The Two Administrations of Jesus Christ
PART 9
Some Important Points to Notice in
Acts Chapter 10
FIRST: Peter, one of the chief apostles of the Church, was still practicing Old Testament Law more than 7 years after Christ's crucifixion and the day of Pentecost that took place in Acts chapter 2.
SECOND: God commands Peter to accept the Gentiles because He had now declared them to be "clean". On the surface, this would seem to indicate that He is telling Peter to "sin against the Law" ... which would be an unrighteous act on God's part if the Law was still in authority ... which it wasn't. This is a clear indication that the program of the Law officially and legally ended with the crucifixion of Christ some 7 years earlier and is now being gradually 'phased out' - as stated below in Hebrews chpater 8.
"In that He (Jesus Christ) says, "a new covenant," He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." (Hebrews 8:13)
God was allowing this slow transition - or "phase-out" - to give Israel time to repent. But, they did not repent - so He was now unveiling the New Covenant provided through the blood of His Son. Later, we will see why the New Covenant had to remain a secret (also called "a mystery") until it was revealed to the Apostle Paul by Christ Himself ... who was now living in Heaven.
THIRD: We can clearly see that two different 'programs of salvation', where each were governed by a different set of rules and tenants ... were running at the same time more than 7 years after the cross. The first program was a works-based conditional salvation directed only at the circumcision - or "the lost sheep of the house of Israel". Jesus revealed the requirements of this program when He told the rich young ruler (who was a Jew) that he needed to "keep the Commandments" in order to be saved. But, Peter unknowingly initiated the second program at Cornelius' household that would later be revealed through Saint Paul as "The New Covenant". Without revealing its still secret characteristics, Jesus also spoke of the New Covenant at the Last Supper shortly before the cross.
"This cup is the New Covenant
in My blood, which is shed
for you."
(Luke 22:20)
Unlike the previous Old Testament program, the New Covenant program of salvation is based exclusively on Grace - which is designed to provide salvation (or eternal life) as God's free unmerited and undeserved gift to the new Gentile Church.
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