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So the twelve preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, and though not destined for Heaven at their demise, still had the promise of eternal life and earthly recognition in "judging the tribes of Israel". That raises a couple of questions:
a. should we actually believe that until the ministry of Paul, no one believing during the ministry of Jesus in Israel, His resurrection/ascension and until Paul's conversion, being taught by the Lord in the desert, & his revelation to the Churches, could ever be included into the Body of Christ? It seems then that the Plan for God's acceptance and adoption of believers in that interim period was not evident and that God had waited for Paul's conversion & teaching to believers to instigate this new relationship into His Son's Body. Or..maybe God didn't have to wait for Paul - that the Body of Christ had immediately formed at Pentecost comprising all who turned to Christ, with or without Paul; but to Paul was given the Word to identify & proclaim this already formed Body to believers. Onto Page 2.
"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth".There is only one blessing that adds to life eternal.ItOnly God has the authority to give it and when Jesus blessed children life was the core value. Trust as the children place is direct and it is how the Father Son relationship in heaven works. Life of the Spirit.. His son as the slain Lamb showed his trust. When Jesus died on the cross it established blood as sacred. Blessing in short is devolved from God so simple benediction works on thprinciple of Association."Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,"(Num.6.23)
Life of man is in the blood and it is bonded with the life of the Son.Thus the blessings enjoined in the Covenant bonded not only in terms of biology but also in terms of the Spirit."For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."(Lev.17.11)
2 And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.
3 Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.
5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.
6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.
Unfortunately I missed parts two and three of your posts!
I did get the original question which I believe "Are the Apostles and part of the body of Christ?"
I believe Ronald W began a good answer to that question when he posted Ephesians 1:22-23.
Also Peter being the little pebble of which come from the foundation/Cornerstone in which the Church is built.
Also the baptism of the Holyspirit putting all of the new covenant into one body is hinted in John 17:16-23.
Is there a Gospel of the kingdom? Yes, I believe Jesus clearly teaches that!
I believe he taught that to his disciples going after the lost sheep of Israel during Jesus earthly ministry under the old covenant.
I believe after the crucifixion and resurrection and giving of the Spirit the "now Apostles" were commissioned to take the Gospel to the world!
Paul to the Gentiles and the rest primarily to Israel!
Is there future promises to be fulfilled to "The house of Israel? Absolutely!
The bible clearly teaches that!
Is there two people of God in the Bible? Absolutely! The bible clearly teaches that!
You don't have to hammer away on these points! Most people here on this site know and believe that!
We may part in some of these points but most
come to the conclusion of these truths though we may not agree on certain details.
As for hermeneutics.
Hermeneutics is how scripture is interpreted! NOT how doctrine is explained!
Good hermeneutics is interpreting scripture and letting the outcome form the doctrine which hangs on a solid interpretation of the word of God.
Which I believe you have!
Good hermeneutics is NOT a convenient spiritualization of the text to form at viewpoint or doctrine.
The doctrine of the kingdom doctrine have its climax in the scriptures describing the Millennium and its found throughout scripture. Especially the OT scriptures!
Try collaborating them and watch some hermeneutics fall apart!
Thanks Brother and God bless!!
"The same Spirit that baptized all the saints also baptized the Apostles in that same body of believers!
Your post reminds me of John 17:17-23.
I unfortunately missed most of this thread!
God bless you.
You contradict yourself in this post when you intimate all who believe in Jesus, both Jew and Gentile are in the body of Christ and then you go on to say that the apostles ARE NOT in the body of Christ, rather in some sort of entity made up of ethnic Jews under a different covenant program than the New Covenant of Christ.
Your contradiction reveals your errors. Please be open to having a change in your thinking here. We all should be open to the Holy Spirit to work into us correct doctrine, approach to Scripture, and hermeneutics in interpreting Scripture. I find fault in all of these areas with Mid-Acts dispensationalism as you have presented it on this forum.
The way you chop up Scripture to fit into the dispensational scheme you have chosen to adhere to takes separates what God has joined together-ALL believers are one in Christ, which includes ALL the apostles of Jesus and ALL Jews who believe the One Gospel of grace.
I disavow any teaching that insists there are two gospels, one for Gentiles and one for Jews as if each are believing different doctrines that reveal how they are saved in different ways. This is serious error. Any Israelite who believes what God revealed to them in Christ is included in the Church of Jesus. To believe otherwise is simply anti-semitic especially when one says that Gentiles and ethnic Israelites have different eternal states. The eternal life we receive from Jesus' death and resurrection is the same for both.
Rev. 21-22 clearly shows that God resides with saints on the New Earth. The New Heaven is united t the New Earth in the same way that Israelite believers in Jesus are united with Gentile believers in one body, which is Christ's, the Church. The New Jerusalem is the heavenly city (symbolizing God's throne, power, authority, dominion, and perfect will) that is brought down to the new earth where His saints abide in Him and He in them as a holy temple or tabernacle/dwelling of God with His ONE people forever. Believers (both Israeli and Gentile) will dwell together in the place God prepares for His people.
No spiritual or human being is able to make this "place of rest" "eternal life" "tabernacle". It is only the work of God-all of grace with(Christ being all in all-the head of all that He secured for us in His victory over sin, death, hell, and the devil, all of which will be forever in the Lake of Fire with unbelievers and wicked angels).
Lbooth, I am thankful for this dialog because it is truly important that each of us come to the knowledge of truth of Scripture. I pray for this to come to fruition in all who participate with us, either in responding or reading.
West Angeles Cogic Church Cathedral Los Angeles California
My COGIC WORSHIP: 1Corithians 15:3-4 KJV I. I Worship God that is Salvation, God that is always there for me in justification of my life I live. I Worship God that makes you rise up and walk , sets free from sin. 19b My Interpetation I Worship Jesus Christ is.God the Father, Son of God only. I Worship God that gives me eyes to see. I Worship Gof that wants us to be married. I Worship God that wants to speak him as truth only. VV 26-31 I Worship the Word of God with power and conviction. I Worship God of grace and love does not discriminate.
In Eph. 4 Paul states unequivocally that there is only one Body, and one Spirt who brings both Jews and Gentiles into one Hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, and one Father of all.
It was Christ through the Spirit who gives gifts: some apostles (only those who were eyewitnesses of Jesus in the flesh both before and after His resurrection and (in Paul's case) ascension), and some prophets, such as those listed in Acts 13:1-5 (as you cited to erroneously prove your point), some evangelists, some pastors, and some teachers (see Acts 13:1-5). All of these are were given t the church to equip the saints-both Jew and Gentile for the work of the ministry of the gospel of Jesus and to build up the Body of Christs. Paul emphasizes the purpose of these gifted persons to produce unity of the faith and full knowledge of Jesus and Christ-likeness in order that we are not tossed to and fro by teaching that of trickery people and deceitful schemes (and I will name mid-acts dispensationalism as such a scheme of interpreting the Scriptures).
The Mid-Acts dispensationalist scheme separates the saints into two classes of believers which is contrary to what Paul revealed in Ch. 1-3 and relegates Jewish believers such as the apostles, Mary, Jesus' mother, other women and male disciples of Jesus gathered in Jerusalem from the time of Jesus' ascension to Pentecost in obedience to Him waiting to receive the promised Spirit as not being in the Body of Christ or the Church. This is plain false teaching. The only people of God, as Romans 11 clearly teaches are those who believe the gospel and put their faith in Jesus whether they are Gentiles or ethnic Israelites. Ethnic Israelites and Gentiles who do not belong to Christ by faith are NOT God's people. Those who claim that non-believing Jews are God's people regardless error. And those who teach that there are two separate destinies for Jews and Gentiles go against what Paul says as all believers are one new man.
Point 1-Clearly the Jesus' 12 apostles were under the New Covenant as Jesus spoke to them at the Last Supper ( Mt. 16:28) just as all in Christ partake of this same New Covenant made with His blood for all who believe-both Jew and Gentile.
Point 2-Romans chapter 11 refutes what you claim about the body of Christ-the "one new man" not being Israel enlarged. Lbooth, the opposite is true-the mystery that Paul preached was that the believing Gentiles are included in believing Israel. Eph. 1:7-14 speaks of the saints (all who believe in Jesus) having redemption through His blood and forgiveness of our sins, having revealed to believers the secret of His will that He set forth IN CHRIST now in the fullness of times, for Christ to head up all things-both heaven and earth. Us, (faithful Gentile saints),TOO, have been claimed as God's own possession.
And in Eph. 2 Paul addresses the Gentiles, termed the "uncircumcision" by those of the "circumcision (Jews) were alienated from the citizenship of Israel, being far away from God, but because of the blood of Christ, are brought near (as the Jews are near) in order to make the two groups one in Christ, creating "one new man". reconciling both (Jew and Gentile) in Christ's body on the cross, preaching peace to those who were far off (Gentiles) and to those who were near (Jews) that through Jesus' blood and by the Spirit both groups have equal access to the Father. Gentiles are no longer foreigners and noncitizens of God's household (His one possession, one people) but have become fellow citizens (with the Jewish saints), members of God's household (body)
Eph.3 is where Paul explains the "divine secret" revealed to that generation to and through His apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This divine secret is NAMELY that through the gospel, Gentiles are brought into the same New Covenant that the apostles and Jewish believers were brought into by Jesus Christ.
see Pt. 3
Let'a have a look at one of the most famous verses in the Bible.
Matthew 1:22-23, "22Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 23Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us"
The above verse is taken from Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."
In this verse the KJV does not translate accurately the Masoretic text. The Hebrew word for what is translated as virgin is "Haalmah" which means "a young woman". And that is how the Scriptures for Jewish people have written it . But we see that christian Bibles refer to it as "virgin". Why? Why did Matthew refer to it as "virgin" even though in his language it means "young woman"?
Because Matthew quotes it from the Septuagint which has it as "virgin". It seems that the Septuagint translated a text that is sometimes exactly like the Masoretic, but sometimes is less or more or a lot more different from the Masoretic that we have today. Anyway, all Christian Bibles that translate the Masoretic have standardized this verse according to the Septuagint following Matthew's gospel.
The ancient Greeks also used the word virgin to mean an unmarried person. Example. Acts 21:8-9, " 8And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 9And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy."
What Luke means is that Philip had four young unmarried daughters, girls actually. Young because at that time people married very young compared to today. He says "who did prophesy." Obviously "did prophesy" cannot mean "preached" as some Christians (like the Evangelicals) claim. For how is it possible for a young girl to preach?
GBU
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God,
and isprofitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
John 3:34
"For he whom God hath sent speaketh the
words of God: for God giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto him."
Matthew 10:20
"For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit
of your Father which speaketh in you."
2 Timothy 2:15
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth
Matthew 10:42
"And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you,
he shall in no wise lose his reward."
Matthew 10:41
"He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward;
and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a
righteous man's reward."
In the first para:
"God is now blessing Adam as he did bless man in Gen.1.28)"
Please read as
"God is now blessing Noah as he did bless man in Gen.1.28)"
1 Corinthians 12:13-"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body"-describes the Spirit's operation in this present dispensation of grace, placing believers into the Body of Christ. This is a new creation ( 2 Cor 5:17; Eph 2:15), revealed through Paul as "the revelation of the mystery" ( Eph 3:1-9). It identifies the forming of a joint body of believing Jew and Gentile, apart from Israel's covenant program and apart from water baptism.
The Twelve were called under Israel's prophetic kingdom program ( Matt 19:28; Luke 22:29-30). They were promised positions of authority "judging the twelve tribes of Israel," not membership in the Body of Christ destined for heavenly places ( Eph 1:3; Phil 3:20). Their baptism ( Acts 2:38; Matt 28:19) related to repentance and the kingdom gospel, not Spirit placement into the one Body later revealed through Paul.
Therefore, 1 Cor 12:13 is not retroactively moving the kingdom apostles into a new organism but defining how God now works in this dispensation. The "we all" refers to those who have believed Paul's gospel ( 1 Cor 15:1-4)-whether Jew or Gentile-since the revelation of the mystery. The Twelve remain part of Israel's prophetic calling; the Body of Christ is a distinct, heavenly people formed afterward by the Spirit through Paul's ministry ( 1 Tim 1:16).
G&P
"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."
While the earth remains, day and night shall not cease. The Covenant set two lights greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule to the night. Gen.1.18. This is on day Four. It states that those who are earth and of the sons of Adam are not counted among the blessed. They are as Cain before them are vagabonds and heading to the outer darkness. Godjudged the ground for Adam's sake and what did the great flood prove? His labour was wasted. As for the enmity between thy seed and her seed shall continue. Mount Ararat was a neutral indicate the ground was condemned for Adam's sin of disobedience. Noah and his family of eight souls belonged to another seed. God is now blessing Adam as he did bless man in Gen.1.28) As heir of promise God renews his blessings on Abraham. 'For he believed therefore it was counted to him for righteousness.' and "And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."(Gen.12.3;15.6)
Jesus defined what family God looks for, and is not of flesh and blood. Noah did the will of God and in the family Joseph was the eheir of promise. His 10 brethren who hated him belonged to 'thy seed'. God's curse was,"and thou shalt bruise his heel." It is exactly his brethren did to Joseph who is set as the double for Jesus. Thus the dry land is a wilderness where the eheirs of promise shall find their city where there shall be no night.
Coming back to v.22 " seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter" refers to the seasons. " and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years"(1.14)
The everlasting Covenant shall be 'remembered' as God sets new dietary laws for His creation and between the Man as a steward with others. God's fellowship with man is in his Son and there is no change whatsoever.
Mid-Acts teaching holds that the current dispensation of grace began with the revelation given to Paul ( Eph. 3:1-9; Col. 1:25-27). Through him, God made known the mystery of the Body of Christ-Jew and Gentile made one through faith in the finished cross work of Christ ( Eph. 2:13-16; 1 Cor. 12:13). This message of salvation by grace alone apart from works ( Rom. 3:21-28) was not part of Israel's prophetic program but a hidden mystery revealed only after Israel's fall ( Rom. 11:11-12).
Many reject Mid-Acts dispensationalism as false or unbiblical, just as people in Paul's day accused him of heresy for preaching a message apart from the Law ( Acts 24:14; Gal. 1:11-12). The religious crowd called his message dangerous because it freed men from Moses' commandments and introduced a new spiritual organism-the Body of Christ. Yet Paul warned that rejecting this revelation is no light matter. He declared that God will judge mankind "according to my gospel" ( Rom. 2:16; 16:25; 2 Tim. 2:8). To ignore Paul's message is to reject the very truth by which God now reconciles the world.
Thus, Mid-Acts dispensationalism is biblical because it honors the progressive revelation of God's Word, rightly divides prophecy from mystery ( 2 Tim. 2:15), and recognizes Paul as the divinely appointed apostle of this age of grace-whose gospel all will one day be judged by.
G&P
Ephesians 2:20's "foundation of the apostles and prophets" names the foundation's doctrine, not ethnicity or a fixed number of men. Christ is the cornerstone; the foundation is the now-revealed truth preached by Christ's commissioned apostles and prophets for this administration ( 1 Cor 3:10-11; Eph 4:11). In Paul, "prophets" are New-Testament church prophets ( Acts 13:1; 1 Cor 12:28), not Isaiah or Jeremiah. That is confirmed in 3:5: the mystery "in other ages was not made known as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit." Note the "now." The content was first entrusted to Paul ( Eph 3:2-9; Col 1:25-27), then made known to other apostles and prophets-shared, yet peculiarly "given" to Paul to dispense.
This does not demote the Twelve; it honors their kingdom apostleship to Israel ( Matt 19:28; Acts 1:6; Gal 2:7-9) while acknowledging Paul's distinct apostleship to the Gentiles and the Body's heavenly calling ( Rom 11:13; Eph 1:3; Phil 3:20). Peter recognizes new wisdom given to Paul ( 2 Pet 3:15-16). Calling this "false teaching" collapses texts Scripture keeps distinct. Right division preserves both programs-Israel's earthly covenants and the Body's unprophesied unity-so Christ, not our labels, sets the boundaries ( 2 Tim 2:7, 15). Let's keep the tone charitable and let the plain wording of these verses lead us. Always!!!
1 Corinthians 12:13
"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."
Blessings
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:29 "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Blessings
James 4:17
"Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
Blessings
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Luke 6:46
"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
Blessings
I meant to say that what you put forth from a mid-acts dispensational view on this question is not proper hermeneutics.
I forgot to put in the "not".
I don't have much time this morning as I have an appointment to go to soon.
I just wanted to mention that the Scripture verses you gave ( Eph. 3:5, 4:11, Acts 13:1) are not speaking to this point concerning apostles as to there being apostles appointed other than the 12 plus Paul. The apostles spoken of in these verses ARE the one Jesus chose and commissioned. An apostle is one who was an eye-witness to Jesus' ministry, crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Gentiles would not have been such witnesses and therefore, by definition, would not be apostles.
I hope you have a lovely day. Again, I mean no ill will towards you, but I think the way you interpret Scripture using the mid-acts dispensational model is erroneous and misleading both to you and others. This concerns me and therefore I speak up about the falseness of your viewpoint on this question concerning the apostles as NOT being members of the body of Christ and also members of the church that Jesus promised the 12 apostles He would build obviously using them to spread the truth of the gospel of Himself out from Jerusalem into the whole world making disciples of those the Father draws to Jesus so that these new believers will likewise continue to spread the Good News.
There is only one people of God, not two as dispensationalism promotes. There is no directive in Scripture to keep Israel and the Church separated, nor that ethnic Israel will forever be a separate earthly people of God and the Church being forever a heavenly people of God distinct and apart from ethnic Israel. All believers have one single destiny in Jesus and one singular hope and above all oneness in Christ Jesus.
GiGi and Chris have answered well. There was a transition, but the same gospel and one body of Christ-that is, the Church. Galatians 4:4 says, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." Jesus came first for the lost sheep of Israel and to fulfill the law and the prophets.
Jesus had to live a perfect, sinless life under the law to bring in the new everlasting covenant. As prophesied, the new covenant had to be offered to the Jews first before it was offered to the Gentiles, as seen in Romans 1:16. We see that when the time came to go to the Gentiles, as in Acts 7:54-60, they plugged their ears and killed Stephen. Philip was the first to carry the gospel to the Samaritans, as in Acts 8. Paul's conversion is detailed in Acts 9, and Peter's dream and the sending to Cornelius are in Acts 10. Salvation has always been a gift of God through faith by the grace of God. John 3:16, Ephesians 2:8-9,
God bless.
RLW
Rom 8:17, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." Heirs and joint-heirs with Christ.
A heir is one who gets an inheritance after someone dies. So is God going to die? If not why are we called inheritors?
Because as an inheritor aquires absolutely everything the dead man had in his possesion, similarly we will be given everything God has in His possesion. We will not be simply just a part of God's world in the future. We will not simply have some things that God will give us. But we will aquire EVERYTHING that God has in His possesion. Absolutely everything. God will not keep anything for Himself. He will give everything He has got to us. Not to the angels, not to any other creature, but to us. What a privilidge. What are we? What were we? Sinners. Filthy people. Useless people. So much He loves us.
2 Sam 7:8-9, "8Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: 9And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth"
GBU
As I had a tear of meniscus last week and am compelled to stay home this week, I grab the opportunity to write a few comments. It is actually not bad to have such a break from work, nevemind the meniscus problem.
Well, we, christians, are called by God as kings and priests, aren't we?
1 Peter 2:9-10, "9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people... 10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God...."
And Rev 1:6, "And (Jesus) hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father;... Amen."
But we don't see ourselves to be kings and priests, do we? Where is our kingdom? We are normal people among normal people. Paul says in 1 Cori 1:26 that "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:". Not many noble, Paul says. So where is our kingdom? Is it an imaginary one?
Some say that the scriptures talk about the Heavenly kingom. Others say that we will be kings during the millenium. Both are right but I wish to see it in another way.
Let'a go to David the King. When did prophet Samuel annoint David as King of Israel? When he was a kid. When did David actually reigned? Many many years later after the death of Saul. So he was annointed as a king by God but for many years he hadn't got any kingdom.
Similarly we have been actually annointed by God as kings and priests now but we have not been given our physical kingdom yet. The latter will be done some time in the future.
Similarly Jesus was annointed by God as a king (and He is actually a king) but His kingdom will be revealed some time in the future. Until that time people can not see any Kingdom.
Rom 8:19, "For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God."
Col 3:3-4, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him"
GBU
"Objection: 1 Cor 12:13 says all are baptized into one body-doesn't that include the Twelve?
Reply: It explains the BoC's present-age placement by the Spirit, not a retroactive relocation of Israel's kingdom apostles from their
promised thrones ( Matt 19:28)."
The path my understanding takes on this begins at Luke 24:49, "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." The resurrected Jesus speaks to His disciples/apostles (not to any future apostles, only the twelve) to await the promise of His Father.
Then to Acts 1:4,5, Luke reiterates the Lord's message, "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence." Again, the twelve are spoken about here and that when the promise of the Father would come, they would be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Acts 2 follows.
To 1 Corinthians 12:13, "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." Paul writes about the same Holy Spirit Who baptizes all (Jew and Gentile) into the one body (the Body of Christ). So we can believe that there are no two Holy Spirits (one for the apostles and one for everyone else); we can also believe that the baptism by the Spirit baptises all into one Body (i.e. the Body of Christ).
If the same Spirit baptized the apostles, the believing Jews & Gentiles in those early days, and us today, aren't we all in ONE Body of Christ?
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. ( 2 Thess. 2:7).
This verse was discussed in a video that I have frequented lately and I thought indeed it is the crucial "lynchpin" as it were for the whole series of events to come in the Tribulation.
The point in emphasizing this verse is to support the fact that Christ could and is likely to return on any given day as the circumstances are signs of what is to come but we don't know when it starts. Supporting scripture
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. (Habukkuk 2:3).
Scripture cross references are important to bolster any given concept; including prophecy. The judgments to come (as we have been discussing of late in our church's small group) that are in Revelation are scattered throughout the O.T. with particular concentration in Isaiah and Daniel as well as Matthew 24; Zechariah; Jeremiah; Ezekiel; etal.
I find from a practical point of view all the warnings of men's heardened hearts to be informative as to what in reality they are now. Men are blinded to their own sin nature as well as the god that they are slaves to willingly to varying degrees just as they will be captivated by the Antichrist to come they also would follow him now. I am convinced that one of the greatest dangers of AI is that a god is tailored to everyone's fetish; custom made to create an image of the Beast to come. Everyone whose name isn't written in the book of life WILL worship him as Revelation 13 makes clear. Clearly as the sixth seal indicates and I have said repeatedly no atheists will be in the Tribulation at that point; and hence belief in the miraculous (albeit demonic) and true miracles of the two witnesses will be for a time happening simultaneously.
Let us work while it is yet day ( John 9:4).
RP
Looking fir mercy not found in any man's face as she walked to judgement . Not in any woman's eyes either. By the time she got to that placebos judgement she was not looking anywhere , all hope was gone for she knew what the judgement wouid be . She was caught in the car .But when the Lord said nothing and that time passed it gave her a ray of hope and she no doubt began to "consider her ways " whenthecLord finished speaking and bent down again His words convicted the accusers as thecLaw is meant to do and from the oldest to the youngest they all left .
When he stood up again and perhaps for the first time looked at thec woman and said " where are thinecaccusers? She replied " I know not Lord" she had redeemed the time given to her and repented and called Him Lord . Not boasting over hervaccusers either .Then thecLord said "Neither do aI condemn thee go and sin no more", The only one innocent of sin and coukd have declined to do. Not it shouild be noted out of context . But what we see here is the Law and grace at work .
The law is not done away with as many suppose . It is there to convict of sin . We might be innocent in a court of man but on Gods we are all guilty under the Law . But God has given Everyman a measure of time bebit long or short to consider our ways and say something to God . Everyone is saying something to God believer or not . Many simply say " No God" and think they are free from the laws of Hod . Not so.
Jesus did not excuse her but gave her time to repent and she took the time given and did so and she was not condemned .
The accusers wasted the time given them and went away condemned by the very law they sought to be justified by .
Did they wait for a natural break and discretely ask fir an audience? I seriously doubt it .No.
"? For what knoweth the tnings of man save thecspirit that is in man" For they were intent on trapping Jesus in what they thought was an escape proof snare.
But rather walked right in and stood her "in the midst " and chalkenged the Lord " Moses said she should be put to death what say you ?" Now thecLord had already said " He came not to condemn the word ( it's condemned already) but through Him might be saved" an apparent insurmountable contradiction .
He answered tyem not but stopped down and began writing on the ground as if He had heard nothing .
Some suggest he wrote out all their sins . Not so for it is the devil who is the accuser of the brethren .. whatever he was writing what he was doing was giving the accusers time to consider why they were there and what had brought them . He also gave the accused time to consider why she was there and what had brought her there . You might argue that He gave Hinself time also but in truth Hecalways knew why He was there and what had brought zHim . But for our sakes perhaps he showed we are not debtors to the flesh that we have to answer somebody on their terms and shouid give ourselves time to answer .
But they kept on insisting . Insisting what? To be justified by the law . But Paul has proven no man is justified by the law and it is there to convict of sin . So Jesus stood up and replied to those who sought to be justified by the law with the law " Let him who is without sin cast the first stone" and then bent down and wrote in the ground again .
If we look at it from the woman's point of view when she was arrested but not the man there wouod have arisen in her some measure of righteous indignation but all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags and she was still condemned by the law .
She might have looked for mercy in her accusers . No chance .
Tha man is given a measure of hike to say something , some verse tye judge the court and the world and waste the opportunity and are sent to the place appointed to them . The time given is for the man to plea or speak words of contrition that might if possible mitigate the sentence etc .
In John 8 we read ofvaxwoman " caught in the very act "of adultery" . She was then beyond all reasonable doubt guilty under the law and the sentence was death . But a careful reading of the law shows that both the man and the woman were equally guilty and thus under a sentence of death .where then was the man? There is a lot wrong with this case . Not that the law was wrong or is wrong but it's application was . She was caught in the very act . It comes to mind how long had they known of this breach of the law ? For many tnink they can use it as snd when they like to condemn others but as Paul says in Romans If you teach don't steal do you steal etc? But even if they had just found out which I doubt they were partial in only taking the woma? Probably because on the one hand they were all men and it's easier for a man to judge a woman than it is to judge a man . And the other a woman was more helpful to their cause of snaring Jesus . When Joseph found out that Mary his espoused wife was pregnant " being a just man he sought to put her away privately" If these men had been just and were in a quandary as to the proper course of a toon did they go discreetly to Jesus or did they go down the high street so to speak with her dressed for de envy sake but not enough not to draw a crowd. To bolster their ' position'.
Jesus was teaching in the temple we read and in teaching you need a quiet relaxed but concentrated atmosphere . Is it thought that they waited in the wings for a natural break and then request an audience ?
" Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee./ Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee,"
God's command reenacts the Covenant, "hat they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth." Thus Noah does as He commands." And Noah went forth."(v.18). The same family of Noah and His creation saved from the great flood in under new circumstances as a world framed by the word of God.Theyare a world within another world condemned where the Law of sin and death operates.
v.20 "And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar." This serves as dedication ceremony where entering into the rest of God is continued so the Law of the Spirit operates while the world without is under the law of sin. 'Of every clean beast fowl on the altar is to signal the Covenant and God blesses Noah as He did with the first Adamm. " And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."(Gen.9.1)
"and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake." The ground referred is the hallowed ground in the same sense os the voice out of the burning bush tole Moses. ("put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground"- Exod.3.5) The earth abides forever because it is given to the Son."
Earth as the hallowed ground give rise to the jubilee year to which we shall come anon, if God willing. However the Spirit primes us what heart of God would mean.Fifty years refer to Noah set forth as the double for his Son. "And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years./And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years."(9.21-21) Notice his life is split before the flood and after even as waters above from waters below is separated by the firmament.