Much of what the apostle Paul wrote was information that was “unsearchable.”
Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
Ephesians 3:8
What does that mean? Well, one can read their Bible for years with a magnifying glass, a compass, and a GPS device and they will never find what Paul labeled as “the revelation of the mystery” outside of his 13 epistles, Romans through Philemon.
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
Romans 16:25
One can search through all the books prior to Paul’s letters and all the books following Paul’s letters, and they will not find the “unsearchable riches” that Paul referred to. Why not? Why is that the case? The answer is ‘because they’re not there.’ That is what makes them unsearchable and that fact stands in direct contrast to what the Lord Jesus Christ stated:
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
John 5:39
There are those in this world who cannot see the forest through the trees. They are unable, or unwilling, to recognize the truth even when it is right in front of them. Most suffer from a lack of discernment, some work hard to protect a legacy, and others are too prideful to admit when they are wrong. It is a fascinating thing to observe those who are educated enough in the Bible reject the plain teachings of Scripture solely because it is not what they were taught from a younger age.
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
Ephesians 3:9
Does your Pastor, Priest, or Reverend work hard to make all men and women see what is the fellowship of the mystery, the body of mystery information that was hid in God before being revealed to and through the apostle Paul? Is this language that you hear on Sunday mornings? This message concerning the fellowship of the mystery and the unsearchable riches of Christ began to be revealed on the road to Damascus and continued in several subsequent meetings between the apostle Paul and the risen Lord (Acts 9:15-16; 26:16; Gal 1:12; 2 Cor 12:7; Gal 2:1).
Correctly understanding and acknowledging what the apostle Paul stated within Ephesians 3:8-9 is the key that will unlock your ability to interpret the Bible as it was intended to be interpreted.
But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1 Corinthians 2:9
The above verse is most often misunderstood because it is taken out of its context. This verse has been taught as though Paul were describing Heaven. This, where Paul says, “things which God has prepared for them that love him” is commonly taught to be referring to things that are waiting for us in Heaven, but it is not. While it is certainly true that when we get to Heaven, we will see things that we have not seen before, and we will hear things that have never been heard before, that is not what this verse is speaking to.
It is imperative that we stay within the parameters and the framework that has been set by God when studying His word. Context is key. If we look at 1 Corinthians 2:9 and then read the next verse, the meaning becomes clear to us:
But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:10
In light of verse 10 above, we can be certain that Paul is not speaking of things we will see once we die and go to Heaven. No, the things that eye hath not seen nor ear heard, the things that have never before entered into the heart of men, God has now revealed. What Paul is speaking to is the Romans 16:25 revelation of the mystery.
God revealed this mystery information to the apostle Paul and it was information that had previously been hid (Eph 3:9). It is information that has now been made manifest (Col 1:26). Within this message of grace that the Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven revealed, we can study and find things that have never been revealed before, the things that God prepared for us that love Him. Those things that were once hid from ages and generations have now been revealed through the apostle Paul.
Is this a message that you hear on Sunday mornings?
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1 Corinthians 2:7
Before Genesis chapter 1, verse 1, God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost made a plan called the mystery. It was a plan that was purposefully hid from all creation and kept a secret. Why so secret? Well, the answer to that question lies within the next verse, 1 Corinthians 2:8 –
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
So you see, God made a secret, a mystery, program that eye hath not seen nor ear ever heard and then He hid it. It was hid throughout all ages prior to Him giving it to the apostle Paul, but it is now revealed and meant for our understanding. It started with Paul and will continue to be revealed through faithful men and women who will commit to making all humanity see what is the fellowship of the mystery.
Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 2:8 that if the secret concerning the dispensation of grace would have been known, proclaimed by the prophets, and recorded within the Old Testament, Satan would have not had Christ crucified. Satan would have never entered into Judas Iscariot (Lk 22:3; Jn 13:27) and worked so hard to ensure that the ‘job was done right’. If Satan had known that God was going to hold back His day of vengeance and wrath, save Saul of Tarsus, give to him mystery information concerning the free gift of salvation with no works required, send him far amongst the Gentiles preaching a new creature (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15) where there is no longer Jew or Gentile, Satan would not have killed the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
One can imagine him rejoicing while Christ was hanging there on the cross. He thought he had won. Little did he know that when Israel rejected their Messiah, Christ Jesus would then look up into heaven and say, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” This allowed God to give Israel another chance. Israel, as a nation, rejected Christ (Mt 12:32). However, God in his longsuffering and mercy gave them yet another chance (2 Pet 3:9). God did it through the Holy Spirit. He poured out his Holy Spirit to the little flock (Lk 12:32), the kingdom church, on the day of Pentecost, a Jewish feast day. The small remnant of kingdom gospel believers in Acts chapter 2 were all Jews waiting and expecting to enter their prophesied Kingdom (Acts 2:1-41).
Is ”kingdom gospel” new terminology for you? Is this terminology that you hear on Sunday mornings? Have you been taught that there is one and only one Gospel within Scripture? Have you considered Galatians 2:7-9 –
But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
How many “gospels” do you count within the above passage? Does your church recognize that Paul and Barnabas were sent to the heathen (Gentiles) and that Peter and the 12 were sent to the circumcision (Jews; the nation Israel)? Were you aware that you can turn the page in your Bible to Galatians 3 and find yet another Gospel mentioned:
Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Galatians 3:7-8
Is the gospel by which you are saved, “In thee shall all nations be blessed”? No, it is not. Galatians 3 is speaking to the Abrahamic Covenant and the promise that God made to Abraham concerning a land, a seed, and a world-wide blessing (Gen 12:1-3). Abraham believed God, he put his faith in that gospel (good news), and it was counted unto him for righteousness (Rom 4:3, 13; 9:3-33; Heb 11:8-12).
If the gospel of our salvation (Eph 1:13) is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as preached by the apostle Paul (1 Cor 15:1-4), why didn’t Peter and the 12 understand that fact?
And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. … And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.
Luke 9:2, 6
In Luke 9, the 12 are “preaching the gospel”. The ‘Gospel of Luke’ is written chronologically. If the 12 are preaching the gospel in chapter 9, why is it that nine chapters later, Peter and the 12 do not understand Christ’s death and resurrection AFTER they went out preaching the gospel?
Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.
Luke 18:31-34
The gospel in Luke 9:6 did not include the meaning of the cross – the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:18). The gospel in Luke 9:6 is the same gospel that John the Baptist and Jesus preached:
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Matthew 4:23
The 12 did not understand “death, burial, and resurrection,” but yet, they had been “preaching the Gospel” in Luke chapter 9. How do you reconcile this contradiction? Why would Peter even attempt to stop the Lord from going to the cross (Mt 16:21-22) if the gospel of our salvation is all about the cross?
The gospel of the kingdom in Matthew 4 and Luke 9 did not include the cross, but the death, burial, and resurrection definitely constitute the gospel of the grace of God, revealed first to the apostle Paul, by which we are saved (Acts 20:24). The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God are different and neither Peter nor Christ nor John the Baptist ever preached the gospel of the grace of God. Only Paul preached the gospel of the grace of God and that happened after the glorified Lord Jesus returned from heaven to reveal it to this new apostle that was specifically sent to the Gentiles (Eph 3:3-7).
During the early chapters of the book of Acts, all the way up to Chapter 7, the Holy Spirit, through the 12 apostles, was testifying to Israel. But what happened? Well, thousands believed and received, but as a nation, Israel rejected the Holy Spirit just like they had rejected their Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. The final straw that broke the camel’s back was recorded in Acts chapter 7 with the stoning of Stephen (Mt 12:31-32; Acts 6:5, 8, 10; 7:51, 55).
Let’s think this through. Israel and the Old Testament had rejected God and murdered His prophets who testified of Him (Acts 7:51-52). In the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John Israel again rejected God and murdered His Son who testified of Him. Now in Acts chapter 7, which, keep in mind, is prior to Paul’s conversion, they again rejected God and murdered Stephen, one who also testified of Him while filled with the Holy Spirit. This truth should jump off the page at you with just a cursory reading of the book of Acts, chapter 7. Here’s Stephen, a man who had a face of an angel (Acts 6:15) and was a man full of the Holy Ghost (Acts 7:55) – he was murdered mob style by a vicious gang of unbelievers who rejected God the Holy Ghost.
Thus the situation we are presented with within the Bible is: 1) the rejection of God the Father through the Old Testament prophets, strike one; 2) the rejection of God through His New Testament Son, strike two; 3) the rejection of God through the early Acts offer of the Holy Ghost, strike three. Three strikes and you’re out! At this point, at the end of Acts chapter 7, Israel is out.
Now give special attention to Acts chapter 7 and verse 51. Listen here to Stephen as he gives his indictment to Israel:
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Acts 7:51
Recall that Jesus stated in Luke 12:10 that one could blaspheme the Son and still be forgiven, but that there was no forgiveness for those who blasphemed the Holy Ghost. Strike three had certainly occurred and it was at this point in history that God was ready to move on to a different program. That program involved the “mystery” and the revealing of “the unsearchable riches of Christ.” In order to enact that new program, a new apostle, separate from the 12 sent to Israel, was necessary.
In 1 Corinthians 2:7, Paul stated, “we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery”. In other words, it had been a secret up until that time, but not anymore. The risen glorified Saviour from Heaven, not Christ on Earth during His ministry to Israel (Rom 15:8; Gal 4:4-5; Jn 1:11; Mt 10:5-7; Lk 24:44), but the Savior from Heaven – after He made the payment for our sins – He then began to reveal the Ephesians 3:2 dispensation of the Grace of God to this unique apostle (Phil 4:15; 1 Tim 1:16; Rom 2:16; 2 Tim 2:8). This mystery that was kept secret was only to be revealed in due time. It does not take any guess work to identify who the Bible tells us the due time testifier was for one only needs to read the first part of the verse following Acts chapter 7:
And Saul was consenting unto his death.
Acts 8:1
You guessed it, Saul of Tarsus, the apostle Paul, was the man chosen by God to be the due time testifier of our good news, the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24). Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles is distinct from the ministry of the 12 sent to the nation Israel. Paul is not a “13th apostle” preaching the same message that the 12 did. Jesus stated a very specific purpose for the 12 in Matthew 19:28 and Paul’s name is nowhere to be found on the twelve foundations to the wall of the holy city Jerusalem in Revelation 21:10-13, 14.
If one were to take the time to compare verses between what the apostle Paul wrote, versus all other writers within the Bible, in light of this understanding of the “mystery” and the “unsearchable riches of Christ,” they should be able to notice a distinct and unique difference with regards to the apostle Paul’s ministry and message. This recognition and this understanding of the straightforward reading of Scripture has been negatively influenced through decades and centuries of “tradition” and church teachings that label themselves as Christian theology. Let’s make some brief comparisons:
Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
Matthew 20:28
Compare the above statement from the Lord Jesus Christ against what the apostle Paul taught:
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
1 Timothy 2:5-6
In Matthew 20:28, Jesus is still alive and has yet to go to the cross and die for anyone’s sins. Recall that, as we read earlier in 1 Corinthians 2:8, if anyone had known of the mystery information that Christ later revealed to Paul they would not have killed Jesus. With that in mind, we notice within this simple comparison that Christ stated that He gave His life a ransom for many. Not only should you notice what Christ is saying here, but you should also notice what He is not saying here. Prior to the cross, prior to Christ going to Heaven and revealing the revelation of the mystery to the apostle Paul, He says He gave His life as “a ransom for many.” This statement was made prior, not after, but prior to Him, Christ Jesus, dying for the sins of all, not many, but all humanity.
Compare what we just read to what Jesus later revealed to Paul on the other side of the cross. Within 1 Timothy 2:6 Paul states that Christ gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. This mystery, and with it the gospel of the grace of God, was kept secret and was only to be revealed in due time. The apostle Paul was selected to be the due time testifier of this good news. Salvation is now available to all, Jew and Gentile, and it comes through the gospel of the grace of God (Rom 1:16).
When was this mystery decided upon? Did Satan foil God’s plan and then God had to quickly come up with a plan B? Absolutely not. This was the plan that was made before the world began (Rom 16:25; 1 Cor 2:7; Col 1:26). It was a plan called “The Mystery,” a plan that was purposefully hid in God and kept secret. The Bible plainly states, to anyone that will simply put away their presuppositions and preconceived notions, that for more than 4,000 years, the mystery was hid until the apostle Paul was called into service. None of the 12 apostles were privy to this mystery information (Gal 1:12). The 12 were taught by the Law and the prophets. Paul was taught by Christ, not by any man. Paul was taught by the resurrected Lord Jesus for no less than three years. The Bible plainly states that this plan was not to be revealed prior to the death of Christ. Why is that? As stated previously, if the mystery had been revealed in the Law and the prophets, Satan would have not had killed Jesus and His death was a must, a necessity for our salvation.
Unlike Peter and the 12 who went away sorrowful after Jesus told them that He must die (Mk 9:31-32; Lk 9:44-45; Jn 20:9; Mt 16:22), we are to celebrate, we are to glory in the death of Jesus Christ. Let’s look at another comparison:
And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
Matthew 17:22-23
The Bible will begin to unlock and open up once one begins to compare Scripture against Scripture. That is rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Christ told the 12 what must happen, and they were exceedingly sorrowful about it. While understanding how the 12 apostles to Israel reacted to the news that their Messiah must die, let’s look at how the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom 11:13; 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11) viewed Christ’s death:
But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
Galatians 6:14
What the 12 were sorrowful about is the only thing Paul says that he gloried in. Have you ever stopped to ask why there was such a difference of opinion concerning the death of Christ between the apostles? Are we to explain away this disparity with the suggestion that the 12 figured this situation out, they morphed the gospel that they had been preaching with Jesus (Mk 1:14-15; Mt 4:23; Lk 9:1-4, 5-6), they adopted the gospel that Paul preached (1 Cor 15:1-4), they converted from Judaism and became Christians, and they then gloried in the cross of Christ? That just simply is not the case.
One of the first things that the 12 asked Jesus after His death, burial, and resurrection is captured for us in Acts 1:6 –
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
Acts 1:6
At this point in history, Christ had resurrected and was in His glorified body. The three major components that make up the apostle Paul’s gospel message (death, burial, resurrection) had occurred. Despite that historical fact, the 12 apostles to Israel are still asking about the earthly, the mediatorial, the millennial kingdom and its establishment (Dan 2:44-45; Joel 3:17-21; Rev 20:1-10; Mt 8:11-12; 19:27-29). This is the same earthly kingdom that Jesus taught them to pray for within His sermon on the mount (Lk 11:2; Mt 6:10).
The Bible had always said that Jesus appointed Paul to be my apostle (Rom 11:13) and that Jesus gave him my new doctrine (Acts 17:19). For all those many years, I had missed it. The Bible had said that if you want to be saved today, it is by faith alone and Christ alone (Rom 3:28; 5:1; Eph 2:8-9; Phil 3:9) and no longer faith plus works (Rom 11:6). For all those many years, I simply missed it.
The Bible had always stated that there came a time when Jesus, through Paul, shut down the great commission that He gave the 12 (Gal 2:9) and it was then, at that time, that Peter, James, and John’s ministry was restricted to a nation (1 Pet 2:9; James 1:1; 1 Pet 1:1; Gal 2:9), unlike Paul, who had been given the Romans 1:5 gospel to all nations, plural. And for all those years, I had missed it.
The Bible had said all along that all of my sins were forgiven at the cross, at the moment I believed the gospel of the grace of God (Col 2:13; Eph 1:6-7; 4:32; 2 Cor 5:19). Paul’s message of grace received now stands in contrast to the 12’s message of enduring to the end and a future forgiveness of sins (1 Jn 1:9; Mt 6:14-15; Heb 3:14; 6:4-6; 10:26-27; 10:35-39). I have a present salvation, not a future salvation. Hebrews through Revelation teaches a future salvation and is not doctrine written to me. For all those many years, I had missed it.
The Bible had taught that a dispensation of the gospel was committed unto Paul (1 Cor 9:17) and that Jesus gave Paul this dispensation of grace to give to me (Eph 3:2). It had taught that the body of Christ was in the mind of God before the world began (Rom 16:25) and that it was kept secret until Christ revealed it to Paul. Paul was the first member of the body of Christ within this dispensation of God’s grace (1 Tim 1:16; Phil 4:15; 1 Cor 3:10-11), which is according to the revelation of the mystery. The mystery of this present age is not that Gentiles are being saved, but that believing Jews and Gentiles are baptized by one Sprit into one body (1 Cor 12:13; Eph 4:4-6). But for all those many years, I had missed it.
The Bible has always stated that within this dispensation of Grace, water baptism is no longer a part of the gospel that we are to preach today (1 Cor 1:17). We are to preach the one Lord, one faith, one baptism that is found in the apostle Paul’s doctrine (1 Cor 12:13), not the water baptism for the remission of sins that John the Baptist, Jesus, and the 12 taught (Mt 3:1-4, 5-6; Jn 3:22-23; 4:1-2; Lk 3:3; Mk 1:4; 16:15-16; Acts 2:38-41; 11:16; 13:24; 19:3-5). Christians are not priests that require cleansing, the purpose of water baptism (Ex 19:6; 1 Pet 2:9; Mk 16:16). Christ’s shed blood has made me clean! How can water possibly compare? For all those many years, I had simply missed it.
The Bible has also always taught that no one prior to the Apostle Paul, no one from Genesis to Paul, ever considered dying and going to Heaven as an option. Nobody, not one person. Instead, the Bible tells us that their expectation was that when they died, they would go to be with their fathers in a place called Abraham’s Bosom (Lk 16:22), or Paradise (Lk 23:43), with the hopes of one day being resurrected to live in a kingdom here on Earth (Job 14:14; Dan 12:1-2; Jn 11:24; Mk 12:23; Mt 22:30). However, it’s only through the Apostle Paul that we learn that to be absent from the body is to be present with a Lord (2 Cor 5:8). It is only through Paul that we learn that we will be raised up and made to sit together in heavily places (Eph 2:6; Phil 3:20; Eph 1:10). Our, the Church’s, destination is heavenly. Israel’s, God’s chosen and covenanted people, is an earthly destination. The two groups, Israel and the body of Christ, have two different destinations. In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth (Gen 1:1) and the usurper, Satan, corrupted both realms through sin. God has a plan for restoring both realms. For all those many years, I had simply missed it and placed a presupposition upon the Bible as a whole.
One vital thing that will help you when going to the Scriptures is understanding that outside of Paul’s 13 epistles, God makes a distinction between Jew and Gentile. As a part of the revelation of the mystery that God gave to Paul in the books of Romans through Philemon, we now know that God no longer makes any such distinction between Jew and Gentile (Gal 3:28; Col 3:11; Rom 10:12). Listen closely, examine the evidence. In Ephesians 2:15, Paul wrote the following:
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
The word enmity means mutual hatred or ill will. Those of the Jewish religion hated those of the Gentile religions and vice versa. Well, as Paul stated, that ill will was abolished after the cross and the fall of Israel. We also see that the twain, which means two, has now been made the one new man, no longer two. You can search the Bible from beginning to end outside of Paul’s epistles and you will not find this truth anywhere. This is mystery truth revealed only through the apostle Paul. Peter, James, John, and Jude never discuss the body of Christ within their writings.
You see we have to stop thinking, understanding and speaking as children tossed to and fro, and begin to studiously appreciate God’s word of truth rightly divided. God was thoughtful enough to create a study system that simplifies the Bible, making it possible for us to understand. Yet, many today totally ignore this straight-forward approach to the Bible. Letting the Bible define itself by comparing verses against one another is not only correct and more reliable, but it takes away from man’s attempt to come up with their own private interpretations, which according to 2 Peter 1:20, is prohibited anyway.
Just how is it that we have missed all these Biblical truths? How is it that I, for all those many years, missed these Biblical truths? There’s a religious Satanic system that is apprehending folks left and right (2 Cor 4:4). Its influence is both pervasive and profound. Its influence reaches into seminaries, denominations, and individual churches. Those involved are deceived and are carrying forward a message, a system, an approach to the Bible that they have been taught by others. The salvation message, this pure, simple, straightforward, and very candid message that the apostle Paul taught is being perverted. The salvation message that those of this religious system preach is “do more,” “try harder,” “endure to the end.” It is nothing more than a self-improvement program. It is not the gospel of the grace of God. It is a “look at me,” “look in the mirror,” “evaluate myself while I am walking on the religious treadmill,” self-help program that is designed to take the focus off of Jesus on the cross, while putting the focus on yourself. Open your eyes, look around. You will find many who are long on opinions, long on tradition, but short on truth.
The fact of the matter is that many tend to fall for collective rationalization. This isn’t just in politics, it is also in churches and denominations. Most are group thinkers, members of the group that discount correction and give little thought to the consequences. They’re married to their church’ statement of faith or the teachings of their denomination. They’re married to their political party. They have their opinions, etched in stone and when shown the truth, they refuse to reconsider their assumptions.
They basically have no clear rules for decision-making. With them, it is a numbers game. They often think of it this way – “If the majority says it’s true, then it must be true” – while giving little thought to doing their own personal research. Did you not see all of those cars in the church parking lot? They must be teaching the truth there. If your decisions concerning Biblical matters are being shaped by the group think mentality, then the probability of you being saved and coming to the knowledge of truth is very low.
Religion will tell you that in order to be saved, you must follow a list of rules (James 1:27 for example). This religious system teaches salvation as if it were a marathon. They’ll have you jumping through hoops running the hamster wheel and hoping that at the end of your life, you’ve done enough to be pleasing to God.
Understanding the importance of rightly dividing the word of truth will help you to break this cycle and get off of the religious treadmill. Breaking this pattern will require commitment. It will take work, but it is well worth it. Breaking the shackles of bondage is intellectual. It begins in the mind. Stop assuming that there is only one way, and that is the way you’ve always done it – the way you’ve always believed. Truth does not hinge on whether or not you’ve ever heard it. Truth is truth and independent of whether you’ve ever heard it or not. It doesn’t matter if you believe it or not, it is still truth. Some things you hear for the first time and you mistake them for being something new. Nothing is new just because it is the first time you’ve heard it. It may be new to you, but that doesn’t make it a new concept.
Recently, it occurred to me how that I had missed all these things for all those many years. The Bible had said that Jesus during His earthly ministry did not teach the doctrine that I had been taught those many years. At the time of His earthly ministry, Jesus had only come unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. It was right there all along in Matthew 15:24 and Romans 15:8. That made the Sermon on the Mount of Matthew 5 through 7, the Kingdom Parables of Matthew 13, the “Lord’s Prayer” of Matthew 6, the Olivet Discourse of Mark 13, and the Great Commission of Matthew 28 all doctrine for Israel and not for me. But for all those many years, I had missed it.
Coming to grips with the fact that I had missed all these things for all these years was a very humbling experience. I had to give up much. I had to retrain myself and I had to read the Bible with a new set of lenses. It’s time you do the same. Don’t just assume that it has to be the way that everyone else in “Christendom” does it. Don’t just blindly follow the crowd. Find out what the Bible actually teaches and pursue the truth. Perhaps your stand for truth will lead the ones you love and care about to find it also.
When a man who is honestly mistaken, hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest.
John Adams
I really appreciate knowing that i am on the right path, following the pastors who teach this, rightly dividing the bible. My church doesn’t and I am in some areas out of step with my Pastor ,but he has a good heart believes in salvation by grace and supports israel . I found your way of setting out this teaching clear and I learnt/clarified some issues about the Jews, disciples etc Thank you
Thank you, Anne and Craig. May God richly continue to bless you both!
Gold. Solid gold. The word, rightly divided.
A treasure beyond any measurement.
Thank you for your work and study and time.
Blessings to you.
I would be very grateful if you could email me with an answer to the following question:
In Romans 16:25 Paul says that the mystery has now been revealed to him (my gospel). Why then does verse 26 imply that this was previously spoken of by the prophets? I don’t understand why verse 26 refers to the prophets (presumably OT ones) if the mystery was still a secret in OT times.
Please help! Thank you
Excellent question, Mary.
Let’s first visit what is actually Paul’s gospel (the “my gospel” that he refers to in Romans 16:25) –
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Cor 15:1-4
Notice that in verses 3 & 4, as Paul is telling us that belief in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection is what is the content to THE (v.1) gospel that he was to preach, that he makes reference twice to “according to the scriptures”.
So this is just like Romans 16:25 where he states:
But now is made manifest, –> and by the scriptures of the prophets, <-- according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: Rom 16:26 So same thing between these two passages and this is super important because we are talking about he gospel that saves today (Rom 1:16, 2 Tim 1:8-10). Christ’s death was prophesied - Isaiah 53 - something had to die for the New Covenant to be established. Christ’s cross is revealed in passages such as Ps 22, Is 53, Dan 9:26, and Zech 12, but until Christ died and resurrected, the prophesies about Christ were interesting but not effectual. What was missing from scripture prophesying that He had to die was what that meant for the salvation of humanity. Paul declares that people are imputed righteousness by faith because of His death and resurrection. That is different from the message of, “He died, what a shame, He resurrected because we were promised a kingdom”. Paul talks about Christ’s death and resurrection being the source of our justification (Rom 4:24-25). That is very different from the gospel of the Kingdom. The preaching of the mystery (Rom 16:25) was not prophesied. When He died, you died (Rom 6:6). But recognize that there is content within Paul's gospel that was prophesied. As I said above, the prophets spoke about the Messiah's death and rising again three days later. The prophets, however, did not state that the nation Israel had to put their trust in that completed work for their salvation. Rather, a Jew had to put their trust in the identity of Jesus the Christ, that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Here is an excellent video on this topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYJbAlEWBY0
I will email this reply to you also.
Blessings!
-Paul