POINTS TO PONDER
In what follows, the position of G.S.O.T.B. as understood through reading of some of their publications and the teachings of one who holds to their doctrinal positions, is set forth and then answered.
#1. G.S.O.T.B. teaches that the Body of Christ and the Church are not synonymous, and that Jews who believed in Christ prior to Pauls conversion were not members of the Body of Christ.
Answer: Before his conversion, Paul (or Saul as he was then known) persecuted
"...the church of God..." See 1 Corinthians 15:9.
According to Pauls own writing which by the way is not his alone but: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (is Godbreathed), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness..."(2 timothy 3:16)....
So... according to Pauls writing in Ephesians 1:22,23, the Church is the Body of Christ. For Saul to have been able to persecute "...the church of God..." prior to his conversion, it must have been in existence!
Although there have been changes in the delivery of the message of the gospel, most notably at Pentecost and then after the Conversion of Paul, the gospel itself has never changed. As Paul wrote in the third chapter of Galatians, God preached the gospel to Abraham, and although many of the details were left for later revelation, nevertheless God preached the gospel to Abraham... See: Galatians 3:8, and think substitutionary sacrifice re Isaac and the ram.
One of the details that was hidden throughout the Old Testament period right up to the day of Pentecost, was that the Holy Spirit was going to live in believers rather than come upon them. In addition, the Holy Spirit was subject to removal from the life of the believer under the old covenant. That is why David prayed in Psalm 27:9, "...Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation."
And Psalm 38:21.... "Do not forsake me , O Lord; O my God, be not far from me!" And then in Psalm 51:11..... "Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."
At Pentecost and thereafter, the Holy Spirit came into the believers, never to depart; to verify, see Hebrews 13:5.
Those believers who were baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:13) were now the Church. And Acts 2:47 states that "...the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
Since it was God who was adding those who were being saved to the church, one would have to come to the conclusion that it was His church. That would seem to unequivocally identify it as the same church that Paul was persecuting prior to his conversion...1 Corinthians 15:9, and since Paul, or rather Saul at the time, traveled widely during this persecution (ref. Acts 22:4,5), we must infer that he was not speaking of a local church, but of the Church. See also Acts 8:3.
To sum up: As per the scriptures considered above, the Church was in existence prior to Pauls conversion, and since Paul himself identifies the Church and the Body of Christ as one and the same, those believers who were members of the Church prior to Pauls conversion must have been in the Body of Christ.
As an aside, it is interesting to note that Luke, the writer of the Gospel named for him, was a frequent companion of Paul in his travels and ministry. See Acts 16:10; Colossians 4:14, etc.
#2. The kingdom (according to a fold-out dispensational chart from G.S.O.T.B. and other sources), has been postponed , and Romans 11:25 is cited as evidence.
Answer: First off, the kingdom is not mentioned in Rom. 11:25, and verse 26 goes on to say that the partial blindness of Israel mentioned in verse 25 will be cured, not by the issuing in of the kingdom, but by national salvation. In the meantime, individual Jews are being saved in the same way and by the same means as individual Gentiles, by faith in the finished work of Calvarys Cross and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.
In Mark 1:15, Jesus was preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and said that it (that is, the kingdom), was then "...at hand..." which according to Strongs and others, means: near, to approach, draw near, etc.
Wuests Expanded Translation has: "...the present moment is epochal in its significance, and the kingdom of God has drawn near and is imminent." That certainly does not square with the idea that the kingdom was postponed until the Millenium!
In Matthew 16:28, Jesus told those to whom He was speaking that some who heard Him would not die before they saw Him coming in His kingdom. Same thing in Luke 9:27.
Then in Luke 17:20,21 it says in the Amplified Version... "Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He (Jesus) replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed, or with visible display, nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See [it is] There! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your heart] and among you [surrounding you]!" (underline/bold emphasis added).
It would seem fair to say that rather than being postponed, the nature of the kingdom was revealed, and it is now, and indeed has been, an internal kingdom, in which both Jews and Gentiles participate.
Colossians 1:13... "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (NKJV). Here God, (through Paul), declares that every true believer has been transferred out of the power of darkness (that is, this world and its god), " into the kingdom of the Son of His (Gods) love." i.e. DONE DEAL.
See also 1Cor.15:50b, which states that "...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." That would seem to rule out the nation of Israel coming into the kingdom in the Millenium, and would instead indicate that the kingdom is spiritual in nature.
#3.
Answer: The following is a list of but twelve descriptions of the gospel among many in Scripture.
a. There are many references to "the gospel", which, according to Galatians 3:8, was first preached to Abraham.
b. The gospel of the kingdom: Matthew 4:23 and 9:35 along with 24:14.
Also Mark 1:14.
c. The gospel of Jesus Christ: Mark 1:1,14,15; 1 Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 1:5.
d. The gospel of the grace of God: Acts 20:24.
e. The gospel of God: Romans 1:1; and 15:16; 2 Cor.11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:2,8 and 3:2; 1 Peter 4:17.
f. Pauls gospel: Romans 2:16 & 16:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Timothy 2:8.
g. The gospel of peace: Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15.
h. Christs gospel: Romans 1:16 & 15:19; 2 Thessalonians 1:8.
i. The gospel to the circumcision: Galatians 2:7.
j. The gospel to the uncircumcision: Galatians 2:7
k. The gospel of your salvation: Ephesians 1:3.
l. The everlasting gospel: Revelation 14:6.
m. The glorious gospel: 2 Corinthians 4:4; w/ 1 Timothy 1:11.
It is obvious that many of the descriptions above refer to the same gospel, most of which were written by Paul, and may be assumed to describe the gospel that he preached. The problem arises with the declaration of G.S.O.T.B. that the gospel of the kingdom is not equivalent to the others, but is reserved for the millenium.
We have already seen that if the kingdom is spiritual and internal, then it is not reserved for the millenium. Further, the word "everlasting" used in Revelation 14:6 is the Greek aionos, whichmeans: perpetual, past and future, eternal, everlasting.
When this word aionos is used to refer to "everlasting life" we understand it to mean not only life which begins at salvation for the believer and will never end, but that life which had no beginning and will have no end.
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." And, "I am the resurrection and the life..." (John 14:6 and 11:25). And He, as God, had no beginning and will have no end. As a matter of fact, Jesus identified Himself as the ever-existing One, when in John 8:58 He told the Jews to whom He was speaking: "Before Abraham was, I AM."
In Ephesians 1:3,4, Paul says that God chose all believers in Christ before the foundation of the world. I believe that this refers to corporate election, but that is a subject for another time. What is clear, is that the gospel that Paul preached and to which the believers in Ephesus responded, was not a new gospel invented at the raising up of Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles but is, as Revelation 14:6 declares, the same gospel that was in the mind of God before the foundation of the world; i.e. the eternal gospel. This is the same gospel that was preached to Abraham but was revealed in its fullness in a progressive way at Pentecost and following.
I believe that one can only conclude that there is but one gospel described in many ways. And the gospel of the (earthly) kingdom has been revealed to be the everlasting gospel of the kingdom of the Son of Gods love, Colossians 1:13, into which the true believer has already entered.
In addition, Ephesians 5:5 shows us that the kingdom of Christ and of God are one and the same. See also Acts 20:24,25, where Paul declares that he had preached "...the kingdom of God." (25b) among the Ephesians, who were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, and equates it with "...the gospel of the grace of God." (24b).
#4. Water baptism is not for today.
Answer. Paul himself was baptized, Acts 9:10-18. Paul, or someone in his party, baptized Lydia and her household when they believed, approximately eighteen or nineteen years after Pauls own conversion and baptism. (Acts 16:14,15).
Paul, or someone in his party (Silas, Luke?), baptized the Philippian jailer and "...all his..." Again, approx. nineteen years after Pauls own conversion and baptism. (Acts 16;16-33).
Paul baptized some in Corinth, twenty years after his own conversion and baptism, and infers that all of the Corinthian believers had been baptized; 1 Corinthians 1:13-16, including Crispus, the Chief Officer of the synagogue and all his house. (Acts 18:8.)
By the way, the Biblical order is clearly set forth in that verse... They... "...believed and were baptized." Not the reverse.
After Paul left Corinth, he went to Ephesus, where he, or someone in his party, baptized the believers, not unto repentance, but in the Name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:1-5).
In Romans 6:1-6, Paul describes the union of believers with Christ (being baptized by the Spirit into the One Body, 1Corinthians 12:13), as being first joined in His death (and burial), and then in His resurrection. Baptism by immersion figures this.
If water baptism is not for today, surely Paul should have known about it after having learned his doctrine by revelation long before he or his co-workers baptized ( in water) those believers in Philippi and Corinth. See Galatians 1:11,12.
#5. It is claimed that either at the stoning of Stephen, or shortly thereafter at the conversion of Paul, God gave up on the Jews, and that only Paul preached the gospel that resulted in believers being joined into the Body of Christ. Further, that neither Peter nor the other Apostles (the twelve), were members of the Body, but that they were some undefined kind of inferior christian.
Answer. It should be pointed out that it was Peter that first preached "...the word of the gospel..." to Gentiles. See Acts 10:22 to the end of the chapter. And when Paul and Barnabas were in Jerusalem to clear up the matter of whether or not the new believers in the church at Syrian Antioch must be circumcised, Peter told the rest of the Apostles and elders that "...God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe." (Acts 15:7b).
Peter went on to argue against requiring more of the Gentiles than any Jew was able to bear, and then said: "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they." They who? The Gentiles of Syrian Antioch about whom the meeting was called! (See Acts 15:7-11). This does not sound like Peter was preaching a millenium kingdom!
Paul repeatedly preached in the synagogues of the Jews, long after (according to G.S.O.T.B. doctrine) Israel was "...concluded in unbelief." at the "...raising up of Paul." See: Acts 9:19,20; Acts 13:1-5 and verses 13-41, along with Acts 17:1-5 and 10-12.
According to Acts 18:1-4, Paul preached in the synagogue in Corinth a full twenty years after his conversion. Then after that he preached in the synagogue in Ephesus., Acts 18:19. After he left Ephesus, Paul traveled to Caesarea, Jerusalem, and then back to Syrian Antioch, (which ended his 2nd Missionary Journey), then began the third journey and went through Galatia and Phrygia..
Then Paul returned to Ephesus and preached in the synagogue "...and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the kingdom of God." Acts 19:1-8.
These preaching ministries of Paul would be utter folly if God had given up on the Jews. Worse than that, it would have been blatant disobedience to the LORD from who Paul had received his revelations and instructions.
Wrong doctrine in one place or area leads to, or even requires, wrong doctrine in other places...so........
#6. G.S.O.T.B. and those who follow their teachings, and the teachings of other hyper-dispensationalist groups or individuals, put the New Testament books of Hebrews; James; 1st & 2nd Peter; 1st, 2nd and 3rd John; Jude; and Revelation in a separate category from the rest of the New Testament as being for, and applying to, the millenium. This is required because of their belief that none of the twelve Apostles were members of the Body of Christ, and therefore could not produce doctrine/teaching that is applicable to that Body. Only what Paul wrote applies according to their teaching.
Answer. Of course this position robs the Christian of many precious promises, such as: Hebrews 13:5,6.... "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
As an aside, the word "never"here is the strongest negative in Greek... So Wuest translates these verses... "Let your manner of life be without love of money, being satisfied with your present circumstances. For He himself has said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you. I will not, I will not, I will not let you down. So that, being of good courage, we are saying, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What shall man do to me?"
This removal of everything other than what Paul wrote as being applicable to the Church today also does away with many supportive scriptures for essential doctrines, such as: Hebrews 1:8 which identifies Jesus the Son as God, and Hebrews 4:12 in its description of the Word.
Hebrews also touches on many other truths....
Chapter 1 verses 2,3 alone deals with the Son as Creator God Who sustains His creation... "...upholding all things by the word of His power...", and the fact that He "...by Himself purged our sins..." And is now seated "...at the right hand of the Majesty on high..."
Of course Jesus could not at the same time be seated at the right hand of the Father and on the throne in Jerusalem as would have to be the case if the book of Hebrews is only for the Jews during the millenium.
In Hebrews 2:9, we have a very important declaration of the fact that Jesus death was effectual for the salvation of everyone. This has become known as the doctrine of Unlimited Atonement, even though the word "atonement" is of Old Testament origin, and means "a covering". We dont have space to address this in full here, but suffice to say that the term "Unlimited Atonement" is utilized to contrast Calvinisms "Limited Atonement" which states that Christ did not die for everyone, but just for the elect individuals whom God predestined to be saved, and is part of the "Five Points of Calvinism." See also 2nd Peter 2:1 for further refutation.
Much has been written and said about the book of James, but for our purpose here, it is enough to note only chapter 4 vs. 7... "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Since Satan is to be bound during the whole of the millenium, see Revelation 20:2,3....... it would seem to be unnecessary for those living at the time to resist him.
In the first chapter of 1st Peter alone we find: grace, holy living, redemption through the blood of Christ, resurrection, the new birth, and the everlasting word of the gospel.
First John is full of precious doctrine (or teaching), such as the very familiar, necessary, and precious 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This is the means by which we stay in fellowship with the Lord.
Then there is 1st John 2:28... "And now, little children, abide in Him; that , when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."
This one verse alone will suffice to show that Johns epistles were written not for the millenium, but for the enlightenment and encouragement of believers who were looking forward to the coming of Jesus Christ. This would make no sense at all if Christ had already come and was seated on His throne at Jerusalem.
It is instructive to compare the address in the first verse of Judes Epistle to what Paul wrote in verse 2 of 1st Corinthians chapter one.... Jude would hardly have the right to address those in the millenium as "... those who are (present tense) called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ." That is, if he were writing for the benefit of those not yet living. The grammar of the address being in the present tense forbids it. (You are probably aware that at the close of the so-called millenium, the nations will rebel against Jesus Christ).
The same holds true for the Revelation. John addresses the seven churches as those in existence at the time of writing, and indeed refers to past history; hardly language he would use for those not yet born as would have to be the case if this book refers to, and is relegated to, the millenium. Of course the Revelation deals with the millenium, but is hardly restricted to that age.
In Acts 15:1-4, two churches are mentioned. One, in Syrian Antioch (vs. 3), was where Paul and Barnabas had preached, and the members of which (one would have to conclude) were included in "...the Church, which is His Body... Ephesians 1:22,23" (caps added), and then the other church was in Jerusalem, (Acts 15 verse 4). To accept the teachings of hyper-dispensationalists, one must come to the conclusion that of the two, only the members of the church in Antioch were also members of the Body of Christ/Church, and that those in Jerusalem were not.
There is a sense in which the political kingdom has been postponed until the millenium; however, I am not sure that the title "kingdom" should even be applied there, in view of the fact that Jesus told Nicodemus that "...except a man be born again (or from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God."
And then after Nicodemus asked how that was possible, Jesus told him... "...except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:1-5).
That would seem to eliminate those who, in the millenium, after having lived under absolute righteous government headed by Jesus Christ Himself, when Satan is loosed at the end of the period known as the millenium, rebel against the Lord and are devoured by fire sent down by God the Father out of heaven. See Rev.20:1-9.
Further, it is inconceivable to me that Jesus would allow temple worship to be re-instituted in every detail during the millenium with its animal sacrifices, dietary restrictions, etc., etc.
As chapters 9 and 10 of the book of Hebrews make so very clear.... Jesus sacrifice at Calvary was a "...once [for all]" occurrence, and... "...there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins."
Scriptures taken from the KJV and the NKJV unless otherwise noted; some emphasis added. Written by: W.A.B.
(RE: The teachings of Grace School of the Bible, located in Bloomingdale, IL)
In what follows, the position of G.S.O.T.B. as understood through reading of some of their publications and the teachings of one who holds to their doctrinal positions, is set forth and then answered.
#1. G.S.O.T.B. teaches that the Body of Christ and the Church are not synonymous, and that Jews who believed in Christ prior to Pauls conversion were not members of the Body of Christ.
Answer: Before his conversion, Paul (or Saul as he was then known) persecuted
"...the church of God..." See 1 Corinthians 15:9.
According to Pauls own writing which by the way is not his alone but: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (is Godbreathed), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness..."(2 timothy 3:16)....
So... according to Pauls writing in Ephesians 1:22,23, the Church is the Body of Christ. For Saul to have been able to persecute "...the church of God..." prior to his conversion, it must have been in existence!
Although there have been changes in the delivery of the message of the gospel, most notably at Pentecost and then after the Conversion of Paul, the gospel itself has never changed. As Paul wrote in the third chapter of Galatians, God preached the gospel to Abraham, and although many of the details were left for later revelation, nevertheless God preached the gospel to Abraham... See: Galatians 3:8, and think substitutionary sacrifice re Isaac and the ram.
One of the details that was hidden throughout the Old Testament period right up to the day of Pentecost, was that the Holy Spirit was going to live in believers rather than come upon them. In addition, the Holy Spirit was subject to removal from the life of the believer under the old covenant. That is why David prayed in Psalm 27:9, "...Do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation."
And Psalm 38:21.... "Do not forsake me , O Lord; O my God, be not far from me!" And then in Psalm 51:11..... "Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me."
At Pentecost and thereafter, the Holy Spirit came into the believers, never to depart; to verify, see Hebrews 13:5.
Those believers who were baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:13) were now the Church. And Acts 2:47 states that "...the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved."
Since it was God who was adding those who were being saved to the church, one would have to come to the conclusion that it was His church. That would seem to unequivocally identify it as the same church that Paul was persecuting prior to his conversion...1 Corinthians 15:9, and since Paul, or rather Saul at the time, traveled widely during this persecution (ref. Acts 22:4,5), we must infer that he was not speaking of a local church, but of the Church. See also Acts 8:3.
To sum up: As per the scriptures considered above, the Church was in existence prior to Pauls conversion, and since Paul himself identifies the Church and the Body of Christ as one and the same, those believers who were members of the Church prior to Pauls conversion must have been in the Body of Christ.
As an aside, it is interesting to note that Luke, the writer of the Gospel named for him, was a frequent companion of Paul in his travels and ministry. See Acts 16:10; Colossians 4:14, etc.
#2. The kingdom (according to a fold-out dispensational chart from G.S.O.T.B. and other sources), has been postponed , and Romans 11:25 is cited as evidence.
Answer: First off, the kingdom is not mentioned in Rom. 11:25, and verse 26 goes on to say that the partial blindness of Israel mentioned in verse 25 will be cured, not by the issuing in of the kingdom, but by national salvation. In the meantime, individual Jews are being saved in the same way and by the same means as individual Gentiles, by faith in the finished work of Calvarys Cross and the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.
In Mark 1:15, Jesus was preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and said that it (that is, the kingdom), was then "...at hand..." which according to Strongs and others, means: near, to approach, draw near, etc.
Wuests Expanded Translation has: "...the present moment is epochal in its significance, and the kingdom of God has drawn near and is imminent." That certainly does not square with the idea that the kingdom was postponed until the Millenium!
In Matthew 16:28, Jesus told those to whom He was speaking that some who heard Him would not die before they saw Him coming in His kingdom. Same thing in Luke 9:27.
Then in Luke 17:20,21 it says in the Amplified Version... "Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He (Jesus) replied to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come with signs to be observed, or with visible display, nor will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See [it is] There! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your heart] and among you [surrounding you]!" (underline/bold emphasis added).
It would seem fair to say that rather than being postponed, the nature of the kingdom was revealed, and it is now, and indeed has been, an internal kingdom, in which both Jews and Gentiles participate.
Colossians 1:13... "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love." (NKJV). Here God, (through Paul), declares that every true believer has been transferred out of the power of darkness (that is, this world and its god), " into the kingdom of the Son of His (Gods) love." i.e. DONE DEAL.
See also 1Cor.15:50b, which states that "...flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God." That would seem to rule out the nation of Israel coming into the kingdom in the Millenium, and would instead indicate that the kingdom is spiritual in nature.
#3.
According to a fold-out dispensational chart and other teachings of G.S.O.T.B., there is a separation of the gospels. Most notably, the gospel of the kingdom is differentiated from the "gospel of grace" and "Pauls gospel."
Answer: The following is a list of but twelve descriptions of the gospel among many in Scripture.
a. There are many references to "the gospel", which, according to Galatians 3:8, was first preached to Abraham.
b. The gospel of the kingdom: Matthew 4:23 and 9:35 along with 24:14.
Also Mark 1:14.
c. The gospel of Jesus Christ: Mark 1:1,14,15; 1 Corinthians 9:12; Philippians 1:5.
d. The gospel of the grace of God: Acts 20:24.
e. The gospel of God: Romans 1:1; and 15:16; 2 Cor.11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:2,8 and 3:2; 1 Peter 4:17.
f. Pauls gospel: Romans 2:16 & 16:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Timothy 2:8.
g. The gospel of peace: Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15.
h. Christs gospel: Romans 1:16 & 15:19; 2 Thessalonians 1:8.
i. The gospel to the circumcision: Galatians 2:7.
j. The gospel to the uncircumcision: Galatians 2:7
k. The gospel of your salvation: Ephesians 1:3.
l. The everlasting gospel: Revelation 14:6.
m. The glorious gospel: 2 Corinthians 4:4; w/ 1 Timothy 1:11.
It is obvious that many of the descriptions above refer to the same gospel, most of which were written by Paul, and may be assumed to describe the gospel that he preached. The problem arises with the declaration of G.S.O.T.B. that the gospel of the kingdom is not equivalent to the others, but is reserved for the millenium.
We have already seen that if the kingdom is spiritual and internal, then it is not reserved for the millenium. Further, the word "everlasting" used in Revelation 14:6 is the Greek aionos, whichmeans: perpetual, past and future, eternal, everlasting.
When this word aionos is used to refer to "everlasting life" we understand it to mean not only life which begins at salvation for the believer and will never end, but that life which had no beginning and will have no end.
Jesus said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." And, "I am the resurrection and the life..." (John 14:6 and 11:25). And He, as God, had no beginning and will have no end. As a matter of fact, Jesus identified Himself as the ever-existing One, when in John 8:58 He told the Jews to whom He was speaking: "Before Abraham was, I AM."
In Ephesians 1:3,4, Paul says that God chose all believers in Christ before the foundation of the world. I believe that this refers to corporate election, but that is a subject for another time. What is clear, is that the gospel that Paul preached and to which the believers in Ephesus responded, was not a new gospel invented at the raising up of Paul as the Apostle to the Gentiles but is, as Revelation 14:6 declares, the same gospel that was in the mind of God before the foundation of the world; i.e. the eternal gospel. This is the same gospel that was preached to Abraham but was revealed in its fullness in a progressive way at Pentecost and following.
I believe that one can only conclude that there is but one gospel described in many ways. And the gospel of the (earthly) kingdom has been revealed to be the everlasting gospel of the kingdom of the Son of Gods love, Colossians 1:13, into which the true believer has already entered.
In addition, Ephesians 5:5 shows us that the kingdom of Christ and of God are one and the same. See also Acts 20:24,25, where Paul declares that he had preached "...the kingdom of God." (25b) among the Ephesians, who were a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, and equates it with "...the gospel of the grace of God." (24b).
#4. Water baptism is not for today.
Answer. Paul himself was baptized, Acts 9:10-18. Paul, or someone in his party, baptized Lydia and her household when they believed, approximately eighteen or nineteen years after Pauls own conversion and baptism. (Acts 16:14,15).
Paul, or someone in his party (Silas, Luke?), baptized the Philippian jailer and "...all his..." Again, approx. nineteen years after Pauls own conversion and baptism. (Acts 16;16-33).
Paul baptized some in Corinth, twenty years after his own conversion and baptism, and infers that all of the Corinthian believers had been baptized; 1 Corinthians 1:13-16, including Crispus, the Chief Officer of the synagogue and all his house. (Acts 18:8.)
By the way, the Biblical order is clearly set forth in that verse... They... "...believed and were baptized." Not the reverse.
After Paul left Corinth, he went to Ephesus, where he, or someone in his party, baptized the believers, not unto repentance, but in the Name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:1-5).
In Romans 6:1-6, Paul describes the union of believers with Christ (being baptized by the Spirit into the One Body, 1Corinthians 12:13), as being first joined in His death (and burial), and then in His resurrection. Baptism by immersion figures this.
If water baptism is not for today, surely Paul should have known about it after having learned his doctrine by revelation long before he or his co-workers baptized ( in water) those believers in Philippi and Corinth. See Galatians 1:11,12.
#5. It is claimed that either at the stoning of Stephen, or shortly thereafter at the conversion of Paul, God gave up on the Jews, and that only Paul preached the gospel that resulted in believers being joined into the Body of Christ. Further, that neither Peter nor the other Apostles (the twelve), were members of the Body, but that they were some undefined kind of inferior christian.
Answer. It should be pointed out that it was Peter that first preached "...the word of the gospel..." to Gentiles. See Acts 10:22 to the end of the chapter. And when Paul and Barnabas were in Jerusalem to clear up the matter of whether or not the new believers in the church at Syrian Antioch must be circumcised, Peter told the rest of the Apostles and elders that "...God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe." (Acts 15:7b).
Peter went on to argue against requiring more of the Gentiles than any Jew was able to bear, and then said: "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they." They who? The Gentiles of Syrian Antioch about whom the meeting was called! (See Acts 15:7-11). This does not sound like Peter was preaching a millenium kingdom!
Paul repeatedly preached in the synagogues of the Jews, long after (according to G.S.O.T.B. doctrine) Israel was "...concluded in unbelief." at the "...raising up of Paul." See: Acts 9:19,20; Acts 13:1-5 and verses 13-41, along with Acts 17:1-5 and 10-12.
According to Acts 18:1-4, Paul preached in the synagogue in Corinth a full twenty years after his conversion. Then after that he preached in the synagogue in Ephesus., Acts 18:19. After he left Ephesus, Paul traveled to Caesarea, Jerusalem, and then back to Syrian Antioch, (which ended his 2nd Missionary Journey), then began the third journey and went through Galatia and Phrygia..
Then Paul returned to Ephesus and preached in the synagogue "...and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the kingdom of God." Acts 19:1-8.
These preaching ministries of Paul would be utter folly if God had given up on the Jews. Worse than that, it would have been blatant disobedience to the LORD from who Paul had received his revelations and instructions.
Wrong doctrine in one place or area leads to, or even requires, wrong doctrine in other places...so........
#6. G.S.O.T.B. and those who follow their teachings, and the teachings of other hyper-dispensationalist groups or individuals, put the New Testament books of Hebrews; James; 1st & 2nd Peter; 1st, 2nd and 3rd John; Jude; and Revelation in a separate category from the rest of the New Testament as being for, and applying to, the millenium. This is required because of their belief that none of the twelve Apostles were members of the Body of Christ, and therefore could not produce doctrine/teaching that is applicable to that Body. Only what Paul wrote applies according to their teaching.
Answer. Of course this position robs the Christian of many precious promises, such as: Hebrews 13:5,6.... "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
As an aside, the word "never"here is the strongest negative in Greek... So Wuest translates these verses... "Let your manner of life be without love of money, being satisfied with your present circumstances. For He himself has said, and the statement is on record, I will not, I will not cease to sustain and uphold you. I will not, I will not, I will not let you down. So that, being of good courage, we are saying, The Lord is my helper, I will not fear. What shall man do to me?"
This removal of everything other than what Paul wrote as being applicable to the Church today also does away with many supportive scriptures for essential doctrines, such as: Hebrews 1:8 which identifies Jesus the Son as God, and Hebrews 4:12 in its description of the Word.
Hebrews also touches on many other truths....
Chapter 1 verses 2,3 alone deals with the Son as Creator God Who sustains His creation... "...upholding all things by the word of His power...", and the fact that He "...by Himself purged our sins..." And is now seated "...at the right hand of the Majesty on high..."
Of course Jesus could not at the same time be seated at the right hand of the Father and on the throne in Jerusalem as would have to be the case if the book of Hebrews is only for the Jews during the millenium.
In Hebrews 2:9, we have a very important declaration of the fact that Jesus death was effectual for the salvation of everyone. This has become known as the doctrine of Unlimited Atonement, even though the word "atonement" is of Old Testament origin, and means "a covering". We dont have space to address this in full here, but suffice to say that the term "Unlimited Atonement" is utilized to contrast Calvinisms "Limited Atonement" which states that Christ did not die for everyone, but just for the elect individuals whom God predestined to be saved, and is part of the "Five Points of Calvinism." See also 2nd Peter 2:1 for further refutation.
Much has been written and said about the book of James, but for our purpose here, it is enough to note only chapter 4 vs. 7... "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Since Satan is to be bound during the whole of the millenium, see Revelation 20:2,3....... it would seem to be unnecessary for those living at the time to resist him.
In the first chapter of 1st Peter alone we find: grace, holy living, redemption through the blood of Christ, resurrection, the new birth, and the everlasting word of the gospel.
First John is full of precious doctrine (or teaching), such as the very familiar, necessary, and precious 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." This is the means by which we stay in fellowship with the Lord.
Then there is 1st John 2:28... "And now, little children, abide in Him; that , when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."
This one verse alone will suffice to show that Johns epistles were written not for the millenium, but for the enlightenment and encouragement of believers who were looking forward to the coming of Jesus Christ. This would make no sense at all if Christ had already come and was seated on His throne at Jerusalem.
It is instructive to compare the address in the first verse of Judes Epistle to what Paul wrote in verse 2 of 1st Corinthians chapter one.... Jude would hardly have the right to address those in the millenium as "... those who are (present tense) called, sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ." That is, if he were writing for the benefit of those not yet living. The grammar of the address being in the present tense forbids it. (You are probably aware that at the close of the so-called millenium, the nations will rebel against Jesus Christ).
The same holds true for the Revelation. John addresses the seven churches as those in existence at the time of writing, and indeed refers to past history; hardly language he would use for those not yet born as would have to be the case if this book refers to, and is relegated to, the millenium. Of course the Revelation deals with the millenium, but is hardly restricted to that age.
In Acts 15:1-4, two churches are mentioned. One, in Syrian Antioch (vs. 3), was where Paul and Barnabas had preached, and the members of which (one would have to conclude) were included in "...the Church, which is His Body... Ephesians 1:22,23" (caps added), and then the other church was in Jerusalem, (Acts 15 verse 4). To accept the teachings of hyper-dispensationalists, one must come to the conclusion that of the two, only the members of the church in Antioch were also members of the Body of Christ/Church, and that those in Jerusalem were not.
CONCLUSION
In light of the Scriptures cited above, one can only conclude that there is but one gospel, one Church, one Body, and one kingdom. And that God in His infinite wisdom and grace included all those who in faith have received Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, whether Jew or Gentile.There is a sense in which the political kingdom has been postponed until the millenium; however, I am not sure that the title "kingdom" should even be applied there, in view of the fact that Jesus told Nicodemus that "...except a man be born again (or from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God."
And then after Nicodemus asked how that was possible, Jesus told him... "...except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3:1-5).
That would seem to eliminate those who, in the millenium, after having lived under absolute righteous government headed by Jesus Christ Himself, when Satan is loosed at the end of the period known as the millenium, rebel against the Lord and are devoured by fire sent down by God the Father out of heaven. See Rev.20:1-9.
Further, it is inconceivable to me that Jesus would allow temple worship to be re-instituted in every detail during the millenium with its animal sacrifices, dietary restrictions, etc., etc.
As chapters 9 and 10 of the book of Hebrews make so very clear.... Jesus sacrifice at Calvary was a "...once [for all]" occurrence, and... "...there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins."
Scriptures taken from the KJV and the NKJV unless otherwise noted; some emphasis added. Written by: W.A.B.