PAUL'S LATTER EPISTLES. Although
Paul’s Latter epistles were written during the Post-Acts period (from 62 to 69
A.D.) even before the 2nd coming of Christ in 70 A.D. Paul was
writing them for the Ages to Come,
for the Fellowship of the Mystery, for the Body of Christ after the Fulfillment of All Prophecies. Therefore, all the verses
there pertaining the resurrection, the Appearing of Christ, the Blessed Hope
and waiting for Christ’s coming are now inapplicable for they were already
fulfilled. The verses there regarding Israel, the reconciliation of Jews and
Gentiles into One Body were all past and fulfilled. But the other things, the
teachings in these epistles which did not change and which are not
eschatological and related to Israel are still relevant and applicable for the
present age, such as our identity in Christ, our redemption through the blood
of Christ, our walk as the faithful in Christ,
and our destiny in the heavenly places.
BISHOPS AND DEACONS. In the
fellowship of the mystery, the body of Christ after the fulfillment of
prophecy, there are still “bishops and deacons” (Phil. 1:1) as leaders of the
church, but they are not pastors, for “all the gifts” of Acts period including
pastors (which are related to Israel) passed away (1 Co. 13:8-10; Ep. 4:8-14).
But there is no record or teaching in the Pauline epistles that “the office of
a bishop” and “the office of a deacon” (1 Tim. 3:1,10) ceased. The body of
Christ today is still “the church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15), but it is
not and no more “the flock of God” (Acts 20:28). Its identity changed after the
fulfillment.
JEWS AND GREEKS. Jews or Iudaios were the members of the House of Judah that were
composed of two tribes, namely the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin (1
Kings 12:21). It is a myth to call all other tribes by the name “Jews” for the
name Jews is exclusive only for the Southern Kingdom of Israel. It was also
called the House of David (1 Kings 12:20). The Greeks or Hellen which in other
places of the Bible called Gentiles or ethnos were the members of the House of
Israel, the Northern Kingdom. The House of Israel consisted of the 10 tribes.
Because of their spiritual adultery, God gave them the bill of divorce (Jer.
3:8) and they were declared “Lo-ammi” by God (Hosea 1:9) which means “not God’s
people”. They became “no more God’s people” and they were swallowed up among
the Gentiles as a vessel wherein is no pleasure (Hosea 8:8). Because they were
no more God’s people, they were counted among the nations of the earth. In the
book of Romans, whenever Paul uses the word Greeks and Gentiles he was
referring to the “10 tribes of Israel” also known as the “lost sheep of the
House of Israel” (Mat. 10:6; 15:24).
ALL MEN. All men during the “but now” time were referring to Israelites, whether
they were Jews or Gentiles. But after the Acts period, after the Jews rejected
the kingdom gospel of Paul in Acts 28:28, the “all men” changed its meaning
from being exclusive to Israel only unto being inclusive of “ALL MEN” without
regarding the race, color, tongue or anything that divides people. All men
since that time means “ALL MEN” including you and me. Especially when the “ages
to come” began – all men refers to all men without distinction.
THE MYSTERY. The mystery that was hidden in ages and generation but now is revealed
to the saints is THE SALVATION OF ALL MEN. In the prophetic Scriptures from the
Old Testament to the New Testament, whenever salvation was tackled, it was all
about Israel, the chosen people of God.
God
was made flesh and Christ came to save sinners, the lost Israel. Christ was
named Jesus because he will save his people Israel from their sins. Christ
redeemed Israel from the curse of the law. Since only Israel was under the law,
and sin is the transgression of the law, only Israel (Jews and Gentiles) sinned
according to the law, therefore it was only Israel that needed salvation from
the law and its curse. The wages of sin is death, and it means destruction but
the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ. Whosoever believed on him
should not perish but may have everlasting life. They who believed in his name
were born again. This pertains only to Israel. That is prophecy.
Prophecy
teaches that all Israel (Jews and Gentiles) would be saved. There is no record
in prophecy that “Non-Israelites” will be saved. Prophecy is all about Israel.
And prophecy was fulfilled. Christ fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah. He bare
the sins and all iniquity of Israel in his own body on the tree (Isa. 53:6; 1
Pet. 2:24).
Now,
after the Acts period, few years before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
God revealed the mystery to Paul which would be operative in the ages to come,
in the new dispensation. The mystery is that “the Gentiles (people of the
nations at this time, not only Israel) should be fellow-heirs, and of the same
body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6).
This is the fellowship of the mystery. Salvation in prophecy was only for the
Israelites. But God revealed a secret to Paul, that in the mind of God, it is
not only Israel that is in his mind, but also all people of the earth. But he
managed to finish first his transactions with Israel before showing this grace
to all peoples.
The
mystery that the people of the nations should be fellow-heirs with one another
and joint-bodies with one another and joint-partakers of God’s promise in Christ
by the gospel simply means “THE PEOPLE OF THE NATIONS/ALL MEN ARE ALSO INCLUDED
IN THE PLAN OF SALVATION ACCOMPLISHED BY CHRIST JESUS THROUGH HIS BLOOD”.
Therefore, salvation is for ALL MEN also. This is a mystery revealed. People
during the Acts period couldn’t see this mystery because they knew that only
Israel was the chosen people of God, which was a fact. Even people today who
believe in “Israel only theory” say that salvation is only for Israel. They
can’t see the mystery revealed to Paul the apostle, therefore just accept that
they were not included in the salvation of God or that they are just children
of the marriage of Christ and the New Jerusalem.
The
mystery simply says “ALL MEN ARE INCLUDED IN THE REDEMPTION BY THE BLOOD OF
CHRIST”. Just like what I said before,
in prophecy salvation was exclusive only for Israel. Period. But the mystery
revealed to Paul is that salvation is also for all men. That’s why he said that
the Gentiles or the peoples of the nations can be heirs of God. They cannot be
heirs of God if they are not saved. That they can be of the same body. What
body? The body of Christ that began at the resurrection of Christ. They cannot
be in the body if they are not saved. That they can be partakers of the promise
of God in Christ by the gospel. They cannot be partakers of the promise of God
through the gospel if they are not saved. Therefore this mystery is about the
salvation of all men. In this case, we can also say that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR
SINS. That WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD. Yes! How great are the wisdom
and the judgments of God!
Therefore
everything in the epistles regarding the salvation pertains not only to Israel
but also to all men, because not only Israel sinned and became unrighteous
before God, but even all men. Therefore all men are accountable to God. You may
say that we are not and did not become under the law. Yes! Correct! We are not
under the law and we did not become under the law. We were not cursed by the
law because we are not Israelites. But we – the all men – became enemies of God
through our wicked minds and the desires of our flesh. We did not sin against
the law of Moses but we sinned against the “holiness” and “righteousness” of
God. The wages of sin is death and i.e. utter destruction. So because we sin
and do wicked works, our destiny is death/destruction. But the gift of God is
“ETERNAL LIFE” through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). This is “THE
RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD” by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them
that believe (Rom. 3:22). We – all men – have sinned against the holy God and
we deserve death (grave). We will never live eternally. But because of the
“GRACE OF GOD” that brings salvation we – all men – are justified by his grace
through the redemption that is IN CHRIST JESUS (Titus 2:11; Rom. 3:24). We are
saved by grace through faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8,9). Because of this, we – all
men – HAVE “ETERNAL LIFE” in Christ today and in eternity. It means that when
we die we continue to exist through “IMMORTALITY” (2 Tim. 1:10). What is that
but a “SPIRITUAL BODY”, an “IMMORTAL BODY”, an INCORRUPTIBLE BODY”. Only believers in Christ from us – all men –
POSSESS ETERNAL LIFE. Those who don’t believe in Christ PERISH and are
DESTROYED.
