It's as like oil and water

Who were the 10 commandments written for and are Christians today supposed to be trying to live according to them?

When you rightly divide God's word, according to what the risen, ascended Lord Jesus Christ revealed to Paul, we know and understand that today, in the present dispensation of grace, we are not under the Ten Commandments.  God wrote them to Israel!

2 Timothy 2:7

Consider what I [Paul] say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

God brought Israel out of Egypt and gave them his law.

Deuteronomy 6:23-25

And he brought us [Moses is speaking to Israel] out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

God gave his law to Israel, and not to any other nation…

Psalm 147:20

He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

The gentiles do not have the Law of Moses...

Romans 2:14

For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

We gentiles are not under the Law, but under God's Grace…

Romans 6:14

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

We are dead to the Law of Moses because we are in the body of Christ...

Romans 7:4

Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

We are not justified by God by the works of the Law of Moses…

Galatians 2:16

Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Those who are under the Law of Moses are under God's curse…

Galatians 3:10

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Paul says in these verses that the Law of Moses—the Ten Commandments—are not for us.

 Hopefully this helps...Maranatha!

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Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

These 'last days' and those 'last days'

I might be wrong, but I thought I read on your web site that you don't believe God is working with Israel today. Doesn't the Bible say that Jews will come from all over the nations and make  Israel a nation in the  last days? It does seem like some Old Testament Bible prophesy is being fulfilled now.

What is your take?   Do you believe the same as Les Feldick?   

I not only know brother Les (and his wife Iris), but have been with him at a few conferences in the past couple of years both here in the Twin Cities and also in Wisconsin. If anyone contacts his ministry from our area, he and Iris will refer them to our assembly.

He is a good brother in the Lord Jesus who is used of the Lord to bring a lot of people to a knowledge of Law versus Grace, Israel versus the Body of Christ, etc., and even members of my own assembly have been blessed by his ministry.

With that said, there are some things that we see differently from scripture (like with ANY two bible teachers), and one of them is whether Israel's bible prophecy is being fulfilled today.

(I will discuss later in this response about why it looks like all those things going on in the middle east, and in the world, looks so much like what the bible says about the "last days" of prophecy as well. So please be patient and bear with me.)

Now, on to your questions…

Although I do believe that the things that our Apostle Paul says in 1 and 2 Timothy will come in the last days and latter times of our current dispensation, the Dispensation of the Grace of God, are being fulfilled today (i.e., some departing from the faith/perilous times. I do not believe that the "last days" of God's prophetic program with the Nation of Israel are being fulfilled today, as brother Les believes, and here's why:

When God came down and saved Saul of Tarsus/our Apostle Paul in Acts 9, He changed His prophetic program with the Nation of Israel. With that change in the program also came a change in the STATUS of that nation! God STOPPED dealing with that nation as according to prophecy, and started to deal with ALL men individually...both Jew and gentile alike, thru Christ according to the revelation of the Mystery.

In Romans chapters 9-11, Paul explains Israel's past (9), their present state (10), and their future (11).

In Romans 11:25 Paul writes...

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

My understanding of this passage is that God does not want us to be ignorant of what He is doing today. He is doing something with us gentiles until He is finished, and then He will begin working His program with Israel again!

While God is operating this present dispensation of grace and this present program, He has put His prophetic program with the Nation of Israel on hold. He has blinded them for a season and for a reason—to form the Body of Christ. And He will NOT work Israel's program again UNTIL the fullness of the gentiles be come in. That will happen at the rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ (which I think is VERY soon...amen!

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What about all the things going on in the middle east and all the focus on Iraq, Iran and the battles over Jerusalem with Israel, etc.? Why does all the talk of nuclear war and all the problems with those nations like Iraq, Iran, Korea, China, etc., seem like the things that Israel's prophets said would happen in the "last days" of prophecy?

Well when God changed the program in Acts 9 by raising up the Apostle Paul, He did it at the time when He SHOULD have poured out His wrath instead (Psalm 2, Psalm 110, Acts 4:25-26). The time was right, according to prophecy, for Him to pour out His wrath because it was the "last days" of that program (Acts 2, Joel 2, Hebrews 1). But instead of pouring out His prophesied wrath, He instead did something that He had kept secret...poured out His Grace!

The "last days" of prophecy are different and distinct from the "last days” of the Mystery message that our Apostle Paul speaks about in his 13 books! The "last days" that Israel's prophets and apostles (Peter, James, John, etc.,) talk about are the "last days" of God's prophetic program with that nation. Those "last days" were during the time of John the Baptist, the Lord's earthly ministry, etc. They would have been fulfilled and completed had God not changed the program in Acts 9.

But because God did change their program in Acts 9, their "last days" have been ‘put off,’ and are on hold until after the rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ! Once God is finished with us, and takes us home to be with Him, He will then begin/continue Israel's "last days" again. But when he changed the program in Acts 9, and did not pour out His wrath, Israel's enemies were not destroyed like prophecy said, but instead, they remain until this day. God just allowed them to continue on and what we see today is just the continuation of the rebellion of Israel and their enemies that was going on when God changed the program nearly 2,000 years ago.

I will agree that the "stage is being set" as it were, for the "last days" of prophecy to begin. With all the nuclear proliferation (which I believe from scripture will play a part in Israel's "last days"), and the increased enmity of these nations against Israel, etc., this is just the natural result of God allowing things to ‘run its course’ over the last 2,000 years…

Ephesians 2:2

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

…and not God making them happen like He will do after the rapture!

God is not CAUSING all these Jews to go back to their homeland (that's their OWN flesh doing it, and a misunderstanding of Christians who don't "rightly divide" the scriptures and who don't understand the apostleship, ministry and message of Paul). In the future, after the rapture, God Himself will cause the Jews to come back to Palestine and then punish the rebels thru the Anti-Christ! But that WON'T happen until He is finished with us first!

But although Paul makes it clear that God is not CAUSING all these things in the middle east, and thru-out the world today, it is clear from scripture that because of man's sinful actions, things are "lining up" and the stage is being set naturally for the "time to come" and the last days that will be on the earth after we are raptured out!

In essence, the "last days" of our current dispensation of grace, are setting the stage for the future "last days" of God's prophetic program for the Nation of Israel, which is to come.

Is the stage being set for the "last days" of prophecy? Yes!

But, is it God who is supernaturally causing it? No!

It is the NATURAL course of events as God's outworking grace and peace to mankind is being poured out these last 2,000 years, and God allowing His enemies to continue.

God, in His wisdom knew that just allowing man to keep rebelling over the last 2,000 years would set the stage automatically for Him to continue (begin again) the "last days" of prophecy, right after our rapture.

Hopefully this helps...Maranatha!

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The Secret is no longer a secret

Continually I am hearing one needs to stick with Paul's teaching (Romans-Philemon) regarding the mystery. This has grounded me greatly.  I am curious as to your description of this mystery.

What is the mystery? I can only imagine that the answer is too great for you to describe here. But, can you give me a short answer?

What I do know about the mystery are two things. Christ in me: the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27) and that now the Gentiles are part of God's plan of salvation (Galatians 3:28).

The simplest explanation of the mystery of Christ is this:

Prophecy (Old Testament/Israel's program) had made known in the scriptures that God would save all the nations/gentiles through Israel's rise!  

Acts 3:21

Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

But, the mystery program (the "secret" preaching of Jesus Christ) is that God today now saves gentiles, not through Israel's rise, but through their fall!

Romans 11:11

I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.

Israel (Abraham's physical seed) was to be the channel of blessing to the entire world by giving birth to Messiah/King of Israel/King of the world/the Lord Jesus Christ...and through redeemed believing Israel, all nations would be blessed.

Genesis 12:1-4

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

But today, since Israel rejected her King, God set them aside to deal with us gentiles directly through Christ, and this information was hid/kept secret/not made known—unsearchable—in the Old Testament scriptures (including the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

Ephesians 3:8-9

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

It's not until the salvation of Saul/Apostle Paul that God makes this mystery known!

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,

Again, this is just a simple explanation of the Mystery of Christ.  As we grow in the Lord, learning and applying the sound doctrine given to Paul and found in his thirteen epistles to us in the present dispensation of grace, the Lord has promised to bring understanding.  

Colossians 1:27

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Ephesians 3:17-18

That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

Hopefully this helps!

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Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

Northern California Grace Fellowship

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ

Norcal Grace YouTube Videos

 GladYouAsked YouTube Videos

Supernatural healing

Since it is your understanding that the spiritual gifts were temporary, does this mean that God doesn't physically heal today?

The answer to that question is yes and no!

God, in his divine providence, has made the human body so fearfully and wonderfully that it is a marvel that we don't die instantly from all the things that contaminate our air/food/water!

In each and every person, there are still those natural healing properties that God put in us at creation. But they have been marred by sin and because of that, we are all slowly dying. And given enough time, all of our bodies will get old, get sick, hurt, and die (except for those members of the body of Christ alive at his coming at the Rapture!).

Anyway, so the question is not does God heal us physically; as because of the way he created our bodies to heal themselves is his design.

Look what Paul says about a brother in the book of Philippians:

Philippians 2:25-28

Yet I supposed it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, and companion in labour, and fellowsoldier, but your messenger, and he that ministered to my wants. For he longed after you all, and was full of heaviness, because that ye had heard that he had been sick. For indeed he was sick nigh unto death: but God had mercy on him;

In the text, the way that God had mercy on this brother is that, although he was very sick, he did not die right away. Therefore, anytime we get sick and don't die, God is in essence having mercy on us! I will develop this further when I talk about doctors.

So anyway, the real question is: Is God supernaturally healing peoples’ physical bodies today, like he did in bible times under the Lord, the 12 Apostles to Israel, and during our Apostle Paul's early ministry? And the answer to that question from scripture is no!

Here's why...

First of all, the gifts of supernatural miracles, and healings was, like all the other gifts of the Spirit, temporary...

1 Corinthians 12:28

And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Second of all, God never promised the body of Christ that he would heal us the way that he did promise the nation of Israel that he would heal them.

Therefore, it will not be right for us to expect God to do something that he never promised us he would do. Paul says that God will answer our prayers ONLY according to His will for us today!

So, thirdly, why did God heal supernaturally early in Paul's ministry in the first place?

The main reason God did that was because it was a sign to all that Paul was God's man...

Acts 19:11-12

And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

Here we see God supernaturally healing people through Paul.

Look at what Paul says about this...

Romans 15:18-19

For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

2 Corinthians 12:11-12

…for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

So, early in Paul's ministry, God did heal people supernaturally to prove that Paul was his man!

But look at the end of Paul's ministry...

1 Timothy 5:23

Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

2 Timothy 4:20

Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.

Here we see that it is obvious that even the great Apostle Paul himself no longer had the power from God to heal sick people! He went from being able to heal simply by pieces of cloth touching his body, to not even able to heal those men who laboured with him in the Grace ministry.

Why? Because God withdrew those things to put the focus, not on the gifts, but onto his written word.

In fact, God provided for Paul's own physical infirmity through his grace...

2 Corinthians 12:7-10

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul learned that the word of God's grace to him was enough! And it is for us today also.

God even provided a medical doctor to travel with Paul to take care of his physical needs as well...

Colossians 4:14

Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas, greet you.

2 Timothy 4:11

Only Luke is with me.

Why was Luke with him during his travels (also recorded in the book of Acts)?

Why else would a doctor be with him? To take care of his physical body! God provided this doctor to help Paul stay healthy, and we too today, can thank God for good physicians that help our physical body too. They are a blessing from God.

In conclusion, look what our Apostle says about our dying bodies…

2 Corinthians 4:7-11

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.

God allows our physical body to "die" so that we depend on Him and that the Life of our Saviour might be manifest!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

AMEN!

Hopefully this helps...Maranatha!

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Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

There is no comparison…but you better compare

You recently made a comment that in the NIV, David is “not the one who killed Goliath.” My 11-year-old son looked it up and found the NIV to read:    

1 Samuel 17:48-50.

As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.

So, his comment to me was that your statement was ‘incorrect.’  I didn’t have an answer for him.  Is there possibly another account of this in another portion of scripture?

Please let me know your thoughts on this so that I can talk with my son. This is not a major point obviously, but to a youngster, they want [and need] to know the ‘speaker has it clear.’

(We happen to have the NIV version and I realize it may not be a perfect translation—but I doubt you would claim that the NKJV is perfect either.)

Thanks for writing and thank you for bringing your family to fellowship with us in the grace message, and in the Lord's word rightly divided. I appreciate and respect the fact that you lead your family into the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ and that you discuss the truth with your young son.  I wish that I had that at 11 years and believe me, no one on earth is more sensitive to the spiritual needs of young men like your son, as I am.

Tell him that I said he is right, the passage in 1st Samuel 17 in the NIV does say that David killed Goliath. The problem is because, as you and your son are good Berean bible students, you will keep reading and eventually you will come across the same account while reading 2 Samuel 21:19 in your NIV which states:

“In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod."

In the KJV, it says that 'Elhanan' killed (not Goliath, but...) Goliath's brother, who was also at the battle between the Israelis and the Philistines when David killed Goliath.

2 Samuuel 21:19

And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

In this passage in the NIV, someone other than David is said to have killed Goliath!

You see, the bible has a way of repeating itself to provoke you to study it in its entirety to get more info and details about another passage...to compare scripture with scripture! Most people know the account of David and Goliath from 1 Samuel 17, but many don't go on to study out the other passages of scripture that speak about the account (found also in 1 Chronicles 20)! If your young son had read the 2 Samuel 21 account in his NIV he would have been confused, which is just what Satan desires for him. But our Apostle Paul says that God is not the author of confusion.

1 Corinthians 14:33

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Satan is very subtle, he will not try to corrupt 1 Samuel 17 in the modern versions because he knows that that passage is very popular.  But, he will however change the account in other places in those versions. He will choose less studied-out passages (like the passage in 2 Samuel 21). Satan is always banking on our ignorance! (Which is why God, the Holy Spirit, teaches through our apostle Paul that he would not that we be ignorant of [Romans 1:13; 11:25; 1 Corinthians 10:1; 12:1; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:13] Satan's devices).

2 Corinthians 2:11

Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Again, in 2 Samuel 21:19, in the NIV, someone else other than David is said to have killed Goliath, which is not true!

When it comes to what I have said about the NIV, I say it from experience because it is the first version of the bible that I ever used when I got saved, until I found errors in it. I believed the Lord Jesus Christ when He said that "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." He also said to the Father "Santify them by thy truth, thy word is truth." If we are to live by every word of God and if we are sanctified (set apart unto hm) by his word of truth, then we need to have it--and have it perfectly right! So once I found this out about 10 years ago, I prayed and searched until I found a version without error, and that version was the KJV!

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Even the so-called New King James version, or NKJV, has errors just like you said.  Compare the following passages from the NKJV with the same in the KJV, and see how even the NKJV takes away from the Lord Jesus' glory. Acts 3:26, Romans 3:22, Galatians 2:16, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 3:22, Philippians 3:9.

When you study out all these passages with your family in your study time in the NIV, and in the NKJV, and compare it with the same verses in the KJV, you will see that the other versions take away from the Lord's GLORY, and waters down his faith and his position as God's only perfect Son!

I am more than willing to sit down with you and your son to discuss these things in person, as I look not to destroy your son's faith in the Lord and his word, but to increase it!  In order to do that though, he must have every word from God in a book that he can trust!

Here are more verses to study out and compare with the KJV and the NIV:  Mark 1:2, Acts 8:37, Acts 9:6, 1 Corinthians 1:18, Hebrews 3:16.

I have done bible conferences about the word of God and the issues about all the different versions, we have DVDs of them in our library if you all want them.

I show the listeners how the issue with the other versions is not an issue of translation, but it is an issue of different underlying bible text. While studying this all out, I have found that the Hebrew and Greek text of the KJV is different from the other versions.  The information above is just the tip of the iceberg, there is much more on this subject available to study out for yourself. 

Hopefully this helps...Maranatha!

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Spiritual gifts

Is it your understanding that the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and healing were temporary, that they have ceased, failed and vanished and are no longer being operated by the Creator God? 

Yes, it is my understanding from scriptures that, although the Lord gave supernatural gifts of the Spirit to members of the church, the body of Christ in the beginning, he now, no longer gives those supernatural gifts because he no longer needs to.

Here's why:

In Ephesians chapter 4, our Apostle Paul explains the reason why God gave those gifts in the beginning...

Ephesians 4:11-13

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting [bringing to maturity] of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all 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:

Here Paul tells us why God gave those gifts in the first place, and that was to edify saints to do the work of the ministry “till” we come into the perfect knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, which in turn will make it possible for us to walk and labour in charity, one towards another for the Lord's sake!

After that perfect knowledge comes then there is no need for those gifts anymore.

Look what our Apostle says…

1 Corinthians 13:8

Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.

We all know that none of God's prophecies fail to come true (when he speaks something it always comes to pass), so we know that that is not what Paul is saying in that verse. What he is saying is that the supernatural gift of prophecy will one day fail or come to an end.

We also know that the languages of the world will never cease—man will use his mouth to praise the Lord Jesus forever.  So, that too is not what Paul is saying. What he is saying is that the supernatural gifts of tongues (given so that God's men could ‘verbally communicate his word’ to all the gentiles on the earth in their own languages before the bible was complete) will one day not be needed in order to communicate God's word to every people, tribe and tongue on the earth.

We also know that the knowledge of God will not vanish away because he is God and his word abides forever. So what Paul is saying is that the supernatural gift of knowledge will no longer be needed for all to know God.

In a nutshell, God was temporarily using all these sign gifts in order to communicate his word and edify people until something else came on the scene! What is this something else?

Well, Paul goes on to say…

1 Corinthians 13:9-10

For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

At the time that Paul wrote this epistle, he did not have the full knowledge of the Mystery of Christ because God gave it to him in installments over about 30 years. All he had was a partial knowledge of it. That is why he says that we know in part. And because they only 'knew in part,' they could only ‘speak (that's what prophecy is—speaking for God) in part' as well.

But Paul goes on to say that when that which is perfect shall come (the full, complete, perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the Mystery [Romans 16:25]), then the partial knowledge will go away. Paul knew that that would happen once the Lord Jesus completed giving him this information.

2 Corinthians 12:1

It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I [Paul] will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.)

Acts 26: 16

But rise, and stand upon 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 [the Lord] will appear unto thee [Paul];

Here Paul makes it clear that the message that Christ gave him for us did not come to him all at once. So God had Paul write epistles, as well as, had Paul and other men use the supernatural gifts of the Holy Ghost to teach/edify people about the Lord's mystery message!

So when did that end?

It was when Paul wrote his 13th epistle, 2 Timothy, that those sign gifts came to an end.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

All [full, complete] scripture is [now] given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect [full, complete], throughly furnished unto all good works.

You see, now with the completion of God's word (66 books, rightly divided), we can learn doctrine, we can have our conduct reproved, we can have our thinking corrected, and we can be fully instructed in how to be righteous ‘without’ those spiritual gifts!

Today, God wants all of our focus to be—not on going after spiritual gifts, but—on understanding his written word! He does not want us going after those ‘temporary, carnal’ things which shall fail, cease and vanish, as Paul explains in 1 Corinthians, chapters 12-14.

Today, charity (love in action) is the issue; and God's word is sufficient for that without supernatural gifts!

Here is more proof from scripture that those gifts begin to vanish the longer Paul's ministry went on:

Remember, in First Timothy, Paul mentions how he (and the other elders) had by the gift of prophecy, laid hands on Timothy so that he too would have supernatural gifts?

1 Timothy 4:14

Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.

But then later, in Second Timothy, Paul had to remind Timothy to...stir up the gift of god, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.

By the time that we get to Second Timothy (the last epistle Paul wrote), Timothy's gift began to fade away like the flames of a cooling bonfire. So just like you have to move the logs around and blow on it to keep the flickering flames alive, so too did Tim have to stir up his failing gift (he did it by studying God's written word through Paul by the way).

Later, in 2 Timothy 4:5, Paul tells Tim to...do the work of an evangelist...

He now longer had the supernatural gift of the evangelist as he had before, and that Ephesians 4 spoke of—now he had to do the "work" of that gift.

So today, because we have all scripture to make us perfect....throughly furnished to all good works, we no longer need those childish gifts.

We now do the work of most of those ministry gifts that men before us did supernaturally through those childish gifts!

Why do I say "childish?" Because that is what Paul calls them…

1 Corinthians 13:11-12

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

Here, in the context of those failing/ceasing/vanishing spiritual gifts, Paul equates it to when he was a child. In scripture, the term child represents immaturity, carnal, baby stuff. A child has very little knowledge or power—they ‘know only in part!’

Here Paul is saying those who spoke in tongues spoke like a child would—i.e., with partial knowledge. They also understand things the way a child would—partially, or incomplete. Their thinking would also be childlike. Now all these things described our carnal Corinthian brethren didn't it?

But Paul goes on to say that when he became a man, he put away those things of a child. His speech, his understanding, and his thinking matured when he grew up! 

Same with us today who now have all of God's word!

Today (through God's completed, written word), we have all we need to be adult sons and daughters—pleasing to God our Father!

Hopefully this helps!

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Northern California Grace Fellowship

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