Category: Paul’s apostleship

Paul’s Three-Fold Announcement

Friday, May 20, 2016

“Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46 KJV).

Israel has been warned—there are two more admonitions to come!

Anyone who has seriously studied the book of Acts is familiar with the three-fold announcement the Apostle Paul made to the nation Israel. Today’s Scripture was the first. Acts 18:6 is the second: “And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.” Acts 28:28 is the last: “Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.”

While there are some very asinine teachings associated with this three-fold announcement, we push such denominational biases aside to look at the verses themselves. Consult a good Bible atlas (there may be one in the back on your Bible) and notice where Acts 13:46, Acts 18:6, and Acts 28:28 were spoken. The first was uttered in Antioch of Pisidia, Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey). The second was spoken in Corinth, Achaia (modern-day southern Greece). The last was uttered in Rome, Italy (the world’s capital at that time). In other words, Paul traveled westward making this proclamation. We in the Western world should be thankful. The Gospel of Grace, instead of spreading eastward (the Far East), came our way first!

Although it is common to view the book of Acts as “the record of the birth of the Church” (a faulty phrase found commonly in “Christian” thinking), a more appropriate summary is “God’s justice exhibited in setting Israel aside.” The more Paul preached from Acts chapter 9 through chapter 28, the more unbelieving Jews followed him, argued with him, and even physically abused him. By the end of Acts, the transitional period was over. Israel had “diminished” (Romans 11:12); the Holy Spirit through Paul would warn her no more. He had already gone to the Gentiles, and, unlike national Israel, how the Gentiles so joyfully received Him!

Philemon and Onesimus

Sunday, April 17, 2016

“I beseech thee for my son Onesimus, which I have begotten in my bonds: Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me” (Philemon 10,11 KJV).

The last epistle of Paul in the canon of Scripture is his very brief letter to Philemon. Much can be drawn from those few verses, but, in this present study, we will confine our attention to one aspect, to learn a lesson in our own Christian lives. Philemon was a saved man. His slave, Onesimus, was lost, having not trusted Christ until he met Paul. We wonder, did Philemon ever witness to Onesimus?

After the book of Acts, near the end of Paul’s ministry, the Apostle was imprisoned (under house arrest) in Rome for two years (Acts 28:30,31). During this time, he wrote the epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. While he was in bonds in Rome, he met a runaway slave named Onesimus. Onesimus was from Colosse (cf. Colossians 4:9), where there was a local grace church. Onesimus’ master was Philemon. Philemon was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, for Paul referred to him as such throughout that short epistle that bears his name. Strangely, Onesimus was an unsaved man when he met the Apostle Paul. Did Philemon ever bother to share the Gospel of Grace with his employee, Onesimus? Maybe not.

Once, a lady told me that, after she was saved, she asked a family member who had been saved for years, “I was on my way to hell, so why did you never share the Gospel with me?” The relative replied, “I do not know!” Unfortunately, Christians oftentimes overlook those closest to them. Parents, children, siblings, in-laws, spouses, cousins, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, neighbors, friends, classmates, and coworkers are people who we can reach. There are people in the world that only we can reach with the Gospel. We have extra-close relationships with them, and they will rarely, if ever, discuss intimate (religious) topics with others. Let us be mindful to take advantage of those special relationships. Souls are on the line!

Stability in Extremes

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24 KJV).

Life is filled with extremes. Grace fills us with stability.

Having just attended a Christian wedding, I will soon attend a Christian funeral. Joy and excitement one week—trouble and grief the next! Such is the “roller coaster” we call “life.” Saints, if we lived our lives based strictly on our emotions, we will have one *wild* ride… and eventually, “fall off!” However, if we have a steady (daily) intake of sound Bible doctrine, believing it, reckoning it as true, that will run our lives and bring emotional stability. While our circumstances can and will change, the Holy Spirit will always be supporting us internally.

Notice how our apostle conducted his life and ministry. In today’s Scripture, Paul gave some farewell advice to the Ephesian church elders (beginning in verse 18). He had spent approximately 30 years suffering for Jesus Christ: “And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me” (verses 22,23). Day in and day out, Paul experienced extremes. He had the joy of seeing pagans come to Jesus Christ. He had heartache of seeing deceived Christians troubled. He worried about the angry mobs determined to imprison and kill him.

Paul did not know what would soon happen to him when he arrived in Jerusalem. Still, despite all the troubles, he said, “none of these things move me” (today’s Scripture). He knew that, no matter his circumstances, even if it meant being put to death, he had a divine obligation—to preach the Gospel of the Grace of God. That same grace he was preaching had carried him through all those circumstances, good and bad. He was determined to continue with the Gospel “with joy.” Right up until the day the Lord called him Home, he did just that. Likewise, may we rely on God’s grace to stabilize us! 🙂

Tychicus

Thursday, March 31, 2016

“All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellowservant in the Lord: Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts; With Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here” (Colossians 4:7-9 KJV).

Exactly who was “Tychicus?”

Tychicus (“fortunate”) was a Christian man from “Asia” (“Asia Minor,” present-day Turkey) who accompanied Paul into that region on his third apostolic journey (Acts 20:4—Tychicus’ first appearance in Scripture). While we do not know very much about Tychicus’ origin, we understand that he was a very helpful brother in Christ during the latter half of Paul’s ministry.

Paul called Tychicus “a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:21) and “a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellow-servant in the Lord” (today’s Scripture). Ephesians 6:21,22 say of Tychicus, “[he] shall make known to you all things, Whom I have sent for the same purpose, that ye might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts” (cf. today’s Scripture).

According to the Bible, Tychicus, with Onesimus, was a courier by whom Paul sent his epistle to the Colossians. Tychicus personally carried Paul’s epistle of Ephesians to Ephesus. While Paul was in prison in Rome, Tychicus was his messenger to the Colossians and Ephesians, and he relayed information to and from the Apostle. Just as good news cheers our hearts, so any good news from Paul to his Gentile converts or good news to the Apostle from his Gentile converts, would have certainly been a source of comfort. Indeed, Tychicus’ ministry was vital to Paul’s—especially in a day when long-distance communication was so limited and slow.

It is unknown if Paul sent Tychicus to commune with Titus on the island of Crete (Titus 3:12 was a possibility, not a fact). The last we hear of Tychicus is in Paul’s farewell epistle, where the Apostle, before being executed, had sent him to Ephesus (2 Timothy 4:12). Whatever became of our brother, Tychicus, we know not!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Does Acts 13:48 support Calvinism?”

How to Glorify God

Thursday, March 17, 2016

“I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4 KJV).

Do you want to glorify God? Then follow the example of Jesus Christ in today’s Scripture!

Our Lord continued: “[6] I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. [7] Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. [8] For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.”

Jesus prayed to His (our) Heavenly Father that He had given Israel’s believing remnant, particularly the 12 apostles, the words that His Father had given Him. For us to glorify Father God, we need to find out what He has to tell us, and then we should tell it to others. In fact, that is every Christian’s ministry. Two Timothy 2:2 is the Holy Spirit’s instructions to the Body of Christ, as penned by Paul our Apostle: “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” Not only should pastors and teachers keep this in mind, but every Christian. We need to be giving people the Word of God rightly divided, particularly the books of Romans through Philemon.

All too often today people are loyal to their denomination. They have no real clear understanding of the Bible, especially Paul’s epistles to us and God’s current operations. But, they know their church’s doctrinal statement through and through. They will passionately defend their pet theological beliefs but they have little to no clue as to what the Bible actually says. In no way can they glorify God. They have no idea of the words He has given them. Grace brethren, we know how to glorify God our Father. Now, may we do it! 🙂

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Should Christians celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day?”

The Living God #7

Monday, March 7, 2016

“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV).

Exactly why is the God of the Bible called “the living God?”

The 21st through 25th instances appear in the Pauline epistles. They are associated with us, the Church the Body of Christ. Paul penned in 2 Corinthians 3:3: “Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.” And, 2 Corinthians 6:16: “And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Referring to grace assemblies in Crete, Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:15: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” And, 1 Timothy 4:10: “For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Finally, 1 Timothy 6:17: “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy;”

While we will discuss this more fully later, for now, suffice it to say “the living God” that was once exclusive to the nation Israel can now be the God of the nations (Gentiles). That is, the one true God who did not deal with non-Jews apart from the nation Israel, is now offering fellowship with all people (Gentiles). In Paul’s writings, the Gentiles are urged to “turn to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Let us look in the Bible to see where Israel is urged to do the same!

Our latest Bible Q&A: “Why did Jesus select evil Judas Iscariot to be an apostle?”

The Living God #6

Sunday, March 6, 2016

“For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?” (Deuteronomy 5:26 KJV).

Exactly why is the God of the Bible called “the living God?”

We learn about Israel’s restoration in the last days, prophecy that will be fulfilled after our Dispensation of Grace ends: “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God” (Hosea 1:10).

The next occurrence of the term is in the Apostle Peter’s famous profession of faith. Matthew 16:16: “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” When the Lord Jesus is on trial, the high priest quotes the Old Testament, although in unbelief: “But Jesus held his peace, And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God” (Matthew 26:63).

Peter, spokesman of the 12 apostles, told Jesus in John 6:69: “And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” (cf. Matthew 16:16, quoted above). Paul and Barnabas, travelling in Lystra, urged idolaters in Acts 14:15: “And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein:”

In reference to Israel’s future restoration in the Millennium, Romans 9:26 is Paul quoting Hosea 1:10, which we looked at earlier: “And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.”

We have ten more verses to survey, and then we can review what the term means.

 

“Hate Speech” #7

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

“Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt” (Jeremiah 38:4 KJV).

Who is “this man?” And, what words is he speaking to make him worthy of being “put to death?”

About 600 years after the Prophet Jeremiah preached to Israel, the Apostle Paul preached to heathen. Note chapter 17 of Acts, when Paul and his ministry companions preached Jesus Christ: “[6] And when they [the unbelieving Jews] found them [Paul and Silas] not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; [7] Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.”

At this point, Paul has been preaching for over 20 years. The Jesus Christ who he had been proclaiming had angered many people all over the Roman Empire. Apostate Jews had heard of this renegade Pharisaical scholar preaching about an imposter he himself had once rejected and hated. Observe how those lost Jews accused Paul, Silas, and their ministry coworkers of “turn[ing] the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). As someone once commented, “Oh no, Jesus Christ through Paul was turning the world right-side up!” Indeed, lost man and God never see eye-to-eye. This world that God had originally created “good” is now evil. Mankind is evil, so he sees nothing wrong with the world; man views any improvement of it as bad. God, holy and just, recognizes the world as corrupt, and He will fully reclaim it from Satan one day!

Brethren, we know there is an everlasting devil’s hell waiting for all who die without Jesus Christ. May we, in love, reach them quickly with the message of Christ crucified for their sins, His burial, and His resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3,4). Let them falsely accuse us. One way or another, in heaven or in hell, they will realize just how important that message is! 🙂

Idle Words

Monday, February 15, 2016

“A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned” (Matthew 12:35-37 KJV).

Many typed words and much talking in videos on social media, but no substance!

Unfortunately, this is true among so-called “Bible believers” and—sad to say—some so-called “grace believers.” They are discussing and arguing about stupid topics that do not matter. People are talking about concepts they know nothing about. “Type ‘Amen’ if you love Jesus,” “Share this [religious picture or prayer] if you are a Christian,” et cetera. Or, my personal favorite is “Christian” people belittling Jesus Christ, attacking the King James Bible, and denying the Apostle Paul. While good pretenders, their underlying logic speaks louder than their enticing words. They are not genuinely seeking the truth. Rather, they are merely trying to establish the “truth” using their denominational biases. Yes, as Christ said in today’s Scripture, you can glance into their hearts!

Indeed, there is much “wood, hay, stubble”—worthless information—online. However, if you search diligently, you will find the “gold, silver, precious stones,” the Word of God rightly divided (1 Corinthians 3:9-23). Someone recently expressed his gratitude to me that we were one of the few written grace ministries of which he was aware. Praise our Lord Jesus Christ! Glad to serve the saints and reach them with what really matters!!

The Greek word argos (today’s Scripture; “idle”) is translated elsewhere in our King James Bible as unemployed men standing “idle” (Matthew 20:3,6), “idle” women in Christ not behaving like believers (1 Timothy 5:13), “slow bellies [idle/lazy gluttons]” Christians at Crete (Titus 1:12), and spiritually “barren” Jewish kingdom saints who are not thinking according to God’s program for them (2 Peter 1:8). In summary, the idea is “something not working or profitless.” May lost people choose and use their words wisely. Anything and everything worthless they write and speak, they will stand before Jesus Christ one day, to receive their just punishment!

Shopping for Souls

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

“But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places;” (Philippians 1:12,13 KJV).

For most, the only pleasant visit to a store is when an item is on sale or free. But, for the Christian, shopping trips are always a wonderful time to share the Lord Jesus Christ!

At least one store clerk is dead in trespasses and sins, and he or she is waiting to hear about Calvary’s finished crosswork… from your lips! There is another customer somewhere struggling to understand the Bible, eager to learn dispensational Bible study if you would just speak up. You can especially find interesting persons scanning the “Christian” book section. Strike up a conversation with them with, “Looking for anything good to read?” “Would you like to read about how to have your sins forgiven and have a home in heaven?” (I have learned that 99.99% of the time they will listen!)

We have a faithful reader and Christian sister who operates a fireworks stand with her husband. They open for business twice a year—Christmas/New Year’s and July 4th. Every chance she gets, she gives her customers a Gospel tract, a Bible study pamphlet, some ministry websites, something Bible-related. She tells her testimony to any individual who mentions spiritual matters. When she gets tough questions, I am always a phone call away, and she has put many people on the phone with me! (And there have been some “strange” people I can assure you!)

In closing his epistle to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul wrote, “All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household” (4:22). Paul was in prison in Rome. Yet, even some of the members of the Emperor’s household had heard the Gospel of the Grace of God. If Paul had the courage to preach Jesus Christ in prison (today’s Scripture), surely, brother or sister, you can do so in a store! 🙂

You may see our archived Bible Q&A: “Should Christians observe Lent?”