The Stealth War Against
The Truth of the Gospel
By William Handschumacher
The Stealth War and End-time Events
Has Your “Blessed Hope” Become
Your "Worst Nightmare"?
Any discussion about what the Bible calls “The Last Days” is guaranteed to cause plenty of controversy and disagreement. However, we need to briefly comment about some popular teachings that impact our understanding about “The Stealth War Against the Truth of the Gospel”. As we said earlier, the Greek language of the Bible describes God’s salvation by using the word “Sozo”. This word divides the general term “salvation” into three parts: Salvation of the spirit, salvation of the soul and salvation of the body. We noted that “salvation of the body” is a future event where God changes our “physical bodies” into “immortal bodies”. Listen to what the apostle Paul says about this transformation.
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 15:50-55)
"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 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. 4:15-18)
Paul describes a wondrous event that is commonly called “the rapture of the Church”. The Scripture calls it “our blessed hope” (Titus 2:13). Even though the word “rapture” never appears in the Bible, it is an appropriate English word that corresponds to its Greek counterpart in the ancient manuscripts from which our Bible was translated. The ancient Greek words pertaining to the English phrase “caught up” found in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 literally means, “To grab by the hair of the head and drag out of harms way”. It represents the final phase of salvation that Jesus Christ purchased for us at His crucifixion. The rapture is “the completion of our redemption” that was paid in full (and given to us as a gift) by Christ’s blood. It remains a future event that occurs when Christ returns at the end of the age.
Various churches and denominations that embrace reformed theology have their own “fear-inducing” doctrines about the rapture. Some of them ignorantly claim that it's a false belief not supported by the Bible. I'm sure the apostle Paul would be surprised to hear this, since he taught it in his epistles. Others mock those who believe in it. I recently heard one preacher say that there is no such thing as "the rapture". These attitudes and teachings dominate modern Christian institutions. Once again, I want to remind the reader that I’m using the term “reformed theology” in a very general way to minimize confusion. My use of this term will undoubtedly offend some readers, who may feel I’m using it improperly. However, my research confirms that I'm not that far off base. Hundreds of books and commentaries that express countless viewpoints are available on the subject of the rapture. However, I want to focus my attention on one particular core doctrine that greatly concerns me. Many names are used to describe this teaching. The most common term is “Partial-rapture Theology”. It is prominently found among Christian fundamentalists, Holiness Pentecostals, Charismatics and certain sects within Messianic Judaism. It is not limited to just these groups. As you can see, a Christian can easily get confused trying to figure out the hundreds of different types of “theology” that man has created to justify his convoluted and “out of context” beliefs about how God relates with us.
Partial-rapture teachings adhere to a "general premise" that is taught in various different ways. Here is one such version:
“The New Testament Church consists of all believers in Christ. However, the “Bride of Christ” is a unique part of the Church that proves her "devotion to Christ" by having an abundance of good works and will be taken at the rapture. All other believers whose lives do not “measure up” remain on earth to be “purified” during the horrific trials of the Tribulation.”
Again, there are many different variations and flavors of this belief, which is popular in end-time Bible study groups. The teaching in your church may not take the exact form of the example above. Yet, this general premise is found consistently at the root. It divides the Body of Christ (or the Church) into two or more groups based on their good works and "sinless living" motivated by their intense "devotion to Christ". The reader should notice something about this teaching. When commenting on the believer’s qualifications for the rapture, no mention is made about the dominant part that Christ’s blood plays in securing our redemption. If you take the time to "read between the lines", the partial-rapture teaching is saying that Christ’s blood is insufficient to fully qualify the believer (who may not have many good works) for the rapture. For this reason, they claim that God requires these believers, lacking in good works and devotion to Christ, to endure more “purification or cleansing" during the Tribulation. They conveniently leave out the fact that ONLY CHRIST'S BLOOD (not our works) has the power to provide redemption.
"knowing that YOU WERE NOT REDEEMED WITH CORRUPTIBLE THINGS, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." (1 Cor. 10"18-19)
"But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. NOT WITH THE BLOOD OF GOATS AND CALVES, BUT WITH HIS OWN BLOOD He entered the Most Holy Place ONCE FOR ALL HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, HOW MUCH MORE SHALL THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason HE (JESUS) IS THE MEDIATOR OF THE NEW COVENANT, BY MEANS OF DEATH, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." (Heb. 9:11-15)
"...BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS, whom God set forth as a propitiation BY HIS BLOOD, THROUGH FAITH, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, THAT HE MIGHT BE JUST AND THE JUSTIFIER OF THE ONE WHO HAS FAITH IN JESUS." (Romans 3:24-26)
"But this Man, AFTER HE HAD OFFERED ONE SACRIFICE FOR SINS FOREVER, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. FOR BY ONE OFFERING HE HAS PERFECTED FOREVER THOSE WHO ARE BEING SANCTIFIED." (Hebrews 10:12-14)
Christ's blood purifies, cleanses, perfects and justifies us. Remember that the word "justification" means that God treats us "just as if we hadn't sinned". Through Christ's blood, we are "freely justified". If we are "freely justified" by Christ's blood as the Scriptures teach then no more "purification" is needed. Without His blood, there is no redemption and no remission of sin (Hebrews 9:12, 9:22-28). We can now see that partial-rapture theology contradicts Scripture by teaching that Christ’s sacrifice didn’t perfectly justify all believers. It teaches that His Divine blood is imperfect. When you see it for what it is, this teaching is an abomination from heaven's perspective. Teaching something that is an abomination to God is commonly practiced in many churches. Isn't that strange? Most Christians assume that their church always teaches the truth. All of us need a strong "wake-up call". Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. He did not fail to fulfill this calling. Jesus finished the work of purifying us from sin “all by Himself” (Hebrews 10:12-14). It is all “Jesus” and none of us. This partial-rapture doctrine is another arrogant “frontal attack” on the totally sufficient blood of Jesus Christ, the Divine Son of God, which threatens popular and cherished doctrines of religious bondage commonly found in modern Christian ministries.
Notice what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 quoted above, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed…”. Paul did not say, “some will be changed”. He did not say, “Christ’s Bride will be separated from among the Church and will be changed”. Paul said ALL BELIEVERS, both those in the grave and those, which are alive, would be changed. ALL BELIEVERS possess God’s gift of eternal life through faith in Christ alone (Rom. 6:23). ALL BELIEVERS are given the free gift of RIGHTEOUSNESS through faith in Christ alone (Rom. 5:15-17). Grace freely justifies ALL BELIEVERS through Christ’s blood (Rom. 3:24-26). AND…ALL BELIEVERS, BOTH GREAT AND SMALL, WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH AS PAUL CLEARLY TAUGHT (1 Cor. 15:50-55). The Body of Christ is also called “The Church” while it exists on earth. The Church is called the “Bride of Christ” after arriving in heaven following the rapture. Attempting to redefine the "Bride of Christ" to make it fit the old covenant theology of "justification by works" is false teaching under the new covenant. You can read more about this subject at: http://www.rockofoffence.com/thebride.html
Important note: When we use the term “all believers” in this section, we are referring only to those who have met the simple requirements of faith and trust in Jesus Christ outlined by the apostle Paul in Romans 10:9-10. These “true believers” are those who understand and embrace eternal life as the gift of God given by Grace as God’s “unmerited favor”. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily include everyone who “professes” (or claims) to be a Christian. Many people “profess” to be a Christian. However, they base their salvation and heavenly destination on their good deeds, church attendance, religious performance, and attempts at “sinless living”. As good as some of these practices are, attempting to achieve salvation using this methodology is the “old covenant way”. It is vastly different than Christ’s new and living way through faith in His blood. The Bible tells us that it’s impossible on this side of heaven to really know the identity of those who profess to be Christians but are not.
When you begin to see the extraordinary amount of deception that exists within the modern Christian Church about the true meaning of Christ’s redemption, you can understand why Paul was ruthless with those who perverted the new covenant of Christ. He went out of his way to offend them, in order to get their attention. You can also understand why Paul called these same people “enemies of the cross” (Phil. 3:18), even though they appear on the surface to be a “friend of the cross” and fellow Christians who claim to believe the Bible. Remember that I’m only repeating the words Paul used. They are not my words, and I probably wouldn’t choose to be this vindictive on my own. You will never hear this taught in “church growth” seminars and it's commonly filtered out of most sermons.
The supporters of reformed theology use a “divide and conquer” tactic against inexperienced Christians when teaching about the rapture. They divide the New Testament Church into two groups—the “have” and the “have-nots”. They might even agree that both of these groups are “saved”, yet insist that God treats them differently. They redefine the rapture from "God's blessed hope for the believer" into a “reward for Christian service”. They insist that the “saved Christians”, who are lacking in good works, remain on earth to suffer the additional “purification” that Christ’s blood failed to provide. The special group that possesses enough good works to validate their “devotion to Christ” escape the Tribulation on earth and are “raptured” AS A REWARD FOR THEIR WORKS. When we understand that reformed theology commits the error of mixing the old and new covenants together, we can better understand the dangerous deception behind this teaching. Earlier we learned that the old covenant was based on a “righteousness through works” and could never provide the believer with a 100% assurance that they possessed eternal life and were “justified”. You couldn’t possess total assurance because the “performance benchmark” was never clearly defined under the old covenant that was in authority up until Christ’s crucifixion.
The Scriptural warning, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Luke 21:36)” was pronounced under the authority of the old covenant. THE NEW COVENANT HADN'T STARTED WHEN JESUS UTTERED THESE WORDS ON EARTH. It means that Jesus taught this during a time when your “worthiness” continued to depend upon your commitment to “keep the Commandments of the Law” and perform those works that validated your worthiness. Tragically, some Christians today are feverishly doing good works in order to be found “worthy” enough to qualify for the rapture and escape the coming Tribulation. These Christians were never taught that under the new covenant we are given God’s very own righteousness “in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:21). God’s righteousness is the highest form of righteousness. Christ purchased it and then gave it to us as a gift (Romans 5:15-17). The perfect way provided through Christ’s blood now makes us “perfectly worthy” (righteous), rather than the “imperfect worthiness” provided by the old covenant, which is based on our performance and works. If you're feverishly doing good works in order to be "worthy" enough for the rapture, your faith is not in Christ's cleansing blood (the new covenant)--and it's guaranteed that you will fail to be worthy enough. If you're in this place, get ready for a BIG disappointment. The rapture is only for those who possess "Christ's perfect righteousness". Under the new covenant this "perfect righteousness of Christ" cannot be achieved, in full or in part, through your "devoted works". Jesus satisfied the “performance benchmark” FOR US by using His blood as “fully sufficient and perfect Divine currency”. Under the new covenant, we have a 100% assurance that ALL the blessings of Christ’s redemption (including the soon-to-occur rapture) belong to us. Why? Jesus finished the work that “freely justifies” us by Grace as it clearly says in Romans 3:24-26. Grace is God’s unmerited favor, which means no performance or “merit” is required on our part to obtain these blessings. Some preachers define the word Grace as, “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. I agree.
For more information about the new covenant gift of righteousness, click here: http://www.rockofoffence.com/righteous.html
Those that teach “partial-rapture” doctrine market their beliefs as if they received the correct interpretation from God Himself. Earlier we discovered that almost anything could be made to look like a teaching from God’s Word when context is abused, manipulated or ignored. The partial-rapture doctrine found among the many teachings of reformed theology takes full advantage of this abuse of context. When Scripture is removed from it’s Divine context in order to prove something that God never intended it ceases to be “God’s Word”. It subtly (and tragically) becomes someone’s false religion which they call "preaching the whole Word of God". It sounds like God’s Word because it’s quoted from the Bible, but it isn’t. Under partial-rapture theology, how many works do we have to do? How many is enough to be qualified and "worthy" for the rapture? Is it one good work, five, fifty or 2000? Can you see the flaw in this teaching? Once again, you can’t know, so you keep running at the treadmill of “good works” for fear that you will be disqualified or judged “unworthy”. This is the fate of millions of unsuspecting Christians worldwide. Paul rejected this same theology that existed in his day because it removes us from our "liberty in Christ" and places us in bondage.
In contrast, the new covenant of Christ causes us to cease from any attempt to earn our way into Christ’s plan of redemption (which includes the rapture). Why? Jesus Christ finished the work and made any additional attempt to contribute something to His redemption plan both invalid and worthless. Once again, the reader should not think that this means that we’re to stop all good works. Rather, it should cause us to have more good works because we’re doing them from a position of freedom because the blood of Jesus permanently took the condemnation and fear of failure away (Romans 8:1-2). However, concerning the topics of justification, righteousness and eternal life, the new covenant demands that we immediately stop trying to earn these blessings through our performance and good deeds. The new covenant places all efforts practiced for this reason under the category of “dead works”. They are never used to somehow qualify a special group of believers known as the "Bride of Christ" (or any other title for that matter) for the rapture. "Repentance from dead works" is listed as THE VERY FIRST of what the book of Hebrews calls, “the elementary principles of Christ”. We are commanded to repent from “dead works” and avoid them. It is a sin that all new covenant believers must repent from and avoid. God is very serious about this. Paul commanded new covenant believers to “examine themselves” to make sure they were operating in true new covenant faith and not the counterfeit faith, which results from mixing the old and new covenants together (2 Corinthians 13:5). Again, it’s important to know that “dead works” are actually the “good works” that we do thinking that they make us more righteous or worthy or that they somehow add something to the completed work of Christ’s redemption.
"Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment." (Hebrews 6:1-2)
Various sects of reformed theology divide the New Testament Church into a “performance-based caste system” by spiritualizing the Scriptures. As we previously said, reformed theology must “spiritualize or allegorize” Scripture in order to give their doctrine the appearance of being “Biblically correct”. But, it actually violates major rules of context by mixing the old and new covenants together into a “one message” theology that totally misrepresents God's true intentions. When anyone allegorizes Scripture, they are attempting to make God say something that He does not say. It’s a dishonest, yet persuasive, way to “manipulate God’s Word” into confirming something that supports your particular brand of theology. It is usually practiced for the purpose of bringing other believers into spiritual bondage, which is wrongly called "obedience to Christ". The apostle Paul called it “perverting the gospel of Christ”. He said that this kind of perversion troubles the Church. I agree. This “troubling” characteristic is clearly observed in their fear-laden teachings about the rapture. It’s hard enough these days to find Christians who are obeying the Biblical mandate to “watch for Christ’s return” (Hebrews 9:28). In the New Testament, being a "watcher" is a mark of a true believer. However, very few Christians obey this directive because they are viewed as “kooks and crazies” by organized religion and society. However, among these “few”, we also have to discern those who hold the correct new covenant principles concerning Christ’s return. The end result is not very encouraging.
"I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7)
I heard one preacher correctly refer to the practice of dividing the New Testament Church into the “have” and the “have-nots” as “dismembering the Body of Christ”. No matter what it’s called, it remains a popular doctrine that continues to lead both young and more experienced Christians astray in their faith.
Don’t allow your “blessed hope” to be perverted into your “worst nightmare”.
The Rapture and the “Feasts of Israel”:
A Sign and a Warning
Very few Christians today eagerly and actively watch for the return of Christ. Among those who do, this group of “watchers” is sub-divided into six or seven different factions. They argue about who has the most correct interpretation concerning the “appointed time” for Christ’s return and what form His “return” will take. Any Christian who decides to obey the Bible and eagerly watch for Christ’s return (Hebrews 9:28) is involved in this controversy whether they like it or not. There are two prominent warring viewpoints: Pre-tribulationalism and Post-tribulationalism. Simply understood, the “Pre-trib” group believes that the New Testament Church is freely justified and completely cleansed from all sin by the blood of Christ. For this reason, the Church is exempt from God’s wrath, which is a “Tribulation judgment” against Israel’s (and the world’s) rejection of Christ. For this reason, the Church is to be removed from the earth before this judgment begins in earnest. The “Post-trib” group claim to believe the same thing about the redemption of Christ, yet insists that the New Testament Church will pass through the Tribulation for additional “purification” and testing. They teach that the rapture only occurs at the end of the Tribulation at the physical Second Coming of Christ. Some Post-trib believers suggest that the New Testament Church will be “supernaturally protected” during the outpouring of God’s judgment and wrath. The Scriptures, especially the new covenant principles found in the epistles of Saint Paul, strongly support the “Pre-trib” position and not the "Post-trib" position.
Some of the more knowledgeable “end-time preachers” suggest that we must study the historical and prophetic culture of Israel to properly understand the season of Christ's return. They teach (as we do) that when Jesus came the first time as the Jewish Messiah, His earthly ministry was focused on Israel and He taught from the perspective of Jewish culture. When Jesus returns, He will not leave His “Jewish-ness” behind. Jesus will return as a Jew—and all of us will see the nail-prints still visible from His crucifixion nearly 2000 years ago. For gentile believers, this means our Lord is forever “Jewish”. This statement tends to anger some Christians who are taught in their churches to despise and even hate the Jewish race. This attitude is unfortunate and wrong but it doesn’t change the fact that our Lord Jesus is Jewish. After years of Bible research, I am persuaded that certain ministries connected to Messianic Judaism have some important things to say in this end-time debate. The average “gentile believer” has little knowledge of Jewish religion and culture, which directly impacts our understanding of the Bible. From their specific knowledge about the historical “Feasts of Israel”, they tell us about how Jesus used certain “Jewish idioms”, which clearly reveal a general “time-table” for His return. It doesn’t target an exact year (doesn’t set exact dates), but it does give us a specific “season” during the appointed year that only our Heavenly Father knows.
Messianic Judaism is a unique area of Christianity made up of Jewish people who left traditional Judaism and now embrace Jesus Christ, who they call “Yeshua” (which is actually His correct Jewish name) as their Messiah and Lord. I will not discuss the details of their teachings in this commentary except to generally comment on a few important things. It’s important to remember that what is said here by no means represents all “Messianic believers”. The “feasts of Israel” are divided into two parts: Three feasts that occur in the spring of the year and three feasts that occur in the fall. In order to be brief, we won’t go into a detailed study of these feasts. Messianic believers instinctively know that Jesus fulfilled the spring feasts at His first coming. However, the fall feasts beginning with what is known as “Rosh Hashanah” has a direct relationship to the future “Tribulation” period that is set into motion by God’s removal of the New Testament Church from the earth.
What gentile believers understand as “The Tribulation” is referred to in the prophetic Scriptures of our Bible as “Jacobs Trouble”. Contrary to the Post-tribulation position, this period of horrible judgment has absolutely nothing to do with the New Testament Church. Jacob’s Trouble is a time of judgment when God deals directly with Israel for crucifying their Messiah when He came the first time. The New Testament Church did not commit this sin and is exempt from the judgment. The Church is not judged because, under the new covenant, Jesus already bore all their judgment on the cross. It is unjust for God to judge them a second time, which is why they are exempt and removed beforehand. If this prophetic pattern is correct, “Jacob’s Trouble” is set to begin during the Jewish fall feasts, following God’s removal of the Church at the rapture. Without considering the historical meaning that God attaches to these Jewish feasts, gentile believers (those of us who actively watch) tend to jump back and forth every year between two positions. When winter is over we expect Christ’s return in the spring, between Passover and Pentecost. When the spring season fails, we set our expectation on the fall feasts starting with Rosh Hashanah somewhere around September or October on our Gregorian calendar (the actual dates change each year). Messianic Judaism seems to have no such conflict. They suggest that the end-time event of the rapture followed by the Tribulation (Jacob's Trouble) occurs during the fall feasts. There are several "trumpets" that sound during this time. At least
two of these trumpets are historically known as a "last trump". They are called "last" because they conclude a particular Jewish feast. Remember that the apostle Paul told us that the event where Christians are “caught up” (we call it “the rapture”) happens “at the last trump” (1 Corinthians 15:51-57). If I’m reading the signs of the times correctly, we’ll soon find out. At this point, I’m reluctant to take a position because we lack so much knowledge about these things. However, Paul’s hint about “the last trump” gives a lot of weight to the Jewish fall feasts. Most “Post-trib” believers think that Paul’s “last trump” statement refers to the final trumpet in the Book of Revelation. This is one reason they insist that the rapture only occurs at the end of the Tribulation period (hence the term “Post-trib”). My study of the Scripture leads me to believe that the Post-trib position is incorrect for many reasons that I will not discuss here.
Problems With Messianic Judaism
As a Christian, I'm thrilled whenever a Jewish person discovers Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah. Our readers should not think that we're downplaying this miracle in any way. However, there are some old problems that continue to plague Jewish believers in the Church. Messianic Judaism, like many other kinds of theology, is splintered into at least two factions. Once again, I’m being very general in my comments. There is a stricter sect that adheres to the doctrine of the “Christ-believing Pharisees” that opposed the apostle Paul in the New Testament. Remember that that these first century Pharisees had "believed on Christ" as their Messiah. However, their doctrine “perverted” the new covenant of Christ with the principles of old covenant Law. It is this practice that was rejected by the First Jerusalem Council in Acts 15. Unfortunately, this doctrine continues today through certain types of Messianic Judaism. This group and their “gentile” counterparts under reformed theology in the modern church, represent our opponents in the “Stealth War Against the Truth of the Gospel”. As we learned in Acts chapter 15, they teach that in addition to believing on Jesus we must also keep the Law of Moses (or old covenant law), which is commonly referred to as the “Torah” under Messianic theology. Because of our ignorance about Jewish religion and culture, the modern “gentile Christian” needs to draw from the Messianic believer’s extensive knowledge base. This knowledge can provide the missing keys than unlock the mysteries surrounding end-time events. However, at the same time, we must be diligent to guard our faith under the new covenant of Christ, which omits the law of the old covenant. We must remember that old covenant law is “abolished” by the crucifixion of Christ under the new covenant (Ephesians 2:14-15, Colossians 2:13-15). Most gentile Christians are never taught this important Scriptural truth.
Messianic believers and theologians have many intellectual “weapons” in their arsenal. They are trained from early childhood to deflect all intellectual challenges concerning their faith. They are "natural born debaters". Unfortunately, one of their missions is to prove that our singular commitment to the new covenant of Christ is not only wrong but violates God’s Word. They use the fear of losing salvation as a primary defense tactic. I’ve had dealings with this group, and they can be very intimidating and persuasive if you don’t know the Holy Scriptures. If you choose to agree with the apostle Paul about the authority of the new covenant, be prepared for an emotional and intense “war of words” that can extend well beyond the Scriptural knowledge of the average Christian. Nothing has changed that much from Paul’s day. He faced the same kind of intimidating attacks. Remember, that as a gentile believer, you are at a disadvantage when it comes to your knowledge of Jewish law and culture. Their detailed legal knowledge of Old Testament Law gives them a powerful and persuasive tool in any debate. It was this advantage that allowed them to persuade churches established by Paul to abandon his teaching and follow theirs. This led Paul to warn gentile believers about the educational and persuasive abilities of these “believing Jewish evangelists”, who added the requirements of the law back into the new covenant of Christ. It was true during the time of the first century church and it still applies today.
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; AND BY GOOD WORDS AND FAIR SPEECHES DECEIVE THE HEARTS OF THE SIMPLE." (Romans 16:17-18)
"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? Have you suffered so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:1-5)
"For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having ABOLISHED in His flesh the enmity, THAT IS, THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace...." (Ephesians 2:14-15)
There is some good news. The second faction of Messianic Judaism recognizes the error of the first group. This second group tends to be much smaller in number and less popular. They are excited about their discovery of Yeshua the Messiah. Yet, unlike the first group, they choose to follow Paul’s new covenant teaching that frees them from the bondage of old covenant law (Romans 8:1-2). They possess the same knowledge of Jewish culture but without the attitude that comes from a defense of the Law, which carries no authority under Christ’s new covenant. These Jewish believers can truly be a blessing and a source of encouragement. They do not practice what Paul condemns in Romans 16:17-18. We will not go into more detail about these groups at this time.
These two groups of Messianic believers illustrate the dangerous and emotional battlefield that the “new covenant Christian” must face if they choose to walk in truth. It's important to study Paul's epistles to learn the reasoning behind his instruction to "rightly divide" God's Word. Why? It's directly connected to Paul's other warnings about the existence of “another Jesus” and a "different gospel" that operates by stealth in the Christian church. It’s why Paul warned the gentile believers under his care to “test themselves” to make sure they are walking in the faith of Christ’s new covenant. Paul’s warning is not just for the first century Church, but also for us today. Not everyone who claims to be a Christian believes on the “Christ of the new covenant”. There is also “another Christ” of the old covenant that is commonly preached. Strangely, this “other Christ” is the most popular one. Most Christians have tragically been taught to live their “new life in Christ” under the old covenant principles of the “other Christ”. It’s the result of the overwhelming influence of reformed theology across all denominational lines. Many believers ask, “Why don’t we see God’s power today?” The corruption of Christ's new covenant is the reason. No one warns us about these things because it inflames “the stealth war against the truth of the Gospel” and undermines popular “church growth” programs that generate revenue for multi-million dollar budgets. This neglect “corrupts” the Gospel of Christ and effectively short-circuits God’s power. It’s a “majority influence”—and it’s mainstream. We are not talking about a minor issue in this commentary. This war will not be over until Jesus Christ physically returns at the end of the age. Until then, we will obey the command to “occupy until He comes”.
The Marriage of the Lamb:
A New Covenant Mystery
Following the rapture at the end of the Church Age, the Scriptures tell us about a great marriage celebration in heaven. At this event Jesus Christ, known as the bridegroom, is married to His Bride. On earth, His bride is known as “the Church” and “the Body of Christ” uniquely purchased (redeemed) by His blood. At the rapture, this redeemed group moves to heaven. Jesus said that He has prepared a place for us in His “Father’s House”, which has “many mansions” (John 14:1-3). When the Church arrives in heaven it becomes “the Bride of Christ” who lives in the “Fathers’ house”. A number of parables tell us about this future wedding celebration. I’ve chosen the one from Matthew chapter 25 to illustrate some important truths. Few Scriptures in the Bible are distorted more than this one, which is why it’s perfect for our discussion.
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 25:1-13)
Notice that there are three distinct participants involved in this heavenly celebration: The bridegroom (Jesus Christ), the bride and the 10 virgins. Notice that the bride is not specifically mentioned in this parable. But, there can’t be a wedding celebration without the bride. This is why her presence at this celebration is an understood fact. Next, notice that the 10 virgins are part of the “marriage party”. THEY ARE NOT THE BRIDE. In western culture the 10 virgins might be understood as the bridesmaids. However, Jesus is describing a Jewish wedding celebration. Some theologians claim that these 10 virgins represent “the friends of the bridegroom” that make up the marriage party of a Jewish wedding. One thing is clear, whoever these 10 virgins are--THEY ARE NOT THE BRIDE, which was known on earth as “the Church”.
I’m making this point because pastors and preachers within reformed theology wrongly equate these ten virgins to Church Age believers under Grace, who are suppose to be completely redeemed by the precious blood of Christ. The only way to become a “true Christian” is by allowing Christ to use His blood as payment to “redeem” you. Contrary to popular religious teaching, there is no other way. The word “redeem” means to purchase, buy back or pay “ransom” money for someone held captive. In the case of Christ’s redemption, it was not paid in “installments”. It was paid IN FULL AND FOREVER through His one act of obedience at the cross (Hebrews 1:1-3, Hebrews 10:12-14). This truth lies at the very core of Christ’s new covenant. It is the dominant truth that Paul taught throughout his epistles.
If we believe that these 10 virgins represent Church Age believers, then their redemption is obviously insufficient and lacking. Why? Additional merits are needed to gain entrance into the wedding celebration. These merits represent their efforts to keep “brightly burning lamps”. It is a common church teaching that these “brightly burning lamps” represent “devotional good works”. We don't necessarily agree with this interpretation. In a traditional Jewish wedding, the bride’s place in the wedding is secured by the bridegroom’s full payment of a “dowry” to the parents of the bride. Remember that the bridegroom (Jesus) is Jewish. Once again, it’s appropriate to fill our lives with good works that honor Christ. However, under the new covenant, the “good works” performed by the bride contribute nothing toward Christ’s (the bridegroom’s) redemption or dowry, which HAD TO BE PAID IN DIVINE BLOOD. Our works, religious efforts and devoted deeds can never be somehow magically transformed into “Divine blood” in order to make the required payment. None of us possess this qualification. Christ’s redemption literally “purchases” the believer’s position as “the Bride” in this heavenly wedding celebration. That could be one reason the bride isn’t specifically mentioned in this parable. The privileged position held by “the Bride” is attributed entirely to Jesus the bridegroom--her future husband. If it were not for His act of obedience at the cross, the Bride wouldn’t exist.
One thing I know, CHRIST'S BLOOD IS FULLY SUFFICIENT. It fully paid the redemption fee (dowry) for His bride without any contribution from her. If the bride helped to pay the dowry, it would be considered an act that dishonors the bridegroom. Pastors and preachers continue to abuse the context of God’s Word in order to frighten Christians into “acceptable Christian behavior”. What the apostle Paul called “carnal Christians” can be a “bad advertisement” for churches that need to regularly attract new members. That’s partly the reason some churches warn their congregations to “keep their works lamp burning brightly”. The idea is to frighten them into obedience so that they won’t be one of the 5 foolish virgins that were “shut out of the marriage celebration”. Twisting the context of Scripture and using “the fear of losing salvation” against church members is a common control mechanism. Some do it because they sincerely think that it’s Scriptural. I know we’re being repetitious about the total sufficiency of Christ’s blood. However, I’m convinced there will be a day of reckoning for the many preachers and ministers who distort Christ’s new covenant and assault our freely justified position in Christ with this kind of “out of context” teaching. Unfortunately, I have no power to stop anyone from believing wrong things. I can only sound the alarm.
So, who are the ten virgins? John, one of the original twelve apostles, gives us some strong evidence in his “Revelation of Jesus Christ”. But first, let’s briefly review some important things previously covered. Unlike the apostle Paul who is called by God as “the apostle to the gentiles”, John is called as a Jewish apostle. We must remember that the New Testament section of our Bible covers a transition from a Jewish system of faith in Christ validated through the works of the Mosaic Law and practiced by what is called “the circumcision”--to a system of faith in Christ (called the “word of faith”) that was validated only through the confession of our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (without works) practiced by the gentile Church under Paul's care. Remember that it was the “Christ-believing Pharisees” of the Jewish circumcision from Acts chapter 15 that persecuted Paul and attempted to undermine his ministry to the gentiles. These are not the unbelieving Pharisees that caused Christ to be crucified a few years earlier. Also, remember that the Jewish apostles in Jerusalem (this includes James and John) taught their disciples to practice their faith in Christ by keeping Jewish Law. When describing this group, James told Paul “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are WHO HAVE BELIEVED, AND THEY ARE ALL ZEALOUS FOR THE LAW..." (Romans 21:20). It was these “Christ-believing Jewish disciples” that later rioted in Romans chapter 21. They were enraged at Paul for omitting the Law, which they cherished, from his gospel to the gentiles. However, we must remember that it was Jesus who personally instructed Paul to omit the Law from the new covenant gospel.
Few preachers make an effort to keep these two groups separate, which is why a majority of Christians and their leaders ignore and abuse the context of the New Testament. If we understood these first century "transitional issues", we could see why parts of the New Testament teach the Jewish-based “righteousness through works”, while other parts (mainly Paul’s epistles) teach the gentile-based “righteousness given as a free gift through Christ”. Most modern church ministries merge them together and insist that Christians are required to practice both systems. This "mixture" creates a popular false theology where the New Testament Church becomes "the new Israel". Paul called this practice, “perverting the Gospel of Christ”. This is the reason Paul instructed his disciple Timothy to “rightly divide God’s Word”. There are two religious systems of faith that conflict with each other in the New Testament Scriptures and you have to discern which one is being discussed at any given time. This conflict of doctrine is clearly illustrated in Acts chapter 21 when the group of Jewish believers in Christ (zealous for the Law) rioted against Paul, an apostle of Christ's new covenant grace (that omitted the Law). Contrary to popular teaching, Christians must be careful NOT to practice both of these systems of faith. Only Christ's new covenant applies during the current "Church Age".
The Revelation that God gave to John applies to the group represented by his apostleship, which are circumcised Jews that practiced their faith in Christ through the works of the Law. Remember that this Jewish-based faith system teaches a “righteousness through works”. In other words, if you fail to do the works, you will be declared “unworthy of righteousness”, which ultimately causes God’s rejection. This is the same Jewish group James was talking about when he said to Paul, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are WHO HAVE BELIEVED, AND THEY ARE ALL ZEALOUS FOR THE LAW..." (Romans 21:20). It was also the same Jewish group (the twelve tribes of Israel) to whom James wrote his epistle that taught, “We are justified by works and not by faith only”. One concern that some of us in the ministry share about false end-time teachings is the unintended consequence caused by misguided faith. This is why Paul warned gentile believers to “test themselves” to make absolutely sure they were walking in the genuine new covenant faith of Christ—and not the faith of the “Christ-believing Jewish circumcision”. Several times Jesus said to those seeking to be healed, “According to your faith let it be to you.” Those of us that teach divine healing constantly warn that if you doubt that God wants to heal you—you probably won’t be healed. We make these statements because Jesus said it was a principle of faith. What you believe is crucially important because it determines what you will receive. When our believing is wrong, unpredictable and unwanted things can happen. As a result, those who believe that Christ gives righteousness, justification and eternal life, freely as “the gift of God” will receive what they believe because it's the law of the new covenant. However, those that insist on believing that they must attain to some level of devoted Christian service or sinless living before righteousness, justification and eternal life is granted (or kept) will receive according to the way they believe. Many will be greatly disappointed when God tells them that they failed to meet His standards. They wrongly assume that they can pick and choose (cafeteria style) the things they want to obey in the old covenant Law, while ignoring the rest. Yet, the Bible warns us that this is a deadly assumption. My emotions continue to be mixed about the rapture for this reason. I see too many Christians who believe wrong and even toxic things. It's a tragic future tragic train wreck. It’s tragic because it doesn’t have to happen.
In the book of Revelation, John writes about two groups of believers:
“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: 'I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.'" (Rev. 3:14-16)
Jesus gives us a hint about the identity of this group by making His acceptance or His rejection depend on their works. One group has many good and acceptable works and is described as “hot”. However, the mediocre (lukewarm) group, which possesses “few works” are those that Jesus “vomits out of His mouth” (He rejects them). This group is similar to “the five foolish virgins” of the wedding celebration story of Matthew 25:1-13. The five wise virgins with brightly burning (think “hot”) lamps gained entrance to the wedding. The five foolish virgins whose lamps had gone out (few or no works) were denied entrance.
This kind of a “works-based righteousness” is not the new covenant system of “free justification” that Paul preached to the Church. Yet, It perfectly matches the “works justification” system of the Jewish circumcision commonly found in the apostolic writings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and even Peter. We fail to realize that Jesus respects both of these belief systems in the New Testament section of our Bible. Both of them are recorded, which is why most preachers carelessly mix them together. If God didn’t respect both systems, it would make Paul’s warning to “examine ourselves” to make sure that we’re walking in new covenant faith, a useless exercise. Paul gave this warning for a reason. Popular Christian ministries teach their members that the 10 virgins of Matthew chapter 25 and the hot/lukewarm believers of Revelation chapter 3 represent those of us under the new covenant Gospel of Grace. They wrongly merge (or mix) both of these systems together, making them apply equally to everyone because they cannot accept the fact that God can (and does) say different things to different groups of people in the Bible. This is a perfect example of the “one message” doctrine of reformed theology. This practice demonstrates a total rejection of Paul’s warning about respecting context by “rightly dividing” God’s Word. As a result, many Christians are fearful that Jesus will “vomit them out of His mouth” and leave them to suffer during the soon-to-occur Tribulation period. This is the “foundational doctrine” of the popular “partial-rapture” doctrine we talked about earlier. If these sincerely misled believers don’t switch the focus of their faith to the new covenant of Christ, they could indeed suffer the fate of being “left behind” as a result of their lack of works and wrong believing. This failure is both sad and tragic because it doesn’t have to happen that way. These “professing Christians” fail to understand their true identity as Christ’s Bride, who is freely justified by her bridegroom and future husband. These are a few examples that demonstrate the various hidden dangers in the “stealth war against the truth of the Gospel”.
During my entire Christian life I have fellowshipped with Methodists, Presbyterians, Southern Baptists, Pentecostals, Assembly of God, Messianic Judaism and groups within the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. This experience, along with my personal Holy Spirit-led study of the Scriptures, provides a unique foundation that continues to serve me today. God’s Holy Spirit will guide you into truth, if you let Him. The Holy Spirit knows everything there is to know about God. Under the new covenant, the only way to find truth is to allow God's Holy Spirit to teach you. It's His job to show you the truth. Under Christ’s new covenant this Divine “teacher” lives inside the believer. This was not available under the previous dispensation of old covenant Law. Jesus said, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, FOR HE WILL TAKE OF WHAT IS MINE AND DECLARE IT TO YOU." (John 16:13-14). Notice that Jesus said, “when He, the Spirit of truth has come…”. When Jesus spoke these words before His crucifixion the old covenant was in authority and the Spirit of truth had not arrived. Everything changed when the new covenant took over. Many believers today take the easy way (listening to a sermon) in order to bypass this more difficult new covenant system of learning. Learning truth can be a painful and upsetting process if you insist on holding on to wrong doctrines and traditions.
I no longer consider myself a member of any particular church organization or denominational group. I’m happy to simply be someone who believes in Jesus Christ and His new covenant. Paul’s teaching about the true nature of the Gospel of Christ has upset my “theology”, like it did with the famous Roman Catholic priest, Marin Luther, 500 years ago. I am not alone in this experience. God is sending this same wake-up call to “truth-seeking Christians” all over the world. Like Luther, my discoveries drove me to pick up a pen (in my case, a computer keyboard) and put my thoughts in writing. I’ve tried to write a commentary like this one on three separate occasions. All previous attempts fell short of expectations. I find that writing is a very sacrificial and draining task. Today, I only make this sacrifice for the few people who will take the time to actually read what I write. My target audience is not the majority. With the advent of the Internet an “information overload” exists on every imaginable religious topic. Much of this information is wrong and even “spiritually poisonous”. Many sincere voices are saying many different and conflicting things.
Once I began to see the battlefield of this “stealth war against the truth of the Gospel”, my “Christian world view” radically changed. Paul’s warning about the existence of both a true and a counterfeit Jesus in the New Testament Scriptures persuaded me to forever abandon my “big tent unity” thinking and to be more discerning when Christians voice their beliefs. Few "professing Christians" believe in the Jesus of the new covenant. If more of us would learn to “rightly divide” God’s Word and practice discernment concerning Biblical context, maybe the Church could regain the power and influence it has lost. Until then, the stealth war continues. I yearn for the end of this war when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to settle the issue. I believe many tears will be shed on that day.
"Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, 'Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.' These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." (Jude 1:14-21)
"So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation." (Heb 9:28)
"For the message of the cross (Christ's new covenant) is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.'" (1 Corinthians 1:18-19)
Conclusion
Where does all this lead us? Professing Christians living today are faced with the same decision that frustrated Peter in Galatians chapter 2. The New Testament part of our Bible presents us with a transition from the Jewish doctrine (and gospel) of the circumcision preached by James and the Jerusalem apostles—to the Gentile doctrine (and gospel) of the uncircumcision (the new covenant) preached by Paul. Both of these doctrines are recorded in the Bible. This is the reason Paul warned his disciple Timothy to “rightly divide” God’s Word. The term “rightly divide” means that you must discern (or divide) between these two different types of theology found in the Holy Scriptures. Paul’s warning about this necessary “division” applies to all modern-day believers in Christ. In Galatians chapter 2, Peter yielded to fear and decided to side with James and his disciples to avoid a confrontation. As a result, Paul publicly rebuked not only Peter, but also Barnabas for their actions against “the truth of the Gospel” (Galatians 2:11-16). Remember that our New Testament records a “transition” from the Mosaic Law based doctrine of James (representing the Jewish circumcision) to Christ’s new covenant based doctrine of Paul (the Gentile uncircumcision). As with any transition, both sides exist in varying degrees until the process is complete. This is why we see principles of both the old and new covenant "religious systems” recorded in the New Testament--and why the unpopular practice of respecting Biblical context becomes almost a matter of life and death. Respecting Biblical context is a prerequisite to walking in truth. We’ve previously covered these things in detail.
Modern-day Christian leadership generally ignores two things that Paul said was absolutely crucial after the new covenant began. First, almost no correct teaching is given on the “self-examination” that Paul instructed all believers under his care to practice. This “self-examination” is not some introspective search for sin as some falsely teach, but a self-imposed in-depth evaluation as to whether we possess the correct type of “new covenant faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Second, church leadership fails to warn believers about the important differences between these two doctrines preached by James and Paul. Reformed theology is wrongly biased toward the teachings of James, while redefining and giving lip service to Paul’s Gospel of Grace. It wrongly mixes these two doctrines together creating a “perverted works-based gospel”, which teaches that both equally apply. Paul fiercely condemned this practice in his epistles to the Church (Galatians 1:6-9). Furthermore, God keeps these doctrines separated in His Word in order to preserve “the truth of Christ’s new covenant Gospel”, while providing a historical record of how it came into existence and the old Mosaic Law-based “religious system” that preceded it. This is the “stealth war” that everyone avoids talking about, while the message of the modern-day Christian Church is corrupted. It’s a misguided effort to preserve unity and “church growth programs” at the expense of truth. The side you choose determines whether you are walking in the “truth of the new covenant” or a counterfeit that looks similar.
When the apostle Paul publicly confronts Peter and Barnabas in Galatians chapter 2, he is giving us a warning about an important personal decision that all Church Age believers must make. Peter was caught in the transition between two different Divine dispensations. God is "phasing out" one dispensation, while "phasing in" a new one. Peter spent most of his life under the old covenant dispensation of the Mosaic Law. But, after Christ’s crucifixion a totally new covenant of Grace began, which brought about radical changes that conflicted with his traditional knowledge of the Law. It placed Peter in an uncomfortable position. His countrymen, who were once his trusted friends, now see him as a compromiser and "law-breaker". We can never understand the torment Peter experienced. It literally ripped him apart on the inside. Like so many of us, it’s painful to adjust to change and unlearn certain religious traditions that we’ve held for years. This is especially true when God is the one commanding us to change.
Both Peter and Barnabas made the mistake of yielding to religious peer-group pressure. It's an almost invisible influence that continues today in every church organization around the world. As a benefit of modern technology, Christians today possess a printed copy of the Holy Scriptures called “The Bible”. The Bible provides us with a written record of both the old covenant and the new covenant dispensations. Popular, yet wrong Christian doctrine rejects the rules of context found in the Bible and mixes these dispensations together. Those that defend this theology justify their actions by claiming to teach "the whole Word of God". This defense automatically accuses those of us (a minority) who obey rules of context as "not teaching the whole Word of God". Yet, those who respect rules of context are right, and the other group is wrong. On the surface, this "mixing of doctrine" seems to be a noble thing to do. Yet, there is a problem. God commands us to obey the context of His Word (Paul called it “rightly dividing the Word”) by placing our faith only in the new covenant of Christ, which has replaced the old covenant religious system. Personally, I think it's wise to obey God rather than popular theologians and preachers. Tragically, most Christians and church leaders today follow Peter’s example by yielding to the peer-group pressure found in their church or denomination. These heart-rending issues can divide families and friends. This is where we discover some of the cost of following Jesus Christ. The pressures of "not conforming to the group" can be more than most Christians want to pay. There are clear unintended consequences to either ignoring God's "rules of context", or being intimidated into making a decision that causes you to go astray in your faith.
I've left a lot of things out of this commentary to keep confusion at a minimum. The "merging together" of Israel's "old covenant kingdom program" with the "new covenant program" of the Church is one of the most serious errors found in the modern church world. I estimate that less than 5 out of a hundred Christian believers obey the instructions of Saint Paul to "rightly divide God's Word" the way he taught it. It's the main reason God doesn't display his power anymore--and why the church has lost its influence in the world. I could write a 500-page book on the subject and still fail to answer all questions. We're never going to succeed in providing an "air tight" response that finally settles the controversy. Those that choose to follow the doctrine of reformed theology will always find a way to justify their beliefs. They will always insist they are preaching "the whole Word of God". New believers are at a serious disadvantage in this misleading environment. As I said earlier, many books have been written throughout church history on this divisive topic.
Here's how I see the debate: Paul calls his gospel message "The Mystery of Christ". If you've ever read or watched a mystery novel or television program, you'll notice one common characteristic of this literary style. In the middle of the story you're tempted to stand up and proclaim, "I know how this turns out". However, in the final moments your whole theory is proven wrong with a surprise ending. Jesus trusted Paul with the revelation of "The Mystery of Christ". The other 12 apostles in Jerusalem only learned of it when Paul explained it to them. Paul was the "God-appointed custodian" of this mystery. Most Christians and church leaders are boldly claiming, "I know all about this mystery". Yet, I see only a small number correctly preach Paul's message. For the ones who preach it, persecution and accusations about "giving believers a license to sin" assault their ministry from without and within. For this reason, it's easy to understand why Paul's gospel message is commonly watered down and distorted. If you look at the ministry of both Jesus and Paul--they "walked in love", but they also fought a very brutal war of words for "the truth of the gospel". Every Christian should observe the command to "walk in love", but when the truth of the gospel is threatened, as it is today, walking in love does not mean unity at any cost.
"For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles--if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power." (Eph. 3:1-7)
"For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!" (Gal. 5:13-15)
We will close this commentary by providing some Internet links for further study. You might look at these teachings as "a second opinion". I don't like sending readers to other websites. When you refer anyone to a teaching from another Christian ministry it's automatically assumed that you're sending him or her there because you agree with everything they say. It is also assumed that the teachers and authors on these websites must agree with everything you teach. The reader should understand that we WOULD NOT necessarily agree on everything taught on these links and they probably would not agree with everything we teach. We refer to these links only because these specific articles may give the reader a slightly different perspective on a subject that carries "huge" eternal consequences. It also reinforces our assertion that we are not providing a "private interpretation" of the new covenant gospel in this commentary. We should always use discernment and "rightly divide" God's Word.
"For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel."
"Peace if possible, truth at all costs."
"Faith is a living, daring confidence in God's grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times."
"If he have faith, the believer cannot be restrained. He betrays himself. He breaks out. He confesses and teaches this gospel to the people at the risk of life itself."
"Christ Himself is my righteousness. I look at Him as a gift to me, in Himself; so that in Him I have all things. He says, I am the way, etc.; not, I give thee the way, etc.; as if He were working on me from without. All these things He must be in me, abiding, living, speaking in me; that I may be the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor. v. 21); not in love, nor in gifts and graces which follow; but in Him."
"If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point."
"(reply to the Diet of Worms Inquisition) Since your majesty and your lordships desire a simple reply, I will answer without horns or teeth. Unless I am convinced by Scripture and by plain reason (I do not believe in the authority of either popes or councils by themselves, for it is plain that they have often erred and contradicted each other) in those Scriptures that I have presented, for my conscience is captive to the Word of God, I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand; I can do no other. God help me. Amen."
"Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free, and you will be saved. Now choose what you want."
Martin Luther (1483-1546)
May the Lord continue to lead you into the truth of the gospel of Christ.
Suggested outside links:
The Basics of Understanding the Bible
(http://www.matthewmcgee.org/dispensa.html)
Israel's Kingdom Gospel and Our Grace Gospel
(http://www.matthewmcgee.org/2gospels.html)
Israel and the Church: the Differences
(http://www.levitt.com/essays/israel-church.html#introduction)
Are Gentile Christians All Spiritual Jews?
(http://www.layhands.com/AreGentilesSpiritualJews.htm)
Must a Christian give according to the tithing laws of Moses?
(http://www.choicesforliving.com/spirit/part4/tithing.htm)
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
(http://gracethrufaith.com/selah/parables/the-parable-of-the-ten-virgins/)
Christians and the law of Moses
(http://www.choicesforliving.com/spirit/part4/lawofmoses.htm)
Additional supplemental links on Rock of Offence:
What Is The Mystery Of Christ?
(http://www.rockofoffence.com/mocintro.html)
The Anti-Church
(http://www.rockofoffence.com/antichurch.html)
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
|
