit when "since the world began" is seen as "since the age began," our understanding becomes clearer. 

But let us leave that there and focus in on "eternal/everlasting" life in Matthew and John.

And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have [aionios] eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 

-Matt 19:16-17

That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal [aionios] life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting [aionios] life.

-John 3:15-16

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting [aionios] life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

-John 5:24

We first note that all four words translated "eternal" or "everlasting" come from the same Greek word, "aionios." We pull back the lens and make the comparison. The Lord states in John that "aionios life" ("life age-during" [YLT]), is a gift by grace which is secured by faith. Period. Yet in Matthew, the "age-life" there is the result of keeping the commandments. We know that keeping the commandments (works) was never the path to the free gift of resurrection life. That idea is dismissed as impossible in the book of Romans and elsewhere.  

We should also see that "keeping the commandments" would have been impossible to men like Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. As the Ten Commandments were not given until the time of Moses. In fact, Israel was redeemed out of bondage to Egypt (a type of the world system) before Moses was give the Ten Commandments. The commandments given to Israel in Exodus 20 are specific to that nation, for a specific purpose: that she would be a kingdom of priests for the nations (Ex 19:5-7).

We turn back to Matthew to see that the "commandments" in Matthew 19:17 are a reference to a part of the Ten Commandments.

‘Which ones?’ he asked. ‘These ones,’ Jesus answered: ‘ “don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t tell lies under oath, respect your father and mother”, and “love your neighbour as yourself”.’

-Matthew 19:18-19

Now to those who try to use the words of the Lord here to teach salvation (resurrection life) by works or salvation by the Law or salvation by the Ten Commandments, they must follow through the entire passage.

‘If you want to complete the set,’ Jesus replied, ‘go and sell everything you own and give it to the poor. That way you’ll have treasure in heaven! Then come and follow me.’ When the young man heard him say that, he went away very sad. He had many possessions.

-Matthew 19:20-22

There are thus two things to contend with for the seller of works salvation. He must not only square that doctrine with the scriptures we have noted already, but he must define what the "treasure in heaven" is. Even in Evangelical circles the "reward" is equated with resurrection life in heaven somehow. This is another result of the dangerous heaven/hell and saved/lost approach to all scripture.

So how do we combine Matthew and John? The simple answer is that we do not.

Matthew concerns himself only with Israel. The Lord forbade the message of the Kingdom to be preached to anyone apart from to Jews (Matthew 10). He states that he was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of the House of Israel (Matthew 15). We know that the New Covenant and the Feasts are given ONLY to Israel (Jer 31; Heb 8; etc.). 

John's gospel (written in a the Post Acts age) was for the whole world. The free gift of resurrection life (life from the curse of death) is now, and has been since Adam, by grace alone through faith alone. John does not concern himself with the "Last Supper," nor does he speak of the "new covenant/testament." These are earthly and not related to his ministry to the world. 

When we recognize the words "age" and "ages" and "age-enduring" and "age of the age" and "ages of the ages," the Lord's focus becomes clearer. The Lord was sent to Israel to proclaim the promised kingdom. All the promises to the fathers from Abraham to David (Rom 15:8) will be fulfilled, on earth, in the land of Israel. There will be a "kingdom" age, a "millennial" age. 

There are ages past. There are multiple ages future. The Post Acts epistle of Ephesians speaks of "every family" of God (3:15). Just as there are many ages, there are many families of God. These are words which encompass many things, but clearly show us delineations. 

Among the redeemed there are different hopes. Some will inherit the earth. Some will be in the New Jerusalem which comes down from heaven to Earth. Some will have a "better resurrection" than others. Some have their hope in the far above the heavens. 

Matthew is speaking to those with the earthly hope of a place in the Kingdom. Even among his disciples, there is a question as to whom will sit at his left hand and his right hand in that earthly kingdom. We know the 12 are promised to sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. This is Matthew focus.

We read of "sons of the kingdom" and "his servants" who will be "cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth." Is this the loss of a free gift? Of course not. One cannot lose a free gift. The Lord warns the heirs of the earthly kingdom that their place in that Kingdom is based on obedience to his commands (see The Parable of Talents). Scripture speaks of Israel as his "servant" and individual Israelites as his "servants."

So, the "life of the age" the Jews sought in Matthew is life in the Kingdom age to come. The "age-enduring life" to which John refers is spiritual life in resurrection. There is also a judgment for our works, but the hopes and rewards and crowns are different. Whereas Israelites are looking for a place in that earthly kingdom age, and a place in the "New Jerusalem," we long for a special resurrection "out from among the dead," along with a Prize and other rewards and crowns for our faithfulness in this age.

But our obedience starts with this command in Paul's final epistle:  

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

-2 Tim 2:15-16

If we don't want to be ashamed before him, we must "mark the things that differ" (Phil 1:10) and draw straight lines in scripture. One of the things which "differs" about which we must draw a line between is the use of "eternal life" in regard to Israel's Kingdom and the promise of resurrection life.

Paul's Post-Acts Ministry

I our last study, we noted Paul's declaration at his trial late in the Book of Acts. There, he still refers to the hope of the "twelve tribes." In the last chapter of the book, he refers to the hope of "Israel."

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 

-Acts 26:6 

For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 

-Acts 28:20

 At Paul's trial in Acts 26 he gives the third account of his conversion story. In his second and third telling, he adds details. In Acts 26, his final witness to his conversion, he adds this detail:

[Jesus said]... rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

We note that both Peter and Paul refer to truths revealed "since" or "from" the beginning of the ages. Paul heavily relies on the witness of scripture. We noted last time that the blessing of Gentiles through Abraham and Israel was not fully understood, but clearly revealed by Moses and the Prophets. Paul testified that he spoke nothing that was not revealed by Moses and the Prophets as late as Acts 26:22-23.

Therefore, having obtained help from God, to this day I stand, witnessing both to small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come—  that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.”

Note that he again reminds us that the proclamation of light would go to the Gentile (knowing that the message must first be preached to Jews). Paul had also stated that he "kept back nothing" from believers (Acts 20:20) and that he proclaimed "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27).

The Acts come to an end. Paul's Acts-Age epistles are replete with references to Abraham, David, Moses, the Prophets, and Israel, etc. When we look at his Post-Acts epistles, we see a dearth of these references. Here are just the words Jew, Israel, Israelite.

	Before Acts 28	After Acts 28
Jew	25	1
Israel	14	2
Israelite	3	0

We recognize that is circumstantial. We present as just one thing to consider.

After the Acts Age ends, Paul turns fully to the Gentiles and reveals his new ministry in the Book of Ephesians. Israel is placed aside (for the moment) and the preeminence of the Jew.

The Book of Romans, late in the Acts Age, speaks clearly of a current Israel in its pages. The Gentile believer of that age was "grafted in" to Israel and could be "cut off" (Romans 11). That is, grafted in to the coming earthly blessings to Israel expected during that age. However, the Jew was still first in the plan of God. Paul always went to Jews first ("as his manner was") in any place where Jews lived among Gentiles.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 

-Romans 1:16

The Jew, because of his calling and special case, was also subject to the harsher judgment. This is true in any age. Those with greater light and privilege receive the harshest judgment. The Jew had "the oracles of God" and the Law.

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 

-Romans 2:4-8

What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. 

-Romans 3:1-2

In Ephesians, the middle wall of partition between Jew and Greek is set aside and Paul reveals the "one new man" (GK: sussomos) of the Dispensation of the Mystery. And this gospel differed from the Acts Age gospel as it was only revealed to Paul and could not be found in the witness of the Prophets.

The first 3 chapters of Ephesians and the first 2 chapters of Colossians should be read in full. We only point out a few verses here.

This current age differs from the previous. We noted the almost complete absence of references to the Prophets and to Israel. We also noted the unique revelation to Paul alone (Eph 3). But we also have introduced the idea of blessings, not on earth, not in the land, not in a kingdom, not in the New Jerusalem which comes down, but in "heavenly places" ("far above the heavens," "super-heavenly places"). 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 

-Eph 1:3-6

Paul notes in Ephesians that he is a prisoner "for you Gentiles" and no longer "for the hope of Israel."

Ephesians 3 has to be carefully read lest it seem like Paul is contradicting himself, To Paul was given the ministry of taking the grace of God to the Gentiles. The emphasis on the Gentiles is also referenced in the prison epistle of 2 Timothy 4:16-17. So let me present a more clear rendering of Ephesians 3:2-11 from Charles Welch.

‘If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: how that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery;

(as I wrote afore in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and prophets), 

that the Gentiles, in spirit, should be fellow-heirs (fellow-members) of the same body, and fellow-partakers of His promise in Christ, by the gospel 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. Unto me, the less than the least of all saints, has this grace been given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the untraceable riches of Christ, and to enlighten all as to what is the dispensation of the mystery which has been hidden away from (or since) the ages by God, Who did all things create, in order that now, unto the principalities and powers in the heavenlies might be made known, by the church, the exceeding complex wisdom of God, according to the purpose of the ages which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord’

Here are riches that are
Unsearchable
Here is a dispensation of the
Mystery (Secret)
This mystery was effectually
Hidden
The wisdom unfolded is
Very complex
The whole was discovered by
Revelation
Paul was commissioned to
Enlighten all

(Welch)

The secret character of this dispensation, and Paul’s special trust regarding it, is seen in Colossians 1:24-28.

I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking [left behind] in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship [dispensation] from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill [complete] the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

We now have one Body. We have one church, the church which is His Body. This is not the Bride. This body has Christ as its head. The Bride has her own head. The Bride is Israel. We've covered this previously in several posts.


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There are many implications to understanding the Dispensation of the Mystery, and I encourage the curious or convicted to search this blog for entries which may enlighten you on some of these implications. I also link you to a very informal discussion of the Mystery:

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/27433533

Listen to "Episode 10 - The Dispensation of the Mystery (Michael Muddies the Water)" on Spreaker.


And here is a short discussion of the place of the Book of Acts:

https://www.spreaker.com/episode/37110549

Listen to "Episode 25 - The Place of the Book of Acts, Baptism, Lord's Supper, and Hawkeye Goes Nuts" on Spreaker.

The Place of the Book of Acts

Luke's gospel account was obviously written post-resurrection of the Lord. That would place its creation in the Acts Age. We first see Luke including himself on Paul's journeys as late as Acts 16. In his gospel account, Luke tells us he is transcribing the witness of others. We have to put all these thoughts together to find the first piece of the Acts puzzle.

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

Luke 1:1-4

We see that the "things instructed" to Theophilus were still active in the Acts Age. This ties these two time periods together. In previous studies we have proposed that there is a greater time period starting with the call of Abraham, through the Kingdom of Israel, through the time of Messiah, all the way through the Acts Age. There are variances in this large bloc of time (the addition of the law in Exodus, the Establishment of the House of David, etc.), but this period has as its overreaching goal, "the hope of Israel" as given to the fathers. This involves a land and a kingdom on earth.

This represents a Hebrew/Jewish age which will one day culminate in the Tribulation, the return of the Messiah King, and the re-establishment of the kingdom in Israel. All of this would have come to pass had Israel repented (as we will see below).

Let's look at that last hope in light of Luke's account in Acts 1. First we'll note the connection to his gospel account.

The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. 

-Acts 1:1-3

Luke tells us at the end of his first account, Luke chapter 24, that "He [the Lord] opened their [the twelve's] understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures." At the start of the Acts, Luke adds that the Lord spent 40 days "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." 

As we have noted in other studies, after having their understanding opened that they might understand the scriptures (Luke 24) and then teaching them for forty days about the kingdom (Acts 1) with that supernatural understanding, they had but one question.

“Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”

How often have we (dare I use the word?) blaspheme the enlightened and chosen vessels and Apostles of God by suggesting they misunderstood what the risen Christ had been teaching them for forty days. These men, each of whom is promised to sit on one of the twelve thrones judging one of the twelve tribes of Israel in that future kingdom.

What we are seeing at the start of the Acts is the promise of a land and a kingdom made to the Hebrews fathers. Promises about which the Lord came to confirm. Paul states this in the fifteenth chapter of Romans, a book written late in the Acts Age which is replete with references to the Law and the Prophets.

Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers.

-Romans 15:8 

Note that the Lord's earthly ministry was to "the circumcision" (Jews) for the expressed purpose of confirming the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Israel). The Lord confirmed this in Matthew 15 when he tells the Canaanite (Gentile) woman that he was "sent to none but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel" as the Son of David (their king). We've covered that encounter in other studies. For our purposes here, we note it as a parallel to Romans 15. Again, we see the Lord's earthly ministry crossing the boundary of Acts 2 all the way to the Book of Romans.

Romans teaches us why the Gentiles were grafted into Israel (not into "the church" as we know it). Gentiles were brought in, apart from the Law, for the purpose of making Israel jealous (Rom 19:19; 11:11). The grafting in is NOT salvation as these same Gentiles are told they could be "cut off" from the root as easily as they were grafted in. And the blessings of Gentiles, as noted in the two verses referenced from Romans 10 and 11, was prophesied. It was known.

Let's stay in the Book of Acts itself and see Paul's testimony late in that book in regard to the promises to Israel and the patriarchs.

And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. 

-Acts 26:6 

For this reason therefore I have called for you, to see you and speak with you, because for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 

-Acts 28:20

Now that we have seen that the calling of the Acts Age was a witness to the promises made to the Hebrew Patriarchs and the hope of the restoration of the kingdom in Israel, we turn back to the Lord's response in Acts 1 to the question about the reestablishment of that kingdom.

And [the Lord] said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

-Acts 1:7-8

The twelve will be witnessing to Jew in the land and in the dispersion. Note Peter's and James' epistles. Peter addresses his to the dispersion (1 Pet 1:1) and James to the twelve tribes scattered abroad (James 1:1).

This is the witness of the Book of Acts. Peter's words in Acts 3 will now make more sense to us. It is a long passage. For our sake here, I will edit down to the salient points so we can see the continuing Jewish nature of the Acts Age and the connection all the way back to Abraham in Genesis 12.

So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this?... The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go... “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

There is is so much here. Ask yourself, can I can come preach this at your local church? This is Peter, post-Pentecost, referring his brethren, the men of Israel, back to their prophets and their promises and their patriarchs. They had a covenant and no one else. They had promises given to no one else. This is not simply the gospel of resurrection life, it is the promise of a restoration and times of refreshing.

Can I promise your congregation that if they repent God will send Jesus Christ and that times of refreshing will come and the restoration of all things? No! This is specific to Israel. And what do we make of the warning that those who reject Christ will be destroyed from among the people? What people? This is all Israel-centric. This message is a continuation of the "Gospel of the Kingdom" the Lord preached to Israel alone.

Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 

-Matthew 4:23



Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 

-Matthew 9:35



These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 

-Matthew 10:5-8

This "gospel" had nothing to do with the death of the Lord. That was not known until the Lord explained it to his disciples in Matthew 16 (and they rejected the idea). The suffering servant was in scripture, but not understood. And it was not proclaimed here or at any time in the gospel accounts. It was privately explained to the disciples who were told to tell no one. Is that for today?

What we see in Matthew is the proclamation that the King was here to fulfill the promises made to the fathers as Paul confirmed in Romans 15:8. We also note that the parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13 must be understood in this light. We cannot have the sowing of the gospel of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ before it was understood.

We recall the Gentile woman in Matthew 15 again here. The Lord clearly states that, as King, as the Son of David, he was sent to NONE but to the lost sheep of the House of ISRAEL. These are his words, not mine.

Note all the miraculous deeds which accompany the pronouncement of the Kingdom. We refer you to the acts that will follow all believers in Mark 16. Do these acts follow you? Can I come and preach this at your local church? Is this how you understand "baptism?" Is your commission?

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
-Mark 16:15-18

Mark 16 sounds like the Book of Acts wherein we see all these things (but not after).

The Acts Age is post-crucifixion, so Peter in Acts 3 brings that in to show the guilt of his audience (Israel) and God's willingness to cleanse the nation. Peter refers to the "covenant God made with our fathers." The New Covenant was not yet active (Hebrews 8:13), it is conditional upon the repentance of Israel as a nation. God made no covenant with my "fathers." Peter is addressing unbelieving Israelites, so we cannot claim that Abraham becomes the father of all who believe to make it fit us. It does not fit.

The Tribulation will sift the wheat from the chaff (true, believing Israel from the false). The Levites will be cleansed. The King will return and the promised kingdom will be reestablished!

This is the setting of the Book of Acts. It is the third sowing of see from the first parable of the kingdom in Matthew 13. (See our study on that Parable)

Before we leave Peter in Acts 3, I want to note an extremely important detail. Peter explicitly states that what he is preaching is known to the Prophets. It was revealed to Israel in scripture. Specifically, Peter is speaking of that restoration promise: "the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began." These were not hidden truths, only misunderstood.

We see here the promise of blessings for Gentiles through Israel to whom God must visit "first." Note this truth, reiterated in the Acts Age books of Romans and Galatians, "And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed." Gentile blessing was always known.

Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:

“For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles,
And sing to Your name.” [2 Sam; Ps 18]

And again he says:
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” [Deut 32] 

And again:
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!
Laud Him, all you peoples!” [Ps 117]

 And again, Isaiah says:“There shall be a root of Jesse;And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” [Is 11]

Let's look at the Acts Age epistle of Galatians in this regard.

Therefore know that only those who are of faith are sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham...  Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

-Gal 3:7-9; 13

• Not all Jews, but just believing Jews are sons of Abraham
• Scripture revealed that God would bless Gentiles via Abraham

This is all connected to the promises of the land and the kingdom for what hope would Adam or Noah have? How could either become a "son of Abraham?" All of this was misunderstood until God brought understanding, but it was all known and revealed in scripture. It is truth made know "since the world began" (Acts 3).

But the blessing of Gentiles in that age would only come through Israel. We note in the Acts that it was Paul's practice, in any town where there were Jews, to go to the JEW FIRST. The gospel in Romans is said to be to the JEW FIRST. In fact, you will not see a gentile from Genesis 12 on who is not in contact with a Jew. Even mighty Nineveh is only know in scripture when a rebellious Jew by the name of Jonah visit her.

But in our age, Gentiles do not need to come through Israel. And Gentiles were never spoken to by the prophets (save Jonah who had no law to give). We have no hope of a land or an earthly kingdom. We have no hope of a being a kingdom of priests. This age was hidden from the Prophets.

So when did this current age begin? What are its characteristics? How does it differ from previous ages? When was it revealed? These are vastly important questions and if we find understanding, scripture will come alive like you've never known before.

As this study proposes that the Acts Age is a continuation of the Gospel Age, which is the culmination of the Age from Abraham (Genesis 12), we will see that the current age started at the end of the Acts Age.

Next time, will examine these questions concerning the current age.