Author Archives: Charles F. Baker

Part 2: The Great Commission

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

In studying the so-called Great Commission to determine whether or not it contains the marching orders for the Body of Christ today, several important facts were previously pointed out: first, there is no such thing as the Great Commission, Christ having given several distinct commissions after His resurrection; second, the commissions given to the Twelve Apostles and recorded in the four Gospels authorize the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom and not the Gospel of the Grace of God which was later committed to Paul; and third, the commissions given to the Twelve do not represent the last commands of Christ, since He gave all of the truth and commands for the Body of Christ Paul many years after He had commissioned the Twelve.

The fourth outstanding fact is that Paul did not work under the commission which was given to the Twelve. In Galatians 1:11, 12 he made it very clear that he received none of his information or instruction concerning the Gospel which he preached among the Gentiles from the Twelve; neither was he taught it, but he received it all by revelation of Jesus Christ. “I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me”. (Galatians 1:16 and 17). This excludes the thought that Paul had the same Gospel or the same commission as had the Twelve. After fourteen years Paul went up to Jerusalem by revelation and “Communicated unto them that gospel which I among the Gentiles” (Galatians 2:2), concerning they had been ignorant all that time. Besides this, Paul very plainly stated: “Christ sent me not to baptize” (I Corinthians 1:17). Regardless of one’s views on water baptism or of why Paul said: “I thank God I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gauis,” it must be admitted that Paul had no command to baptize in his commission for the Gentiles; and it must be equally admitted that no one who was working under the commission of the Twelve could truthfully have said: “‘Christ sent me not to baptize.” In no place does Paul instruct Gentiles to baptize or to be baptized, as contrary to his own commission. Since Paul had to be given a separate and distinct commission under which to administer his distinctive Gospel, doesn’t it seem somewhat irrational for Christians today to try to administer that same distinctive Gospel under a different commission? The case is much akin to that of the sick man who, having been given one prescription of medicine, insisted upon following the directions on the old bottle even after the doctor had changed the prescription and had given him new medicine. Every medicine has its distinctive directions for being administered, just as each of the several gospels in the Bible has its distinctive commission.

A fifth fact of significance is that the commission in Matthew 28:19, 20 endures until the end of the age. This has been thought by some to be positive proof that this commission still stands for the Church, since the age has not yet ended, but closer examination will reveal just the opposite. The age in which we live is a secret age which was parenthetically injected into the age then existing while Christ was on earth, so that the secret Church age must end before that age spoken of in the commission can be resumed and brought to its climax. Paul claimed that the present Church Dispensation was unknown to the sons of men until Christ revealed it to him. He was not saved until several years after the Twelve were commissioned, thus making it impossible for the age in the Matthew commission to mean the present secret period. The expression, “the end of the age”, is used five times in Matthew 13:39, 40; Matthew 24:3; Matthew 28:20; and is inferred in Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:6, 13, 14. The end of that age is called “the harvest” and it occurs at the end of the Great Tribulation. Now if Matthew gives the Church Commission, then it must be true that either the Church will go through the Great Tribulation, or that the Church Commission will continue in effect even after the Rapture When there is no church upon earth.

Some claim it to be absurdity to teach that Christ would give a commission to His apostles and then shortly afterwards interrupt it by revealing a new commission to go with a new dispensation, so that the original commission would have to wait for two thousand years before being fulfilled; but these same ones teach that Jesus truthfully offered Himself as a literal King to Israel just a few days before His death and then but a few days later set aside the Kingship, the earthly kingdom, and His literal earthly reign for two thousand years by giving the Great Commission. If it is absurd to teach that the Great Commission was interrupted in its fulfillment, then it is absurd to teach that the Church Age is a parenthesis interrupting the kingdom Age (which is taught by practically all pre-millenarians), which was proclaimed “at hand” while Jesus was on earth. It is all important to understand that Pentecost, instead of introducing the secret Church dispensation, ushered in the last days of that age which was to end with the Great Tribulation (Acts 2:17); so that it could be said of those Jews on Pentecost and thereafter who witnessed the miraculous signs and wonders that they “tasted the powers of the age to come” (Hebrews 6:5). The “age to come” was the Kingdom age, but because Israel fell away and crucified afresh the Son of God, it was impossible to renew them again to repentance; so God set Israel aside, and instead of the Kingdom Age being the age immediately to come, God injected this present, secret age. The Twelve, working under their commission, were preparing the people for the age to come, or the Kingdom; Paul, working under his commission, was administering a new dispensation in which God is calling out sinners saved by grace to be members of the Body of Christ.

A sixth fact must be pointed out, namely, that the commission in Mark 16:15 to 18 teaches that baptism precedes salvation. The Old Testament clearly teaches that from the circumcision of Isaac on down to the end of the book a man had to be circumcised to enjoy covenant blessing (Genesis 17:9 to 14), and upon this same basis it is taught in the Roman, Lutheran, and other churches that water baptism, as a means of grace, must precede salvation. This doctrine is denied by all preachers of the Gospel of Grace, although the majority of such preachers, in trying to defend this commission as belonging to the Church, teach that “he that believeth and is saved shall be baptized.” in spite of the fact that God said: “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” They say, “We know from Paul’s writings that water has no such power and that all God requires is faith.” Yes, this is true, and we may and should know it, but did the Apostles know it before it was revealed through Paul? What reason did they have to suppose it, when the Lord put the water before salvation? And what reason do we have to suppose it, when Peter preached on the day of Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” and when every record of water baptism in the book of Acts, with the exception of Cornelius, puts water baptism before the reception of the Holy Spirit (The last record is Acts 19:5, 6)?

Some have recognized the difficulty here and the inconsistency of such teachings about water baptism, and they say that the Lord must have meant Holy Spirit baptism, and not water. This interpretation clears them of inconsistency on this particular text, but it does not clear them on the many texts in the record of what the Apostles actually did. There is no disputing of the fact that the Samaritans believed and were baptized, but they did not receive the Holy Spirit until several days later, where the Apostles came down and laid hands on them, Acts 8:12 to 17. It must be admitted that it is impossible to assert dogmatically whether water or the Holy Spirit is meant in Mark 16:16, but it can be said dogmatically that one is inconsistent to claim that it is water and at the same time say that water has nothing to do with salvation. It is little wonder that the Romanists, Lutherans, Campbellites, Pentecostalists, and others who believe this is water, have so much difficulty in trying to understand the fundamentalists who teach that it is water, but that the water is no factor in salvation.

Those who teach the necessity of water are consistent with the Mark commission, but they are undispensational in not seeing that this commission has been superseded by another which entirely omits water baptism. Most of the ills of legalism, ceremonialism, and ritualism are due, not to antiscriptural teachings, but to undispensational application of Scripture to this dispensation. The Bible contains legalism and ceremonialism—every one will admit that; but many fail to see that all such has been done away in the present secret dispensation, and many who do see this truth make the mistake of supposing that in actual practice all of these things ceased at the Cross. The Cross is the place where these things ceased, doctrinally; but in actual practice God allowed these things to continue all during the book of Acts while He was still dealing with the nation Israel. The many thousands of Jews which believed were all zealous of the law of Moses (Acts 21:20). They, as well as Paul, were practicing ceremonialism, and there is not one word in the Bible which condemned their actions. Whereas, the Jewish believers continued in their legalism and ceremonialism, because they had been given no revelation to the contrary, it was clearly revealed that this burden should not be imposed upon Gentile believers, Acts 15:19, 28. The middle wall of partition between Jews and Gentiles (Ephesians 2:14) was broken down by the Cross of Christ, doctrinally; but the fact was not made known until after the close of the Book of Acts. During the “Acts” period the Holy Spirit set up an entirely different system of practice for Jewish and Gentile believers, and Paul and James confirm this fact in Acts 21:18 to 26. Paul took a vow to prove that he had never taught the Jews of the dispersion to forsake Moses, or circumcision, or the customs; but “as touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing.”

Impossible — Hebrews 6:4-10

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

The impossibility expressed in Hebrews 6:4 to 6, namely the impossibility of renewing certain people to repentance, has caused difficulty to almost every Christian who has read the passage. It troubles those who believe in the eternal security of the believers; for it seems to teach that some will fall away and be lost, and it troubles those who believe that salvation may be lost; for it seems to teach the impossibility of one ever being saved again after having fallen away. It is the author’s opinion that a careful examination of the text itself, along with a dispensational interpretation of the passage, will clear away all seeming difficulties.

It may be well to state first of all what the passage does not teach. It does not teach that the falling away is the result of sinful acts or immorality or indecency, but it is the result of going back to the first principles or shadows of Judaism, instead of going on to perfection in Christ who is the fulfillment and end of Judaism. Neither does the passage teach the impossibility of the grace of God availing for any sinner, no matter what his sin may have been. “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” Even under the Law God stood all the day long with outstretched hands to that disobedient and gainsaying people (Isaiah 65:2), and how much more gracious is He now in this dispensation of the grace of God. If you are unsaved, all of your sins are unforgiven, but not one is unforgiveable if you by faith receive Jesus Christ as Saviour. If you are saved, you have already been forgiven all trespasses Colossians 2:13; for Christ your substitute suffered the penalty for all of them. If you are a child of God but have left the Father’s house, as did the prodigal (Luke 15), remember that while the son was yet a great way off, the father was moved with compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. There is not a passage in the Bible which teaches that God will not receive the sinner whose heart is turned to Him, no matter how great his sin may be. Therefore, the subject of this passage is seen to be outside the category of general sinning and a renewing to repentance.

It will be helpful next to examine the text a little more critically. This is one passage which should be read in the Revised Version for greater clearness of meaning. The Authorized Version clouds the meaning by placing an “if” at, the beginning of verse six, which is not in the Greek text nor in the Revised Version, and by translating, “seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh,” instead of, “while they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh”. A very literal translation of the passage would read: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, as well as tasting of the heavenly gift and becoming partakers of Holy Spirit, both tasting the good Word of God and the miracles of the coming age, and are falling aside, to be renewing them again unto repentance while crucifying again for themselves the Son of God and putting Him to open shame.” This translation is not a private interpretation, but is in harmony with other more accurate and recognized translations. It makes one point very plain, and that is that the impossibility is not caused by one act of sin or of rejection, but by the continuation in that falling back into a religion which has been brought to an end through the death of Christ. It is impossible to renew them to repentance while they are crucifying again the Son of God. But there is nothing here nor in any other place which would indicate the impossibility of such an one being saved if he desisted from putting the Son of God to an open shame and instead turned to Him and confessed Him as Saviour. The impossibility continues only as long as the recrucifying of the Son of God continues. This should satisfy any soul who is trusting in Jesus that this passage has no reference whatsoever to themselves. But to whom does it have reference?

This passage had reference and primary application to those Hebrews who lived in the days of the apostles, when God’s dispensations were changing, when the old was decaying and vanishing away and the new was being established (Hebrews 8:13). There is no one upon earth today who could possibly exist under similar conditions; for these conditions have passed away and no longer exist. Adam lived under what is called the dispensation of Innocence and also the dispensation of Conscience; Noah lived under the dispensations of Conscience and of Human Government; Abraham lived under those of Human Government and of Promise; Moses likewise saw two dispensations, that of Promise and that of the Law added. It should not be difficult for anyone to see the impossibility of one today in this dispensation of the Grace of God living in exactly the same circumstances and in the standing before God which Adam knew in Innocence or that Moses knew under the Law, or that any one in any other dispensation past or future has known or yet will know. In like manner, the Hebrews addressed here had been born under the Law and in their lifetime they were seeing a change of Dispensation from Law to Grace. No other generation has gone or ever will go through this experience. They were adherents of Judaism and as such they were children of God in covenant relationship, and that even after they had crucified the Lord Jesus Acts 3:17, 25; Ephesians 2:11, 12, 17). It is evident that no Gentile could ever stand in this position; for all Gentiles were aliens and strangers from the covenants, and were not nigh to God, but afar off. These Hebrews who had been reared under a Divine religion which stood only in meats and drinks and divers baptisms and carnal ordinances (Hebrews 9:10), are now informed that the One who was typified by all of this religion has now come and by means of His efficacious and vicarious death He has brought an end to that religion and that its forms and ceremonies and sacrifices have no further meaning. Peter had told them at Pentecost that they crucified their Messiah in ignorance and that God was willing to forgive them and to send Jesus back to them if they would only repent (Acts 3:17 to 21), but Paul tells them in Hebrews 6:4 that they are no longer in ignorance, but have been enlightened by the Holy Spirit, and that to again reject the Son of God after His resurrection and the manifestation of the powers of the Millennial Age, was to recrucify for themselves the Son of God and to make impossible their salvation. These people had crucified Him once, and now there was the danger that they would by their action crucify Him again. It would be impossible for any today to recrucify Him in that sense; for none such had part in His first crucifixion. We may crucify Him by rejecting Him, but we cannot re-crucify Him, as could these Hebrews.

The true meaning of the passage can be found only by considering it in the light of its context (Hebrews 5:11 through Hebrews 6:9), as well as in the light of the entire epistle and its relationship to the other epistles of the New Testament Scripture. “The first principles of the oracles of God” (Hebrews 5:12) are synonymous with “the principles of the doctrine of Christ” (Hebrews 6:1). These principles or rudiments were the foundations of Judaism. These Hebrews should have known that all of their religion was typical and emblematic of a Reality which was yet to come, but they didn’t, and the Apostle said that they needed a teacher to instruct them in these things which concerned infanthood. Being instructed concerning these things in this epistle, they are told to leave behind (same word translated “forgive, send away, neglect”, etc.) these first principles and to go on to perfection (or to maturity; the same word translated “full age” in Hebrews 5:14). Judaism was the kindergarten, but Christ was and is the University for those of full age. If a university graduate should go back to kindergarten, he would by that act be making void all that he had acquired in college; and just so for one to return to religion after being enlightened concerning the crucified and resurrected Christ, was to make Christ of none effect. The kindergarten had its place once, but there, is no place for it now that Christ has come. These Hebrews had now come to a place of crisis. The book of Hebrews makes it to be another and a greater Kadesh-barnea (Hebrews 3:7 to 19). They had to choose whether they would go on with Christ or go back to their religion. The former involved going forth unto Jesus outside the camp, bearing His reproach (Hebrews 13:13), the leaving behind of the ceremonies and ordinances of their religion, and the desertion of their magnificent temple; the latter resulted in crucifying afresh the Son of God, putting Him to an open shame. Those who fell in the latter class were like the land which drank in rain from heaven but brought forth thorns and thistles, being rejected and nigh to cursing.

Considered in the light of the entire New Testament Scripture it is interesting to notice that Hebrews 6:4 and 5 refers to the Pentecostal experience. The whole nation was enlightened and made to taste of the heavenly gift, as Israel of old tasted of the good fruit of the land which the spies brought back (Numbers 13:25 to 27), they were made partakers of Holy Spirit (the name so used without the definite article usually refers to powerful manifestation of the Person of the Spirit, but not to the Spirit Himself), and they tasted of the powers of the age to come. It is noteworthy here to understand that the miracles of the Pentecostal era were manifestations of the powers of the age to come (i.e., the Millennium), and not a means of establishing the Body of Christ in the world, as is so often taught. To reject this testimony of the Holy Spirit was to sin against the Holy Spirit. They had sinned against the Son of Man in crucifying Him, but that had been forgiven them (Luke 23:34). Now they were sinning against the Holy Spirit, and in so doing they were re-crucifying the Son of God, and there was no forgiveness possible for that sin (Luke 12:10); for in that sin they had rejected the once for all sacrifice for sins which Christ had made, and there remained no more a sacrifice for sins (Hebrews 10:28). There is only one sin that the death of Christ cannot cover, and that is the sin of re-crucifying Him, and thus making void the once for all sacrifice for sins. The nation of Israel committed this sin all during the period of the book of Acts, and forty years after Pentecost God destroyed their city, their temple and their religion.

The Apostle Paul is proof that one may commit the unpardonable sin, and yet be pardoned. His own testimony concerning himself was: “Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious” (I Timothy 1:13). It was the Holy Spirit who was witnessing to the resurrection of Christ in the Acts period, and Saul was blaspheming against the Holy Spirit. This constituted the unpardonable sin, and the re-crucifying of the Son of God. But God’s grace found this blaspheming Saul, the chief of sinners (I Timothy 1:14, 15), and not only saved him, but made him the greatest apostle and exponent of the grace of God that the world has ever known. Paul’s experience does not contradict the fact of an unpardonable sin, but shows that sin to be that of continuing to crucify afresh the Son of God, and the while one is doing that it is impossible to renew him to repentance. Saul ceased and was saved. Likewise, it is impossible today for sinners to be saved the while they reject the Son of God, but if they cease they may be saved.

The Second Coming of Christ

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

When will it take place? Will we be here when it happens? Will there be signs or indications of its nearness? How will it affect the Church? What will happen to Israel? How about the other nations? These and many other such questions which might be asked can be rightly answered only insofar as a clear distinction is maintained between two great future events which are both concerned with the Second Coming of Christ. The purpose of this article, therefore, will not be merely to talk about the Second Coming, about which most Fundamentalists have a general knowledge, but to set forth clearly and concisely the distinctions (between Christ’s coming for His Body which is the Church, and His coming back to earth to establish the Millennial Kingdom. After this has been done it will be seen why there is so much confusion and fantastic teaching abroad today upon this subject.

The first prophecy spoken by man was: “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints” (Jude 1:14, 15). The last message of the Bible is: “Surely I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20). Between the two covers of the Bible it will be found that this doctrine occupies a larger part of the text than any other, and that it is the major burden of prophecy. It is the clear teaching of prophecy that Jesus Christ will return to this earth personally, just as literally as He left this earth (Zechariah 14:4; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30; Matthew 25:31; Revelation 19:11 to 16). It is equally clear that this second advent will be immediately after the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:29), and immediately prior to the establishment of the Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 19:20). This second advent is the subject of all of the Old Testament prophecy, of the Gospel accounts, of the Acts and of the Revelation. It has no direct relationship with the Church which is Christ’s Body of which all of the redeemed of this dispensation are members. Since the Church as well as the present dispensation were both Divine secrets until revealed through the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:1 to 9; Colossians 1:25 and 26), it follows of necessity that none of the prophecy given before Paul’s time could possibly refer to the Church. Therefore, none of the references to a future coming of Christ outside of the Pauline Epistles apply to the Church. Only those epistles which set forth distinctive Church truth will be found to contain distinctive truth concerning Christ’s coming for the Church. It would be just a useless to try to find the account of the recent World War in a history book written in the nineteenth century, as to try to find the account of the Church in the Old Testament, or even in the Gospels. Just as the Church itself was a hidden mystery from ages past, so also was the truth concerning the rapture of that Church (I Corinthians 15:51 and 52). The mystery here stated is not that Christ will come again, or that there will be a resurrection, but that the bodies of the living saints are to be changed into immortal ones at the same time that the dead in Christ are to be raised in incorruption, and both together caught, up to be with the Lord, not left here for the Kingdom (Philippians 3:20 and 21). See the article: “The Saviour Out of Heaven” in June, 1936 Issue, Bible Study for Bereans; I Thessalonians 4:13 to 18.

The following distinctions should make evident the above affirmations, as well as clarify these great and important doctrines. Since the one concerns the Church and the other the Kingdom, these titles will be used to carry out the distinctions.

1. CHURCH: No political signs are given to forecast the rapture of the Church, although certain spiritual conditions are foretold which will characterize the last days of the Church (II Timothy 3:1 to 9; II Timothy 4:3 and 4).

KINGDOM: Political signs as well as phenomena in nature will immediately precede His coming back to earth (Matthew 24:3 to 44; Joel 2:10, 30, 31; Zephaniah 14:4 to 8; Daniel 7:7 to 28; Revelation 13:14). Some of these signs seem to be already in preparation, but they will not come into open manifestation and fulfillment until the present dispensation of the mystery is completed.

2. CHURCH: No prophecy remains to be fulfilled, so that this event might happen at any moment.

KINGDOM: Much prophecy in regard to political set-ups, to the nation of Israel, and to the seven years of tribulation must first be fulfilled before this event, so that it would be impossible for it to happen during the next seven years.

3. CHURCH: Designated as the Day of Christ, which will be a day of reward and consummation of our salvation (Philippians 1:6, 10; Philippians 2:16; I Corinthians 1:8; II Corinthians 1:14).

KINGDOM: Designated as the Day of the Lord, which will be first of all a day of judgment to be followed by the establishment of the Kingdom (Isaiah 13:9 to 16; Isaiah 24:21 to 23; Isaiah 26:20 and 21; Isaiah 34:1 to 35:10; Ezekiel 30:3; Joel 1:15; Joel 2:1 to 11; Amos 5:16 to 20; Obadiah 1:15 to 21; Zephaniah 1:14 to 18; Zephaniah 14:1 to 21; Malachi 4:1 to 6; Matthew 25:31 to 46; Acts 2:19 to 21; I Thessalonians 5:1 to 3; II Thessalonians 2:1 to 8; (R.V.).

4: CHURCH: Affects only the members of the Body of Christ: the living and the dead in Christ. Unbelievers of Israel and of the Gentiles unaffected.

KINGDOM: Affects all nations, breaking in pieces Gentile powers and judging and establishing Israel as the Head nation (Daniel 2:44 and 45; Deuteronomy 28:13). The Church will be unaffected by it, since it will be with the Lord.

5. CHURCH: Involves an “out-resurrection from the dead”, which appears to precede the first resurrection (Philippians 3:11), and the rapture.

KINGDOM: Involves the first resurrection which occurs at the close of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 20:4 to 6), and no rapture. This resurrection is first in the sense that it comes a thousand years before the final resurrection. These two resurrections are the subjects of prophecy, called elsewhere the resurrection of the just and of the unjust (Acts 24:15; John 5:28 and 29). Since the Church is a secret, its resurrection is a secret one preceding the first resurrection of prophecy, being an “out resurrection from the dead”, signifying that only one cohort of the righteous dead will there be raised, namely the Body of Christ.

6. CHURCH: The material creation with its curse will remain unchanged after the Church is taken out. KINGDOM: The curse will be removed and creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption (Isaiah 11:6 to 9; Romans 8:21).

7. CHURCH: Christ’s coming for His Church is in no way related to the fulfillment of any covenant, unless God’s promises to the Church be considered in the sense of a one sided covenant, which the Scripture nowhere calls them.

KINGDOM: Christ’s coming back to earth will result in the fulfillment of all of the covenants. These covenants were all made with the nation Israel (Romans 9:4; Ephesians 2:12), and will be fulfilled to that nation. They include the Abrahamic, the Davidic, and the New Covenants.

While we are called the children of Abraham and the seed of Abraham (Galatians 3:29; Romans 4:11), it must be understood that these relations exist only in the fact that we are justified as Abraham was, by faith apart from the deeds of the Law, and that through a Saviour Who is Himself Abraham’s Seed (Galatians 3:16), and that we as members of the Body of Christ have no relation to the Abrahamic Covenant which is called the Covenant of Circumcision in Acts 7:8. This covenant has to do with that great nation which God promised to make of Abraham, namely Israel, and with the land which it should possess (Genesis 12:2; Genesis 15:18 to 21). These promises could not refer to the Church; for it is not a great nation, neither is its citizenship upon this earth. Up to this time this covenant has not been fulfilled, but it will be when Christ comes back to earth (Deuteronomy 30:3 to 5).

The Davidic Covenant promised an everlasting kingdom to Israel upon this earth, with a King to sit upon the throne. (II Samuel 7). Israel has been without a king for about twenty-five hundred years (Hosea 3:4), but this covenant will not go forever unfulfilled. Jesus Christ was born to take the throne of David (Luke 1:32), but He was rejected and crucified. However, God raised Him from the dead to sit upon that same throne of David (Acts 2:30), but Peter makes it plain to the children of the covenants that He can not sit upon that throne so long as the heavens retain Him (Acts 3:19 to 26). Christ is not a King today sitting upon the throne of David; He is seated upon His Father’s throne awaiting the time that His enemies will be made His footstool (Hebrews 1:13; Hebrews 10:13). That will occur when He comes out of heaven as King of kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation 9:11 to 16.

The New Covenant was made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (Jeremiah 31:31). As sinners saved by the blood of Jesus, we enjoy the spiritual benefits of that Covenant, being blessed with all spiritual blessings, but it can in no sense be said that this covenant has been fulfilled with the parties with which it was made. The New Covenant guarantees the conversion of the whole nation of Israel, but we are plainly told that in this present dispensation Israel is an enemy concerning the Gospel. “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers: sakes” (Romans 11:26 to 28). Plainly then, this new Covenant cannot be fulfilled until the Deliverer comes out of Sion at some future date. This coming will be Christ’s Second Coming, and, at that time, not by some long and tedious process of the working of the gospel leaven, but instantaneously, the nation of Israel shall be born (Isaiah 66:8). Thus God will fulfill all of these great covenants with His earthly people at the Second Coming of Christ. But before any one of them is fulfilled, we as members of the Body of Christ, will be with Christ, rewarded and blessed with all those blessings which He promised us in Christ before the world began (Ephesians 1:3 and 4).

Is Physical Healing Provided in the Atonement?

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

Every true Christian believes that spiritual healing, salvation of the soul from sin, is to be found only in the death of Christ, but there is disagreement as to whether His death is supposed to provide physical health also for the believer. Some teach that Christ bore our sicknesses upon the Cross as well as our sins, and that it is therefore as much the will of God that we be healed of sickness as to be saved from sin. Since salvation is received through faith, healing must come in the same manner, and if one is not healed it proves he doesn’t have faith. If the premise of this argument is true, i. e. that Christ died for our sickness and that God is not willing that any should be sick, then the above conclusion logically follows; but we ask: Is the premise true?

This teaching is based upon Matthew 8:17: “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” a quotation from Isaiah 53:4. But the all important thing to see is that Jesus fulfilled this scripture three years before His death. He was bearing their sicknesses all during His earthly ministry, but He never bore any one’s sins until He died upon the tree. Since the Bible declares that He fulfilled the work of bearing sicknesses before Has death, any teaching is proved false which claims He fulfilled that work in His death.

The second important fact is found in the word “bare”. Peter tells us that Christ “bare our sins in his own body on the tree.” This word is “anaphero” in the Greek, and means to bring to the altar or to offer a sacrifice. It is used in Hebrews 9:28: “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many”; and most significantly the translators of the Septuagint chose this word in Isaiah 53:12: “and he bare the sins of many.” But there is an entirely different word used regarding the bearing of sickness in Matthew 8:17. It is “bastazo” and means to lift or to carry or to endure. It is never used of bearing sins. This is the same word John the Baptist used in Matthew 3:11: “whose shoes I am not worthy to bear.” Paul used it in Galatians 6:2: “bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Paul asked Christians to do in Romans 15:1 exactly what Christ did: “bear the infirmities (or sicknesses) of the weak,” but he never told any Christian to bear the sins of another. And again, most significantly the Septuagint uses this same word in Isaiah 53:4: “surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.” Thus Christ bore sicknesses in an altogether different sense from which He bore sins.

The third fact is based upon logic. If healing is in the atonement to the same extent as salvation, then one possesses salvation to the extent he enjoys physical health. But since all Christians in the past have died, and mostly from disease, this would prove that all had lost salvation; for all surely lost health.

Fourthly, Paul, the model Christian, gloried in his infirmities (II Corinthians 11:30; II Corinthians 12:9 and 10—this word means sickness, the same word as used in Matthew 8:17). If sickness is contrary to the will of God, then Paul gloried in being out of the will of God, and it was the grace of God which taught him to do it.

Fifthly, this teaching denies such scriptures as Romans 8:23: “but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” Yes, praise God, our salvation includes a body as perfect as Christ’s own glorious body, but none will receive it until the resurrection for which we wait.

Lastly, let it be noticed that God promised health to Israel along with other temporal blessings. He revealed Himself as Jehovah-Ropheca, the Lord that healeth thee (Exodus 15:26). See also Deuteronomy 28:1 to 14. But not one of these promises can be found directed to the Body of Christ, but often just the opposite. God not only promised to heal but to make rich (Deuteronomy 28:11 and 12). Therefore if you are not rich it is just as much a sign of unfaithfulness as if you are sick.

Surely we believe that God hears and answers prayer for the sick, but plain scripture forbids us to believe that healing is in the atonement or that sickness brands one as unfaithful or disobedient.

The Deity of Jesus Christ

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

Having seen the necessity for the Virgin Birth, it will be our purpose now to show the necessity and the proof for the Deity of Jesus Christ. The Modernist speaks of the divinity of Christ, but he also speaks of the divinity of all men; so that Jesus was no different in nature from other men: He merely realized more of the Divine in Himself than others have done, and there is the possibility that others will yet arise who will utilize the divine in themselves more than Jesus did. Such teaching exalts man but debases God. By ascribing Deity to Jesus Christ we mean just the opposite: Jesus Christ is the eternal Creator, who, though He became man, yet was different in essence from every created being in the universe.

The one great necessity for the Deity of Jesus Christ is seen in the scriptural doctrine of salvation. Because the Modernist denies the former, he must denounce the latter. He argues that salvation based upon the substitutionary death of an innocent man is unethical. It would be unjust for God to demand the death of a good man in order that a bad man might be saved. We absolutely agree with this, if that good man be not God Himself manifested in human flesh. It would not be right for God to take any good or innocent created being and cause that one to die for a bad one; neither could there be any virtue or value in such a death. Surely no man could ever redeem his brother (Psalm 49:7), neither could any angel redeem man. Jesus was not merely a third party who stepped forward to pay our fine. He was the very God against whom we have sinned and to whom we are responsible. Let us illustrate. Suppose you owe me a debt of five hundred dollars, but you haven’t a cent with which to pay (see Luke 7:41 to 50). Now if a third party gives you, that amount and you pay it to me it can in no sense be said that I forgave you the debt; for I received my money in full. But suppose the debt was so large that no one could pay it for you. This is the intended meaning in the story of Matthew 18:21 to 35, where the debt of 10,- 000 talents (over 300 million dollars) represents our debt to God because of sin, and that of 100 pence (15 dollars) represents our debt to our fellow man. You owe me this enormous debt, but you have not a cent to pay, neither can any one else pay it for you. Now suppose I freely forgave you that debt. Who paid it? Did not I? for I suffered the loss in forgiving you. Just so in all true forgiveness, the one who forgives suffers the loss of that which is forgiven. This is also true in the case of God. The debt of man’s sin was too great for man ever to pay; so God in His mercy and grace paid the debt Himself by becoming a Man in order that He might die the death which sin demanded. Thus Jesus Christ is either God and the scriptural doctrine of salvation is perfectly ethical, or else Jesus was a mere man and the scriptural salvation is extremely unethical.

Scriptural proofs of Christ’s Deity are so abounding as to be beyond the scope of this brief message. Suffice it to say that He is called God (Hebrews 1:8; Matthew 22:44); He claimed to be God (I AM or Jehovah—John 8:24, 56 58, 59; equal with the Father—Matthew 28:19; Mark 14:62; John 10:30, 31, 32; John 14:8, 9; John 17:5; exercised God’s prerogative—Mark 2:5 to 7; Luke 7:48 to 50; omnipresent—Matthew 18:20, omniscient—John 11:11 to 14; Mark 11:6 to 8 omnipotent—Matthew 28:18; Luke 7:14; John 5:21 to 23; John 6:19; divine power over nature—Luke 9:16, 17; John 2:9; John 21:6; Luke 8:24; received human worship due only to God—Matthew 14:33; Matthew 28:9; John 9:38; Matthew 20:28, 29; arose from the dead— Romans 1:4); all of the Bible writers ascribe Deity to Him—Micah 5:2; Isaiah 7:14; Psalm 2:2 to 9; Psalm 45:6, 7; Psalm 110:1, 4; John 1:1, 3, 10; John 20:31; Acts 20:28; Acts 2:36; Romans 9:5; I Corinthians 15:47; Galatians 4:4; Philippians 2:6; Colossians 1:15 to 19; I Timothy 6:15, 16; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 7:3; James 2:1; II Peter 1:17; Revelation 1:8, 17, 18; Revelation 19:16.

Some who claim to believe the Bible teach that because Jesus is called the “only begotten Son” or the “first begotten” that He was born or created of God as the first of His creation and then all else was created by Christ. If Christ be but the greatest of creatures, then all of the above scriptures are in error. Such passages as John 1:14, 18; John 3:16, 18; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5 I John 4:9; Revelation 1:5; Matthew 1:25; Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18 do not teach that the Son of God came into existence at some point in time, but refer to His position in the Godhead, His humanity, and His resurrection, cf. Hebrews 1:5 and Acts 13:33. The fact that “all things were created by Him” (Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3), excludes the thought that He Himself was created. We bow our knees at the name of Jesus, and confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father; as every one must some day bow and confess Him either as Saviour or Judge (Philippians 2:10, 11).

The Savior Out of Heaven

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

“No one hath ascended into heaven, but (except) he that descended out of heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven” (John 3:13). The entire New Testament bears record to the fact that the Son of God found it necessary to come out of heaven in order to become the Saviour of the world. “The second man is the Lord out of heaven” (I Corinthians 15:47). The preposition “ek” meaning “out of”, often translated “of, from”, proves conclusively that Christ came out of heaven once to die a redeeming death, and although now in heaven, will come out of heaven again. Most Christians profess to believe in His first coming out of heaven, but are ignorant of or deny the fact that He will come again, although the entire New Testament with the exception of three books, Philemon, 2nd and 3rd John, bears witness to the fact and in the same language which describes His first coming. No doubt fanatical date-setters have spoiled this glorious truth for most Christians, but such cannot alter the infallible Word of God. The whole philosophy of Christianity is hopeless and pessimistic apart from it; for the Bible no where holds out hope of immortality and resurrection apart from it, and if it will never occur, then Christians are of all men most to be pitied (I Corinthians 15:23, 19). A failing and powerless Christendom surely presents to the world a defeated God, when it throws away the hope of Christ’s coming with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30).

Every true Christian has been made conformable with Christ’s death (Philippians 3:10), i. e., has been crucified with Him (Galatians 2:20; Romans 6:6; Colossians 3:3) for the penalty of sin, and has been given the hope of having his body of humiliation made conformable with Christ’s body of glory Philippians 3:21). This redemption of the body (Romans 8:23) is to be realized when Christ next comes out of heaven. We have already received everlasting life, the salvation of our souls, but we await the salvation of our bodies. Those who spiritualize or misplace this resurrection err and overthrow the faith of some (II Timothy 2:18). This will not be a general resurrection; for it is called an “ek (out) resurrection ek (out of) dead ones” (Philippians 3:11), signifying that some of the dead will remain in the grave after this takes place. It would seem to include only the Body of Christ. Paul had the hope of attaining to this out resurrection, not by meritorious effort; for the word “attain” here merely means to come to or arrive at, as is seen from its usage in Acts 26:7 “come”; Acts 25:13 “came unto”; I Corinthians 10:11 “come”; towards which he pressed (Philippians 3:12, 14).

Some teach that the Body of Christ began after God set Israel aside in Acts 28:28, and therefore the hope of resurrection in I Corinthians 15:51, 52; I Thessalonians 4:13 to 17 (given before Acts 28) is not for the Body of Christ. They say our hope is found in Philippians 3:11, 14, 20, 21 and Colossians 3 :4, and claim that these passages teach that our Lord is not coming out of heaven as in I Thessalonians 4, but that we will be called up on high, to meet Christ, not in the air, but in heaven. This theory seems to be contradicted, however, by the very scripture they use. Philippians 3:20 reads: “For our citizenship is in Heaven, from whence (ek ou—out of which, i. e., out of heaven) also we look for (or eagerly await—same word used in Romans 8:19, 23, 25; I Corinthians 1:7; Hebrews 9:28) the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is exactly what the Thessalonians were doing: they were “waiting, for His Son from (ek—out of) heaven” (I Thessalonians 1:10). Christ is now in heaven; we are to wait for Him out of heaven He must descend from heaven as in I Thessalonians 4:16 before Philippians 3:20, 21 can be realized. The day in which the Corinthians and Thessalonian event is to be realized is called “the day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 1:8), and the one in which the Philippian hope is to be realized is called “the day of Jesus Christ” and the “day of Christ” (Philippians 1:6; Philippians 2:16). If these are two separate events, then language seems useless in making the distinction. We must, of course, recognize the distinction between His two comings or parousias; for there will first be a parousia or coming “for His saints” (I Thessalonians 4:15; II Thessalonians 2:1) in which the Church takes part; and then there will be the parousia “with His saints” (I Thessalonians 3:13). The former is called a Mystery (I Corinthians 15:51); the latter is the subject of prophecy and not a mystery, being the Second Coming of Christ back to the earth. Our hope is not to die and go to be with Christ in heaven, but to be caught up with Him when He next comes out of heaven, and to ever be with Him where ever He is.

Part 3: The Great Commission

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

An intelligent grasp of the facts thus far given would make it very difficult, if not impossible, for one to accept without reservation the statement that the so-called “Great Commission” stands unaltered as the marching orders for the Body of Christ today. If the writer believed that it was God’s will in this dispensation of the mystery to make disciples of all nations by preaching to them the kingdom gospel, to baptize them in water for the remission of sins, to heal the sick, to speak with tongues, and to work miracles, he would be among the first to undertake that program. But if God has revealed that this program has been temporarily interrupted by a new, secret dispensation, then he would be the last to want to frustrate God’s purposes by mixing the old and the new. In order to further ascertain the real meaning of this commission, the following question will be considered: “Was the commission of Matthew 28:19, 20 ever carried out by the Twelve?”

They were commissioned to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, but according to the Bible record they never obeyed this command, but instead baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:38; Acts 8:16; Acts 10:48; Acts 19:5). From the practice of the apostles they evidently understood that they were not supposed to obey this commission.

As touching the discipling of all nations, there is no record of any nation ever having been made a disciple. Christians for centuries have understood this expression to mean the conversion of nations, not merely making disciples of some out of all nations. For this reason missionaries have tried to claim China or Africa for Christ, and while this is a noble aspiration the Bible clearly teaches that no nation will be thus won for Christ until Christ Himself returns to the earth. Until His return our Lord told His Apostles that they would be hated of all nations for His sake (Matthew 24:9), thus making it impossible for even one nation to be won for Christ until His return; that the Jews would be led away captive into all nations until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled (Luke 21:24); that when He came the second time, all nations should be gathered before Him in judgment (Matthew 25:32); and that they were to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). With these facts in mind it should be plain that discipling all nations would be an impossibility as long as all nations were at enmity, but after their judgment at Christ’s coming it would be a possibility and an accomplished fact.

Upon the day of Pentecost there were Jews out of all nations in Jerusalem who heard the message (Acts 2:5), and several years later there were scattered abroad many Jewish believers who went everywhere preaching to none but unto the Jews only (Acts 11:19); and then seven or eight years after Pentecost Peter was given a special revelation to preach to a God-fearing Gentile household; but so far as God has given us record, none of the Twelve ministered to any other Gentile during the period of the Acts. The Twelve made no attempt to disciple all nations, but Paul, whom we have before proved did not labor under the Great Commission, tells us: “by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for his name (Romans 1:5), and “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 is now 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” (Romans 16:25 and 26); and also “Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and, strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear” (II Timothy 4:17). Paul was not fulfilling the Great Commission; he was not discipling all nations; but he had a world-wide commission to preach to all nations and he fulfilled it. Thus it may be seen that the Kingdom and the Body commissions are both worldwide in scope, but they differ in content of message.It is not necessary to go to the Great Commission for a universal appeal: Paul’s writings are full of that.

As to teaching all things which Jesus commanded while He was on earth, it is significant that Paul nowhere instructs believers to do so, but instead gives the commands of the ascended Christ. Paul refers to the birth and the death of Christ, but to nothing in between. The Kingdom teachings are not for the Body of Christ; hence Paul says: “yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him so no more” (II Corinthians 5:16). Christ was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4), and His earthly teachings were the intensification of the law (Matthew 7:12), but if any thing is plain it is that the believer today is not under the law. The rule of Law will be resumed in the Kingdom, when Christ shall rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 12:5).

Having seen that the commission in Matthew has never been fulfilled and cannot be until Christ returns, the commission in Mark 16:15 to 18 must likewise be examined “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel in or to the whole creation” (R.V.), is the first command. This commission seems to have been interrupted before it was completed, for there is no record in the Bible of the Twelve going into all the world. Instead they stayed at Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), but the peculiar fact is that the believers who were scattered preached only to Jews. Even more peculiar is the fact that about seven years after this command was given, God had to give a special revelation to Peter that he could now go to a Gentile. Peter, in justifying his action which up to that time had been unlawful (Acts 10:28), told of his vision but made no reference to this command. Surely if Jesus had given the apostles authority to go to the Gentiles, Peter would never have been called on the carpet for his action; and if he had been, he would have made use of this commission as the chief point in his argument. Evidently most Christians today make this commission mean something entirely different from what the Twelve understood it to be. Of course, they could not go into all the world at once; for they were instructed in Acts 1:8 to cover Jerusalem first, then all Judea, then Samaria, and finally the uttermost parts. Whether or not Christ so meant it, it seems that the Apostles understood that they were supposed to get all Israel saved before the Gentiles could hear. At least this is what Christ had taught them in dealing with the Syro-Phenician woman: “Let the children (Israel) first be filled” (Mark 7:27). “It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the-dogs (Gentiles)”. Not only had Jesus taught this, but every Old Testament prophet is in accord with it. The prophets spoke much of Gentile salvation, but none gave the slightest intimation that Gentiles would be blessed before Israel as a nation was first saved and blessed. It was only “after this” that all the Gentiles were to call upon the name of the Lord (Acts 15:16 and 17). Gentile salvation because of Israel’s blindness and fall, instead of through Israel’s salvation and blessing, is a part of the Mystery which was committed to Paul (Romans 11:11 and 25).

The program of “filling the children first” began on the day of Pentecost. Peter said to Israel, “Ye are the children—unto you first God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you” (Acts 3:25 and 26). Paul likewise began his ministry in this way: “children—It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you”. (Acts 13:26, 33 and 46). Paul then turned to the Gentiles, not because the Great Commission said to do so, but because Israel judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life. Peter had said on Pentecost: “the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off”. (Acts 2:39), but Daniel 9:7 makes it clear that Gentiles are not meant: “unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither Thou has driven them.” This program of going into all the world with the Kingdom Gospel was begun, but never finished because it was interrupted by the ministry of Paul. It will again be resumed before the end of the age (Matthew 24:14).

The second command is: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned.” This statement was developed quite fully under point six in last month’s installment. (Suffice it here to say the Acts gives record of this order being carried out. The Twelve baptized with water for the remission of sins, not as a testimony that the baptized had been saved by receiving the Holy Spirit, but in order that they might receive the Spirit (Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12 to 17; Acts 19:5 and 6; Acts 22:16). Circumcision never saved any one, but under the old dispensation it was impossible to be saved apart from it (Genesis 17:10 to14). Water baptism never saved any one, but according to the Mark commission and the practice of to Twelve, it was a necessary act of obedience and a factor in salvation and receiving the Holy Spirit. This is one of the great differences between the Gospel of the Circumcision and Paul’s Gospel of the Uncircumcision, which carried no command to baptize (I Corinthians 1:17). The third section of this Mark commission deals with the signs which were to follow them that believe. Casting out demons, speaking with tongues, working miracles, and healing the sick, is a record of the Acts in a nut-shell. These signs were given because the Jews require a sign (I Corinthians 1:22) and God was dealing with the Jew first. Paul made it plain, however, that these signs were to pass away as soon, as the revelation of the “perfect man” was come (I Corinthians 13:8 to 11). That which was perfect came after Israel was set aside Israel was set aside at the close of the Acts, and the two distinctive orders for believing Jews and believing Gentiles (Acts 21:20 to 25) gave place to the one order during the Dispensation of the Mystery (Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:25 and 26).

It thus appears that the Twelve Apostles did undertake to carry out the commission as given in Mark 16; Luke 24; and Acts 1; but they did not undertake that of Matthew 28. Paul in his Gentile ministry never labored under any of these. Since it has been shown that the so-called Great Commission is not for the Body of Christ, it must now be explained just what is the commission for the Church. God willing, this subject will be covered in the last of this series to appear next month.

Part 1: The Great Commission

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

It should be the fervent desire of every child of God to be obedient to every one of God’s commands. Wherever and whenever there is a shunning or refusal to be obedient, it is a sure sign of unspirituality. It will be our purpose in studying the Great Commission not to ask whether we should obey God’s commands, but to find out whether or not God is asking members of the Body of Christ today to carry out this commission. This question is not raised in order that we might find excuse to shirk our God-given duty, but is asked in order that we might be in a position to be obedient.

It is not only hopeless to try to obey all of the commands of the Bible, but it is outright disobedience for Christians today to obey some of God’s commands given in the Bible. He commanded His children to stone to death the Sabbath-breaker, but such action would be murder today. Whereas He commanded many things to be done by Abraham and Moses and the children of Israel during the Old Testament and even down to the close of the Book of Acts, He likewise commanded that “the Gentiles observe no such thing.” (Acts 21:25). He commanded man, before the Flood, to eat only herbs; then He gave to Noah to eat of every living thing that moveth for his meat; later on He limited the meats of the children of Israel and strictly forbade some animals of which Noah had freely eaten; and finally, through the Apostle Paul, He classifies any such command to abstain from eating any meat along with the doctrine of demons.

When a sinner’s heart is convicted of sin and of everlasting judgment and there comes the desire to be saved, it is surely necessary to know which command of the Bible to follow. Should he strive to enter in at the strait gate (Luke 13:24)? Or should he be given the rich young ruler’s, answer in Matthew 19:17 “But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the (ten) commandments?” Or should he obey Paul’s command to the Philippian jailer: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved?” And if he did, would his whole house be saved? Should he be circumcised according to the command in Genesis 17:10 to 14, or should he be baptized for the remission of sins according to Luke 3:3; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38? Then should he be obedient to Christ’s command in Matthew 10:5: “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel”? Should he “provide neither gold nor silver, nor brass in his purse, nor script for his journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves,” in obedience to Matthew 10:9 and 10; or obey the command of the same Jesus in Luke 22:36: “He that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his script: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one”? Should he go forth and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and raise the dead according to Matthew 10:7 and 8, or should he preach the Gospel of the Grace of God? If he baptizes others, should he do it in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as commanded in Matthew 28:19, or follow the example of the Apostles and do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, Acts 10:48; Acts 8:16; Acts 19:5? Then should he lay hands on those baptized in order that they might receive the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:38; Acts 8:14 to 17; Acts 19:6, or should he be sure they have the Holy Spirit before he baptizes them according to good Baptist doctrine?

It should be evident that one is either speaking ignorantly or foolishly who professes to be obeying every command of the Bible and this much has been said in introduction in order that the need might be seen for a clear understanding as to whether or not the so-called “Great Commission” stands today, unabridged, unaltered, as the supreme and final command to the Church which is His Body, or whether the Scripture reveals that another commission has been given to supersede this one. Volumes might be written to show the confusion which exists amongst Bible expositors, especially amongst pre-millenarians, on this subject, but such would tend only to bring confusion and prejudice, and would in no way help to give the Scriptural answer.

In asking the question: Is the Great Commission the supreme and final instruction for the Body of Christ today? much simplification of the problem will result from taking into consideration the following facts:

First: It is important to see that there was not ONE commission, but several, given by the resurrected Christ to His Apostles. The first was given to the Ten on the evening of the resurrection day in Jerusalem, and is recorded in John 20:19 to 23. The Apostles were given the Holy Spirit and the authority to forgive and to retain sins. The second commission was given to the Eleven as they sat at meat (Mark 16:14 to 18): “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe”. The third was given on a mountain in Galilee where Jesus had appointed them (Matthew 28:16 to 20): “Go ye therefore, and disciple all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things which I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age.” The fourth was given immediately preceding the Ascension and is recorded in Luke 24:46 to 48 and Acts 1:8 and 9. The Apostles were to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father: power from on high, or baptism with the Holy Spirit; and then were to be witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. It must now be decided just what is the “Great Commission”. Is it one of these separate commissions, and if so, which one? Or should all be fitted together to make one Great Commission? This latter would surely be contrary to intelligent exegesis, and to make one commission greater than another is to make a discrimination which God has not made. The Apostles no doubt were made to understand the place and purpose of each of these commissions, and it is our purpose to do likewise by God’s help.

Second: It is important to recognize that the Gospel commissions authorize the preaching of the Kingdom Gospel, and not the Gospel of the Grace of God which was committed to Paul for the Gentiles. This fact alone is one of the most conclusive and convincing evidences that these commissions do not stand unaltered today as the orders for the Body of Christ. A careful study of the Scripture will show that the only Gospel preached from John the Baptist to the call of Paul in Acts 13 was the Kingdom Gospel. It was several years after the Gospel commissions were given that Paul was saved and that there was given to him by revelation from the ascended Christ the message of the Grace of Christ (Galatians 1:6, 11, 12) which Paul called “my Gospel” (Romans 16:25), or the Gospel of the uncircumcision in contrast with the Gospel of the circumcision which the Twelve Apostles were authorized to preach by the Gospel Commissions. If Christ gave another Gospel to be preached after He gave the so-called Great Commission, does it not appear rather peculiar to insist upon ministering the new gospel under the old commission? Since Paul’s Gospel was for the Gentiles and the Twelve’s for the Jews (true it was given to Cornelius but Peter says it was the same message which God sent to the children of Israel: Acts 10:36), and since to Paul was committed the revelation of the Body of Christ and the Dispensation of the Mystery, it is only common sense that as members of the Body of Christ we should preach Paul’s Gospel under the distinctive orders of that message. A great deal of confusion exists today, even in the ranks of Fundamentalism, because of the mixing of these two Gospels in ministering to Gentile sinners and saints. When we mix that which God has kept apart, confusion is bound to result. It is as much error to read into Mark 16:15: Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel of the Grace of God; as to read into Exodus 24:12: Come up to me in the mount, and be there and I will give thee the Gospel of the Grace of God. Peter five or ten years before Paul’s revelation, didn’t know any more about the Body of Christ or the Gospel of Grace, than Moses did fifteen hundred years before that.

Third: The Gospel Commissions do not represent the last commands of Christ. Some, in defending these commissions as our orders for today, state that they are being obedient to the last commands which Jesus Christ left, and that all who do not follow these orders are denying His last requests. This argument is designed to appeal to the emotions, and sounds convincing on the surface, but upon examination it is discovered to rest upon the same premise as does destructive criticism. With the premise that these commissions are the last commands of Christ, is it not but simple logic to prove that Paul was an impostor and a false prophet? Paul came after these commissions, and if they represent Christ’s last words, where is any room left for Paul’s epistles to contain the words of Christ? But Paul boldly claims that years after the commissions were given, Christ appeared and spoke words to him. “I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:11 and 12). “And I said, who art thou Lord? And He said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. But arise and stand on thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee” (Acts 26:15 and 16). These verses not only prove that all which Paul wrote was spoken by Christ after the Gospel commissions were given, but that Paul received more than one revelation of truth. If God gave to, Moses commands which were superseded by the teachings of Christ and finally abolished by His death; if Jesus commissioned His Apostles to go only to the lost sheep of Israel and then superseded that by another command to go into all the world; could He not even after that supersede the Kingdom Commission with another to the Apostle Paul for the Body of Christ?

Were the Last Days the First Days?

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

What would you think of an exegesis which made the last mean the first? Would it not be much akin to saying that black means white, or that yes means no? But, it may be asked, who teaches that last means first? It must be admitted that no one claims to teach this, but it will be left for you to judge in this study of Pentecost whether or not this is taught by those who claim that the Body of Christ began on that Jewish feast day.

The Scripture is Acts 2:17. The scene is the day of Pentecost. The Apostle Peter is the mouth piece of the Holy Spirit, who is giving a specific account of what is transpiring upon that notable day. Now the majority of pre-millenarians, if asked to relate what happened on that Pentecost, would say that the Church which is the Body of Christ came into existence at that time. It was the birthday of the Church, or in other words, Pentecost marked the first days of the Church.

Now ask the Holy Spirit what took place, and hear Him answering “This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: “And it shall come to pass in the last days . . . .” God says that the events of Pentecost were described by Joel some 800 years before, and that these events marked the last days. You are now face to face with the problem which has confronted many true Bereans. They had been taught, and for that reason had taught others, that Pentecost marked the first days; God said it marked the last days. Who was right? It should not take long to decide, and since God has not given any one authority to make decisions for other people, you must judge and answer for yourself.

For the sake of those who believe it is a heresy to teach that the Body of Christ did not begin on Pentecost, it might be pointed out that many of the outstanding theologians, real defenders of the faith, have taught and do teach that the Church began long before Pentecost. Dr. Hodge, who represents the doctrine of the Presbyterian and Reformed Churches, makes the following remarks in “Outline of Theology”; in answer to the question: “How may it be shown that this visible church is identical under both dispensations, and what argument may be thence derived to prove that the infant children of believers should be baptized?”

“There is no evidence whatever furnished by the apostolical records that the ancient church was abolished and a new and different one organized in its place.—Their disciples were always added to the ‘church’ or ‘congregation’ previously existing—Acts 2:47” (pg. 619). Dr. A. H. Strong, theologian of the Baptist Church, says in his ‘Systematic Theology’: ‘The church of Christ, in its largest signification, is converted upon that day could have been ‘added’ (Acts and ages, in heaven and on earth.—The church existed in germ before the day of Pentecost,— otherwise there would have been nothing to which those converted upon that day could have been ‘added’ (Acts 2:47).” (Pg. 887, 900).

Space forbids quoting many other great Christian thinkers who are of the same opinion, namely, that the Pentecostal Church was the continuation of that church which was upon earth during the earthly ministry of Christ. And where is there to be found any intimation from the lips or from the pens of the Twelve Apostles that a new church was being inaugurated? Were they not still expecting the Messianic Kingdom to be restored to Israel (Acts 1:6; Acts 3:19 to 21)? Did they not have all things in common, as prescribed by the sermon on the mount (Acts 2:44, 45; Acts 4:32 to 37)? Did they not continue to meet in the Jewish Temple (Acts 2:46; Acts 3:1; Acts 4:1; Acts 5:20, 42; Acts 21:26; Acts 24:18)? Did they not continue to observe the Mosaic Law (Acts 21:18 to 26)? And what is even more conclusive and convincing, was not the Holy Spirit witness (Acts 5:32) to the fact that everything connected with the Pentecostal experiences was but the fulfillment of the Old Testament expectations (Acts 2:16; Acts 3:24), and where in the Old Testament is there to be found any expectation of a new church divorced from the nation Israel and its hopes?

Whereas it is plain that the Holy Spirit teaches that Pentecost began the last days in the consummation of God’s prophetic program; it is just as evident that the same Spirit through Paul teaches that the Church which is the Body of Christ was a secret truth hidden in God, never before made known to the sons of men (Ephesians 3:1 to 9), and therefore in no way connected with God’s prophetic program. How could that which was foretold by all the prophets since the world began (Acts 3:21), be the same as that which was kept secret from the beginning of the world until made known to Paul (Ephesians 3:5 and 9)? And in what sense could the last days of the Body of Christ have taken place before God even revealed that the Body was in existence?

Pentecost ushered in the last days, which have to do wholly with the nation Israel. Israel was expecting a new age, but not a new church. Pentecost was bringing the old age to its consummation and making possible the realization of the Millennial hope of the return of Christ to establish the kingdom. It should be noted that Peter did not say: “It shall come to pass in the last day, but in the last days.” All of Joel’s prophecy was not to be fulfilled in one day, but was to cover a period of days, of which Pentecost was the beginning. Therefore all of Joel’s prophecy was not fulfilled on Pentecost, but there was the beginning. There was the pouring out of God’s Spirit; but it was no secret that God would do this; for it is plainly foretold in Proverbs 1:23; Isaiah 44:3;

Joel 2:28, 29; Zechariah 12:10; and, Malachi 3:10. These last days did not come to completion, however, because the offer of the Kingdom which began on Pentecost was rejected, and God interrupted the Kingdom program with His secret dispensation of the Body of Christ. When God ends this secret dispensation, we have every reason to believe that He will bring to completion Israel’s last days.

It is necessary to see the difference between the last days of Israel and the last days of the Church. The Apostle Paul who was made the depository of the truth concerning the Body of Christ never says that either the first or the last days of that Church began on Pentecost, but instead, some 36 years after Pentecost, points us on to some future time for its last days II Timothy 3:1. No where will it be found that in the last days of the Church there will be any of the miraculous sign demonstrations which belonged to Israel’s last days.

A clear understanding of this subject is perhaps of more importance for the Christian of today than one would at first suppose. Firstly, it shows us that we are not living in Israel’s last days, and therefore we should not look for nor seek to make a place for the sign gifts of Israel’s last days, Secondly, it shows us that the message of those last days has been superseded by a new message for the Body of Christ. It is no longer “repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and God will send Jesus Christ back to earth” (Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19 to 21), for Christ will never come back to earth until this present dispensation of the Mystery is completed. We are not and cannot today usher in the kingdom or bring the King back. We today have a message of unmixed grace to proclaim to a world dead in trespasses and sins, that God for Christ’s sake will not only save the sinner by grace through faith apart from all religious works, but will also make him a member of that Body of Christ which He will some day call on High (Philippians 3:14). Thirdly, this truth shows us that the signs which belong to Israel’s last days which must come to pass before Christ can come back to earth are not to be sought after in the last days of the Church.

It does seem peculiar that many who preach on the signs of the times object to people speaking in tongues, when tongues is clearly called one of the signs (I Corinthians 14:21 and 22). It is to be conceded that members of the Body may in its last days see a foreshadowing and preparation for Israel’s political and economic signs, but it is not possible for any one today to say with assurance concerning current events: This is that which was spoken by the prophet.

In conclusion it may be said that it is difficult to see how or why one is not saying that last means first, although perhaps unwittingly, who places the birthday of the Body or Christ on Pentecost, or who follows the Pentecostal program for today, or who preaches the fulfillment of Israel’s signs in the present Dispensation of the Mystery.

Unto All Pleasing

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9, 10).

It is the first impulse of love to desire to be well pleasing to the one loved. Every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ must have some measure of love for Him, and must therefore have some degree of desire to please Him. A mere desire to please Him is not sufficient; nor is any amount of sincere energy expended in that which may be contrary to His will able to please Him. If we are to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, it will be because we are filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

Since this article may fall into the hands of some unsaved person, let us begin by calling attention to the fact that “without faith it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6), and also that “they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8). Millions of religious, unsaved sinners are striving to make themselves pleasing unto God, but their labor is all in vain. Being ignorant, and many of them willingly ignorant, of His will, they suppose that by religious works, morality, and philanthropy God will be pleased or obligated to finally receive them into heaven. Every man is by nature in the flesh, and thus unable to please God because he is under the condemnation of the law of sin and death, but every one who through faith is in Christ Jesus is able to please Him, because he has been set free from that condemnation. When the sinner realizes that the only way he can please God is to be well pleased with God’s Son and His sacrificial death with whom and with which God was well pleased, he will enter into the joyous experience of salvation and find himself upon the only basis of being well pleasing unto the Lord.

It goes without saying that believers ought to be well pleasing unto God, but it is equally as evident that the majority are not. It is significant that the Apostle Paul beseeches believers so many times to be well pleasing to the Lord, and the reason he can do so is because we are supposed to have the mind of Christ. That mind can be seen when Jesus, in speaking about the Father, said: “I do always those things that please Him” (John 8:29); and five times it is recorded that the Father said: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Paul tells us that “even Christ pleased not Himself” (Romans 15:3).

There are two reasons why believers are not well pleasing to God. They live either to please self, or to please men. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let everyone of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself.” (Romans 15:1 to 3). “But as we, were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.” (I Thessalonians 2:4). “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing God.” (Colossians 3:22) “Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men.” (Ephesians 6:6 and 7). “For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10).

Christians who live to please themselves usually evidence little outward service for the Lord, but instead spend their time and money in such pursuits as will add to their pleasure; whereas those who live to please men are usually those who are very busy in what appears to be the Lord’s service, doing what they do to make a name or to gain popularity for themselves, or to escape the hardships and persecutions which come from standing for the truth. No doubt we are all tainted to some degree with one or the other of these ailments, but it should be our desire to have a testimony such as Enoch had: “He pleased God.”

It should be evident that we will be well pleasing to God when we are doing those things which please Him. We can discover what things please Him only as we discover His will for us as revealed in His Word. We must first understand that no desires motivated by the “flesh” can ever please God. Instead we are told: “it is God which worketh in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). God Himself must do the willing and working, in order that the work please Him, and we provide merely the instrumentality through which He works. This is true because “we died” (our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, Romans 6:6; “ye did put off the old man with his deeds.” (Colossians 3:9), and “our life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). It is a denial of this basic fact of our salvation when we allow ourselves to be energized by the “old man”; for that was put to death with Christ, and thus rendered inoperative. If God was pleased to put an end to the “flesh” in the death of Christ, He is surely displeased when we revive it. Since no good thing dwells in the flesh (Romans 7:18), and since they that are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8), God must put the flesh to death. The one great difference between believers and unbelievers today is that the believer has already been put to death (in the person of a Substitute, of course) and the unbeliever is yet awaiting that experience (not in a substitute, but in himself). Thus, as believers, we have been delivered from the power of darkness, and have been actually translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love (Colossians 1:13). In order to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, we must seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God, and set our affections on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3:1 and 2). In so doing, we will be obeying Romans 12:1 and, 2: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable (translated elsewhere ‘well-pleasing’) unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world (age);but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable (well pleasing), and perfect will of God.” Now since it pleased the Lord to bruise Him (Isaiah 53:10), and since it also pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe (I Corinthians 1:21), we must conclude that the kind of service which pleases Him, is that which makes known to a lost world as an allsufficient Saviour this crucified and resurrected Christ. God is not only displeased, but His anathema rests upon all who preach any thing today but the Gospel of the Grace of God. No believer can be pleasing to God who does not share this great burden of His heart, and who is not actively engaged in spreading abroad this Gospel of the glory. The responsibility rests upon all who are not actively engaged in preaching, to make the preaching possible by their financial aid, and this is “an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice wellpleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18).

God is pleased not only in the salvation of the sinner, but also in the edification of the saint. He wants us to “come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ; that we be no more children; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, who is the Head, even Christ” (Ephesians 4:13 to 15). “He is the Head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all the fulness dwell” (Colossians 1:18, 19). May we, therefore, seek to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing.

The Gospel, the Kingdom and the Church

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

The word “Gospel” is found one hundred and one times in our English Bible, although in the original the expression is found in both verb and noun form one hundred and twenty-eight times, the verb being translated “preach” or “preach the gospel”. The word means “glad tidings”, and is so translated in Luke 1:19. Out of the one hundred and one uses of the word, it is translated fifty-four times “the Gospel”, and the remaining forty-seven references are divided into the following sixteen groups The Gospel of the Kingdom (5 times); The Gospel of God (7 times); the Gospel of Christ (13 times); The Gospel of the Circumcision (once); The Gospel of the Uncircumcision (once); My Gospel (3 times); Our Gospel (3 times); That Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles (once); The Gospel of the Grace of God (once); The Gospel of the Glory (2 times); The Gospel of Peace (2 times); The Gospel of your Salvation (once); The Gospel of His Son (once); The Mystery of the Gospel (once); Another Gospel (4 times); and The Everlasting Gospel (once). The faithful student of the Word of God finds his task in rightly dividing and applying these various aspects of the Gospel to the Messianic Kingdom, to the Acts transition, and to the Church which is the Body of Christ.

The command to “rightly divide the Word of truth” comes after the revelation of the “Mystery” or secret purpose of God during this age, which purpose was hid in God and never before revealed to man. Because of the danger of confusing this hidden secret with that which was before revealed and prophesied, God has enjoined us to be careful workmen in this respect. (II Timothy 2:15; Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:1 to 12). Any one who confuses the Body of Christ with the Old Testament saints or with the Messianic Kingdom, and imposes the laws and ordinances of these groups upon the members of His Body, is in some measure frustrating the grace of God.

THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM had its roots in the Old Testament prophets, but was first preached by John the Baptist; for it was he who announced that in the person of the King, the Kingdom was at hand. The message of this Gospel was at first directed to Israel only (Matthew 10:5 and 6) and was not preached to the Gentiles until Peter proclaimed it to Cornelius (Acts 11:19; Acts 15:7), about seven years after Pentecost. It was concerning the earthly Kingdom, and presented Jesus Christ as Messiah and King (Luke 1:32 and 33; Matthew 21:5). For that purpose John came baptizing with water (John 1:31). After the rejection and crucifixion of the King by Israel, a new offer of that Gospel was made possible by Christ’s intercessory prayer upon the Cross (Luke 23:34). On Pentecost and thereafter the Twelve preached that Jesus had been raised from the dead to sit upon the throne of David (Acts 2:30) and to be a Prince and a Saviour to Israel (Acts 5:31), and that upon national repentance of Israel God would send Jesus back to establish the Messianic Kingdom (Acts 2:20 and 21). After seven years of preaching to the Jews in their own land, God sent Peter to the Gentile, Cornelius.

A contrast between the Kingdom Gospel and the Grace Gospel is seen in what Peter preached to Cornelius; “God is no respector of persons; but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him to Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins”; and in what Paul preached to Gentiles: “For by grace are ye saved through faith—not of works,” “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us.” As long as this Kingdom Gospel was preached, the order was to the Jew first and water baptism and other Jewish ceremonies were practiced (Acts 18:18; 21:20; 21:26). But after Paul had carried this message to the leaders of the Dispersion in Rome and they had rejected it (Acts 28:17 to 24), God definitely set aside the Jewish nation along with the Gospel of the Kingdom, and made known to Paul the full revelation of the Mystery and of the Gospel of the Grace of God which was to accompany it. The former was earthly and included signs, miracles, ordinances, gifts of healing and of tongues, and such like; whereas the latter is heavenly and is entirely dissociated from these externalisms. After God has finished His purpose with the Body of Christ and has called it on high (Philippians 3:14), then again “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end (of the age) come.” (Matthew 24:24). Christ will then return to earth and fulfill Acts 15:16 and 17.

THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD had its roots in God Himself. It was not preached by Jesus or by the Twelve, but it was a special revelation given to Paul (Galatians 1:11 and 12). It is called “the Gospel of the Uncircumcision” as contrasted with “the Gospel of the Circumcision” which Peter preached (Galatians 2:7); “My Gospel” (Romans 2:16; Romans 16:25; II Timothy 2:8) because it was a special revelation to Paul; for the same reason it is called “Our Gospel” (II Corinthians 4:3; I Thessalonians 1:5; II Thessalonians 2:14); “the Gospel of Peace” (Ephesians 6:15; Romans 10:15) because He is our peace who has made both Jew and Gentile one in His Body (Ephesians 2:14 to 18); “the Gospel of the Glory” (II Corinthians 4:4; I Timothy 1:11) because it concerns our glorious heavenly relationship with the Lord of Glory; and it is called “the Gospel of Christ” because He is the author of it.

It is this Gospel of Grace which is addressed to members of the Body of Christ today. If it were preached and practiced, it would free the Church from all externalism, legalism, and Judaism and would demonstrate to the world the power of the matchless Grace of God. But sad to say, most Christians are entangled with the yoke of traditionalism, and prefer it to the liberty of God’s grace.

THE GOSPEL OF GOD (Romans 1:1; Romans 15:16; II Corinthians 11:7; I Thessalonians 2:2, 8, 9; I Peter 4:17) is not identical with either the Gospel of the Kingdom or the Gospel of the Grace of God; but may be said to be the larger sphere which includes the promise of Salvation to the Gentile in uncircumcision and to the Jew in circumcision, without particular respect to the dispensation. According to Romans 1:1, the Gospel of God was something which God “had promised afore by his prophets in the Holy Scriptures.” This should be studied in conjunction with Romans 16:25: “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 (New Testament prophets), according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedient of faith.” Surely that which was “promised afore” and that was “kept secret” cannot be one and the same thing. The Gospel of God which was promised afore deals with the righteousness of God, and is the good news that God has found a way to be just and at the same time the Justifier of the ungodly. Faith is the only human element needed, and propitiation or satisfaction of all of God’s holy demands through the substitutionary death of the Son of God is the divine provision, This basic principle of justification by faith is the very heart of the Gospel of God, and the foundation of every form and aspect of the Gospel under the various dispensations.

THE CHURCH, WHICH IS HIS (CHRIST’S) BODY (Ephesians 1:22 and 23) is specifically said to have been a mystery hidden from the ages past and its truth first revealed to the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:1 to 9). This church is to be distinguished from the congregation of Israel (Acts 7:38), and from the church in existence when Christ was on earth (Matthew 18:17), and if it had its beginning at the time of the revelation of the Mystery, it is to be distinguished from the Church of God which existed during the Acts period. God has no where definitely stated when the Body of Christ began, but we do know that it was not before Pentecost, and that the full revelation of truth concerning the Body was not made until Paul reached Rome as a prisoner. The all important thing to know is that, as believers, we are members of His Body, made accepted in the Beloved and complete in Him, and even now seated with Him in heavenly places, that our citizenship is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, and that we are called upon to walk worthy of this vocation wherewith we are called, endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This can be accomplished only as we recognize our great seven-fold unity: one body, one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all.

The Commission of Christ to the Eleven

Posted on by Charles F. Baker

“PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE”

We may well ask the question: What Gospel did our Lord thus commission His apostles to preach? Perhaps an intelligent answer to this question will do more than any thing else to satisfy the Christian’s mind as to whether or not the so-called Great Commission is the great commission for the Church which is Christ’s Body.

Every Christian should know that there are several different Gospels in the Bible. Dr. Scofield distinguishes four, on page 1343 of the Scofield Bible. It may be well to quote a part of his note:

“(1) The Gospel of the Kingdom. This is the good news that God purposes to set up on the earth, in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant (II Samuel 7:16, and refs.), a kingdom, political, spiritual, Israelitish, universal, over which God’s Son, David’s heir, shall be King, and which shall be, for one thousand years, the manifestation of the righteousness of God in human affairs.”

In order to discover what Gospel Christ commissioned His Apostles to preach, it is necessary to examine the Gospel accounts in which the commissions are found. Since Matthew 28:19, 20 and Mark 16:15 to 18 are usually quoted as the great commissions (although they are really two separate commissions given at different times and places, as the records show), our task will be to examine these two Gospel accounts to discover which Gospel these commissions authorized the Apostles to preach.

The word Gospel, which means an announcement of, good news, is used five times in Matthew as follows: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogue, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.” (Matthew 4:23) ; “And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogue, and preaching the Gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” (Matthew 9:35); “The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them.” (Matthew 11:5); But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. And the gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:13 and 14); “Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her. (Matthew 26:13).

The word is used seven times in Mark as follows: “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God’ (Mark 1:1); “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14); “And saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the Gospel” (Mark 1:15) “And the gospel must first be published among all nations (Mark 13:10); (Mark 14:9—same as Matthew 26:13); “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be judged.” (Mark 16:15 and 16).

Who would be foolish enough to say that the Gospel in the last reference was a different gospel to that in every other reference here quoted, namely the Gospel of the Kingdom? That is the only Gospel known to the Gospel records,

Since the commissions given by the risen Lord to the Twelve Apostles authorized them to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to every creature, it may be well to examine more closely the content of this Gospel. Dr. Scofield’s note quoted above, gives a very concise statement of the content of this Gospel, It is well to notice the following points also, as brought out by the references quoted. This Gospel is directly connected with earthly blessings, always associated with the healing of the body. It is the message for the earthly millennial Kingdom. It is a gospel which requires water baptism as a necessary prerequisite to salvation. It is a gospel which requires man to endure to the end in order to be saved. It is the gospel which will be universally preached during the Tribulation period, and then will come the end of the age.

We may now ask the question: Is this the Gospel which God wants us to preach today? Are we to proclaim an earthly Kingdom? Are we to look forward to proclaiming this message during the Tribulation? The promise of Christ in Matthew 28:20: “Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the age,” means unto the end of the Tribulation; for the Lord Himself defines the end of the age in Matthew 13:39: “The harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be at the end of this age.” The Pentecostal brethren and others of like practice would say, Yes, this is the gospel we are to preach. But to so answer is to absolutely ignore the claims of the Apostle Paul, and to reject the Gospel of the Grace of God which was committed to Paul for us Gentiles.

It is plain that Peter and the Eleven were preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom as they were commissioned to do, which Gospel is in Galatians 2:7, called the Gospel of the Circumcision. But Paul claims to have received a different Gospel, which he calls “My Gospel” and the Gospel of the Uncircumcision, which was given him by the ascended and glorified Christ, several years after the Great Commission had been given. It is just common sense to follow the last command given by the Lord, and it is nothing but a play on the emotions to say Christians are not obeying the last command of Christ by not carrying out the Great Commission, To say that the Great Commission is the last command of Christ is to deny the whole Pauline revelation; for from where did Paul get his Gospel for the Gentiles and the truth of the Dispensation of the Mystery, if not from Christ, and all of that after Christ spoke the Great Commission? The last words spoken by Christ to mankind were spoken to and through the Apostle Paul, and only in his writings will be found Christ’s last words and commands.

But some one objects: Why did Christ commission his disciples to preach the gospel of the kingdom, and then shortly after give a different message to be preached? This is a logical and legitimate question, but it betrays one’s ignorance of what God was doing during the Book of Acts. The Twelve Apostles were there preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, offering the Kingdom to Israel (Acts 3:19 to 26). It was revealed that then Jesus Christ would come back to earth to bring about the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets; that he would rebuild the tabernacle of David which was fallen down (Acts 15:16 and 17), and then when Israel was established in all of the blessings of her covenants and kingdom, all the Gentile nations should also be blessed. But the fulfillment of this was dependent upon Israel’s reception of the Messiah, and the Acts is the record of Israel’s refusal both in the Land and among the Dispersion, so that instead of blessing coming upon Israel, judgment came,

It was during the course of this “Acts” period that God called another Apostle, Paul, and began to unfold and to lay the foundation for a secret purpose about which He had never before spoken. This secret dispensation was made known first in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, after the Book of Acts was completed, and it stands in direct contradistinction to the Kingdom dispensation which it has temporarily displaced. In this new dispensation the Gentiles get their blessings, not because of Israel being in God’s place of favor, but because Israel is out of her place of blessing, which is just the opposite to all that had been revealed in the Old Testament and in the Gospel accounts.

Because of the character of this new dispensation the unworthy Gentiles (dead in trespasses and sins, aliens commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God) are receiving salvation and being blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ, and that because of Israel’s failure; it must of necessity be the Dispensation of the Grace of God. (Ephesians 3:2). Thus in this dispensation salvation has no prerequisites, such as water baptism or other ceremonies, nor is it conditioned upon any kind of works or enduring to the end, nor does it contain a message of physical sign healing or other earthly blessing.

Since Christ called and commissioned Paul with a different Gospel after He had commissioned the Jewish Apostles, and since Paul claims that it was given to him to introduce an entirely new and heretofore secret dispensation, and since Paul claims that it was given to him to fulfill or to complete the Word of God (Colossians 1:25), we should have eyes to see that when God saw fit to make a change of dispensations He must also make a change of commission.

What then is the position of one who claims that the Great Commission stands today unchanged as the marching orders, for the Body of Christ?

Either such an one is so unmindful of the Word that none of the things herein discussed have ever come to mind; or he refuses to make the distinction which God has made between the Gospel of the Kingdom and Paul’s Gospel; or he denies, wittingly or unwittingly, the truth of revelation which Paul claims was given to him.

What shall we say concerning those who claim to acknowledge the Pauline revelation and also to labour under the Great Commission, as do a great number of Fundamentalists today? The following gives a little idea of how they twist and change the Word in order to make the kingdom commission fit into the Grace dispensation, and one may judge for himself whether they are really working under the Great Commission. The Commission says, “Disciple all nations;” they say, save individuals. The Commission says, “baptizing them (the nations)”; they say, baptizing individuals. The Commission says, “teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you”; they say, “Don’t teach to observe all things that Christ commanded while on earth, for Paul plainly tells us not to observe many of these things.” The Commission says, “Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the age” (that is, to the end of the Tribulation); they say, the church will not go through the Tribulation, The Commission says, “preach the Gospel (of the Kingdom) to every creature”; they say, Preach Paul’s Gospel. The Commission says, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”; they say, “He that believeth and is saved should be baptized”. The Commission says, “And these signs shall follow them that believe”; they say, “these signs are not necessary or are lacking because of so little faith.”

How much of the Great Commission have they left intact? They are guilty of having changed the content of practically every statement of the commission, making the original of none effect. The Jews accused Stephen of speaking blasphemous words against the law, but Stephen retorted that they had received the law by the disposition of angels and had not kept it. Those who take the position advocated in this article will be accused of chopping up the Word, but the accusers will be guilty of handling it deceitfully and not keeping it.

But another question must be answered. Has it not been said if the Great Commission is not for us, then we have no missionary commands or motives, and we might as well recall all our foreign missionaries? Yes, such childish statements have been made, but we leave you to answer the question, with this thought in mind. The Twelve Apostles who laboured under the Great Commission never got outside their own land, and, as far as the record goes, only one of them ever preached to a Gentile audience and that only because of a thrice repeated vision from God. The Apostle Paul, who laboured under a different (Commission which the ascended Lord gave him, could say: “I have fully preached the Gospel, of Christ. Yea so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation” (Romans 15:19, 20); and also, “to preach the gospel in the regions beyond” (II Corinthians 10:16); and finally “all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks” (Acts 19:10). The greatest missionary who ever lived did not work under the Great Commission. Will we lose our missionary zeal or spirit by working under Paul’s commission?