338 - 2 - KNOWING GOD’S WILLFebruary 6, 1977
Henry F. Kulp
Colossians 1: 1 - 8 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother, To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth: As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ; Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
Paul first of all greets the church in Colosse, and he gives gratitude for them because this is a unique assembly. Not at all like the church at Corinth. They had three graces, faith, love and hope.
1/ Verse 5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
This verse shows the folly of some in saying that the church started after Acts 28. These folks had their hope before Paul wrote to them. They had heard of this hope in the word of truth of the Gospel.
2/ What Gospel is he talking about? You say, is there more than one Gospel? Absolutely. Those who fail to see there is more than one Gospel will find that they are in a confused state and are workmen who will be ashamed before God.
3/ First of all, the word, Gospel, comes from the Greek word, U-ON-GEHI-EE-ON. And the word originally meant, a reward given to a person for bringing good news. Later on the idea of reward was dropped out, and the word came to mean good news or good tidings. It is foolish to believe that the Bible only has one item of good news. There are many different gospels or items of good news in the Bible.
4/ The words, good news means nothing by itself. You need something to go along with it. Let me show you another word that is the same way. The word, law, most people when they read the word, law, think of the Mosaic law. And this is a mistake. The word, law, without qualification means nothing. In the book of Romans the word, law, is used in five different ways:
This is the Mosaic law
Romans 5: 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
The law of indwelling sin
Romans 7: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Law of the renewed mind
Romans 7: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
Law of sin and death
Romans 8: 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
Law of the spirit of life
Romans 8: 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
5/ It is the same with the word, good news, or Gospel.
Matthew 4: 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Here we read that Jesus Christ went about all of Galilee teaching in the synagogues and preaching the Gospel or the good news of the kingdom. What Gospel was He preaching? The Gospel of the kingdom. What is this? It is a kingdom that was promised in the Old Testament that was to be set up upon earth.
6/ Matthew 6: 9, 10 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Here we have Him teaching the disciples about prayer. He told them to pray, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as in Heaven. So we see the Gospel of the kingdom was not on earth when Jesus Christ taught it, and then He taught His own to pray for it, and it is the will of God being done on earth as it is in Heaven. The key word, is the word, earth.
7/ Matthew 10: 5 - 7 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, 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. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Here we have Jesus Christ instructing His Twelve Apostles to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and preach saying the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. The word, Heaven, is the Greek word, OO-RAIN-US and it is in the plural, so it should be read Heavens. Of is literally, from. So it is the kingdom from the Heavens, out of the Heavens.
8/ Matthew 5: 5 And here we read, Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Earth is the key—a kingdom on earth.
9/ Another thing we have to see is that healing goes hand in hand with this Gospel, good news of the kingdom.
Matthew 8: 14 - 16 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them. When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
If you want to understand the Gospel of the kingdom, you must go back to David—to the covenant that God made with David.
10/ Jeremiah 23: 5, 6 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord Our Righteousness.
The good news here is based on a promise made to King David. Here God says of your seed there is going to be a man sit upon your throne. And he is going to rule over the house of Israel and of the house of Judah. In this kingdom on earth, David is promised a king, a throne and a righteous government. We are not to proclaim, to preach the Gospel—that is not our hope. That is not what Paul is talking about in Galatians 1: 5, 6 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
11/ Matthew 6: 9, 10 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
All over our land this morning we have those who claim to be Christians who will be praying this prayer.
Verse 11 Give us this day our daily bread.
This prayer will be prayed during the tribulation as the nation longs for this earthly kingdom on earth, and as they are persecuted by the antiChrist they will pray this prayer.
Revelations 13: 16 - 18 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Here we see the tribulation when the anti-Christ and the false prophet will cause all to receive the mark of the beast either in their right hand or in their forehead, and without this mark they cannot buy or sell. And those of Israel who are true Israel will not receive the mark and will not be able to buy food, so God will provide their daily bread as He did for Israel in the wilderness.
12/ Then we have the Gospel of circumcision.
Galatians 2: 7 - 9 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
The Gospel of circumcision was committed unto Peter and the rest of the Twelve. What is the Gospel of circumcision? If you want to know about the Gospel of circumcision you must go back to Genesis, you must go back past David to Abraham, to the covenant of circumcision. God made a covenant with Abraham in circumcision.
Genesis 17: 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
Circumcision was the token of the covenant. In this covenant Abraham’s seed, called the Circumcision was to be a blessing to all nations. Israel was to have a nation and the land. The Davidic covenant was the king and throne and a government, the Abrahamic covenant was a nation and land. The two are closely related.
13/ Let us go back to Matthew 1: 1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Here we read the book of generations of Jesus Christ, The son of David and the son of Abraham. He is not the Son of David or the Son of Abraham to us. Jesus Christ is the Son of God to us, the Head of the body.
14/ Galatians 2: 7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
The Gospel of uncircumcision. This goes back beyond David, beyond Abraham to Abram.
Romans 4: 9 - 11 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision. And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
Abraham long before he was circumcised was justified by faith in uncircumcision. And he is the father of all who are justified by faith through Jesus Christ.
15/ The Gospel of the circumcision was exclusive to Israel only. But the Gospel of uncircumcision is inclusive, it includes everyone.
16/ Acts 20: 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify of the gospel of the grace of God.
Here we read the Gospel of the grace of God. What is the Gospel of the grace of God? It goes back beyond David, beyond Abraham, beyond Abram to eternity past. And it incorporates the Gospel of reconciliation and the Gospel of the mystery. It is a combination of three Gospels. The combining of the Gospel of circumcision, reconciliation and the mystery.
17/ Colossians 1: 5, 6 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
What Gospel is this? Verse 6 says it is the grace of God in truth. So here is Paul in the Acts period presenting the message that we proclaim today—it is not repent, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, but that all have access to God the Father in Jesus Christ.
18/ Then we read, As it is in all the world, in all the earth. And then in verse 23 that was preached to every creature which was under Heaven. So this Gospel in Paul’s day went throughout the world. Let us make another comparison.
Matthew 24: 13, 14 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
Here we see another comparison between the Gospel of the Kingdom and what we preach today. This Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations and then the end shall come.
If this is the same Gospel that Paul preached then we have a big problem. Why didn’t the end come after Paul taught his message of the grace of God to all the then known world and every creature heard it?
For the simple reason it was a different Gospel from what we are preaching and it is to be preached during the tribulation.
AMEN
Ref: 02/06/1977 / KNOWING HIS WILL / 01/19/2021
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