The Stealth War Against
The Truth of the Gospel
By William Handschumacher
General Introduction
The following material falls into the category of “spiritual warfare”. However, this kind of spiritual warfare is rarely discussed in many intercessory prayer groups. Years ago someone handed me a small book written by H.A. Maxwell Whyte entitled “Hidden Spirits”. At that time, I read the author's message and “filed it away” for future reference. Today, his words are shockingly relevant. Maxwell’s writing style carried a “military flavor" that I tend to emulate in some of my commentaries. Way too many Christians view the church as a type of "social club"--when the New Testament compares it to an army camp preparing to "fight the good fight of faith". To summarize--Whyte suggested that our enemy uses a very effective "warfare tactic". They infiltrate our ranks by stealth (or, by looking and talking like us). Once accepted by the group, they work to defeat us from within. Satan's first choice is never to confront us “head-on” because he knows he would lose. Whyte warned that our enemy’s most diabolical threats are not from the unbelieving world, but from within the organized “Christian church”. His comments appear to be in agreement with a warning Jesus gave to his listeners when He said:
“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; AND 'A MAN'S ENEMIES WILL BE THOSE OF HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD." (Matthew 10:34-37 NKJV)
Whyte’s message would certainly not be popular today because it interferes with popular "church growth" programs. I discovered that our enemy’s most effective weapon is to "cast doubt" on Christ's new covenant gospel and replace it with a religious counterfeit that "appears" to be based on Scripture. Remember that a "counterfeit" of anything looks "almost identical" to the original. This counterfeit looks like the "real thing" to the average Christian, who doesn't understand the "rules of context" found in their own Bible. It’s this “counterfeit gospel” that is destroying the true message of the New Testament church. I wrote this commentary out of my burden for this subject and to give a response to one of our readers.
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, CASTING DOWN ARGUMENTS AND EVERY HIGH THING that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ..." (2 Cor 10:4-5)
After visiting the Rock of Offence website, a believer in Christ from South Africa asked two important questions. These questions involve an age-old doctrinal conflict that has raged throughout church history. In the past, I've attempted to address these questions in a non-offensive way. However, the time of Christ's return is quickly approaching, so we feel the need to be more direct. Rather than just answering this brother in an email, I wanted to reformat my reply into a commentary for the website. I already know this information is controversial. Yet, the answers to his questions are too important to ignore. The questions are:
"I need clarification on two important topics. Firstly, In view of what we know about Justification by Faith alone (Romans 4:1-4), how do we reconcile James view (James 2:24) on Justification with Paul's doctrine?
Secondly please explain Malachi 3:10, with regards to the practice of paying tithes to the local Church today."
Hello Brother,
Thank you for your encouraging words about the website. Jesus came to set us free, which is part of my message in these last days before His return. My desire is to share what my Heavenly Father has taught me about this important subject. I am constantly amazed that "living free in Christ" according to the New Testament principles of Grace is not a popular subject in many churches today. When searching the Internet, you will find many Christian ministries that preach "toxic and destructive" doctrines in the name of Christ (under the banner of preaching "The Word of God"). So many of these groups exist that I can't discuss them here. The Internet has produced an explosion in the number of Christian teachings that mislead the reader. These things were not possible 25 years ago. Also, there are hundreds of different types of "theology" taught in the worldwide Christian church. Theology is man's ideas about God and how he operates. Many of these "theological beliefs" can be very dangerous and very wrong. To understand the danger, we should remember the tragedy of Reverend Jim Jones and the Christians who lost their lives by blindly following his toxic and dangerous preaching that he claimed was from "God's Word". Reverend Jones violated and ignored major rules of context in order to twist Scripture into whatever he wanted. In 1978, his congregation of around 900 people paid for this mistake with their lives. It is for this reason that I emphasize and constantly repeat the importance of Biblical context throughout this article. Context is the "guiding principle" that divides true Bible teaching from false. If you preach from the Bible "out of context" you are preaching false doctrine as you quote Scripture in defense of your topic. Context is that important. It's the missing element that must be considered with every Bible verse we quote. Very few believers recognize this problem today. Supporters of every "system of theology" insist that their way is the only true way to view the Bible. However, a "correct" method of Bible interpretation does exist. How do you know who's right? In this kind of a confusing environment honest believers have little chance of discovering the truth for themselves without a massive amount of study and personal sacrifice. To walk in truth, we need the Holy Spirit's help now more than ever.
After many years of Bible research, I recognized that a "dispensational" Bible interpretation is the one that fits the entire canon of Scripture. It's the only method that makes sense and totally agrees with Scripture at the same time. Yet, a small percentage of Christians use it in their Bible study and only a small number of churches teach it to their congregations. To keep things simple I'm using the term "dispensational" in this commentary to mean that the Bible is divided into two major (there are actually more) Divine dispensations or "administrations". For our purposes in this article, an administration in the Bible is simply understood as a type of "Divine government". The Old Testament is generally known as the dispensation of the Mosaic Law given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. The New Testament is known as the dispensation of God's Grace, freely given to the gentiles, yet paid for by Christ's blood at Calvary. All believers today are under the dispensation of Grace and its new covenant law, which is known as "the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ" (Romans 8:1-3). The laws of the new covenant are found in the epistles of Saint Paul to the Church. These two dispensations cannot be mixed or merged together because each one is a different form of Divine government ruled by different and unique sets of laws or "covenants".
However, there is another method of Bible interpretation that currently dominates nearly all of the Christian church. We generally refer to it as "reformed theology". There are prominent names associated with this method of Bible interpretation that may have nothing to do with the word "reformed". Some of these names are: Covenant theology, Liberal theology, Replacement theology, Dominion theology, Ecumenicalism, Christian fundamentalism, Latter-rain theology, Restoration theology, Calvinism, Messianic Judaism, and various types of denominational doctrines connected to "Holiness" congregations. Hundreds of other names are loosely associated with this belief system, which makes it almost impossible to examine or "generalize" any definition. Every church teaches it in a slightly different way in their "foundational teachings". For this reason, I am generalizing many of my comments. If I don't generalize things, very few readers will attempt to sort through the detail and confusion.
A Birdseye View Of The Battlefield
Sometimes it’s helpful to use a real-life example to illustrate a complex problem. Let’s say a father comes home from work one evening and calls his two kids, Susan and Mike, into the living room of their home. He tells them, “I’m going on a business trip for the next two weeks and I need you to help your mother with some chores”. He then gives them specific instructions by saying, “Susan, I need you to wash the dinner dishes each night and help out with the laundry. Mike, I need you to take out the trash every day and mow the yard”. The father writes down all of his instructions and hangs the list on the refrigerator door. While he is away, a problem develops. Mike tricks Susan into doing all the chores. He tells her that their dad really meant for her to do all the work. He also tells her that dad will be very angry if she doesn’t do everything on the list. When she protests, he simply points to the list hanging on the refrigerator and reminds her that dad will punish her when he gets home. Without checking out the list for herself, Susan decides to listen to her brother. From one perspective, it could be said that she is correctly obeying all of her father’s instructions. Yet, as any parent knows, she’s actually disobeying because the work she’s doing is not what the father told her to do. Mike will be the one in trouble when their dad returns. Susan was deceived (and intimidated) into disobeying the specific directions (context) of their father’s words.
A very similar situation exists within Christianity today. The Bible contains a total record of God’s instructions and words. However, these instructions are separated into two general parts. Simply speaking, each part is directed at a different group of people. The Old Testament part (commonly called “The Law”) is directed only at Israel. The New Testament part (known as “Grace”) is directed at a group known as “the Gentiles”. Today, a popular and mainstream theology is guilty of Mike’s error in our example above. It chooses to ignore the specific context of the Bible and mixes everything together (reinterprets the Scriptures) into one general set of instructions for everyone. If anyone protests, they simply point to the Bible and accuse him or her of failing to obey all of God’s Word. Using fear as a motivational tool, we are reminded that God (our Heavenly Father) will punish us if we aren’t obedient to all of His Word. Like Susan, very few Christians take the time to read the specific details (context) of what God actually said. Because it’s a difficult and confusing task, they choose to take the easy path and listen to Mike.
Redefining God's Grace
During a time of war, an opponent attempts to destroy targets of the highest strategic value. Throughout Church history one of these "high value" targets is "God's Grace through Christ". I am continually amazed that a majority of Christian church organizations and denominations attack this truth by replacing it with a counterfeit doctrine that they call "grace". This practice is found in many teachings that originate from reformed theology. Yet, the "grace" they teach IS NOT THE SAME "GRACE" FOUND IN CHRIST'S NEW COVENANT. The practice of redefining important Biblical terms causes massive confusion to the average church member. Many words carry two or more different definitions depending on the requirements of a particular situation (or its context). The apostle Paul used the word "grace" in a very specific way. We see a good example of this In Romans 3:24, "...being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus". In this verse (and many others), Paul used the word "grace" to mean "the unmerited favor of God" and used the word "freely" to clarify its true definition. Some preachers use an illustration such as G-R-A-C-E, or God's-Riches-At-Christ's-Expense. Either way, Paul wanted us to understand that the cost of our justification was paid entirely by Jesus Christ, yet given to the Christian believer free of charge. When the Bible uses the word "freely", it means what it says. Christ's sacrifice gained God's favor (or justification) for us, meaning that none of our merits (works and performance) is required. This is why new covenant grace is commonly referred to as "unmerited favor".
So far, this is really good news. Yet, many in the worldwide Christian Church think that God made a serious mistake that must be corrected. There is a secondary definition for the word "grace". It's commonly called "Divine enablement". If someone is suffering through a crisis they might say something like, "I'm praying that God gives me the grace to see this thing through", or "I'm praying that God enables me with the strength to see this thing through". Grace, when used in this way, suggests a "supernatural ability" to perform or endure. Reformed theology wrongly claims that Christ's Gospel of Grace conforms to the characteristic of "Divine enablement", rather than the "unmerited favor" definition taught by the apostle Paul. To strengthen their teachings, you will hear many reformed preachers make the following statement in their sermons:
"Grace always exceeds the requirements of the Law."
This deceptive maneuver completely undermines the principles found in Christ's new covenant and the teachings of the apostle Paul. Yet, most church members ignore the problems. It wrongly teaches that grace is the real "gift of God" spoken of in Ephesians 2:8 and it gives you the ability (or the "grace") to perform good works in a way that actually exceeds the Law's original requirements, and thereby secures God's favor and love. It's a deceptive way of saying that religious performance and good works is an "additional requirement" to obtain and keep Christ's salvation. Therefore, God "enables" us (or gives us the grace) to live our lives up to the high standards that earn God's approval. It also suggests that if you aren't living a perfectly sinless life, you aren't truly saved. Can you see how this wrong way of believing causes continual fear and religious torment? Millions of Christians live in this sort of bondage thinking they are serving Christ. The Bible teaches that nobody lives a perfectly sinless life. That's why the sinless and spotless Son of God died in our place. It took the power of Christ's perfectly righteous and sinless life to pay the price for sin. That means we can't pay this price, in full or in part. Attempting to live a sinless life to earn God's favor will always fail to satisfy His requirements. If we believe that our justification depends on our efforts (rests on our shoulders) rather than on Christ's blood, one forgotten sin is enough to condemn us, canceling the blessing of eternal life. That's why it took the perfect and spotless Lamb of God to pay the price that eternally eliminated the sin problem for us.
The apostle Paul calls the practice of teaching the "enablement" kind of grace, "handling the Word of God deceitfully" (2 Cor. 4:2). It turns Christ's Gospel of Grace on its head and subtly reinstates the Law (after God removed it) into the requirements for new covenant salvation. Yet, it is still technically called "grace". Never make the mistake of thinking that both of these definitions of "grace" apply to the obtaining of eternal life under the new covenant. They don't. We will discover that redefining God's Grace is the same sort of tactic the Judaizers used against the new inexperienced Christians under Paul's care. There's really no difference except for the names of the players. This is why we need to look deep under the doctrinal surface when we hear Christian ministers claim that they preach a message based on "Grace". We must remember that the true Biblical meaning of God's Grace is a "high value" target that can only be eliminated by replacing it with a counterfeit. For this reason, a lot of dangerous and misleading church teachings hide behind the label of "Grace".
To give our readers a chance of making sense of this material, we use the term "reformed theology" in a very general way throughout this commentary. Some readers may think that we're improperly "painting this subject with a wide brush". During the last 500 years, this "general term" is now subtly associated with hundreds of other different theological doctrines (that may not appear to be related) spread across all the major Christian denominations. It's not our intention to misrepresent anyone's personal beliefs.
Today, reformed theology, in one form or another, can be found in almost everything with a "Christian" label. Its roots go all the way back to the early days of church history. Some Christians refer to it as "historic Christianity". Certain traditions and beliefs can be traced back to 500 A.D. to an influential spiritual leader within the Roman Catholic Church named Augustine. However, if we study our Bible carefully, we will see that the beginning of this doctrine extends all the way back to the first century church (30-90 A.D.) and was taught by those who opposed the apostle Paul. Remember that nearly half of the New Testament section of our Bible is comprised of Paul's teachings that reveal Christ's new covenant. This commentary examines the roots of a false theology that started between the crucifixion of Christ and the beginning of the ministry of the apostle Paul. If we understand the roots of this belief and how it started, we might have a better chance of seeing what it looks like today. There are many good and sincere men and women in the ministry that embrace this wrong doctrine. Unfortunately, trusted teachers and professors that taught its principles in seminary or Bible school laid their “spiritual foundation” in reformed theology. Once your foundation is firmly laid in this theological system, you rarely get free. It becomes the "filter" that you use to interpret God's Word. I am not attacking anyone's sincerity or good intentions in this article. Yet, my comments may be a "bitter pill to swallow" if you are a committed believer in this popular method of interpreting the Bible. It is not my goal to do a detailed study of church history.
As I watched the confusion caused by reformed theology for many years, I sought to find some way to identify it. It commonly operates by stealth across all denominational lines regardless of the name on the church building or the popularity of the pastor. Remember that popularity and ministry ordination never equates to the preaching of truth. All forms and denominational "offshoots" of reformed theology have three major characteristics:
- It opposes (often with hostility) a "dispensational" or literal interpretation of Scripture.
- As a result of Israel's sin when they crucified Jesus Christ, reformed theology teaches that God has "replaced" Israel with "the Church". This results in transferring things that were previously associated with Israel under the old covenant--to "the Church" under the new covenant. For these reasons, it commonly refers to Christian believers as "spiritual Jews" or "true Jews". A modern name for this practice (found within reformed theology) is "replacement theology". The Bible keeps the kingdom dispensation of Israel under the old covenant and the dispensation of the mostly Gentile Church under Christ's new covenant, separated. However, this theology carelessly mixes them together. Those who hold to reformed theology believes that there are, and have always been, only one people of God. They believe that Israel was the "Church" in the Old Testament and what the apostle Paul calls "the Church" in the New Testament is the "new Israel". God's directives and provisions to Israel in the Old Testament are wrongly "spiritualized" and transferred to the Church in the New Testament because of Israel's sin of unbelief and rejection of their Messiah.
- Reformed theology subtly mixes the works associated with the Mosaic Law of the Old Testament given only to the Jews, with New Testament Grace promised to the gentiles. It mixes these two religious covenants into "ONE MESSAGE", rather than keeping them separate. This "mixed doctrine" and "one message" is the way a majority of Christian churches (regardless of their label or denomination) teach it today.
As we will see, the apostle Paul, who authored nearly half of the New Testament Scriptures, condemned this practice (regardless of its name) using the strongest and most insulting words of his time. Paul was so angered by the adherents of this belief system that he pronounced a curse on all those who teach it (Galatians 1:8-9) and he warned one church fellowship that they were "bewitched" by it! (Galatians 3:1). This mixing together of the dispensation of Law with the dispensation of Grace (Remember that both dispensations are recorded in our Bible) has caused havoc within the modern Christian church. I know how both sides think. Many years ago, I believed a form of reformation theology taught by a fundamentalist Baptist and a fundamentalist Presbyterian Church. I later had other encounters with this doctrine from two different "Charismatic" churches. My Heavenly Father has since taught me to consider this theology a very dangerous Bible interpretation method that you have to desire, with all your heart, to be free from. However, I am persuaded that you can still be legitimately and authentically "saved" under its tenants. You can read more on this subject at: http://www.rockofoffence.com/covtheo.html
Brother, your questions are not easy to answer. Writers many times suffer from a form of "myopia". They know perfectly what they're trying to say and wrongly assume the reader has the same understanding. That's why you can write something and two readers will interpret it two different ways. Your questions are not easily answered because they involve a doctrinal conflict that's been raging since the time of the first century church. I refer to this conflict as, "The Stealth War Against The Truth of the Gospel". Both Jesus and the apostle Paul lost their lives fighting this war. Yet, their opponents, greater in number and influence multiplied and lived on. The conflict still rages today and is no closer to being resolved than it was 2000 years ago. Countless debates, angry confrontations, church splits and hundreds of books written to address the subject failed to bring an end to this sometimes bitter disagreement. Many denominations that exist today, teach different things about the Bible simply because they cannot agree on these divisive issues. If anything, the situation is getting worse rather than better as the return of our Lord Jesus draws near. Paul, and those who labored with him, fought this war without winning the battle.
Today, the doctrine Paul fought is the dominant "theology" in the modern church. Protestants, Catholics, Pentecostals, Charismatics and Independents all have their own unique versions of this doctrine, which is considered "fundamental teaching" in most church groups. For this reason, my reply needs to be somewhat lengthy. Bear with me as I lay a "minimal" foundation for my answers, which may seem overly repetitive and abrasive at times. I need to lay this foundation so that you will understand some of the Scriptures on which I base my comments. This commentary is not easy reading. Several friends have told me that I tend to write "over their heads". This is not my intention. I'm not trying to impress anyone. My desire is to write in a way that is understandable. Yet, I cannot see any other way to express my thoughts and address certain issues. I may publish these comments on the Rock of Offence website (leaving out your name) because I know that many other believers are asking the same questions and never getting the right answer. Because I do not know you, I can't assume anything. Yet, I can only go so far with my answers and in some cases the answers will raise even more questions. We can divert onto a thousand different tangents during this study, so I try to stay focused on some basics. Due to the complexity and anger this subject creates, I will not engage in an endless debate with anyone. I've been trapped in these things before and they never bear any good fruit. All I hope to do is give you my view of these issues as "food for thought". It is then up to you to pray and ask our Father to show you the truth if you have problems with what I say. All believers in Christ need to become "truth seekers". Truth seekers must personally research the Scriptures for answers--so that their faith is based on their own understanding of God's Word and not on the traditions of their church or denomination. However, obtaining truth and getting to this place of independence (while keeping some level of humility) at the same time is a difficult task. When you get to that place, no preacher, denomination or church organization will be able to put you under religious bondage again. God wants us to live in this area of independence and freedom (John 8:32,36). However, many churches go out of their way to make us dependent on their teaching and place us in bondage to their religious beliefs.
Let's Get Started
Paul made some direct and offensive comments to a fellowship of believers in Galatians 2:4-5...
"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you."
Paul's words reveal something rarely taught in a church service. Many Christians and church leaders preach Christ, not for the purpose of liberty, but for the purpose of spiritual enslavement (Acts 20:29-30 Rom. 16:18). Paul called them "false brethren" (or "false believers in Christ"--remember these are Paul's words and not mine). Don't make the mistake of "assuming" that you already know the identity of these "false believers". They are known by totally different names today than they were in Paul's time and they exist in large numbers within our own ranks. I'm making these opening comments because we need to understand the highly volatile and dangerous spiritual battlefield if we are going to understand the format of the New Testament and properly answer your questions.
Question #1: I need clarification on two important topics. Firstly, In view of what we know about Justification by Faith alone (Romans 4:1-4). How do we reconcile James view (James 2:24) on Justification with Paul's doctrine.
On my website I have a page dedicated to the New Covenant found at: http://www.rockofoffence.com/wcov.html
One of the most important revelations I received from the Bible is the importance of a blood covenant in God's interaction with the human race. I learned that when God wanted to change the nature of His relationship with us in the Bible, He always started "a new blood covenant" that changed the rules that existed in the previous or old covenant. If you read my free eBook, "Mystery of the Faith", at the link above, I cover the institution of the blood covenant, its history, how the modern church distorts it, and how God designed it to work. If you do a Greek and Hebrew word study on the term "Testament" (as used in the titles that divide our Bible, Old Testament and New Testament) you will discover that the word "testament" means, "covenant". To keep things as brief as possible in this commentary, I will only deal with the two major blood covenants of the Bible--The old covenant (or Old Testament) and the new covenant (or New Testament). The old covenant was initiated at Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:1-8) using imperfect sacrificial animal blood. It almost totally dominated the Old Testament Scriptures of our Bible. The new covenant was initiated at Christ's crucifixion using his own "perfect and precious blood" (Luke 22:20 & 1 Cor. 11:25). It totally dominated ONLY THAT PART of what we call "The New Testament" from the day of Pentecost following Christ's crucifixion--onward. Five things had to happen before the new covenant could go into effect: Christ's death, burial, resurrection, ascension--and the promised coming of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost to indwell believers. All five of those things occurred within a period of 50 days of Christ's crucifixion. The new covenant was not in operation before Christ died at Calvary.
"Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:20 NKJV)
Most Christians wrongly think that the new covenant (New Testament) started in Matthew chapter 1, because that's where the Bible scholars that assembled our English translation of the Scriptures began the account. Few seem to realize that the old covenant continued from the last pages of Malachi straight into the opening pages of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Remember that our English Bible today is a "translation" of God's Word that He preserved in the ancient languages of Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. The opening pages of our Bible tell us plainly that it is a "translation". For example, the King James Version of the Bible says on its title page....
"Translated out of the original tongues and with previous translations diligently compared and revised."
This is why the early Bible scholars like Dr. Robert Young, Dr. James Strong and others worked their entire lives (remember--they didn't have computers in those days) to provide exhaustive Greek & Hebrew Lexicons--so that serious students of the Bible could easily link English words with the original definitions of their ancient language counterparts. The early translators knew that English was an inaccurate language--and this fact threatened the integrity of God's Word. They feared (and rightly so) that important meanings of words, phrases and subtle Jewish idioms would get lost or misunderstood. Most believers and church leaders today don't make the effort to cross-reference the English words. This is why so many wrong teachings exist, which claim to be based on Scripture. Bible scholars and translators assembled the text from ancient manuscripts into an easily readable English form (now other languages are also available) consisting of books, chapters and verses. The original ancient manuscripts were not organized in this manner.
Many of us fail to see that the initial "gospel accounts" of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (that contain the record of the earthly ministry of Christ) are providing a "TRANSITION" for the reader from the religious system of the old covenant that was in force BEFORE Christ's crucifixion--to the religious system of the new covenant that came into authority FOLLOWING Christ's crucifixion. The Scriptures tell us that one of the missions of Jesus Christ was to "fulfill" the law of the old covenant (Matt. 5:17). Once this old covenant is fulfilled, it can then be replaced with a better covenant (Read Hebrews 7:22 & 8:6). The literal words "Old Testament and New Testament" should alert us that something old was being replaced with something new. Yet misleading and popular types of "theology" that are taught in denominations and church organizations are designed to convince us that the new covenant is just an extension of the old--and that both still equally apply (the "ONE MESSAGE" view of reformed theology). In the business world, when a corporation initiates a "new" contract with a client, everyone immediately understands that the terms found in a preexisting "old" contract may not apply anymore. So...when we open our Bibles to the New Testament, we see elements of both the old covenant and the new covenant. If you fail to understand that part of the New Testament Scriptures in our Bible involves a "TRANSITION" between these two administrations of God (from the old covenant to the new covenant)--you will wrongly think that it's all part of only ONE MESSAGE--when it's actually a transition between TWO DIFFERENT MESSAGES that are directed at two different groups of people.
The Danger of Ignoring Context
The abuse and neglect of Biblical context, especially over the differences between the old and new covenants, are found at the root of all false doctrine--especially the ones that plagued the apostle Paul. Jewish idioms and other "cultural" terms used in ancient Israel is another difficulty facing the average believer reading the Bible. I can't spend the time looking at the many examples in the Scriptures that warn us about this problem. Jesus used Jewish idioms in his teachings and parables. Modern Christians in Western countries reading an English translation of the Bible fail to understand many of these sayings since their meaning is hidden in Jewish culture. In order to save time, I will cover three of the most abused and misunderstood instances involving context issues. There are many more. Covering the subject of "idioms" would take a whole book--and we won't address those issues in this commentary.
First, in the Greek language of the New Testament the general English word "salvation" is related to the Greek word "sozo". Sozo has three distinct and separate "sub-parts" with different meanings for each one. Simply understood, these parts are: Salvation of the spirit, salvation of the soul, and salvation of the body. God created us as "three part beings". All of us have a spirit, a soul and a body--we won't go into a detailed study of these things at this time. For this reason, God's salvation deals with each of these "parts" in a different way. When the new covenant declares that eternal life is the gift of God (Romans 6:23), it is describing "salvation of the spirit"--or that part of God's salvation that affects only the "spirit" part of our makeup. God imparts eternal life to our "spirit" as a gift--it is His response to our faith in Christ. When Paul admonishes us to "work out our own salvation in fear and trembling" (Phil. 2:12), he is describing "salvation of the soul"--which requires us to renew our minds, soberly commit ourselves to God's calling, and order our life to be in alignment with His Word. This involves obedience and takes much hard work and effort on our part. If you doubt the sacrifice involved, ask anyone who decides to obey his or her "call" to the ministry. The "soul" part of our makeup is commonly understood as our mind, will and emotions. The "salvation of the body" is a future event, which occurs when Jesus returns at the end of the age and gives us a new "spiritual body" (1 Cor. 15:50-55). Our English Bibles don't properly explain these "sub-parts" and combines them under the general English word "salvation". As a result of not knowing how the Greek language deals with this issue, believers are persuaded by their churches who wrongly teach that eternal life or "salvation" must be "worked out" with fear and trembling" because this is what Saint Paul said in the New Testament. Yet in Paul's epistles, he repeatedly warned that this common belief, which adds works as a requirement to obtain eternal life is false. You can't get to heaven without having the "[sozo] salvation of the spirit". However, failing to do the work to renew your mind and order your life according to God's Word will retard your relationship with God while on earth--but it can never take heaven (part of God's gift) away from you. This seemingly minor issue of context concerning the word "salvation" has produced some very misleading and hurtful doctrines and countless bitter arguments in the church.
Next, Jesus taught that we must forgive others so that God will forgive us (Mark 11:25-26). Jesus clearly made this statement and we can read his exact words to confirm what He said. I've heard this teaching commonly applied to the New Testament Church because it's found in the New Testament section of our Bible. God's forgiveness is one of the most important parts of our salvation. It's impossible to have eternal life without also possessing God's total forgiveness. They are eternally tied together. If you receive what Jesus said here without applying any discernment of its context, you must conclude that Paul was incorrect (or worse, that he accidentally left something out) when he later said that eternal life was God's gift to you. Why? Because Jesus plainly said that our act of forgiving others is a requirement to obtain God's forgiveness (which also carries direct implications to our possession of eternal life). If we don't forgive others God won't forgive us--and eternal life will be denied or it can be lost once we have it. This kind of reasoning presents us with a serious problem. It says that God's gift "maybe" isn't a gift at all because our efforts to forgive everyone and to continually remain in that condition must come first. It suggests that only when I meet this condition of forgiving others am I qualified to receive (and keep) God's gift. What if I forget someone or hold a small piece of unforgiveness that I'm not aware of? Can I ever be sure that I've forgiven everyone over my entire lifetime so that God won't disqualify me from having eternal life? Answer: No you can't, and that's the problem. You can never have a 100% assurance of salvation if you fail to respect the context of Scripture in this example. What's the answer to this dilemma? Jesus made this statement under the authority of the old covenant. How can we say this? The new covenant was not in force when Jesus said these words--even though this story is recorded in the New Testament section of our Bible. Very few Christians take note of this important Biblical rule of context. Ignoring this rule mutilates (the apostle Paul uses the word "perverts") God's original intention of the New Testament Scriptures. Remember that the new covenant doesn't begin until AFTER Christ sheds his blood at the crucifixion. God never projects new covenant principles backward in time before it has authority. The old covenant and the new covenant represent sequential "dispensations" or ages. One begins where the other one ends. The old covenant remains in force until the new one starts. It's actually very simple to understand. But, a majority of preachers and individual Christians continue to deny this simple "rule of context". God's forgiveness is handled a totally different way under Christ's new and better covenant. Under its new "Law of the Spirit of life in Christ" (Romans 8:2), Christ's blood paid the entire price to obtain God's forgiveness--He then FREELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY GAVE IT TO US. Listen to the new covenant version of what Jesus said:
"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do." (Col. 3:12-13)
Notice that under the new covenant we are to forgive others because CHRIST HAS ALREADY FORGIVEN US. Under Christ's new blood covenant, FORGIVENESS ALREADY BELONGS TO US UNCONDITIONALLY. Yet, that doesn't release us from forgiving others. It means that our ability to obtain God's forgiveness (and eternal life that is directly connected to it) is not hindered by any unforgiveness we may be harboring at the time. Meditate on this Scripture until it sets you free. Jesus and Paul are both correct because they are giving a different "covenant message" to different people under different dispensations. Your task is to discern which covenant you currently live under. YOU DO NOT LIVE UNDER BOTH...even though both are recorded and documented in our Bible.
My last example goes hand-in-hand with the subject of God's forgiveness. As a teenager some 40 years ago, I repeatedly witnessed to my Grandmother about the need to put her faith in Jesus for salvation. She was an elderly bedfast woman who loved and read the Bible for hours each day. She put me to shame by having whole sections of Scripture memorized. She kept the Bible on the nightstand by her bed and claimed to love God with all her heart. However, when I mentioned her need to receive Jesus, she always argued with me. She told me, "Years ago when I was going to church, my pastor told me that all I needed to do was keep the Ten Commandments and I would be alright". She would then quote from the Bible, where the rich young ruler came to Jesus asking how to receive eternal life--and Jesus answered him, "Keep the commandments." (Matt. 19:16-19). Years later she died and, to this day, I don't know if she made this crucial decision. If she followed her convictions, she was trusting in her obedience to the Ten Commandments (the old covenant way) rather than the redemption that Christ's blood freely provides under our "new and living way" (Heb. 10:19-20). Today, a frightening number of Christians are on this exact same destructive path. This is troubling because her pastor, who should have known better, taught her wrong. He was wrong because he ignored the Bible's context concerning the two different covenants found within its pages. Under the old covenant, Jesus clearly taught that eternal life came as a result of obedience to the commandments (part of the Mosaic Law). This is what Jesus referred to when he told this young man to "keep the commandments"--and Jesus was correct at the time this was said. However, the principles that govern forgiveness and eternal life CHANGED when the new and better covenant began FOLLOWING Christ's crucifixion a few years later.
"But now hath he (Jesus) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second." (Hebrews 8:6-7)
Under the new and better covenant established on the precious blood of Jesus Christ, eternal life is given as the "gift of God" resulting from faith in Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9-10). This story is both an example of how easy it is to get the context of the Bible wrong--and a warning of how these things can cause us to miss heaven, while tricking us into believing we're "right with God". Our churches are filled to overflowing with people who have this false assurance.
These three illustrations represent only a mere fraction of the problems caused by misinterpreting idioms and failing to respect the context of God's Word. This practice has caused untold misery, suffering and even death down through church history. It has destroyed the true message of salvation and liberty in Christ. Certain popular variants of reformed theology are guilty of these distortions. They do serious damage to the integrity of God's Word by redefining the original Biblical context involving two distinct covenant messages--and teach instead that God's Word has only one message. When we stand before our Lord, we will understand the magnitude of the unintended eternal consequences caused by these wrong practices.
Special Notes For Readers:
Important Subjects We Can't Cover In Detail
At the beginning of this commentary, we stated our desire to keep things as simple as possible by avoiding complex “side issues” that might discourage readers. However, we need to make some brief comments about four important topics that can't be given the time they deserve.
Topic #1: Types of Biblical Information
Both the Old and New Testaments found in our Bible generally contain four different categories of information: Prophetic, historical, cultural and covenant law. Covenant laws are those principles and rules that govern a particular "covenant". These principles (or laws) are given by God to explain how He will interact with the group of people that commit themselves under a particular covenant. When we say that principles of the old covenant is replaced by the principles of the new covenant of Christ, we are only referring to the "covenant law" part, which happens to agree with what the Bible says about itself. The old covenant (Old Testament) remains relevant on its prophetic, historical and cultural aspects. Yet, its "old covenant law" content has been replaced (the Bible uses the word "abolished") with the newer and better "law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" for all New Testament believers.
Topic #2: The Believer's Position "In Christ"
A proper understanding of Christ’s new covenant cannot be obtained without discovering, not only how it works, but the way that our Heavenly Father views the believer following the cross. This truth is crucial for all those involved in “The Stealth War”.
You can find this information at: http://www.rockofoffence.com/posinchrist.html
(Note: We will also make this commentary available in the appendix of the book version of "The Stealth War")
Topic #3: Confusing The Kingdom of Israel and The Church
Reformed theology distorts the new covenant by merging the kingdom of Israel and the New Testament Church together where the Church becomes "The New Israel". God’s Word keeps these two groups separated. This wrong belief is practiced and taught in various different ways (depending on how it’s interpreted by your pastor or denomination). It leads many Christians astray in their faith. Some church ministries blatantly teach this theology while others quietly mix it into new covenant principles. It causes confusion and spiritual bondage, which is why the apostle Paul opposed it. Here is the root belief: Israel is permanently replaced in God’s program with the New Testament Church as His punishment for crucifying their Messiah. This is a mainstream belief in the modern Christian church. The apostle Paul spent a reasonable amount of time correcting this wrong belief that started to appear among gentile believers in Christ in the first century. He began a detailed response to this problem in Romans Chapter 11 when he said (speaking of Israel), “"I say then, has God cast away His people? Certainly not! For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not cast away His people whom He foreknew." (Romans 11:1-2).
Understanding that the Kingdom of Israel and the New Testament Church are totally separate and unique entities is a key to properly interpreting the New Testament Scriptures. It is also the key to properly understanding how the events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ unfold. When we speak of the old covenant ending (the Bible uses the word "abolished") and the new covenant beginning, we are saying this only in reference to the current dispensation of the New Testament Church. The apostle Paul tells believers in his epistle to the Thessalonians about a future time where Jesus himself will appear in the clouds and call his Church out of the earth.
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Thess. 4:16-18)
When this event occurs, the dispensation of the New Testament Church in existence for nearly 2000 years will end on earth. The Age of Grace will end. Many believers are wrongly taught that this event is the Second Coming of Christ. However, when you read all the Scriptures IN CONTEXT involving end-time events, you find that the “catching up of believers to meet Christ in the air” actually precedes Christ’s Second Coming. What we understand as "The Second Coming of Christ" actually occurs in 2 phases separated by approximately 7 years. As far as the New Testament Church is concerned, the old covenant is abolished and is permanently replaced with the new covenant of Christ.
God's Parentheses--A Key To Understanding
The New Covenant
There is a piece of unfinished business that God has with Israel following the departure of the New Testament Church. This remaining 7-year period between what Paul calls the “catching away of believers” and the Second Coming is a time known to Bible scholars as “Jacob's Trouble”. It’s also known as “The Tribulation Period” and "The Day of the Lord". It is a time when God will complete His judgment on Israel for the horrible sin of crucifying their Messiah. In order to complete this judgment, God will temporarily allow the old covenant to pick up where it was cut off when the Church Age started at Christ's crucifixion. This temporary resumption of the law only lasts for the remaining 7-year tribulation period. When Jesus Christ physically returns at the end of the Tribulation, the old covenant will permanently end. This reinstatement of old covenant law must occur because the sin of Israel was committed under the old covenant. As a result of the temporary reinstatement of the Law, THE JEWISH TEMPLE MUST AND WILL BE REBUILT. This project is currently underway. It is confirmed that Israel has all the parts for this structure ready to be assembled. With modern technology, the rebuilding can be accomplished in a matter of a few months. Old covenant law cannot be reinstated without the physical Temple. This is one “legal” reason why God removes the Church, who is declared to be God’s Temple under the new covenant of Christ (1 Cor. 3:16, 1 Cor. 6:19). During the Tribulation, God will extend salvation to those who repent and will utterly destroy those who will not. Remember that the Age of Grace, which draws its authority from the new covenant, "temporarily" ends with the departure of the Church. Major judgment (also known as God’s wrath and "sudden destruction") follows on the heels of this event. The Bible tells us that this is an intense period of destruction and devastation never experienced before by the human race. This “Tribulation” only applies to Israel and the unbelieving gentile world that rejected Christ. It has nothing to do with the New Testament Church that joyfully received Christ and placed their trust in Him. For this reason, God Himself removes the Church, before the judgment arrives (1 Thess. 5:9).
End-time events can be confusing to those of us who have difficulty observing Scriptural context, which lies at the root of all wrong theology in the church. Endless debates and heated arguments are currently raging over these issues, which is why we won't cover them in this commentary due to their complexity. Some Bible scholars correctly refer to the Church Age as a “spiritual parentheses” (or a pause) in God’s agenda with Israel. Here's an example. Countless number of times I will be working on some task around the house when my wife asks me to do something for her. I stop work, attend to what my wife asked me to do, then resume my work by picking up where I left off. Everyone has this same experience in one way or another. Why is it so impossible to understand that God does the same thing? Again, theologians call it a "parentheses", or an interruption in God's program with Israel. It's important to know that during this “parentheses” (that has lasted nearly 2000 years) God does not reject Israel, but He does set them aside while He calls out a specific number of gentiles (a group the Bible refers to as The Church, the Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ). When this specific number of gentles is reached (only God knows the exact number), He removes the Church at an "appointed time" and reinstates Israel into His old covenant program again for the purpose of judging them for sin and saving a remnant. Both James and Paul speaks of this “spiritual parentheses” involving the temporary “blinding” of Israel and the “taking out of a people” from among the gentiles:
"And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name." (Acts 15:13-14)
"For I do not desire, brethren, that you 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. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins." (Words of Paul from Romans 11:25-27)
One of the major "prophetic markers" that prove we have entered the very last days of the “end times” is the return of Israel among the nations of the world after being dispersed for nearly 2000 years. This process began in 1948 and was completed in 1967 when Israel regained control of the city of Jerusalem. Even unbelieving historians say that this event is a miracle beyond belief. Israel had to be reinstated to finish God’s plan that will reach a climax at Christ’s Second coming. Most preachers today are trained under the tenants of reformed theology. This is why most modern-day Christians and many preachers are in denial about the importance of national Israel in God’s prophetic program. It's also why they cannot see the signs that warn us about the nearness of the departure of the Church and the Second Coming of Christ that occurs seven years later. We are told to watch for these events.
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; AND UNTO THOSE THAT LOOK FOR HIM SHALL HE APPEAR THE SECOND TIME without sin unto salvation." (Heb 9:28 KJV)
These issues, especially recognizing the Church Age as "God's parentheses", have a direct impact on our understanding of the new covenant and how God is now quickly moving to close out the Church Age. If you’re someone who hasn’t trusted Christ under the new covenant of Grace, time is running out and the door is closing.
Additional information on these topics at Rock of Offence:
The Pretribulational Departure of the Church
(http://www.rockofoffence.com/whpretrib.html)
Why the Rapture of the Church is not
The Second Coming of Christ (from Tyndale Seminary)
(http://www.rockofoffence.com/64reasons.htm)
The Old Covenant Of Israel And
The New Covenant Of The Gentiles
When you examine the old covenant that began on Mount Sinai, you discover that God "exclusively" made this agreement with only one group of people--the Israelites (also known in the Scriptures as "the circumcision" and "the twelve tribes of Israel"). Simply understood--the word "circumcision", as used in the New Testament part of our Bibles, refers to a specific race of people (in this case it is the Jewish race) seeking righteousness through obedience to the commandments of God found in the Law of Moses (the Mosaic Law). Please remember this definition. Words like "circumcision" are confusing for the average reader, but it gives us important clues as to the structure of God's Word. The new covenant, however, is NOT an agreement made "exclusively" with any one race and was designed with TOTALLY DIFFERENT LAWS. The new covenant grants righteousness and justification BY A FAITH IN CHRIST ONLY (or Grace, also understood as the unmerited favor of God)--and not by any performance or works connected to Old Testament law as was found under the old covenant system. The old covenant sought righteousness BY A FAITH THROUGH WORKS associated with the Law. Each covenant has its own unique type of "faith". The type of faith "through works" can never obtain the same things that the type of faith "through Christ alone" can obtain. This is what concerns me the most about reformed theology; it persuades Christians to practice a type of "faith in Christ plus works" to obtain and keep eternal life, yet wrongly calls it "faith in Christ". For this reason a vast majority of modern Christians possess the wrong kind of faith for the new dispensation (covenant) they currently live under. The New Testament warns that there are clear unintended and dangerous consequences to this practice.
"What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone. As it is written: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 9:30-33)
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Gal. 2:16)
"I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." (Gal. 2:21)
"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace." (Gal. 5:4)
These Scriptures contain references to the old way righteousness was sought under the old covenant (works of the law) and the "new way" righteousness is obtained now under the new covenant (by belief or faith in Christ only).
Many of us tend to gloss over certain confusing New Testament words. If we don't spend the time to learn what is being said, we can easily go in the wrong spiritual direction, while thinking we're following the teachings of the Bible. Our Bible is divided into two parts: The Old Testament and The New Testament. In the book of Genesis, we are introduced to Abraham, who is the "Father" of Israel. Abraham and his offspring, Isaac and Jacob (who was later renamed "Israel"), was the original "seed" of the nation of Israel. God designed the Old Testament and its religious laws to be focused on this tiny group that would later be called "God's chosen people".
The Abrahamic covenant (discussed in the book of Genesis), which introduces the practice of "circumcision", along with the Law of Moses that was later formalized at Mount Sinai, provides the foundation for the Old Testament religion of the Jews. We know it today as Judaism. While some may disagree on these facts, the Bible teaches that the religion of the Jews was exclusively "Jewish". This means that it was "racially restricted" to only the Israelites as the "seed of Abraham". The Old Testament tells us that certain "non-Jewish" individuals, such as Ruth and Rahab (the harlot), were received into the Jewish religion because of their exceptional faith in God. Their inclusion, however, should never be viewed as proof that the religion of the Old Testament was open to all races of the world. It was not. Because of the Abrahamic covenant practice of "circumcision", the Jews that kept their traditional "Old Testament religion" are commonly referred to in the New Testament as "the circumcision". Both of these terms, "the Jews" and "the circumcision", are expressions that identify the same group of people.
Beginning in the New Testament book of Acts, we see another group of people, who become the focus of the ministry of Saint Paul. This group is "the Gentiles". Paul declared himself to be "the apostle to the Gentiles". It should be noted that this term is also associated with other names, such as "the uncircumcision" and "the Greek". The New Testament uses phrases like, "Jew" and "the circumcision" interchangeably--and does the same thing with "Gentiles", "the uncircumcision" and "the Greek". The word "uncircumcision" describes ALL PEOPLES OF THE EARTH THAT DO NOT PRACTICE the Old Testament religion of the Jews. This word carries an opposite meaning to "circumcision". Occasionally, the Bible uses the word "heathen" to describe the Gentiles. It is important to know that under Old Testament Law, the "heathen" (Gentiles) are considered an unclean part of humanity that was denied access to the covenants and Law of God. Because of this Divinely "denied access", the "heathen" were "without hope and without God". During Old Testament times, Israel alone had these spiritual privileges. When Paul came along preaching the new covenant Gospel of Christ to the Gentiles, it greatly offended Old Testament Jews who still believed that only Israel could have a covenant relationship with God. This is why heated arguments and even citywide riots commonly occurred whenever Christ's new covenant was preached in the New Testament.
It's important to understand what the terms, "the circumcision" (Jews) and "the uncircumcision” (Gentiles), mean in the New Testament. These terms have both a "racial" and a "religious" connotation. When the term, "circumcision" is used, it is referring exclusively to Jewish people as the offspring of Abraham, who remain devoted to Old Testament religion. The next thing we're about to say is an invaluable key to properly understanding the New Testament. When the word "Gentile" is used, it is referring to ALL RACES OF THE EARTH, WHICH ALSO INCLUDES ANY JEWISH PERSON WHO CHOOSES NOT TO BE UNDER THEIR TRADITIONAL OLD TESTAMENT RELIGION. Under the new covenant, all previous racial limitations on a person's access to God are removed. You no longer need to be Jewish in order to enjoy a relationship with God. Through the sacrifice of Christ, salvation is now available to everyone who places his or her trust in Him. No form of class superiority, racial or otherwise, is allowed to deny anyone access to God's gift of eternal life. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. The crucifixion of Jesus changed all the previous rules so that everyone in the world, regardless of race, could partake of the blessing. Under the new covenant, "whosoever" believes the Gospel (or trusts their spiritual well-being to the Christ's new covenant) becomes "one in Christ". Christ is now their "new race". The New Testament calls such a person, "a new creature in Christ".
God did not leave Israel out of the new covenant that He gave to the Gentiles through Paul's ministry. Yet, He did demand that they radically change their religious beliefs to properly align themselves with Christ's new spiritual principles of Grace. In the coming pages, we will see the difficulties that Peter, a devoted Jew and an original disciple of Christ, faced when God literally forced him to make these painful changes that conflicted with his previously held Old Testament beliefs. Many Jews chose to fight, rather than leave their cherished traditions. For this reason, Saint Paul was fiercely persecuted for his doctrine, given to him by the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ (Bible theologians call it "The Pauline Revelation). Strangely, the same fate awaits those today who choose to preach Paul's message of Christ's Grace and love, the same way he taught it.
Contrary to popular Christian doctrine, Old Testament religion was limited "racially" to the Jews, while the apostle Paul's new covenant ministry of Grace was extended freely to ALL RACES OF THE WORLD (the Gentiles). God designed The Law of the Old Testament to be exclusively "Jewish", which means that it violates God's Word when we universally attempt to apply it to all racial groups--a popular practice of many modern Christian churches. As we will see, this is why God instructed Paul that the requirements of Old Testament Law is to be removed from the preaching of the new covenant of Christ. This is also why there is two distinct gospel messages found in the New Testament of the Bible. In the pages ahead we will see how one gospel message (originating from the Jerusalem apostles) continues to contain Old Testament Law, WHILE THE GOSPEL MESSAGE THAT JESUS GAVE TO PAUL FOR US (THE GENTILES) TODAY, DOES NOT. These issues of context continue to frustrate the average modern-day Bible student. Most Christians are never taught these things in church, which is why there is so much religious misinformation about the nature of the true Gospel. A proper view of Bible context is the only thing that clears up the confusion.
For these reasons, the old and new covenants of the Bible can never be mixed or merged together as a "one unified message", which is taught under reformed theology. They represent two totally different "religious" systems. One is "Jewish centric under the Mosaic Law" and the other is "Gentile centric under the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ". This is why Paul instructed the first century Church that God's Word must always be "rightly divided", if we are to avoid serious doctrinal error.
Concerning the Gentiles, the apostle Paul taught . . .
"Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh--who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands--that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, HAVING NO HOPE AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD. But now in Christ Jesus YOU WHO ONCE WERE FAR OFF HAVE BEEN BROUGHT NEAR BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST." (Ephesians 2:11-13)
Paul continues this thought by describing how God eliminates certain "class" restrictions from new covenant salvation by saying . . .
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28)
We can now begin to see the two opposing views of the New Testament Scriptures in the church world. The most common view from modern Christian teaching (reformed theology) is that the New Testament has only ONE MESSAGE for all people. However, on a close examination of the Scriptures, we discover that the New Testament part of our Bible contains two different messages for two different "groups" of people (circumcised Jews and uncircumcised gentiles). You are in one group or the other, but not both. That means you have to exercise considerable discernment about "what's being said and to whom". After years of study, I am convinced of the latter perspective; and I reject the popular modern view because the Bible itself does not teach it. Let's look at some Scriptural support for this position.
"Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you." (Luke 22:20 NKJV)
Notice that Jesus uses the term "new covenant" to describe what His crucifixion provides. If it's "new" then it's replacing something that existed previously.
"Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born according to the flesh, and he of the freewoman through promise, which things are symbolic. For these are the two covenants: the one from Mount Sinai which gives birth to bondage, which is Hagar--for this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children--but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all." (Galatians 4:21-26)
Notice that Paul clearly tells us about the "two covenants". The one made exclusively with the "children of Israel" at Mount Sinai that causes bondage--and the other covenant, which sets us free.
"Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:19-22)
Notice that the author of Hebrews uses the term "new and living way" to describe what the blood of Jesus provides. That "new and living way" wasn't available until AFTER Christ's blood was spilled. If it's a "new way" then it's replacing an older way that existed previously.
"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel." (Heb. 12:22-24)
"And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: "The Lord has sworn and will not relent, 'You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek'"), by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant." (Heb. 7:20-22)
Once again, notice that the author of Hebrews in both Scriptures referred to Jesus as the "mediator of the new covenant" and a "surety of a better covenant". If it's a "new covenant" and a "better covenant" then it's replacing an "older covenant" that existed previously.
"But now hath he (Jesus) obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second." (Heb 8:6-7)
Notice that the author of Hebrews refers to the "better covenant established upon better promises". He calls the first covenant (old covenant/Mosaic Law) a covenant that had faults (imperfections) and refers to the "better covenant" (established on the perfect and precious blood of Jesus) as the second covenant.
"In that He 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 NKJV)
The writer of Hebrews brings us to a rational conclusion--even though most modern Christians are taught to ignore it. The second covenant (or new and better covenant) has by nature made the first covenant (or old and faulty covenant) OBSOLETE. When something is obsolete, it becomes invalid. When the second covenant (new covenant) becomes valid, the old covenant is ready to VANISH AWAY. Notice that it is plainly stated that the old covenant and the new covenant DO NOT BOTH REMAIN IN FORCE, as suggested by reformed theology. It says that when the new is established--the old vanishes--is made obsolete and disappears. Remember that the New Testament records the TRANSITION between this old covenant that is "vanishing away" and the new covenant that is taking its place.
Let’s look at two more “witnesses” from the Scriptures:
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: NOT OF WORKS LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; HAVING ABOLISHED IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY, EVEN THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES (old covenant law); for to make in Himself of twain one new man, so making peace..." (Ephesians 2:8-15)
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, HAVING FORGIVEN YOU ALL TRESPASSES; BLOTTING OUT THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES (old covenant law) THAT WAS AGAINST US, which was contrary to us, AND TOOK IT OUT OF THE WAY, NAILING IT TO HIS CROSS..." (Colossians 2:13-14)
Once again, notice the terminology that Paul uses: “Having ABOLISHED IN HIS FLESH…THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS”…and “BLOTTING OUT THE HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES THAT WAS AGAINST US”. Anyone who studies the Bible and interprets its message “literally” can easily see that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ abolished, or “took out of the way”, the commandments of old covenant law. Why? Because that’s what the Bible says in the books of Hebrews, Ephesians and Colossians. When you study these different administrations, you find that the old covenant only “covered sin” with the blood of animal sacrifices. But, the new and better covenant completely washes away ALL our sin (past, present and future) with the precious blood of Jesus. Anyone who insists on mixing these two covenants together into a “one message theology” are actually mixing the blood of animal sacrifices (recorded in the Old Testament section of our Bible) with the precious blood of Christ (recorded in the New Testament section of our Bible). Without knowing it, they have created a theology that they call “the gospel of Christ” into something God considers an abomination. This is why Paul used the most offensive words he could find to describe those who taught this abominable theology. Most modern day believers are told that this message involves the preaching of “the whole Word of God”. Yet, this is just an excuse for their theology that ignores the context of the Bible.
New Testament Structure
The old covenant was in authority from Exodus 24 at Mount Sinai until Jesus fulfilled it by shedding His blood at the crucifixion. Officially, the old covenant ended 50 days later at Pentecost at the same time the new covenant came into power. When Jesus started His earthly ministry, it began under the authority of the old covenant even though this part of His life was recorded in what we understand as the "New Testament" section of our Bibles. The earthly ministry of Jesus Christ existed as a fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures concerning Israel's coming Messiah and the establishment of the Jewish Messianic Kingdom. For Israel's earthly kingdom to continue to exist, it had to have an earthly Messiah. God placed this whole future "kingdom system" on hold when they crucified Jesus. As we said earlier, Bible scholars call this a "spiritual parentheses" or a "Divine pause" in God's program. The Jewish believers asked Jesus an important question on the day He ascended: "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" And He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority." (Acts 1:6) Notice that Jesus did not say, "Yes". He told them that it was not for them to know the time. The "restoration of the kingdom to Israel" is a future event. The beginning of this "kingdom restoration" has started with the reestablishment of the nation of Israel in 1948. Yet, most reformed theology preachers wrongly insist that "the New Testament Church" is the restoration of this kingdom that Jesus spoke of in Acts 1:6. They believe that national Israel has no place in God's end time agenda. This wrong belief leads many believers astray in their faith.
Since the crucifixion of Jesus was predicted hundreds of years before the cross by the Old Testament prophets, God was already one step ahead. We now know that Christ's death not only satisfied Old Testament prophecy and fulfilled the Mosaic Law but, at the same time, it ended the reign of the old covenant and initiated the "newer and better covenant" mentioned in the book of Hebrews. All of these major events occurred through Christ's one sacrifice. Concerning this "sleight of hand" maneuver that God performed against Satan, Paul gives us an important insight....
"But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: Which none of the princes of this world knew: FOR HAD THEY KNOWN IT, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE CRUCIFIED THE LORD OF GLORY." (1 Cor 2:7-8)
From Paul's words we can see that the specific details of God's new covenant could not have been taught before Christ's crucifixion. If the new covenant had been taught to anyone, Satan would have known of God's plans. He would have known that crucifying Jesus would bring an end to his earthly reign of spiritual death (another name for the old covenant is the "law of sin and death" Rom. 8:1-3). Except for some prophetic glimpses into the future, Jesus didn't fully reveal the new covenant before His crucifixion and His disciples didn't teach it. This perspective runs contrary to a majority of popular teachings found within reformed theology. Jesus clearly told His disciples before His crucifixion that He didn't tell them everything (John 16:12-15). He said that it would be the Holy Spirit's job later to lead them INTO ALL TRUTH when He arrived to indwell believers on the day of Pentecost. Jesus gave the full revelation (known by Bible scholars as "The Pauline Revelation") of the new covenant to one man: The apostle Paul. Paul said it had not been revealed to anyone before him (Rom. 16:25-27, Eph. 3:1-6). Paul later said that he visited the 12 apostles in Jerusalem to teach them the gospel message Jesus gave to him--and not the other way around! (Gal. 2:1-2) When God first called Paul, He transported him to the third heaven (part of the "The Pauline Revelation") where Jesus personally gave him the gospel he was to preach (2 Cor. 12:2-4, Gal. 1:11-12).
When you think about it...this answers an important question: Why didn't Jesus just send Paul down to the 12 apostles in Jerusalem and allow them to teach him the gospel? Why send him on a special heavenly trip? There's really only one answer: The "new covenant gospel message" that Paul received from Jesus in heaven was not the same as the "Kingdom gospel message", which Jesus entrusted, while He was still on earth, to the 12 apostles in Jerusalem. The Kingdom Gospel message under the old covenant is directed at circumcised Jews--Paul's new covenant gospel message is directed at uncircumcised gentiles (remember that the word "gentile" is an all-inclusive racial term that also includes any Israelite that wanted to participate). Both gospel messages came from Jesus Christ but were designed for different groups of people. The Kingdom Gospel message was directly associated with the obedience requirements of the Mosaic Law. This is why you see all the references to "righteousness by works" in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John (most noticeably in Matthew). The new covenant gospel message of Grace (God's unmerited favor) operated by "faith in Christ only" (a faith that was validated only by the confession of the mouth). The old covenant "works" requirement of the Mosaic Law no longer applied under the new covenant. God's Word tells us that the new covenant is a "better covenant". The law of the new covenant is called "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ", which brings freedom. The law of the old covenant is called "the law of sin and death", which brings bondage. Jesus forever ended Satan's reign through the old covenant "law of sin and death".
"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh." (Rom 8:1-3)
Note: Both of these sets of laws are recorded in our Bible. Yet, we have been FREED from one law and are now under the authority of the other law. WE ARE NOT UNDER BOTH. Remember that both sets of these laws are recorded in God's Word. It is here in Romans chapter 8 that we clearly see that God's Word contains two different sets of covenant laws and two different messages. However, when we read the Bible, God requires that we discern which system of law that we're under. We've been freed from one (the old covenant), and we're under the authority of the other (the new covenant of Christ).
When Jesus started His earthly ministry, He chose 12 men who would later carry his Messianic Kingdom message (remember that Jesus called it "the gospel of the kingdom"). This message was directly tied to the Mosaic Law...it is not the same gospel that Jesus later gave to Paul for the New Testament Church. Again, the source is the same (Jesus Christ), but the messages are different. After the replacement of Judas Iscariot, these 12 men later became the 12 apostles of Israel, with Peter, James and John being the chief leaders.
God Radically Changes Peter's Theology
(Read Acts Chapters 10 and 11)
Before we end this section, let's closely examine God's initial efforts to bring the first century church leadership into alignment with the new rules established by Christ's new covenant. Major changes are up ahead and Peter is God's first chosen vessel.
A critical turning point is reached in God's timetable. According to church history, it is now 7 years since Jesus was crucified at Calvary and the time finally arrives to bring the gentiles into the new covenant. Up until this point, the Jews were the only ones to experience its blessings, beginning with the initial outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Now, it's the gentile's turn. As we carefully read the New Testament, we see that God appointed Saul of Tarsus (later named "Paul") to be "the apostle to the gentiles". We must keep in mind that the original 12 apostles who were based in Jerusalem were initially called by God to be the "apostles to Israel" (notice that their are two groups of apostles). God did not appoint any of these men to be "apostles to the gentiles"--even though it is known that both Peter and John later assisted Paul in his ministry. Paul's title meant that whenever the gentiles were involved, he was the apostle in charge. God's unique calling of "apostle to the gentiles" was reserved for one man--Paul. When you dig deeper and learn what these 12 apostles of Israel (including Peter in this case) believed, you discover that their "theological beliefs" inhibited them from preaching to gentile races. God is in the process of CHANGING THE RULES (another name for this kind of change is "TRANSITION") and this original "apostolic theology" (associated with old covenant law) that had been in operation since Christ's crucifixion is the first to experience a Divine transformation.
Before Paul came on the scene, God called Peter, one of the chief "apostles to Israel" to a very special Divine task. The gentiles needed to be brought into the new covenant and Peter was God's first chosen vessel to start this process. At that time, Peter was staying in Joppa at the house of Simon the tanner.
One day while in prayer, God interrupted Peter's routine with a vision of unclean animals let down from heaven on a sheet. Remember that under the old covenant there were dietary laws where certain animals were considered "unclean". This means it was illegal and unlawful to use them for food. The Bible tells us that Peter was very hungry at the time of the vision and God commanded him to "kill and eat" these unclean animals. PETER TOLD THE LORD THAT HE WOULD NOT OBEY THIS COMMAND. Why? It was against the Mosaic Law to do so. However, God told him, "What God has cleansed you must not call unclean". This happened three times. While Peter was still considering the vision, two messengers from a prominent gentile military leader named Cornelius arrived asking for Peter to come and preach. The Holy Spirit told him to go with these men "doubting nothing". Peter began to understand the true meaning of the vision. God was showing him that the old covenant law concerning the uncleanness of the gentiles WAS NO LONGER VALID--and that He had now declared the gentiles "clean". We need to understand that this was not an easy adjustment for Peter. Was God just arbitrarily changing the law for no good reason? What allowed Him to make this radical proclamation? The new covenant in Christ's blood was now in full operation and had freely paid for the sins of the whole world, which included the gentiles. It was Christ's blood that allowed God to freely justify the gentiles, and Peter seemed to be the first of the 12 Jerusalem apostles to get this Divine correction. The old covenant's verdict that the gentiles were "unclean" was now finally set aside. Why? The new and better covenant law based on the shed blood of Jesus Christ is now replacing the old covenant law. To a Jewish person living in those days, this is a major change that could never be accepted without a challenge.
Why did Peter object when the Lord commanded him to eat these unclean animals? At the time of this vision, Peter and the other Jewish apostles remained committed to the requirements of old covenant law. Up until this point, God had not yet revealed to them that the new covenant had changed the previous rules. Jesus did not share these details with them before the cross. They all knew the new covenant existed. They were all present at the Last Supper when Jesus told them the new covenant was coming--and that it would be based entirely on His shed blood. However, until Peter's vision in Joppa and later when Jesus called Saul (later to be Paul) on the Damascus road and gave him the full revelation of the specific details concerning these changes in covenant law, no one understood how radical the changes would be. Peter (in a state of shock) assumed that the Lord had forgotten the Law of the old covenant that forbids a Jewish person from eating an unclean animal and proceeded to give him a brief refresher course. It's funny, but true--you can read the account. Not only did God firmly correct Peter but also gave him a vision to illustrate the new covenant rule change. AND THIS WAS ONLY THE FIRST OF MANY RULE CHANGES. Other changes followed after God called Paul on the scene and made him "the apostle to the gentiles". God forcibly told Peter that the gentiles are now "clean" and that he (Peter) was not to call "unclean" what God had cleansed. Under the old covenant God considered the gentiles "unclean". This unclean status kept them from participating in God's covenant with Israel. There are some special exceptions to this rule, such as Rahab and Ruth. We will not discuss why God allowed these special and unique exceptions. However, the reader should not come to the wrong conclusion that these exceptions prove that gentiles could just enter into the old covenant anytime they wanted to. They could not.
Peter decides to obey the Lord and agrees to go with the messengers sent from Cornelius. When they arrive at their destination, Peter makes one more gentle protest by reminding Cornelius that he is there in direct violation to Jewish Law, which says that it is unlawful for a Jew to enter a gentile home. Also, remember that Peter is not alone--there are other Jewish members of his team. That means they all committed a serious violation of the Law by even being inside Cornelius' house. We know the story. Peter preaches a very short evangelistic message about Jesus. The Holy Spirit who falls on all those present in Cornelius' house interrupts his message--right in the middle. Everyone begins to speak in tongues and prophesy. It's a repeat of the day of Pentecost seven years earlier when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Jewish believers in Jerusalem. Peter and his Jewish evangelistic team are astonished. Why? Because God has given the Holy Spirit to the gentiles, a race previously considered unclean and Divinely rejected under the old covenant. The real shock to Peter and his team is that Israel no longer has exclusive claims to a covenant with God. This fact alone changes nearly 4000 years of religious tradition. Now, God has invited the gentiles into the once "private club". While the new covenant initially came into authority 50 days following the crucifixion of Christ, this event approximately seven years later at the house of Cornelius represents the real "opening salvo". Why? GOD IS BEGINNING TO CHANGE THE RULES in order to align things with the new covenant--and He uses Peter and Cornelius as his first envoys. We generally call these things "rules", but they are actually "covenant laws". When God himself bursts on the scene with such radical changes in covenant law--THE GOSPEL MESSAGES CONNECTED TO THESE LAWS MUST ALSO CHANGE. The New Testament section of our Bible covers these radical transitions. Those of us who read the Bible must understand that both sides of this transition are recorded along with the confusing "gray zone" in between. YET, ONLY ONE SIDE APPLIES TO US TODAY. Almost no modern church ministry keeps these things in their proper context.
As we continue reading on into Acts chapter 11, we notice that, as Peter returns to Jerusalem after preaching in Cornelius' house, his Jewish brethren confront him for disobeying the Law.
"And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those of the circumcision contended with him, saying, 'You went in to uncircumcised men and ate with them!'" (Acts 11:3)
To get out of this mess, Peter gives a complete account of what God commanded him to do. Please notice two things. First, it is clear that those who are upset with Peter are believers in Christ. Second, notice that the Bible calls them "those of the circumcision". This is important as we continue our study. The word circumcision as used in Acts 11:3 are Jewish believers in Christ who practice their faith within the requirements of the Mosaic Law. The word "circumcision" implies adherence to the Mosaic Law. Peter was once totally committed to this group. His encounter with God in Joppa has forced him to take one step toward the old covenant exit door. We will see that he is beginning to change his conduct as God reveals more of the new covenant to him. Peter is going through a very painful and confusing TRANSITION. On one side God is demanding that he CHANGE HIS BELIEFS in order to get in line with the new covenant program that considers the gentiles "clean". At the same time, Peter also has his believing Jewish brethren on the other side persecuting him for these changes that disrespect and violate old covenant law! Peter's transition perfectly illustrates the conflict that is brewing between these two groups and their different theology. God is giving us a warning: There is an influential group of believers in the New Testament section of our Bible called "the circumcision" that mix old covenant principles and laws with their faith in Christ. They believe justification and righteousness is the result of doing certain works connected with this law. At the exact same time, there is another group of believers known as "the uncircumcision" (or the gentiles) growing up under the care of the apostle Paul. The gentiles have the advantage of being taught the new covenant without also having to deal with the confusion of the old covenant. These gentiles practice their faith according to the principles of Grace provided by the new blood covenant of Christ. This Grace is purchased by Christ's blood and then freely given to the gentiles. For this reason, Grace does not require obedience to old covenant law to obtain righteousness, justification or eternal life. These things are now freely given as "gifts" to the gentiles as a result of their position of being "in Christ".
These are two different groups of believers who are under the authority of two different "gospel" messages. Anyone can see that trouble is coming.
The spiritual event at Cornelius' house blows the "the Bible only has one message" view of reformed theology out of the water. It shows beyond a shadow of a doubt several things. First, it proves that all of the apostles in Jerusalem, before the event at Cornelius' house, were preaching a "believe on Jesus plus keep the Mosaic Law" type of gospel. It is this old covenant theology that God had to confront in Peter's life before sending him to Cornelius. The proof is found in the pages of the New Testament for anyone to see. This gospel also demands that a believer's "faith in Jesus Christ" had to be validated with works connected to the Law. Before God confronted Peter with the fact that the gentiles were now "clean", he was totally committed to this message associated with the Law. He was so radically committed that he rejected God's direct command during a vision that violated these beliefs. Peter's original relationship to the old covenant had to be changed before God could send him to the house of Cornelius. Secondly, the other eleven apostles INCLUDING JAMES was committed to the same "works oriented" old covenant gospel message. Until God began to change Peter's theology in Joppa, none of these apostles ever considered that a rule change had occurred. Why can we say this? Because the Bible indicates that God hadn't told anyone yet. This story shows that God knew about the changes that needed to occur, but Peter and the rest of the Jewish apostles did not. Peter was the first in the group to receive this Divine correction. The other eleven apostles probably didn't learn of the changes until Peter explained it to them, or they learned of it later through Paul's ministry. Since the message that Jesus gave to Paul to preach to the gentiles was different than the one the twelve apostles had traditionally preached from Jerusalem to Israel, a serious crisis started to unfold. Why? These two gospels carried conflicting messages. The situation began to explode in Acts chapter 15 and all the apostles and elders came together in Jerusalem to discuss the matter. These are the first shots of the "Stealth War Against The Truth of the Gospel".
Return To Stealth War--Part 1
Return To Stealth War--Part 2
Return To Stealth War--Part 3
Return To Stealth War--Part 4
Return To Stealth War--Index
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