The Two Administrations of Jesus Christ
By William Handschumacher
Rock of Offence Special Commentary
Discerning the Times
Many within Orthodox Christianity are offended when anyone claims that there is more than one way to obtain salvation. However, a correct discussion of this subject is directly connected to its time frame - or place in history.
If we are only talking about "today" - then it is
correct to say that there is only one valid gospel.
However, this was not the case in the first century
during the time the New Testament Scriptures were
written.
Any honest minister or student of the Bible can easily see that the Holy Scriptures contains two major systems of faith ... where each one provides salvation according to a different set of rules. Each set of rules is known as a "covenant". It was so important to keep these covenants separated that the Bible translators wisely divided the Scriptures into two parts; The Old Testament (or Old Covenant) and the New Testament (or New Covenant). Generally speaking, the Old Testament consisted of the time before the cross and was governed by the Law given to Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. The earthly ministry of Jesus Christ took place during this "Old Covenant of the Law" - where much of His teaching (especially on the subject of salvation) was performed according to its work-based tenants (See Galatians 4:4-5). The New Testament (or New Covenant) was initiated at the cross through the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son. The new covenant couldn't officially begin to govern until the Holy Spirit arrived on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. Once again, each of these "systems of faith" provide salvation according to a different set of covenant rules, MAKING IT ILLEGAL TO MIX THEM TOGETHER.
Today, God only honors the program that His Son established at the cross; the New Covenant of Christ. Saint Paul's "Epistles to the Church" reveals the full details of this covenant. Yet, during the time of the first century church, two valid systems existed ... which are recorded in the pages of the New Testament. God had a good reason to allow these two programs to temporarily overlap.
The Transition
As we previously learned, God's original plan was for Israel to receive their Messiah (and His salvation) - and then to communicate this salvation to the Gentile nations. Jesus acknowledged this Divine mandate when He said;
"I was sent only to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel."
(Matthew 15:24)
However, the following Scripture reveals that this
"Israel-only" mandate did not just apply to Christ,
but to all twelve of His disciples...
"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." (Matthew 10:5-7)
We all know what happened.
Israel rejected and crucified their Messiah. Yet, despite this horrible sin, God continued to give the entire nation a chance to repent for a period of years following the cross. What many within Christendom continue to ignore - is that no Gentiles were involved in the early church until Peter preached at Cornelius household in Acts chapter 10 (covered in more detail later in this study). Up to that point, the church only consisted of those belonging to "the house of Israel". How do we know this? Jesus plainly stated that His entire ministry - which included the minstry of his disciples (later to be Apostles) - was restricted to "Israel only".
As a result, only Jews participated in the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2 ... and the 3000 souls that were saved on the same day, as a result of Peter's preaching - were also Jews. We know this from Peter's Pentecostal sermon, and the specific group to whom it was directed.
"MEN OF ISRAEL, HEAR THESE WORDS: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know--Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. (The words of Peter from Acts 2:22-24)
Peter continues...
"THEREFORE LET ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL KNOW ASSUREDLY that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:36-37)
What happened on the day of Pentecost was in perfect agreement with the earlier command of Jesus Christ ... that His ministry (which included Peter and the rest of His disciples) was limited to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel". At this point, God was giving the entire nation of Israel time to repent. Peter had just told the Jews who had gathered that they murdered Jesus Christ the Lord, who was also their Messiah. This caused 3000 people to respond to this serious crime against God by saying; "Men and brethren, what shall we do?". As a result, these Jews were the first to join the new Church of Jesus Christ.
However, after a certain period of time had
elapsed (some theologians think it was
approximately 7-10 years after the cross...
but was actually much longer)--it was clear
that the entire nation was not going to
repent.
Once again, it was originally God's will that Israel would be His chosen vessel to bring salvation to the Gentiles ... if they received their true Messiah; Jesus Christ. However, instead of receiving Him--they killed Him. Then, after their refusal to repent and to fulfill their calling - He set them aside for season and established a Grace-based relationship directly with the Gentiles. God's chosen vessel for this task was a Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus, who later become the Apostle Paul following his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road.
In the Book of Acts, Paul gives an account of this
radical change in God's plans.
"So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God. On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, "It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.'" Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." (Acts 13:42-48)
Later, in his Epistle to the Romans, Paul gives
us more details about God's action toward the
Jews and what it produced.
"I say then, have they (the Jews) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather THROUGH THEIR FALL SALVATION IS COME UNTO THE GENTILES, for to provoke them to jealousy. Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much their fulness?" (Romans 11:11-12)
Paul continues...
"For I speak to you Gentiles (Christian believers today), inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office: If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them. For if the casting away of them (the Jews) be the reconciling of the world, what shall be the receiving of them, but life from the dead?" (Romans 11:13-15)
Paul continues...
"For I do not desire, brethren, that you (Christian believers living today) should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness (or full number) of the Gentiles has come in (speaking of the Church). And so all Israel will be saved..." (Romans 11:25-26)
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