This should take you about one minute to read - I pray it sheds some light within the body - what said the scriptures. Because of the Teachings of Peter and Paul - the Body of Christ - the church - has been - {Divided} - because of - {NOT} - understanding - {2 Timothy 2:15}. God tells us in - {Hebrews 5:14} - {But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age - even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil - The Greek word - {full age} - is elsewhere in the Scriptures translated - {perfect}. There is - {NO} - doubt whatever that God wants His children to leave the milk diet and feed upon the meat of His Word - Too many within the Body of Christ are like the carnal Corinthians - to whom Paul wrote - {And I - brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual - but as unto carnal - even as unto babes in Christ - I have fed you with milk - and not with meat - for hitherto ye were not able to bear it - neither yet now are ye able - {1 Corinthians 3:1 and 2}. What some church members consider strong meat for the - {full-age} - should - {NOT} - be so considered - But when we read Peter’s words in his Second Epistle - we know that the - {Risen Christ} - committed to the Apostle Paul some spiritual truths which were indeed - {Strong Meat}. Hear Peter’s acknowledgement concerning Pauline truth - {And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation - even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you - As also in - {ALL} - his epistles - speaking in them of these things - in which are some things hard to be understood - which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest - as they do also the other Scriptures - unto their own destruction - {2 Peter 3:15 and 16}. Note that Peter refers to - {ALL} - of Paul’s Epistles. {If ye have heard of the - {Dispensation of the Grace of God} - which is given me to youward - {to you Gentiles} - {Ephesians 3:1}. In order to understand the peculiar ministry of the Apostle Paul and wherein that ministry differed from the ministry of Peter and the - {11} - Apostles to Israel we should permit the - {Holy Spirit} - by the pen of Paul - to ask us the question - {Have you heard of the - {Dispensation of the Grace of God} - committed to Paul for us??? Then we should search the Scriptures and learn what that - {Dispensation} - is - how and when Paul received it - and appreciate and appropriate the Spiritual benefits guaranteed to us in that - {Dispensation}. This may seem to you to be one of the - {hard-to-be} - understood sayings of the Apostle Paul - but if you think this is a hard one - then surely you will think that his statement - in - {Colossians 1:24 to 27} - is almost like the ways of God which are past finding out. In - {Colossians 1:24 to 27} - We read the words - {FILL UP AND FULFILL} - {Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you - and - {Fill up} - that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body’s sake - which is the Church - Whereof I am made a minister - according to the - {Dispensation} - of God which is given to me for you - to - {Fulfill} - the word of God - Even the - {Mystery} - which hath been - {Hid} - from ages and from generations - but now is made manifest to His Saints - To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this - {Mystery} - among the Gentiles - which is Christ in you - the hope of glory}. The truth that Christ gave to Paul - who was born out of due season - was to - {Fulfill} - Paul was to - {Fill up} - that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ - in his flesh - for Christ’s Body’s sake - Hard saying - NO? Paul was - {NOT} - deluded. Paul was - {NOT} conceited. Paul was - {NOT} egotistical. Paul wrote about one half of the Books of the so called - {New Testament Scriptures} - and in them mentioned himself about - 1300 - times in the first-person pronoun - Moreover - he presented himself as a pattern and an example for members of the Body of Christ - {Brethren} - be followers together of me - and - {mark them} - which walk so as ye have us for an ensample} - {Philippians 3:17}. {Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy - 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 1:16}. {Be ye followers of me - even as I also am of Christ} - {1 Corinthians 11:1} - There is nothing very modest in the claim of Paul - recorded in - {1 Corinthians 15:10} - {but by the Grace of God I am what I am - and His Grace which was bestowed upon me was - {NOT} - in vain - but I laboured more abundantly than they - {ALL} - yet - {NOT} - I but the Grace of God which was with me}. Who could truthfully say what Paul said during his ministry of sacrifice and suffering - {For I am now ready to be offered - and the time of my departure is at hand - I have fought a good fight - I have finished my course - I have kept the faith} - {2 Timothy 4:6 and 7}.??? For Christ - Paul suffered the loss of - {ALL} - things - Paul was - {ALL} day long counted as a sheep for the slaughter - Paul was a spectacle before the heavenly host. Measured by true standards - the Apostle Paul was the - Greatest Apostle who ever lived on this earth - and he was also the most hated and persecuted of any - {man of God} - who ever lived on this earth. Hear this testimony in - {Galatians 1:10} - {For do I now persuade men - or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men - I should not be the servant of Christ} - Paul never once sought to please men - except as he was obedient to the instructions of the Lord to become as one under the - {Law} - to win the Jews. Hear one of his last statements - {Wherein I suffer trouble as an evil doer - even unto bonds - but the Word of God is - {NOT} - bound - {2 Timothy 2:9} - {This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me - of whom are - {Phygellus and Hermogenes} - {2 Timothy 1:15}. in the Epistle of - {2 Timothy} - we read Paul’s farewell message - where he magnifies his sufferings - and at a time when he faces death as a martyr - the - {Holy Spirit} - instructs believing Saints how to understand the Scriptures??? {Study to shew thyself approved of God - a workman that needeth not to be ashamed - {Rightly Dividing} - the Word of truth - {2 Timothy 2:15}. It is only by correctly dissecting - {orthotomeo - to make a str8 cut} - the Word of truth - that we can begin to understand Paul’s - {Dispensation of the Grace of God} - and his - {Dispensation} - of suffering to - {Fill up} - and - {Fulfill} - the Word of God with the - {Mystery}. In one of Paul’s last Epistles the child of God is instructed to make - {ALL} - see what is the fellowship - {Dispensation} - of the - {Mystery} - {Ephesians 3:9}. Let us learn from the following verses the peculiar call and ministry of Paul. {Acts 9:15} - But the Lord said unto him - Go thy way - for he is a chosen vessel unto Me - to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings - and the children of Israel}. {Acts 14:27} - {And when they were come and had gathered the Church together - they rehearsed all that God had done with them - and how He had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles}. {Galatians 1:16 To 18} - {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 2:7} - {But contrariwise - when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me - as the Gospel of the circumcision was to Peter}. {Romans 15:16} - {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 Spirit}. {1 Timothy 2:7} - {Whereunto I am ordained a preacher - and an apostle - {I speak the truth in Christ - and lie - {NOT} - a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity}. {2 Timothy 1:11} - {Whereunto I am appointed a preacher - and an apostle - and a teacher of the Gentiles}. {Ephesians 3:1} - {For this cause I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles}. {Ephesians 3:8} - {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}. {Romans 11:13} - {For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify mine office}. What is our conclusion after studying these verses? Last note, Paul - {Fulfilled/Completed] - the scripture given to him from the- {Risen Christ} - Let - {NO} - one tell you they have - {New Revelations] - from the Lord - Gods scriptures are complete.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Apr 2014 21:14:18 +0000
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