Obey "all of scripture?
Premise:I understand that while all scripture is "for our learning"(Romans 15:4), it is not for our obedience. We can learn many spiritual applications from all of the Bible, but doctrine for the Body of Christ in this dispensation is found in Romans through Philemon-only there will you find the doctrines of our salvation, justification, sanctification, glorification, propitiation......... as they pertain to us.
Question 2: Do you(generic) do the following, or do you just "throw it out"? Answer honestly and specifically, not in generalities:
A "yes" or "no" is requested.
Do you follow the Lord Jesus Christ as one under the Law? You do know, do you not, that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, up until the Lord Jesus Christ's death, is "law ground",i.e., it is a continuation of the "OT?
"Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." Mt. 23:2,3/Galatians 1:4
=observe the law!
Do you do Mt. 5:29,30?
Or how about:
"And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them."
Shown yourself to a priest lately, and offer the gift that Moses commanded lately?
Do you follow the Lord Jesus Christ in circumcision(Luke 2:21)? Do you follow Him in going to the synagogue on the Sabbath day(Luke 4:16)?
Are you baptized to "fulfil all righteousness"?:
"And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." Mt. 3:15
Baptism was part of the righteous requirements of the law-it was not optional. Baptism, contrary to what is commonly assumed and taught, was an "OT" ordinance.
Previous post-Have you sold all your possessions? The Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples to:
Command given: Mt. 19:21' Mk. 10:21;Luke 12:33,18:22
Command obeyed: Mt. 19:27;Mk. 10:28;Luke 5:11, 18:28; Acts 2:44-45,4:32,34
Penalty for disobedience-death-Acts 5:1-11
Do you have "...all things common...": Acts 2:44, 4:32-34, 3:6
Do you offer animal sacrifices? The Lord Jesus Christ taught this. Do you tithe over 33%(the tithe was not just 10%) of your assets(the tithe was on all your assets, not just your income) to the Levitical priesthood? The Lord Jesus Christ taught this. Do you go to Jerusalem on the feast of Pentecost, Passover, and Tabernacles?(if you are a male, this is a requirement of the Law). The Lord Jesus Christ taught this. How about the 613 commandments of the law(not just 10-there were 613). Do you keep them all?The Lord Jesus Christ taught this. How many have you broken? The list goes on and on.
What about forgiving others? Failure to rightly divide the word of truth"(2 Tim. 2:15) results in confusing forgiveness in this current "dispensation of the grace of God"Eph. 3:2), with the forgiveness in the Tribulation addressed to Jews(Hebrews-Revelation). The Jews will be on "short accounts" with the LORD at this time.
This is a prime example of failure to "rightly divide the word of truth"(2 Tim. 2:15: comparing forgiveness prior to the cross, and prior to the setting aside of Israel(temporarily) in Acts, and prior to the "dispensation of the grace of God"(Eph. 3:2), the "dispensation of God"(Col. 1:25) committed to Paul from the risen, ascended, glorified Lord Jesus Christ from heaven( And this includes comparing forgiveness in this dispensation with that in the Tribulation). Compare:
"In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness(emphasis mine-past tense)of sins" Col. 1:14
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven(emphasis mine-past tense) you all trespasses" Col. 2:13
"Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave(emphasis mine-past tense)you, so also do ye." Col. 3:13
"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness(emphasis mine-past tense) of sins, according to the riches of his grace" Eph. 1:7
"And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven(emphasis mine-past tense) you" Eph. 4:32.
=done deal
Compare this with the Lord Jesus Christ's dealing with Israel in "the gospels", which is a continuation of the Old Testament, until Calvary:
"Matt 6:14-15
14 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."
And others:
"S o likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses" Mt. 18:35.
"And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." Mk. 11:25,26.
"forgive, and ye shall be forgiven." Luke 6:37
"...if he repent, forgive him" Luke 17:3
=conditional forgiveness=law, not grace. This is "law ground."
Are you "following Jesus" here?
Again, do you follow the Lord Jesus Christ as one under the Law?
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Mt. 5:17
"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law..." Galatians 4
How are you doing on these:
-tithing approximately 33% of your net worth(not your income-the law demanded 33=% of your net worth)?(or perhaps you send in 33=% of all your net worth to TBN)
-Do you "...love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might...."(Deut 6:5, Mt. 22:37, Mark 12:30)?
- Or better yet, do you love me as yourself(Mt. 22:39, Mark 12:31)?
-Keep the Sabbath lately(Exodus 31:15, 35:2; Lev. 19:30)?
-Have you gone to any Gentiles lately(Mt. 10:5,6)?
-Have you obeyed the Lord Jesus Christ's "charge" to "...tell no man that he was the Christ"(Mt. 16:20)?
-Condemned anyone recently(Luke 6:37)?
-Ever called someone a fool(Mt. 5:22)?
-Have you brought any gifts to the altar recently(Mt. 5:24)?
-Do you travel to Jerusalem 3 times a year to keep the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles(Exodus 23:14)?
If you are not obeying all of this, you, like everyone else who self-righteously state that " it is the Lord Jesus who we follow.", do not, and cannot , fufill his commands, nor does the LORD God expect you to in this dispensation. . The truth is, all christians " divide" the Bible(but not always "rightly", including myself), and distinguish between God's different dealings with mankind under different dispensations. Most, for example, in the most obvious example, distinguish between the OT and the NT. I showed you the proper division with regards to the forgiveness issue, for example. Most just won't obey the command to divide with regards to this issue, and thus misunderstand the cross of cross and it's finality. By "rightly dividing the word of truth"(2 Tim. 2:15), we can understand the "supposed" contradictions in scripture, by understanding that their are divisions in the Holy Bible. Again, anyone with a simple understanding of the Holy Bible recognizes the division placed by God between the "Old Testament" and "New Testament". Those who deny that there are divisions, are either woefully ignorant(ignorant means 'lack of knowledge', not stupid), or intentionally dishonest.
The Lord Jesus Christ taught the Law, which most apparently just fail to realize. Again, do you do everything the Lord Jesus Christ said to do in Mt., Mark, Luke, and John? ="follow Jesus"?That is "law ground", and "kingdom ground", and is not applicable for doctrine to the Body of Christ in this dispensation of the grace of God. We are told by the Lord Jesus Christ, when he appeared to the apostle Paul from heaven, that through Paul comes our doctrine for the Body of Christ, including the command of right division.
The Lord Jesus Christ taught the law, and told all his followers to observe the law.. Those who continue to teach doctrine as outlined in Matthew-John, and Hebrews-Revelation, including the doctrine of forgiveness, for example, are mixing law with grace, and confusing the prophetic program, with the Lord Jesus Christ serving as "...a minister of the circumcision...."(Rom. 15:8), with the mystery program. The Lord Jesus Christ was a Jew among the Jews, confining his ministry to the nation of Israel, and announcing Himself as their King. Israel having rejected Him, He went back to glory, and when Israel continued in their rejection, He revealed through the apostle Paul His new program/"dispensation of the grace of God"(Eph. 3:2), so that now we do not follow Him in his eartly ministry of His humility, as the Messiah of Israel, but we follow Him as the glorified One at the LORD God's right hand, and the Head of the Body. The apostle Paul, through whom the truth of this age has been revealed, not once in any of his inspired writings refers to anything that "Jesus"(his name of humiliation) said or did while upon earth, except for the cross and the resurrection. In fact, we read:
"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." 2 Cor. 5:16
As we follow the Lord Jesus Christ today, we are commanded to obey 1 Cor. 11:1: "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." Thus, we are follow the risen, ascended, glorified Lord Jesus Christ, not "Jesus" after the flesh, "...Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords"(1 Timothy 6:15).
Although we can learn many spiritual applications from "the gospels", and Hebrews-Rev, our doctrine by command(not optional) from the Lord Jesus Christ is given through Paul, "the apostle of the Gentles"(Romans 11:13). You must "rightly divide the word of truth"-th! is is a command, not a suggestion.
The inevitable consequences of failure to rightly divide is confusion, mixing law with grace, the commands given to Israel under the law with the doctrine given to the Body of Christ(which was a mystery not previously revealed until given to Paul by revelation-the Body of Christ did not exist prior to Paul) through Paul in this dispensation.
The great confusion among believers is failure to rightly divide the word of truth(2 Tim. 2:15), i.e., confusing the prophetic program, which has as its core the LORD God's dealing with unbelieving Israel and the unbelieving nations under the law and the "gospel of the kingdom", and in judgement and wrath, which was "spoken about since the world began"(Luke 1:68-70; Acts 3:21-24), from the mystery program as revealed to the apostle Paul, which "was kept secret, hidden(in God, not the OT scriptures) since the world began (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:5,9; Colossians 1:26):
Our command from the Lord Jesus Christ is to follow the doctrine espoused by Paul in Romans-Philemon, for these are the Lord Jesus Christ's words for today, and the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded us to follow this doctrine, for following Paul is following the Lord Jesus Christ:
"Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me." 1 Cor. 4:16
"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." 1 Cor. 11:1
" Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample." Philippians 3:17
Take Romans through Philemon out of Scripture, and you do not have Christian doctrine. NADA.
In Christ,
John M. Whalen
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