Full Grace Equipper: THE AGES TO COME

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 2^nd 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.