THE IN-BETWEEN EPISTLES OF PAUL
THE IN-BETWEEN EPISTLES OF PAUL
--- AN ACTS 28 BELIEVER’S PERSPECTIVE ---
BOBBI WENDELIN
There is a need to rightly divide Paul’s epistles.
Even among believers today, there is dissension over which
Epistles are written specifically to us in 2026.
This study seeks to show where this
Believer stands, and why.
I pray it may be light to some, if the Lord will help.
The Acts-Period Epistles
When one discovers Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, we are thrilled to find “Justification THROUGH faith” for a Gentile. It is a beautiful thing to have peace with God! As we study further, we begin to see the historical context of the book: written in Acts from Corinth and delivered by Phebe. So says the footnote after Rom. 16 in the KJV, added later. We get our understanding of the cross from these early books, and could not know more until we do. But these early books DO have a historical context.
These are Galatians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Romans. These, I believe, are all written in Paul’s ministry to the children of Israel and to Gentiles IN THAT TIME (to the Jew FIRST).
The more I have studied these epistles, the more in awe of God I am. He IS FAITHFUL. His covenants and promises He KEEPS. Acts is God’s testimony of His working in Israel to save those in the nation who would BELIEVE: through the apostles of the circumcision in the Land, and through Paul, the apostle to the uncircumcision, who preached to those present in the synagogues and wherever he went. Romans 9–11 testify of what had happened to Israel and why God was saving Gentiles in THAT TIME. Rom. 10 reaches back to Deut. 32:21…
“19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Rom. 10:19–21
THIS IS NOT OUR DISPENSATION YET! When this was revealed to me, it was clear—and it was a revelation! Much could be said about these epistles being for the God-fearing Gentiles in that time, while the temple was still standing and God was calling the “seed of Abraham” out from among the synagogues. But that is not the topic of this paper.
The In-Between Epistles in View
When I say “in-between,” I mean between Acts 28:20–28 and the prison epistles of Ephesians and Colossians. I perceive there was a transitional period between the announcement that the SALVATION OF GOD WAS SENT to the Gentiles, the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, and Israel being sent back to Egypt for a time (Deut. 28). The in-between epistles are, in order, I believe: 1 Timothy, Philippians, Titus, and 2 Timothy.
The Transitional Setting
One must really think about this. It is a process: the Acts dispensation closing fully, and the next dispensation coming into view—WHICH IS OURS (Eph. 3:1–7)!
God provided assemblies to assist believers going through this time, with 70 AD being the final marker. These men had God-given authority and direction OVER those churches. That is exactly what a Bishop and Deacon were: overseers with responsibilities. But there are NO Bishops and Deacons in the Eph. 4 gifts. WHY? Because ALL saved Believers are directly connected to the Lord in the fulness of God today (Eph. 4:16).
Each one is saved, sealed, and SEATED TOGETHER in Christ (Eph. 1:13; 2:6). The ONE above us ALL is Christ Jesus!
We are joints and bands (Col. 2:19), wherever we live today, supplied by Christ. There are NONE above another, as far as I can tell. Nor is it designed as a “world system church” today. It is a SPIRITUAL BODY, not part of the world system churches; each saved one is directly connected to God through Christ, through the Spirit (Eph. 2:22).
His Spirit is IN OUR INNER MAN, to strengthen us (Eph. 3:16). Many of us are all over the place today, not in ANY assembly on earth, but simply trusting God to lead us.
If you consider this for a moment, look around you in this world: many churches are in darkness, preaching doctrine that was for another time. But today we stand in our Saviour in the fulness of God in Christ (Eph. 1–2). God the Father is building this Body for the far-above heavenly places, for Christ’s glory!
The closing of the Acts dispensation—where Gentiles were under Israel’s spiritual things (Rom. 15:27)—is still seen in these in-between books; (Editor’s note: Philippians, 1 Tim, Titus and 2 Tim)
Evidence from the In-Between Epistles
1 Timothy: Churches and Order During the Transition –
In 1 Timothy, Paul teaches Timothy about the setting up of churches—note the PLURAL—and that God wills ALL MEN to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:1–4). So, we have moved beyond saving MANY, as in the Gospels and Acts period, to God’s salvation sent to all men. This shows progression until 70 AD, which closes the Acts dispensation completely. The roles of men and women, bishops, deacons, etc., are seen in those churches (plural!).
Of note: by the time of the writing of 2 Timothy, Timothy is learning that he will have to stand even ALONE in Christ, all in Asia having forsaken Paul. He is not building churches in 2 Timothy. He is learning to be a good soldier, pressing on. This should give us pause.
Titus: Establishing Churches
In Titus, Paul again gives instructions for establishing churches—again, note the plural. There are churches in these epistles. Ephesians and Colossians, however, deal with ONE CHURCH. Can you see God’s provision for those Saints in that time? It is marvelous!
I wonder if people today truly grasp that Paul’s gospel was in the dark for a long, long time in history—let alone the mystery of the gospel and the dispensation of the Mystery! We today live in an un-prophesied time in the entire Bible, except as revealed in Ephesians and Colossians. It was HID IN GOD until revealed by Paul in Ephesians and Colossians (Eph. 3:9).
Philippians: Pressing Toward More Excellent Things
My first clue here is that Paul writes to the Saints which are in Christ Jesus AND to the BISHOPS and DEACONS (Phil. 1:1). This is significant because it identifies Philippi as a mature Acts-period assembly. Paul is laying down the fact that some things would not be carried through, and some things would.
Phil. 1:10 That ye may approve things THAT ARE EXCELLENT; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ;
This phrase, “that are excellent,” in the Greek is “diaphero.” From Strong’s: be better (3x), be of more value (2x), differ from (2x), should carry (1x), publish (1x), drive up and down (1x), miscellaneous (3x).
Paul goes even further, saying…
Phil. 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 looks like this group had come through part of the 40-year period between Jesus’ ministry and 70 AD, when God was looking for the true circumcision in Paul’s early ministry TO THE JEW FIRST.
Rom. 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. 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.
This IS NOT MYSTERY doctrine, like that of Ephesians and Colossians.
Nor does it look like they were yet in the dispensation of the grace of God FOR YOU GENTILES (Eph. 3:1–7). But Paul knew it was coming, (in my opinion) and he knew that delivering the new dispensation would require much more grace (Phil. 3:4–15).
Lastly, in Philippians, Paul is still waiting for the Lord to come FROM heaven.
Phil. 3:21-22,
“21 For our conversation is in heaven; FROM WHENCE also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
22 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.”
Yet in Col. 3:4 Paul says, “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall YE also appear with him in glory.”
These are not the same. Paul seems to be pressing the Philippian church toward greater heights, more excellent things, and the call to come along with him.
2 Timothy: The Closing of the Acts Dispensation
In all things, Brethren, I am astonished to be saved and provided for by God in the unsearchable riches of Christ! This doctrine is not to be found in these other in-between epistles. The worldly church system calls both books of Timothy the “pastoral epistles,” and thus uses them for assemblies of all kinds. But this is confusion. We are all seated together in Christ Jesus.
I have not been to a “church” that studies this way: “rightly dividing the word of truth, the gospel.” The church in our dispensation IS SAVED BELIEVERS—each one where they are—connected by the Spirit to God. I have seen many different right-divider views on these in-between epistles, but very few note these particular differences.
I believe Paul may have written Colossians, Philemon, and Ephesians in Rome around the time of 2 Timothy, because of 2 Tim. 4:12: And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
Eph. 6:21 But that ye also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things:
Col. 4:7 All my state shall Tychicus declare unto you, who is a beloved brother, and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord:
Question: Why would Paul write to Timothy about the MYSTERY about to be revealed when in Colossians we read that Timothy is present with Paul as he writes this letter?
Therefore 2 Timothy is NOT the revealing of THE MYSTERY in Ephesians.
2 Timothy closes the Acts dispensation with hope for Christ’s appearing and His Kingdom—not Christ’s COMING in their lifetime. While they are waiting, they are NOW KNOWING that the last days were still future (2 Tim. 3), whereas in the Acts period they WERE IN the last days, where the ends of the world had come upon them (1 Cor. 10:11). This clearly denotes that a change in the times had come back then, and that a new dispensation had come.
It is very interesting, too, that Paul tells Timothy in 2 Tim. 1: 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
No man today has had Paul’s hands laid on him to receive a gift! This is a tell for the dispensational setting of this book, imho.
Whereas Ephesians tells us that WE ALL have been given GRACE according to the measure of the gift of Christ (Eph. 4:7).
Conclusion
These things need acknowledgment by Believers so that the dispensation hid in God may be shared properly. Let’s get out of confusion and into the Fulness of God’s GRACE for our time, and grow up into HIM—“unto the fulness of the stature of Christ”—in our understanding.
Until next time, Beloved… I’ll be prayerfully thinking on Eph. 3.
Closing Scripture
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
PEACE unto you!
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