We are the Circumcision, Pt. 1

I would like to have more understanding of Philippians 3:3.  I know that the circumcision was Israel, but now Paul says we are?

Philippians 3:3

For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

It is important that Paul begins this verse with ‘for’ because he is giving further explanation to what was just written.  Let’s look at verses 1 through 3.

Philippians 3:1-3

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.  Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.  For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

Paul did tell the Philippians these things in person about ten years earlier when the church was formed after the salvation of Lydia (Acts 16:12-15).  As Paul winds up the book of Philippians, he gives a final exhortation to rejoice in the Lord.  It didn’t grieve him to remind them to do that.

2 Corinthians 10:17

But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.

We grace believers do not glory/rejoice in ourselves (what we do in the flesh), but in the Lord.  When we think of the flesh, we can think of the carnal sins of the flesh that the Corinthians committed, such as fornication and adultery.  But what many in the body of Christ are unaware of is that when Paul talks about the flesh it is both the carnal sins of the outward flesh, and also the filthiness of the spirit.

2 Corinthians 7:1

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

This filthiness of the spirit refers to religion and legalism.  Flesh in the book of Galatians is their works by religious legalism.

Galatians 3:3

Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect  by the flesh?

The problem with Galatianism is that they were trying to please God with the Law – a performance-based acceptance.  Paul calls that the flesh. 

There was safety and security in being reminded of the things Paul taught them.  Paul tells Timothy to remind the saints of the words of faith and good doctrine.

1 Timothy 4:6

If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.

Paul says to the believers in Rome:

Romans 15:15

Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some sort, as putting you in mind, because of the grace that is given to me of God,

It is safe to be reminded to rejoice in the Lord and not to focus on yourself.  Back to Philippians 3…

Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

There were three types of people who would try to influence believers, particularly those at Philippi.  The dogs in Philippians 3 are lost, unclean gentiles.  From Paul’s epistles I see that evil workers are believers who in evil works deny the Lord Jesus Christ.  There are good and evil works.  The good works of grace are in line with what is written by the Apostle Paul.

2 Timothy 2:11-13

It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: [the denial is not the loss of salvation.] If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

He will not deny members of the body of Christ heaven and eternal life; we have that.  But he will deny us the reward of reigning with him.

So these evil workers are those in the body of Christ who come and try to take you away from our Apostle Paul.

Titus 1:16

They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

Romans 11:13

For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:

The concision Paul warns about were the lost, religious Jews of Paul’s day who would try to do the same thing we see in the book of Galatians.  They could even have been members of the Little Flock – the believing remnant of Israel who were probably still around when Philippians was written.

Acts 15:1, 24

And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.  … Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

These were Pharisees who told the gentiles who were saved by grace that they needed to be circumcised and keep the Law.

But I think because Paul calls them the concision (the cutting), the focus is on the outward cutting of the flesh and they are not the true circumcision – the believing remnant of Israel.  The focus here is mainly on the lost Jews who have the physical circumcision but not the circumcision of the heart and ears.

Romans 2:29

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Paul is making a distinction between physical circumcision (the concision) and spiritual circumcision (that which was done by our Lord when we were saved).

Philippians 3:3

For we are the circumcision,

           

Obviously Paul is not talking about physical circumcision because he just mentioned the concision in verse 2.  He is making a comparison.  He is saying that they are not the true circumcision; we are.

…which worship God in the spirit,

To be continued…

Providence and Preservation, Pt. 3

Continued...

You asked if God supernaturally guided the KJB translators to put down the exact words that he wanted, so therefore it was the inspired word of God.  No.  It was the inspired word of God before they translated it.  Understand that what they translated was already the inspired preserved word of Almighty God in the original languages.  It didn’t become the inspired preserved word of God after they translated it.  They just translated each word into the English language.

It wasn’t until I learned right division that I even understood the King James issue.  I didn’t even know it was an issue until I heard about it from my pastor in Chicago, brother Richard Jordan.  He taught me so many other things that I had never heard before, so when he showed me some things about the different bible versions and I saw that the ‘bible’ I was using had mistakes and errors but the KJB didn’t, I threw away my NIV.  I dug it out of the trash later to show others.

It made sense to me that the living true God whose Son is perfect and called the Word of God should be able to preserve his word perfectly forever.

Psalm 12:6-7

The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.   Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

When I got saved I gave God credit that he was able to give me a book that I could trust.   I reasoned that the living God is there and I need a connection to him that is true and living…and that is the word of God. 

I believed that I could have that.  Now I realize it wasn’t the NIV; it is the KJB.  Some brothers helped me to see that. 

I decided to give God the benefit of the doubt that I could have his word today.  And obviously over the course of the 15-16 years since then, I have been strengthened in the conviction that the King James Bible is powerful and is God’s perfect, preserved inspired word for English-speaking people.

Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick [alive!], and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Hopefully this helps!

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Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Providence and Preservation, Pt. 2

Continued...

You can study the history of the scholars who translated the 1611 KJB.  They were believers who had one desire and that was to translate God’s word (the text found in Antioch, aka the Received Text, aka the Textus Receptus) into the English language so that all English-speaking people could have it in our own language.  Is that pleasing to God?  You bet!

Did the providence of God make sure that it would happen through the dynamic of prayer and the hearts’ desire of the translators to get the word of God into the hands of others?  You bet!

God has promised to preserve his word and these believing men were involved in the process.  It was already preserved in the manuscript copies.  They are both part of the process of getting the word of God out to others.  It is interesting that when you look at the words ‘translate’ and ‘translated’ in the bible, both are references to God.

2 Samuel 3:10

To translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba.

Colossians 1:13

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Hebrews 11:5

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

This is God’s providence.  Providence means God provides.  If God in his providence desires that all men have the truth, and it is only in Greek and Hebrew, wouldn’t God provide some believing men and work diligently through them to get it out to others?  You bet!  He did in the King James Bible.

I know of a brother who recently translated the KJB into his own country’s language, his native tongue, and he will use it in his ministry.  Was that God or was it him?  It was both.  God works through man, through believers.  It was the providence of God.  He provided the ways and means to accomplish it.

Were the KJB translators influenced by their own understanding of scripture?  They translated ‘word for word’ with a heart of faith knowing that it is God’s will that all men have the truth (1 Tim. 2:4).

They knew they needed to get the truth into the hands of all English-speaking people and they did it by faith.  That was God at work.  What did Paul say?

Philippians 2:12b-13

…work out your own salvation [believers] with fear and trembling [of God’s word].  For it is God which worketh in you [as a member of church, the body of Christ] both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

There it is right there.  Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling of God’s word (as a believer); when you do that God begins to work in you to have the willingness and the ability to do his good pleasure.

Was God providentially guiding the translators?  Yes.  Translating from one language to another happens throughout scripture.  God spoke to Moses; Moses spoke to Aaron; Aaron spoke to Pharaoh.  Hebrew was translated into Egyptian.

In the book of Daniel some things are written in Aramaic, but God spoke to Daniel in Hebrew.

The KJB translators translated word for word.  They did not make a dynamic equivalent translation (general thoughts, requiring interpretation).   They did not try to interpret the passage like the translators of the new versions have done; they just gave the English word for the Hebrew word; the English word for the Greek word; the English word for the Aramaic word.

They left understanding the word up to God and the believers who read it [2Timothy 2:7; 1Corinthians 2:13]  They were not trying to make us understand what God’s word was saying; they were only trying to give us the very words of Almighty God.  Their job was not to interpret God’s word for us or to comment on it.  They just translated it word for word.  What you do with it is between you and God.

Here is the principle. 

Acts 21:40 – 22:2

And when he had given him licence [to speak to the Jews], Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he [Paul] spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue [keep that in mind], saying, Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.  (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence: and he saith,)

So according to Luke who writes the book of Acts, in what language was Paul speaking to the Jews?  Hebrew.  But in what language did Luke record Paul’s words that he spoke in Hebrew?  Koine Greek.  Paul spoke in Hebrew; Luke recorded it in Greek.  Paul’s words went from Hebrew to Greek and Luke translated exactly what Paul said, word for word.  God providentially guided Luke to write in Greek what Paul spoke in Hebrew.

The issue of translating into another language is not a big issue at all.  It is no problem for God’s word to be translated from one language to another.  God did providentially guide the KJB translators through his word that warns not to change his words.  These men ‘in fear and trembling’ gave the English equivalent for each Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic word.

Revelation 22:18-19

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

By faith, they did what God told them to do by recording every word into English as it was written and not changing any of them.  So God did guide them in what to translate (every word), and how to translate it (‘just like I said it but in another language’).

It takes faith to believe that we can have the word of God.  Most Christians and professing Christians in Christendom will fight you on the KJB and say that all bibles are the same.  In fact, most professing Christians fight for the’ errancy’ of scripture.  They don’t have a final authority.  They want to fight you on that when you tell them that you do have a final authority – the inerrant, perfect word of God in the King James Bible.

Professing believers who believe that the bible is the word of God think that it has to have errors.  They believe that we can’t have the very words of God.  That’s wacky.  Think about that.  A professing Christian who claims to live with the word of God as his final authority believes that it has errors in it.  That’s ridiculous.  Then who decides what is error and what is not error?  You?  The scholars?  Which scholar?

As a believer who understands right division you can rest in the fact you have the word of God because God in his providence provided it through those saints who knew that the will of God was that all men be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth by having God’s word in their own language.  It was God working in them to will and to do his good pleasure.  That is what was going on with King James and his translators. 

To be continued…

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Providence and Preservation, Pt. 1

If it is true that God’s intervention today in the dispensation of grace is not in circumstances or in outward things, but in the inner man, then how do we explain the preservation of scripture?  Were the translators guided by their own understanding of scripture, or was God providentially guiding them? 

It was a lot easier for me to explain the inerrancy of scripture before coming to right division because I just believed that God supernaturally guided the KJB translators to put down the exact words that he wanted, and therefore it was the inspired word of God.  Nevertheless, I still believe that the King James Bible is the perfect word of God.  Do you have any thoughts on this?

It is God’s will that every human being have his word.  If it is his word, then it is perfect.  Brother Richard Jordan held a conference about the King James Bible in 2011.  I would commend that to you.  You can contact his ministry for conference materials:

http://www.shorewoodbiblechurch.org/contactus.html

The 400-year anniversary of the 1611 KJB was 2011.  The entire conference was about the word of God.  Brother Jordan has all types of manuscript evidence supporting the KJB, and there are other brothers’ websites that have more than enough material on the preservation of the word of God to study.  I also held a conference:  “We Have the Word of God.”   I just started in Genesis with Adam and Eve.

Christ said in his earthly ministry:

Matthew 4:4

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

God took John into the future and said this:

Revelation 22:18-19

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

If Christ the Lord who is the living Word of God tells us that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, it means that man should have it in order to do so.  If God is going to hold us responsible, we should have God’s word.

At the end of the Bible, God says, essentially, that if you add to it or subtract from it, I will get you.  How could someone do that if they didn’t have it?  God will preserve it.

Psalm 12:6-7

The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.  Thou shalt keep them, O Lord [notice the focus is on God keeping them], thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

Although God uses man as his instruments, it is God who promises to do it.  The psalmist says under the Spirit’s inspiration that God is saying, “I will keep my word.”

Psalm 138:2

I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

He has magnified it and he will preserve it.  Look what our Apostle Paul has to say about it:

2 Timothy 3:15-17

And that from a child thou [Timothy] hast known the holy scriptures [Almighty God’s set-apart, written word; the Holy Scriptures; the sacred writ], which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

So we have to have all scripture in order to be who we are in Christ.

Galatians 3:28

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

We know from scripture that it is the will of God that all men have his perfect word.  Watch what Paul says:

1 Timothy 2:4

Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Now if it is the will of God for all men to be saved, is it incumbent upon God to make the provision today for all men to be saved?  The answer is yes.  How did he make the provision?

1 Corinthians 15:3-4

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

How does he make it available?  Through the preaching of the gospel of grace through Paul.

Colossians 1:23

If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

2 Timothy 4:17

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: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

So God did his part for all men to be saved.  Are all men being saved?  No.  Is the provision there?  Yes.

Romans 3:22

Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

God’s will is that all men be saved; he makes the provision:   the cross of Christ, the preaching of the gospel.

1 Corinthians 1:21

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

That’s number one.

1 Timothy 2:4

Who will have all men to be [#1] saved, and [#2] to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

That’s number two.  If it is God’s will for every man to come unto the knowledge of the truth, isn’t it incumbent upon God to provide that truth for us?  Yes.  What is Truth?  It is the word of Almighty God, the Holy Scriptures.  We have them…every word, every jot and every tittle!

How can you explain the preservation of scripture based on the concept that God is presently working in the inner man?  By the principles we laid out in Ps. 12:6-7, 2 Tim. 3:16, 1 Tim. 2:4 and Matt. 4:4.

To be continued…

Jerusalem, Mother of Us All

I need help understanding Galatians 4:26, 28.

Galatians 4:26, 28

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all…Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

From my understanding, Jerusalem pertains to Israel coming back in the New Jerusalem.  Here Paul says that it is the mother of us all.  Then in verse 28 Paul says we are as Isaac – the children of promise.  These two verses make it sound like we are heirs of it (Jerusalem) like Israel. 

Always remember that when you read a verse you must keep it in context; especially Galatians 4:26.  Notice that it begins with ‘but.’  When a verse starts with the word ‘but,’ it is obviously in contrast to what the writer just said.  So before we look at Galatians 4:26, let’s look at the context.

Galatians 4:21-28

²¹Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?

The book of Galatians has to do with legalism—mixing Law and grace.  Paul gave these saints the grace message, but they allowed the Law to come in to be their governing body of doctrine.  Paul is getting on them because as he said in chapter 1, they were so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel which is not another (Gal. 1:6-7).  So Paul is getting on them because they’re mixing Law and grace.  That is a problem because we’re not under the law; we’re under grace (Rom. 6:14).  This is the dispensation of grace (Eph. 3:2).

So in that context, Paul is going to use an allegory.

²² For it is written [he tells them to look at what the Law is saying since they want to be under the Law], that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

God, through Paul, goes back to Genesis 16 and the story of Abraham (Abram) who has his wife Sarai and her handmaid Hagar.  The one, Hagar, is a bondmaid; the other, Sarai, is a freewoman.  One is in bondage; one is free.  That is the key: the Law represents bondage; grace represents freedom.

2 Corinthians 3:17

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

One is liberty; one is bondage.  Abraham had two sons.  One son (Isaac) comes out of freedom (Sarai).  He comes out of liberty.   One of Abraham’s sons (Ishmael) comes out of bondage.

²³ But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh;... 

When Abraham and Hagar had Ishmael, it was not the will of Almighty God; that was of Abraham’s flesh; that was of sinful flesh.  The fruit of that union was of the flesh.

...but he of the freewoman was by promise.

Isaac came directly from a promise given by Almighty God.  He was ‘born of the Spirit.’  God gave Abram and Sarai the ability to conceive Isaac (Rom. 4:19; Heb. 11:11, 12).  Isaac was by promise—free. 

²⁴ Which things are an allegory [they paint a picture]: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.

The temporary Mosaic Covenant is represented by Hagar and Ishmael – Mount Sinai.

²⁵ For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia...

Hagar represents Mount Sinai where the Law and bondage was given.

 ...and answereth to Jerusalem which now is,

It pertains to Jerusalem in Paul’s day.  Jerusalem was then under the Romans and was in bondage physically, but more importantly it was in bondage spiritually.  They were under the curse of the Law; they were in bondage.  All these represent bondage and the Law:  Hagar, Ishmael, Mount Sinai, Jerusalem which was under Roman bondage and the bondage of the Law.

 and is in bondage with her children.

The Jews were in bondage under the Romans and to the Law.

²⁶ But Jerusalem [In contrast to the Jerusalem that was on the earth and in bondage under the Law] which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

The New Jerusalem which is above is free; there is no bondage in New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:2

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Remember when Paul said that God separated him from his mother’s womb and called him by his grace in Galatians 1:15?  Paul wasn’t talking about his biological mother; he was talking about his mother Israel, particularly Jerusalem—the center for the Law.  God separated Paul out of that.

A mother represents the place from which life springs forth.

Genesis 3:20

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

The life of freedom springs forth from where God is; he is in New Jerusalem.  That is why he says she is the mother of us all.  The ‘us all’ has to do with both Jews and Gentiles in the body of Christ.  He is talking about the grace believer today.

By the way, Paul quotes a lot of Old Testament passages because there are Jews in the Galatian assembly who were easily being drawn back into the Law.

²⁷ For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

²⁸ Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

God promised Abraham that he would multiply his seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand upon the sea shore:

Genesis 22:17

That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

What we now know looking back is that ‘as the stars of the heaven’ refers to the church the body of Christ.  Abraham’s seed would be in two spheres.  The ‘sand upon the sea shore’ is the earthly seed of Israel.  Remember that Romans 4 makes it clear that Abraham has a dual fathership.  He is the father of the Jewish people – the circumcision.  He is also the father of those who are uncircumcised.  God made a promise to Abraham before he was ever circumcised.

Romans 4:8-12

⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin [whose iniquities are forgiven].  ⁹Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also…

Paul is asking the Jews in particular whether the Jews (the circumcision) were the only ones who would receive this blessedness, or would the uncircumcised gentiles receive it too?  Watch how he builds his case.

…for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

We do say that.  Abraham’s faith was accounted to him for righteousness (Gal. 3:6).  But watch what Paul does; he throws a monkey wrench into the Jews’ thinking by asking when God did that.  When did Almighty God reckon our father Abraham’s faith to him as righteousness?  Did it come before he was circumcised or after?  Paul is going to remind the Jewish reader that when God counted Abraham as righteous, it wasn’t after he was circumcised.  The Jews rested in their circumcision.  He says no it wasn’t after he was circumcised; it was before.

¹⁰ How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision?

When did God reckon his faith as righteousness?  Before he was circumcised?  Paul says before.

...Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

When God reckoned Abraham righteous he was an uncircumcised gentile.  He says that the whole reason God gave circumcision in the first place was for a token or sign of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was yet uncircumcised.  The point of giving Abraham circumcision in the flesh made by hands (Eph. 2:11) was to show that even before he was circumcised, he had faith.  So Paul is taking us back to the original faith of Abraham in uncircumcision.  That is what we are as gentiles (the uncircumcision).

¹¹ And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: [here is the purpose] that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised [gentiles]; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:

¹² And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

Even the Jews (the circumcision) had to follow in the faith footsteps of father Abraham’s faith – not his faith after circumcision, but his faith before.  Interesting!  That is how Paul presents it.  James presents it a little bit differently (James 2:21-23); but you have to rightly divide the two operating principals.  One is the focus of Paul’s epistles in the dispensation of grace and the other is from James who was under the Law.

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So Abraham has a dual fatherhood, but ‘mother of us all’ has to do with the New Jerusalem.

Galatians 4:26

But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

You stated that Jerusalem pertains to Israel; that is true for the earthly Jerusalem.  And it is true that the New Jerusalem will also be made available to the nation of Israel.

Revelation 21:9-10

And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.  And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

When we rightly divide God’s word we know from the mystery that the New Jerusalem is not only reserved for the people of Israel.  If we focus only on Prophecy outside of Paul’s epistles, we see that it is associated with the Jew.  But now we have further truth from Paul about New Jerusalem.

We know from John that it extends 1,500 miles into the heavenly places (Rev. 21:16).  It is probably shaped like a pyramid similar to a mountain.  It is called Mt. Zion (Ps. 48:2).  What I see from scripture is that we will live in the New Jerusalem.

Ephesians 2:19

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

God the Father lives at the very top of the New Jerusalem.  Zion literally means the highest point.  The body of Christ will live with him near his throne in his temple.  We know through the revelation of the mystery that New Jerusalem is not just associated with Israel, but also with the body of Christ; we will share it.  We will live in the penthouse section at the top.  Israel will occupy the lower part of New Jerusalem on the earth.

Galatians 4:28

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise.

Just like God promised Abraham and Sarah a child and he made it happen; we too are the children of promise—the multiplied seed as the stars of the heaven.  Both Israel and the body of Christ are a part of the household of God.  We will both live with our Lord in New Jerusalem.  Our Father lives in the city called New Jerusalem.

Hebrews 11:10

For he [Abraham] looked for a city [New Jerusalem] which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

And we will too.  I want you to understand that in prophecy, Israel is the focus in regard to Jerusalem (the city of Jehovah’s peace).  In the mystery, we too will be a part of it because we will live with our Father.  New Jerusalem will not be exclusive to Israel because we are part of the household of God with them.  One part is for the heavens, the body of Christ; and the other part, Israel, is for the earth.

Hopefully this helps!

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Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

Hebrews' authorship

I love your study series of the book of Hebrews.  I have always read Hebrews as if Paul was writing to believers in this current age of grace; so obviously I am in the process of untangling a lot of bad teaching.  Do you believe that Paul wrote Hebrews, because if he didn’t, that changes everything!

Of course we know that first and foremost, God wrote the book of Hebrews.  We know from our Sunday series in Hebrews that Paul wrote 13 epistles (Romans through Philemon) and that he began each one with his name.

Romans 1:1

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Although many bibles label Hebrews as ‘The Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews,’ that is just something that man added.  It is not part of scripture; the publishers added it to “help” readers.  If Paul did write Hebrews, God did not want it to be known.  People speculate, but I don’t believe that he did.  The writer of Hebrews includes himself in the doctrine of the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 1:1-2; Hebrews 2:1

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

A lot of that doctrine is about falling away from the Lord—a warning that pertains to the performance-based acceptance system that God had placed the nation of Israel under.

Hebrews 6:6

If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

In his epistles, our Apostle Paul includes himself with us the church the body of Christ; we are saved by God’s pure grace, no works.

Ephesians 2:5

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Romans 4:24-25

But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

We have justification unto eternal life.

Romans 5:21

That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

Titus 3:7

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

So obviously the doctrine of Hebrews doesn’t fit in with Paul’s 13 epistles.  He begins them all with “Paul;” but the book of Hebrews begins with “God.”

Hebrews 1:1

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

God wrote it and he didn’t want the human author to be known.  Most people believe that Paul wrote Hebrews because bible publishers say that he did.

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You went on to say, “I believe a Jew other than Paul wrote this around 66 A.D. to the Little Flock, not knowing about the dispensation of grace, but thinking that the Kingdom was quickly approaching and was preparing the Jewish people for what was to come.”

That is true; the writer would be a Jew—a Hebrew. 

There is a lot of speculation about when it was written.  That topic is debatable and not the real issue.  Rather, the issue is where it fits in with the rest of scripture.  Hebrews does not take into account the dispensation of grace, and that is another reason why I don’t believe that Paul authored it.

Ephesians 3:1-2

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:

God gave Paul the dispensation of grace.

1 Corinthians 9:17

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel [of grace] is committed unto me.

The focus of Hebrews is not the dispensation of grace.  Like all the other Hebrew epistles outside of Paul (James through Revelation), it is written without the dispensation of grace in view.  In fact, the books of Hebrews through Revelation fit a time future to us. (These are the books Jews will have to study….rightly divided…after the catching away of the body of Christ. They will not obtain salvation by Paul’s gospel through grace, but will once again be under the performance-based acceptance system—Law. ‘Wrongly dividing’ can be hazardous to one’s spiritual well-being.)  

All of God’s word is for us and for our learning.

Romans 15:4

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

2 Timothy 3:16

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Hopefully this helps!  

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Northern California Grace Fellowship

Do you have a question for Pastor Ron?

 Heir of God or Joint-Heirs with Christ? 

Wrongly Deriding Joint-heirs with Christ