PAUL’S FREE GRACE GOSPEL:
REPROVING ALL DENOMINATIONS WHICH
CARRIES ON WITH HERETIC ORDINANCES!
JAN LILLEBY
These ordinance based heresies are found in just about every denomination of our time. Yes, I am aware of that I already have written other articles in this topic…but never the less. Let’s have yet one more look at this.
A jungle of ceremonies and ordinances, which Christianity holds as Biblical, are practiced. You find this going on among Lutherans, Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals and Charismatics, Adventists…you name it. Even inside such sects and cults as Jehovah’s Witnesses (Watchtower Society) and Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints) and others which are not even considered as Christian denominations.
No matter what their Bible teaching might sound like, they all have in common that they practices a lot of ordinances, in the false belief that these goes along for them to get saved. You must be baptized, you must share with the Holy Communion, you must confess of sins, you must tithe, - and Adventists: You must keep Sabbath, you must keep food ordinances, you must this and you must that. All of which Paul said were just shadows of things to come. But now Christ has come…and that out rules all the earlier ordinances plus the Law of Moses. We have the free Grace Gospel.
IN APOSTOLIC TIMES ORDINANCES WAS IN ORDER
Ordinances and the keeping of the Law of Moses was in full effect in the days of the apostles, as told us in Acts and in epistles written in the time described in Acts (28-62 CE). The New Covenant to Israel was laid on top of the Law.
The Messianic believers in Christ at that time followed the ordinances of water baptism, Holy Communion, confession of sins, baptism with the Holy Spirit, the laying on of hands for healing miracles and other signs (the nine sign gifts of 1 Cor. 12-14), the keeping of the Holy Feast days including Sabbath, keeping of ordinances regarding food and drink.
Things that Paul told the believers after the closing of the Book of Acts, were no longer in effect. Those ordinances were ended, for they were just a foreshadow of the things to come, but the Body belongs to Christ.
Col. 2:13-16, AMP Bible net version,
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh (worldliness, manner of life), God made you alive together with Christ, having [freely] forgiven us all our sins,
14having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of legal demands [which were in force] against us and which were hostile to us. And this certificate He has set aside and completely removed by nailing it to the cross.
15When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities [those supernatural forces of evil operating against us], He made a public example of them [exhibiting them as captives in His triumphal procession], having triumphed over them through the cross.
16Therefore let no one judge you in regard to food and drink or in regard to [the observance of] a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.
17Such things are only a shadow of what is to come and they have only symbolic value; but the substance [the reality of what is foreshadowed] belongs to Christ”.
It is also clear that water baptism was ended by the revelation given to Paul. He deals with it in Eph. 4, 5 – saying there is ‘one baptism’.
This remains to be that one baptism mentioned also in Col. 2:11, 12 -
“In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, but by the [spiritual] circumcision of Christ in the stripping off of the body of the flesh [the sinful carnal nature],
12having been buried with Him in baptism and raised with Him [to a new life] through [your] faith in the working of God, [as displayed] when He raised Christ from the dead.”
Paul explains that the ‘one baptism’ is the one regarding the death of Christ. Jesus called His forthcoming death on the cross for a baptism. So, since there are no other baptisms mentioned by Paul as effective for us, we find that baptism into the death of Christ, which (likened with circumcision) is not done with human hands, but by God. We are all baptized in the very same instance we come to faith in Christ. God is the one who baptizes us. We are buried and also raised with Him in baptism into Christ’s death.
The Acts-body of Messianic believers was baptized into the very same death of Christ, but in addition to that they had to be baptized in water. They had two baptisms, but we have only one baptism, that which is done by God and no water rite involved.
PAUL’S TWO CHURCH EPISTLES IS GOD’S
FINAL WORD TO HUMANKIND
Paul’s post-Acts epistles, Ephesians and Colossians, are to be considered the final revelation given by Christ ever.
Eph. 3:3-5 leaves us no doubt of Paul as one who was the recipient of God’s revelation,
“and that by [divine] revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I have already written in brief.
4By referring to this, when you read it you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,
5which in other generations was not disclosed to mankind, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets by the [Holy] Spirit”.
Paul was the sole recipient on behalf of us Gentiles, since now Israel had been given up by God for her grave sin of rejecting Jesus and even having killed His messengers (Mat. 22:7). Israel fell from God as described in Acts 28:25-28. Paul’s revelation of the Mystery explained in Ephesians and Colossians, is a Christ given doctrinal revelation which dismisses all previous Bible doctrine in the New Testament. Paul’s two Church epistles are the final words and teachings of God and Christ, and can only be overruled when Christ arrives from heaven to establish His Millennial Kingdom in Israel. Isa. 2 tells of Christ establishing a new Law from out of Zion.
But as for now, Paul’s two epistles rules what concerns salvation doctrine in the dispensation of the Church, the Mystery body, the Body of Christ.
Paul’s Gospel teaching in Ephesians and Colossians – by revelation given to him by Christ, ‘kills’ all previous teachings found with the apostles during Acts period.
In Bible history, please note the clear fact of a total absence of opposing writings which goes up against Paul! It is nowhere to be found. Paul’s teachings stands untouched and shining.
Col. 2:16 –
“Therefore let no one judge you in regard to food and drink or in regard to the observance of a festival or a new-moon or a Sabbath day.”
Why so?
Paul already gave the reason for this in verse 14: Christ had blotted out the Law of Moses as this ‘certificate of debt’ died with Christ on the cross. ONLY: But it was kept hidden/secret until Christ revealed it to Paul. It is clearly evident that all Messianic believers in Acts period lived according to the Law, like Paul told in Rom. 3:31,
“Do we then nullify the Law by this faith [making the Law of no effect, overthrowing it]? Certainly not! On the contrary, we confirm and establish and uphold the Law [since it convicts us all of sin, pointing to the need for salvation]”.
Written by Paul in Ephesus 57 CE.
And arriving Jerusalem for Pentecost (Paul, keeping an ordinance) in 58 CE, we learn that the whole big congregation of Messianic believers in Jerusalem kept the Law of Moses, Acts 21:17-20, AMP Bible net version,
“When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us gladly.
18On the next day Paul went with us to [see] James, and all the elders of the church were present.
19After greeting them, Paul began to give a detailed account of the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20And when they heard it, they began glorifying and praising God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and they are all enthusiastic supporters of the Law [of Moses].” (Editor’s emphasize)
But as we come to Paul’s revelatory two Church epistles, Ephesians and Colossians, written 63-64 CE from his jail cell in Rome, all of these things – all ordinances were taken away, forever! The entire Law of Moses was cast into the litter bin. Christ killed it at the cross….but held back that important information because He wanted first to test Israel whether they would repent to Him, so He could come back from heaven in their time. See Acts 3:19-23 on Peter’s second speech to the Jewish nation.
Israel failed miserably that test, and God had to cut all contact with them, leaving them over to the Romans for destruction. Jesus had prophesied of this before He went to the cross, knowing that in the end Israel as a nation would not repent, see Acts 28:27 – Paul quoting Isa. 6.
Christianity seems to have closed their collective eyes spiritually spoken, for these Biblical facts. They all keep on with ordinances which, at the falling away of Israel in Acts 28:25-28, were taken out for ever. Christ had these ordinances crucified with Himself at the cross.
Eph. 2:14-16 is in harmony with Col. 2:13-17,
“For He Himself is our peace and our bond of unity. He who made both groups—[Jews and Gentiles]—into one body and broke down the barrier, the dividing wall [of spiritual antagonism between us],
15by abolishing in His [own crucified] flesh the hostility caused by the Law with its commandments contained in ordinances [which He satisfied]; so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thereby establishing peace.
16And [that He] might reconcile them both [Jew and Gentile, united] in one body to God through the cross, thereby putting to death the hostility.”
IT IS CLEAR THAT CHRIST KILLED THE LAW
TO BE ABLE TO ESTABLISH HIS CHURCH
And this Church – as we observe it in our time here and now – is in opposition to this Word of God by His apostle to the Gentiles, Paul. They all disregard his Grace Gospel doctrine…as if it does not exist, and replaces it with their own schemes and confused teachings.
Well, not all: We Acts 28-believers holds on to the teachings of Paul, and we try to preach and live like Paul urges us to in his two Church epistles.
We do not keep any ordinances, we don’t do water baptisms, or trying to be ‘baptized in the Holy Spirit’, or using the ‘Laying on of hands’ for miraculous healings, and all of those things we can see from Acts history. It’s all long gone.
We do not belong to the ancient ‘Acts body’ of believers. We are post-Acts believers observing the Gospel of the Unsearchable Riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8).
THE PAROUSIA (COMING) OF CHRIST
The Church, the ‘One New Man’ of Eph. 2:14-15 – is not awaiting the coming of Christ to earth.
Christ is not coming down to earth for His Body, the Mystery body – no, it is the other way around: The Church are coming up to Him!
The Greek word Parousia is the word translated as the coming down to earth regarding Christ arriving to establish the prophesied millennial kingdom in Israel. The Church certainly has no part in this narrative. Which is proven by Col. 3:1-4, speaking of us as believers who will be taken super-naturally straight into heaven with Christ,
“Therefore if you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, sharing in His resurrection from the dead], keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2Set your mind and keep focused habitually on the things above [the heavenly things], not on things that are on the earth [which have only temporal value].
3For you died [to this world], and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Editor’s emphasize)
We cannot find anything regarding Jesus Christ coming down to get us with Him up to heaven (like many heretics think of with 1 Tes. 4 and the so-called rapture up in clouds) in Paul’s two Church epistles.
What we find is: 1. There are absolutely no Law of Moses or any of the ordinances to keep. 2. There is no coming (Parousia) of Christ for us – only that we, the Church are coming up to Him in the heavens.
In Epf. 4:30 Paul has an important word of exhortation for us,
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].”
The DAY OF REDEMPTION. Not the day of the Rapture, or the day of Christ’s arrival (Parousia) in Israel and such.
This glorious DAY OF REDEMPTION is only for the Mystery Church, the ‘One New Man’ – who is saved according to Paul’s free Grace Gospel as described in Ephesians and Colossians exclusively.
Now – could you all now submit gladly to Paul’s doctrine of faith for this Church dispensation, and entirely shut down all those ordinances you so eagerly try to maintain, - and thus showing in public that you really believe on Christ as He was revealed to us through the two Church epistles, Ephesians and Colossians, and rather concentrate on preaching a full free Grace Gospel, the gift of God, with no works to be made?
Eph. 2:8, 9,
“For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through.” your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;
9not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].”
Gracepano.com
