GRACE ANSWERS 47

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 Gospel of Christ

QUESTION: After believing the Acts 28 viewpoint of Dispensationalism for the past 19 years, I have actually come to embrace more of an Acts 2 viewpoint lately, due to a lack of evidence for the other positions. I still reject water baptism and the Charismatic gifts, though, because the Scriptures clearly teach that none of these are for today. But my main questions concern the fact Paul preached the gospel of Christ (Ro.1:16, etc.), and the book of Mark also opens by mentioning "the gospel of Jesus Christ (Mk.1:1). I therefore do not believe Paul was the first to preach the gospel of Christ, or the only one to preach the gospel of Christ. Nor do I believe that Paul's use of the term "my gospel" necessarily means that Peter, James, and John were not also preaching the same gospel of Christ. The word "my" does not always indicate sole possession. I know this, because after the Lord's resurrection, He had yet to "ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God". Paul also thanked "my God", as well (Ro.1:8; 1Cor.1:4; etc.), yet he clearly was not the only one to thank his PARTICULAR God. In the same way, I do not see how Paul's use of the term "my gospel" necessarily means that the gospel to which he refers is his and his alone. I also know that Paul alone received "the revelation of the mystery" (Ro.16:25; Eph.3:6), and that he was not one of the Twelve. So when Paul uses the term "my gospel", I know he is contrasting the gospel of the uncircumcision which he preached with the gospel of the circumcision (that the 12 preached to the kingdom of priests with an earthly inheritance). I just fail to see how Paul is claiming to be the only person who was preaching his particular gospel, which is what I have always been taught in the Acts 28 camp. You, too, seem to hold this position as well, so I would like to see some more proof here.

ANSWER: The "Gospel" of Jesus Christ is the "Good News" (euangelion ) that God loved the world enough to make a "Way" for the eternal salvation of people who would "believe" (pisteuo ) His Word. God announced His "Good News" of salvation shortly after Adam and Eve sinned against Him. God has been in the "saving" business a long time. The Bible is full of Words of Good News from Enosh to Noah to Abraham to Jacob to Moses to David to Jesus to Peter to Paul. The Bible "is" the Good News of God's Love for an undeserving and stubborn humanity.

The Good News (Gospel) of the Old Testament necessitated obedience to God's Word. God Spoke the Good News of the Way and people were saved. The Good News leads to Salvation that leads to Joy. Look at the first uses of the words "saved" and "salvation" in the Bible.

"But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians...And when the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: 'I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.'"
Exodus 14:29 - 15:2

The Old Testament uses the term "good news" many times. (2 Samuel 18:25-31; 2 Kings 7:9; Proverbs 15:30, 25:25; Isaiah 52:7, 61:1) My favorite is Isaiah 61:1 because it was prophetic of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor."
Isaiah 61:1

I also love Isaiah 52:7.

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation."
Isaiah 52:7

My point is that the use of the words "good news" abounds in Scripture. Our responsibility as Bible students is to "rightly divide, cut straight, handle correctly" the Word of Truth. That's what Dispensational Study is about. We look for God's Divisions so we understand what He "has" for us and what He "had" for other generations and dispensations.

Most Christians see a difference between the "Old" and "New" Testaments because that's the way their Bible was published. What they don't realize is that the Gospels and Early Acts are a continuation of the "Old" Testament. The Major and Minor Prophets move seamlessly into Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. You and I know that some 400 years divided the writings of the last prophet and the proclamation of the angels to Mary and Jospeh that God's Son would come into the world as a baby. We also know that those years were but a brief moment in God's Plan to bring personal and national salvation to Israel. Christ spent His Life on earth fulfilling the prophetic announcements concerning the Old Covenant. His Words were aimed at the lives of ancient Jews and Israel. Peter preached a message of national salvation on the Day of Pentecost. He quoted clearly from the Old Testament Prophets about what Christ had done for them and what they should do for Christ.

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear...Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Acts 2:29 -36

Peter emphasized to the people of Israel that the Jesus of Nazareth that they had seen crucified days earlier was the Savior God had promised them through the prophets. He continued his message of national salvation for Israel the next day.

"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.' Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.' When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."
Acts 3:17-26

This is all Old Testament news. "And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed." The "covenant God made with your fathers" is what we Christians call the Old "Covenant" or "Testament." The prophets Peter spoke of were those we read about in the "Old Testament," not the New. Peter did not launch into any "new" business on the Day of Pentecost. He preached the fulfillment of the Old. The Work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christ's Hebrew Disciples on the Day of Pentecost was fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.

"No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel."
Acts 2:16

Nothing "New" happened until Christ hand-picked Saul the Jewish prosecuting attorney and turned him into the "Apostle to the Gentiles". That's when God starting revealing the "secrets" and "mysteries" He had hidden from everyone for thousands of years. That's when Jews learned God intended to save Gentiles outside of Judaism. That's when Gentiles learned God loved them, too, and would place them into the new spiritual "Body of Christ." That's when everyone learned God had "destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations." That's when Jew and Gentile learned God's 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." (Acts 2:14-16)

"Surely you have heard about the administration [dispensation] of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things."
Ephesians 3:2-9

I cannot agree with either of your stated conclusions. The Body of Christ, that includes Jews and Gentiles, did not begin until Paul's ministry. That could not occur until after he was saved (Acts 9). The Body of Christ began long before Paul's ministry in Rome (Acts 28). Paul preached the Gospel of Grace at Antioch to a mixture of Gentiles and Jews. Those believers were called "Christians" first at Antioch. (Acts 11) Paul wrote letters to members of the Body of Christ years before he went to Rome. 1 Corinthians 10 and 12 are examples of that early teaching.

"For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink."
1 Corinthians 12:13

The Body of Christ had to begin in the middle part of Acts: after Paul's salvation and before his first missionary journey.

After almost 30 years of Bible study my understanding of the "Gospel" is simple. God gave Peter, James and John the responsibility of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ "to the Jews." God gave Paul the responsibility of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ "to the Gentiles." (Galatians 2:6-8) We know from Paul's ministry and writings that God brought Jew and Gentile together to create "one new man out of the two." The Good News Peter preached was based on the Truth that Jesus Christ was the long-awaited Messianic King of Israel. The Good News Paul preached was based on the Truth that Jesus Christ came to earth in the form of a servant, humbled Himself "and became obedient to death--even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:5-8)

The Sin of Alcohol

QUESTION: Is it a sin for a Christian to drink alcohol? I've had a few friends of mine tell me that God commands us never to drink any alcoholic beverages. Not even one beer or small glass of wine to toast a special occasion, like an anniversary. If this is true, please prove it scripturally.

ANSWER: It is not true that God commands Christians to never drink any alcoholic beverage. What He does command Christians not to get drunk from drinking alcoholic beverages.

People of Christ's time and Paul's time drank alcoholic beverages. The drinking of wine is mentioned many times in the Bible. Legalistic Christianity cannot support a ban of drinking alcoholic beverages and it's a shame so much time is wasted on fighting the wind. What all Christians need to learn is about the key issues of "conflict" and"control."

Every Christian faces a series of "conflicts" throughout life. Each conflict cries out for a "resolution." The first conflict is the fact that every human being is born into the deadness of sin and is by nature an object of God's Wrath. (Ephesians 2:1-3) People cannot resolve even the smallest conflict of life until they sucessfully deal with sin and their separation from God. Once a person receives Christ as their Savior by grace through faith, they are ready to take on every other conflict life throws at them. However, to sucessfully deal with key issues and conflicts, Christians must understand that they "are not under law, but under grace." Nothing keeps a Christian down like legalism. That's the first key issue after salvation. How do we live the Christian life? The answer is simple: we don't. Christ lives His Life in us and then through us. We don't have the ability to live even one second of the Christian life. Only Christ can do that. So, the first conflict after salvation is who's going to live this new life: us or Him? If we don't answer "Him," we won't get far. It's like having a brand new car that has no gasoline, no gas station in sight and no one who knows what to do about it. It's cool. It has a shiny new paint job. It has a powerful engine and a speedometer that promises high speeds. It has four new tires that can move fast across the road. It's neat to look at and talk about, but it's not going anywhere until someone pours gasoline into the fuel tank and someone who knows how to drive gets behind the wheel, starts the engine, puts the car into gear and presses the accelerator. Christ is our Fuel. He is our Driver. If we want our life to go somewhere, we place it in His Capable Hands.

In Galatians 5 Paul wrote the early Christians that Christ had set them free for the sake of freedom. He did not set souls free so they could later return to the slavery of the Law. "Do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:2) Paul also wrote the Galatians not to use their freedom "to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love." (Galatians 5:13) A few words later, Paul wrote: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law." (Galatians 5:16-18) One of those "desires of the sinful nature" is "drunkenness." It's interesting that the sin of "orgies" follows the sin of "drunkennes" in Paul's list. (Galatians 5:21)

Paul also wrote the Ephesians about drunkennes: "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Ephesians 5:18) The word "filled" is the Greek plerousthe . It means "filled" in the sense of "controlled." Paul did not want Christians to be controlled by something like wine. He wanted them to be controlled by the Holy Spirit of God on a continual basis. The verb is the present imperative. Dr. Wuest translated it as: "Be constantly, moment by moment, being controlled by the Spirit." (Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1953) We solve key issues and conflicts in our lives as we cooperate with the leading of God's Spirit and participate in His "resolutions" to our conflicts.

A couple of notes to close. If you drink alcohol, do so with wisdom. Do not allow your taste for it to fool your brain into thinking you can stand as a model of Christian Love and Grace under the influence of alcohol. Many a wise person has fallen to the bottom of life for that lie. Also, do not allow yourself to become legalistic in your freedom. Do not stand for your right to freedom to the point of damaging your Christian brothers and sisters. Remember that Christ gave us freedom to "serve one another in love." Do what is good for your brother from a heart of love dedicated in service to our Lord.

"If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make ever effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall."
Romans 14:15-21

The Remission of Sins

QUESTION: I do not know why but there is a passage that I just can not grasp well enough to try and explain it to some one else - Rom 3:25. Maybe it's because I see the word remission and I think of how John and the twelve apostles all baptized for the remission of sins. I know we are not to baptize for the remission of sins...I know I must not be thinking right, because where I am feeling uncomfortable is I believe that Israel's sins under the Law were not forgiven, rather they were remitted or rolled forward year to year. I am right aren't I when I say Israel's sins while they have been paid for at the cross they have not yet been forgiven. That will not happen until the second coming of our Lord? Why does it say in Rom. 3:25 "to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past?" I know it is God's righteousness and not mine but I guess I am having a problem with "remission" thinking it means to roll forward and how this pertains to the body of Christ today. Paul tells us our sins have already been forgiven.

ANSWER: The word "remission" in the New Testament is usually a translation of the Greek word aphesis . It means "a dismissal, release." "Remit" is aphiemi . It means "to send away." The word translated "remission" in the King James Version of Romans 3:25 is the Greek paresis . It's meaning is "passing over, letting go, dismissal." It's a suspension of judgment or withholding of punishment. The New International Version translates the word as "forbearance."

"Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."
KJV

"God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished."
NIV

The full context of Romans 3 demonstrates God's Faithfulness and Righteousness even though no human being is faithful or righteous.

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God...there is no one who does good, not even one...There is no fear of God before their eyes."
Romans 3:10-12, 18

How does a person like that become righteous? Paul taught that "no one will be declared righteous" in God's sight "by observing the law." Instead, "through the law we become conscious of sin." No one has an excuse. We are all conscious of our sin. We are aware of its wrongness. The secret to righteousness is in the Giver and the Gift.

"But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished--he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."
Romans 3:21-26

God would have been justified to destroy the population of the world for its sinfulness. He almost did that thousands of years ago.

"The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, 'I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them.' But Noah found favor [grace] in the eyes of the Lord."
Genesis 6:6-8

God almost wiped mankind from the face of the earth. However, He chose to "pass over" those sins for a time because of His Grace. God later presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement to save those who had faith in His Blood. He did it to demonstrate His justice, "so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

Believers in God have sacrificed animals for thousands of years, but did those millions of gallons of blood ever save anyone? No! "But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." The only blood that can take away sins is the Blood of Jesus Christ! It's always been that way. God has always looked to the moment when Jesus would die on the Cross and shed His Blood for the final remission of sins.

"He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption."
Hebrews 9:12

The sins of individual believers are forgiven. However, Israel's sin is another matter. It is an issue of future judgment. Christ has paved the Way for Israel's future through His Victory over sin and death. The next step is for Israel to face the final years of cleansing and judgment that are ahead. Israel's future and that of the Body of Christ are, fortunately for us, different. The Body does not face the harsh national judgment that awaits Israel. We face individual judgment and rewards for what we are doing now on earth.

What Satan Knows

QUESTION: Does Satan know what you are thinking at all times? I know that the Lord does but does satan have that ability? I havent found anything in the bible that says he does or he doesn't.

ANSWER: Interesting question. I've thought about it often. Satan is not omnipotent or omnipresent. However, he does have a sophisticated system of evil in the heavens and on earth. The powers of evil communicate to him much about what is going on in the lives of people on earth. Satan prowls the earth himself seeing what damage he can do to God's people and plans. However, I do not believe Satan knows what we're thinking. He can know what we say sometimes because either he or a member of his evil empire hear it. Maybe we should be careful about what we say, for many reasons.

The NIV and Ecumenism

QUESTION: I just happened to come upon your web page and saw where you use the NIV Book. I notice that is called the Holy Bible on the page. But I feel that God's Holy Word would not have a copyright on it and that no one should to have permission from Zondervan Publishers to use God's Word. I also noticed that you use the word unity alot. I hope you aren't an ecumenist and plan to influence people and church groups to join up with the one world false church of the end times."

ANSWER: I am familiar with the concerns expressed about the NIV translation as well as concerns about the KJV, NKJV, RSV, ASV, NASV and other translations. I've studied God's Word for almost 30 years from several Hebrew and Greek texts and have found most of the concern areas. I haven't found anything that changes the basic meaning and purpose of the Bible. People were, are and always will be saved by Grace through Faith because God loves them. I use the NIV more often than any other version because of its ease of understanding today. I use the KJV the next most often, followed by the NASV.

I believe, as did Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul, that God's children should be one people, not many people. Christ died to make His disciples one. Christ died to make Christians one. We are one in Christ. That happens the instant someone receives Christ as their Savior and the Holy Spirit places them into the Body of Christ. The hard part for most Christians is acting like we're in the same Body. That's my emphasis. It's about obedience to Christ and enjoyment of His Gift of Grace. I am not an ecumenist.

"Dress Code" for Christian Women

QUESTION: Just a brief question, does your fellowship as a whole follow a "dress code" for women believers? Example-Long Hair? It may seem a foolish or contentious question, but recently I attended a church which seemed to hold similar beliefs as I do. I was very uncomfortable to find myself in a large gathering of believers who obviously believed in long hair & certain dress restrictions beyond the personal intrepretation of modesty. I am not being critical of these believers in any way, but am curious as to whether your fellowship adheres to similar standards.

ANSWER: We have no "dress code" for men or women. Believers are "free" in Christ and follow the directions of the Holy Spirit. Modesty and moderation are some of the basic principles of Paul's teachings, so we do follow those. If someone were dressed in an immodest or indecent way, we would share those principles with the individual in a gentle and gracious way.

Taking God's Grace to the World!