“dispensation of the grace of God” church age:
(Ephesians 3:1-2
Philippians 2:12-13 (KJV): “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”
as opposed to, kingdom of heaven age
(Used only in Matthew: 32 times)
2
Peter 1:10 (KJV): “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:”
Is there a difference, and if so how does it effect you, today, now??? Continued in the attachment.
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” Matthew 10:5-8
Did the twelve disobey this command? Only Peter in Acts 10 (appears to have, but only at the direction of the LORD; and that only to prepare for Paul’s arrival to go to the Gentiles as their Apostle: “But the Lord said unto him (Ananias), Go thy way: for he (Saul, later named Paul) is a chosen vessel unto me (LORD Jesus Christ), to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I will shew him (Paul) how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.” Acts 2:15-16. Peter supports Paul’s calling in Acts 15 and Galatians 2. Peter also gave tremendous support when writing 2 Peter 3:15-18. i recommend you read that text of Peter, written near the end of his life.
i would also recommend one reading the first 8 chapters of Acts and pay notice as to where Peter mentions Israel, men of Israel, the house of Israel, our fathers etc… none of which pertains to Gentiles. “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. They the twelve were looking for the re-establishment of their, Israel’s, former kingdom and glory concerning David and God’s promise to establish that kingdom in the person of the Messiah (Acts 2:29-30, the Christ, the LORD Jesus; as promised “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:” Romans 15:8. Now to Acts and scripture pertaining to Israel and not Gentiles. “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come” Acts 2:1a, a day commanded by God as seen in Leviticus 23:13 & Deuteronomy 16:9. Pentecost is Hebrew for fifty from “ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering”. “Ye men of Judaea” Acts 2:14; “Ye men of Israel,” Acts 2:22. “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly,” Acts 2:36. “Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.” Acts 3:1, still observing the law. “Ye men of Israel,” Acts 3:12; “The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers,” Acts 3:13.
“Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” Acts 3:24-26. “Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,” Acts 4:8. “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel” Acts 4:10. All the way to Acts 9:15 and Ananias going to Saul was all Jew, Israel. The first reference of Gentiles to be included is in Acts 9:15.
Sidebar: Abram: God calling out a people for His name: a land, a people and a king, so as to bring in that promised kingdom of heaven, which Israel rejected numerous times. Paul: God calling out all mankind “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,” Titus 2:11.
All Israel is to saved: “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so “all” Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” Romans 11:25-26. Further, Peter tells Israel (corporately) “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:37-38.
But Paul says: “If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are my flesh, and might save some of them.” Romans 11:14. “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” 1 Corinthians 9:22. We see this in Acts 16:30-31: “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” What was to be believed? That Jesus was Christ, that He had died, was buried and rose again according to the scriptures. No doing as with Peter in Acts 2:37-38 but “Believe”; faith plus nothing.
Peter states that by believing in His name is what is to be done and what was done. “And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.” Acts 3:16. “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.” Acts 4:10. “By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.” Acts 4:30. Those who lived in the dispensation of the Law were to believe in who Jesus was. “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Matthew 16:15-16. “Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” John 35-38. “She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” John 11:27. “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” Acts 8:37. Even Paul: “And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.” Acts 9:20. But after his, Paul’s three years in Arabia: “But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: and profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.” Galatians 1:11-18. After those three years in Arabia Paul’s gospel is “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1Corinthians 15:1-4. Not only believing who Jesus was (dispensation of law); But who Jesus is and His death, burial, and resurrection: “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, if ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:” Ephesians 3:1-2.
“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.” Romans 2:16
“That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.” Romans 15:16
“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
“For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.” 1 Corinthians 9:17
“And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,” Ephesians 6:19
“According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.” 1 Timothy 1:11.
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:” 2 Timothy 2:8
We are now in this “dispensation of the grace of God” are saved by believing who Jesus Christ was/is and this the gospel, Paul’s gospel.
Another big error that fellowships make is believing that the “church” started on Pentecost with the 120 in the upper room. i believe that the church started with Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. His confession was “Who art thou, Lord?” Acts 9:5 and Paul’s repentance is seen in “Lord, what wilt thou have me to do.” Then Saul, later called Paul (Acts 13:9) was “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:12-13.
So, why do i believe Paul was the first member of the “body” the “church”:
“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy (note, obtained mercy which is completely different than grace), that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” 1 Timothy 1:15-16.
“of whom I am chief.” Chief: Strong’s #4413. “foremost (in time, place, order or importance) before, beginning, best, chief (-est) first (of all), former. (III) Figuratively of rank or dignity, meaning first in importance” The next verse so states this fact of being first “Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering,” that in me first what, did what? was baptized into the “body” the “church” to be that Apostle to all those who are saved in this dispensation.
Differences of mercy and grace: God had told Adam not to eat of the tree of the knowledge or good and evil. The wages of sin is death, i.e. the wages of disobedience is death. Death both spiritual and physical. One death was immediate the other progressive until completion. God could have very well allowed by death to both to happen at the time of disobedience but postponed the physical to come later (in most cases: but God is always sovereign). So i see God’s word as true in spiritual death, immediate: but see His mercy in prolonging physical death; till grace was provided in the LORD Jesus Christ in His birth, death, burial and resurrection making grace alive in ones personal decision if one believes.
Thank You LORD Jesus for loving for me, giving me Your life. i’m so fortunate to be allowed to see those mysteries You revealed to Paul, that i am allowed to by what ever means, to by the faith You have allowed me to exercise, to believe in my heart what You and only You did, can, have and will do to and have done for those who will only believe You. That’s all You have ever wanted from man is just to be believed. Sin was a hard task master, thank You for making it again possible for man, for me to attain to what You have always wanted for man, for me. In Jesus’s name, Your name: Amen . . . . . .
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