A message from the 1989 Spring Bible Conference of the Midwest Grace Fellowship.
Yearly Archives: 2016
Paul and “The Faith Which Once He Destroyed”
“Someone is telling me that Galatians 1:23 proves that Paul didn’t get a new message.”
When we teach that Paul had a unique new message, people sometimes respond by pointing out that this cannot be, since it was said of Paul, right after he got saved, that he “preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.” They insist that this means that the message he preached existed before he preached it. However, you’ll notice that Galatians 1:23 says that they “heard” this. Have you ever heard something spoken that turned out later to be untrue? That could easily be the case here.
Remember, Paul’s gospel and the kingdom gospel were both centered in Christ, and so when Paul got saved and began preaching Christ, that could easily explain how “the churches of Judaea” (Gal. 1:22) “heard” that Paul preached their faith. They would have had to have heard this second hand, from easily confused unbelievers, since believers were afraid to go near Saul in those early days (cf. Acts 9:26).
If there was any truth to the rumor, then the phrase “the faith” was being used in the generic sense. When this phrase is used by Paul, it refers to the body of truth that was given to him (Acts 14:22; 16:5; Rom. 1:5; Gal. 3:23; Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:23; I Tim. 3:9; I Tim. 4:1; II Tim. 3:8; Titus 1:13). When this phrase is used by Bible writers other than Paul, however, it refers to the body of truth of the kingdom message (Acts 6:7; I Pet. 5:9; Jude 1:3).
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
A Forward-Thinking Man
Recently, Fox News told of a 13-year-old girl who got in trouble at school for wearing a shirt that said, “Virginity Rocks!” The back of her shirt was equally delightful and showed that she was one very forward-thinking young lady. It read, “I’m loving my husband, and I haven’t even met him yet!”
This sweet girl’s wonderful testimony reminded me of how the Lord Jesus showed that He was one very forward-thinking Man when He prayed to God about His eleven disciples:
“Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word” (John 17:20).
Most Bible commentaries maintain that the Lord was talking about you and me, and all of the other members of the Body of Christ who had not yet believed on Him at that time. The problem with this view is that you and I didn’t believe on Christ through the words of the twelve apostles. We believed on Him through the words of the Apostle Paul! Paul is the only biblical writer who presents salvation by grace through faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:25). If someone introduced you to Christ using the words of the twelve apostles, they had to read Paul’s gospel into their words, for he is the only biblical writer to preach the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as the gospel that must be believed in order to be saved (I Cor. 15:1-4).
So who were those who were saved through the word of the apostles? Well, the twelve preached their word at Pentecost, which tells us that those who believed through their word were all Jews, for they were the only people that Peter addressed on that day (Acts 2:14,22,36). So in praying for “them also which shall believe through their word,” the Lord was praying for future Jewish believers. Of course, this means that He had only Jewish believers in mind when He went on to pray for these future saints.
“That they all may be one…that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me” (John 17:21).
Here again, the commentaries all contend that the Lord was talking about us. After all, didn’t Paul say of Christ, “He is our peace, who hath made both one” (Eph. 2:14), speaking of how Jews and Gentiles were all “baptized into one body” (I Cor. 12:13). The commentaries insist that this is what the Lord had in mind when He prayed “that they all may be one.”
But we’ve already seen that this couldn’t be what the Lord had in mind, since those who believed on Him through the word of the apostles were all Jews. So why was He praying that the Jews might be made one?
Well, if you know your Bible, you know that there came a time in Israel’s history when the ten northern tribes broke away from the two southern tribes and formed their own kingdom (I Kings 12). While God allowed this, He had no intention of letting His people be divided forever! To illustrate this, God instructed Ezekiel to take a stick and write “Israel” on it to represent the ten northern tribes, and then to take another stick and write “Judah” on it to represent the two southern tribes, then to join them together and “make them one stick” (Ezek. 37:15-19). He was told to do all this to illustrate God’s plan to take Israel and Judah and “make them one nation” (v. 22). This, then, is the oneness for which the Lord prayed in our text.
Was His prayer answered? You know it was! At Pentecost, “there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews…out of every nation under heaven” (Acts 2:5). “And all that believed…were together…continuing daily with one accord…with…singleness of heart” (Acts 2:41-46).
Of course, the Lord had a purpose in mind for praying for the reunion of Israel’s two houses. It was, as He said, “that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me”; and when the reuniting of Israel’s two houses continues in the millennial kingdom, their oneness will cause the world to believe on Christ.
Do you think this will work today? That is, when the world sees the oneness that we have in Christ, do you think maybe they might want in on it? I know for sure that it works the other way! When we bite and devour one another, the world about us finds this most UNattractive. Brethren, do you know who does the most to keep people from believing on Christ? It is not murderers, rapists, and thieves; nothing that men like that do keeps men from believing. No, it is Christians who can’t get along with one another, and who present a poor testimony to the world in other ways, that keep men from believing on Christ. Why not determine right now that as a Christian you are going to “walk worthy of this calling…that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you” (II Thes. 1:11,12).
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
Brotherly Love – 2 Thessalonians 3:15-18
Summary:
Paul told the Thessalonians to disfellowship the men who were walking disorderly by not working (v.14) out of love, so he reminded them not to count them as enemies (v.15). This is similar to what Moses taught (Lev.19:17) in the context of loving your brethren (v.18). This is also similar to how, if you love your son, you will chasten him and not allow him to continue in rebellion against your authority. If you love your brother, you don’t let him continue in rebellion against God, you chasten him by having no company with him. Hey, if you are supposed to love your brother enough to return his animal when it goes astray, (Deut.22:1), shouldn’t you act if his soul goes astray?
In saying “count him not as an enemy” (IITh.3:15), Paul may have been thinking of the fornicator that the Corinthians disfellowshipped (ICor.5:9-13). To their credit they did, but then wouldn’t let him back into the assembly (IICor.2:6-8). Causing “overmuch sorrow” is not how you love a brother! So Paul told them to “confirm” their love for him (v.8). Just because a brother falls into sin, or quits going to work, is no reason to ostracize him forever. By the way, if you are the one being disobedient and find yourself disfellowshipped, react as the psalmist did (Ps.141:5).
As we said, first the Corinthians wouldn’t put the man out of the assembly, then they wouldn’t let him back in. These extremes are the “devices” of Satan that Paul warned about in that passage (IICor.2:11). Some men refuse to be the head of the home God says they are, some take it too far. Some parents refuse to spank their kids, some break their bones. Some Christians are too carnal like the Corinthians, others are too legalistic like the Galatians. Some Christians don’t rightly divide the Word and think everything is written to them, our Acts 28 brethren divide it too much and are left with only Paul’s prison epistles.
When Paul prayed that “the Lord of peace give you peace by any means” (IITh.3:16), the Lord of peace is Christ, who went to great means to give you peace with God. God could “by no means” clear guilty sinners (Ex.34:6,7), and not even the rich could “by any means” redeem his brother (Ps.49:6,7). And if you wind up in “hell” (Mt.5:22) you will “by no means” come out (v.26). But while there was no means by which God could clear sinners under the Old Covenant of the Law, Christ “by means of death” can clear believers under the New Covenant of grace (Heb.9:15).
But if the Thessalonians had “peace with God” (Rom.5:1), why does Paul pray the Lord will give them peace? Well, not all who have peace with God feel like they have it, so Paul prays they will have it experientially. It’s like how God says Israel will “possess their possessions” in the kingdom (Obadiah 17). God told them they’d possess the land (Gen.17:8), but they never fully did. He told them they’d possess the nations (Deut.9:1) but they never fully did. But in the kingdom they will. In our kingdom in heaven we will fully possess the peace God says is ours, but Paul is praying we will possess it now. All Israel had to do was believe God when He said those things were theirs, and all we have to do is believe God when He says peace is ours.
Once you possess your possessions you have to hold them or lose them. You wouldn’t think anyone could corrupt the simplicity of “Christ died for our sins…and…rose again” (ICor.15:3,4cf.IICor.11:3) but they did when the Corinthians stopped believing in the resurrection and lost their peace. But the “peace” Paul prayed the Thessalonians would retain was that of the pretrib rapture. In his first epistle to them Paul says he was concerned “lest by any means” the devil had dispossessed them of their possession of that blessed hope, and Paul lists the means he used (IITh.2:1,2).
Why’s Paul add “the Lord be with you” (IITh.3:16)? Well, when Saul said that to David, he meant the Lord who was with him when he killed the bear and lion would be with him against Goliath. In the same way, Paul is praying the Lord who defeated Satan at Calvary will continue to be with us. He will be, of course; Paul is praying according to the revealed will of God, just as he was in the “salutation” (IITh.3:17) in Verse 18. The grace that saved us will always be with us, but there is nothing wrong with saying “grace be with you”!
Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
“Though a grace believer, one of my brothers recently denounced the medical profession’s ability to help those suffering from mental illness. He denounces any form of medication. He said that he believes only our beloved physician, Jesus Christ, could heal such ‘defects of the spirit.’ This man has suffered terribly all his life. Can you tell me please, is this his own belief or one that the BBS would also endorse? He will listen to you and I beg you to enlighten all of us.”
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul instructed Timothy:
“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities” (I Tim. 5:23).
The apostle clearly wanted Timothy to use a little wine for medicinal purposes to ease the problems he was having with his stomach—and to treat his other afflictions. Paul himself was ministered to by Luke, “the beloved physician,” who attended to the apostle’s eye infirmity (II Cor. 12:7-10; Gal. 4:13-15 cf. Col. 4:14; II Tim. 4:11). We too should avail ourselves of whatever is at our disposal to address the particular health issues we are facing. God would have us to be judicious in preserving our health.
We would highly recommend that your brother seek out medical attention as soon as possible. Many times the chemical messaging of the brain is merely malfunctioning. Like diabetes, many mental disorders are often successfully treated with medication. This should be done in conjunction with the assistance of a godly pastor who can provide the needed spiritual support. The counsel of the Word of God at such times is indispensable. With God’s help, we are confident that your brother can live a productive and fruitful life for the Lord. The apostle says in II Corinthians 1:3:
“Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.”
Surely God has been merciful in allowing medical science to understand more fully the complexities of the human body, which is a demonstration of the wonders of His handiwork. Therefore, we believe it is prudent to utilize this mercy to relieve our pain and suffering. It is indeed true that Christ is still the Great Physician; and sometimes, He does intervene to heal our infirmities (Phil. 2:27). But today in the administration of Grace, this is the exception, not the rule. More often than not, His grace is sufficient (II Cor. 12:9).
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
The Church – Soldier of Christ
A message from the 1989 Spring Bible Conference of the Midwest Grace Fellowship.
In What Sense Did Christ Atone?
“Paul states in Romans 5:11: ‘And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.’ In what sense did Christ atone for our sins?”
This passage is one of many in our English translation of the Scriptures where it is necessary to consult the original language to ensure we have the proper sense of what the apostle was seeking to convey. When we do so, we find that the Greek word katallage or “reconciliation” is used. It is understandable that the KJV translators used the term atonement because in their day the term meant “agreement, concord, or reconciliation after enmity or controversy.”
For the sake of clarification, in contemporary language the word atonement obscures the meaning of the passage. The emphasis of Paul’s special revelation here is on reconciliation, not atonement, as confirmed by the Greek text. The Hebrew word kaphar, translated “atonement” in the Old Testament meant “to cover.” Hence, the blood of bulls and goats merely covered the sins of those in Old Testament times; it didn’t have the efficacy to remove them.
“And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins” (Heb. 10:11).
Through the forbearance of God those sins that were atoned for in time past are now removed on the basis of the shed blood of Christ (Rom. 3:25). Today, Paul teaches us that we are freely justified and forgiven by the blood of Christ: “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Rom. 5:9). In other words, the blood of Christ doesn’t atone for our sins, it actually cleanses them forevermore.
In the context of the above passage, the apostle was instructing the Romans that it is a source of joy to know that we are at peace with God (Rom. 5:1), seeing that we have accepted His gracious offer of reconciliation (II Cor. 5:18). The subject of Romans 5:11 is reconciliation, not atonement.
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
The Making of a Busybody – 2 Thessalonians 3:10-14
Summary:
When the Thessalonians overreacted to learning about the Rapture by quitting their jobs, it caused several problems. First, it led to the creation of “busybodies” (v.11), people who meddle into the affairs of others. Plus, busybodies are usually “tattlers” (I Tim. 5:13), or idle talkers. And once tattlers start down the road of idle talking, it is not long be-fore they are “speaking things which they ought not” (ITim.5:13). Since most of us love to meddle in the affairs of others and tell them how to work out their salvation, Paul tells us: “work out your own salvation” (Phil.2:12).
Paul commanded these busybodies to go back to work when he was in Thessalonica, and in his first epistle to them (IThes.4:11), and now here again (IIThes.3:12). But he also chooses to “exhort” them. This is a New Covenant word. Under the Law, God never exhorted the Jews to do anything, He commanded them, and they knew it was obey or else. But under grace Paul can’t issue an “or else,” so with this third command he chooses to exhort them. Under grace, you can remind other adult sons that they will reap what they sow if they ignore Paul’s warnings, but adult sons don’t always care. This is why Paul told Timothy to “exhort with all longsuffering” (IITim.4:2). Under grace, all grace pastors can do is convey Paul’s commands and then suffer long if God’s people reject them.
“Quietness” is a lack of strife (Pr.17:1), a lack of trouble (Job 34:29), and a lack of fighting (IChr.22:9). In telling the Thessalonians to work “with quietness,” he was telling them they could avoid strife, trouble and fighting with their brethren. You see, there was money involved. In telling the busybodies they should work and “eat their own bread,” it implies they were eating the bread of their brethren who had not quit their jobs. Not working creates more than just busybodies and tattlers, it creates moochers.
If you think I’m reading too much into that phrase “eat their own bread,” notice Paul tells the brethren they were sponging off of not to get weary in helping people (IIThes.3:13). We know he’s not changing the subject and moving on here because in Verse 14 he instructs them about what to do about the moochers.
Now he’s not telling them to continue to help the moochers; he told them to distance themselves from them. But you know how it is. If you help people who are unworthy of your help long enough, it makes you hesitant to want to help those who are worthy of it, so Paul tells them not to get burned out on helping others.
When Paul spoke about obeying “our word by this epistle,” remember, his words were God’s words. To despise them was to despise God’s words (I Thes. 4:8). God spoke through Paul’s words as He did all Bible writers (IPe.1:21).
People say we elevate Paul over the Lord Jesus, but in the Tribulation, when Trib saints look to John’s book of Revelation to guide them, will they be elevating John over the Lord? No, they’ll just be recognizing that he wrote about the time in which they will live. In the same way, it is not elevating Paul over the Lord to say that Paul wrote about the time in which we live, the dispensation of the grace of God (Eph.3:1-9). Are we elevating President Obama over President Lincoln when we choose to obey the laws that govern our country now? No! Then why would anyone think we are elevating Paul over the Lord when we choose to follow the rules that govern our dispensation?
When Paul says that they should have “no company” with these busybodies (IITh.3:14), it reminds us of how he told the Corinthians “not to keep company” with the fornicator (ICor.5:11). This puts not going to work in a serious class of disobedience. Even unbelievers know they should work to provide for their own families (ITim.5:8), and “to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not to him it is sin” (James 4:17).
Notice this shunning measure is not punitive, it is restorative. It is done to make the busybody “ashamed” (IIThes.3: 14). Shame is a powerful motivator, and shunning to achieve it is a time-honored Bible tradition (Num. 12:14). God used it to cause His people to seek Him (Psalm 83:16).
That Explains It!
Did you ever wonder why nominal Christians give you grief when you insist that salvation is by grace through faith alone apart from any good works (Eph. 2:8,9)? The Apostle Paul understood the reason that men troubled him for proclaiming this message, and he came up with the perfect illustration to help the Galatians understand it. Speaking of the two sons of Abraham, he observed:
“But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now” (Gal. 4:29).
When we look up the passage that Paul is quoting here, we learn that Ishmael “persecuted” Isaac by “mocking” him (Gen. 21:9). And, if you know the story, you know why Ishmael was giving his younger brother grief. When Abraham got tired of waiting for God to give him the son He had promised, he took matters into his own hands and fathered a child by his wife’s servant, intending to make Ishmael the heir that God had promised (Gen. 17:18). God rejected this notion (Gen. 17:20,21) and eventually gave Abraham the son that He promised through the miraculous birth that Abraham’s wife Sarah gave to Isaac.
Ishmael was thirteen years old (Gen. 17:25) when Isaac was weaned (21:8), and based on his father’s assurance that he would be his heir, he had doubtless worked very hard to be worthy of his inheritance. Then suddenly there appeared this interloper, this young child Isaac, whom Sarah rightly declared would be her husband’s heir (Gen. 21:10), and God agreed (v. 12). That meant that after all Ishmael’s hard work his inheritance was now going to be just handed to this infant who hadn’t done a thing to earn it other than to be born the child of promise.
Now, if you can’t relate to the anger that Ishmael felt toward the newly-declared heir, I certainly can! When I was twelve, I asked my father to buy me a Schwinn Fastback Stingray bicycle. He informed me that I was old enough to work for the money that would be needed to make such an expensive purchase. He then reminded me that I could work as many hours as I wanted at his tool and die shop. To help me out, he graciously bumped my salary up to 50 cents an hour (he had started me out at 15 cents an hour!). But while I was working and saving for my $75 bike, my younger brother learned to ride a bike, and was given—a Stingray bicycle! I remember feeling angered that he had just been handed something for which I was having to work so long and hard!
That explains how Ishmael felt about Isaac, which in turn explains how professing Christians feel about those of us that champion the cause of salvation by grace through faith apart from works. Such “Christians” are angered at the notion that the salvation for which they themselves are working so long and so hard is being offered so freely to men and women who haven’t done a thing to earn it other than to be born again a child of God’s promise (Gal. 4:28).
How should we respond to such religious animosity? Paul answers in the opening words of the very next chapter in Galatians: “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free” (5:1)! It has never been easy to stand for the pure, unadulterated gospel of the grace of God, but as the old hymn of the faith expresses so very well, “it will be worth it all when we see Jesus”!
To the Reader:
Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:
"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."
To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.
Two Minutes with the Bible is now available on Alexa devices. Full instructions here.
The Church – Its Beginning
A message from the 1989 Spring Bible Conference of the Midwest Grace Fellowship.
