WHAT IS A PREACHER WORTH?

Radio Club Members receiving gift of baby blankets and FM radios for their village

   9 - WHAT IS A PREACHER WORTH?

   September 7, 1972

   Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

I Corinthians 9: 5, 6 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

Paul is talking about the fourth law, the law of supreme sacrifice, which is directed toward God, and here it supersedes the law of liberty. But one must remember, that when the law of liberty is superseded, either by love, expediency or supreme sacrifice, there must be no compromise of doctrine at any time.

1/  Paul’s apostleship is what is being attacked. Verse 1. The Judaizing teachers said he was not an apostle—not one of the twelve, which he was not. They hated his message above all else—his message of pure grace.

2/  They spread rumors against his apostleship. They said, he does not eat meat offered to idols in the temple restaurant. And, of course, he was using the law of love. Verse 4.

3/  Verse 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?

He had the right to get married, he set aside this privilege under the law of supreme sacrifice.

4/  Verse 6 - 14 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

Paul had a right to a salary, but he did not take a salary. In verse 6 - 14 under the law of liberty, he proves the right of pastor-teachers to be paid. As a matter of fact, Paul and Barnabas are the only two who did not receive a salary, and it was only at Corinth that he did not receive a salary.

5/  Barnabas was part of the Pauline team. He had been an outstanding businessman in Cyprus, a very wealthy man and he had been the head of a great empire when saved. He immediately dissolved his holdings, took the money, gave it to the Lord’s work, and is now traveling with Paul.

6/  Verse 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

The word, Power, is AUTHORITY. And to forebear working means a job outside the ministry, or a job on the side. Paul was a tent-maker. He had a trade. And so he and Barnabas did not get paid. After he left Corinth he was supported by local churches in his ministry.

7/  PAUL AND BARNABAS ARE THE EXCEPTION, NOT THE RULE 

Verse 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

And Paul gives three illustrations from general life, physical life: the soldier; the shepherd; and the farmer. And the principle here is that one who teaches has the right to support.

8/  A soldier must give all his time to his job, and to be effective, he cannot have a job on the side, so he has the right to be paid. And then the farmer who plants a crop as part of his wages at the time of harvest receives part of the crop. And then the shepherd receives part of his wages from the flock. He has goats, he gets milk—then he has a right to take a lamb and slaughter it for himself. So Paul is using (1) Military life, (2) Agriculture (3) Pastoral life, showing that the basis for human production is wages. And it is just as true in the spiritual life.

9/  Verse 8 - 10 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

Here Paul uses the Word of God. He starts out by saying, Say I these things as a man? In other words, if he is not an apostle, he has to be saying them as a man.

10/  The law proved this very same principle. 

Deuteronomy 25: 4 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

THIS IS A BIBLE-CENTERED CONCEPT IN ALL AGES. THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF REMUNERATION. 

The ox who treads out the corn is never muzzled. He was able to lean over as he worked and pickup some of the grain. So the dumb beast as he worked received for his labor, just so those who teach the Word of God.

11/  Verse 10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

The worker has a right to a living wage—a fair wage, and this must be true in the spiritual life as well.

12/  PREPARATION IS NEEDED TO PREACH Study is needed. Folks say, you just preach so many hours a week—but how many hours are needed in preparation? Paul spent many years in preparation. 

Galatians 1: 15 - 17 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.

He went to Bible School in Arabia.

13/  It is well we recognize that a man should not be a pastor if he is not a teacher. 

Ephesians 4: 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

In the Greek, and, makes Pastor and teacher one gift. The world has the wrong idea—it expects a pastor to run from house to house—visit, visit. A pastor is one who watches over a flock—he ministers to a flock. His primary function is the feeding of the flock. A while ago, someone said to me, that their minister was a great pastor, but a poor Bible teacher. I said, How could this be? This is an impossibility. To be a pastor, one must be a teacher, and this means time and preparation.

14/  I Corinthians 9: 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

Paul says, if we have sewn unto you spiritual things—and, of course, he had. Then we have a right to receive your carnal, or material things. In other words, a pastor has a right to receive without complaint. Sewn unto you, in the Greek is dative of advantage. If you have received things for you spiritual advantage, then you should be willing to give up material, worldly things.

15/  THE PRINCIPLE—EACH HAS SOMETHING TO GIVE TO THE OTHER.

16/  Verse 12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

The word, power, is authority. If others be partakers of this authority over you. This meant they paid Apollos and others who came in. They had the right to pay Paul, the founder of the church. Then also notice, Pastor-teacher has authority. Many would like him to be a puppet.

17/  NEVERTHELESS is a conjunction of contrast, and under supreme sacrifice, he refuses to take money from them. He did not take money when he could have.

18/  SUFFER ALL THINGS Again, the result of the law of supreme sacrifice. The Greek word means TO ENDURE PRIVATION. And its present tense—he kept on enduring. This means he lacked money, food, lodging. He could not work enough to take care of all these items.

19/ …lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

 

LEST introduces the negative purpose cause. He did not want to hinder the Gospel in Corinth because they attacked his apostleship.

20/  Verse 13 - 15 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

Paul is saying even though he refused to take money at Corinth. He was not setting a precedent. The principle of remuneration goes on.

21/  Verse 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

Here Paul again uses two illustrations from church life. (1) The Levitical priesthood was paid. Under the law, the priests were paid from the temple treasury, and this was called the storehouse. How few people understand the tithe. Each year the Israelite had two tithes. He didn’t give just one. 

Malachi 3: 8 - 10 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

The first tithe, or one-tenth, went to the temple or tabernacle. The second tithe, or one-tenth went for the priesthood—for their salary. Some think a tithe was an offering—it was not—it was an income tax. And then every third year, he had to give one-tenth more for the poor of the land. So every year, a Jew gave 2/10 or 1/5 of his income as a tax, and then offerings were to be given above this. This was not on a percentage basis.

22/  Verse 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

Second illustration. He goes into the heathen temple. And the heathen priests partook of what was brought into the altar. Sometimes it was animals, he received a certain part of it—if gold or other valuables a certain part, and so he made his living. So Paul is saying, both Jew and Gentile, you must support those who teach you and care for your spiritual life.

23/  Paul says, they that preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel, and the word, of, should be from the Gospel—that is the literal translation. And here Paul is quoting our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 10: 7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

So even Christ when He was upon earth, said the principle of remuneration was the order of the day.

AMEN

Ref: 09/07/1972 / 9 - WHAT IS A PREACHER WORTH? / 09/08/2020

CHRIST ABOVE ALL - PART II

Photo take by B Smith from the Kitchen Door

 

314-2 – Christ Above All

July 17, 1977

Henry F. Kulp

 

Colossians 2: 12 - 16 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

First of all here we see circumcision, the cutting off of useless flesh, and that means the cutting off of all human good, All human activity. Rejecting anything that man can do to help himself to be saved. It means the rejection of all rituals, all rites, all ceremonies. 

1/  Then we have baptism, prior to this we have been talking about the words, “ in Him “.  Christianity is union with Jesus Christ, and how can we have union with Christ? By cutting off the flesh and being baptized into the Body of Christ. This cannot be a rite, a ritual, or a ceremony. Anyone who says it is, is being blasphemous for it is this baptism which unifies the believer with Jesus Christ.

2/  It is important that we see that this is not an experience of any kind. It has nothing to do with aesthetics. Feelings have no part here—no feeling whatsoever. It is not connected with speaking in tongues. So this baptism has nothing whatsoever to do with feelings.

3/  HAVING BEEN BURIED WITH HIM BY MEANS OF THE BAPTISM, BY WHICH MEANS WE HAVE BEEN RAISED UP WITH HIM THROUGH FAITH IN THE OPERATIONAL POWER FROM THE SOURCE OF GOD.

4/  Remember it is the baptism—the important one. It is the one baptism.

Ephesians 4: 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

The certificate of indebtedness.

5/  This baptism is a dry baptism and it is a real baptism. For it is an actual union—identification with Jesus Christ.

6/  Verse 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Now we come to a very important passage that few understand. The words, blotting out, in the Greek are X-AH’LAY-FOFE It means TO BLOT OUT, TO OBLITERATE, TO RUB OUT, TO  ERASE. This word is a gambling term. Throughout all of Greek history this word spoke of a gambling debt. When a person has a gambling I. O. U. against him, there is the concept of pressure. 

Take today, a man who owes money he cannot pay, especially if he owes it to the syndicate, they will collect it one way or another and not to his benefit. They know and use cement shoes and river bottoms. Or hit men. So the concept of this verb is PRESSURE.   

7/  The I. O. U. will be described in the next word—handwriting. Let us talk about the 

I. O. U. It could be, I. O. U., God perfect righteousness – I. O. U. to be a perfect individual, a saint, and, of course, I cannot pay this debt. Or I. O. U., God, a perfect life, and it is impossible for man to pay this debt, it is a hopeless debt. Everyone is born into this world, with a hopeless I. O. U. to God.  

8/  Let us look at the word, handwriting, CAIRO-GROF-ON and it means, I. O. U. Literally it means, PUTTING YOUR NAME ON A PIECE OF PAPER, AND THE AMOUNT YOU OWE TO SOMEONE ELSE. So, we owe God. When Adam sinned, he put the whole human race in debt to God. We are all born with this I.O.U. of sinlessness of absolute righteousness, and we can’t pay it. So this debt goes back to Adam, and we know the hopelessness of this debt, because we sin and we prove that we are in debt. Our everyday sins prove that we owe this I. O. U. to God. 

9/  If you want to see the foolishness of man, take the nation Israel. They are in the wilderness, and God speaks to Moses and Moses speaks to man. 

Exodus 19: 5 - 8 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the Lord commanded him. And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the Lord.

And God said, if you will do something I will do something, and the Israelites in the 8^th verse say, all that the Lord hath spoken, we will do. They were not cognizant of this 

I. O. U. The law was given to prove to man that he owes this I. O. U. 

Romans 3: 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

That all the world may become guilty before God. The word, hand-writing, is literally THE CERTIFICATE OF INDEBTEDNESS, and the word, ordinances, is the word DOGMA. Something we have to do. You will notice people always want to do something and the law is doing something. But the law is against us, it is contrary to us. 

10/  Romans 7: 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

The word, ordained, is not in the original, and I think I can supply a word that makes it have sense. The commandment which I thought was life, I found death. There was a time when Paul thought that keeping the law would bring him salvation. So Paul, evidently means that the commandment that people think is good because God gave it, is able to give them life. But it doesn’t, it brings death.

11/  Remember, these ordinances were against them. Not for them. And then I find the word, contrary, comes from a word that means ADVERSARY and it means an adversary that is too much for you, and one that you cannot overcome. What do the two words mean? One means it was against you and would condemn you. The other means that it has too much strength for you—it can overcome you. The word, contrary, is an ADVERSARY WHO IS HOSTILE.

12/  AND TOOK IT. That the Greek is I-ROW and it means TO LIFT UP AND CARRY OFF and it is in the perfect tense, so it means He removed it permanently. He removed the law permanently as far as we are concerned in this day and age. 

13/  How did He do that? He canceled the law by nailing it to His cross.

14/  Did you ever know that when Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross, He Himself nailed something to it? When they were driving nails through His hands, Jesus was nailing to the cross the I. O. U. which is against every man. The law is against every man, and the debt that we have incurred in Adam is against every man. Death is everywhere.

15/  It is said that in Roman times a debt was a crime. It was not so long ago in England that a debt was a crime, and they had debtor’s prison. A man who had a debt was always in danger of failing to pay. If the time came, that he could not pay, then he and his family would become slaves. It was a glorious time when a man’s debt was paid and he could say he was clear. Often a man wanted all his neighbors to know that he was no longer in danger of servitude, so when the debt was paid, he took the old canceled debt, nailed it over his door, and all his neighbors knew he was a free man. 

Let us look at the cross, and we know we are free—we can see that it was nailed to the cross. Again we may understand what it means, the expression, nailing it to His cross. It was customary under Roman law when criminals were executed by crucifixion—to write out a copy of the law they had broken or to indicate the nature of their offense on a placard and nail it above the victim’s head. The reason for that was that all might know how Rome executed vengeance upon those who violated her criminal code. 

Matthew 27: 37 And set up over his head his accusation written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews.

Pilot wrote out the inscription to be placed over the head of Jesus Christ and it was in three languages—Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, and notice what it says—the accusation. That all might know why the Lord Jesus Christ was publicly executed. This is Jesus of Nazareth, The King of the Jews. 

As people read this they understood that He was being crucified because He had made Himself a king and was thus disloyal to Caesar, but as God looked upon the cross, His Holy eye saw, as it were, another inscription altogether. 

Nailed above His head were the handwriting of the ten ordinances given at Sinai – the ten laws that are given against us that we can’t keep, and in so doing, He permanently removed them. We are not under them,  they have no part with us. There are no ordinances—just faith in Jesus Christ will save us.

AMEN

Ref: 07/17/1977 / 314-2 – Christ Above All / 09/08/2020

DOES YOUR SALVATION DEPEND ON YOU?

Photo taken from B Smith's Kitchen Door

359 - 2 - DOES YOUR SALVATION DEPEND ON YOU?

June 26, 1977

Henry F. Kulp

 

Colossians 1: 20 - 23 And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: 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;

In verse 22, In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

God tells us we are holy, unblameable and unreproveable in God’s sight. There is not a more glorious verse in the entire Bible, and all of this is true because Jesus Christ died for us. But then, when we come to the 23rd verse and we see the first word in that verse is “if” and immediately it brings us to a halt. 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;

Some argue from this verse that it is possible for one who has been saved to fall away, but that cannot be Paul’s meaning. Paul does not teach two distinct and opposite doctrines. If he teaches eternal security in one place, he doesn’t teach the possibility of falling away in another place. And we know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Bible teaches eternal security, and teaches it very clearly.

1/  LET US GET A DEFINITION FOR ETERNAL SECURITY. They whom God hath accepted in His beloved Son, and effectively called and sanctified by His Holy Spirit, can neither totally, nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly continue therein to the end and be eternally saved.

2/  This definition can be supported by many Bible verses. Let us look at Hebrews 7: 25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Notice that this text does not say from the uttermost but rather to the uttermost, and literally it should read, ALL THE WAY TO THE END. Some people call eternal security the perseverance of the saints, but that is not correct. It is not the saints that perseveres. It is God who perseveres through the saint.   

3/  Romans 6: 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Here we read the gift of God is eternal life. In the first place, God does not give us eternal life because we deserve it. We deserve eternal death and condemnation. Then secondly, eternal life is not given because of our works, neither is it taken away because of our works. We did not receive salvation because of works, how can we lose it because of works? Works have nothing to do with our salvation, neither before or after our salvation. It is a gift. 

4/  II Timothy 1: 9, 10 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

God has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works. So our works are not a factor in salvation. What Jesus Christ did on Calvary—purchased our salvation.  

5/  Our salvation is not something that God thought of after man sinned, but something God promised us in eternity past. 

Titus 1: 2, 3 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour; 

In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began. 

6/ The work of the Holy Spirit is another proof of eternal security. 

Ephesians 1: 13, 14 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation, in whom also upon believing. This is the correct way—upon believing we were sealed. The sealing of Holy Spirit, who is a person is the guarantee of our salvation.

Ephesians 4: 30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.

Here we read we are not to grieve the Holy Spirit because He has sealed us unto the day of redemption. Not until we lose our salvation. The day of redemption refers to the redemption of the body. When Christ comes our body of humiliation will be changed and fashioned like unto to the glorious resurrection Body of Jesus Christ. 

Philippians 3: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

7/  Romans 3: 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

The believer is secure because he is justified. Now, that great term has been erroneously interpreted, just as if I had never sinned. That would mean we would be merely innocent. Adam was in that condition before he sinned, but to be justified is far more than that. To be justified is to be declared righteous—as righteous as God. Not merely innocent.

8/  Romans 4: 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Notice, Christ by His grace justified the ungodly. Not those who are living good lives. Not those who by their own merits are being fine individuals.

9/  Now let us go back to 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;

We have shown you by the Word of God that a believer cannot be saved by his own works, and cannot lose his salvation by his works. Therefore, what does Paul mean when he says we will be holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in His sight, if ye continue in the faith. The word, “if” is a first class condition and it means “if, and it’s true”,—so if, and it’s true, ye continue in the faith. We have the wrong idea of this Greek word, if, when it is a first class word condition. We think—I’ll go on a picnic, if it doesn’t rain. But that’s not what is meant here. It means it is true. It is not conditional.  

10/  The word, continue, is EPEE-MEN-O. Epee means upon and Meno means to abide. You put the two together and it means, to prolong a stay, or persist in something. And then the word, faith, PISS-TIS and it has the definite article in front of it, so it should be translated IF YOU PERSIST IN THE BIBLE DOCTRINE AND YOU DO. The faith means Bible doctrine, and the word, grounded, means TO LAY A FOUNDATION and the word, settle, is TO BE STABILIZED. So this means you do not add anything to Bible doctrine, but you believe what the Bible has taught concerning yourself and Jesus Christ. 

11/  And be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel. That is literally not to swerve away, and the word, HOPE, is AL-PUS confidence. The confidence of the Gospel, not to swerve from it. This is the Gospel that you have heard, and was preached. The word, preached KAY- RUE SO and it means publicly proclaimed. 

Then notice, whereof, I Paul am made a minister. So what is he saying here? He is saying that you must persevere in the doctrine that I have given, be grounded, founded and settled, and have the hope of the Gospel. The gospel that Paul preached. 

Romans 2: 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Then notice, 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,

II Timothy 2: 8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

So it is the Gospel of Paul that reveals the truth, that you are holy, unblameable, unreprovable in God’s sight. There is no law, no commandments, just faith in Jesus Christ, that produces this situation.    

12/  Colossians 1: 24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

This is a very peculiar verse. Some have naturally taken from it that the suffering of Christ was not sufficient that Paul helped to make it up. This is not true, and that is not in this verse. This verse doesn’t speak to the suffering of Christ. Just let me read it again.

13/  Not the sufferings of Christ, but the afflictions of Christ in Paul’s body. The sufferings of Christ on the cross are never called afflictions. When man is judged before a court and sentenced, that is not affliction, that is judgement. Jesus Christ bore judgement on the cross. But the Lord Jesus Christ has ordained certain afflictions in His people for the gathering of the church, the Body of Christ, and Paul said, I want to finish out what is God’s plan for me, to suffer for Christ in my body that the church may be gathered.

14/  Did you know that the church of Christ has never been gathered without suffering? Just look throughout the Bible. Certainly, Paul didn’t have a good time—he suffered tremendously, constantly, continually, and down through the ages, the martyrs tell us that God has gathered the church by the suffering of people. When God uses a man there is suffering somewhere. Paul is literally saying, I am glad to suffer for Jesus Christ, and oh, how he suffered. 

II Corinthians 11: 23 - 25 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

15/ Have you ever read Foxes Book of Martyrs? Wesley and Whitefield, and Morrison and Carey, and the great preachers that came out of the ashes of the English martyrs? Before the  age of Evangelism, before the missionaries went to India, and Africa and China there was terrible persecution, and thousands laid down their lives.  

16/  Colossians 1: 25  Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;

Here we have a very important verse, and it has been overlooked by so many people. Paul was made a minister according to the dispensation of God. That was given to him to fulfill the Word of God. Paul completed the Word of God, not the Book of Revelation. 

17/  What Paul tells us is the greatest revelation in the Book from Genesis to Revelation. In the Book of Revelation there is nothing particularly new. Revelation is almost entirely composed of quotations from all the rest of the Book. All the truth we have in Revelation we have in other parts of the Bible. But Revelation brings it all together in the great book of final things. It is Paul who received the Revelation—the fact that Christ was gathering people called the church the Body of Christ. 

Notice Ephesians 1: 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Paul uses the word, riches, and that word belongs to him. The riches of His grace. 

Then in Ephesians 2: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

The exceeding riches of His grace. You think grace is a lot? The riches of His grace is more. 

AMEN

Ref: 06/26/1977 / 359-2 DOES YOUR SALVATION DEPEND ON YOU? / 09/07/2020

BOLDLY, THROUGH THE BLOOD

Photo taken by B Smith from the Patio

203 - BOLDLY, THROUGH THE BLOOD

JANUARY 3, 1960

HENRY F. KULP 

 

Ephesians 2: 14 - 22 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together growth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. 

In this portion of Scripture we have Paul bringing out that there was a difference between Jew and Gentile–God had erected a middle wall of partition–He had made a difference between Jew and Gentile, but now, through Jesus Christ this middle wall of partition has been broken down, and now there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–they are on the same plane, and God instead of having a favorite has a new man—Jew and Gentile, it matters not if they see their need in Christ and believe on Him, they are made of this one new man–not a nation now, but a man. 

1/  Everything is under this one new man. When we compare this with

 II Corinthians 5: 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

We recognize that in this new man, this new creation, old things are passed away and all things become new. Now that which passed away, the old requirements and conditions that were in days gone by—everything is brand new. 

2/  Let us look at the basic requirement of the old covenant, the basic requirement for the nation Israel, and I am thankful that I am not under this requirement today–that is spiritually. 

Galatians 6: 15 In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. 

Here it is, in Christ Jesus, in this new man, in this new creation, neither circumcision availeth anything nor uncircumcision, but this new creation, the new man. Now you know at one time, this did avail something. 

Genesis 17: 11, 12 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your forskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.

And here it says that the male child that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you. It is a token of the covenant between me and you, by Abraham—he was Abram at the time–was circumcised when he was 99 years of age, and at that time his name was changed from Abram to Abraham. Circumcision was the very basis, at the very heart of the covenant God made with the father of the nation. At the time the middle wall of partition was erected, circumcision plays a very definite role, for it was necessary, it did avail. 

3/  Genesis 17: 14 Here it says, And the uncircumcised man child, whose flesh is not circumcised, his soul shall be cut off from his people; (because) he hath broken my covenant.

4/  You remember the story of Moses.

Exodus 4: 24 - 26 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

Moses had not circumcised his son, and he was to be the deliverer of his people. God met his son sought to kill him. Why? Because the basic requirement of the covenant had not been met. Circumcision did avail much in those days. But in Galatians He says circumcision availeth nothing, but to be part of this new creation, where all the these old requirements and conditions are done away with and everything is become new.

5/  Then notice, also, that when Israel was God’s special chosen treasure—

Exodus 19: 5, 6 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

God puts the condition of “if ” in front of it. If you will obey My voice, indeed then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me—but praise God, in this new creation, the word “ if “ has been dropped. It is all of grace—certainly we are far better today, with the middle wall of partition broken down then Israel was when it was standing.

6/  Also take the Sabbath where it says the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath. 

Exodus 31: 16, 17 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.

Israel was to observe the Sabbath throughout their generation as a perpetual sign—A sign between me and the children of Israel forever. 

The Sabbath is not for today. Because Israel has been set aside, and God is dealing with Jew and Gentile on the same footing—if they believe on Christ they are part of a new creation, and so therefore, with this truth in mind, the Sabbath is not for today. The Sabbath has been set aside. How I praise God that I do not have to keep the Sabbath day—I have something far better in Christ Jesus.

7/  Made one in Christ Jesus because we are one new man. That is the main reason that the word, atonement is not in the Pauline Epistles. We talk of the atonement today, but we have something far better then atonement—that is an Old Testament word, that is a word while the middle wall of partition is standing. It is not a word for the time since the middle wall has been broken down. For atonement means covered. 

You might say, in Romans 5: 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

The word atonement appears here in Romans—but in the original that should be reconciliation and we are part of this new man. Again with the breaking down of the middle wall of partition, we have something better. 

The reason this is so important is because we are made part of Jesus Christ. Our sins are not just covered, but they are completely gone, and we are as righteous as Christ is, because we are part of Christ. 

Let us look at Adam for a few moments—when he was created—before woman was given to man, his name was called Adam—then God caused a deep sleep to come upon man and took a part out of his side, formed a woman from it, and gave her back to man to become one flesh with him, and He called their name Adam. 

Genesis 5: 2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. 

In like manner, Christ came to this earth, and through His blood and resurrection, we are made part of His body, we become one flesh to Him, as in the case of Eve, we are given His name. 

Speaking to the members of the Body of Christ, the Apostle Paul says, 

I Corinthians 12: 12 Whereas the body is one, and has many members, so also is Christ. 

Our name is Christ—we are part of this new creation, and it is so much better than anything in the past.

8/  Ephesians 2: 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Ephesians tells us that He hath reconciled both Jew and Gentile unto God in one body by the cross. God has done something else here. He has made reconciliation. The word, reconciliation is a wonderful word. In the English language when we speak of reconciliation we think of two parties who were once fighting and wrangling, and having hatred in their hearts against one another making peace with one another. 

This, however, is not the meaning of the word that is translated reconcile. The lexicon defines this word, CHANGE ON THE PART OF ONE PARTY ONLY. So the enmity between God and man has been eliminated as far as God is concerned. The only enmity that now exist is now in man’s own heart.

10/  Ephesians 2: 18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. 

Here we are told we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. With the breaking down of the middle wall of partition, we have access to the Father. This is brand new. Do you realize that of old there was no immediate access to God? Do you realize that even the Jew with all the earthly blessings of being a Jew did not have this privilege which we have today. Remember the temple—there was the holy of holies with the ark of the covenant, the broken law in it—the mercy seat above it, the blood sprinkled upon it, and to get into that room where God came down to have fellowship with man, he had to go through the veil into that room, and then it was only once a year, and then it was only the high priest who came in with the shed blood, and he had to come through the veil, into the presence of God, but it was dark—no windows in that room, it was absolutely pitch dark, and dark when he met with God, and then only once a year. We do not have that today—we have immediate access with God Almighty.

11/  But now let us look at that day when the priest went in with the blood once a year to the mercy seat, into the holy of holies, into that black darkness where God came down in the Shekinah Glory. The high priest went alone into the tabernacle. All the other priests were to leave the tabernacle and stand with the common people on the outside. Then the high priest, laid aside his glorious high priestly garments with many colors, and girded himself in a plain linen turban and robe. This change was made in the tabernacle, away from the eyes of the people, and now in the plain garments, he took the blood from the altar, the burnt offering, and carried it into the most holy place, where the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat were—without uttering a word, he sprinkled the blood on the mercy seat, and when God was satisfied, the priest would go back and put on his high priestly garments. It was a beautiful robe, and a border on the bottom with golden bells which kept up a continual tinkling when the priest moved about in the tabernacle. 

The priest, when he went in had to lay aside these beautiful garments, and just have on the plain linen garments, but now he would come back and take off these plain garments, and put back on his high priestly garments, and as he would put them on and take this first step the bells would start to tinkle all the while the people stood outside in great suspense, they were almost in breathless silence. If everything was not done according to God’s plan, according to God’s will—if there was an error on the high priest’s part, or a slip on his part, God would not accept the blood of the offering. He would be struck dead and not return even as the two sons of Aaron had experienced. 

So they waited anxiously for the news of success, and when they heard these bells tinkling, they knew that all was well, the priest had been spared, and he was coming back to them. God had accepted the blood atonement—there had been access to God once again. The priest was still out of sight, but the moment the tinkling of those bells began, they knew the work had been done, a great shout would go up among the people that would shake the very mountains around them.

We have something far better then that today—through Jesus Christ this middle wall of partition has been broken down, and we have immediate access with God the Father through Jesus Christ. We have it so much better than what the nation Israel did in days gone by.

12/  Remember, Leveticus 10: 1, 2 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.  And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.

Here is the sad story of Nadab and Abihu, the high priests? They offered strange fire to God and they were slaughtered with fire from God. They did not have the privilege of direct access to God as we do. Their strange fire did not bring them nigh to God, it did not give them access to God. How much better we have it then Nadab and Abihu.

13/  Then we have the record in Leviticus 16 of how after the incident, the Lord instructed Moses how Aaron might make atonement once a year for himself and for the people. This was to be done with blood and great care was to be taken so they would carry out God’s plan and Aaron wouldn’t die. There was always fear that he would die, the high priest would go into the holy of holies with trembling and fear. But, we come with boldness, with no fear and trembling, we have access to God.

14/  Notice, here that the Holy Spirit is the guide. For He takes both Jew and Gentile into the presence of God. The word, access, is a strange word indeed. In the original language it means, to have an entrance, to stand before a sovereign. The thought that is brought out here is that the Holy Spirit is the one who gives us entrance to stand before the Sovereign of the universe, God the Father.

15/  Notice, verse 17 And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the holy place, until he come out, and have made an atonement for himself, and for his household, and for all the congregation of Israel.

 Prior to this time we didn’t have this privilege, but now we do. Then we come to verse 19 And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

Here we have another wonderful fact brought out—one of the new things of this creation, for it tells us how—that means at this present time, we are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, this was not true in days gone by. Not even Israel had this glorious hope, not even Israel could say this was true of them.

16/  Some folks tell us that we will never go to Heaven—we are just spiritual Israel. Don’t you believe it—that is not true according to God’s Holy and Precious Word. Two words that are very important, are, now therefore—now and therefore, because of all this is true therefore we are now fellow-citizens with the saints. The words, with the saints, is TONE—HOG—GEE—OWN  and it means the holiest of all. We are fellow-citizens in the holiest of all. We can understand the holiest of all when we go to Hebrews 9: 8 The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing:

Here it says the Holy Ghost—this signifying that the way into the holiest of all, or the most holy place. So, we know that has to mean Heaven. It is the most holy place in all the universe. It is the place that is not marred and stained and blighted by sin. It is the immediate presence of God the Father. Therefore, we are saints of the most holy place, we are saints of Heaven. It is perfectly proper to say that we are fellow-citizens of Heaven.

17/  Ephesians 2: 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

There are some who teach that the prophets here are the prophets of the Old Testament, and the apostles are the Lord’s Twelve. This cannot be, for we are dealing with the mystery not made known in the earlier ages. The main thing to notice is the order of the words, they are not prophets and apostles, as they would normally be, but apostles and prophets. 

II Peter 3: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

The Old Testament prophets were placed before the apostles. Notice the order here. 

Then we go back to Ephesians 4: 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

He tells us that He gave some apostles and some prophets, and some evangelists and some pastors and some teachers, the order is the same here—this is the gift of the ascended Christ to His Body, to His Church.

18/  Ephesians 2: 21, 22 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

Here we have a beautiful word picture. The Ephesians would jump at this picture because immediately in their minds they would picture that the very heart of their great city was a great temple. It was where they worshipped in days gone by. It was a great building made of large stones, and in this temple they had Diana, an idol they said fell from Jupiter and they worshipped her. So, then Paul uses this illustration, they would picture the Holy Spirit constructing the temple, and He uses living stones, fitting them into their places in the structure. Folks from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, from all over the world, at the moment they are saved, made by the Holy Spirit, who is the builder, part of this great temple, this habitation of God.

20/  How wonderful it is to part of the habitation of God upon this earth. This is something that is not true in days gone by, but is true now. Praise God, that the middle wall if partition has been broken down.

AMEN

Ref: 01/03/1960 BOLDLY, THROUGH THE BLOOD / 09/06/2020