Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth – Part 3A

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15

 

 

In listening to other Christians as they discuss the Scriptures, there are some obvious differences in how we interpret the messages taught. That has prompted me to add this third part of my comments on “Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth”. 

 

A primary source of confusion seems to lie in the failure to distinguish between scripture written directly to members of the Nation of Israel for their specific attention but shared with us today through the Holy Spirit for our learning (2 Timothy 3: 16-17).  Perhaps the most significant point of disagreement among many Christians is what is required for our acceptance by our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus unto salvation towards eternal life. Based on the Scriptures, some have determined that they must do their best to obey the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-17).  Some have added water baptism, church membership, tithing, and or other things they feel they must accomplish to be accepted by our Father and Lord Jesus. Because the Ten Commandments are most foundational, for the limitations of space this narrative will focus on them.

 

The Old Testament defines the Commandments as Laws given under Covenant directly from the “LORD thy God” to Moses for the Nation of Israel, to guide them to become God’s holy nation and a kingdom of priests.  Through their self-righteousness, Israel accepted this daunting challenge without question (Exodus 19:1-8). In the New Testament, in his message to his fellow Jewish believers, the Lord Jesus’ half-brother James clarified that “whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.”  History has taught us that no one has been able to keep all the Commandments with the notable exception of our Lord Jesus. Regardless of a person’s best efforts, even as the Nation of Israel tried, attempting to keep the Commandments will not lead to Salvation. Further, the Apostle Paul pointed out that the true purpose of the Law was to bring Israel and mankind to the knowledge that man’s efforts to fully obey the Law were futile. The purpose was to bring knowledge of the need for a Savior, our Lord Jesus (Galatians 3: 1-26).  What was written for the Nation of Israel then was shared with us today for our learning.

 

As another example of the need to rightly divide the word of truth, note that when James and the Apostle Peter wrote in the New Testament, their messages were directed respectively to the “twelve tribes scattered”, and the “strangers scattered” from their homeland of Israel (James 1:1; 1 Peter 1:1).  Also, even as the Bible closes, the Apostle John notes (Revelation Chapter One) how he saw seven candlesticks representing the seven churches in Asia (Picture Israel’s Menorah).  As believers that Jesus was Israel’s long-awaited Messiah, those “scattered” Jews had become fugitives from the persecution of those who did not believe, especially those led by Saul of Tarsus (Acts Chapter 9).

 

Other examples of Bible messages directed to the Nation of Israel are apparent in the numerous references made to Israel’s Fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), the Law of Moses, Israel’s Temple and Priesthood, animal sacrifices, et al.  Those scriptures and references were not directed to the doctrine followed by Gentiles today. However, there are clearly lessons that can be to our benefit from the messages of the Disciples / Apostles and Israel’s experiences through the Holy Spirit. They provide an important context for our current doctrine: the Gospel of Grace (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13).

 

When the Christian reader today makes the separation between what was written to us versus what was written for us, the Bible can be more clearly understood. The Holy Spirit guides that discernment.

 

Now that that has been made clear (I hope), I’d like to offer another perspective that might seem to muddy the water.

 

Under the revelation of the Ascended Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul introduced the concept of the “Body of Christ” (Romans Chapter 12; 1 Corinthians 10: 15-17; 12: 12-28; Ephesians 1: 17-23; 4: 1-16).  The Body of Christ consists collectively of all those who believed in the Lord Jesus, …whether it was during His Earthly ministry (when they acknowledged that He was the Son of God), or later, even now, with those who have believed in Him (that through His suffering, shedding His blood, death, burial and Resurrection) that He has paid for all our sins and redeemed us to eternal life and countless blessings in this current life. See the references above for the Gospel of Grace. 

 

Jew and Gentile alike, we have had the opportunity for salvation, through believing in who our Lord Jesus is and what He has done for us.  Carefully reading the Scripture and rightly dividing the word enhance our understanding of how the past 6,000 years have shaped both the circumstance of the Nation of Israel over the centuries, and the impact on individual Jews and Gentiles over that period…leading to today.

 

Dr. W. A. Robinson

How Christians Can Help in These End Times – Part 1

 

BACKGROUND

Christians who have been exposed to the media and world events during the past several years, even decades, have been made well aware of the decline in the spiritual state of the world.  The significance of the perceptions of decline are based on numerous factors, including among others: 1) degree of knowledge of Bible prophecy; and 2) degree of knowledge of the world’s standards for “acceptable” thought / behavior. Focus is made on these two points because I believe they represent areas where we as Christians can make an impact before the end of this age.

First, we must remember how the Bible sought to teach us how to recognize where we are at this point in time (Matthew 16: 1-3; Luke 12: 41-56; Romans 13: 11-14). Some have been confused because Old Testament Bible prophecy was written thousands of years ago and was directed to the Nation of Israel. Very importantly, our current 2,000 years of the Age of Grace was not known to Israel’s prophets or New Testament Bible writers.  Nonetheless, we Gentiles benefit from all scripture (Romans 15: 4; 2 Timothy 3: 16-17). 

Even regarding the events that occurred in the Garden of Eden, the LORD God prompted Moses to write that there would come a time when the seed of the woman (Our Lord Jesus) would bruise (crush) the head of the serpent (Satan) who caused man to sin and brought death into the world (Genesis 3: 14-15).  In fulfilling that prophecy, the Lord Jesus would redeem the world from the “god of this world,” who had taken dominion when Adam lost it (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Later, the LORD made the Covenant with Israel’s Fathers (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) that through their seed would all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12:3; 18:18). Numerous other instances in scripture have pointed us to the knowledge that our Lord Jesus was the manifestation of that “seed” who was sent by God, to end the curse of death that fell on mankind when Adam sinned (John 3:16).  The role of Israel and that Nation’s fate have been and remain the keys for our watching how these prophecies have been coming to fruition.

Israel was to be God’s holy nation, having their own land.  They were to be a kingdom of priests who would practice and then teach the rest of the world (Gentiles) God’s standards for behavior to become righteous in His eyes (Exodus 19: 1-6).

Unfortunately, many Christians don’t recognize this basic tenet of the Scripture, that our Lord and Savior Jesus came in His Earthly ministry to confirm the covenant promises made to Israel’s Fathers.  He came as the Christ, their Messiah who would be their King and establish His Eternal Kingdom in Jerusalem (Isaiah 11:10, Romans 15:8).  Through His Divinity, He foreknew that Israel would reject Him as their King, so He did not approach Gentiles during that period (Matthew 10: 1-7).  He further foreknew that through Israel’s rejection, He would offer salvation through the Apostle Paul and His Gospel of Grace directly to the Gentiles (Romans 10: 19-21; 11: 7-11).  

Without revealing this secret, He told His Disciples (and us) what to look for as the end of this age comes near (Matthew Chapter 24). His Disciples had privately asked Him: “…what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”  Among the signs noted by the Lord were several that have unfortunately already come to be considered commonplace. These include:

1.      “Wars and rumors of wars…”  (Consider events internationally beyond the current world focus on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine).

2.      “…nation shall rise against nation…” (The translation of the term “nation” shows that it applies to a multitude of individuals of the same nature or genus, such as a tribe or racial/ethnic or religious or other population sub-group.)   This is to be distinguished from:

3.      “…and kingdom against kingdom…” (The translation of the term “kingdom” shows that it relates to a realm or governmental power. Again, consider the current worldwide strife both between and within governments in nations around the world, including here in the United States.)  and;

4.      “…and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers (sic) places.”  (These severe events have been occurring with increasing frequency, over and above the long-standing problems the world has witnessed for centuries.  Consider the severity of the events now attributed to “climate change”, including floods; rising temperatures leading to loss of vegetation (crop failures, forest fires, etc.) Consider the explosion of illness and death associated with Ebola, SARS, COVID and its mutations, and others.

These are among the signs that are confirming our Lord’s prophetic statements. Catastrophic events such as these have been seen just over the last couple of decades. There is no reason to believe that this negative trend will reverse itself.

In Part 2 of this narrative, I hope to encourage other Christians to consider some ways how you / they might help in these end times.

Dr. W. A. Robinson