A More Excellent Way...

[Danoh]

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 1:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Often, taken out of its context, the passage actually refers to the Apostle Paul's desire that, that "more excellent way" he'd written of to the disagreeing Corinthians, be the overall lens through which they tested, or examined things (issues) that might arise between them.

That "love" or "charity" be what ruled their hearts in all wisdom and judgment (decision making).

In other words, deciding for or against in any issue, requires examining, or weighing out of those things that differ between such things. But in said weighing out of things, it had been Paul's desire they might allow love to guide their decision making.

In short, the perspective through which Body members are to look at things through is the Cross - "the love of Christ" what that love cost Him on our behalf. But also, what that love is capable of. Can you imagine either of the Three against the others? No. Well, we have access to that kind of peace between one another "in Him." Its just a matter of keeping first "things" first - "the love of Christ" for us, towards one another.

Danoh
Eph. 4:16

 

[Dispy]

Philippians 1:9 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 1:10 That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 1:11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

Often, taken out of its context, the passage actually refers to the Apostle Paul's desire that, that "more excellent way" he'd written of to the disagreeing Corinthians, be the overall lens through which they tested, or examined things (issues) that might arise between them.

That "love" or "charity" be what ruled their hearts in all wisdom and judgment (decision making).

In other words, deciding for or against in any issue, requires examining, or weighing out of those things that differ between such things. But in said weighing out of things, it had been Paul's desire they might allow love to guide their decision making.

In short, the perspective through which Body members are to look at things through is the Cross - "the love of Christ" what that love cost Him on our behalf. But also, what that love is capable of. Can you imagine either of the Three against the others? No. Well, we have access to that kind of peace between one another "in Him." Its just a matter of keeping first "things" first - "the love of Christ" for us, towards one another.

Danoh
Eph. 4:16

AMEN!!!

 

[By Faith Alone]

Noticing the things that differ or carry through dispensational boundaries. The only way to approve that which is excellent is by noticing the things that differ. A guideline for study is the aim.
Examples:

Paul could no longer heal.

The differences in the gifts of the Spirit in Corinthians as compared to the gifts of the Spirit in Ephesians 4:11 shows miracles are absent.

Compare Acts 10:35 and Titus 3:5; Ephesians 2:8-9.

There in is the evidence of a change in God's dealings with man and that particular change is seen in Acts 28. Every dispensation has changes and the exhortation of Peter says...

2 Peter 1:12...be established in the... present.... truth.

 

[Danoh]

BFY (By Faith Alone), that passage is not a reference to dispensational distinctions. It is, instead, a reference to distinctions between that which might make for divisiveness between them and that which might contribute to their walking in love toward one another. It can be applied to dispensational distinctions but that is not what Paul is doing in that passage.

As for the Acts 28 Perspective, I have examined the passages it bases its assertions on. I still do even now, whenever they come my way.

My conclusion is always the same: passages isolated fron their supporting passages, together with a just as consistent failure to take apart every aspect of each passage.

Those two mistakes are consistently observed to be the case in Welch, who, in turn, influenced an already departed from his sound study principles, Bullinger. Allen, Baker, you name the dear brother, all followed that consistent, two-fold failure.

Example, in Acts 13, Paul, in warning Israel, already concluded under sin by God, quotes a prophecy made by Habakkuk. The Acts 28 Perspective sees that as some kind of proof that Paul was not yet preaching the Mystery.

But by the time Paul quotes Habakkuk, that prophecy has long, long since been fulfilled. Thus, Paul, quotes the prophet as a means of putting those of his Jewish audience in a frame of reference that will take what Paul is about to preach to them from the viewpoint of what happened to their nation in the past when they had refused to believe that God was now doing a work among them through Gentiles (back then: the Chaldeans).

Sure enough, Paul preaches of the hope of their promise - of the hope their promise is based on - the resurrection of Christ from the dead - and they blaspheme it. "They will not hear" Paul's "testimony concerning" Christ.

Paul then informs that nation that "it was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken unto" them - as a witness against their already concluded by God "contradicting and blaspheming."

God is announcing through this odd, completely unexpected Apostle - of the Gentiles (!) that He has turned from Israel, to the Gentiles, not through Israel, but directly!

Paul thrn quotes Isaiah, not IN fulfilment of Isiah's even now yet to be fulfilled prophecy, but , but because what God is now doing among the Gentiles does not contradict nor invalidate His promise in Isaiah, for Paul is also an Israelite.

Recall that, at the same time that Paul was an Israelite, he had been saved "in Uncircumcision."

Anyway, throughout Acts 28 assertions, these kinds of finer distinctions are ignored. Ironicly, in the exact same way the Calvinists ignore distimctions.

Israel was in no spiritual shape to go to the Gentiles. God, having foreknown this, determined to use this once more rebellion on that nation's part, not only to ONCE MORE - and once more - TEMPORARILY set that nation aside, BUT THIS TIME, to begin to unfold a work among the Gentiles DIRECTLY...

Danoh
Eph. 4:16