SWORDS Bible Study: Why Is Paul Your Apostle? (He was not one of the 12!) PART 4

(Reminder: SWORDS is written for women around the world who mostly live in remote areas without a church or church that rightly divides the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

SWORDS means: Strong Women Of Rightly Divided Studies. Please keep these believing women and their families in prayer to stay strong in the faith!)

By Mari (All caps for emphasis only)

When I first learned about rightly dividing I was surprised to learn that the Apostle Paul was NOT one of the 12 Apostles. No one had made it clear that he was a new Apostle, NOT one of the 12 or a replacement for Judas. I really was not aware that Paul had been raised up by the RISEN Christ.

Sure, I had heard a bit about Saul on the road to Damascus, but never really saw it all put together, nor were we encouraged to read the word of God for ourselves. I am not sure some of the adults in our community much less, perhaps, even the priests got it…

At first, I thought it was just me not putting things together, however since learning the Apostle Paul is totally separate from the 12, and not a Judas replacement (Matthias was! Acts 1:26) I have found that within religions it is the EXCEPTION to know this truth, NOT the rule! Or, it is simply not examined as to why Christ would need or want another Apostle, that was NOT one of the 12.

And, more importantly…WHY? Why another Apostle raised up when Christ already had 12 working for Him? (We will answer this in Part 5!)

So many, like myself once upon a time, believed all of the Apostles were teaching and preaching the same thing, the same message, the same gospel. To learn there was more than one gospel was scary to me, bordering on heresy was my thoughts because I had been taught through the lens of religion and later denominations!

These religious folks (those in a religion or denomination) had an agenda in their teaching…and it was not in the truth of God. It was built in man, having turned themselves over to the workings of transformed ministers of light. In religions and denominations are sets of rules and requirements (laws) that have no place in grace. You probably have not found any of them teaching the people…to make sure what THEY are teaching is the rightly divided word of truth…

2Ti_2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Like others before and after me, I believed and trusted my parents, my priests, my teachers, my friends, my community, the other parents and adults I was surrounded by, as well as the things of tradition. I was taught and lived day after day, week after week, for years upon years on a premise of the traditions of men; one being a man here on earth held the power of God over everyone. Including the ability to prove, negate or add to or change the word of God for others! So why read it or study it oneself?

It was all about the religion. All religions are man-made. To teach a religion one cannot teach the Bible as God intended His word to be taught today, which is that it is inspired by God, preserved by God, that it IS the word of God, not to be changed, added to or subtracted from and it is to be studied rightly divided. (2 Tim 2:15)

We are to be rightly dividing between prophecy and mystery.

Between what is for Israel and what is for the Body of Christ.

Between Law and grace.

One cannot understand salvation or the mystery of salvation without rightly dividing the word of truth and acknowledging the revelations given to Paul from the risen Christ. You see, salvation was part of God’s purpose that was KEPT secret since the world began. Jesus Christ revealed this secret of salvation to the Apostle Paul to take to the world.

1Ti 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Ti 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Salvation was a mystery.

How could a sinner be made righteous?

God made it MANIFEST by our Saviour Jesus Christ and by an appointed preacher, an apostle and a teacher to the Gentiles. The Apostle Paul became our pattern for how any who believed would be saved today.

2Ti 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

2Ti 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

2Ti 1:11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

Through Paul’s gospel we find the message of remission of sins by faith in the blood of Christ, and by believing in what Christ did for us on the cross we are justified IN Christ.

Rom 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;

Rom 3:26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Salvation was to come through ISRAEL. Israel was to be a blessing to all the world, but as we know they not only rejected the Messiah, they killed Him on the cross. THIS is one of the reasons that the mystery of salvation was kept a mystery, UNKNOWN by ANYONE, power or principality or human prophets. Read this and have ears to hear!

1Co 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

1Co 2:6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

1Co 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

1Co 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

The Apostle Paul according to the grace of God and the effectual working of God’s power in Paul…was made a minister to us by God!

Eph 3:7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

The Apostle Paul was given the grace to preach among the Gentiles the UNSEARCHABLE RICHES OF CHRIST. Unsearchable means you could NOT find them apart from the ministry and preaching of Paul, when they were revealed to him by the risen, glorified Jesus Christ!

Eph 3:8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;

Paul was our pattern to make ALL MEN SEE WHAT IS THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE MYSTERY.

Eph 3:9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

THIS is OUR great commission FROM Jesus Christ for ALL today.

It came by the RISEN Christ, to the Apostle to the Gentiles, of which we are told; he is OUR PATTERN.

1Ti_1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Next week Part 5.

The Gospel that saves today:

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1Co 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

1Co 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1Co 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

• This topic was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Mari - Administrator.
• This topic was modified 5 years, 4 months ago by Mari - Administrator.