Monthly Archives: February 2024

Where Do You Stand?

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

“And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked and, behold, there stood a man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto his servant?” (Josh. 5:13,14).

God had appointed Joshua to lead the people of Israel into the land of Canaan. It was just before the battle of Jericho that the great leader looked up to see a man with a drawn sword facing him. His sudden appearance must have startled Joshua, but he showed no trace of fear—not Joshua!

Advancing toward the man, Joshua demanded, “Art thou for us or for our adversaries?” No wonder the answer brought him to his knees! He had been standing face-to-face with the captain of the Lord’s hosts, no doubt Michael, the angelic prince of Israel (cf. Dan. 10:21; 12:1).

The question was not whose side was the angel of God on, but whose side was Joshua on! Was he himself in harmony with God’s will?

What a lesson to learn! In the constant battle over truth and error, there is a tendency for Christians to demand of other Christians: “Whose side are you on? Are you for us or for our adversaries?”

If this is as far as we have gotten in our service for the Lord, we still have much to learn, for the great question is not “Are you on my side?” but “Am I on God’s side?”

God’s truth will prevail. His purposes will be carried out, and even though we might be on the side of the most powerful and influential of men, we will surely be driven to defeat if we are not in harmony with God’s Word and will.

Should we not all fall on our faces with Joshua, then, and ask, “What saith my Lord unto His servant?”

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.

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Lo único esencial

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

El lugar de la Palabra en la vida del creyente queda establecido de una vez por todas en el registro inspirado de una de las visitas de nuestro Señor a la casa de María y Marta (Lucas 10:38-42).

Los comentarios sobre este pasaje generalmente señalan que tanto María como Marta tenían sus puntos buenos. Esto, por supuesto, es cierto, pero si nos limitamos a esta observación le quitamos al relato la lección que pretendía, porque nuestro Señor no elogió a ambas hermanas por sus “buenos puntos”. Reprendió a Marta y elogió y defendió a María con respecto a un asunto en particular.

¿Por qué exactamente fue elogiada María? ¡Cuán a menudo se nos ha presentado como un ejemplo para pasar más tiempo con el Señor en oración! Pero esto es perder el sentido del pasaje. María no estaba orando; ella “se sentó a los pies de Jesús y ESCUCHÓ SU PALABRA”. Ella simplemente se sentó allí, absorbiendo todo lo que Él tenía que decir. Esta era “la única cosa esencial” que María había “elegido” y que nuestro Señor dijo que no debía “serle quitada”. Por lo tanto, si bien la oración, el testimonio y las buenas obras tienen su importancia en la vida del creyente, escuchar la Palabra de Dios es “lo único esencial” por encima de todo lo demás. De hecho, dejemos que a esta “única cosa” se le dé el lugar que le corresponde y todo lo demás seguirá naturalmente.

Por supuesto, se concede que debemos estudiar la Palabra con oración y con el corazón abierto, o tendrá resultados desastrosos, más que beneficiosos, pero esto sólo sirve para poner aún más énfasis en la importancia suprema de la Palabra de Dios, que buscamos, mediante un estudio sincero y devoto, comprender y obedecer.

Una vida

Posted on by Pastor Paul M. Sadler

Este es un día de infinitas oportunidades para servir al Señor. Una vida, tu vida, puede marcar la diferencia. Cuando Dios dividió las aguas del Mar Rojo, ¿a cuántos llamó para liderar Su liberación? Un hombre: ¡Moisés! Cuando el pueblo elegido de Dios se enfrentó a la extinción a manos de Amán, ¿cuántos marcaron la diferencia? Una mujer: ¡Esther! Cuando la asesina Atalía trató de destruir toda la descendencia real a través de la cual vendría el Redentor, ¿cuántos se interpusieron en su camino? Una mujer: ¡Jehosheba! Cuando Dios dio a conocer el consejo secreto de Su voluntad que estuvo oculto desde épocas y generaciones pasadas, ¿a cuántos llamó inicialmente para dar a conocer las riquezas de Su gracia? Un hombre: ¡Pablo! Una vida solitaria entregada al propósito de Dios puede marcar la diferencia.

A principios del siglo XX, “una vez apareció en un periódico de Londres el siguiente anuncio: ‘Se buscan hombres para un viaje peligroso’. Salarios bajos, frío intenso, largos meses de completa oscuridad, peligro constante, retorno seguro dudoso”. El anuncio estaba firmado por Sir Ernest Shackleton, explorador antártico. Sorprendentemente, el anuncio atrajo a miles de encuestados, deseosos de sacrificarlo todo por la perspectiva de una aventura significativa”.

Esta historia sirve como recordatorio de que los hombres arriesgarán sus vidas por unos momentos de gloria temporal que pronto se desvanecerá. Pero la aventura en la que nos encontramos cuando dedicamos nuestra vida a Cristo tiene el beneficio del peso eterno de la gloria. Este viaje también tiene sus peligros, ya que Satanás nos lanza sus ardientes dardos de duda y desánimo, con la esperanza de que abandonemos la buena batalla de la fe. También tenemos que lidiar con la oscuridad de las críticas y, en ocasiones, las tergiversaciones. Pero qué experiencia tan gratificante es tener la oportunidad de llevar a alguien a Cristo y librarlo del juicio eterno. ¡Qué honor es ser usado por Dios, el mismo Dios de la creación, en cualquier área de servicio que Él nos haya llamado!

Los miles de personas que respondieron al anuncio de Sir Ernest Shackleton estaban dispuestos a sacrificarlo todo por un viaje significativo. ¿Estamos dispuestos a sacrificar algunas comodidades de esta vida, sus placeres y la seguridad financiera para vivir para el Señor y marcar una diferencia en la vida de otra persona? ¡Recordad y recordad bien a Aquel que hizo ese sacrificio por nosotros!

La hora

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

La historia registra muchos acontecimientos grandes y significativos, pero ninguno tan significativo como la crucifixión de Cristo en la cruz del Calvario. Refiriéndose al tiempo, entonces aún futuro, en el que esto debería tener lugar, nuestro Señor habló una y otra vez de “la hora”, “esa hora” y “Mi hora”, y lo mismo hace el registro sagrado.

Cuando sus enemigos quisieron apedrearlo en la Fiesta de los Tabernáculos, el registro dice simplemente: “procuraban prenderle, pero nadie le echó mano, porque aún no había llegado su hora” (Juan 7:30). Finalmente, cuando llegó ese momento terrible, leemos:

“Y cuando llegó la hora, se sentó, y con él los doce apóstoles” (Lucas 22:14).

“Y Jesús les respondió, diciendo: La hora ha llegado en que el Hijo del Hombre debe ser glorificado.

“De cierto, de cierto os digo, que si el grano de trigo no cae en la tierra y muere, queda solo; pero si muere, lleva mucho fruto” (Juan 12:23,24).

“Ahora está turbada mi alma; ¿Y qué diré: Padre, sálvame de esta hora? Pero por esto he llegado a este fin” (Juan 12:27).

“Y antes de la fiesta de la Pascua, sabiendo Jesús que su hora había llegado… habiendo amado a los suyos que estaban en el mundo, los amó hasta el fin” (Juan 13:1).

Finalmente, en Su gran oración Sumo Sacerdotal, pronunciada a la sombra misma de la cruz, Él “alzó los ojos al cielo y dijo: Padre, la hora ha llegado…” (Juan 17:1).

Esta es la hora que muchos de los sacrificios y profecías del Antiguo Testamento habían señalado. Esta es la hora en la que los redimidos mirarán hacia atrás con gratitud y alabanza por los siglos venideros. Sin él no habría habido salvación para los pecadores, ni esperanza de una tierra restaurada sin la maldición del pecado. Gracias a Dios, porque Cristo estuvo dispuesto a enfrentar esa hora terrible “tenemos redención por su sangre, el perdón de pecados según las riquezas de su gracia” (Efesios 1:7).

Discípulos y apóstoles

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

“Y cuando era de día, llamó a sus discípulos, y escogió de ellos a doce, a los cuales también llamó apóstoles” (Lucas 6:13).

Mucha gente no distingue entre los discípulos de nuestro Señor y Sus apóstoles. Suponen que son iguales. Sin embargo, esto es incorrecto, porque nuestro Señor tuvo una multitud de discípulos mientras que solo tuvo unos pocos apóstoles. Sus apóstoles fueron elegidos entre Sus discípulos, como aprendemos del mensaje anterior del evangelio de Lucas.

Un discípulo es un seguidor; un apóstol es un “enviado”. Un discípulo es un aprendiz; un apóstol es un maestro. Aquí hay una gran lección que todos debemos aprender.

Debemos venir antes de poder irnos. Debemos seguirlo antes de que podamos ser enviados. Debemos aprender antes de poder enseñar. Debemos escuchar al Señor antes de poder hablar por Él.

“Así dice el Señor”, era la frase familiar con la que los profetas del Antiguo Testamento iniciaban sus mensajes. Pero a la cabeza de la larga lista de profetas del Antiguo Testamento encontramos a Samuel, un joven, diciendo: “HABLA SEÑOR, PORQUE TU SIERVO OYE” (I Sam.3:9).

Entonces, antes de que podamos hacer o decir algo por Dios, debemos escuchar a Dios. Esto explica por qué es tan importante la lectura y el estudio de la Palabra de Dios.

Primero, la salvación misma viene al escuchar y creer la Palabra de Dios, especialmente acerca de Cristo y Su muerte por nuestros pecados. Romanos 10:17 dice: “La fe viene por el oír, y el oír por la Palabra de Dios”, y 1 Pedro 1:23: “Siendo renacidos, no de simiente corruptible, sino de incorruptible, por la Palabra de Dios que vive”. y permanece para siempre”. Entonces, habiendo sido salvos, sólo podremos servir a Dios aceptablemente mediante el estudio diligente de Su Palabra. Quizás el pasaje más importante de la Biblia sobre este tema sea II Timoteo 2:15:

“PROCURA CON DILIGENCIA PRESENTARTE ANTE DIOS APROBADO, COMO OBRERO QUE NO TIENE DE QUÉ AVERGONZARSE, QUE USA BIEN LA PALABRA DE VERDAD”.

El regalo de Dios

Posted on by Pastor Cornelius R. Stam

Los hombres se han dado muchos regalos unos a otros a lo largo de los siglos, pero en Santiago 1:17 leemos que “toda buena dádiva y todo don perfecto desciende de lo alto” y viene a nosotros de Dios. El mayor de estos regalos es nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo y la redención que Él ha comprado para nosotros. Al hablar con la mujer pecadora en el pozo de Sicar, nuestro Señor hizo un retrato, contrastando la esterilidad de su propia vida con el gozo refrescante de la salvación, diciendo:

“Si supieras el don de Dios, y quién es el que te dice: Dame de beber; Le habrías pedido, y él te habría dado agua viva… El que bebiere de esta agua, volverá a tener sed, pero el que bebiere del agua que yo le daré, no tendrá sed jamás…” (Juan 4:10-14).

Por naturaleza todos somos pecadores, pero por la gracia de Dios todos podemos ser salvos.

“Porque la paga del pecado es muerte, pero la dádiva de Dios es vida eterna en Jesucristo Señor nuestro” (Romanos 6:23).

“Porque por gracia sois salvos mediante la fe, y esto no de vosotros; es don de Dios; no por obras, para que nadie se gloríe” (Efesios 2:8,9).

Así, San Pablo habla del “don de la gracia de Dios” (Efesios 3:7) y constantemente enfatiza el hecho de que la salvación es un don gratuito.

Pero un don no se posee hasta que se acepta. Así el Apóstol, en Rom. 5:17, se refiere a aquellos que “reciben la abundancia de la gracia y del don de la justicia”. Aquellos que reciben a Cristo y la salvación que Él ha obrado para ellos, encuentran natural exclamar con Pablo:

“¡GRACIAS A DIOS POR SU DON INFEFABLE!” (II Corintios 9:15).

Cierto hombre

Posted on by Pastor Jeff Bertram

Para revisar el texto de un mensaje que estaba preparando, abrí mi Biblia en un pasaje familiar del capítulo 10 de Hechos. En mi ministerio pastoral había estado predicando a través del Libro de los Hechos, por lo que la historia de Cornelio estaba viva en mi memoria. Pero antes de que pudiera entrar en el cuerpo del texto, las primeras cuatro palabras casi parecieron saltar de la página. Era como si estuvieran escritos en negrita y mayúsculas: “HABÍA UN CIERTO HOMBRE”.

De repente mi mente se vio inundada por la comprensión del alcance del amor de Dios por el hombre y de su individualidad. Debió haber mucha gente viviendo en la tierra durante la época de Cornelio, pero Dios estaba interesado en este hombre. Estoy seguro de que hubo muchas cosas que podrían haber captado la atención de Dios en ese momento, pero Él estaba interesado en él.

Me hizo pensar, con todas las cosas que suceden en el mundo hoy, que podemos perder de vista lo que es importante, pero Dios nunca lo hace. Él está interesado en nuestras vidas y desea involucrarse en ellas. Dios es tan grande que incluso con todas las pruebas y la agitación que experimentamos en la vida podemos orar y Él escuchará nuestras oraciones. Y Él no sólo los escucha, sino que también se preocupa por nuestro bienestar.

Quizás pienses que Hechos 10 es solo la historia de cómo Dios usó a Cornelio para ilustrar el derrumbe de la pared intermedia de separación en la carne y la transición del programa del reino de Dios a Su programa de gracia. Eso es cierto, pero esta historia también muestra que Dios se preocupa por los individuos. Quiere que todos los hombres se salven.

Pero ese no es el final de su participación. También quiere que los hombres lleguen al conocimiento de la verdad (1 Tim. 2:4). Cuanta más verdad podamos saber acerca de Él, más podremos confiar en Él. Quiere una relación personal e íntima contigo. Él te ama y es sensible a tus necesidades (Heb. 4:15).

Entonces, cuando las pruebas de la vida te depriman y parezca que toda esperanza se ha ido, recuerda: eres un cierto hombre o una cierta mujer, y Él se preocupa por ti.

Established of God

Posted on by Pastor Don Hosfeld

New Christians are often told they should begin reading their Bible in the Gospels, specifically with the Book of John. This is partly because each Gospel is said to present Jesus differently: Matthew as King, Mark as a Servant, Luke as Man, and John as God. To many, John sounds like a logical place for a new Christian to begin for them to become established in the faith. But what does the Bible say?

The Gospels are beloved, and for good reason. For in them, Christ Jesus, our Savior, is revealed, and His life while on earth is shared like in no other book ever written. They tell us how our God and Savior humbled Himself and was born in such lowly conditions. How He walked from town to town, teaching, healing, and showing love and compassion for the ones He knew would soon reject Him. And even though He created this world, He willingly subjected Himself to harsher conditions than His creation. He said of Himself that the “foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man hath not where to lay His head” (Matt. 8:20).

However, as precious as the Gospels are, we mustn’t assume that is where God would have us begin or that it contains the necessary doctrine to establish our foundation in the faith. We shouldn’t, like so many do, esteem the “red letters” more than the rest of the Bible. After all, are not Christ’s words spoken from heaven just as important as His words spoken while on earth?

We should remember that God is not neglectful in providing direction, especially on something as important as a believer being established. All too often, people make the mistake of giving their opinion on an issue instead of simply asking, “For what saith the Scripture?” (Rom. 4:3 cf. 11:2; Gal 4:30).

“Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

“But now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: “To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen” (Rom. 16:25-27).

In reality, every new believer would do well to begin their Bible reading and study in the Book of Romans; it truly is the foundational book of doctrine for the Body of Christ. But you don’t need to take my word for it. Consider the words from our text in Romans 16:25-27 and the fact that Paul wrote Romans because he could not go to Rome as he wanted, and said, “For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established” (cf. Rom. 1:11).

Established By God

The word “stablish” in Romans 16:25 relates directly to the word established in chapter 1 and is the same Greek word (sterizo). It means to make stable, place firmly, or “fixed,” as in the case of the great gulf that was between Lazarus and the rich man in Abraham’s Bosom (cf. Luke 16:26).

Unable to go to Rome (cf. Rom. 1:13), Paul instead wrote the Book of Romans, which is the spiritual gift Paul longed to give them—the doctrine (instruction) in which they (and we) could be established.

Sometimes, though, people won’t listen to the direction God provides. Many churches want to make Peter and his words at Pentecost the foundation for the church. The Catholic church has staked its position as the one true church and the authority of Jesus Christ here on earth on an incorrect belief of apostolic succession from Peter and the words of the four Gospels. Meanwhile, the Pentecostal church claims the message that Peter spoke in Acts 2 at Pentecost is the foundation for the church, the Body of Christ.

Every believer should take note of the fact that Peter never claimed to have the foundational message for the Body of Christ, while Paul said so explicitly of himself. The refusal to listen to God’s direction is reminiscent of what the Lord told Israel through the prophet Jeremiah:

“Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
“Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken” (Jer. 6:16-17).

The words in Jeremiah are a metaphor taken from travelers, who, being in doubt of their way, stop to consider whether the direction they have received from someone is correct or not. To “ask for the old paths” is to inquire in what way those righteous persons before walked and imitate their practices. God was pointing out that He had given Israel directions, but they refused to listen.

He said, “I set watchmen over you.” These are prophets to sound the way and issue warning, which is the sound of the trumpet, but again, He says, they would not listen. Refusing to listen to God is just as much a problem for the church today as it was for Israel in Jeremiah’s day.

The church needs to stop and consider carefully which direction to go. Look for what path the righteous before us took: those like Phebe, Priscilla and Aquila, Titus, Timothy, and many others whom God lists as examples, and all who followed the doctrine and teaching of the risen Savior’s newly chosen Apostle—Paul (cf. Rom. 16:1-3; Titus 1:4; Phil. 2:19-22).

Apollos is a great example. He was a man “mighty in the [Old Testament] Scriptures” (Acts 18:24), who had been “instructed in the way of the Lord” (v. 25). He knew of Jesus according to prophecy, that is, according to His earthly ministry, but not according to the revelation of the mystery. Thus, we are told that when “he began to speak boldly in the synagogue,” Aquila and Priscilla, who learned the mystery from Paul, “took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately” (v. 26).

Not following Paul as they should was a problem for the church in Corinth. To this, Paul declared, “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church” (1 Cor. 4:14-17).

Just as God provided direction and warned Israel, God has done the same for us, the Body of Christ. God has warned us and told us what direction to follow and how a believer is to be established.

My Gospel

“Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel…” (Rom. 16:25).

Words matter, and never more so than in the case of Scripture. So, it’s important to note that Paul doesn’t merely say the gospel but instead says “my gospel.” It is evident that Paul is purposely trying to distinguish between his gospel and other gospels that had been taught.

Contrary to what some believe, Paul’s gospel is different from any presented before. Why does this matter? Because there are situations in which believing in Jesus won’t save you. It’s not if you believe in Jesus, but what you believe about Jesus that saves. Prior to Paul, the gospel of the kingdom required believing that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name” (John 20:31).

Further proof that Paul’s gospel is different from that preached in the four Gospels and by the 12 Apostles can be clearly demonstrated by looking at the Book of Luke. In the opening verses of chapter 9, we find that the Lord sent out the 12 Apostles to “preach the kingdom of God” (v. 2); it says they went “preaching the gospel” (v. 6). However, later in chapter 18 we’re told that when Jesus explained to the apostles that He was going to die and rise again, they “understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken” (18:34).

Obviously, they hadn’t been sharing a gospel that involved the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus if they didn’t understand or even know of those things.

We should not allow the similarities between the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God to cause us to overlook their differences. Real and counterfeit money have similarities, but it’s the differences that define them, and just because a valid gospel was in place at one time, it does not mean that it remains in effect forever.

Those fortunate enough to own a $100,000 bill (U.S.) in 1944 would have been quite disappointed had they tried to spend it in 1946. Although it was perfectly valid and a legal form of payment at one time, that changed in 1945 when its status as a legal form of payment was revoked, rendering it obsolete for any financial transaction. The same is true for the gospel of the kingdom; it simply is not in effect today, and it cannot help to pay the debt of sin.

On the other hand, Paul’s “my gospel,” also called the “gospel of your salvation” (Eph. 1:13 cf. Rom. 1:16), is that “Christ died for our sins…was buried, and that He rose again the third day…” (1 Cor. 15:1-4)—no requirement to believe that Jesus is Israel’s Messiah, only a belief in His finished work on the sinner’s behalf.

No person today can be established of God without first believing Paul’s “my gospel.” Like Israel before us, we have been warned, specifically of a coming day “when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to [Paul’s] my gospel” (Rom. 2:16).

The Preaching of Jesus According to the Mystery

“Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest…” (Rom 16:25-26).

Believing the correct gospel is enough to immediately and eternally save us from the condemnation of our sin. It instantly and completely changes our identity and position before God; however, it is not enough to keep us from being “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). For that, we must have the correct doctrine that applies directly to us; we must have our “loins girt about with truth” (Eph. 6:14).

This is why the second necessity of preaching Jesus, “according to the revelation of the mystery,” is so vital.

Countless churches preach Jesus, but how He is preached differs and matters greatly. We do not edify the church nor glorify Christ if we preach Him and His doctrine contrary to how He now commands it to be done. Paul warns that “as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty” (2 Cor. 11:3), there are those that “preacheth another Jesus, whom we [Paul] have not preached” (v. 4).

One of the most common ways people preach another Jesus is to preach Him according to prophecy, which is to use the Gospels and the General Epistles to teach Christ’s doctrine from His earthly ministry as directly applicable to us today. Romans 15:8 tells us that Jesus was a “minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.” Promises made in the Old Testament and
fulfilled in the Gospels certainly don’t qualify to be called a “mystery” or “kept secret since the world began,” as Paul describes in Romans 16:25.

Paul’s use of the past tense “was” in Romans 15:8 to describe Jesus’s ministry to Israel is noteworthy, especially considering a few verses later, he uses the present tense with the ministry the risen Christ gave him (cf. vv. 15-16). Clearly, a change had occurred.

Regarding Pentecost, Peter clearly establishes the event and his message as one of prophecy and not “the revelation of the mystery” when he says, “this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16).

However, Paul makes it equally clear that “the mystery” was given to him. He said, “For this cause I Paul…for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: How that by revelation He made known unto me the mystery” (Eph. 3:1-3 cf. vv. 7-9). When Paul says, “For this cause,” he is pointing out that his calling and Apostleship were given to him specifically for the unveiling of the revelation of the mystery.

He tells those in Colosse the same thing: “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you…Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (Col. 1:25-26 cf. v. 23). To our nondispensational friends, I must say, I’m not sure how “but now” can mean “back then.”

The only way a believer can be established in “the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery” is through the same means that Paul told the Romans, Colossians, and Ephesians—through his teaching. Referring to his writing, Paul says:

“…Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed…” (Eph. 3:4-5).

The preaching of Jesus according to prophecy rather than the mystery has led to countless errors, and the result has been divisions within the church, which is entirely contrary to Christ’s desire for unity (cf. 1 Cor. 6:17; Eph. 4:3; Phil. 1:27; 2:2).

Again, Christians should ask themselves if they want to repeat the mistake of Israel by failing to follow the clear direction given by God.

The Scriptures of the Prophets

“Now to Him that is of power to stablish you according to… the Scriptures of the prophets” (Rom. 16:25-26).

The third requirement Paul lists for being established is “the Scriptures of the prophets.” Some suggest that when Paul says this, he refers to his writings. Many doubt that the Body of Christ needs the Old testament writings to Israel in order to be “established.” They point to the fact that Paul was a prophet (1 Cor. 13:2 cf. 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:11) and wrote Scripture (cf. 2 Pet. 3:16), and thus he fits the reference. This is certainly a valid point; however, it does not seem to be the best explanation for Paul’s meaning, and it would appear to be a bit redundant, considering his previous point on the revelation of the mystery referenced his writings.

It’s worth noting that the wording used in Romans 16 matches precisely those spoken by Christ in Matthew 26:56, which is a clear reference to the Old Testament.

I would point out as well that it was Paul who said, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished…” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). This verse alone emphatically declares that all Scripture is necessary for a believer to be fully equipped. But this is not the only indication that when Paul says “the Scriptures of the prophets,” he is speaking of the entirety of Scripture, and the Old Testament in particular.

Is it possible to be “established” and not have hope? Well, interestingly, nestled amongst the many nuggets of truth within Romans is a wonderful passage that tells us that though the mystery and the Body of Christ were “hid in God” (Eph. 3:9) and not revealed until Paul, we were still on God’s mind all throughout the Old Testament and that the things He inspired to be written were meant to help us have hope:

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope” (Rom. 15:4).

Certainly, there are no idle words with God, and according to this verse, He has determined the Old Testament as necessary for us because it establishes hope. The Old Testment may not have been written to us, and many things do not apply today, but it most certainly is for us, and it would be a mistake to neglect the many truths from the Old Testament that do still apply today: things like God’s character and that no matter how much time passes, God keeps His promises, and He alone is the Creator and Judge of all things.

Often, it’s Genesis that we use to establish the basis for one man and one woman in marriage, the role of the family, and the origination and purpose of government. True, Paul also taught some of these things, but I’ve yet to meet a fellow pastor who doesn’t believe that people need repetition in teaching, and it seems rather clear that God believes the same.

Another consideration is that progressive revelation is the idea that the current truths are built upon the foundation of former revelation (cf. 2 Tim. 2:8), namely, Christ: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 3:11). Though the gospel for today is not found in the Old Testament, the foundation for every gospel began to be laid all the way back in Genesis 3:15 with the first hint of a coming Savior for mankind.

As John Newton beautifully said, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!” but how can we truly understand God’s amazing grace if we don’t have a complete picture of God’s righteous standards, which are revealed in the law? “For by the law is the knowledge of sin” (Rom. 3:20).

To be established of God, a person must be established by God, and Romans 16:25-26 tells us how.

  • Paul’s “my gospel” (v. 25).
  • The “preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery” (v. 25).
  • The “Scriptures of the prophets” (v. 26).

But notice the order Paul gives—no doubt by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Nobody can be established without first believing the gospel that is in effect today— Paul’s “my gospel.”

Next, we must understand the distinctive message and doctrine that applies directly to us, which is the revelation of the mystery. Misapplying doctrine or using instructions meant for another doesn’t help us, but hinders us.

Finally, we must keep our “nose in the Book,” as my old pastor used to say. That means the entire Book. God has given us many great things, and this Book, His Book, is among the chief of those.

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Berean Searchlight – February 2024

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