GRACE ANSWERS 17

These are questions sent to GraceLife Ministries by Internet E-Mail. We appreciate each person who sent the questions and hope our answers will be a help to many. If you would like to have a question answered for Grace Answers, please e-mail Mark McGee.

The Latter Part of Acts

QUESTION: I can see that you are studied in the letters of Paul. And that you rightly divide the Word. I was reading in the Q's and A 's section. The question being, when did the dispensation of Grace begin? Specifically the Body of Christ. You answered Acts 15. My question to you is, what do you do with the latter part of the book of Acts where Paul himself says I am bound for the Hope of Israel? Doesn't this statement tell us that this was still the Kingdom program? Until the setting aside of Israel in Acts 28?
ANSWER: I believe the Body of Christ was in motion by Acts 11. Here's a quote from our GraceAnswers section about when the Dispensation of Grace began.

"The point of this historical overview is to show that the Dispensation of the Grace of God had its infant beginnings in the salvation of Paul and grew to a point of full and accepted understanding years later at the Council of Jerusalem. I believe the Dispensation of God's Grace and the Body of Christ were underway in Acts 11 when Barnabas brought Paul to Antioch to minister to the Gentile believers. The Gentile believers were first called Christians during Paul's ministry in Antioch. Paul refined his message during the following years, but that simple congregation of Gentiles in Antioch is where God's New Household came together. I understand the arguments of some who believe that is too early a time for the Grace Dispensation and the Body of Christ to begin, but it's my opinion based on careful study and consideration."
Paul was not part of the Kingdom program. His role was to introduce a new Dispensation; one that God had kept secret from everyone until He revealed it to Paul.
Paul had a strong desire to see his people, the Jews, come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Dispensation of Grace included Jews and Gentiles. Paul's ministry to Jews was part of God's new work. The difference was that it did not include Israel as a nation in its program. It did not include the Kingdom Throne of Messiah. It did not include the Law of Moses. Jews are included in the Dispensation of Grace, but it is not a Jewish dispensation. Even so, Paul carried a heavy burden in his heart for the Jews and for Israel. That's understandable when you study Paul's personal background.
Paul's ministry was one of transition. God revealed more and more to him about the Dispensation of Grace through the years between Paul's conversion and his death. Reading Acts and Paul's letters shows that clearly.
The dating of Paul's prison letters could be from early '50s A.D. to early '60s A.D. He may have written the letters from his imprisonment in Caesarea (Acts 24) or Rome (Acts 28). Some who believe Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon after Acts 28:28, say that everything Paul did, said and wrote prior to it was in the Kingdom Dispensation. That may be an easy way to deal with many difficult things, but it doesn't work. Paul's ministry during Acts was for the purpose of starting primarily Gentile churches. Jews were members of those churches, but the primary outreach was Gentile. That was never true of Peter and the Kingdom apostles. They remained in Jerusalem to wait for the return of Messiah Jesus.
God said that ministering to Gentiles would be Paul's primary mission (Acts 9:15). Paul would not allow Jewish believers to force Gentile believers to be circumcised and brought under the Law (Acts 15 and Galatians 2). That certainly doesn't fit into the Kingdom program. The debate about that issue was heated. Paul stood up to Peter and "opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong." Peter was the spokesman for the Kingdom Apostles, but Paul wasn't a part of the Kingdom Dispensation. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles and opposed Peter when he withdrew and separated "himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy." Paul said that when he saw that Peter and the other Jews were not "acting in line with the truth of the gospel," he rebuked them to their face. Paul ended his rebuke by telling Peter, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law; Christ died for nothing!" Remember, this happened shortly after Acts 15.
Paul's later writings are consistent with his earlier writings in the theme of Grace. Galatians was probably Paul's first letter. He wrote it some time after Acts 15. Paul holds strongly to Grace and the Freedom Christians have from the Law. Stand Galatians next to Ephesians and Colossians and see.
Paul spent many years after his conversion studying God's Word and receiving revelations about Grace before he went to Antioch to begin his missionary journeys. He knew the basics and many specifics. God continued to reveal the specifics throughout Paul's journeys. Paul stopped baptizing as soon as God made that revelation clear. That was sometime after Acts 19 and before he wrote his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul was always growing and learning. He is such a wonderful example to us of how we need to study the Word to present ourselves to God "as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."

Denominationalism

QUESTION: What do you think about denominationalism? Is it sin?
ANSWER: The word "denominationalism" means -- "devotion to denominational principles or interests; the emphasizing of denominational differences to the point of being narrowly exclusive." A denomination is "an act of denominating; a religious organization uniting in a single legal and administrative body."
I do not personally believe in religious denominations. I don't find it in Paul's Gospel. Therefore, I don't practice it. Most denominational churches are exclusive in nature. If you don't belong to their denomination, your worship and ministry opportunities are limited unless you become "like them" by obeying their rules and regulations. Visit 10 denominational churches and you'll find 10 different rules about what to do to become part of their church.
Paul's Gospel is "inclusive." Becoming a member of the Body of Christ "includes" us with every other member of the Body of Christ. Membership is in the Body, not in a particular religious denomination. The Gospel of Grace has no place for denominationalism in its program of Love for all.
I understand the histories of denominations. We know why they came into existence. Many were to stand against apostasy. Others came into being because of petty, less important disagreements. The problem is that denominations are opposed to the Unity that God demands within the Body of Christ. God gave us all the details we Christians need to deal with apostasy and disagreements. Paul's letters are full of directions for how to keep the Unity in the Bond of Peace.
It's time for all Christians to realize that denominationalism is a waste of time and energy. We need to spend our precious years on earth bringing believers together, not moving them further apart. I appreciate the great truths that many denominational leaders have emphasized through the centuries, but not one of those truths is outside the Gospel Paul gave us to follow as members of the "same" Body.
Paul dealt with every division within the Body of Christ in the same way. He wrote:

"I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought."
1 Corinthians 1:10

Unity takes work, prayer and forgiveness. We have to be committed to unity to make it happen. It's so much easier to just leave and start another group with a different name.
Divisions will occur among Christians because we are not perfect, yet. We still struggle with sin and fleshly desires. We are proud and greedy. We want to be first. We look on our own things instead of the things of others. That was true while Paul was alive. It's the human part of our struggle to become like Christ. So what do we do? Divide? Denominate? No! We make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
What about church leaders? Don't they have a God-given responsibility to protect the Truth? Sure, but how we do it is the difference. Here's what Paul told Timothy to do when he faced opposition in the churches.

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servants must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will."
2 Timothy 2:23-26
Here's what Paul wrote about the division between Jews and Gentiles that existed before God's Gospel of Grace. Notice his usage of words that unify.

"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."
Ephesians 2:14-22
I believe Paul would be saddened greatly by denominationalism if he were alive today . I believe God is saddened by it. Is it a sin? That's for God to judge.
Here's what God wants:

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you were called--one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."
Ephesians 4:1-6

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others."
Romans 12:4-5
Every denominational name will fall off us the instant we go to heaven. We will not spend eternity with our exclusive denominational badges. We will be Children of Grace in the presence of God! The Gospel of Grace has no place for disunity. We will all be brothers and sisters in heaven. Why can't we do it now? Because of pride and personal ambition. Denominationalists claim they do it because God called them to do it and they are standing for Truth. The Truth for our dispensation is contained in Paul's writings and Paul doesn't allow for the kind of disunity and exclusivity contained in denominations. Living a life worthy of the calling we received begins with humility, gentleness, and patience. It continues with a great effort to keep the unity of God's Spirit through the bond of peace.
Now, let me be practical. Millions of Christians are not going to throw off their denominational names and practices just because some non-denominationalists want unity in the Body of Christ. I know that. However, I think millions of Christians could open up their arms to millions of other Christians and become "inclusive." If we're not inclusive now, the Spirit will make us inclusive the second we hit Heaven together. Why wait for the Spirit of God to make Unity happen. Let's have it now. Let's be the Body Christ saved us to be. Let's show real Love toward each other. Let's be Good and Kind to one other. Let's be Gracious and Forgiving. Let's find a Way to be a Spiritual Family, a Holy Building, a Great and Mighty Body, working together in the Grace of God.

The New Covenant and Grace

QUESTION: Please give me some help with the teaching that the New Covenant was given to the Nation of Israel and is not a part of the mystery as revealed to the Apostle Paul.
ANSWER: The New Covenant was given to Israel. We read about it in Jeremiah 31:31: "The time is coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.'" Jeremiah wrote this at a time after the 12 tribes of Israel had split into two groups: Israel and Judah. God said it would not be like the covenant He made with their forefathers when He took them out of Egypt. It would be a New Covenant.

"This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,' declares the Lord.' 'I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,' declares the Lord. 'For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.'"
Jeremiah 31:33-34

The New Covenant is clearly one God designed for Israel. The New Covenant is mentioned again in Matthew 26:28, Mark 14:24, Luke 22:20, 1 Corinthians 11:25, 2 Corinthians 3:6, and Hebrews 8:8 & 13; 9:15; and 12:24.
God revealed to the Apostle Paul that the Blood of the New Covenant was also for the Body of Christ. It was part of the Mystery that Christ's sacrifice on the Cross was for Gentiles as well as Jews. "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.'"
Paul mentions "a new covenant" in 2 Corinthians 3:6: "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." Paul then goes into detail about how the glory of God's new agreement with members of the Body of Christ is greater than the glory of the old agreement He had with Moses.

"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."
The New Covenant of Jeremiah was one God made with the houses of Israel and Judah. God also made a new agreement with His Body of Christ; a mysterious, secret Body of believers not known about until He revealed it to Paul.

Rightly Dividing The Word of Truth

QUESTION: I was wondering if you would explain the teaching of "rightly dividing the word of truth." If Timothy did not have a completed bible, what was he dividing? I understand that he may have had a copy of Isaiah as our Lord read from one in the "gospels" and possibly other manuscripts but if he was to make "divisions" he would need to do it with something he had in his possession wouldn't he? And I'm certain that he did not have a dispensational chart (just kidding). But if he didn't have the completed word of God, how could he make any divisions with past books of the bible as in O.T. Seems like Paul was telling Timothy to "rightly discern" the word of truth by studying like a good workman does who knows his trade. When others come around to confuse, deceive, or dispute the workman, he knows how to handle them by using the word of truth on them. That would seem to stop the mouths of those who love to dispute about words, and trip up others in the faith with their unbelief as they (Judaizers) seem to be doing. It dosen't seem to add up "dividing the word" with the context of 2 Timothy 2: and how can one hang his doctrine on one verse in scripture?
ANSWER: Timothy and other Gentile Christians of his time had access to the Septuagint. It was the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament. Timothy also had copies of New Testament writings available in the mid-First Century. That would have included Paul's letters. Timothy was raised in a "mixed" religious family. His mother and grandmother were Jews. His father was Greek. Paul wrote to Timothy: "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 3:14-15) Timothy had a rich spiritual heritage that gave him many insights into God's Holy Word.
Paul wrote Timothy about "rightly dividing the word of truth" (KJV). The NIV is "correctly handles the word of truth." The Greek is orthotomounta ton logon tes aletheias . It comes from orthos (straight) and temno (to cut). It translates as "cutting straight the word of truth." It was a word used for masters of a particular craft where straightness was crucial. Paul used the word in the present tense and active voice. It was something he wanted Timothy to do and continue to do. Greeks used the word for someone cutting along a straight line, cutting a straight row or road. It was used for a mason squaring and cutting a stone to fit in its proper place. Greeks also used the word when speaking about how to handle or deal with something properly or correctly.
That's what the Christian student of God's Word is to do with the Bible: handle it correctly, deal with it rightly, make a straight cut during study. That means a careful, methodical, inductive study of each verse of the Bible in its correct setting and context. People of the first century A.D. were already mishandling God's Word. Jesus spoke about that often as He addressed the throngs about the Old Testament. Paul knew it was bad in his time and would get worse and worse. Paul left us with a powerful reminder to every Christian about how important it is to handle God's Word properly. He chose a term familiar to the Greek population. He knew Timothy and others would understand.
"Rightly dividing" or "correctly handling" the Word of God is a Biblical battle cry to Christians who care deeply about Truth. If we are careful in our study of God's Word, we should come to most of the same conclusions about Christianity and living it. We may disagree on some small points, but the large and important issues of our Faith should be clear as we study God's Word correctly.
One of the large issues that has faced the Church in the past 2,000 years is dispensational divisions. Timothy traveled with Paul from an early age. He became an apostle of the Dispensation of Grace under Paul's leadership and guidance. Timothy learned about the differences between the Law and Grace and understood what it meant to "rightly divide" the Word of Truth. He had seen Paul do it. Paul taught Timothy how to do it. At the end of his life, Paul reminded Timothy of the importance of continuing to do it and training others to do it as well. Paul knew what a disaster it was to "mix" Law and Grace. He debated the issue with Jews throughout his ministry. He wrote many letters to churches about how not to mix the two dispensations. "Rightly dividing" the Word of Truth is a matter of understanding what's meant for whom. Once we know that, we can obey God's Word to "us" and not try to obey something *not* meant for us. That's an important part of handling God's Word correctly. Much of the confusion of the modern church is because of "mishandling" the Word.