The BIG Picture (Q&A)

Consider the following question: Paul writes in Ephesians 4:11 that Christ "gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers," as gifts to the Body of Christ. Yet in 1 Corinthians 13:8, he says, "Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." Don’t these verses contradict each other in regard to prophecy? At face value, these verses seem to conflict —how can prophets and prophecy be both a gift given to the Body and something that eventually ceases? Well, the answer is quite simple. When we rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15), we see they’re speaking to different contexts and purposes within God’s unfolding plan. Ephesians 4:11 – Gifts for the Edifying of the Body “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” This verse describes g...

What is it about two programs, two agencies, two doctrines, and two destinations? I want you to spend a bit of your time considering these two bible passages, when you have a quiet moment to contemplate them. Read them carefully and attentively and see if you can spot the points of interest that I highlight in the small list below. First, read the passages....slowly 😉 Acts 3:19-25 (This is the apostle Peter speaking to Israel (Jews) on the day of Pentecost) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 20 and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, 21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. 25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to...

COMMENT: Paul says that dead in sin we are saved by grace. That means even sinning your saved. Then in Hebrews which is accredited to Paul, he says after knowing the truth, if you sin, there is no longer a sacrifice for sin. Just damnation. The bible is a contradiction.  REPLY: You are not taking the following into consideration. Even if Paul wrote Hebrews, the point is that Hebrews is NOT written to the Body of Christ. You cannot take doctrine from Hebrews and mix it with Paul’s 13-other epistles, which are all addressed clearly to Gentile churches. The book of Hebrews is not concerning Gentiles, but concerning the new covenant for Israel. As "Romans" is the foundational doctrine for the grace believer today, "Hebrews" is the foundational doctrine for Jews in the 7-year Tribulation. The epistles could not have been named more clearly. RETURN COMMENT: Clearly that makes no difference that it's a contradiction. Paul contradicts himself which means there's a ...

QUESTION: Can you lose salvation? YES. It seems fairly conclusive that you can indeed lose salvation by various means from this selection at least. Yes by doing an unforgivable sin. We agree with Jesus on this at least. Yes, Hebrews 6 4–6. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened … If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance” Yes, Hebrews 10:26 “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins” Yes, Mark 3: 28–29 “But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation”. ANSWER: If you choose not to rightly divide the scriptures (2Tim.2:15), and you don’t acknowledge the TWO programs (prophecy and mystery), contained in the redemption plan of God, then this is naturally what you’d conclude. However, since it is plainly clear that God’s Prophetic program for Israel, under the law, is different from God’s Mystery program for t...

QUESTION: “Rightly dividing the Word” doesn’t mean to divide the word against itself, accepting some things, and rejecting others, (I guess because scripture is faulty). In 2 Timothy 2:15, Paul is instructing Timothy to rightly divide the word of God. Scholars defines ‘right division’ as to handle correctly, to set forth truthfully. So, we are not to divide it up, but unite it together bringing it all in context. The correct understanding is that they must agree.   To do so, some people desperately need the Holy Spirit’s guidance as to how to do this, not throwing away Paul for Jesus, or the other way around. Both need to be united together to be produce correct doctrine. ANSWER: Dear reader, if scripture is faulty then it is in the faulty interpretations of the mind of man! Let God be true and every man a liar. I agree that dividing the word is not accepting some things and rejecting others. The whole Word is the full counsel of God and the whole Word provides us the full co...

The concept of rightly dividing the Word of Truth is certainly one of the most misunderstood. In "rightly dividing" the scripture, the Bible becomes a source of  wisdom , instead of being a source of  confusion and contradiction . 2 Timothy 2:15  Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed,  rightly dividing the word of truth . The few examples in the table below illustrate how one separates Israel (the Jews), from the Body of Christ according to this verse: 1 Corinthians 10:32  Give none offence, neither to the  Jews , nor to the  Gentiles , nor to the  church of God [Body of Christ] : Israel is not reckoned among the nations (Num.23:9). God works with Israel in a different program to Gentiles. The church today has not replaced Israel, physically or spiritually! God has provided the Gentiles with a new (different) program based on the doctrine provided to Paul in his epistles. This is the grace program in wh...

The fast, and straight up answer to this question is that  Jesus and Paul never disagreed!  All that Paul wrote and taught in his epistles is in perfect agreement to the will and purpose of God for the grace program. Paul writes the following, 1 Cor.3:5  Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed,  even as the Lord gave to every man?  6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. 7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth;  but God that giveth the increase.  … 10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. 11  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Paul’s writings were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The foundation that Paul laid was Jesus Christ, so there can be no disagreements in the ...