SWORDS Bible Study: Why Is Paul Your Apostle? (He was not one of the 12!)  PART 2

 

By Mari   (All caps for emphasis only)

 

Continuing on with why Paul is our Apostle today we see from the word of God, that if one wants to think of themselves to be a prophet, or spiritual, they must ACKNOWLEDGE that what Paul has written to us is the commandments of the Lord!  Do you deny this? If you do, you deny the teachings of Jesus Christ!

 

1Co 14:37  If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 

 

If this were not enough, the Paul goes on to say:

 

1Co 14:38  But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant. 

 

The Lord is telling us that NOT acknowledging what the Apostle Paul writes is to be ignorant. And what is one ignorant of? The new commands from God for us today!

 

If you are following Jesus after the flesh, as the 12 Apostles did in His earthly ministry, you are not following the gospel that will stablish you TODAY.  It is like choosing to build an ark that was the command to Noah.  That is NOT OUR message, gospel today, it was Noah’s! The good news that if he built the ark, he and anyone who believed and joined him would be saved.  God destroyed the whole world and everyone in it because they did not believe Him through Noah.

 

Trying to be a New Testament Christian is also not the message, nor workable for us today. It is trying to follow Apostles who are not yours, and commands that are against the gospel given to the Apostle Paul for us!  Unless you are selling all you own to share with others and the poor you are not following Christs instructions…for example.  Are you doing all that Jesus told you to do according to or picking and choosing what to follow and what not too (?!):

 

Luk_18:22  Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

 

Later the 12, as well as disciples of Christ did just this, selling what they owned etc., after Pentecost, the JEWISH Holy day.  Read Acts 5:1-11!  They kept everything in common, no one was to have more or less than another.  Those who kept back a portion, DIED. Is this how you live? No, because it is NOT for us today. However, if you are trying to follow Jesus in His earthly ministry…why are you NOT doing ALL things that were requested by Christ?

 

If you think you can be a New Testament Christian, why are you not following the commands from Christ to only preach to the JEWS? Long after Pentecost the 12 Apostles were STILL preaching ONLY to the Jews.

 

Act 11:19  Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 

 

The 12 Apostles were NOT doing anything wrong. They were following the commands of Jesus for Israel who was still under the Law.

 

Mat_10:6  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

 

Mat_15:24  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

 

Even long after Pentecost they still were only to go to the Jews, as this was their mission.

 

That was their command for the church in Jerusalem, which were those Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God.  They knew NOTHING about the gospel that was kept secret, hid in Christ until manifested to the Apostle Paul, when the church, the body of Christ began.

 

We need to have and understand the instructions for us TODAY…which we find when we read the epistles of Paul alone! WE NOW have the mystery of Christ manifested to all.  We know the GLORY of the CROSS and that our sins were forgiven the moment we believed on what Christ had done for us on the cross.  He gave His life, shedding His blood, and rose from the dead for our redemption.

Our gospel that we know through the Apostle Paul is different than what the Apostle Peter taught.  Look at the difference. The below is after Peter CONDEMNED them for crucifying Christ, telling them what they must do.

 

Peter: Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

 

Paul tells us a different thing:

 

1Th_4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

1Co 15:1-4  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

 

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

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

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

 

WE are NOT in condemnation, WE GLORY in the CROSS!

 

Gal_6:14  But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

 

Simply by believing that Jesus Christ did everything necessary for our salvation!  By grace through faith we believe!  The free gift from God, which is eternal life.

 

We have the full remission of sins, past, present and future and we are instantly sealed by the Holy Spirit! (Romans 3:24; Eph 2:8; 2 Cor 1:22)

 

Paul is our Apostle today and he learned not from men, but from Jesus Christ and the Father who raised Him from the dead.

 

Gal 1:1  Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 

 

Paul is our Apostle and any other gospel today is accursed! And while every word of God is important…we should particularly listen up when what He has to say is repeated!

 

Gal 1:8-9  But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 

 

As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 

 

Why is it important to know who your Apostle is? Because if you think the 12 are your apostles you will not understand or share the gospel of the grace of God.  You will be mixing up law and grace. You will think you are Israel…or the New Israel, or under covenants instead of grace.  Because you will believe whatever a preacher preaches to you because so many are confused between prophecy and mystery. Old Testament, New Testament and Mystery.

 

Next week part 3…

 

 

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: