MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
The Seven Baptisms
Written by: Max Klein
Baptism means identification or association:
Introduction:
1. This meaning began in Homer's time. Homer wrote of the one-eyed giant, Cyclops who had trapped Ulysses and his men in a cave and was eating them one at a time. The ingenious Ulysses devised a plan. He had his men sharpen a large log and together they rammed this log into the eye of the one-eyed Cyclops rendering him blind. They identified (baptized) the sharpened log with Cyclops’ eye which changed Cyclops from a seeing giant to a blind giant. Having blinded the Cyclops, they were able to maneuver their way out of the cave. Another example by Homer: Homer's Odyssey, book 9, used baptism for hot metal identified (baptized) with water when a smith dipped a piece of hot iron into water. This is how a blacksmith would temper swords in the ancient world. After this identification, the sword was made stronger and so less likely to bend.
2. Xenophon said that the Spartan military recruits after finishing infantry training would identify (baptize) their spears with pig’s blood. They would run by a barrel of pig’s blood and thrust their spears into this blood. This ritual, identified their spears with killing and the soldier’s readiness for combat with the enemy.
3. Euripides used the word for a ship identified with the bottom of the sea when it sank. Before sinking, the ship was valuable; after sinking it had no value at all.
4. So "baptize" in the classical Greek meant to identify one thing with another so that the characteristics of the original thing were altered. Therefore, the interpretation of the word "baptism" is identification with something that brings about a change.
5. There are a number of cognates related to this Greek word such as bapto, baptizo, baptisma, baptismos, baptistes, and embapto. A few examples follow:
6. John 13:26, “Jesus then answered, ‘That is the one for whom, I shall dip [the future of the Greek word bapto] the morsel and give it to him. So, when he had dipped [the aorist participle of bapto; the sop now takes on a new meaning that of honor] the sop [the morsel], He took and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.”
To give someone a sop [a special bit of food usually a piece of bread or meat with a tasty sauce] was the highest honor of a banquet. At a banquet a special piece of bread or meat was prepared along with a special sauce for the guest of honor who would then honor someone by giving it to that person. Jesus as the guest of honor took this sop and dipped it into a special sauce and gave it to Judas. In this way, the Lord Jesus Christ honored Judas as a member of the family of God, and for his ministry as an apostle to the Lost Sheep of Israel. This honor should have given Judas second thoughts regarding his plan to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin.
7. Matthew 3:7, “but when he [John the Baptizer] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism [identification: the Greek word baptisma], he said to them, “You brood of vipers [poisonous snakes], who warned you to flee from the wrath to come [Baptism of Fire: identification with the fire of Torments and then the Lake of Fire]?”
8. Hebrews 6:1-2, “Therefore, leaving behind the elementary teaching about Christ, let us advance to maturity, not laying again the foundation [of the basics such as]: a change of thinking about dead works [just as an unbeliever must have a change of mind about Christ to obtain salvation, so the believer must have a change of mind about legalism (dead works) in order to obtain the spiritual life], and of faith toward God [Faith-Rest Drill], (2) doctrine of baptisms [the Greek word baptismos; a reference to the seven types of baptism as found in Scripture] as well as the laying on of hands [ritual rebound in the age of Israel], and of resurrection from the dead, and of eternal judgment [the Great White Throne Judgment].
9. Matthew 3:1, “In those days John the Baptizer [the Greek word baptistes; when John baptized someone into the Jordan River, the converts were identified with the plan of God and his kingdom.] came proclaiming [as a herald] in the desert of Judea.”
There are two categories of identification in Scripture namely an actual identification or a real baptism and a representative identification or a ritual baptism which uses water.
The four real or actual identifications with something that has significance.
1. The Baptism of Moses: 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 presents the baptism of Moses, "For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; (2) and all were baptized [the Greek word baptizo] into Moses in the cloud [the Lord] and in the sea." This was a real identification in which Moses was identified with the Lord and the open path through the Red Sea and the Jews were identified with Moses. By the way, none of the Jews got wet, only Egyptian unbelievers who were immersed in the water as a means of death.
2. The Baptism of the Cross is found in Matthew 20:22, “But Jesus answered [Salome by addressing her sons] and said, “You [plural: a reference to James and John] do not know what you [James and John] ask. Are you [James and John] able to drink of the cup [bear the punishment of all the sins of the world] that I am about to drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism [the sins of the world identified with Christ followed by the Father judging them] that I am baptized with [identified with]?” They [James and John] said to Him, “We are able. [the dumbest statement that James and John ever made]” [I selected the longer text as did Jerome.]
3. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Retroactive Positional Truth and Current Positional Truth) occurs at salvation for Church Age believers only.
Colossians 2:12. Having been buried [aorist participle] with Him [Jesus Christ] by means of the baptism [God the Holy Spirit identified us with the burial of Jesus Christ as part of our salvation] by means of which [Baptism] you have been raised up [main verb] with Him [in union with Jesus Christ seated at the right hand of the Father] through faith [at the point of salvation] in the operational power from the source of God who has raised Him [the humanity of Christ was given a resurrection body] out from the dead [physical death].
Romans 6:3-9:
Romans 6:3: Or do you not know that all of us who [a correlative] have been baptized into [identified with] Christ Jesus [Current Positional Sanctification: we are in union with Christ in his life in heaven], have been baptized into His death [Retroactive Positional Truth and so identified with his substitutionary spiritual death on the cross]?
Positionally, (in union with Christ) we share His righteousness, heirship, priesthood, destiny, election, eternal life, royalty, sonship etc. All these making us a new spiritual species in Christ Jesus. The plural correlative hosoi (ὅσοι) means that if we were identified with Christ in heaven and we were, then also we have been identified with Christ in his substitutionary spiritual death in which he removed the power of sin nature. Thus, the sin nature should not have power over our lives.
A few more points will be noted:
1. Note that the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation enters the believer into union with Christ at the right hand of God the Father which union is called current positional truth.
2. This verse also mentions identification with Christ in His spiritual death on the cross which identification theologians call retroactive positional truth. Retroactive positional truth also includes identification with Christ in His physical death and burial as well.
3. Identification with Christ in His death, then, has a two-fold connotation namely all personal sins were judged at the cross and since that is the case, God the Father is free to provide in grace, the Recovery Procedure. The second connotation is that good and evil were rejected by Jesus on the cross since good and evil are a part of Satan’s policy and plan. On the cross, Jesus relied on the proto-type spiritual life which operated under the two power options namely God’s power system.
4. So, the old sin nature’s ruling power over the Christian has been broken since all sins were judged on the cross and the Recovery Procedure has been provided. So, Retroactive Positional Truth has destroyed the sovereignty of the old sin nature over the life of the Christian.
5. Also, since Jesus rejected the good and evil policy of Satan so should the believer reject Satan’s policy of good and evil as the believer applies Retroactive Positional Truth.
Romans 6:4: Therefore, we have been buried together with Him through the identification [Baptism of the Spirit] into His death [physical], in order that just as Christ has been raised up from the dead [on Resurrection Sunday], through the glory of the Father [through the Father’s power], [So also we, the dead in Christ, will be raised from the dead by the power of the Father, and those alive at the Rapture, by the power of the Holy Spirit.] in this manner we also might walk in newness of life [Experiential sanctification should reflect our future ultimate sanctification.].
Christ had to die physically “and Jesus having shouted clearly with a loud voice said, Father, into your hands I deposit my [human] spirit, and having said this, he exhaled” (Luke 23:46). This last exhale caused His soul and spirit to depart from his mortal body resulting in physical death. Just as Christ had to die physically in order to obtain his resurrection body, so we must depart from our body of corruption, or mortality in order to receive our eternal body called our resurrection body.
The Newness of Life:
1. The newness of life provided through the baptism of the Spirit includes positional freedom from producing good and evil. Not only are we free from the tyranny of good and evil but we are also free from having to produce good and evil.
2. The believer has no obligation to improve the devil’s world through social action, socialism, welfare state, communism, environmentalism, or any social gospel, social action, getting involved, etc.
3. The human race is protected from Satan’s policy of good and evil through the laws of divine establishment which promote freedom instead of improvement at the cost of freedom.
4. In addition to the Laws of Divine Establishment the believer is insulated from good and evil positionally through the baptism of the Spirit.
5. Divorced from the Old Sin Nature positionally and its useless activity of human good and the function of evil, the life of the believer can be devoted to glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ through maximum knowledge and application of Bible doctrine.
Romans 6:5: For if we have become united with Him [Christ, the new husband] in the likeness of His death [the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross], and we have, and not only this, but also, we shall be [united in the likeness] of His resurrection [Current Positional Truth: in union with the resurrected Christ].
Romans 6:6: Be knowing this [through Retroactive Positional Truth], that our old man [our former husband, the sin nature dates back to the Garden] has been crucified together [with Him], in order that the [human] body, with reference to its sin nature, [the sin nature located in the body] might be rendered powerless [when we use Recovery Procedure and the two power options], that we should no longer be slaves to the sin nature.
“Our old man has been crucified with Him” meaning that the power of the sin nature has been broken on the cross. Since the power of the sin nature was broken by the work of the cross, we as believers have no excuse for not executing the spiritual life. We will not be able to say to Christ at our evaluation that our sin nature was too powerful for us to execute the spiritual life.
A few points for further clarification:
1. Retroactive positional truth is that phase of the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation which identifies the believer with Christ in His spiritual death, physical death and his burial.
2. In the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross all the personal sins in human history were imputed to Christ, but at the same time the other two trends of the old sin nature were not imputed for judgment.
3. Good and evil is the policy of Satan as the ruler of this world and the function of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life. In fact, the sin nature functions as the agent of Satan.
4. Good and evil were not imputed for judgment on the cross. Hence, in the spiritual death of Christ on the cross they were rejected to remain an issue in the angelic conflict, rejected to be perpetuated in human history as an issue every believer must face, and either overcome through the intake of doctrine or be entrapped by ignorance of doctrine and therefore lose out in glorifying God in time.
5. We are identified with Christ in His spiritual death, which means that we must understand that our sins have been judged and that good and evil has been rejected.
6. It all adds up to the fact that the sovereignty of the old sin nature over human life has been made powerless through retroactive positional truth.
7. The imputation of all personal sins of the human race to Christ on the cross means that the believer through the rebound technique is instantly forgiven sins, cleansed from all wrong doing which includes Satanic good and evil, restored to fellowship and filled with the Spirit.
Romans 6:7: For we who have died [the Christian is identified with the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ: theologically called Retroactive Positional Truth] have been acquitted [positional deliverance] from [the power of] the sin nature.
A few points for further clarification:
1. A dead person is discharged from the obligations of his former sphere of life. This is why the word “death” is used in this context. It is not a literal, physical death we are discussing but identification with Christ in His death.
2. As unbelievers we were under the authority of Satan as the ruler of this world, and under the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
3. Both the power of Satan and the old sin nature have been abrogated through the baptism of the Holy Spirit at salvation.
4. This passage, then, emphasizes the annulling of the power and the authority of the old sin nature as the sovereign of human life.
5. Positionally, the power of the sin nature has been broken. Experientially, the old sin nature controls to the extent that we fail to understand and utilize the provision and support of logistical grace.
Romans 6:8: Now if we have died with Christ, and we have [retroactive positional truth], we also believe that we shall live in association with Him [the instrumental of association; a reference to Current Positional Truth].
In this verse, the 1st Class conditional sentence shows the relationship between Retroactive Positional Truth with Current Positional Truth. The protasis, the ‘if’ clause states the reality of Retroactive Positional Truth and the apodosis, the concluding clause states the doctrinal inference and the reality of Current Positional Truth. While Retroactive Positional Truth presents positional rejection and separation from good and evil as the policy of Satan and the function of the old sin nature, Current Positional Truth relates the believer to the function of the royal family of God. In other words, they have separate functions.
Romans 6:9: Knowing that because Christ has been raised from the dead [He received a resurrection body], no longer can He die; [physical] death is no longer a master over Him.
Analysis:
1. Retroactive positional truth destroys the sovereign authority of the old sin nature over human life. Current positional truth, on the other hand, destroys the limited authority of physical death in human life.
2. Instead of being ruled by the old sin nature located in the cells of the human body and influencing our souls toward sin, good and evil, we now have a new sovereign, the Lord Jesus Christ. We are identified with Him in His deaths, in His burial, resurrection, ascension and session.
3. Before salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit our lives were under the absolute rule of Satan who is the ruler of this world and under the rule of the old sin nature which is the ruler of life, and under the limited rule of physical death. All of that, of course, has been changed since salvation.
4. Now both retroactive and current positional truth have abrogated the authority and power of these former rulers. The power of Satan over our lives has been broken through identification with the rejection of good and evil namely Satan’s policy and plan and through our position in union with Christ. The power of the old sin nature is broken through retroactive positional truth and the power of physical death is broken through current positional truth.
5. Therefore, having studied these things by principle and by implication we are now ready for application, verses 12 & 13 specifically.
6. Having been positionally liberated from the sovereignty of the old sin nature as an absolute ruler, and the authority of physical death, we must recognise and apply doctrine for the experiential victory commanded in verses 11-13.
Galatians 3:25-28, “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under the authority of [have need of] a school bus. (26) For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ [identified with Christ through union with Him] have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek [no racial distinction], there is neither slave nor free man [no social or economic distinction], there is neither male nor female [no gender distinction]; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. [All Christians have the same privileges and opportunities to execute the spiritual life.]”
Current Positional Truth, Elaborated:
In the Church Age, Current Positional Truth establishes our relationship with Christ as opposed to religion. It refers to the Church Age believer in union with Christ and is the key to understanding the Church Age and how the royal family came into being. Therefore, it is the basis for distinguishing between Christianity and religion. Christianity is a relationship with God without merit whereas religion is a system of works to gain the approbation of God. Never shall the twain meet!
The mechanics of Current Positional Truth is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, whereby the Spirit enters us into union with Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:13, “For also by agency of the one Spirit we are all baptized [identification resulting in becoming a new spiritual species] into one body [in union with Christ], whether Jews or Greeks [racial distinctions are removed], whether slave or free [class and economic distinctions are removed], even all were made to drink [the aorist passive, the voice of grace] the one Spirit [The Holy Spirit did not ask us whether we wanted to be put into union with Christ or not.].” Ephesians 4:5, “One Lord [becomes our Lord positionally at Salvation]), one faith [faith alone in Christ alone; Acts 16:31], one baptism [Baptism of the Holy Spirit takes place at salvation].”
Current Positional truth guarantees that there will be no judgment for believers in eternity, Romans 8:1, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Thus, the condemnation which occurred at the first birth was removed at the 2nd birth. As a result of being born with the sin nature and the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin, we were condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity, but now that has been removed. Romans 5:12, “For this reason just as through one man [Adam] the sin [nature] entered into the world [procreation], and so spiritual death through the sin [the imputation of Adam’s Original Sin to the sin nature], and so spiritual death spread to all mankind, because all sinned when Adam sinned [since we were all genetically in Adam when he sinned, we will receive Adam’s Original Sin].” However, at our spiritual birth, the 2nd birth, our pre-salvation sins were all forgiven including Adam’s Original Sin. After which, the Spirit entered us into union with Christ where there is now no condemnation (Romans 8:1).
Current Positional truth qualifies the believer to live with God forever. To live with God forever, the believer must have eternal life and God’s perfect righteousness, 1 John 5:11-12, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life, and this life is in his son [Since we are in union with Christ, we share this life.]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].” 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And He [the Father] made Him who knew no sin [perfection] to be a sin offering [imputation of sins on the cross] as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him [current positional truth].” To live with God forever means you must have His life, and you must be as righteous as He is.
Positional truth guarantees the believer’s eternal security, Romans 8:38-39, “For I am persuaded that neither death [nothing in death] nor life [nothing in life] nor angels nor principalities [ruling angels] nor powers [human organizations] nor things present nor things to come (39) nor height [nothing in heaven] nor depth [nothing in Hades] nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Eternal life in Christ is for all eternity!
Positional truth belongs to all categories of believers whether they be apostate, mature, immature, spiritually adult, or carnal. Since Current Positional Truth occurs at the point of salvation before experience in the Christian life begins, it doesn’t depend on that experience. 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus [at salvation], called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.” So, even though you may be carnal or in reversionism, you still have positional truth. Being in union with Christ has nothing to do with what you do [experiential righteousness], or don’t do [failure to execute God’s plan]. Current Positional sanctification is completely the work of God the Holy Spirit and so is not based upon our volition, but on the sovereign decision of God. We make the decision to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, but we don’t make the decision to enter into union with Christ “all were made to drink the one Spirit” as per 1 Corinthians 12:13. God the Holy Spirit graciously did that for us and so it cannot be undone.
Current Positional truth creates a new spiritual species in Christ as per 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power; behold, new things have come to pass.” You become a new spiritual species at salvation by being put into union with Christ. It is what God does for you, and therefore it is grace. It is not what you do after salvation, such as the self-righteous works of legalism. The “old things” have to do with spiritual death and those things related to that death; the “new things” refer to things you receive at salvation such as the 40 assets and the unique spiritual life.
Positional truth should motivate the production of divine good and a pattern of life compatible with royalty as per Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his creation, having been created in Christ Jesus [a new spiritual species with many assets] for the purpose of divine good production [via experiential sanctification] which the God [the Father] has prepared in advance [in eternity past, God the Father provided election and predestination as part of our Portfolio of Invisible Assets], that we in the sphere of them [election and predestination] may pattern our lives.”
Even though a Christian may die the Sin on to Death, he will not lose his position in union with Christ (1 John 5:18-20), and so cannot lose his salvation. In order for a believer to lose his position in Christ, he would have to sin in that status, but since the believer cannot sin in union with Christ, he cannot lose his position in Christ and so cannot lose his salvation. Thus, it is comforting and reassuring to a believer to know that even though a loved one may have died the ‘sin on to death’, he has not lost his salvation.
Because we are in union with Christ, we share His:
1. Eternal life, 1 John 5:11, “And this is the deposition [testimony] that the God [the Father] has given to us, eternal life [At salvation, God the Father imputes this life to the human spirit], and this life is in his son [The Christian also shares the life of Christ through union with Him]. (12) and he who has the son [a relationship with the Son] has the life [eternal life] and the one who does not have the son of God [relationship with the Son] does not have the life [eternal life].”
John 14:6, “Jesus said to him [Thomas], ‘I am the way, the truth and the life [eternal life]; no person [in human history] comes face to face with the Father [having an eternal relationship with the Father] except through Me.’”
2. Perfect righteousness, 2 Corinthians 5:21, “And he (God the Father) made him [Jesus] who knew no sin (perfection) to be a sin offering as a substitute for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in him [positional truth]. Sharing the righteousness of Christ, we become the objects of God the Father’s love as per Romans 8:39.
3. Election, Ephesians 1:4, “just as He [the Father] has elected us for Himself in Him [Jesus Christ] before the creation of the world [in eternity past], that we may be set apart [experiential sanctification] and blameless [ultimate sanctification] in the presence of Him [Father].”
4. Destiny, Ephesians 1:5, “By means of love, He has predestined us for the purpose of adoption as adult sons to Himself through Christ Jesus our Lord according to the grace purpose of His will.”
5. Sonship, Galatians 3:26, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.”
6. Heirship, Romans 8:16-17, “The Spirit Himself testifies together [bears witness] with our [human] spirit, that we are the children of God. (17) Now, if we are children and we are, also heirs, on the one hand heirs of God [the Father], and joint heirs with Christ. If indeed [if it is true that], we suffer with Him [pass all three stages of undeserved suffering], that also we might be glorified with Christ.”
7. Sanctification, 1 Corinthians 1:2, “to the church of God which is in Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints together with all who call upon the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, their [Lord] and ours.”
8. Priesthood, Hebrews 7:12-19, “For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change in the Law also. (13) For the One [the Lord Jesus Christ] concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe [the tribe of Judah] from which no one has officiated at the altar. (14) For it is evident that our Lord has descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests, (15) and this is clearer still, if another priest arises similar to Melchizedek, and there has, (16) who has become a priest not on the basis of physical requirement [a reference to the Levitical Priesthood] but on the basis of indestructible life [the Lord’s priesthood is forever]. (17) For this reason, it is witnessed, ‘You are a priest forever similar to the order of Melchizedek.’” [We are in union with Christ. Therefore, we are royalty and priests forever. We represent ourselves before God as royal priests.] (18) For, on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former commandment [the Mosaic Law that authorized the Levitical priesthood] because of its weakness and uselessness (19) (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope [the second door of hope for the Church Age believer—a personal sense of destiny—by which we enter the adult spiritual life] through which we draw near to God.”
Hebrews 7:26-28, “For it is fitting that we should have such a high priest, impeccable integrity, the One who cannot do evil, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; (27) Who does not need daily, like those Levitical priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He [Jesus] offered up Himself. (28) For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of His [God the Father’s] oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, who has become perfect forever [Jesus Christ is a perfect high priest].”
9. Royalty, 1 Peter 2:9, “ But you and only you are an elect [elect by God the Father] race [as a new spiritual species], a royal priesthood [since Jesus is a king-priest], a holy nation [God’s entity: a nation of priests: every Christian is a priest], a people for God’s own possession [a protected people], so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him [Christ] who has called [in eternity past] you out of darkness [spiritual death and the Cosmic Systems] into His amazing light [his plan];”
10. New Spiritual Species, 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ and he is, he is a new spiritual species. The old things have lost their power [Old Covenant]; behold, new things have come to pass [This would include the New Covenant to the Church.].”
Current Positional Truth changes our relationship with Angels.
1. Through current positional truth the believer is higher than angels positionally.
2. Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, and so superior to all angels. By virtue of being in union with Christ, every believer is now positionally superior to angels.
3. Positional truth has fulfilled the believer’s triumph with Christ in the angelic conflict. We are victorious with Him already.
4. Furthermore, positional truth demands compatibility with experiential righteousness. Therefore, the believer’s walk on this earth must be compatible with positional truth since we have perfect security in Christ, we have the freedom to choose for Jesus Christ, to love Jesus Christ, to respond to His love, and to fulfill our purpose on this earth.
What positional truth is not?
1. It is not an experience, emotions or ecstasies.
2. It is not progressive; it cannot be improved in time or eternity.
3. It is not related to human merit or ability.
4. It cannot be changed by God, man or angels. It is eternal in nature.
5. It is not obtained gradually as you grow in grace, but in toto at salvation.
6. It is not known apart from the metabolization of doctrine.
7. From understanding the doctrine of positional truth, we progress in our spiritual life, but we cannot improve it since it is perfect at salvation.
8. We are not in Christ because of what we do (execution of the spiritual life) or fail to do (fail to execute the spiritual life), but because of what God has done.
A few points of explanation:
1. The conclusion from positional truth, whether retroactive or current, is that the Christian must apply these doctrines to his spiritual life.
2. In Romans 7:1-4 where we have an illustration of a woman whose first husband has died freeing her to marry another. This is what actually happens to us as believers at salvation. The old sin nature is the husband up to the point of salvation, but at the moment we believe in Jesus Christ positionally the sin nature is dead, as it were, the first husband has died and we have a new husband through union with Christ. Retroactive Positional Truth removes our first husband, the sin nature whereas Current Positional Truth enters us into union with Christ, our new husband.
3. The old sin nature-husband is still around, still seeking to regain his control over his former wife, the believer. But union with the second husband, the Lord Jesus Christ, has broken the first husband’s authority over the former wife.
4. The Baptism of Fire:
Matthew 3:11, “On the one hand I [John the Baptizer] baptize you [believers] by means of water because of a change of thinking [about Christ], but the one coming after me is mightier than I whose sandals I am not worthy to lace [loosen, remove]. He himself will baptize by means of the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Holy Spirit in the Church Age] and by means of fire [a reference to the Baptism of Fire at the 2nd Advent].”
Baptism of Fire: The baptism of fire (identification with fire) is defined as the judgment of unbelievers both Jew and gentile at the Second Advent. They will be removed from the earth and placed in fire for 1000 years until the Last Judgment, Luke 3:16-17; Mathew 25:31, 33. The analogy to the Baptism of Fire is found in Matthew 24:36-41. The one left in the field is the mature believer; the one taken is the unbeliever.
Parables of the Baptism of Fire:
1. The wheat and the tares (the unbelievers), Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40.
2. The good and bad fish (unbelievers), Matthew 13:47-50.
3. The ten virgins: five wise, five foolish (the unbelievers), Matthew 25:1-13.
4. The sheep and the goats (the unbelievers), Mathew 25:31-46.
5. The talent test, Matthew 25:14-30. The one talent man represents the unbeliever.
If Jesus Christ had not been rejected by the Jewish people, then the age of Israel would have continued until its completion (the Tribulation completes the age of Israel). (However, they did reject Jesus Christ as Savior and Messiah and so the client nation was destroyed, and the Church age was intercalated that is inserted before the age of Israel was complete.) After the completion of the age of Israel at the end of the Tribulation, comes the wrath of God namely the Baptism of Fire when the Lord removes both Jewish and gentile unbelievers from the earth and identifies them with fire forever. After which, the Millennial reign begins.
The Three Ritual Baptisms. None are extant at the present time. They are representative identifications in which water is used as a training aid to represent some principle of doctrine.
1. The Baptism of John is found in Matthew 3:2-6, “Saying, ‘Change your thinking [regarding Christ] for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ [The future king was already on the earth] (3) For this is what was communicated through Isaiah, the prophet saying, ‘The voice of one [John the Baptizer] proclaiming loudly in the desert [of Judea]. Prepare [the aorist tense is a one time-decision] the way of the Lord [an idiomatic expression for salvation]. Keep on making upright [the use of the Recovery Procedure followed by the development of experiential righteousness] His paths!’ (Isaiah 40:3) (4) Now, John himself kept on having a garment of camel’s hair [very uncomfortable] and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then [after John went where God wanted him to be] Jerusalem kept on going out to him [face to face] and all Judea and all the districts around the Jordan. (6) and they were being baptized [identified with the kingdom] by him [under John’s authority] in the Jordan River [where Israel crossed when they entered the land], and they kept on confessing their sins [post-salvation confession of sins].”
MAX KLEIN BIBLE MINISTRIES
Romans Chapter Fifteen
A verse-by-verse commentary by Max Klein
Let us bow our heads; If we need to use the Recovery Procedure as found in 1 John 1:9, let us do so at this time that we might be in fellowship. (pause) Father, we thank you for the privilege and opportunity to study your word and for the freedom that you have provided for us here in Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S.A.; furthermore, we express our appreciation to God the Holy Spirit who will enlighten us regarding the message this evening. We as priests pray this through the person of our Lord Christ Jesus, our High Priest, Amen.
A Warning to the Weak Believer:
Matthew 7:1-2, “Stop judging so that you might not be judged [not receive triple compound discipline from the Lord]. (2) For by what judgment, [condemnation: slander, gossip, maligning] you judge [others], you will be judged [punished for slander, gossip, maligning], and by what measure you measure it out [the sin you mention regarding another], it will be measured back to you [you will be punished for the other person’s sin which you mentioned].”
Furthermore, every verbal sin (sin coming from the tongue) is motivated by some mental sin of arrogance. For example, anger, hatred, jealousy, and self-righteousness all motivate verbal sins. A person full of hatred may want to slander; a jealous person may want to malign his rival; a self-righteous person assuming he is perfect may want to gossip or criticize another believer especially if that believer has committed some overt sin such as drunkenness, or some sexual sin. The point is that all verbal sins have a source.
All verbal sins produce quadruple punishment (three from the Lord and one from self-induced misery). Let’s illustrate using Christian A and B. Christian A hates Christian B, so he slanders B. He slanders B by spreading the rumor that B is unfaithful to his wife. Thus, Christian A will suffer in the following ways:
1. He is punished by God for hatred.
2. He is punished by God for slander.
3. He is punished by God for adultery the sin he mentioned regarding B “by what measure you measure it out, it will be measured back to you.”
4. He is punished by the law of self-induced misery. (All sinning makes the person miserable.)
Romans Chapter 15
1-12. The function of the Royal Family Honor Code
13-16. A parenthesis with 3 principles of spiritual momentum
17-33. Apostolic function of the Royal Family Honor Code
In chapters 13-15 the entire principle of doctrine is structured around the weak and the strong believer.
The strong believer:
1. The strong believer is defined as one who through maximum doctrine resident in the soul has attained maturity adjustment to the integrity of God.
2. Therefore, the strong believer functions under the Royal Family Honor Code, rightly dividing the Word of Truth in such areas as personal and impersonal love, also making the distinction between the essentials and the non-essentials.
3. The strong believer has received the initial increment of his Escrow Blessings for time, and will continue to receive blessing from the integrity of God until he reaches the point of dying grace.
4. The strong believer is also known as the crisis personality, which is another way of saying that the mature believer is totally oriented to reality. There is no problem in life too great for the mature believer.
5. The crisis personality, then, can cope with any disaster in life, personal or historical. The crisis personality does not follow any overt mould or pattern but possesses the inner dynamics of doctrine to meet every situation as it occurs.
6. Historical or personal crisis gives the strong believer the opportunity to apply doctrine to the reality of the situation, demonstrating the total adequacy of doctrine in his life, the total adequacy of divine provision for the believer in the devil’s world.
7. The imputation of divine blessing to the strong believer includes undeserved suffering, which demonstrates the dynamics of Bible doctrine resident in his soul and labels the strong believer as the crisis personality.
8. The strong believer demonstrates the principle that if God doesn’t promote you, you are not promoted.
The weak believer:
1. There are two categories of weak believers we will consider at this point namely the believer who is quite ignorant of God’s plan though he is growing spiritually and the ignorant believer who has rejected the spiritual life. The following points will either apply to one of the two categories of weak believers or to both categories.
2. Bible doctrine resident in the soul of the believer produces strength; ignorance of God’s truth in the soul guarantees a weak believer.
3. The weak believer is flexible regarding the essential and inflexible regarding the non-essentials. For this reason, then, the weak believer is totally divorced from the reality of God’s plan for his life.
4. As a substitute for God’s plan, the weak believer is either distorting grace into antinomianism or is zealously working for divine blessing, and therefore legalistic.
5. Because he is ignorant of doctrine, the weak believer who has rejected doctrine is arrogant and so has a problem with authority orientation as an essential part in adjustment to reality.
6. As an arrogant person divorced from reality, the weak believer is frustrated because of his inability to conquer his mental attitude sins which in turn motivate verbal sins such as judging, maligning, gossiping, bearing grudges, revenge tactics etc.
7. The weak believer who has rejected truth, then, will become a sociopath having no doctrinal norms and standards in his soul. Therefore, he is a law unto himself.
8. The weak believer who has rejected doctrine cannot understand or utilize the provision of Logistical Grace which is designed for his advance to maturity. Therefore, the meaning and purpose of the Christian way of life are nebulous and abstruse to him.
9. The spiritually growing weak believer is tolerated by the strong believer who is flexible in the non-essentials. All believers start out as weak, and only as they learn doctrine do they gain momentum and as they advance to maturity gain spiritual strength. Therefore, all of us are tolerated by someone in the Christian community until we make that advance.
10. While toleration should be directed toward the weak believer who is learning the spiritual life; separation is the divine order regarding the weak believer who has rejected doctrine.
11. When the weak believer is negative toward doctrine and involved in reversionism, he is constantly under divine discipline, and association with him invites disaster by association. Furthermore, he has false norms and standards and a conscience distorted through rationalism, empiricism, or emotionalism.
12. The weak believer has erroneous concepts of Christian virtue and so places emphasis on superficialities such as sincerity, human good, self-righteousness, socialism, the welfare state, pseudo-morality, asceticism, taboos, and legalism.
13. Because the weak believer is ignorant of doctrine, therefore flexible regarding the essentials and inflexible regarding the non-essentials, he possesses very strong opinions which are completely erroneous.
14. In the weak believer, the lack of doctrine means that he has a lack of common sense, lack of capacity for life, lack of orientation to reality, lack of authority orientation, lack of grace orientation etc.
15. The weak believer who has rejected the spiritual life parlays human good produced out of fellowship into evil and rationalizes his modus operandi as the Christian way of life.
16. The weak believer then, can only gain strength in his own eyes by discrediting the strong believer. Therefore, the weak believer constantly seeks to judge and vindictively criticizes the strong believer.
17. Such action only weakens the weak believer and subjects him to divine discipline for his presumptive assumption of divine authority for it is God’s authority to judge, not human.
The relative concept of nomenclature:
1. The weak and strong are relative terms which are based upon the amount of doctrine resident in the soul of the believer rather than lifestyle.
2. The nomenclature ‘strong’ is not unconditional praise and approbation. While the nomenclature ‘weak’ is not unconditional reproach and condemnation.
3. Both strong and weak believers continue to possess in this life the potentialities of sin, good and evil, which all emanate from the old sin nature.
4. Both strong and weak believer have their own peculiar occupational hazards and we must keep in mind that no one is perfect.
5. Pride is a subtle sin, as subtle as the originator of sin, namely Lucifer.
Therefore, pride creeps into bed and seduces the sleeping, non-alert believer, whether weak or strong.
6. However, that pride manifests itself in different ways regarding the weak and strong believer. For the weak, pride is demonstrated in judging others, revenge tactics, maligning, gossiping, retaliation, expressing bitterness through retaliation etc. For the strong believer, pride is demonstrated by intolerance of the weak believer.
7. The weak believer has potentially the arrogance of ignorance while the strong believer potentially has the pride of cognizance and achievement.
8. False standards are used with arrogance in the weak believer to turn him into a spiritual tyrant and bully, while true standards are linked with pride in the strong believer to vent sarcasm and intolerance toward the weak believer.
The function of the Royal Family Honor Code provides for variation in standards at each stage of growth:
1. Regarding the principle of live and let live are a series of encapsulating doctrines. These give living and breathing space for every believer to advance to maturity.
2. Such honor code principles such as impersonal love, privacy of the priesthood, and inflexibility regarding the essentials and flexibility regarding the non-essential, all result in orientation to spiritual reality. They also result in Christian common sense, elimination of the subjective, and the inclusion of objective perception of doctrine within the framework of the body of Christ.
3. In other words, each believer must live his life as unto the Lord. Each believer must meet God’s standards at each level of spiritual growth.
4. Therefore, only doctrine has the right to intrude into the privacy of your priesthood. In fact, doctrine must interfere with the privacy of your priesthood for your spiritual advance and growth in grace. Everyone grows because doctrine infiltrates the soul and changes the norms and standards as it provides building material for the edification of the soul.
5. The Honor Code demands rigid adherence to the essentials of Bible doctrine. Therefore, about doctrine we must be dogmatic; regarding the application of doctrine, we must demonstrate elasticity.
6. The Royal Family Honor Code, then, binds the strong and weak believer together in their mutual advance. It does this in such a way as to overshadow their differences of application at different stages of growth.
Therefore, the difference between equality and freedom:
1. Every believer possesses under the Honor Code freedom and the privacy to advance to the objective under the plan of God. Freedom guarantees that there will be no equality among believers in either time or eternity.
2. Some use freedom in time to reject doctrine, and some believers use freedom in time to learn doctrine. The result is the weak and strong believer. Some believers are blessed in time and some are disciplined. This produces inequality based on freedom.
3. Some believers become mature; others remain immature. Some believers advance to maximum glorification of God and eventually die under dying grace and some retreat through reversionism and consequently die the Sin unto Death.
4. Some believers are rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ and many will have no rewards. This is inequality. Equality is a myth; freedom is a reality which produces inequality.
5. Freedom does not guarantee equality, but inequality. The believer is free to succeed or free to fail. This is true freedom.
6. Forced equality is the policy of Satan; grace-freedom is the policy of God. Equality is the epitome of evil when demanded; freedom is the vehicle of grace and as such must have content of thought and that content of thought is Bible doctrine, the mind of Christ.
Romans 15 :1
Now, we [Paul includes himself] the strong [the mature believer] are obligated [under Honor Code] to keep on bearing the weaknesses [the false ideas and taboos] of the weak [This is the mature believer’s maximum utilization of impersonal love and total toleration, and flexibility in the areas of the non-essentials.] and not to accommodate ourselves [Not pleasing ourselves is the modus operandi of the mature believer who is so aware of the problems, the difficulties, the heart-aches and areas of sensitivity of those around him so that he is flexible enough not to offend the weak believer, and therefore to make an issue out of doctrine.]
Ὀφείλοµεν δὲ ἡµεῖς οἱ δυνατοὶ τὰ ἀσθενήµατα τῶν ἀδυνάτων βαστάζειν, καὶ µὴ ἑαυτοῖς ἀρέσκειν.
Note that the writer considers himself strong, and that is not arrogance, it is a correct estimate of the situation. A believer who has maximum doctrine and is an advanced believer knows it.
The mature believer in fulfilling his responsibility to the weak will be misunderstood. The mature believer is obligated to the weak, the immature believer who is positive toward doctrine, but has no obligation toward the weak believer who is negative toward doctrine. In other words, the Royal Family Honor Code demands much more of the mature believer than of the weak believer for example it demands that the strong believer have strength in flexibility. Now, the more flexible he becomes, the more people are going to misunderstand him, and judge him as being weak. They are going to think of him as being weak because he is flexible, because he is nice, because he is thoughtful.
A few points for clarification:
1. Obligation and responsibility under the Honor Code increases with advance to maturity. There is a much higher standard for the strong believer than the weak believer, which brings up a very important doctrinal principle namely there are definitely different standards in the Christian life. There is the standard for the spiritual baby, the standard for the adolescent, the standard for the person approaching maturity, the standards as you crack the maturity barrier and a standard for the person who has passed Evidence Testing. In other words, there is a standard which God approves for each stage of spiritual growth.
2. To the mature believer it is quite a test to see and hear the weak believer babbling nonsense based on ignorance of doctrine. The mature believer should consider that weak believer is weak because he has minimum doctrine and so formulates inconsequential opinions about superficialities in life.
3. Therefore, the strong/mature believer must carry a burden by tolerating the silly, the inconsequential, without refuting these non-essentials.
4. Through perception of Bible doctrine, the weak believer will become strong and the doctrine resident in his soul will not only change his norms and standards but at the same time will provide enough poise, enough common sense, enough sense of humour, to laugh at his former norms and standards.
5. Avoidance of argumentation, avoidance of refutation or retaliation is the key to the weak believer’s advance. In other words, the strong believer must bear the weaknesses of the weak believer in order that doctrine might be the true issue, and therefore the weak believer can advance to maturity in privacy. While flexibility may appear as a weakness to the weak it is the strength of the strong to be flexible in the field of non-essentials. The honor and integrity of the strong believer contributes to the spiritual growth and advance of the weak believer who is positive toward doctrine.
Romans 15 :2
Let each one of us [as an individual] accommodate his neighbor [take responsibility for the weak believer in his periphery by the application of impersonal love] for the purpose of the good [in God’s plan] for edification [of another by not interfering in a Christian’s spiritual growth]
ἕκαστος ἡµῶν τῷ πλησίον ἀρεσκέτω εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν πρὸς οἰκοδοµήν·
The more you progress in the Christian life, the greater becomes your sense of responsibility to those in your periphery. Maturity means occupation with Christ so that becoming thoughtful of other people and making occasional sacrifices like putting aside his liberty for the sake of another is really not that much of a sacrifice.
Romans 15 :3
For even the Christ did not accommodate Himself, but as it stands written [a quote from Psalm 69:9], "The blasphemous insults [the sins of the Jews, including their blasphemous insults while He was hanging on the cross] of those who insulted You [God the Father as the author of the plan] fell on Me [Christ on the cross bore these Jewish sins plus all the sins of humanity for the constative aorist includes all the sins during those last three hours on the cross].
καὶ γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἤρεσεν· ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται, Οἱ ὀνειδισµοὶ τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων σε ἐπέπεσαν ἐπí ἐµέ.
This phrase emphasizes our Lord’s objectivity and His life which was free from any form of sin, including the most subtle of all sins namely arrogance. He understood well that He was to provide the work of salvation for all humanity and so He concentrated objectively on the fulfillment of this mission. In other words, He had to live his life to accommodate others, not Himself.
Romans 15 :4
For as many things as have been written before [in the Old Testament], for our instruction they were written, in order that through perseverance [learning and applying doctrine daily] and encouragement from the Scriptures [through the recall ministry of the Spirit], we might have confidence.
ὅσα γὰρ προεγράφη, εἰς τὴν ἡµετέραν διδασκαλίαν ἐγράφη, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ὑποµονῆς καὶ διὰ τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχωµεν.
Hope or better yet Confidence:
Definition and Description.
1. The Greek word elpis (ἐλπίς) originated with Socrates in the fifth century B.C. One of Socrates best students was Plato (429-347 B.C.), who founded a school called the ‘Academy’ at which time he further developed the concept of confidence (hope) in the Greek. At that time, there was a great controversy in Plato’s academy between the hedonists and anti-hedonists. The hedonists said the real thing in life was the stimulation of your emotions. The intellectual group of students said it was the stimulation of your thinking. In response to this controversy Plato wrote the Philebos in which there is a philosophical dialogue featuring Socrates as the main character. In the ‘Philebos’, Socrates explains that the best life always emphasizes thought over emotion and that the greatest thing is to be able to think and then to be able to express that thinking to others. In the ‘Philebos’ Plato equates recall of the past with hope or confident expectation of the future.
Plato defined the Greek word elpis as confident expectation; Paul then borrowed this meaning of elpis and used it in the word of God as in the passage above. Also, we are taught in Scripture to look forward to dying with confidence since we, the adult believers know that God has provided in the Divine Decree dying grace for us. Also, in our thinking we go forward to the fantastic future that we will have in the eternal state and bring that understanding and realization back into time to provide for us great strength and power to overcome our present problems and sufferings. If we have confident expectation or absolute expectation, it is because we know our future as a believer, and that projection gives us a fantastic edge on problem solving.
Hope is confident expectation about our eternal life and confident expectation about our destiny, that is, our personal sense of destiny. Walter Bauer defines the Greek word elpis (page 252) as “hope, expectation, prospect.” Merrill Unger defines hope in his Bible Dictionary (page 498) that “hope is the source of believer’s expectation.” Kittel, Volume II, page 519, says that “that man either does or can hope is a comfort for him in a difficult present. Hope is man’s projection of the future with absolute confidence.”
Hope (the usual translation of the Greek word, elpis) must be defined in two categories: confident expectation and absolute expectation with regard to the future. The difference between confident expectation and absolute expectation is your spiritual status. If you have walked through the door of hope (with personal sense of destiny/at spiritual self-esteem) with God’s agenda, then you have converted confident expectation into absolute expectation.
Only the believer can have confident expectation regarding the future. The unbeliever has no confident expectation regarding the future for it is the monopoly of the believer. Ephesians 2:12, “having no confidence and without God in the world.” Confident expectation is the monopoly of the believer who is positive toward Bible doctrine. 1 Thessalonians 4:13, “that you [the mature believer] may not grieve with the rest who have no confident expectation [about the future].” All definitions of hope in the Bible include the word expectation, because hope is always projected into the future. Expectation means looking forward, bringing the future into your life under the principle of living in the light of eternity.
Confident expectation is confidence about eternal future; therefore, it acts as a motivator. Confidence about salvation is found in Titus 1:1a-2, “...and metabolized knowledge of truth compatible with the spiritual life because of confidence of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal.” Confident expectation is the assurance that at the moment of salvation one has have eternal life. This is permanent and absolute. We believe in Christ with confident expectation, and as a result of learning doctrine we have absolute expectation. Confident expectation includes the assurance of eternal security, the cognition of dying grace, and the reality of resurrection.
Expectation means living in the light of the eternal future. Expectation is the dynamic mental attitude of the believer with doctrine. Hence, expectation is a personal sense of destiny, the first tactical objective of the spiritual life. The reality of the glorious future of the Church Age believer is based on inculcation and metabolization of Bible doctrine. There is no understanding of our glorious future apart from Bible doctrine. Cognition and application of this glorious future while on earth is optional, based on your personal attitude toward Bible doctrine.
The believer becomes aware that he has a personal eschatology which includes his dying grace, death, resurrection, and eternal life. Confident expectation as part of our Personal Sense of Destiny as a Problem-Solving Device functions in present stress and adversity through recall of Bible doctrine pertinent to his future, so that the recall of his future brings comfort, tranquility, perspective, and solution to the present problem.
In the word of God there is no neutral concept of expectation. One’s expectation is either good or bad. Good expectation originates from metabolized doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness. Bad expectation is the result of apostasy: emotional revolt of the soul, locked in negative volition, blackout of the soul, and scar tissue of the soul taking over control of the soul. There is nothing more awful than to look at one’s life at the point of dying and have nothing but regrets and fear.
Post-salvation confident expectation is parlaying confident expectation of eternal life and blessings in time into absolute expectation of eternal life and eternal blessings. Confident expectation is developed in the orientation envelope of grace orientation and doctrinal orientation. Then as we go through the door of a Personal Sense of Destiny, we move into the adult spiritual life where we develop absolute confidence. The adult spiritual life features love for God, impersonal love, sharing the happiness of God and occupation with the Lord Jesus Christ at which time we will be the recipients of our Escrow Blessings in time. These Escrow Blessing followed by passing Evidence Testing will give the believer absolute confidence that he will receive his Escrow Blessing at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Romans 5:1-2, 5, “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have reconciliation with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand [the orientation envelope] in the confidence of the glory of God [moving from the grace and doctrinal orientation through the open door of a personal sense of destiny on God’s agenda and arriving at personal love for God the Father]... and confidence-expectation does not disappoint us because the love for God has been poured out in our hearts through the agency of the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Romans 15:13, “Now may the God of absolute confidence fill you with all happiness and peace (prosperity, tranquility, harmony) in believing (faith-perception) that you may abound in confidence by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Colossians 1:27, “[Church Age believers] to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ indwelling you, the absolute confidence of glory.” Jesus Christ indwelling you is the basis of having confidence in your receiving both your Escrow Blessings in time and for eternity.
God’s truth always stands between the potential of having something and the confidence that you will have it. Once you learn the doctrine, you have the confidence. For example, once you learn and apply the gospel message to yourself, you no longer have confident expectation but the reality. At which point, you now have a new confident expectation of receiving blessings at the point of spiritual maturity. This confident expectation is only a potential until you learn enough doctrine to make the confident expectation real to you. Once you have learned enough doctrine, then the potential of blessings from God becomes a confident expectation that He will bless you at the point of spiritual maturity. When you reach spiritual maturity and are blessed, then this confident expectation becomes a reality, and once again you must have a new confident expectation. The new confident expectation is the confidence of eternal rewards and blessings at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Faith-rest in the mature believer is a structured system of confidence. Romans 4:18, “who beyond the hope of sexual prosperity believed in hope, in order that he might become the father of many nations.” Abraham’s confidence was a perfect example of hope as absolute confidence in a future expectation.
While God is the author of confident expectation, doctrine is the source of that confident expectation. Romans 15:4, “For as many things as have been written before [in the Old Testament], for our instruction they were written, in order that through perseverance [learning and applying doctrine daily] and encouragement from the Scriptures [through the recall ministry of the Spirit], we might have confidence.”
Hebrews 11:1, “Now, faith is the substance [reality] of things which we keep on having confidence in, the evidence of things not being seen.” The reality of blessing for time and eternity is found in confident expectation from metabolized doctrine in the soul.
The Plan of God Rationale explains three confident expectations namely at salvation, at spiritual maturity and at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Further Explanation regarding the ‘Plan of God Rationale’:
X Radical: The imputation of soul life (literally ‘the breath of God’) to biological life at birth (theologically this is called ‘selection’) resulting in a ‘soul having life’ which we call ‘human life’. Simultaneously, God forensically imputes Adam’s Original Sin (AOS) to the biological sin nature located in the fetus as it emerges from the womb. (Remember that the sin nature was passed down to the human race via man’s sperm in conception.) Thus, simultaneously, as a person becomes a human being, he becomes spiritually dead.
In this status, the newborn is potentially a candidate for salvation. To be a candidate for salvation one must be a spiritually dead human being, a sinner for on the cross Jesus Christ provided salvation for sinners only “the righteous as a substitute for the unrighteous.” Being ‘selected’ for the human race, and so a candidate for salvation, God must reveal himself to this candidate at the time this individual is able to comprehend rationally that there is a God. He does so through the Five Theistic Arguments. Using one or more of these arguments, he will come to God-consciousness aka God-awareness. At that point, the candidate makes a decision namely he desires to know God or not. If the candidate desires to know God, then God must keep him alive long enough to hear the gospel-message (G). If he does not desire to know God, then God has fulfilled his responsibility to this individual and is not obligated to bring him the gospel-message though He may.
What about the child who dies before reaching God-consciousness and consequently did not face the issue of wanting to know God or not? In effect, this child neither rejected God at God-consciousness nor at gospel-hearing, and since the justice of God is absolute fairness, this child cannot be condemned. Instead, since this child did not have an opportunity to make a decision, God makes a gracious decision for him. God will give him all the assets which He gives to any member of the human race upon his believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior.
The steps from desiring salvation to being saved are as follows: If the individual desires to know God, God will bring him the gospel-message at the exact right time (G). Upon hearing or reading the gospel-message, the Holy Spirit will make the gospel-message perspicuous to that individual which is called ‘Common Grace’ in theology. The individual now has confidence (H1) that if he expresses faith in Jesus Christ, he will be saved. As soon as the individual understands this message, God the Father will invite him through his understanding and confidence in the message to enter into fellowship with His Son. This is known as the ‘Call of God’. If the person accepts this invitation to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, then God the Holy Spirit will use his power to bring about the desired results which in theology is called the Efficacious Grace-ministry of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the spiritually dead individual’s expression of faith in Christ is not enough to bring about salvation. So, the Holy Spirit hearing that person’s expression of faith uses His power to provide salvation for that person (Efficacious Grace).
Y Radical: In the X radical there were two real imputations; real in the sense that there was a target namely something was imputed to something. However, in this radical, we have two judicial imputations; judicial in that they do not have a target. Judicial means that God the Father as a judge made a judicial decision to impute something although it was not deserved. In judicial imputation one (J1), since Jesus agreed to take-on the responsibility for all the sins of humanity namely to be a substitute for the unrighteous human race, God the Father then judged the impeccable humanity of Christ for the penalty of all the sins of humanity. The second judicial imputation (J2) is the imputation of the Father’s perfect righteousness to the believer at the point of his salvation. God the Father, as judge was able to make this gracious judicial decision, since His righteousness was satisfied by the work of the cross.
This sets up Potential 2 (P2), the potential of receiving ones Escrow Blessings at spiritual maturity. This requires learning the pertinent doctrines of the mystery doctrines of the Church Age and other doctrinal information as well. It not only requires learning this material but applying it as well. On the way to spiritual maturity, the Christian will be required to pass two major undeserved tests namely Providential Preventive Suffering and Momentum Testing. Having past these two tests, the Christian will have confidence (H2) that at his spiritual maturity, the Lord as the Escrow Officer will distribute to this believer his escrow blessings for time which blessings will be substantially increased at passing Evidence Testing.
Z Radical: Whereas in Radical X, we had the unbeliever, in Radical Y, we have the growing believer, and finally in Radical Z, we have the mature believer. We begin with two Real Imputations namely imputations with targets. These two will set up Potential 3, the potential for receiving the Christian’s eternal Escrow Blessings. The imputation of eternal life (EL) to his newly created human spirit at salvation, and the imputation of his Escrow Blessings for time (EBT) to the Christian’s perfect righteous which he possesses courtesy of being in union with Christ. These two real imputations set up Potential 3 (P3), the potential of receiving his eternal Escrow Blessings. This is accomplished by stabilizing his position as a mature believer and preparing himself to take the most difficult of all undeserved test namely Evidence Testing. Once he has accomplished this, he will have absolute confidence (H3) that at the Evaluation Throne of Christ, he will receive his eternal Escrow Blessing which blessing will bring maximum glorification of God forever.
Romans 15 :5
Now, may the God of perseverance and encouragement give to you to be thinking the same thing [Bible doctrine and resultant divine viewpoint] in the presence of one another, according to Christ Jesus [our allegiance is to Christ and to His thinking].
ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς ὑποµονῆς καὶ τῆς παρακλήσεως δῴη ὑµῖν τὸ αὐτὸ φρονεῖν ἐν ἀλλήλοις κατὰ Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν,
Perseverance and comfort, mentioned in the previous verse, are mentioned again because the true meaning of life, true capacity for life, true blessing in life, everything that is meaningful and great in life, inevitably must be related to these two words. In the previous verse perseverance and encouragement from the Scriptures is the basis for momentum; now the God of perseverance and hope is so mentioned. The God of perseverance and hope refers to God who in grace has provided the very means of advancing in His plan, glorifying Christ and receiving great blessing.
A few points for clarification:
1. Inasmuch as perseverance, encouragement and motivation are human characteristics this phrase, then, becomes tantamount to an anthropopathism.
2. The anthropopathism is to provide the royal family with guidelines for the fulfilment of the plan of God. What is expected of the royal family? When it comes to perception of doctrine there is just one virtue namely perseverance. Perseverance is the virtue to listen to passages where you are not particularly interested.
3. The servant is not greater than his master. We are not greater than the Lord, the God of the universe. Therefore, as the God of perseverance and encouragement, He expects us to persevere in learning doctrine so that we might have encouragement and comfort from that same doctrine, once learned.
4. Encouragement is the result of such perseverance in the perception of doctrine. Encouragement and comfort become mental attitude-motivation to keep on learning Bible doctrine.
A few points for clarification:
1. Reciprocity is based on having the same thinking, divine thinking circulating in the soul.
2. Many people have eaten and drunk themselves to death, but no one has ever thought himself to death.
3. Thinking is not anti-Christian. In fact, thinking based on doctrine is the motivation, the fulfilling, the momentum of the plan of God.
4. We do not think alike but we do have something in common, an honor code whereby we learn to respect each other’s privacy, property, freedom, so that doctrine is always the issue in every stage of growth. Furthermore, ethically, duty to God becomes the obligation of every believer.
5. Allegiance to Christ Jesus and obligation to the honor code demands that we respect the rights of every believer priest during our sojourn on this earth.
6. No believer is authorized to think of himself as an isolated ambassador for Christ. He is a part of a royal family which demands impersonal love, thoughtfulness, and even sensitivity to the feelings of others.
7. No believer is a star with preferred treatment. Every believer is a member of the team, subject to team policy and team discipline. There is no such thing as a special case. So, the believer must learn to think in terms of others, rather than just himself.
Romans 15 :6
That with one accord you may with one voice [by one message] glorify the God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
ἵνα ὁµοθυµαδὸν ἐν ἑνὶ στόµατι δοξάζητε τὸν θεὸν καὶ πατέρα τοῦ κυρίου ἡµῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
Glorification of God and God’s plan can only be accomplished through the teaching and perception of Bible doctrine. This requires objectivity and freedom from interference. This is why we have the honor code. It allows each believer the full use of the privacy of his priesthood, freedom from distraction and interference so that he, too, can be inculcated with doctrine and glorify God. The objective of the honor code function is to advance every believer to maturity and the fulfilment of the plan of God. Through the attainment of spiritual maturity, not only is God’s plan fulfilled but, at the same time God is glorified. The function of the honor code, then, is designed to glorify God.
Romans 15 :7
Therefore, be receiving one another [reciprocity of the honor code: to accept people at their particular stage of growth as being just as much a part of the royal family as you are. The weak and the strong believer represent an interchange of effort.] of the same kind [fellow believers], even as Christ has received you [at the moment of salvation] for the purpose of the glory of God.
∆ιὸ προσλαµβάνεσθε ἀλλήλους, καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς προσελάβετο ὑµᾶς, εἰς δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ.
A few points for clarification:
1. This verse recognizes that every believer is at a different stage of growth in his spiritual life. Furthermore, that no believer is perfect, and so, we are not to make an issue out of someone else’s sins or failures.
2. This verse then emphasizes flexibility in the non-essentials which flexibility implies great strength.
3. Vacillation and oscillation is weakness, but flexibility from the application of doctrine is great strength. The strongest people in life are those who can bend without breaking.
“Christ has received you”
1. If Christ has received us at salvation with all of our imperfections and weaknesses, then we can do no less than receive fellow believers regardless of their weaknesses and irritating sinfulness. We should not be looking for perfect people with whom to have social intercourse as long as those Christians are learning the Word of God under correct Bible teaching, gathering momentum in the advance to maturity.
2. If Christ could accept us having received imputed righteousness so, we can accept each other on the basis of the same imputation of righteousness.
3. We are not looking for perfection but are using doctrine to establish true reciprocity on the basis of grace and the function of the honor code.
4. If Christ glorified God the Father by receiving us as His royal family, certainly we can do no less with each other.
5. If Christ glorified God the Father by receiving us, then we, too, can glorify the Father by receiving or accepting each other with all of our imperfections; but also, remembering that each one of us with our imperfections possess the perfect righteousness of God.
6. If the integrity of Christ can glorify God by accepting us, certainly the integrity of the believer under the honor code can glorify God by accepting each other. There is, therefore, a legitimate reciprocity in Christian intercourse.
Since the Lord Jesus Christ has been used as an analogy in the verse above, He is now used as an example or illustration of this principle in verses 8-12.
Romans 15 :8
Consequently, I report that Christ has become a minister to the circumcision [a synonym for the Jews], on behalf of the doctrine of God to confirm [to establish; the constative aorist tense contemplates the second advent and the millennial reign of Jesus Christ in its entirety] the promises [the unconditional covenants will be put into operation during the Millennium] made to the fathers
λέγω γὰρ Χριστὸν διάκονον γεγενῆσθαι περιτοµῆς ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ βεβαιῶσαι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τῶν πατέρων,
God must keep his word. Unconditional covenants means that God made promises in which there are no strings attached, and therefore the fulfilment of those promises demands that God keep His word. None of the unconditional covenants have ever been fulfilled; they are still outstanding. The promises are said to have been given to the fathers, namely the Old Testament writers/prophets who received bits and pieces, and lengthy dissertations on these four unconditional covenants. So, the integrity of God is responsible for the fulfilment of those unconditional promises made to the ancestors of the Jews.
The covenants to Israel: These covenants are classified as conditional and unconditional. There is one conditional covenant and four unconditional ones. A conditional covenant requires some human function in order for the covenant to be operative. As far as the unconditional covenant is concerned nothing is required of man, it all depends upon the attributes and the character of God. Now regarding the only conditional covenant, the Mosaic Law is divided into three parts in order to explain the national heritage which began at the time of the Exodus. Codex 1 is the freedom heritage made up of the ten commandments of the Decalogue and it is used to describe freedom in terms of the Laws of Divine Establishment. Codex 2 is the spiritual heritage sometimes called “the ordinances.” It is a complete Christology and soteriology, and it includes the tabernacle, the holy days, Levitical offerings, and the modus operandi of the Levitical priesthood. It presents all aspects of the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Codex 3 is called the judgments which is the establishment code and it includes many concepts as follows: freedom through military victory, authority in public life; it explains privacy, property, taxation, sanitation, diet, universal military training, the principles of health and quarantine, criminal law etc. All of this is a conditional covenant and not in view in Romans 15 which talks about the promises of God. The next four covenants are the “promises to the fathers.” Berith in the Hebrew and diatheke in the Greek both mean approximately the same thing: a gracious bestowal by party of the first part on party of the second part. They are unconditional, party of the second part does nothing in order to receive the covenant.
The four Unconditional Covenants: Abrahamic, Land, Davidic and New Covenant; All these will be fulfilled at the 2nd Advent of Christ.
Abrahamic Covenant:
The unconditional covenant (agreement, deposition) between God as party of the first part in favor of Abraham and his progeny as the party of the second part is the Abrahamic covenant.
Genesis 12:1-3, “Now the Lord [God the Son] had spoken to Abram, `Go with reference to yourself from your land [the Third Dynasty of Ur], and from your relatives, and from the place of your birth, to a land which I will cause you to see; (2) And I will manufacture from you a great nation [starting at Abraham’s spiritual maturity when Abraham will begin a new race], and I will bless you [at spiritual maturity], and I will cause your person to become great [after passing Evidence Testing on Mount Moriah]; therefore, you will become a blessing. (3) And I will bless those who bless you [blessing by association], but the one who despises [and attempt to destroy] you, I will curse, and all the races shall be blessed through you [since the Messiah would come through his offspring]."
Genesis 12:1 emphasizes Abraham's necessary isolation and separation from Ur [which was in a decline and eventually would be overrun and destroyed] for the fulfillment of the covenant, for the development of the new race, and for the development of his spiritual advance which would require that he separate from his family to avoid personal distraction. Land is specified because there cannot be a great nation without land.
Genesis 12:2: Since the Lord knew from his omniscience that Abraham would not only reach spiritual maturity, but that he would also pass Evidence Testing, the Lord as it were read from the Divine Decree Abraham’s Escrow Blessings for time in order to encourage him.
The Land Covenant (sometimes referred to as the Palestinian Covenant):
Genesis 13:14-16, "And the Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, `Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which you see, I will give to you and to your progeny forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if anyone can count the dust of the earth, then your descendants also can be counted."
This is amplified in Genesis 15:18-21, “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, "To your descendants [through Sarah] I give this land, from the river of Egypt [all of Africa east of the Nile] to the great river, the river Euphra'tes, (19) the land of the Ken'ites, the Ken'izzites, the Kad'monites, (20) the Hittites [roughly modern day Turkey], the Per'izzites, the Reph'aim, (21) the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Gir'gashites and the Jeb'usites [all of the Middle East up to the Euphrates River including Saudi Arabia]."
Any land the Jews acquire now must be by conquest, as with all other nations. Until the Second Advent, the Jews only attain land by the principle of seizing and holding, a military principle found in divine institution #4. To date, David had the largest amount of land by conquering the indigenous population of the Jebusites.
The covenant was confirmed to Isaac, Genesis 26:3-5, “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and will bless you; for to you and to your descendants [not through Ishmael] I will give all these lands, and I will fulfil the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. (4) I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give to your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves: (5) because Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws."
The covenant was confirmed to Abraham's grandson Jacob, Genesis 35:10-12, “And God said to him, "Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel [his named was changed to ‘Prince of God’ at his spiritual maturity] shall be your name. So, his name was called Israel. (11) And God said to him, "I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. (12) The land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your descendants after you." This is why the title of Jesus Christ is so important as "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
The Davidic Covenant:
Party of the first part, God, made a gracious deposition to party of the second part, David. This is the divine promise to David that he would have a son [the Lord Jesus Christ] who would rule Israel forever. It is the promise of the perpetuation of the Davidic Dynasty.
The Davidic or Dynastic Covenant says that the seed of the woman, the humanity of Christ, will descend from the tribe of Judah through the family of David, 2 Samuel 7:8-17; Psalm 89:20-37. The two lines of our Lord originated from David and Bathsheba via Solomon and Nathan. Their son Solomon’s line, given in Matthew, ends with Joseph, the legal but not genetic father of our Lord’s humanity. Solomon’s line had the Coniah’s Curse attached to it and so was cut off from being the source of the Messiah. Nathan’s line, found in Luke, ends with Mary, the source of the true humanity of Christ.
2 Samuel 7:8-17, “Now therefore, so you [Nathan] will say to My servant David, 'Thus says the Lord of the Armies, ‘I myself took you from the pasture, from behind the sheep, to become prince over My people Israel. (9) I have been with you wherever you have marched and have destroyed all your enemies from before you; and I have made you a great person [celebrity], like the fame of the great men who have been on the earth. (10) I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again [in the Millennium], nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly [no more anti-Semitism], (11) even from the day that I commanded judges [dictators] to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest [David was given a peaceful interlude] from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you [David] that the Lord will make a dynasty for you. (12) When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers [in the grave], I will raise up your descendant [Solomon] after you, who will come forth from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom [Solomon’s kingdom]. (13) He [Solomon] shall build a temple [a house] for My person, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. (14) I [the policy of the Lord toward Solomon and to the other kings in David’s line] will be a father to him [Solomon] and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, (15) but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. (16) Your dynasty and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. (17) In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.”
Psalm 89:28-29, “My unfailing love for him I will keep forever, and My covenant shall be confirmed to him [to David through the human nature of Jesus Christ]. (29) I will establish his seed forever, and his throne as the days of heaven” Psalm 89:36, “His descendants shall endure forever and his throne as the sun before Me.”
The fulfillment of this covenant depends on the love and integrity of God and occurs in two increments namely the virgin birth of the humanity of Christ, classified as the First Advent, which we call the great power experiment of the Hypostatic Union, and the final fulfillment occurs at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ in His Millennial and eternal reign. The Son of David will rule not only for the last 1000 years of human history, but forever and ever.
The New Covenant to Israel:
The basic Scripture for this covenant is Jeremiah 31:31-34, “‘Behold, the days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant I made with their fathers [Mosaic Law] in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,’ declares the Lord. ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days [Tribulation],’ declares the Lord. ‘I will put My law within them and on their right lobes [their stream of consciousnesses] I will write it; and I will be their God and they shall be My people. And they shall not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother saying, “Know the Lord,” for they shall all know Me [in the Millennium], from the least of them to the greatest of them [class distinction],’ declares the Lord, ‘for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more [a reference to the 5th Cycle of Discipline].’”
Hebrews 8:8-12, “For when finding fault with them [Israel in time of their apostasy], He [God] communicates, Behold the days are coming [the Millennial reign of Christ] says the Lord when I will bring a new covenant to the house of Israel [Northern Kingdom] and to the house of Judah [Southern Kingdom]. (9) Not according to the covenant (Mosaic Law) which I made with their fathers on the day [the Exodus] when I took them by their hand to bring them out from the land of Egypt; because they did not persevere in my covenant, therefore, I neglected [disregarded] them says the Lord [anthropopathism: God permitted their volition to function even to the point of their dying the sin unto death]. (10) Because this is the covenant which I will assign to the house of Israel after those days [after Millennium begins] said the Lord: I will be giving my laws into their mind [staging area for academic understanding], and I will write them upon their right lobes [their stream of consciousnesses], also I will be their God and they shall be my people. (11) Also, they shall not teach everyone, his fellow citizen, and everyone his brother saying, Know the Lord; because all shall know me, from the least to the greatest among them. [Notice class distinction even in the Millennium] (12) Because I will be merciful with reference to their wrong doings, and I will remember their sins no more. [Israel’s 5th Cycle of Discipline is finished; Israel will have no liabilities at the beginning of the Millennium. Nothing in the past will be held against them.]”
This is an unconditional covenant, not conditional like the Mosaic Law. This covenant confirms and guarantees the fulfillment of all of the unconditional promises of God. Being a husband to Israel is an analogy to the faithfulness of the Lord to the Exodus generation. The Lord was always faithful to them though they went apostate. While the Mosaic Law was written in stone during the dispensation of Israel and later on paper, it will be written on the right lobes of Jewish believers in the Millennium. All the national failures of Israel are forgiven, and Israel is restored as a client nation to God during the Millennial reign of Christ. The New Covenant to Israel is an eternal covenant, Ezekiel 16:60, "Nevertheless, I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant [the New Covenant to Israel] with you.” Therefore, the Jewish recipients of this covenant must have eternal life to be beneficiaries. The New Covenant to Israel applies to two categories of Jewish people namely the historical Jews of the Old Testament and the eschatological Jews of the Tribulation and Millennium who will believe in Christ.
The New Covenant to Israel is not to be confused with the New Covenant to the Church.
Introductory points:
1. There is a contract from God to believers during the time the Jews are out under the fifth cycle of discipline.
2. God as party of the first part makes a gracious deposition in favor of party of the second part namely the Church, the Royal Family of God composed of Jewish and Gentile believers.
3. The New Covenant to the Church or the new contract supersedes all of the Jewish contracts without destroying the continuity of their spiritual heritage.
4. The new contract to the Church authorizes a new universal priesthood.
5. The New Covenant to the Church defines both its spiritual heritage and the client nation policy of the pivot during the times of the Gentiles.
6. Every Jew and every Gentile who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is in the royal family of God, and as a priest is commanded to function under the royal family honor code.
7. The New Covenant authorizes the election of the royal family of God during the times of the Gentiles to replace the Jews as God’s people in this dispensation only. God’s people in the Church Age are all Jews and Gentiles who believe in Christ.
8. The key to the new contract to the Church is the function of the royal priesthood of believers inside of any Gentile client nation.
9. Distinction therefore must be made between the New Covenant to the Church which pertains to the dispensation of the Church and the New Covenant to Israel which pertains to the Millennial reign of Christ.
10. The New Covenant to the Church has a universal priesthood of believers while the New Covenant to Israel in the Millennium has a specialized priesthood in client nation Israel during the reign of Christ.
11. This distinction becomes one of the fundamental differences between Israel and the Church, and between the Age of Israel and the dispensation of the Church. Client nation function of Israel is discontinued as AD 70, and the only client nations that will function from AD 70 until the Second Advent are Gentile client nations who have received and are to perpetuate (through their pivot) the spiritual heritage which once belonged to Israel.
The scripture for the new contract begins in Matthew 26:28, “For this [cup: Jesus bearing the sins of the world] represents [the present tense: the perpetuation of the ritual] My blood [connecting the animal sacrifices to the saving work of Christ on the cross via propitiation, reconciliation and redemption] of the new covenant, which is shed [carrying out the analogy] on behalf of the many [those who appropriate the work of the cross by believing in Christ] because of the forgiveness of sins [the judgment of all the sins of mankind is the basis for the forgiveness of sins].”
The book of Hebrews was addressed to Jewish believers of the Church Age. It teaches about the future of their ancestors and progeny after the Church Age, but it also teaches that God has something far better for Jews who believe in Christ during the Church Age. Hebrews 7:22, “Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant [the spiritual life as found in the New Testament epistles which supersedes the Mosaic Law].” We know that the better covenant refers to the New Covenant to the Church as per Luke 22:19-20, “And when He [Jesus now instituting the Eucharist for the Church Age believers] had taken some bread and had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them saying, this represents my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me. (20) And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten [the Passover Meal] saying, this cup which is poured out for you is the New Covenant [to the Church] by My blood.”
Hebrews 8:6-7, “But now He [Jesus Christ in Hypostatic Union] has obtained a more excellent ministry by so much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant [the New Covenant to the Church] which has been enacted on the basis of better promises [than in the Mosaic Law]. (7) For if the first covenant [Mosaic Law] had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.”
Hebrews 8:13, “When He said, ‘A new covenant [to the Church],’ He made the first [the Mosaic Law] obsolete. But whatever is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to disappear.” [In a few years from this statement in Hebrews, the New Covenant to the Church will rescind the Old Covenant to Israel; the New Covenant to the Church will be based on the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross.]
Hebrews 9:14-16, “How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit [the omnipotence of the Holy Spirit and the power of metabolized doctrine in His soul sustained Jesus on the cross] offered Himself without blemish [He remained impeccable] to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works [false norms and standards of legalism] to serve the living God [the believer cannot serve the living God with legalism]? (15) And for this reason, He is the mediator of a new covenant [to the Church superseding, setting aside as inferior, the Mosaic Law], in order that since a death [substitutionary spiritual death] has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions [paying the price for the sins of the world] that were committed under the first covenant [Mosaic Law], those who have been called [believers] may receive the promise of eternal inheritance. (16) For where a covenant is there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it [a reference to the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus].”
Definition of the New Covenant to the Church:
1. In the study of the doctrine of the priesthood in Hebrews there are two new covenants: the new covenant to Israel and the new covenant to the Church. A covenant is a contract between two parties. Party of the first part is God. Party of the second part are certain categories of mankind.
2. In biblical covenants, party of the first part (God) makes a favorable deposition to party of the second part (mankind). In the book of Hebrews, there is a new covenant to born again Israel in the millennium and a new covenant to the Church. So, one has to be careful.
3. You cannot have a new covenant to the Church or a new covenant to Israel without a mediator. The new covenant to the Church is made to all Church Age believers. The new covenant to Israel is made to all Jewish believers of the millennium. In order to make a covenant to all believers we have to have a priesthood. The Jewish believers in the millennium will take their priests from the line of Aaron and we have the royal priesthood based on the High Priesthood of Christ.
4. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the new covenant to the Church. 1 Timothy 2:3-6, “This is good and acceptable in the sight of our savior, God who desires all mankind to be saved and come to a metabolized knowledge [epignosis] of the truth. For God [is] one [in essence], and one [person is] a mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom substitute for all mankind, a statement brought out in testimony at the proper time.”
A mediator is a mediator between two parties to effect reconciliation and to provide special benefits to the ones being reconciled. Our Lord Jesus accomplished this by having reconciled us to God the Father by removing the barrier between God and man.
The mediator must be equal with both parties in the mediation. To be equal with mankind, our Lord had to be equal with Adam before he sinned and coequal with the other members of the Trinity. Jesus Christ in hypostatic union and living the prototype spiritual life has equivalency with both God and man which equivalency qualified Him as the mediator between God and man. While our Lord was bearing our sins on the Cross, He was providing the work of reconciliation.
Jesus Christ had to be a mediator before He could be a savior. Our Lord was born a mediator and had to remain perfect and not fall into the same trap as Adam who had failed as the first Adam. Our Lord became a mediator at the point of His incarnation at which point he was impeccable and remained so for thirty-three years. This qualified him to go to the cross where he reconciled us to God.
Our Lord as God the Son had the desire to provide the work of salvation for all mankind and in order to do this, he had to become a mediator and a high priest. So, our Lord made a decision to become true humanity that his deity might unite with it and in doing so become a mediator. Only as a mediator would Jesus Christ be qualified to reconcile mankind to God. To be an efficacious mediator in the reconciliation of man to God, Jesus Christ had to become true humanity and undiminished deity united in one person forever. He also was made a high priest by God the Father in eternity past so that the humanity of Christ might offer Himself as a sacrifice on the cross for all mankind.
Summary:
The Mosaic Law was a covenant of shadows (building, priesthood, sacrifices) because the Mediator had not come in the flesh. Therefore, the function of the Mosaic Law in the Age of Israel was legitimate but not efficacious. The old covenant to Israel was rescinded when Jesus Christ sat down in heaven as the High Priest of a new covenant.
A new covenant must exist based on historic reality (the First Advent of Christ made Him the mediator and qualified Him to be our Savior) and must be based on an efficacious sacrifice. In contrast to the New Covenant to the Church, the Mosaic Law didn’t authorize any efficacious sacrifices, but only pointed to the efficacious sacrifice.
The coming reality (First Advent) and fulfillment of the shadows by the efficacious sacrifice on the cross demands a new covenant. In fact, it demands two new covenants: one for the Church and one to Israel. The Mosaic Law is set aside, which leaves Israel hanging in the millennium. So, there must be a new covenant to Israel as well.
This new covenant to the Church is a spiritual legacy to the royal family of God and authorizes the royal priesthood. The new covenant applies only to those who are born again. Hence, the new covenant is God’s grace deposition to the royal family in time and eternity.
The new covenant is the reality in contrast to the shadows of the old covenant, the Mosaic Law. Hence, the new covenant is the legacy of the royal priesthood with God the Father as the ratifier and God the Son as the mediator.
God’s contract with Israel as per Jeremiah 31:31-34, "Behold, days are coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant [the Mosaic Covenant] which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. (33) “But this is the covenant [contract] which I will make with the house of Israel after those days [after the elapse of the Church Age and the termination of the Tribulation], declares the Lord.” “I will put my law within them [in their souls], and on their stream of consciousness, I will write it, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people [the last client nation in history]. (34) And they shall not teach again each man his neighbor, and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them [there will be inequality in the Millennium], declares the Lord; furthermore, I will forgive them their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more [The removal of the stigma on the Jew which is related to the 5th Cycle of Discipline].”
The old covenant namely the Mosaic Law was given to the nation, Israel and was not given to the Gentiles and not given to the Church. When the Church Age came along, the Mosaic Law was rescinded and superseded by the New Covenant to the Church. A new covenant had to be established because of the limitations of the old covenant. The New Covenant to the Church authorizes the royal family of God during the Church Age, sets up the modus operandi of the royal family, and sets up a universal priesthood among believers. The old covenant to Israel, the Mosaic Law, has been rescinded and replaced with a better covenant—the New Covenant to the Church, Hebrews 7:18-19, “For on the one hand, there is a rescinding of the former covenant because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law brought nothing to completion), but on the other hand there is the bringing in of a better hope through which we draw near to God.”
The New Covenant to Israel is eschatological and is not operational until the Second Advent of Christ. The New Covenant to Israel recognizes the fulfillment of the unconditional covenants to Israel namely the Abrahamic, Land (Palestinian), and Davidic Covenants, and sets up a modus operandi for Israel in the Millennium. The New Covenant to Israel is a legacy for restored Israel during the millennial reign of Christ. The New Covenant to Israel emphasized the rulership of Jesus Christ on the one hand, but it also has the revival of the Levitical priesthood on the other hand.
Conclusion:
The New Covenant to the church supersedes the shadow-covenant of the Old Testament, the Mosaic Law. It authorizes a new universal priesthood for the royal family of God. The new covenant is the reality in contrast to the shadows of the old covenant, the Levitical code. Hence, the new covenant is the legacy of the royal priesthood with God the Father as the ratifier and God the Son as the mediator.
The Mediator offered Himself as an efficacious sacrifice once and for all on the cross. The Father was propitiated, the covenant was ratified. Hebrews 7:27, “[Jesus Christ] who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people, because of this He did once and for all offer Himself.”
Romans 15 :9
And that the Gentiles might glorify the God [the Lord Jesus Christ] for His mercy [his grace in action]; just as it stands written [a quote from Psalm 18:49], ‘Because of this [It refers to David’s deliverance, and promotion via the imputation of divine blessing at the point of his maturity and thereafter.] I [David] will praise You [the Lord Jesus Christ] among the Gentiles [believers advancing during the Age of Israel], and I will sing hymns to Your Person.’
τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ὑπὲρ ἐλέους δοξάσαι τὸν θεόν· καθὼς γέγραπται, ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐξοµολογήσοµαί σοι ἐν ἔθνεσιν, καὶ τῷ ὀνοµατί σου ψαλῶ.
The historical reality includes not only David’s praise to God, but the fact that such praise was uttered and expressed in the presence of Gentile believers. Gentiles went along with him in his spiritual advance and became great. They were not only under the principle of blessing by association with David, but many of them advanced to maturity through perception of doctrine, even as David had done so. Therefore, Paul quotes a meaningful passage in which the court of David and the national administration of Israel included successful Gentile believers. That is the issue Paul is emphasizing.
In the Church Age, both Jew and Gentile have the same privileges and opportunities as members of the Royal Family of God. It is obvious that in the dispensation of Israel, the Jews occupied a place of special privilege, but now in the dispensation of the Church the Gentile believer is equal with the Jew, having the same opportunity as the Jew, and having the same promises. Therefore, whether Jew or Gentile, when a person believes in Christ during the Church Age, he is entered into union with Christ; he becomes a member of the royal family of God with the same opportunity, and the same privileges.
Psalm 18:46-50. The Psalm is David’s hymn of worship and praise for deliverance from Saul and his other enemies. “The Lord lives, and praised be my rock [David has been protected in his difficult circumstances] therefore, exalted be the God of my deliverance. (47) The God who executes vengeance for me [David did not get in the way of the Lord] and subdued the peoples under me; [He is referring to his military profession and successes on the battlefield] (48) He delivers me from my enemies. Surely, you will promote me above those who rise against me. You have rescued me from the violent man [the criminal: It is interesting that David understood the difference between good military procedure in killing the enemy and violence against the establishment principles of authority.] (49) Therefore, I will give thanks to you among the Gentiles, O Lord, [which means that he has Gentiles among his staff even some of his generals were Gentiles. Furthermore, David’s body guard was made up of Gentiles] and I will sing praises to your person. (50) He gives great deliverance to his king [David]; and shows mercy [grace] to his anointed [the one who has been commissioned], to David, and to his descendants forever [he is the recipient of the Davidic covenant].”
Romans 15 :10
And again he [Moses] says, [a quote from Deuteronomy 32:43a] "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people [the Jews].
καὶ πάλιν λέγει, Εὐφράνθητε, ἔθνη, µετὰ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ.
In the time of Moses, Gentiles were to be rejoicing with the Jews of Israel, indicating that Jesus Christ has always been a minister to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews, even during the age of the Jews, the privileged Age of Israel. Prophetically, it anticipates Gentiles who will be saved in the time of the Tribulation and who will be alive at the Second Advent. Paul is documenting from the Old Testament that Jesus Christ has always been the God of the Gentiles as well as the Jews and always will be.
Romans 15 :11
And again [a quote from Psalm 117:1], Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles [because of their attainment], and applaud Him, all you people.
καὶ πάλιν, Αἰνεῖτε, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, τὸν κύριον, καὶ ἐπαινεσάτωσαν αὐτὸν πάντες οἱ λαοί.
This is addressed to Gentile believers in the dispensation of Israel. It provides not only proof that Gentiles were saved in the Old Testament, but that they were able to obtain spiritual maturity.
Psalm 117:1-2, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles and applaud Him, all you people! (2) For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the Lord is everlasting. Praise the Lord!
1. This entire Psalm reveals that Gentiles were saved in the Age of Israel and that Gentiles learned doctrine and advanced to maturity.
2. This Psalm was very familiar to the Jews, but not very popular with some of them since it placed emphasis on the Gentiles.
3. Only a grace oriented and mature Jewish believer like Paul could appreciate and quote this meaningful Psalm about the Gentiles.
4. Prophetically this short Psalm is Messianic. It refers to the attitude of Gentile believers prophetically in the Tribulation. Gentile believers who through their spiritual growth will be preserved in historical catastrophe by the grace of God, and who will be alive at the Second Advent of Christ. In fact, these Gentile believers will form the Gentile cadre for the millennial population of the Gentiles.
5. The doctrinal implications are both historical and eschatological. Therefore, Paul quotes it to confirm that Christ is the minister to the Gentiles as well as the Jews in every dispensation of history.
6. Mature Gentile believers worshipped Jehovah in the Old Testament and mature Gentile believers will worship Christ during the Tribulation and at the Second Advent, and will enter into the Millennium.
7. In Romans 9:30-32 many Gentiles in the Old Testament were saved while Jews who had the advantage of evangelism were unsaved because of their tendency toward self-righteousness: “Therefore, to what conclusion are we forced? That the gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness [self-righteousness] have attained divine imputed righteousness, that is the righteousness from the source of faith [faith alone in Christ alone]. (31) But Israel, who pursued the Law by means self-righteousness, has not accomplished the purpose of the Law [which was to show one that he was a sinner and needed the savior Jesus Christ]. (32) Why? Because they did not pursue it [salvation] by means of faith, but as by means of works. They have stumbled over the rock [Christ] of stumbling [they rejected Jesus Christ as Savior].”
Deuteronomy 9:4-6, “When the Lord your God has driven them out before You [in the Land of Canaan], do not say in your heart [in your stream of consciousness], “Because of my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land. Rather, the Lord is driving out these nations before you because of their wickedness. (5) It is not because of your righteousness or uprightness of heart that you are going in to possess the land, but it is because of their wickedness that the Lord your God is driving out these nations before you, to keep the promise He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (6) Understand, then, that it is not because of your righteousness [based on a narrow view of morality] that the Lord your God is giving you this good land to possess, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
Romans 15 :12
And again Isaiah communicates [Isaiah11:10], "There shall be a root of Jesse [Jesus Christ]; even He who shall rise up [a reference to His resurrection] to rule over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles [gentile believers who survive the Tribulation] have confidence.
καὶ πάλιν Ἠσαΐας λέγει, Ἔσται ἡ ῥίζα τοῦ Ἰεσσαί, καὶ ὁ ἀνιστάµενος ἄρχειν ἐθνῶν· ἐπí αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.
Both the Jews and the Gentiles will gather around Christ at the 2nd Advent. The Jews will rally to receive their unconditional covenants. The saved Gentiles also seek and rally around the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is making a big point in quoting Isaiah 11:10 for he is pointing out once again that there never was a time when Gentiles were or will be excluded from God’s plan.
Jesus Christ is returning at the 2nd Advent to deliver Israel, to fulfill God’s Word to Israel, but also, He is returning for another purpose namely to fulfill His responsibility to all the Gentile believers of the Old Testament and all the Gentile believers of the Tribulation.
Gentile believers with doctrine in their souls will survive the Tribulation. Flexibility, through doctrine means survival. In the life of the mature believer the essential is doctrine and the non-essentials are everything else. With doctrine you can stand anything, you can handle anything, under any situation in life. Believers will survive the most awful conditions in the Tribulation for one reason namely they will remain inflexible about doctrine in their souls, but they will be totally flexible with regard to its application in historical catastrophe.
Romans 15 :13
Now, may the God of confidence fill you with all happiness and harmony [tranquility and prosperity in the soul and having a harmonious relationship with God] by means of believing [daily perception and application] that you may excel in confidence by means of the power of the Holy Spirit [the Filling of the Spirit for reception during Bible class, retention in your stream of consciousness and recall from your memory center]. [Confidence, harmony with God and happiness are all closely related]
ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς ἐλπίδος πληρώσαι ὑµᾶς πάσης χαρᾶς καὶ εἰρήνης ἐν τῷ πιστεύειν, εἰς τὸ περισσεύειν ὑµᾶς ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι ἐν δυνάµει πνεύµατος ἁγίου.
“The God of Confidence” provides in his plan for the Christian much confidence if the Christian is willing to learn the plan of God. As the Christian advances, he develops much confidence regarding receiving his Escrow Blessings at the point of reaching spiritual maturity. The Christian will also develop tremendous confidence that when he should pass Evidence Testing, he will glorify God to the maximum. These provisions in God’s plan, we sometimes refer to as Hope 2 and 3.
“Fill you with all happiness and harmony” The advancing believer has some happiness as he learns and applies the Word of God. However, “all happiness and harmony” occurs in the adult stage of the Christian way of life. When the Christian has a harmonious relationship with God the Father, he has great happiness in his soul. When the Christian has a harmonious relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and maximum love for him, and thus motivated to pass Evidence Testing, the believer’s happiness will reach a peak.
“By means of believing” [daily perception and application]: How does fellowship with the members of the Trinity develop and how does it relate to happiness? 1 John 1:3, 4 “What we [apostles] have seen and heard, we communicate also to you [in a Bible class situation] that you may have fellowship with us [1st stage of fellowship occurs during Bible Class] and in fact our fellowship is with the Father and with his son, Jesus Christ [2nd stage of fellowship is based on our love for God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ which will likely take thousands of Bible classes.] (4) These things we write in order that our [the communicators and recipients of Biblical teaching] happiness may be brought to completion.”
John defines two stages of fellowship: the first stage when the congregation is taught by the Holy Spirit via the Christian man with the gift of communication. After much time is spent in learning and applying the Word, the second stage of fellowship becomes a reality, namely fellowship with God the Father, God the Holy Spirit and the Lord Jesus Christ.
When the new believer is first filled with the Holy Spirit, he has a relationship with the Spirit and begins to learn God’s plan under the mentorship of the Spirit. However, this fellowship is not going to be much until the believer begins to appreciate and love his mentor. The same is true for God the Father. As we learn about God the Father’s plan and his eternal love for us, the quality of our relationship with him, our fellowship increases. So, it is with the Lord Jesus Christ. Eventually, as we mature, our fellowship with the Lord becomes so dynamic that we do everything to please him. Colossians 3:17 states, “Whatever you do in word or deed, [do] all because of [remote meaning] the person of the Lord Jesus [because of your love for Him] giving thanks through Him [Christ as your high priest] to the God the Father.” We can say along with the great apostle, “As far as I am concerned living is Christ; dying is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
Stabilized happiness comes to the believer in the advanced stage of the spiritual life. In that stage, the believer not only knows doctrine well, but he also applies God’s word to people and situations with maximum consistency and accuracy.
A few related points:
1. Flexibility plus doctrine in the soul is strength, but on the other hand, flexibility minus doctrine resident in the soul is weakness. For example, a flexible person without doctrine might advocate bringing homosexuals into the military. That type of flexibility without truth in itself is not a sign of strength, rather it is a sign of weakness and degeneracy.
2. The honor code teaches strength through flexibility, but this flexibility is based on doctrine structured in the soul, this type of flexibility should never be confused with weakness.
3. Flexibility without doctrine produces inaccuracy in application and uncertainty.
4. Strength through flexibility is an honor code function which demands inflexibility in the essentials of doctrine and flexibility in the non-essentials of life.
5. Doctrine is an essential. The application of doctrine produces flexibility in the non-essentials.
6. For example, what doctrine teaches about the woman is an essential about which man must be very flexible. He can be inflexible with regard to the principle, but he must be flexible with regard to its application. This he can only do if he has the capacity for love which provides for flexibility based on doctrine, and from where does that come? To answer that question, one must understand that love is the entirety of one’s attributes. When a person says that he loves someone, his love is no stronger than the components of his whole person. If the person possesses righteousness, then his love will be honest and responsible. If the person possesses fairness, then he will be fair toward the object of his love. If the person possesses grace, then he will treat the object of his love kindly under all circumstances. If the person has a lot of knowledge about the object of his love, then his love will be related to his mentality, not to his fleeting emotions.
Romans 15 :14
In fact, I am convinced, my brethren, even I myself concerning you, that you indeed are full of intrinsic goodness [doctrine resident in the soul producing the Royal Family Honor Code], having been filled with all knowledge, being able also to have a corrective influence on each other [via the Royal Family Honor Code].
Πέπεισµαι δέ, ἀδελφοί µου, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐγὼ περὶ ὑµῶν, ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ µεστοί ἐστε ἀγαθωσύνης, πεπληρωµένοι πάσης [τῆς] γνώσεως, δυνάµενοι καὶ ἀλλήλους νουθετεῖν.
Romans 15 :15
In fact, I have written you more boldly in part [in some parts of Romans], in such a way as to remind you again, because of the grace [a reference to his apostleship and ministry] which has been given to me from God.
τολµηρότερον δὲ ἔγραψα ὑµῖν ἀπὸ µέρους, ὡς ἐπαναµιµνῄσκων ὑµᾶς διὰ τὴν χάριν τὴν δοθεῖσάν µοι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ
Romans 15 :16
That I should be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest [as we are all royal priests], the Gospel of God, that the offering consisting of the Gentiles [Paul as a priest as it were made offering] might become acceptable [Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles might be acceptable to God], having been sanctified [the Gentile believer receives the action of the verb] by the Holy Spirit [a reference to the Baptism of the Spirit].
εἰς τὸ εἶναί µε λειτουργὸν Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, ἱερουργοῦντα τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα γένηται ἡ προσφορὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν εὐπρόσδεκτος, ἡγιασµένη ἐν πνεύµατι ἁγίῳ.
God’s Will for Paul in 58 A.D.
It was God’s will for Paul to go to Rome. In 58 A.D., Paul intended to go to Rome as he should have since they wanted and needed his teaching. However, he became emotional over his countrymen who were neither interested in the gospel nor in learning the spiritual life. Due to emotionalism which led to an irrational decision to postpone his trip to Rome as was the will of God, he decided to go to Jerusalem. This resulted in the Lord punishing Paul with 2 years of incarceration in Caesarea and 2 years of house arrest in Rome.
Though Paul knew it was the will of God for him to go to Rome in 58 A.D., he in emotional revolt of soul went in the opposite direction. Instead of going to the unbelievers in the West who wanted the gospel, he went to those who had already rejected it in the east namely Judea. Instead of going to the Christians in Rome who were waiting eagerly for his teaching, he went to the Jewish legalists who had no desire to listen to Paul’s grace messages.
Until 58 A.D., Paul had to start many churches in Asian Minor and in Greece. Furthermore, he had to stabilize these Christians in these churches through the teaching of the spiritual life. By 58 A.D. he not only had accomplished this, but he had also appointed pastors for these churches. Now, finally, he is free to move westward to Rome. Paul started his ministry in Damascus and Antioch, Syria and had been moving westward, and by going to Rome he would have been continuing his westward ministry.
Paul as a Roman citizen was the apostle to the Gentiles, but unfortunately, he was burdened for his brethren. In this case, Paul’s burden and his desire to have a ministry with the Jews was not God’s will. Only after spending four years in prison did Paul sort out God’s destiny for his life. What do we learn from this? A missionary’s burden for a group of people may not be God’s will for that missionary, but merely an emotional desire.
1. God’s timing is perfect. Until now, the Roman believers were not even ready for Paul’s ministry, though they didn’t know it. In other words, it was not God’s will for Paul to go to Rome before 58 A.D.
2. Rome in 58 A.D. was now open to Paul’s teaching. Up until now it had not been.
3. This Roman epistle was to be an introduction to Paul’s teaching in Rome.
4. While Rome was now open, Jerusalem and Judea were closed.
5. Shortly after writing this letter, Paul had to decide between going to Rome or to Jerusalem, between doctrine and emotion.
6. It was Paul’s erroneous decision to go to Jerusalem which resulted in his reversionism and incarceration.
7. When you have a choice to make between doctrine and how you feel, never go with how you feel.
Only God knows the open and the closed doors. Therefore, one of the greatest issues in our lives is divine guidance. What appears to be an open door may be a closed one. What appears to be a closed door may be an open one. The only way one can make a rational decision about it is to have enough doctrine to be led by the Lord.
Paul’s Trips to Jerusalem:
1st. After being forced to leave Damascus, Syria, he went to Jerusalem circa 41 AD. 2 Corinthians 11:32, 33, “In Damascus the ethnarch under Aretas the king was guarding the city of the Damascenes in order to seize me, (33) and I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and so escaped his hands.” Galatians 1:18-19, “Then, three years later [after his conversion] I went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas and stayed with him fifteen days. (19) But I did not see any other of the apostles except James, the Lord’s brother [spent a few days with James].”
2nd. In circa 45 AD, Agabus, a prophet came to Antioch announcing that a famine was about to occur all over the world as per Acts 11:28-30, “One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate [foretell] by the Spirit [as a prophet, the Holy Spirit provided this information to Agabus.] that there would certainly be a great famine [45 to 47 A.D.] all over the inhabited world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius [41-54 A.D.] (29) And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. (30) And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders [the pastors in Jerusalem: Paul’s 2nd trip to Jerusalem].” Funds were collected from the Antioch Christians to be taken to Christians in need in the land of Judea.
3rd. Paul goes to Jerusalem for the third time with Barnabas and Titus [who was possibly a native of Antioch, Syria] between his first and second missionary journeys to explain to the council in Jerusalem his work with the gentiles as per Galatians 2:1-10, “Then, after an interval of fourteen years [after Paul had left Jerusalem for Damascus in 36 A. D. I went up again to Jerusalem [Paul’s third trip in 50 A.D.] with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. (2) It was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the good news [the gospel and the spiritual life] which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run in vain. (3) But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. (4) But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage [through legalism]. (5) But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. (6) But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me. God shows no partiality) well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. (7) But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the good news [the gospel and the mystery age doctrines] to the uncircumcised [gentiles], just as Peter had been to the circumcised [the Jews] (8) (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), (9) and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles [Though Paul clearly understood his ministry to the Gentiles, he will violate this separation of responsibilities in 58 A.D.] and they to the circumcised [Peter, James and John had a ministry to the Jews]. (10) They only asked us to remember the poor--the very thing I also was eager to do. At which time, a council at Jerusalem was held in which Paul and Barnabas were given the right hand of fellowship by James, Peter and John. It was also understood at the council that Paul and Barnabas continue to go to the gentiles and the other apostles to the circumcised.” [Though clearly understood, it would be violated by Paul.]
4th. Acts 18:22, “When he had landed at Caesarea [at the end of his 2nd missionary journey], he went up and greeted the church [in Jerusalem], and went down to Antioch [Syria].”
5th. Paul should have gone to the Roman Church at the end of his 3rd missionary journey as per Romans 15:19-24, “By the power of signs [to the Jews] and by miracles [to the Gentiles] in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that from Jerusalem, I Paul, on a circuit as far as Illyricum, have fulfilled the Gospel of the Christ. [Paul had finished his work in both Asia Minor and in Greece as far west as Illyricum.] (20) In fact, my standard operating procedure: I consider it a point of honor to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has been mentioned [but he does when he decides to go to Jerusalem at the end of his 3rd missionary journey], in order that I might not build on a foundation belonging to another [but he attempted to do this when he decided emotionally to go to Jerusalem rather than to immediately sail for Rome]. (21) And not only this but just as it stands written [a quote from Isaiah 52:15], "They [the Gentiles] shall see, that is, those to whom it was not reported concerning Him [Jesus Christ], and they [gentiles who have not heard] shall understand." (22). For this reason, I also have been hindered many times from coming to you [because Paul was busy ministering to the gentiles in Asian Minor and Greece], (23) But now, no longer having a place of ministry in those regions [had established local churches with native pastor-teachers in Asian Minor and in Greece], and having a desire to come to you [in Rome] for many years, (24) Whenever I go to Spain for I expect to see you when passing through, and by you be assisted to that place [Spain], if first I am satisfied with you in part [Paul planned on ministering to the Romans before going on his 4th missionary journey to Spain],” Paul makes a sentimentally emotional decision to go to Jerusalem for the Holy Week, Romans 15:25, 26, “But [a change of plans and contrary to what he has just stated in Romans 15:19-24] now [58 A.D.] I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints [to bring them the funds collected; a flimsy excuse for violating God’s geographical will for his life], (26) For Macedonia and Achaia have decided with pleasure to make a special offering to the poor ones [apparently because of persecution] among the saints who are in Jerusalem.” [Earlier he and Barnabas made a trip to bring aid to those who were in need due to the great famine from 45 to 47 A.D.]
Romans 15 :17
Therefore, in Christ Jesus [aristocracy] I have esprit de corps in those things [doctrines] pertaining to God.
ἔχω οὖν [τὴν] καύχησιν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν·
Paul understands that he is a member of the greatest royal family that will ever exist, and therefore has great esprit de corps. All communicators of doctrine must have esprit de corps regarding their spiritual aristocracy and responsibility before the Lord. He is operating on the principle of aristocracy, and aristocracy operates on esprit de corps. By application, this applies to all believers. All Christians should have esprit de corps in the plan of God as members of the Royal Family of God.
Romans 15 :18
For I will not presume to speak about anything [no presumptive arrogance] except what Christ has accomplished through me [Paul’s complete recognition of grace], resulting in obedience of the Gentiles [their response to the gospel and his teaching ministry] by word [doctrinal teaching] and by occupation [other missionary functions].
οὐ γὰρ τολµήσω τι λαλεῖν ὧν οὐ κατειργάσατο Χριστὸς δι ἐµοῦ εἰς ὑπακοὴν ἐθνῶν, λόγῳ καὶ ἔργῳ,
Paul should have gone to the Roman Church at the end of his 3rd missionary journey as per Romans 15:19-24.
Romans 15 :19
By the power of signs [to the Jews] and by miracles [to Gentiles] in the power of the Holy Spirit [the Holy Spirit used his power to provide these signs and miracles in the pre-canon period of the Church Age], so that from Jerusalem, I Paul, on a circuit as far as Illyricum, have fulfilled the Gospel of the Christ. [Paul had finished his work in both Asia Minor and in Greece as far west as Illyricum.]
ἐν δυνάµει σηµείων καὶ τεράτων, ἐν δυνάµει πνεύµατος· ὥστε µε ἀπὸ Ἰερουσαλὴµ καὶ κύκλῳ µέχρι τοῦ Ἰλλυρικοῦ πεπληρωκέναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Romans 15 :20
In fact, my standard operating procedure: I consider it a point of honor to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has been mentioned [but he does when he decides to go to Jerusalem at the end of his 3rd missionary journey], in order that I might not build on a foundation belonging to another [but he attempted to do so when he decided emotionally to go to Jerusalem rather than to immediately sail for Rome].
οὕτως δὲ φιλοτιµούµενον εὐαγγελίζεσθαι οὐχ ὅπου ὠνοµάσθη Χριστός, ἵνα µὴ ἐπí ἀλλότριον θεµέλιον οἰκοδοµῶ,
Paul violated his own Policy and Standard Operating Procedure:
1. This verse states a firm missionary policy, a policy which Paul himself violated shortly after this passage was written.
2. Anticipating verse 24 where Paul mentions Spain as the mission field where Christ has not been proclaimed, Paul was consistent in his policy to go to Spain.
3. Anticipating verse 25 where Paul states that he is going to Jerusalem, Paul is not only inconsistent but he is rationalizing a wrong course of action namely to go to Jerusalem.
4. Because Paul was the Hebrew of the Hebrews and the Pharisee of the Pharisees, he had a strong desire to minister in Jerusalem and Judea, but ministering in Jerusalem and Judea would be building on the foundation of another apostle.
5. Going to Jerusalem was an emotional revolt against the will of the Lord, while going to Spain was rational obedience.
6. This stated policy of verse 20 is important in order to understand the delay and the postponement of his fourth missionary journey.
7. Paul stated his objective in going to Rome on the way to Spain was fulfilled, not from the direct volition of the apostle following the plan of God but through divine discipline for his emotional diversion involving an unnecessary journey to Jerusalem.
8. Disobedience does not hinder the plan of God. The plan of God marches on either through doing His will or through God’s disciplined for not doing His will.
Romans 15 :21
And not only this but just as it stands written [a quote from Isaiah 52:15b], "They [the Gentiles] shall see, that is, those to whom it was not reported concerning Him [concerning Christ’s work on the cross and His return at the 2nd Advent], and they [gentiles who have not heard] shall understand."
ἀλλὰ καθὼς γέγραπται, Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν.
Isaiah 52:15, “Thus, He will startle many gentiles [at his sudden return at the 2nd Advent]. Kings will shut their mouths before Him [all the kings who are attempting to destroy Israel; they will go into shock.] for what had not been communicated to them [the return of Christ at the 2nd Advent], they will see, and what they had not heard, they will discern for themselves.”
Paul is documenting a truth from this passage in Isaiah 52 that there are always many Gentiles who have not heard of the gospel. Therefore, the importance of communicating the gospel message to those who have not heard.
Romans 15 :22
For this reason I also have been hindered many times from coming to you, [because he was busy ministering to the gentiles in Asian Minor and Greece]
∆ιὸ καὶ ἐνεκοπτόµην τὰ πολλὰ τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑµᾶς·
Romans 15 :23
But now, no longer having a place of ministry in those regions [had established local churches with native pastor-teachers in Asia Minor and Greece], and having a desire to come to you [in Rome] for many years,
νυνὶ δὲ µηκέτι τόπον ἔχων ἐν τοῖς κλίµασι τούτοις, ἐπιποθίαν δὲ ἔχων τοῦ ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑµᾶς ἀπὸ πολλῶν ἐτῶν,
Paul’s desires were compatible with his great spiritual life and with the plan of God for his life. The greatest mind in history understood that this was the perfect time in history for Jesus Christ to come and for the first Gentile Client nation to be established. Thus, he understood how important was the Roman Empire and its capital in Rome. The ‘Fullness of Time’ has come as per Galatians 4:4, “But when the fullness of the time came, God [the Father] sent forth His Son [incarnation], born out from a woman [the incarnation occurred outside of the womb], born under the Law,” The Fullness of Time was the Roman empire, not the Roman republic.
Romans 15 :24
Whenever I go to Spain (for I expect to see you when passing through, and by you be assisted to that place [Spain]), if first I am satisfied with you in part, [Paul planned on ministering to the Romans before going on his 4th missionary journey to Spain]
ὡς ἂν πορεύωµαι εἰς τὴν Σπανίαν· ἐλπίζω γὰρ διαπορευόµενος θεάσασθαι ὑµᾶς καὶ ὑφí ὑµῶν προπεµφθῆναι ἐκεῖ ἐὰν ὑµῶν πρῶτον ἀπὸ µέρους ἐµπλησθῶ
Paul made a sentimentally emotional decision to go to Jerusalem for the Holy Week, Romans 15:25, 26. As a result of this decision, Paul spent two years in house arrest in Caesarea and under house arrest for two years in Rome, waiting for his trial before Nero. During his imprisonment in Rome, Paul wrote the four great prison-epistles. After Paul’s trial by Nero, he was released for lack of evidence in circa 63 AD. After which, Paul began his fourth missionary journey.
Paul will not be satisfied until he has communicated the content of the prison epistles to the Roman Christians. When Paul is satisfied that the Roman Christians have understood and responded to these doctrines, then he will depart from Rome with confidence that he has secured his supply line to the west. He intends to leave behind a missionary-minded church who will support him with prayer, persons to accompany him, and whatever else it takes to get Paul operative on the mission field in Spain.
Romans 15 :25
But [a change of plans and contrary to what he has just stated in Romans 15:19-24] now I go to Jerusalem to minister to the saints [to bring to the Jews in Jerusalem the funds collected; a flimsy excuse for violating God’s geographical will for his life. Any person on Paul’s team could have handled this responsibility of delivering these funds, and so Paul’s presence was not required.],
νυνὶ δὲ πορεύοµαι εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴµ διακονῶν τοῖς ἁγίοις.
Romans 15 :26
For Macedonia and Achaia have decided with pleasure to make a special offering to the poor ones among the saints who are in Jerusalem.
ηὐδόκησαν γὰρ Μακεδονία καὶ Ἀχαΐα κοινωνίαν τινὰ ποιήσασθαι εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῶν ἁγίων τῶν ἐν Ἰερουσαλήµ.
Paul is warned many times not to go to Jerusalem. As a consequence of his decision to go anyway, Paul will spend 2 years in house arrest in Caesarea, and 2 years in house arrest in Rome. Acts 20:16, 17, “For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus [at the end of his 3rd missionary journey] so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost. [17] From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the pastors of the church [around Ephesus].” Acts 20:22, 23, “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit [forbidden: the Holy Spirit was making every effort to restrain Paul], I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there [since Paul was now going contrary to the will of the Lord, he has lost his confidence], (23) except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds [chains, fetters] and afflictions [severe punishment] await me [Paul rationalizes away these warnings as if he needs to endure these sufferings for the Lord.].” Acts 21:1-4, “When we had parted from them and had set sail, we ran a straight course to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara; (2) and having found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, we went aboard and set sail. (3) When we came in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left, we kept sailing to Syria and landed at Tyre for there the ship was to unload its cargo. (4) After looking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem [the Holy Spirit was again warning Paul through these believers not to set foot in Jerusalem].” Acts 21:8-14, “On the next day we left and came to Caesarea, and entering the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. (9) Now this man had four virgin daughters who were prophetesses [They did not try to warn Paul since their ministry was to women]. (10) As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. (11) And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his [Agabus’s] own feet and hands, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: `In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles [the Romans].' (12) When we [Luke and others] had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him [Paul] not to go up to Jerusalem. (13) Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the person of the Lord Jesus [but that was not the will of the Lord; It was neither the will of the Lord for Paul to go to Jerusalem nor to die there.]. (14) And since he would not be persuaded, we fell silent, remarking, "The will of the Lord be done! [They correctly decided to leave it in the hands of the Lord]"
In 58 A.D., Paul was at the peak of his ministry:
1. He had a tremendous response to his evangelism for thousands were being saved.
2. He was establishing with great success many churches in Asia Minor, Macedonia and Achaia.
3. Paul, as a one-man seminary, was teaching and training many pastors.
4. Paul’s writing ministry was phenomenal for he had already written four epistles and was about to complete his epistle to the Romans, which five epistles would be in the Canon forever. All these were lost in his first two years of incarceration in Caesarea except for the opportunity to evangelize a few elites like the procurators of Judea namely Felix and Festus and, Herod Agrippa II and Bernice and a few others as well. However, there was not one convert during that time. Then, after a rough voyage to Rome and under house arrest in Rome, the Lord permitted him to reestablish his writing ministry namely the four Prison Epistles: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.
Romans 15 :27
Yes, they [believers in Greece] have decided with pleasure to do this [provides some funds]; in fact, they are obligated [under the honor code] to them [the Jews who are responsible for the Old Testament and most of the New Testament and so these Gentile believers were extremely pro-Semitic]. For you see if the Gentiles have shared in spiritual things belonging to them [the Jews], and they have, they are obligated to minister to them [the Jews] in material things.
ηὐδόκησαν γάρ, καὶ ὀφειλέται εἰσὶν αὐτῶν· εἰ γὰρ τοῖς πνευµατικοῖς αὐτῶν ἐκοινώνησαν τὰ ἔθνη, ὀφείλουσιν καὶ ἐν τοῖς σαρκικοῖς λειτουργῆσαι αὐτοῖς.
A few points for clarification:
1. The Gentile believers in Philippi, Corinth, Thessalonica, and other parts of both northern and southern Greece, were cognizant that Jewish believers were responsible for the existence of the Old Testament canon.
2. They were also aware that the human writers of the New Testament (that which was available) were either Jewish apostles or someone intimately associated with the apostles.
3. They were further aware that all of these apostles were not only Jewish believers but that Jerusalem was their headquarters.
4. Understanding these facts, they were obviously pro-Semitic, which means that no believer today has any right, under any circumstances, to be anti-Semitic. Being grateful for doctrine and being motivated by doctrine, they are anxious to assist financially the source of their spiritual blessings namely Israel.
5. As God has prospered them financially, they sought to share this prosperity with those who were humanly responsible for doctrine, the source of their prosperity. The Jews had shared their spiritual prosperity of doctrine through Paul, now these Gentiles desired to share their material prosperity with those who were the source. Therefore, an honor code principle namely the sharing of spiritual prosperity in doctrine motivates the sharing of material prosperity.
Romans 15 :28
Therefore, when I have accomplished this [his trip to Jerusalem], and have myself certified this production [the Greek offering] to them [destitute Jews in Jerusalem], I will go to Spain by means of you [in Rome].
τοῦτο οὖν ἐπιτελέσας, καὶ σφραγισάµενος αὐτοῖς τὸν καρπὸν τοῦτον, ἀπελεύσοµαι διí ὑµῶν εἰς Σπανίαν·
Using seals in the ancient world was a custom of identifying things with a sign, a letter, a word, or a combination of these things. Sealing was certification in the ancient world. An impression was made with a signet ring on a paper as a guarantee and legal protection of property. Here we find Paul is the seal, and he is using his apostolic authority for the legitimate function of transferring and distributing funds.
Good strategy versus bad tactics:
1. Good strategy was to go to Spain; bad tactics was his diversion to Jerusalem.
2. The emotional pull to Jerusalem causes Paul to become inflexible regarding the non-essentials for the distribution of that money did not require Paul’s administrative ability.
3. Paul should have been inflexible, but wasn’t with regard to the essentials of doctrine and the will of God for it was God’s will for Paul to minister to the Latin world of the empire in 58 A.D. just as until that time, Paul had ministered to the Hellenistic part of the empire.
4. The Adriatic Sea divides the Roman empire into two parts: Latin in the west; Hellenistic Greek in the east.
5. Now, that Paul has fulfilled his unique missionary function namely his three missionary journeys in the Hellenistic area, he must go immediately to the Latin west.
6. Therefore, Paul should have been inflexible regarding Rome and Spain, but the temptation to personally deliver this great offering to Jerusalem was too much for him.
Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey to Spain was delayed by about five years namely four years in prison and then after his release, he had to revisit the churches he had established in Greece and Asia Minor before beginning his last missionary journey.
Upon his acquittal and release in circa 63 A.D., Paul traveled east to Asia Minor by way of Macedonia before embarking on his 4th missionary journey which would take him to Spain. This was a change of plans for he stated in 58 A.D. that he was going to travel to Rome and then directly to Spain, but now upon his release from Roman house arrest, he first heads back east. Philippians 2:24, “and I trust in the Lord that I myself also will be coming shortly.” Philemon 22, “At the same time also prepare me a lodging, for I hope that through your prayers I will be given to you.” Due to Paul’s incarceration for 4 years, there was a need for him to visit these Churches in the Hellenistic speaking provinces before embarking on his 4th missionary journey.
He apparently went to Philippi first and then to Colossi and then unto Ephesus from where he apparently sailed to Spain and spent approximately two to three years there.
From Spain after completing his 4th missionary journey, he returned to Ephesus where he had left Timothy and then to Macedonia from where he wrote 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy 1:3, “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,” From Macedonia, Paul went onto Nicopolis of Epirus (a province on the western coast of Greece) where he spent the winter and from where he wrote Titus. In the spring of 68 A.D. in Nicopolis (the city of victory founded and named after the Emperor Octavius for his victory at the Battle of Actium), he was arrested and brought to Rome in chains. Then, waiting for his trial, he wrote his last letter to Timothy from the Mamertine Dungeon in the early summer of 68 A.D., and shortly after was executed.
Romans 15 :29
Now, I know that when I come face to face with you, I shall come in full measure of blessing from Christ,
οἶδα δὲ ὅτι ἐρχόµενος πρὸς ὑµᾶς ἐν πληρώµατι εὐλογίας Χριστοῦ ἐλεύσοµαι.
Paul is confident that it is God’s will for him to go to Rome to minister the Word. In this he was correct. In fact, it was the will of God for him to go immediately to Rome in preparation for his missionary work in the regions beyond. Paul’s missionary momentum demanded that he kept moving west and not be distracted by any personal or emotional desire of traveling east to Jerusalem.
Paul had a special apostolic ministry to the Roman believers which was vitally necessary for securing his base in Rome. Furthermore, the Roman believers had been brought to a certain level by their pastors and so are ready for Paul. Paul’s ministry was necessary to bring many of them to maturity. It is imperative that a mature remnant of believers be established in Rome since historically the expansion of Christianity must include that vital capital.
“In the full measure” This refers to Paul having more doctrine, more understanding, and more ability to communicate doctrine than anyone who has ever lived. He is unique and he is going to come and give them what they need, the most advanced type of doctrine. The prison epistles are really the full measure of blessing from Christ.
Romans 15 :30
Now, I encourage you, brethren, [Roman believers] by our Lord Jesus Christ, and through love from the Spirit [impersonal love from the Honor Code], that you join me in a team effort in your prayers to the God on behalf of me,
Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑµᾶσ[, ἀδελφοί,] διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡµῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ διὰ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ πνεύµατος, συναγωνίσασθαί µοι ἐν ταῖς προσευχαῖς ὑπὲρ ἐµοῦ πρὸς τὸν θεόν,
Romans 15 :31
That I may be delivered from those who are disobedient [the apostate believers and the legalistic Judaizers] in Judea, and that my ministry to Jerusalem might become acceptable to the saints [there], [This prayer request will not be fulfilled].
ἵνα ῥυσθῶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπειθούντων ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ καὶ ἡ διακονία µου ἡ εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴµ εὐπρόσδεκτος τοῖς ἁγίοις γένηται,
An erroneous prayer:
1. Erroneous prayer requests lead to ineffective prayer function. Just as artillery must be on the target to give support to infantry, so the prayer petition must be accurate to result in effective prayer.
2. This verse expresses an inaccurate prayer request, for it is not the will of God for Paul to go to Jerusalem. Therefore, we have something equivalent to directing fire on the wrong target.
3. In the next verse there will be an accurate and correct prayer request compatible with the will of God.
4. Paul will go to Jerusalem in violation of God’s will, and Paul will be disciplined in Jerusalem for that decision. This immediately cancels the effectiveness of any prayer offered with regard to this request. Prayer, like artillery fire which does not hit the target, is ineffective.
Paul’s approach is questionable:
1. Inasmuch as “ministry” covers both the teaching of doctrine and the administration of funds it appears that Paul is using this generous offering of the Gentiles as an opportunity to get his foot in the door in Jerusalem for he has an intense desire to minister to his brethren.
2. Paul has become the great advocate of grace which rips the heart out of Judaism and because the pastors in Jerusalem and Judea are for the most part legalistic, he will not even get to the first base.
3. Yet no one can offer more doctrinal teaching for one’s spiritual advance than Paul. (Principle: The greatest ministry in the world is totally ineffective in the face of negative volition.)
Romans 15 :32
So that when I come face to face with you in happiness by the will of God, that I also myself may find rest and refreshment with you.
ἵνα ἐν χαρᾷ ἐλθὼν πρὸς ὑµᾶς διὰ θελήµατος θεοῦ συναναπαύσωµαι ὑµῖν.
The subjunctive mood says that this rest and refreshment is potential since Paul isn’t there yet, and that when he gets there, there must be positive volition. The greatest rapport that can exist in human life is between a communicator and those who are responders to doctrine.
If the Roman believers are positive toward doctrine there will be mutual refreshment and blessing in the Lord. This second prayer request is legitimate and will be fulfilled in Paul’s first visit to Rome.
Romans 15 :33
Now the God of prosperity be with all of you [Romans]. Amen.
ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης µετὰ πάντων ὑµῶν· ἀµήν.