26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.
30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, (Paul being an ambassador, inviting and receiving people into his home, preaching those things which concern Jesus Christ.)
31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.
Much has been said about Paul the Apostle. Paul has been pigeonholed by many. Made to something he wasn’t. We must make sure our assumptions of Paul are accurate and biblical. Paul is so important to the body of Christ, as far as his example, and his letters. “Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ”. Paul didn’t say this to tell us to imitate what we see in Christ. We are a peculiar people, yes. Paul, and the Apostleship was a spectacle in his ministry (I Corinthians 4:9) not us.
He followed Christ, but never imitated Christ. He believed the prophets concerning Christ but never imitated them. Paul was brash and hard in his own way, but you do not see unnecessary disrespect, or judgmental condescending as men claim to find in Paul. Men do not realize, that Paul’s manner is directly contrary to this spirit we see today among many Fundamentalist of the baser sort. Men think this way of Paul to have reason and excuse to be vitriolic and angry preachers.
Paul never “cried against” or “cried out” against anyone in the manner the prophets did! He never referenced our most loved sanctions in the Old Testaments to rail and rant against all that thwarts or is insulting to him. We are not to cry aloud, spare not, lift up our voice like a trumpet as Isaiah and Jeremiah were commanded. You do not see this in Paul at all! You have to preach it into the text to have it there.
You don’t see Jesus or Paul telling any New Testament Christian to shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. How did this become our example? Why do we do that. Why do we hold to such foolish references for our callings and unctions for ministries?
Acts 13:14-43 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia: and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem.
14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
Now I must stop right here for a second in dealing with Acts 13. Good men out of ignorance or willingness can deceptively twist God’s word. Men are doing things for their own flesh and power. Don’t be fooled. They love their soapbox preaching and jackboot tendencies so much that they have forgotten how to read. They are addicted to their styles, homiletics, and harshness, most will never change.
I can’t tell you how many times I have heard Acts 13:16 used to prove some public ministry through street preaching.
It’s a total absurdity to say Paul was similar in methods as the galavanting men of today on the streets.
First, in the text, Paul was sitting down in verse 14, and was asked to speak a word of exhortation in verse 15. Then he stood up to address a assembly of Jews and Christians in verse 16.
16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Do not act so frivolously with his precious words. Do not make a verse be something it is not just so we can do something we want! Don’t privately interpret it for proof of your ministry. Fundamental Baptist men have been inventing call’s and ministries for years. And yes, they use a King James Bible. And yes, they are many of our favorite preachers. But they are also men.
Paul begins to preach Jesus Christ and him crucified with the help of the prophets only as they concerned Christ! Men of Israel, and ye that fear God! Not everyone feared God, so they did not have to give audience if they did not want to. Paul knew, man must chose. He wasn’t chasing people down the streets because he just had to give that man a gospel tract!
Paul finishes up in verse 36.
Acts 13:36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption:
37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets;
41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.
42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. The modern day Baptist would have handled it differently. We would have continued to push. We have to be heard don’t we? We have to boldly stand for him and show all how we show all their sins don’t we? What you call boldness, you may be mistaking for pride and arrogance!
The congregations, such as this one that we see in Acts were the men that met with him, in the synagogues, the market places, Jews and Gentiles. They were assembling in public, and in houses, and in the synagogues. Paul was always preaching, persuading, reasoning, or disputing. Why do we in our pride think preaching is the only venue to persuade people to be a Christian. Why do we view public ministry as only street preaching and tract bombing. No one is talking with anyone. The railers are yelling, and the wives and kids are passing out gospel garbage.
Actually, people were crying with a loud voice against Paul! Not the other way around.
The Bible says he cried out on occasion, and they were specific occasions. He cried out at the multitude and rent his clothes when the People were trying to make him a god of man in Acts 14. Why don;t we do that? Why don;t one of you fat gospel blimp street preachers rent your clothes in disgust of idolatry next time you preach down town. You see how selective you are? Paul never raged against the world and sin here like the average Fundamentalist claims and tries to mimic.
His manner was to reason with them out of the scriptures! Acts 17:2. “As his manner was…” You see the Lord Jesus Christ doing the same things 8 times in the gospels. Reasoning! But we love the preaching part don’t we? How much do we reason with men as oppose to preach to them?
The act or process of exercising the faculty of reason; that act or operation of the mind by which new or unknown propositions are deduced from previous ones which are known and evident, or which are admitted or supposed for the sake of argument; argumentation; ratiocination; as fair reasoning; false reasoning; absurd reasoning; strong or weak reasoning.
The famed passage in Acts 17 where Paul’s spirit was stirred while waiting at Athens, after he was stirred, he disputed in the synagogues of the Jews, and the devout persons and them that met with him. Read the passage! When he stood in the midst of Mars Hill, the people asked what these things mean, concerning the resurrection of the dead? They asked him to speak. They wanted to hear what he said! He wasn’t preaching anything. He wasn’t carrying out some street preaching mandate or example. But you guys use this passage for that! Why?
He was not street preaching or open air preaching in the sense that we do our public ministries today. He was simply disputing, persuading, in the open air, in the synagogues, and the market daily, while he was waiting.
When he was through preaching, they mocked, others said, that they would listen to him later about this matter. Paul departed from among them. And certain men clave unto them.
People were meeting with him. “With them that met with him.” This manner of Paul to simply leave when men and women reject his message is revealing to the mans mind. He understood free will, and men must choose! He was a seed planter. He didn’t continue pleading and beckoning like many Fundamentalist altar calls or street calls go. He didn’t keep on when people scoffed or rejected, they just simply scoffed and rejected. Paul was like, “Oh well, moving on.” He was pushing for decision yes, but not for conversions and there was no force used, and it was prompted. God brings those instances, not our weekly, biweekly street gatherings! Preachers can only prompt decision, God does the converting.
Acts 19:8-10 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
We most assuredly do not see any correlation between the manner of the prophets, many previous and present open air preachers, and their tactics and preaching, in Paul the apostle.
He avoided endless debating's and questionings that profiteth nothing. He did not use guile, provacation and condescension. He avoiding the strife and conflict when men began to reject reason. He reasoned out of the scriptures until men lost their reasoning. Then he moved on!
In this above referenced passage, when Paul was faced with hardness, and they believed not, he simply departed from them. Men were speaking evil of that way, so as not to give offence, he left.
He didn’t see the resistance and preach harder because he was so bold in Christ, like we hear and see today with our prophet preachers and doom, gloom and repent boys today. Paul was wise. He could discern men. He knew that men must chose.
Repent and be born again. Repent and be saved. We often use these terms as Christians. Many Independent Baptist preachers and street preachers have strained many a vocal cords shouting, Nay except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish! We our just as guilty of privately interpreting the Scriptures as many cults we preach against. Should we repent of our sins? Yes. Should we be saved? Yes. But I will show you what I mean by men over-emphasizing repentance.
Paul mentioned the word repent 1 time in Acts 26 talking to Agrippa about how the Gentiles should repent and turn to God, and bring forth works MEET for repentance. So I ask you, why do we focus SO much on it. I mean think about it, I am wasting time talking about how you guys mix repentance and grace, because you focus on it so inordinately!
Paul said the goodness of God leadeth the to repentance in Romans 2:4. Paul said godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation. Peter said that The Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. When Paul speaks of “repentance”, “it” is the salvation in the text almost every single time! It is not a single act or work of repentance of personal or public sins.
You know why Peter preached repentance so strongly and Paul seemingly did not? Simple answer, it was his message. Like it was John the Baptists’ message before him. Peter was physically with the Lord in his ministry on Earth. Peter heard, Repent and ye and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15) the whole time he was with the Lord. He also heard the gospel of the Kingdom in reference to any gospel.
Peter went out and preached that men should repent in Mark 6:12. Jesus also used the word and phrasing frequently. Luke even ended his gospel with the charge to preach repentance and remission of sins. Peter carried the theme of repentance on through to Acts 2 infamous “repent and be baptized for the remission of sins” that many modern churches trip and break their necks over concerning baptism. And we get muddled under the same mess. Listen to us!
Peter preached repentance and remission in Acts 2:38. Repentance and remission together were only preached in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. When Paul mentioned remission of sins, he never mentions repentance with it. Why?
In Peters mind, it was law and works that was coming. A tribulation! The 2nd Advent of Christ. It explains why he took out a sword and cut of a ear when they came to get Christ. He was going for the guys head! He was already on his unicorn, coming back to the earth to judge in righteousness. But the Lord rebuked him. It wasn’t the time. The will of God was not fulfilled yet, and Israel had not received any message yet.
The gospel of the Kingdom was being preached in the gospels and early Acts. Peter’s message in Acts 2 by way of detail were prepping the hearers present for the 2nd advent. Sure conversions were made, and souls added to “the church”. But no one was preaching the grace of God yet! No one was preaching a blood atonement in Acts 2.
By the time Romans is penned by Paul, Israel had already rejected these kingdom messages of Acts, and the gospel was shed abroad to the Gentile (the rest of the world). This is Paul’s only reference to “remission of sins”, having to do with our salvation being through his blood.
Romans 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
Because our remission of sins is contingent upon belief and faith in the blood atonement now and not repentance, which is belief in the gospel!
We see the holy Spirit tells the church to repent in Revelations. Repentance is always a factor, but it is never OUR salvation. If we are overboard with our preaching on repentance, we make it a work and requirement for salvation and decision.
What gospel do we believe unto the saving of our eternal souls? We don’t preach a gospel of repentance. Repentance is not salvation. Paul didn’t make excuses for sinners who took advantage of his grace either. He dealt with that in Romans 6, and many other passages and considered such to be building again the things which were destroyed, (Galatians 2).
Mark 1’s “Repent ye and believe the gospel” is the gospel of the Kingdom. John the Baptist preached the Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Same as Peter. The disciples going out to preach everywhere that men should repent in Mark 6 is not our gospel that we preach nor is it our example to follow.
We preach a gospel of grace. It’s better to tell the sinner to believe then it is to tell the hardened unrepentant sinner to repent. For lost sinners, believing in Jesus, his blood and his gospel is repentance unto life!
After they believe, they can have the grace of God that will help with their sins of the flesh to overcome and repent sins. Some people, repentance is a life long journey. Some it is not as much a struggle. But all of us spend our waking days repenting of sins. It is a life process, until we have our new body, and we are finally like him.
Whosoever will, let him come. Free will is present when people get saved and it is present when they live their lives. We don’t preach repentance of sins to the unconverted, we preach repentance of being a sinner.
Repent and be baptized every one of you is not our gospel of our salvation or the repentance message we preach! (Acts 2:38)
Repent ye therefore and be converted that you sins may be blotted out is not the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 3:19
Repentance unto salvation is repenting of who we are as sinners, and turning to God for salvation. If you are going to hold to Mark 1 and that gospel, the great commission and that gospel, you would have to hold to Acts 2 and that gospel message because they are all the same, and it doesn’t change critically or officially until Paul comes on the scene from Acts 9 to Acts 16.
To repent does mean a change of mind; but then it is a thorough change of the understanding and all that is in the mind,...an illumination of the Holy Spirit; and...a discovery of iniquity and a hatred of it, without which there can hardly be a genuine repentance. We must not, I think, undervalue repentance. It is a blessed grace of God the Holy Spirit, and it is absolutely necessary unto salvation." Charles Spurgeon
We must not undervalue it to be sure. But we must not make it FOR salvation either. Repenting of sin is not what saves you. We cannot repent of our sins unto perfection. We are sinners. Sinners may struggle with sins that other have long repented of for years, and vice versa. Does that effect their eternal security and destination. This is something that only tenders to more questions and creates more questions. Our repentance needs to be repenting of our nature as sinners for you don’t even know some sins are sin when you are first saved. The Lord has to open you eyes to your darkness as you read the holy word of God.
Read these following verses and the context surrounding them.
Acts 11:18 ...Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
Acts 17:30 ...but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Acts 20:21 ...repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 26:20 ...and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. (not meet for salvation, repentance and salvation are not the same)
Romans 2:4 ...the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance
2 Peter 3:9 ...but that all should come to repentance
Everyone of these passages above is salvation, it is not repentance of all sins, that is impossible, and it is not examples for us to tell people to “repent and believe the gospel”. This was not intend to be our message we preach. I will fully cover below what we are to be preaching! If you are even sticking around for the rest.
And to the church of Laodicea write...As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. The Lord is telling people he LOVES to repent! It is not salvation, they are already his. This is repenting of sins that affect our relationship with him. This is not our salvation here. It is not example for us to follow in preaching either. Biblical doesn’t mean something is right all the time.
And if you are going to preach repentance strong and hard like the old timers, do you find your self doing it in meekness? This would really apply well to you street preachers.
In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 2 Timothy 2:25
Anytime repent, or repentance shows up, it seems some use it for repentance of our sins, and before the world, their repentance unto salvation. Are there works that a Christian can do that we should repent of? Of course there are. Are there works that sinners in the world should repent of? Of course there are. And we as well should repent of such vices as fornication and lasciviousness to name a few as Paul alluded to.
But repentance should never be the essential part of our gospel message. Christ should be that focal point. Belief in him. It’s belief that damns a person. Not whether or not he was reformed or made sober.
Repentance can have a dual application in scriptures you dolts! You look at that word like a Pentecostal looks at Baptism. Every time they see baptism or water, they see salvation. Every time some preachers I reference herein see the words repentance or repent they see salvation. They are both led by the same spirit of error. Carried about by winds of doctrines.
Repentance of sins is an action or a work that can be repeated the same way back sliding into sin is an action or a work. Therefore it cannot be essential to salvation in the sense that many preach it. They are slanted and wrong. I don;t know what else to say. I used to preach it with them. Repentance of being a sinner and accepting the gospel of the blood atonement because you know you are a sinner can only happen once. And this is salvation
Paul’s Gospel is our Gospel! The gospel message for anyone living since the death of Christ is the death burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Faith to a Christian is our evidence. Not repentance evidences! We believe in HIM. We believe in His blood. We believe in His righteousness. We believe in His resurrection. We believe in His power. We believe in His Holy Spirit. We believe in His word. We believe in His blessed hope. We believe the Old Testament, and it’s historical and admonishing to us latter day Laodiceans. We believe the gospels and everything contained in them. But most importantly, we believe the gospel of our salvation, Ephesians 1:13.
We believe it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Romans 1:16.
This same gospel, by the authority of the scriptures, He forbids any variation on in Galatians 1. This is the gospel we believe. What is the gospel? It’s not the Great Commission or any continuing variation of it! It is not “repent and be baptized”! It is not “repent ye and believe the gospel”!
When we preach the gospel, what are we preaching? When we give someone the gospel, what are we giving them? The gospels or the gospel? Any man who preaches a gospel message or tidings that was commanded to be preached in Matthew, Mark, and Luke involving the famed titled “great commission” is in grave error as it is not in any way THE gospel that has power.
Do we preach the gospel of the kingdom of in Matthew?
Do we preach gospel of the Kingdom of God in Mark?
Or the gospel preached in Luke?
This is why Acts is so important and dangerous! The transitioning of a dealing with Nations and God’s chosen nation to dealings with individual members of a body. In Acts 1 we see power from on high, a sign to the Jew, a wonder to Israel, the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Then the changes of leadership from Peter the apostle to the Jews, to Paul the apostle to the Gentiles, and then the gospel going to the uttermost parts of the Earth through their ministries. You see the issue of salvation get emphatically nailed down in Acts 15 (The word of the gospel).
Act 15:7-12 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men [and] brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as [he did] unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
This gospel is the same gospel from this point here in Acts 15, and Paul’s epistles, and the only one prophesied of in the Old Testament, refereed to by Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles in Romans.
The only reference to any other gospel after Acts other than the gospel that Paul preached, by which we are saved, is the everlasting gospel found in Revelations 14. There will be a change in the message once again in the time of tribulation and the reign of the Lord.
Paul said; Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ in Romans 15:19
Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Romans is the only book where Paul references the gospel that he preaches as “MY GOSPEL”. It’s pretty plain. It’s his gospel that we should be preaching. Paul preached it freely and made it without charge. He declared the gospel that he preaches in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 is THE gospel. This is Authoritative. Paul was jealous over the Corinthians with a godly jealousy so that their minds should not be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Read Galatians 1 and 2 as to Paul’s thoughts on the corruption of the gospel!
In Acts 14, prior to it’s declaration with Peter in Jerusalem in Acts 15, we see “the gospel” being preached in the regions. This is the right gospel. This is the one that came from Paul the apostle and Acts 9. Any others are counterfeit!
The gospel shows up in name for the first time after Acts 15 in Acts 16:10. And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Then lastly in Acts 20:24
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.
Devoid of repentance themes and prophet induced messages. The true gospel was preached in Acts 16:10 (After Acts 15). Paul said he was ready to preach the gospel in Rome in Romans 1:15. He strived to preach the gospel in Romans 15:20. He said Christ didn’t send him to baptize, but to preach the gospel in I Corinthians 1:17. Paul preached the gospel of Christ in 2 Corinthians 10:14
It has many wonderful titles, It’s called; The gospel of the grace of God in Acts 20:24. The salvation of God in Acts 28:28. The gospel of God in Romans 1:1. The gospel of his Son in Romans 1:9. The gospel of Christ in Galatians 1:7. The gospel of Christ that Paul is not ashamed of in Romans 1:16. Paul calls it HIS in Romans 2:16.
The gospel which Paul preached among the Gentiles and protected vehemently in Galatians 1:6-11, 2:2
It is called:
The Grace of Christ in Galatians 1:6
The gospel of our salvation in Ephesians 1:13
The gospel he defended and confirmed in Phillipians 1:7, 17
The truth and hope of the gospel found in Colossians 1:5, 23
The gospel that came not in word only, but in power in I Thessalonians 1:5
The gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which needs to be obeyed to escape flaming fire in 2 Thessalonians 1:8
The glorious gospel of the blessed hope in I Timothy 1:11
The gospel according to the power of God found in 2 Timothy 1:8
The gospel which needs to be obeyed or those who do not will face the judgment in 1 Peter 4:17
He called it the gospel of peace that brings glad tidings of good things in Romans 10:15 and is referenced in Isaiah 52:7. This is uniquely interesting to note due to the Isaiah mirror as some call it. How the individual 66 chapters of Isaiah mysteriously and almost supernaturally correlates directly to over 40 corresponding books of the Bible.
It’s 66 chapters matches the 66 books of the Bible. 1 Thessalonians as the 52nd book in the Bible, Isaiah 52:7 holds the ONLY reference to a gospel of grace in the OT and it is also the first epistle written by Paul in 49 A.D. One has to wonder at the intricacies of the such things. The way the book comes together sometimes is beyond our comprehension.
This is another example of why we should focus more of what we preach to align with Paul’s epistles to be read of men. Including the gospel that he preached is essential in conveying an understanding gospel to sinners. The word is manifested through preaching, Titus 3:10. How shall they hear without a preacher, Romans 10:14
What does Paul preach concerning this gospel?
He preached Jesus Christ Romans 16:25,
He preached the cross 1 Corinthians 1:18
He preached the word of the Lord Acts 15:35
He preached the word of God Acts 17:13
Evil spirits recognize the Jesus Paul preaches! Acts 19:13-15
He preached Jesus in Acts 17:18
He fully preached the gospel of Christ Romans 15:19
He preach Christ arose from the dead (the resurrection) 1 Corinthians 15:12
He preached the Son of God was Jesus Christ in 2 Corinthians 1:19
He preached the gospel freely in 2 Corinthians 11:7 (Not charging for the gospel’s sake)
He preached peace in Ephesians 2:17 (Paul’s manner was to be careful not to offend all men)
He preached the gospel of God in I Thessalonians 2:9
He preached unto the Gentiles in 1 Timothy 3:16
He preached of edification, exhortation, and comfort in 1 Corinthians 14:3
Where is repentance? Where is “Your gonna burn in Hell!” Where is all this nonsense we focus so much on in these passages. Where is the rebuking and reproving of all the wicked heathen. He preaches “Christ in you, the hope of glory, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom” in Colossians 1:27-28. This passage could be taken both ways. The saved (that we may present every man perfect IN Jesus Christ, or whom we preach, warning every man. The warning comes from preaching Christ. What shall the end of them be that OBEY NOT THE GOSPEL. The gospel of Christ.
In examining the manner of Paul again we see he does not fit any Independent Baptist preacher mold we are accustomed to having in our local churches today.
Some more examples, like the Old Testament heavy word, “Warn” was only used 3 times by Paul. He warned of men arising, speaking perverse things, grievous wolves entering into the flock, to draw away disciples after them in Acts 20:31.
We know from Galatians, the men he is warning against are those men that were preaching another GOSPEL! In I Corinthians 4:14 he warns his beloved sons in the faith, that were begotten through the GOSPEL, to follow him, and not 10,000 instructors. In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, he tells them to warn them that are unruly. In the New Testament, unruly is never a indicator of those without Christ. Much like the men that were walking disorderly in Romans 16.
Websters says unruly is disregarding restraint, disposed to violate laws, ungovernable. (Froward)
We are to warn them! Those that are looking for occasion to be ungovernable, violating laws, and being ungovernable. I know some guys like that! And they are stading behind pulpits and on street corners.
What about the subject of eternal damnation, or Hell. There was a ultimatum with Paul. With Christ, we know he mentioned Hell than more than anyone else in all the scriptures (over 20 times). He created it. He witnessed it for us as he lead captivity captive. He drank of the cup of the wrath of God.
Paul never even mentioned Hell, but talked rather of a final judgment. Paul lived in a time where men knew what Hell is, and believed in it. People revered the Holy scriptures, even if they did not accept Jesus as the Messiah, those Jews who rejected Christ knew what the book said about Hell.
It’s part of what we preach. Warning men of Hell is not why we preach. We preach Jesus Christ. Much like repentance, it is a part of what we preach in the gospel, but Hell, nor repentance is our motivating factor to gaining men. Christ is why we preach.
So, if Paul the apostle, whom we should be following if anyone, is not hanging around in the transitional days of the Acts of the apostles, never mentions hell, rarely hits on repentance, never warns the sinner the way we do today, never talks of commissions, doesn’t spend much time with baseless questions and open conflict, why do we do so? What is constraining us?
2 Corinthians 5:14-21 says:
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (the gospel)
16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
No comments:
Post a Comment