THE DEATH OF ALL ORDINANCES:

P​​ A U L

 

BY JAN LILLEBY

 

 ​​​​ I​​ have played with an idea regarding how to best explain to denominational addicts…you know, believers who cannot help themselves,​​ clinging desperately​​ to their denomination’s Bible doctrine/interpretation; explaining that​​ certain issues​​ in their doctrines​​ might be all wrong.

 

Studying Paul’s two church epistles​​ – Ephesians and Colossians – reveals to us quite a number of such issues, and I would like to view​​ these​​ here.​​ Paul demonstrated that by NOT mentioning the usual​​ ordinances when he ministered after​​ the time of Acts, this is to be understood as ‘NO-NO’s compared to the Bible faith doctrine to the Church dispensation.​​ In the Time of Acts, Paul taught the Kingdom-Gospel to Israel in the synagogues outside Israel: Grace salvation to Israel – as they​​ had to prove their faith by works – that is, keeping of certain ordinances; but after Acts,​​ all ordinances are gone, and believers in Christ only has to have regular​​ faith in Him. Ref. Eph. 2:8, 9 as​​ well as 14-16, the latter​​ displayed in the plaque above;​​ from NASB translation.​​ Paul’s two Church epistles may be held as one great​​ Declaration of Freedom….we are set free from all sort of ordinances and the claims to keep anything written in the​​ Law of Moses, including​​ the commandments and ordinances.​​ Christ killed those things on the cross, in order to create the Church, the ‘One new man’ which is also the body of Christ.

 

The​​ Baptist​​ denominations mentioned​​ are used as models I have to point to, since the issues are​​ archetypical​​ for the respective denominations.​​ But I choose to point in particular to the practice of​​ water baptism, as we see it in Christianity.​​ In my article here, I let such baptism stand as a symbol of ALL ordinances found in Christendom in our time. Ordinances,​​ which should NOT have been practiced,​​ -​​ according to Paul’s Grace​​ Gospel.​​ His new Grace​​ Gospel means the total​​ end, and the​​ death​​ of ordinances. But Christendom has been in an almost total opposition​​ – a spiritual ‘blackout’ -​​ to Paul regarding the Grace doctrine found in Ephesians and Colossians!

To be fair, I can inform​​ that also such denominations as Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventists, and the Mormons (Latter Day Saints…) practice water baptism and regarding it as an ordinance.​​ To this list we can also add several others – Pentecostals being one – which carries out water baptisms. The majority of Christianity does this. (Note: JW-org and Mormons are not regarded as Christians).

 

ALL ordinances found in Acts period, were based on the Law of Moses, plus on top of this also the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus offered to Israel. Heb. 8-9 has much on that topic. 9:15 explicitly says,​​ 

For​​ this​​ reason​​ He is the​​ mediator​​ of a​​ new​​ covenant,​​ so​​ that, since a​​ death​​ has​​ taken​​ place​​ for the​​ redemption​​ of the​​ transgressions​​ that were​​ committed​​ under​​ the​​ first​​ covenant,​​ those​​ who have been​​ called​​ may​​ receive​​ the​​ promise​​ of the​​ eternal​​ inheritance.

Here we see that one had to​​ first​​ be under the ‘first covenant’ (the Law) to be counted under the New Covenant in the faith in Jesus. In other words, the New Covenant was ONLY offered to Israel, and never to Gentiles. The Gentiles HAD NOT THE LAW….Rom. 2:14.

It is a lie that we, the Church, have ever been offered the New Covenant. It was for Israel only;​​ - including some Gentile proselytes (Paul called them for​​ the Greek).

 

Baptists:​​ it is obvious that water baptism must be a very important doctrine, and they are baptizing the believers in water, according to the so-called​​ ‘Great Commission’ in Mat. 28,​​ supported by several other Biblical passages we know of.

This ordinance is promoted as one​​ having been ordered by God​​ and Christ, for the Church.

Here is a clip from St. Johns Baptist Church, Virginia Beach, VA,​​ (www.stjohnsbaptistvb.org):​​ 

 

Scripture References:

  • Matthew 3:13-17 (Jesus’ Baptism)

  • Matthew 28:19-20 (The Great Commission)

  • Romans 6:3-5 (Paul’s description)

Basic Beliefs

  • Baptism does not save you.

  • It is an outward expression of faith.

  • Sacrament vs. ordinance​​ 

    • A sacrament is a means of God’s grace

    • An ordinance is a practice that demonstrates the person’s faith.

    • Baptists see baptism and the Lord’s Supper as ordinances.

  •  

  • Baptism by immersion​​ 

    • The believer is fully dunked under the water.

    • The Greek word​​ baptizo​​ is used throughout the New Testament. It is understood to mean “immerse” and thus we baptize by immersion.

    • Romans 6:3-5 shows that baptism is a symbolic rehearsal of Christ’s own death and resurrection, but also the death of the old sinner and the rebirth and promised resurrection of the new person that each one who is baptized has become in Christ.

 

  • No infant baptism​​ 

    • Scripture never specifically mentions the baptism of the very young.

    • The Great Commission implies a proper order.

    • Baptists traditionally prefer baby dedications where the parents and church promise to help raise the child in Christian practices and teach them Biblical truth.

END OF CLIP FROM ST. JOHNS.

 

May God bless the believers in St. John’s Baptist Church; my use of quotes is​​ not in any way meant to put this congregation down or things like that. I simply wanted to be​​ correct in my references​​ on Baptists in general, and what they teach regarding baptism.​​ If my assertion of water baptism as a wrong way of practice/doctrine is correct, this means NOT that people doing such wrongful practice are unsaved or opposing God. No, they are still to be considered as true believers in Christ, and are thus saved and go to heaven. Thank God!

By the way: did you know that there exist​​ several Baptist congregations in the USA, which quit the practice of baptizing believers? They discovered what Paul wrote on this issue in Ephesians/Colossians, and took it to heart.

 

I shall not use space here to go through all of that Biblical material, since it would be too much for such a moderate article as this one.​​ The clip above gives us a pretty accurate knowledge on​​ how​​ the​​ majority of Baptists in​​ our time​​ see​​ that doctrine.

Notice: Scriptural references from St. Johns leave​​ out the most important one: Eph. 4:5 – which says​​ ‘one baptism’. ​​ Since Paul wrote this, one must ask: which one? ​​ And then he points directly to the DEATH OF CHRIST ON THE CROSS, as our baptism. A baptism without water.​​ Likened with a​​ circumcision​​ done without hands (of men) – but thus performed by God (Col. 2:11-12), to which I shall come back to below.

Another remark to the Baptists​​ view​​ of water baptism, as we read from the clip above that they think this is an​​ ordinance –​​ by​​ which the believer demonstrates his faith, quote: ​​​​ ..an ordinance is a practice that demonstrates a person’s faith;​​ Baptists see baptism and the Lord’s Supper as ordinances.

When checking Acts-practices with those of Post-Acts practices, we find that in Acts the believers in Christ were demanded by God to show forth WORKS,​​ as I pointed out above,​​ namely observing things written in the Law of Moses, as well as those ordinances ordained by Christ in the New Covenant to Israel, that of Holy Communion/Lord’s Supper, as well as baptism in water, as well as confession of sin. This sort of WORKS to prove the faith of a believer was​​ strictly demanded​​ by the Lord. In the special instance​​ -​​ of the death of​​ Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, we find a clear example.​​ They had lied before God and the Holy Spirit and were executed by God in​​ the presence of Peter. Notice that Peter gave the two an​​ opportunity to confess their sin​​ and thus avoid this harsh judgement. Likewise: Paul reveals in 1 Cor 11 that if any believer participated in the Lord’s Supper,​​ but used it to satisfy himself​​ with food (as if it was a regular meal) – he was condemned and whould suffer disease and ultimately/eventually​​ die from this sin,​​ verses 23-34. Dear believers in Christ: whether Baptists or others, please understand that we, the Body of Christ, the ‘One New Man’ – are in no way expected by God to show forth any WORKS to bring us salvation! No ordinances can be found in Paul’s two Church epistles, Ephesians and Colossians.​​ Eph. 2:8, 9​​ goes up AGAINST any kind of WORKS, quote,

NASB version:​​ “8​​ For by​​ grace​​ you have been​​ saved​​ through​​ faith; and that not of​​ yourselves, it is the​​ gift​​ of​​ God;​​ 

9​​ not as a​​ result​​ of​​ works,​​ so​​ that​​ no​​ one​​ may​​ boast.​​ 

James’ epistle opposes​​ Paul’s two Church epistles in this regard. James wrote: you must show faith by works. Paul wrote the opposite, - NO works (including​​ Law keeping).​​ (See James 2 regarding ‘faith plus works’ – and James 5 regarding ‘confession of sin’).

 

ALL FOUR GOSPELS MUST BE READ AS ONE,

REGARDING ORDINANCES AND MISSION

 

If we were to read only the Gospel of Luke, leaving out the three others,​​ to get hold of what would be the commission to the Church, - the Baptist denomination would not have existed! Jesus final words in​​ Luke 24:46-53, NASB, has​​ nothing of baptism, signs, wonders and healing miracles,

 

“46​​ and He​​ said​​ to them,​​ "Thus​​ it is​​ written, that the​​ Christ​​ would​​ suffer​​ and​​ rise​​ again​​ from the​​ dead​​ the​​ third​​ day,​​ 

47​​ and that​​ repentance​​ for​​ forgiveness​​ of​​ sins​​ would be​​ proclaimed​​ in His​​ name​​ to​​ all​​ the​​ nations,​​ beginning​​ from​​ Jerusalem.​​ 

48​​ "You are​​ witnesses​​ of​​ these​​ things.​​ 

49​​ "And​​ behold, I am​​ sending​​ forth​​ the​​ promise​​ of My​​ Father​​ upon you; but you are to​​ stay​​ in the​​ city​​ until​​ you are​​ clothed​​ with​​ power​​ from on​​ high."​​ 

50​​ And He​​ led​​ them out as​​ far​​ as​​ Bethany, and He​​ lifted​​ up His​​ hands​​ and​​ blessed​​ them.​​ 

51​​ While​​ He was​​ blessing​​ them, He​​ parted​​ from them and was​​ carried​​ up into​​ heaven.​​ 

52​​ And they, after​​ worshiping​​ Him,​​ returned​​ to​​ Jerusalem​​ with​​ great​​ joy,​​ 

53​​ and were​​ continually ​​​​ in the​​ temple​​ praising​​ God.​​ 

Verse 53: they are not seen as missionaries going out into ‘all the world’ with the Gospel, - they were seen in the temple. They kept company under the Portico of Solomon, Acts 5 report. Even if Acts 2:41 report of the conversion and baptism of 3000 souls, - we still do not find anything of baptism in Luke 24:46-53!​​ 

When Jesus gave His commission to His twelve apostles, he not only said that the believers should be baptized in water, but​​ He told them to​​ work miracles and signs!​​ These signs are in particular told​​ only​​ in Mark 16:15-18,​​ - and we clearly see that the​​ great commission in Mat. 28 are lacking, if we do not include all four Gospels, Mark 16 in particular is very important in this matter,​​ quote,

“15​​ And He​​ said​​ to them,​​ "Go​​ into​​ all​​ the​​ world​​ and​​ preach​​ the​​ gospel​​ to​​ all​​ creation.​​ 

16​​ "He who has​​ believed​​ and has been​​ baptized​​ shall be​​ saved; but he who has​​ disbelieved​​ shall be​​ condemned.​​ 

17​​ "These​​ signs​​ will​​ accompany​​ those​​ who have​​ believed: in My​​ name​​ they will​​ cast​​ out​​ demons, they will​​ speak​​ with​​ new​​ tongues;​​ 

18​​ they will​​ pick​​ up​​ serpents, and​​ if​​ they​​ drink​​ any​​ deadly​​ poison, it will not​​ hurt​​ them;​​ they will​​ lay​​ hands​​ on the​​ sick, and they will​​ recover."​​ 

Jesus said that they had to be baptized to be saved!​​ The Baptists are saying that baptism cannot save anyone. Why this controversy? It is because the Baptists and most other denominations do not understand that we are in a​​ different dispensation​​ than the Acts-body of believers.​​ 

Baptists of our time refer to the Great Commission​​ (extracting Mat. 28 from the other three)​​ as a basis for practicing water baptism, while at the very same instance they omit entirely the rest of that Commission: Speaking in tongues, casting out demons, healing the sick etcetera. Will​​ they not understand that you cannot ‘pick-and-choose’ what you like to do, reading the Great Commission? It is obvious that Jesus bade His disciples to do​​ ALL these things​​ when going out with the Gospel.​​ And Acts proves this to the very detail.​​ The apostles did exactly as Jesus told them to do!​​ You cannot excerpt and separate the baptism in water, and cast away the rest of the Commission…that of the healings and signs. UNLESS we are talking of a​​ different dispensation​​ in the times of the apostles! And we truly are.​​ Paul was the one who God used to establish the​​ new dispensation​​ of the Grace of God: Eph. 3:1-3 is clear,​​ NASB version,

1​​ For​​ this​​ reason​​ I,​​ Paul, the​​ prisoner​​ of​​ Christ​​ Jesus​​ for the​​ sake​​ of you​​ Gentiles​​ -​​ 

“2​​ if​​ indeed​​ you have​​ heard​​ of​​ the​​ stewardship​​ of​​ God's​​ grace​​ which was​​ given​​ to me for you;​​ 

3​​ that by​​ revelation​​ there was​​ made​​ known​​ to me the​​ mystery, as I​​ wrote​​ before​​ in​​ brief.​​ 

Nobody can dispute Paul’s teaching here. He was the one apostle who God entrusted with this new revelation, of the dispensation (stewardship, - Greek:​​ oikonomia, which also can mean​​ administration).

This Grace dispensation is nowhere to be found within the four Gospels or Acts. We can only find it​​ in Ephesians and Colossians!

 

The Baptists are not known​​ to be great miracle workers, performing these marvelous things seen with the twelve, plus also with Paul, in Acts history.​​ The Baptists landed on just two​​ of the detailed​​ ordinances commanded by Jesus, the water baptism and the Lord’s Supper.​​ But​​ they have​​ no​​ Biblical well founded​​ answer to offer us on why they do not perform any of the​​ other tasks described​​ in the Great Commission. But I can tell you: there are NO apostles in our time. They died in the first century. Only the apostles, plus Philip and Stephen, are seen in Acts as ministers who could perform great miracles and wonders. Since there are NO such ministers in our time, inspired directly by God, THEN WE CANNOT HAVE WATER BAPTISM EITHER! Baptism was part of that very same Commission, given to the apostles. Without any apostles: no baptism.​​ No miracles and signs. No speaking in tongues, etcetera.

That is why Paul tells us in Eph. 4:5 that there is but ONE baptism for the Church, - that of​​ the ‘baptism into the death of Christ. And this is a move of God and not man.​​ It is like a circumcision made​​ without​​ the minister to do this. It is a move of God alone. I shall come to this below.

As a short summing up of the four Gospels, we find that Matthew wrote of preaching the Gospel, and doing so they should also baptize the converts. Mark adding to Matthew’s history the important details of them​​ working signs and wonders, healings, -​​ and speaking in tongues. Luke’s Gospel has nothing on baptism, healings, tongues, etcetera,​​ ending with showing the apostles gathered in the temple site. John tells of to WHO the Gospel was to be preached: namely the ‘lost sheep of the house of Israel’, in chapter 21. Which was exactly what Peter and the eleven did – starting at the day of Pentecost, Acts 2. Peter used the addressing ‘You Jewish​​ (Judah)​​ men’ – and ‘You men of Israel’ –​​ ​​ verses 14 and 36​​ as we read on in Acts history.​​ To Cornelius​​ and his guests,​​ in Acts 10:36 he spoke,​​ ‘The word which He sent to the sons of Israel’.​​ 

 

I find​​ it convenient to publish an excerpt from​​ Stuart Allen​​ below.​​ 

 

Excerpt from Stuart Allen’s writing on Baptism:

 

 

“Let us consider the teaching of the Word of God concerning Baptism.​​ 

 

From the standpoint of some of our​​ friends in the Baptist denomination, this would be quite a simple subject, for they would tell us that when a person​​ comes to know the​​ Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, the next thing he ought to do is to be immersed in water.​​ 

 

They​​ will assure us that this was done in apostolic times and it is what believers should do today. The reasons usually​​ brought forward are one or more of the following. The newly saved person would be told that water baptism is a​​ seal of believers, or it is a sign to unbelievers, or it takes the place of circumcision, or it is a confession of Christ, or​​ it is the initiatory ordinance of Christianity, or it is the putting on of the uniform of a Christian, or it is a means of​​ grace, or it brings the believer under God's covenanted mercy.​​ 

 

Some will say​​ the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized;​​ therefore every believer should be​​ baptized too. We wonder if some of those who use​​ these arguments ever consider​​ what they are saying in the light of the Word of God? The Lord Jesus Christ was circumcised; does that mean that​​ every believer today should follow Him as an example in this respect? The Lord Jesus Christ attended the Jewish​​ synagogue on the Sabbath day. Is every professing Christian to do this too? The Lord kept the feasts of Leviticus.​​ He kept the Passover. Have we to do that because He did it? No; we shall find that these arguments, though​​ outwardly appearing impressive, are not Scriptural. We must be very careful when we say the Lord did a certain​​ thing and we therefore ought to copy Him. The reasons urged above for water baptism are seldom backed up by the​​ Word of God.

 

Let us come afresh to the Scriptures and see what they actually do teach on this subject. First and foremost​​ baptism is not exclusively a New Testament doctrine; it has its roots in the Old Testament. This is brought forward​​ in the Epistle to the Hebrews chapter six. Here we have the things that have to be left by the progressive believer, if​​ he is going on and growing up spiritually; going on to maturity, going on to perfection.

 

​​ Verse one reads "Therefore​​ leaving the principles (the A.B.C., the elements, the rudiments, the​​ beginnings) of the doctrine of Christ, let us go​​ on" to full growth. Among the items to be left are these, "not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead​​ works and of faith towards God,​​ of the doctrine of​​ baptisms​​ ...".​​ 

 

The reader will notice the plural is used, baptisms,​​ washings, and it occurs again in chapter nine where the writer is dealing with the Tabernacle and its significance.

 

The Tabernacle and the most holy place are referred to in verses seven and eight. Verse nine reads "Which was a​​ figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices​​ that could not make him that did the​​ service perfect". "Perfect" and "perfection" are two key words in Hebrews. They mean​​ mature​​ and​​ maturity.

 

These sacrifices did not touch the conscience, but stood only in meats, (foods) drinks and divers baptisms (diverse​​ washings). The washings of the Old Testament, the washings of the priests,​​ and of the parts of the sacrifices, are actually called​​ "baptisms".​​ 

 

The first occurrence of the word "baptism" in the Bible is found in the book of Job, and​​ it occurs there in chapter 9:31 and is translated "plunge". We speak now of course of the Greek translation of the​​ Old Testament, the Septuagint, and this was the version commonly used in the Lord's lifetime.​​ 

 

It is also found in​​ the book of Kings, when Naaman dipped (baptized) himself in Jordan.​​ 

 

We read in Exodus 12 of the hyssop which​​ was​​ dipped​​ (baptised) in blood, and also in Numbers where the same hyssop was​​ dipped​​ (baptized) in water.

 

In the​​ blessings of Moses recorded in Deuteronomy chapter 33, there is a rather strange reference concerning Asher, "let​​ him​​ dip​​ his foot in oil"; "dip" is the word "baptize"; literally let him​​ baptize​​ his foot in oil. This is highly figurative​​ language, meaning that Asher is going to be rich in oil and olives. So the washings of the Old Testament were

baptisms, and the Epistle to the Hebrews urges us that these things must be left by the believer who wants to go on​​ to maturity. In Old Testament times these washings represented internal cleanliness, but they only touched the​​ outside. They could never touch the​​ mind​​ or the​​ conscience, and that is why they have to be left by anyone who​​ wants to grow up spiritually and leave babyhood behind.”

 

END OF QUOTE FROM STUART ALLEN’S WRITING ON BAPTISM.

 

 

My separate remarks on Stuart Allen’s fine Bible Lesson, are as follows:

His observing of the entire baptism-issue is mainly correct and finds support in the Bible.

However, I find it right to point out a few issues: one being the final words from the quote above, that of​​ leaving baptism behind. This is not what we find practiced in the time of Acts. Hebrews was written in that time, and not post-Acts (it is much disputed though, but it​​ was written before​​ the destruction of the Temple). So, we must recall that water baptism was the order of the day, in the entire time of Acts, 28-62 CE. This I say in order to tell my readers that what Hebrews is saying is: baptism cannot save anyone! ​​ To think that water baptism can save, is sheer babyhood and immature thinking. (Strangely enough, we find that the Baptists in our time think the very same – baptism does not save). ​​ And so we find correctly that​​ Acts was a dispensational time in God’s plan to offer Israel the millennial kingdom on earth,​​ by repentance to Jesus Messiah. Acts 19 is an outstanding passage, telling of Paul’s baptizing the disciples of John…no longer for John, but in the​​ name of Jesus​​ – overruling their first baptism in John’s time in Judea:

Acts 19:3-8, NASB,​​ 

 

“3​​ And he said, "Into what then were you baptized?" And they said, "Into John's baptism."​​ 

 

4​​ Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus."​​ 

 

5​​ When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.​​ 

 

6​​ And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.​​ 

 

7​​ There were in all about twelve men.​​ 

 

8​​ And he entered​​ the synagogue​​ and continued speaking out boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the kingdom of God.​​ 

 

The apostle entered not a Church, in our meaning of the congregation, no – he went into the SYNAGOGUE at Ephesus. Not that this synagogue practiced the baptism in Jesus name, but as a Jewish establishment they certainly were aware of the several baptisms Jewry had been through in history past. The Torah was read each Sabbath, telling of these ordinances. Paul’s ministering​​ baptism must have taken place outside this synagogue of course, maybe in a pond, or perhaps even at a nearby beach….??

Paul’s visit was around 54-57 CE – and in 57 he wrote the epistle to the Romans right before leaving for Jerusalem.​​ It was the last and final report in Acts regarding the ordinance of water baptism,​​ as well as the final report of​​ believers​​ being ‘baptized’ with the Holy Spirit and thus speaking in tongues and uttering prophecy.​​ 

 

 

Checking this with Paul’s​​ Ephesians, we must view​​ it as a practice​​ and an ordinance which does not apply​​ to the Church dispensation.

Why?

Because the Law of Moses was abolished​​ (the declaration from Paul)​​ in 63-64 CE, and Paul declaring this in Ephesians 2 and Colossians 2.​​ 

And baptism in water was originally practiced by Israel in the dessert. Before Aaron and his sons could enter​​ a priestly​​ sacrificial​​ ministry before the Lord, Moses had to​​ baptize Aaron, so he would become ceremonially clean.​​ It can be read in Lev. 8:1-6.​​ In other words: it belonged under Paul’s norm when pointing to the Law as​​ fore shadowing​​ things to come (Col. 2:14-17), NASB,

 

“14​​ having​​ canceled​​ out the​​ certificate​​ of​​ debt​​ consisting of​​ decrees​​ against​​ us,​​ which​​ was​​ hostile​​ to us; and He has​​ taken​​ it out of the​​ way, having​​ nailed​​ it to the​​ cross.​​ 

15​​ When He had​​ disarmed​​ the​​ rulers​​ and​​ authorities, He​​ made​​ a​​ public​​ display​​ of them, having​​ triumphed​​ over​​ them​​ through​​ Him.​​ 

16​​ Therefore​​ no​​ one​​ is to​​ act​​ as your​​ judge​​ in regard to​​ food​​ or​​ drink​​ or​​ in​​ respect​​ to a​​ festival​​ or​​ a​​ new​​ moon​​ or​​ a​​ Sabbath​​ day-​​ 

17​​ things​​ which​​ are a mere​​ shadow​​ of what is to​​ come; but the​​ substance​​ belongs to​​ Christ.

 

If these details came under Paul’s remark as​​ …a mere shadow of what is to come (v.17) –​​ then ALL the Law and ALL the ordinances come under the same revisions: it is ALL cancelled, by Christ’s death on the cross!  ​​​​ NO baptism, NO circumcision, no nothing.​​ ALL of the Law and ordinances are ALL gone, for ALL times. However, these ordinances, even if they went out​​ of effect​​ as Christ died on the cross, were practiced in Acts time. Simply because​​ the Lord kept it hidden, it was a mystery.​​ He tested Israel whether they would repent.​​ Peter and the eleven did not know; neither did Paul know anything of this,​​ before​​ he was told by Christ,​​ revealing this mystery to him as he sat in jail in Rome 63-64 CE.​​ 

And that​​ special​​ revelation given to Paul, established the new dispensation, - the Grace of God. And in this dispensation there exist NO ordinances whatsoever.

 

Paul says​​ NO​​ to water baptism, regardless of type, or under whichever​​ denomination there is in each instance of baptizing.​​ Lutherans baptize infants, as does the Catholic Church, world-wide.​​ Baptists, Pentecostals;​​ Methodists:​​ (by pouring, sprinkling and immersion),​​ and others practice baptism with full immersion, and only adults who has faith in Christ. It is well known to us all that infants are unable to have faith…they are just infants.​​ The Methodists hold to baptism as the​​ door through which one enters into the Church,​​ becoming members.​​ Lutheran baptism has an​​ extra-Biblical factor​​ to it: by baptizing the infant, it causes the infant to receive faith in their hearts by the move of God. Just as wrongly, the Catholics believe that​​ God removes original sin​​ by baptizing the infant.​​ 

Almost all​​ classic​​ Christian denominations​​ are teaching and practicing water baptism in one form or another.​​ Don’t ask me how it is that almost the entire Christianity has gone wrong in this matter! But they sure have.​​ But, again, there is no damnation against those who practice water baptism, since this will sort under regular fallible humans not always understanding ‘what is written’.​​ 

 

Well, according to Paul, water baptism is​​ not for the Church. The apostles baptized only in the time of Acts, which means that they dealt with Jews and proselytes.​​ In other words, they dealt only with Israel. And Israel is not the Church. Israel was a​​ secluded nation under God,​​ ‘fenced in’ by the Law of Moses and all its ordinances.​​ Paul described this fence as being a sign of ENMITY towards Gentile nations! Eph. 2:14, 15. But by abolishing the Law, Christ cancelled this disturbing enmity once and for all, by faith in Him. Baptizing in water is a practice which belonged to that enmity past. The Church shall have nothing of the sort, if it wants to follow Paul, and thus follow Christ!

Peter and the eleven​​ operated only​​ inside the land,​​ like I told above,​​ and Paul outside in the Empire’s Provinces, to the Jews in their synagogues.​​ Israel was still a nation for God in those years (28-62 CE)​​ – and the Gospel preached to them by the twelve apostles to Israel, was that of the ‘Kingdom of God on Earth’ with Jesus as their Messiah to reign after His Second Advent. See Acts 3 and Peter’s speech.​​ We cannot find the Church anywhere in the entire Acts history.​​ The Church dispensation started post-Acts, period.​​ 

 

When​​ Paul wrote his two epistles, Ephesians and Colossians, it had become 63-64 CE,​​ 36 years later than Acts 2,​​ and he introduced by revelation given​​ him​​ by God, what he called​​ the Mystery, Eph. 3:1-3.​​ This was AFTER Acts had ended its history telling in 62 CE, with Paul still pounding on the door of Jewry in Rome. Israel had fallen away from God, because of their rejection of Jesus Messiah, the Christ, - and He no longer talked with them in any manner. It was finished, and God has not since opened any dialogue with Israel or sent any prophet to them.​​ Instead Sanhedrin at Rome heard Paul harshly spell it out to them,​​ in spring 60 CE,​​ 

Acts 28:28,​​ NASB,

"Therefore​​ let it be​​ known​​ to you that​​ this​​ salvation​​ of​​ God​​ has been​​ sent​​ to the​​ Gentiles; they will​​ also​​ listen."

Result: total destruction of the nation in 70 CE.​​ They brought it all upon themselves, as the Jews in Caesarea and Jerusalem in 66 CE started the rebellion against the Roman power. God left this fallen nation and the result can be learned by reading history books.

They are still NOT God’s nation on earth, after all these years. They cannot become God’s nation before Jesus Christ comes from heaven, Rev. 19-20.

 

BAPTISM:

Eph. 4:5​​ is a key passage, because it limits baptism to only a SINGULAR type of baptism. While in Acts, we find that it was TWO baptisms effective. They were all, by faith, baptized into the death of Christ – plus they were told to be baptized in water as well.

NASB says,

one​​ Lord,​​ one​​ faith,​​ one​​ baptism

It is obvious that it is the baptism into the death of Christ which is the ONE baptism. Jesus Himself called His death for a baptism. Paul explains that such baptism is also the same thing as a ‘circumcision​​ made without​​ hands’ – meaning,​​ God is the one who baptizes​​ the believer the moment he becomes a believer.

Col. 2:11, 12, NASB,

 

“11​​ and in Him you were​​ also​​ circumcised​​ with a​​ circumcision​​ made​​ without​​ hands,​​ in the​​ removal​​ of the​​ body​​ of the​​ flesh​​ by the​​ circumcision​​ of​​ Christ;​​ 

 

12​​ having been​​ buried​​ with Him in​​ baptism, in​​ which​​ you were​​ also​​ raised​​ up with Him​​ through​​ faith​​ in the​​ working​​ of​​ God, who​​ raised​​ Him from the​​ dead.”

 

​​ So, consequently, we must agree with our apostle, Paul, in that​​ water baptism is out;​​ we are now only baptized into​​ the ‘Death of Christ’ – likened with a spiritual circumcision, made by God as we enter faith.​​ And since we then died with Him, we are also raised up with Him – through faith in the working of God.​​ And​​ as a​​ result of this move​​ of God, we are now declared as being a​​ Church body which is​​ …seated with Christ in heaven, given all spiritual blessings…Eph. 1:3, 23.

 

Is it a sin to go on with water baptism?

 

Rest assuredly: no, my friends – it is not a sin.​​ I told you this above.​​ Water baptism is performed simply because of misunderstood Bible interpretation. As human beings, we make​​ mistakes and we may fail in many things. This goes for us all. But it is not sinful to baptize anyone.​​ They all remain God’s children by faith in Jesus Christ, regardless of wrongful practices – water baptism – and other spiritual related ordinances.

 

But even so, - would it not​​ be better​​ if we all dropped water baptism…???​​ I can assure you all:​​ Paul dropped it!!​​ He very well knew that baptism was an ordinance in the times of the Law of Moses, but abolished as Christ died on the cross back in 28 CE.

 

 

 

The no-no’s in Paul’s epistles

 

In Paul’s two only Church epistles, he cannot be found teaching water baptism, or Spirit baptism​​ (á la Pentecostals), or speaking in tongues, casting out of demons, performing miracles by the laying on of hands, or having Holy Communion – and​​ confession of sins. He did not even​​ write of​​ the Second Advent or Anti-Christ, or the Great Tribulation, etcetera.

 

It is of no concern to the Church.​​ I have mentioned this in several of my latest articles. Pardon​​ me for repeating this, but I do believe that there might be people out there who need​​ such repetition.

 

Paul​​ established the Grace Gospel of Christ, AFTER Israel was fallen from God and the Kingdom-Gospel was suspended.​​ See Acts 28:25-28.

 

I willfully used the water-ordinance​​ to point to the fact that Paul is the only teacher, our Headmaster and tutor in the Word of God for the Church. It is Paul’s revelation of the Mystery (we Gentiles were from that moment included with the body of Christ believers, and Jesus had made Jews and Gentiles into ‘one new man’​​ by faith)​​ Eph. 2:14, 15 which made the establishing of the Church.​​ Jesus abolished the Law, Paul taught. But it was kept secret in the time of Acts.​​ So in Acts we find the Law​​ was​​ kept by the believers, but post-Acts, we find​​ no more Law keeping whatsoever.​​ Christ told Paul that He had let the Law die on the cross with Him.​​ Col. 2:13-17 is fully​​ in line with this Biblical fact, as quoted above.

 

Jesus was sent only to the ‘Lost sheep of the house of Israel’ – Mat.​​ 15:24,​​ as was Peter and the eleven, John 21…tend my lambs,​​ shepherd my sheep, tend my sheep.​​ He told Peter to go to Israel!!​​ Acts report​​ clearly​​ that Peter and the eleven were found gathered all together under the Portico of Solomon on the Temple site (Acts 5) – we find Peter and the others being present inside Israel/Jerusalem as late as Passover in 44 CE, in Acts 12. No report whatsoever on ‘Peter going abroad in mission’. They never went on any global missions. Only Paul was given that calling, by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13).

 

But in Acts 9, taking place in 37 CE, Jesus called Paul to go outside of the land, to the Jews there as well as Gentiles and kings,​​ Acts 9:15.

 

When my fellow believers in Christ – in most Churches/denominations are carrying out water baptism, they are not actually​​ committing any sin or trespass, as I pointed out.​​ They have​​ simply​​ not fully understood the importance of having Paul as our God chosen tutor and apostle. He was called ‘the apostle to the Gentiles’ – simply because Peter and the eleven were NOT such ones. They were sent to Israel only. And they never had any revelation of the Law of Moses abolished.

 

There exist no Biblical document or testimony​​ that Paul’s new Grace-Gospel – like the one found in Ephesians/Colossians, ever was preached and taught inside Israel. It took root in Asia Minor (now Turkey) as Paul’s co-workers spread these good news in Ephesus, Colossae, Hierapolis, Laodicea and many other towns 63-67 CE.​​ Of this work, Paul wrote, ​​ Col. 1:5, 6, NASB,

 

5​​ because​​ of the​​ hope​​ laid​​ up for you in​​ heaven, of​​ which​​ you​​ previously​​ heard​​ in the​​ word​​ of​​ truth, the​​ gospel​​ 

6​​ which has​​ come​​ to you,​​ just​​ as in​​ all​​ the​​ world​​ also​​ it is constantly​​ bearing​​ fruit​​ and​​ increasing,​​ even​​ as it has been doing in you​​ also​​ since​​ the​​ day​​ you​​ heard​​ of it and​​ understood​​ the​​ grace​​ of​​ God​​ in​​ truth

His expression ​​ ..just as in all the world…does not speak of the entire Global earth; it means the​​ land or area, where his gospel had been taught by his co-workers. Epaphras is mentioned as one of them (v. 7). Paul and his co-workers filled the entire Asia Minor with the good news, the Grace-Gospel as it was taught in Ephesians and Colossians.

 

Paul had already spread his Grace-Gospel to the Gentiles, and also Jews​​ (whenever they came within range to listen to the preaching), 14-18 years BEFORE any of the four historic Gospels were published for sales in the markets!​​ Matthew was published 80-85 CE, Mark 83 CE. Luke is disputed, but it was probably published in around 77 CE, and John 92 CE. Thus we can be sure that none of these four can ever be overruling Biblical faith doctrine established by Paul. Only Paul went on with a type of Grace Gospel which is meant for the entire world and all ethnicities and peoples. The four Gospels are only to be considered as historical writings, and not doctrine to the Church!

 

When those who read these​​ historic writings, many years after Paul had finished his ministry to us Gentiles,​​ they​​ read about ‘The Great Commission’ in Mat. 28, or Mark 16, in which water baptism is mentioned,​​ - but​​ Paul had already spread the Grace-doctrine of NO water baptism all over Asia Minor! ​​ And all understood that it was Paul’s teachings, signed by him in writing.​​ 

 

While the four Gospels, they​​ were published​​ anonymously, and had no names on them before 200 CE. The names may be incorrect and cannot fully be trusted. Oh, what a mess Christianity has done with the Gospel!​​ I personally believe we can trust Luke’s gospel writing as true​​ (in that it really was his writings), as well as his Acts report.​​ It seems​​ to me that also the three others remain as true history, and describes Jesus and the disciples in a correct narrative. Why? Because Luke said he used​​ their notes and stories​​ as basis for his own writings​​ (Luke 1:1-4).​​ He had made many inquiries and checking these stories, finding them true indeed.​​ NOTICE AN IMPORTANT DETAIL: Luke did not give names of those he had gotten historic details from, but he tells that the writers were EYEWITNESSES AND SERVANTS OF THE WORD, as quote:​​ 

​​ 

“1​​ Inasmuch​​ as​​ many​​ have​​ undertaken​​ to​​ compile​​ an​​ account​​ of the​​ things​​ accomplished​​ among​​ us,​​ 

2​​ just​​ as they were​​ handed​​ down​​ to us by​​ those​​ who from the​​ beginning​​ were​​ eyewitnesses​​ and​​ servants​​ of the​​ word,​​ 

3​​ it​​ seemed​​ fitting​​ for me as​​ well, having​​ investigated​​ everything​​ carefully​​ from the​​ beginning, to​​ write​​ it out for you in​​ consecutive​​ order,​​ most​​ excellent​​ Theophilus”.​​ 

4​​ so​​ that you may​​ know​​ the​​ exact​​ truth​​ about​​ the​​ things​​ you have been​​ taught.​​ 

 

Luke’s words….servants of the wordmust have been regarding the twelve apostles, more than less important persons. Servants of the word, is​​ mirrored in Acts 6, when the apostles selected the 7​​ diakonos,​​ Greek for ‘servant’. Among whom we find Philip and Stephen, the Martyr. Peter and the eleven decided,​​ Acts 6:2-4,​​ NASB,​​ 

“2​​ So​​ the​​ twelve​​ summoned​​ the​​ congregation​​ of the​​ disciples​​ and​​ said, "It is not​​ desirable​​ for us to​​ neglect​​ the​​ word​​ of​​ God​​ in order to​​ serve​​ tables.​​ 

3​​ "Therefore,​​ brethren,​​ select​​ from​​ among​​ you​​ seven​​ men​​ of​​ good​​ reputation,​​ full​​ of the​​ Spirit​​ and of​​ wisdom,​​ whom​​ we may​​ put​​ in​​ charge​​ of​​ this​​ task.​​ 

4​​ "But we will​​ devote​​ ourselves​​ to​​ prayer​​ and to​​ the​​ ministry​​ of the​​ word."​​ 

 

 

This makes it even more important to follow ONLY Paul’s teachings in Ephesians/Colossians regarding Gospel doctrine of faith salvation!

 

The four Gospels and Acts can only be used as​​ historical references, and not faith doctrine to the Church.

 

How can anyone among Christian believers disregard Paul’s doctrine of faith?

 

 

 

Gracepano.com

 

 

 

 

 




IN THE FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST:

THE ACTUAL WORDS PAUL WROTE

ARE BASED UPON A CONTEXT

 

JAN LILLEBY

 

 ​​​​ Checking the Greek​​ language​​ regarding Paul’s epistles, we find that he started his writings with a​​ setting of context,​​ with which he used in a sort of ‘short-hand manner’. Let me explain: Instead of writing​​ “In the faith in Jesus Christ” – he wrote “In Him”. Simply because the context had already established what ‘in Him’ meant: In the faith in Jesus Christ’. ​​​​ IMAGE: Fragment of the Colossians, in Greek.

But that is Greek. When translating this to English, or into Norwegian (my native language) we should not just have to settle for ‘In Him’. We should be able to read the FULL meaning of Paul’s words, such as mentioned above.​​ In the faith in Jesus Christ​​ – and not just ‘in Him’.

Just to display what this would do to our reading of Ephesians and Colossians, I have taken the liberty to insert this correct way of translation, by​​ red letters, so we can register for ourselves what effect/influence this might have on​​ us as believers.

As the Ephesians 1​​ quoted​​ below now have these inserts​​ shown, you actually will read this in the​​ correct manner of translation​​ – since we do not put as much weight upon contexts as we find in the Greek language.​​ In verse 15 Paul allowed himself to​​ repeat the context, as you will see.

 

 

Ephesians 1:1-23, NASB,​​ 

“1​​ Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who​​ are​​ faithful​​ in​​ Christ​​ Jesus:​​ 

 

2​​ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.​​ 

 

3​​ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Christ,​​ 

 

4​​ just as He chose us​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love​​ 

 

5​​ He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,​​ 

 

6​​ to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us​​ in the​​ faith​​ in the​​ Beloved.​​ 

 

7​​ In​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace​​ 

 

8​​ which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight​​ 

 

9​​ He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ 

 

10​​ with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.​​ In​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ 

 

11​​ also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,​​ 

 

12​​ to the end that we who were the first to hope​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Christ​​ would be to the praise of His glory.​​ 

 

 

 

13​​ In​​ the faith in​​ Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were sealed​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Him​​ with the Holy Spirit of promise,​​ 

 

14​​ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.​​ 

 

15​​ For this reason I too, having heard of​​ the​​ faith​​ in the​​ Lord​​ Jesus​​ which exists among you and your love for all the saints,​​ 

 

16​​ do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;​​ 

 

17​​ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.​​ 

 

18​​ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,​​ 

 

19​​ and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might​​ 

 

20​​ which He brought about​​ in​​ the faith in​​ Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,​​ 

 

21​​ far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.​​ 

 

22​​ And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,​​ 

 

23​​ which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.​​ 

 

 

 

ONE ADDITIONAL EXAMPLE OF CONTEXT,

AS SEEN IN COLOSSIANS

 

 

Paul mentioned​​ his work of having spread the Gospel throughout the entire world – well, that is if we are to read this​​ only based on those words, leaving out the real CONTEXT.

 

Like shown above, with the first chapter of Ephesians, that we have to count in the over-ruling CONTEXT to get the full literal sentences, - so it is with Colossians also. In Ephesians 1, we find that the ruling context is OUR FAITH in Jesus Christ. But Paul did not write this full line, but only ‘in Him’, referring to OUR FAITH in Him.

 

But translating this just to be ‘in Him’ is a fault, regarding what Paul really wrote. To Paul, every time he wrote ‘in Him’ – he actually wrote – via the established context –​​ “In your faith in Him”.

 

 

Colossians 1:1-7, NASB,

 

“1​​ Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,​​ 

 

2​​ To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.​​ 

 

3​​ We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,​​ 

 

4​​ since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;​​ 

 

5​​ because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel​​ 

 

6​​ which has​​ come​​ to you,​​ just​​ as in​​ all​​ the​​ world​​ also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;​​ 

 

7​​ just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf”​​ 

 

 

It is proven by history itself, that Paul’s preaching had NOT arrived in the entire world. It is quite impossible that Paul had managed to fill the entire Globe (all the world, everywhere) with the Grace Gospel.

 

Thus he wrote of NOT the entire world, but the entire LAND or section of a land, to which he had made the Gospel known. Namely Asia Minor, the same as we today call Turkey.

 

Ephesus, Colossae, Hierapolis,​​ and​​ Laodicea​​ (neighbor city to Colossae), and other communities and towns were reached with Paul’s message of the Grace Gospel.

 

It all lays in the established context: he wrote to the Colossians knowing they were part of Asia Minor…which again, was ‘All the World’ in the minds of Paul and the believers in his time.

 

Here in Norway, it is proven that the Gospel of Christ did not arrive before around the year 820-850 CE! And that was the kind of ‘gospel’ which was​​ based upon the Catholic Church and their missionaries, for crying out loud.

 

So, it is evident that in Greek, context is very, very, important to notice so we can get the​​ correct translation​​ into our modern languages.

 

I hope this little article may be of help to​​ you in the faith in Jesus Christ!

 

Gracepano.com

 

 

 




THE PARABLE OF THE

PRODIGAL​​ SON

 

JAN LILLEBY

 

 ​​​​ Most Bible teachers​​ as well as Pastors in our time​​ are saying that this famous parable from Luke 15 is a picture of God’s mercy and love for humankind.

Well, it sounds nice, and we would like to think that this is God’s mind and thoughts of humankind.

But when dealing with the passage in Luke 15:11-32,​​ we quickly find that Jesus was speaking of Israel, and not us Gentiles.

I shall try and explain this parable in more details below, but let us first have it up, to read. It is from the NASB translation,

 

11​​ And He said, "A man had two sons.​​ 

 

12​​ "The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.' So he divided his wealth between them.​​ 

 

13​​ "And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living.​​ 

 

14​​ Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished.​​ 

 

15​​ "So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.​​ 

 

16​​ "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.​​ 

 

17​​ But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!​​ 

 

18​​ 'I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight;​​ 

 

19​​ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men."'​​ 

 

20​​ "So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced * * him and kissed him.​​ 

 

21​​ "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'​​ 

 

22​​ "But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;​​ 

 

23​​ and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate;​​ 

 

24​​ for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.' And they began to celebrate.​​ 

 

25​​ "Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing.​​ 

 

26​​ "And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what * these things could be.​​ 

 

27"And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.'​​ 

 

28​​ "But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him.​​ 

 

29​​ "But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours;​​ and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends;​​ 

 

30​​ but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.'​​ 

 

31​​ "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours.​​ 

 

32​​ 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.'​​ "

 

 

Let’s clear one issue before continuing the article: Jesus spoke​​ to Israel only. He said so Himself, Mat. 15:24, NASB,

 

But He​​ answered​​ and​​ said,​​ "I was​​ sent​​ only​​ to the​​ lost​​ sheep​​ of the​​ house​​ of​​ Israel."

 

He was sent only to the LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.

His speech and parable here, on the prodigal son, was NOT spoken to Gentiles at all.​​ It is not about any Christians of our time, or the regular world as such. Jesus spoke only of the Israeli nation.

Thus, the ‘son’ in this parable, who went abroad and spent his​​ entire​​ heritage and fell into poverty and despair, WAS ISRAEL. Israel was God’s nation on earth, until they fell away from Him as they refused to believe on Jesus Christ – and Acts 28:25-28 is the story of how this fall was happening.​​ The confrontation of Paul with the Sanhedrin at Rome, summer of 60 CE, ended with Israel saying a final no to Jesus as the Messiah of God. So Paul ended the meeting with Acts 28:28 – the Gospel of salvation was now sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!

Jesus told this parable shortly before He was going to Jerusalem in the Passover in 28 CE, to die on the cross.​​ See Luke 13:22 ​​ …saying that Jesus was​​ on His way to Jerusalem.​​ Verses 32 and 33 leaves us the facts that Jesus told He was​​ just three days​​ from ‘reaching His goal’ – at Jerusalem, and thus the death on the cross.​​ Luke 17:11 place Jesus still on His way to Jerusalem…and healing the ten leprous men. He was closing in on the city.

And so He foretold the famous predictions on His Second Advent, in verses 31-35, reading,

 

31​​ Just​​ at that​​ time​​ some​​ Pharisees​​ approached,​​ saying​​ to Him,​​ "Go​​ away,​​ leave​​ here, for​​ Herod​​ wants​​ to​​ kill​​ You."​​ 

32​​ And He​​ said​​ to them,​​ "Go​​ and​​ tell​​ that​​ fox,​​ 'Behold, I​​ cast​​ out​​ demons​​ and​​ perform​​ cures​​ today​​ and​​ tomorrow, and the​​ third​​ day I​​ reach​​ My​​ goal.'​​ 

33​​ "Nevertheless​​ I​​ must​​ journey​​ on​​ today​​ and​​ tomorrow​​ and the​​ next​​ day; for it​​ cannot​​ be that a​​ prophet​​ would​​ perish​​ outside​​ of​​ Jerusalem.​​ 

34​​ "O​​ Jerusalem,​​ Jerusalem, the city that​​ kills​​ the​​ prophets​​ and​​ stones​​ those​​ sent​​ to her!​​ How​​ often​​ I​​ wanted​​ to​​ gather​​ your​​ children​​ together,​​ just ​​​​ as a​​ hen​​ gathers her​​ brood​​ under​​ her​​ wings, and you​​ would​​ not have it!​​ 

35​​ "Behold, your​​ house​​ is​​ left​​ to you desolate; and I​​ say​​ to you, you will not​​ see​​ Me​​ until​​ the time​​ comes​​ when​​ you​​ say, 'BLESSED​​ IS HE WHO​​ COMES​​ IN THE​​ NAME​​ OF THE​​ LORD!'​​ "​​ 

My remark: Verse 35 correspond perfectly with Isa. 6:11,12 – on Israel left desolate and with empty houses, destroyed, and Jews scattered in the world etcetera, NASB,

“11​​ Then I​​ said,​​ "Lord,​​ how​​ long?​​ " And He​​ answered,​​ "Until ​​​​ cities​​ are​​ devastated​​ and​​ without​​ inhabitant,​​ Houses​​ are​​ without​​ people​​ And the​​ land​​ is​​ utterly​​ desolate,​​ 

12​​ "The​​ LORD​​ has​​ removed​​ men​​ far​​ away, And the​​ forsaken​​ places​​ are​​ many​​ in the​​ midst​​ of the​​ land.​​ 

The parable​​ of the lost son in Luke 15​​ was indeed a prophetic one, since the story is summed up by saying – verses 24 and 32: ​​ “For this son of mine​​ was dead, and has come to life again” ​​ - ​​ “For this brother of yours​​ was dead, and has begun to live, and was lost and have been found”.

Israel – the son – was dead, but had come back to life again!

 

This is the very same saying we find with​​ Hosea 6:1-3, the prophecy of Israel coming​​ back to life​​ as a genuine nation for God on earth,

 

1​​ "Come, let us return to the LORD. For He has torn us, but He will heal us; He has wounded us, but He will bandage us.​​ 

 

2​​ "He will revive us after two days; He will raise us up on the third day, That we may live before Him.​​ 

 

3​​ "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."

 

The three days​​ mentioned, are not regular calendar days, for they are millennia. After two days God shall revive Israel – AFTER ​​ 2000 years Israel shall become the nation of God, as Jesus comes from heaven to be their Messiah King.

 

Thus the third day, the millennial period kicks in from that moment on. A thousand years of reign in Israel – for which Isaiah 2 has told of what shall take place then.

 

The death of the nation was in 70 CE, as the Roman army destroyed them entirely, and scattered them in the world. The best historic source for this disaster was told by Josephus Flavius, in his book “The Jewish War”.​​ Image: The Temple burning.

 

Counting by the Jewish calendar, to find when the 2000 years are up, we come to 2041 as the probable Second Advent of Christ. See my article on the ‘Hosea Clock’ here on this web site.

 

When reproving the unbelievers in the Passover 28 CE, as Jesus disputed the Pharisees in the temple site, He told them, using the lyrics from Psalm 118:26 -​​ ”from now on you shall not see Me, before you say – Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.

 

This Psalm​​ is the Passover psalm in Jewry,​​ as already quoted above, from Luke 13.​​ In NASB it reads,

 

Blessed​​ is the one who​​ comes​​ in the​​ name​​ of the​​ LORD; We have​​ blessed​​ you from the​​ house​​ of the​​ LORD.

 

Jesus will probably arrive in Israel in the Passover 2041, and then the Great Tribulation shall be stopped​​ (ITS 7-YEAR PERIOD​​ OF TRIBULATION STARTING​​ IN 2034),​​ and the millennial reign will begin.

 

And like the prodigal son, the Jews at that future time shall be regretful for having opposed God, the Father of Jesus Christ. They refused to receive Jesus when they could.​​ 

 

Jesus did not stop at Luke 15 and the prodigal son, or the parable of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:​​ -​​ He​​ also​​ told of the soon coming destruction of Israel in Mat. 22:7 – the Parable of the Wedding Feast. The nation of Israel was invited to the feast by the 12 apostles, but as they refused to listen to them, they also persecuted them and killed many of them. So, ultimately the King got infuriated and sent His armies to kill these murderers and burn down their city, Jerusalem! ​​ This was fulfilled in 70 CE.​​ I cannot understand why Luke didn’t get this parable into his writings. Maybe he thought that it will be sufficient with the parables in his chapters​​ 13,​​ 15​​ and 16?

 

Had the Jews only listened to Jesus and received their Messiah – and thus coming home to the father’s house, there would be held a feast. But no such thing happened. They killed the apostles who invited to the feast!

 

Jesus told of a feast after the millennial kingdom was established, Luke 13:25-29, NASB, - a narrative taking place in Israel at the Second Advent,

 

25​​ "Once​​ *​​ the​​ head​​ of the​​ house​​ gets​​ up and​​ shuts​​ the​​ door, and you​​ begin​​ to​​ stand​​ outside​​ and​​ knock​​ on the​​ door,​​ saying, 'Lord,​​ open​​ up to us!'​​ then​​ He will​​ answer​​ and​​ say​​ to you, 'I do not​​ know​​ where​​ you are from.'​​ 

26​​ "Then​​ you will​​ begin​​ to​​ say, 'We​​ ate​​ and​​ drank​​ in Your​​ presence, and You​​ taught​​ in our​​ streets​​ ';​​ 

27​​ and He will​​ say, 'I​​ tell​​ you, I do not​​ know​​ where​​ you are from;​​ DEPART​​ FROM ME,​​ ALL​​ YOU​​ EVILDOERS.'​​ 

28​​ "In that​​ place​​ there​​ will be​​ weeping​​ and​​ gnashing​​ of​​ teeth​​ when​​ you​​ see​​ Abraham​​ and​​ Isaac​​ and​​ Jacob​​ and​​ all​​ the​​ prophets​​ in the​​ kingdom​​ of​​ God, but​​ yourselves​​ being​​ thrown​​ out.​​ 

29​​ "And they will​​ come​​ from​​ east​​ and​​ west​​ and from​​ north​​ and​​ south, and will​​ recline​​ at the table in the​​ kingdom​​ of​​ God.

(NOTICE: I am aware of the controversy of Abraham seen in the millennial reign of Christ here; for he is told to​​ be​​ the one who​​ sought and awaited the New Jerusalem, to come after the millennial kingdom. We just have to suffer this out…we cannot explain why this is so, in the Word of God. Ref. Hebr.​​ 11:10, NASB. However it says ‘city which has foundations’, and not the ‘New Jerusalem’. It all rests on how we choose to interpret this passage.)​​ 

King James Bible says something interesting: Verse 10,​​ 

For​​ he looked​​ for​​ a​​ city​​ which​​ hath​​ foundations,​​ whose​​ builder​​ and​​ maker​​ is​​ God.”

 

This is why we have a slight controversy. It says that ‘God is the builder and maker’ of the city. Thus most Christians conclude that this is the same as the ‘New Jerusalem’ in Rev. 21, coming down from heaven, after the millennial reign. I am one of these, and have concluded like this. But still: we have to leave the door open to the passage in Luke 13:28 showing Abraham present in the millennial kingdom. Just my humble thoughts

 

The ‘Parable of the Prodigal Son’​​ is​​ a story which mostly shows God’s​​ character and mercy. This mercy would have been shown if Israel had accepted Jesus when He first came, and if not, they could​​ have​​ accepted Him during the 30 years of the ministries of the twelve apostles to Israel. But no such thing happened. They​​ were destroyed, according​​ to Jesus’ parable in Mat. 22:7 - the king’s army (soldiers in​​ some translations) were the Romans, obviously. God used them to revenge​​ the brutal murders of His apostles.

 

The parable of the prodigal son​​ cannot stand alone, simply because Jesus came up with other and very sinister prophetic parables.​​ Thus it is obvious to us that the parable has a motive and focus on God’s character, His mercy and forgiveness in general, with His own people, Israel and the Jews as it were in the times of old.

 

 

Also, we have the sad parable of Israel, the​​ barren fig​​ tree in Luke 13, told shortly before the parable in Luke 15. Israel (the barren tree) was to be cut down, because it used up the soil and had no more the rights to exist! ​​ As an intro to the parable, He told them to REPENT, in verses 1-5, ​​ NASB,

 

1​​ Now​​ on the​​ same​​ occasion​​ there were​​ some​​ present​​ who​​ reported​​ to Him​​ about​​ the​​ Galileans​​ whose​​ blood​​ Pilate​​ had​​ mixed​​ with their​​ sacrifices.​​ 

2​​ And Jesus​​ said​​ to them,​​ "Do you​​ suppose​​ that​​ these​​ Galileans​​ were greater​​ sinners​​ than​​ all​​ other​​ Galileans​​ because​​ they​​ suffered​​ this​​ fate?​​ 

3 I​​ tell​​ you,​​ no, but​​ unless​​ you​​ repent, you will​​ all​​ likewise​​ perish.​​ 

4​​ "Or​​ do you​​ suppose​​ that​​ those​​ eighteen​​ on​​ whom​​ the​​ tower​​ in​​ Siloam​​ fell​​ and​​ killed​​ them were worse​​ culprits​​ than​​ all​​ the​​ men​​ who​​ live​​ in​​ Jerusalem?​​ 

5​​ "I​​ tell​​ you,​​ no, but​​ unless​​ you​​ repent, you will​​ all​​ likewise​​ perish."​​ 

In v. 6, He began to tell the parable of the barren fig tree, Israel. Explaining what would take place if they did not repent;​​ - they would be ‘cut down’.

 

Likewise: Israel cannot be in the land, since they refused Christ. The Roman battle axe cut them down in 70 CE, as mentioned above. They have no right to be in the land if they refuse the Messiah, Jesus Christ.​​ Consequently, God let different Gentile tribes – Arabs and others – use the land after Israel was laid waste. As a matter of fact, it shows in history that the tribal Gentiles in the Middle-East have been in the land for a​​ longer time​​ than the Jews!

 

 

Peter’s second speech in​​ Acts 3:19-23, NASB, shows that he warned of this coming destruction, in same manner as Jesus had warned,

 

19​​ "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;​​ 

 

20​​ and that He may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you,​​ 

 

21​​ whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time.​​ 

 

22​​ "Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you.​​ 

 

23​​ 'And it will be that​​ every​​ soul​​ that does not​​ heed​​ that​​ prophet​​ shall be​​ utterly​​ destroyed​​ from​​ among​​ the​​ people.”

 

Peter’s warnings, as well as the warning parables of Jesus, were fulfilled, as God sent doom and destruction upon them in 70 CE.

 

Jesus,​​ telling the parable of the prodigal son,​​ had not been taken to heart by the nation. Neither did they listen to the warnings of Peter or the parable of the barren fig tree, told by Jesus. They were like Isa. 6:9, 10​​ predicted: they​​ had eyes to see with, but would not see, ears to hear with, but they did not listen, and their understanding was darkened so they could not understand what they were told. From NASB, it reads,

 

9​​ He​​ said,​​ "Go, and​​ tell​​ this​​ people:​​ 'Keep​​ on​​ listening, but do not​​ perceive;​​ Keep​​ on​​ looking, but do not​​ understand.'​​ 

10​​ Render​​ the​​ hearts​​ of​​ this​​ people​​ insensitive, Their​​ ears​​ dull, And their​​ eyes​​ dim,​​ Otherwise​​ they might​​ see​​ with their​​ eyes,​​ Hear​​ with their​​ ears,​​ Understand​​ with their​​ hearts, And​​ return​​ and be​​ healed."​​ 

 

 

 

 

Gracepano.com




PAUL’S TEACHING IN ROMANS 2,​​ 

AND ALSO​​ PSALM 104:

 

​​ PROVES IT WAS​​ IMPOSSIBLE​​ FOR GOD​​ TO​​ KILL​​ THE ENTIRE​​ WORLD​​ IN A​​ FLOOD!

(NOTICE: The article is 21​​ pages if printed out)

 

JAN LILLEBY

 

IMAGE: Painting by Edward Hicks, 1846

Yes – you read it right!

Impossible.

Why?

First we shall check out Paul’s teaching in Rom. 2 on Gentiles​​ who​​ actually became their ‘own Law’ – in regard to right and wrong.

 

Paul has already answered this in​​ the clearest way possible, as we read​​ Rom. 2:13-16,​​ NASB,

 

«13​​ ​​ for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.​​ 

 

14​​ For​​ when​​ Gentiles​​ who do not​​ have​​ the​​ Law​​ do​​ instinctively​​ the things of the​​ Law,​​ these, not​​ having​​ the​​ Law,​​ are a law to themselves,​​ 

 

15​​ in that they​​ show​​ the​​ work​​ of the​​ Law​​ written​​ in their​​ hearts, their​​ conscience​​ bearing​​ witness​​ and their​​ thoughts​​ alternately​​ accusing​​ or​​ else​​ defending​​ them,​​ 

 

16​​ on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.​​ 

 

 

I have emphasized verses 14 and 15….because here we learn that Gentiles who did NOT have the Law, did instinctively according to the Law. Thus they were a Law to themselves.​​ And in the case of the flood, the Law (of Moses) did not exist. But the Gentiles did…since being Gentile really was to NOT being a Jew. Gentiles points to the​​ nations (Greek, ethnos) –​​ and these existed before Israel was established as a nation after the battle of Jericho.​​ Before that, as they were in the Sinai wilderness for forty years, they were called for the Hebrews.

 

Would God ever judge these​​ righteous​​ Gentiles, using water or fire or what not? ​​ Not a chance! ​​ God would have saved them.​​ Those who had clean consciences. Those with bad conscience were judged by their own actions.

 

Verse​​ 15: ​​ The Law was written IN THEIR HEARTS. And their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing OR ELSE​​ DEFENDING​​ THEM.​​ Notice: The principle is valid also in times before the Law was issued by Moses. The conscience with people will be deciding whether they are friends with Him!​​ God saves His friends/believers at any which time in history.

 

In the situation of the flood of Noah, Gen.​​ 6-7-8, we have a judgement sparing nobody, but Noah and his family, totaling eight people.

 

Especially I address those who wrongly hold to the idea of God killing the​​ entire population on earth, except these eight people. Likewise, He also killed ALL ANIMAL LIFE ON EARTH, except those pairs, and those sevens which entered the ark.

 

Now, isn’t it very odd that God should have killed all the animals? Is there any word in the Bible that animals are kept responsible for sin​​ and moral trespasses deserving death penalty?

 

None whatsoever!

 

Thinking that God could go on and kill all life on earth, except the few living humans and animals onboard the ark, is preposterous at the least. I will dare saying, that it is an​​ insult​​ in the face of the Lord. It is sacrilege to say that God killed all living beings, except the very few onboard the ark!​​ Those people who do, they usually have no clear knowledge of God’s impeccable and divine character. And I think in such extreme cases as the flood,​​ and​​ the Sodom burning,​​ and the Tower in Babylon, and the​​ kinky and dumb​​ idea of a tormenting, burning Hell for all unbelievers, - many simply forget to count in the facts of​​ God’s divine character.

 

Jonah had a saying of this, when in the​​ incident with being swallowed by a whale and then gulped out on a beach. Jonah​​ 4:2-11 really sets things straight, on His character…or rather, God sat it straight,​​ 

 

2​​ He​​ prayed​​ to the​​ LORD​​ and​​ said,​​ "Please​​ LORD, was not​​ this​​ what​​ I​​ said​​ while​​ I was​​ still​​ in my own​​ country?​​ Therefore​​ in order to​​ forestall​​ this I​​ fled​​ to​​ Tarshish,​​ for I​​ knew​​ that You are a​​ gracious​​ and​​ compassionate​​ God,​​ slow​​ to​​ anger​​ and​​ abundant​​ in​​ lovingkindness, and one who​​ relents​​ concerning​​ calamity.​​ 

3​​ Therefore​​ now, O​​ LORD,​​ please​​ take​​ my​​ life​​ from me, for​​ death​​ is​​ better​​ to me​​ than​​ life."​​ 

4​​ The​​ LORD​​ said, "Do you have​​ good​​ reason​​ to be​​ angry?"​​ 

5​​ Then​​ Jonah​​ went​​ out from the​​ city​​ and​​ sat​​ east​​ of it.​​ There​​ he​​ made​​ a​​ shelter​​ for himself and​​ sat​​ under​​ it in the​​ shade​​ until ​​​​ he could​​ see​​ what​​ would​​ happen​​ in the​​ city.​​ 

6​​ So the​​ LORD​​ God​​ appointed​​ a​​ plant​​ and it​​ grew​​ up​​ over​​ Jonah​​ to be a​​ shade​​ over​​ his​​ head​​ to​​ deliver​​ him from his​​ discomfort. And​​ Jonah​​ was​​ extremely​​ happy​​ about​​ the​​ plant.​​ 

7​​ But​​ God​​ appointed​​ a​​ worm​​ when​​ dawn​​ came​​ the​​ next​​ day​​ and it​​ attacked​​ the​​ plant​​ and it​​ withered.​​ 

8​​ When the​​ sun​​ came​​ up​​ God​​ appointed​​ a​​ scorching​​ east​​ wind, and the​​ sun​​ beat​​ down​​ on​​ Jonah's​​ head​​ so that he​​ became​​ faint​​ and​​ begged​​ with all his​​ soul​​ to​​ die,​​ saying, "Death​​ is​​ better​​ to me​​ than​​ life."​​ 

9​​ Then​​ God​​ said​​ to​​ Jonah, "Do you have​​ good​​ reason​​ to be​​ angry​​ about​​ the​​ plant?" And he​​ said, "I have​​ good​​ reason​​ to be​​ angry, even to​​ death."​​ 

10​​ Then the​​ LORD​​ said, "You​​ had​​ compassion​​ on the​​ plant​​ for​​ which​​ you did not​​ work​​ and which you did not cause to​​ grow,​​ which​​ came​​ up​​ overnight​​ and​​ perished​​ overnight.​​ 

11​​ "Should I not​​ have​​ compassion​​ on​​ Nineveh, the​​ great​​ city​​ in​​ which​​ there​​ are​​ more​​ than​​ 120,000​​ persons​​ who​​ do not​​ know​​ the difference​​ between​​ their​​ right​​ and​​ left​​ hand, as well as​​ many​​ animals?"​​ 

God performed instant wonders for Jonah so he should learn about HOW MUCH GOD CARES for peoples welfare and their lives…yes, even ANIMALS was mentioned.​​ And in this narrative we are talking NOT of Jews/Israel, but Gentiles – the nations​​ –​​ ethnos.​​ They had not heard of God and His Grace and care for mankind (verse 11: not knowing the difference between right hand and left hand).

 

But still – when a certain group or town or land/nation gives in to grave sin and a lifestyle which is an abomination to God, He may send judgement and destruction. We see this throughout the Old Testament. But never did He send such doom on the entire global world. Why? ​​ Because there are found righteous Gentile​​ peoples at all times….such ones that have the​​ right mind seeking the Creator, God Almighty, even if they do not know Him. It must have been millions of these in the times of Noah. But God had gotten angry and regretful overseeing the grave sin in​​ the land of​​ Mesopotamia – a limited group/land/culture described in Gen. 1,​​ chapters​​ 6-8. They were destined for destruction because of the evil minded lifestyle among them. But it had not reached the entire world….and thus God by this​​ judgement actually took them away to avoid the evil to spread world-wide.

 

Do you get the message?

 

 

GENTILES NOT KNOWING GOD, BUT STILL

ACCEPTED BECAUSE OF A CLEAN CONSCIENCE

 

 

If the earth was inhabited by, let’s just guess, 5 million at the time of the flood. If the whole earth was flooded, this means that 4,999,992​​ were​​ killed.​​ (Some web sites say 5 to 17 million estimated).​​ 

 

Now, we cannot possibly anticipate that none of these 4,999,992 people had a clean conscience. For if so, then Paul’s words in Rom. 2:13-16 would have been totally empty and obsolete. Useless chit-chat and nonsense.

 

BUT – the big but – among a​​ limited number​​ of individuals having come under grave sin and ungodliness​​ at a​​ certain local society​​ or district,​​ or land​​ or a town and the likes, - then​​ we have another scenario. I​​ pointed​​ to God judging Sodom and Gomorra by fire, and threatening to wipe out the big city of Nineveh, to which God sent Jonah to warn them.

 

God never said to Abraham: I shall burn down ALL THE EARTH because the sin in Sodom has piled up, and crying up to heaven!

 

Neither did He tell Jonah that unless he went to Nineveh to warn them,​​ He would destroy ALL THE CITIES​​ ON EARTH.

 

Jesus prophesied in Mat. 24​​ of a Great Tribulation – to come upon Israel in the end​​ time. He simply repeated the saying of Jeremiah 30:7 – of the ‘Time of Jacob’s trouble’. It shall NOT COME UPON THE WHOLE EARTH/WORLD, but only Israel.

 

And I could go on and on….

 

Of course there were millions of righteous people in the eyes of God, who had a clean conscience, they were a Law to themselves to keep them in​​ a friendship with God the Creator, even if they did not know God personally. Paul’s teaching is clear.​​ Thus making the scenario​​ created by ignorant Christians – of a flood which wiped out the entire world – entirely in error.

 

 

PSALM 104 SUPPORTS THE ABOVE FIRMLY

 

 

So, for you who may have read my other articles on Noah and the flood, here you have the​​ spiritual​​ side of it. The most important aspect really, is always the spiritual one.

 

###​​ BY THE WAY: ​​ I have added my earlier article on Noah and the flood, below. I took​​ it​​ off my web site a while back, due to much unrest from my readers. The flood has always been a very controversial topic in Christendom. But by chance I found it right to bring this topic onto the stage again!​​ ​​ Why​​ now?​​ I simply think it will help you discover the excellent and glorious CHARACTER of God, the Father of Christ! ​​ ###

 

 

 

 ​​​​ This put together with all my technical/geological and otherwise logical proofs in the form of articles, makes it a finished discussion. It is proven without a doubt that THE WORLD WAS NOT EXTERMINATED.

 

It is totally against God’s divine character​​ to even having had thoughts of exterminating the entire world.​​ He can carry out certain punishments and purging actions such as those I mentioned above. But He does not first create humankind, for then just to wipe the same humankind from the face of the earth. God is not a psychotic mad-man.​​ You, as a true Christian believer, have to try to get this in place inside your mind and thoughts, thus​​ coloring your faith​​ in Christ as you eventually bring testimonies of Him to people around you.

 

Same​​ principle​​ of character when we take a look upon​​ hell and eternal torment in fire:​​ God has no wish to persecute all unbelievers and casting them into hell and damnation with torment and fire!​​ There is no hell. People,​​ who will not believe on Christ, will be left dead and​​ thus​​ lost, in the sense that they will NOT BE GIVEN A RESURRECTION back to​​ life. They remain as non-existent from then on. The Bible say, “The dead knows nothing”.

 

God had no wish to exterminate humankind – except the eight onboard the ark – for He only judged those limited groups at that time because of a wicked and sinful lifestyle, NOT all over the globe, but only down in that Middle-East regions….in Enoch’s Book called for ‘The Land of Eden’.​​ Often mentioned as Mesopotamia by historians.​​ You will read of this in more exact terms below.

 

The flood came only upon that land.​​ (Both AMP Bible and NASB Bible are using ‘LAND’ in their descriptions of the flood, and they also use ‘earth’).​​ Seven fountains in the ‘Great Deep’ (the sea floor in the Mediterranean Sea) opened up for gigantic water masses flushing up; at the same time as the floodgates of the heavens opened up and rain falling. When the seven fountains in the Med cracked open, this means geologically that​​ the sea floor sunk DOWN​​ in equality with the water pouring up…..affecting the whole region so that it formed a slack bowl shape in the earth. Thus making the flood only in that region and not worldwide.​​ (I explain these facts in my first article on the flood​​ – which can be read below).

 

That is why the ark stranded on Mt. Ararat, which is nearly 5,000 meters high. The landmasses had sunken down –​​ including​​ Ararat – so this was possible.

 

But Paul’s teaching on Gentiles and their Law of conscience in Rom. 2:13-16 is a keyword in this matter. God never go against His own Word.​​ 

 

WHAT WITH NOAH?

 

 

Of Noah it is written that he​​ was a ‘Preacher of righteousness’ – but that is regarding judgement, and not saving grace!

 

And in Gen. 6:7, NASB, we find LAND and not earth,

 

“The​​ LORD​​ said, "I will​​ blot​​ out​​ man​​ whom​​ I have​​ created​​ from the​​ face​​ of the​​ land,​​ from​​ man​​ to​​ animals​​ to​​ creeping​​ things​​ and to​​ birds​​ of the​​ sky; for I​​ am​​ sorry​​ that I have​​ made​​ them." ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 

Psalm 104:6-9,​​ ​​ NASB reads,

 

 

“6​​ You​​ covered​​ it with the​​ deep​​ as with a​​ garment; The​​ waters​​ were​​ standing​​ above​​ the​​ mountains.​​ 

7​​ At Your​​ rebuke​​ they​​ fled, At the​​ sound​​ of Your​​ thunder​​ they​​ hurried​​ away.​​ 

8​​ The​​ mountains​​ rose; the​​ valleys​​ sank​​ down​​ To the​​ place​​ which​​ You​​ established​​ for them.​​ 

9​​ You​​ set​​ a​​ boundary​​ that they may not​​ pass​​ over,​​ So that they will not​​ return​​ to​​ cover​​ the​​ earth”.​​ 

 

The passages above clearly say that God, after having organized the big oceans and the diverse continents, He would never re-do this in any way, so that eventually the WATER again will cover the entire earth. Remember: Gen. 1:1-2, says that ‘The Spirit of God hovered (or was moving) above the water’ – before starting His creation and setting the solar system in order, - and thus starting the process, lasting for six divinely ordained ‘days’ (not regular calendar days) – and ending with the seventh day on which He rested. If God filled the entire earth with that massive volumes of water, it would actually mean that God cannot be trusted! ​​ But, as we understand, He CAN be trusted, for He sent only a local flood, centered mainly in Mesopotamia ..and then some.)

 

 

When we read​​ Paul’s teachings​​ in particular, we find solutions​​ for​​ many problems.​​ And Psalm 104 falls neatly in with what Paul wrote to the Romans in 57 CE, from his stay in Ephesus.

 

Psalm 104 is at the same instance proving that the diverse continents (divided by the oceans) existed BEFORE the flood of Noah. Verse 8. God established these continents it says.

 

 

 

HERE COMES MY EARLIER PUBLISHED ARTICLE ON NOAH:

 

 

 

Was the Flood Global or Local?

 

There might be someone out there who thinks like me….I hope. I checked the web recently – and unlike when I first made my radio-series in Oslo area in 1997 – 2001 – having Noah and the Flood as one of many topics, I was alone in Norway and maybe all of Scandinavia to claim such a belief, that the flood was local rather than global; today the internet is full of sites claiming the flood was local. Their understanding of the Bible is correct.

Just to get a few nifty things sorted out right away, before opening the Bible:

The Ark had a height of 15 meter, and had three decks. It was 150 meter long. When subtracting the thickness of the beams of about 0,45 meters it leaves a height – floor to ceiling of ​​ maximum 3,5 meter – after also subtracting height of deck-reeling and the bottom deck beginning about where the hull was plain, after the bowed bottom.​​ 

How could it be possible to have animals like the very tall giraffe, or the huge mammoth elephant (which were not extinct, frozen down in Siberian ice when flood happened) – the giraffe having an average of 5,05 meters, the tallest up to 19 feet (5,80 meters), and the smallest 4,30 meters? ( 1 Internatl. foot = 30,48 cm). If you watch the various drawings made of the Ark, especially those meant for kids, you often find the giraffes out in the open deck with the elephants. But this is not what eventually took place. All the animals were under deck, for shelter from the wind and the rain.​​ Imagine such animals having to lay down unable to stand upright – for a whole year!

If all animal species on earth were represented onboard the Ark, then it is impossible - proven by such a simple logistical fact that there would not be room for the giraffe, nor the mammoth!

The giraffe had and still has its habitat in Central Africa, and not in the Middle-East. ​​ Mammoth had Siberia mostly.

Noah had been given only 7 days to see to it that the animals (urged by God) went into the Ark in pairs, male and female. Impossible for the mammoth in Siberia, and also for the giraffe in Central Africa! ​​ Let alone the jaguar in Amazonas jungle, the huge Anaconda snake in same habitat as the jaguar, and even farther away…the kangaroo and koala in Australia…IT IS ENTIRELY IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE ANIMALS, TWO BY TWO, WALK OR CRAWL ALL THOSE THOUSANDS OF MILES/KILOMETERS! Regardless of whether any or all continents were closer to one another than in our time. The size of the Earth remains the same in all ages.

 

Regardless of God telling them or not telling them. Check the illustration here…

How can Christians be so mindless and gullible, that they accept just about anything coming from a pulpit without even bothering to check out the obvious faults and misinformation?

Noah had no big diesel powered trucks, no huge cargo Roll-On-Roll-Off sea vessels or big Jumbo Jet Carriers like we have now in modern times. Even if he had….it would not be possible to get ALL SPECIES from the entire world onboard the Ark in only 7 days. It would have taken at least 7 months…perhaps 7​​ years. We can only imagine. How about the penguins in Antarctica? The Polar bears in Artic North? The Pandas in China? The funny snarling gnarling little critter in Tasmanian Island called Tasmanian Devil? See image here…

Something is severely askew with the whole story – just consider Gen.7:2, 3 – showing us that God was not content with only one pair per species, but demanded 7 pairs, regarding those ritually clean animals:

“Of every clean beast you shall receive and take with you seven pairs…..”

3: Also of the birds of the air seven pairs, the male and the female, to keep seed (their kind) alive over all the earth or land.”

To top it off: This enormous numbers of species on earth, two of each, would not find space enough onboard the Ark. The ship was about 150 meters long and 25 meters wide. ​​ There is no way that this moderately sized vessel could ever carry onboard all the species of the world. It would not help, in other words, even if all these animals made it to the Ark in 7 days’ notice!

And to top off the previous top: Think of all the food supply that would have to be stored onboard. Tons and tons of diverse types of animal feed; plus what the eight survivors would need, Noah and family. They did not exit the Ark before it had gone about one year, Gen. 8:13-16.

 

HAVE WE​​ FORGOTTEN THAT THE ANIMALS

HAD TO​​ GET BACK AGAIN​​ TO THEIR NATURAL

HABITATES FROM WHERE THEY BELONGED?

 

I could not help myself in reflecting of those thousands of kilometers many of the animal species would have to walk/crawl/fly, eventually swim! ​​ Thus recently it just struck me: What when the Ark stranded on top of Mt. Ararat…reversing the travel for these animals?

Then it struck me, that this impossible barrier – the vast distances BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM, was the nail-in-the-coffin-lid to those who think that the flood was world-wide!

The 11500 kilometers from Amazonas area in Brazil, for the Jaguars, the Anaconda snakes, and other typical animals with this particular habitat, would have meant that the distance are twice that; it means a travel of 23 000 kilometers for these animals! Any serious person will easily know that the whole project was impossible.​​ 

Same goes for all of these species which had not the Middle-East area as their habitat. The penguins would have to swim and walk 28 000 kilometers total. This means that the poor animal would die exhausted of its efforts to get back to its homestead, the Antarctica. Same can be said of all the others, except the species in the neighborhood of where Noah built the Ark.​​ 

By the way, have you ever read any scripture at all, telling of penguins having taken a new habitat in the Middle-East? ​​​​ I have not.​​ 

Have you ever seen a Polar bear living in the wild inside any of the Middle-East nations? ​​​​ I haven’t.​​ 

Have you found any Jaguars anywhere in forestall areas of​​ Turkey or the Middle-East? ​​​​ I haven’t.

What of the Rhinos in Central Africa? The Giraffes? The Elephants?​​ 

The Hyenas?

Tigers of India and Siberia?  ​​​​ …….​​ 

 

I could go on for quite a while like this. It shows that the idea of a world-wide flood is a fantasy made up by mankind. It happened just like I have described here in this article. It was local, it flooded ‘All of the land of Eden’.

 

THE LOGISTICS OF FEEDING THE ANIMALS

 

Here are some interesting figures to give you an idea of what amount of food-supply that was needed:

How about feeding lions, leopards, tigers, diverse cats and others? How much extra animal-meats​​ would be required for all the meat-eating animals? What about the elephants? One elephant can eat 44 lbs of grain, 66 lbs of hay, 20 to 70 lbs of turnips, carrots, cabbage or fruit per day. If an elephant eat 170 lbs of food each day, this would be 62,050 lbs during the year in the Ark!! And doubling that for the other elephant will amount to 124,100 lbs in total! (41,000 kilos). Even some animals like panda (Asia), koala (Australia), three toed sloth (South America) require a specialized diet. Did Noah and his family gather some for them? What about the woodpeckers that peck the wood or termites that eat the wood…they would experience the Ark as their heaven…wood everywhere. Dig in!! ​​ This could mean trouble for the Ark.

The logistical analysis I have presented here in short, points to only one possible scenario for the Ark: It was not a world-wide flood, but only limited to the Middle-East – in particular the land between the Mediterranean and the Gulf of Persia. This area was considered in olden times as ‘The Land of Eden’. Not the Garden of Eden as such, but the land in which Eden once was established.

The Book of Jubilee (it has a correct history line, even if it is not accepted as a book from God) chapter 4:23, 24 says of this:

“Enoch was taken away from humankind and we (God’s angels) took him into the Garden of Eden (Paradise up in the heavens) - ….he is writing of the evil in humankind, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, GOD LET THE WATER OF THE FLOOD COME OVER THE ENTIRE LAND OF EDEN.”​​ 

(Translated by me, via the Norwegian version of Book of Jubilee).

If the flood had been global, it would have been entirely impossible that the water would go back to normal levels in that one year mentioned in Gen 8. Here is the mathematics for it:

The Bible says that it receded at the rate of 15 cubits in 74 days, Gen 7:20; 8:4, 5.

Figuring a cubit at about 18 inches, the water level would have dropped 270 inches during this time or, to round it off, 4 inches a day. If the flood depth was 29,050 feet (348,600 inches) and the water level dropped 4 inches a day, it would take 87,150 days to get back down to normal sea level. That would be almost 239 YEARS! ​​ Conclusion: Totally impossible. The flood was local, not global.

 

The method God used to make a limited flood

 

How was it achieved? ​​ What trick had God kept up His sleeve, so that only the guilty sinners were judged and not the innocent peoples on the earth?

I shall come to this shortly.

But first let us have a closer look at the background of that perilous time…mankind had gotten itself so deep in sin and evil, that God wanted to exterminate them.

But we shall study this in light of the often erroneous use of the word “Earth”. Then our spiritual eyes will clear from blurring, and you will understand.

In short, the word ‘earth’ as used in Gen 7, as well as many other books of the Bible, should just as well have been translated to ‘land’ or ‘nation’ – ‘country’ or ‘place’.

It is a great difference in the meaning saying ‘All of the earth’ than saying ‘All of the land’ – don’t you think?

A good example also would be Jer ​​ 34:1 – saying,

“..all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the peoples, fought against Jerusalem”.​​ ​​ There the phrase “of the earth” is limited to “his dominion”, i.e., the dominion of Nebuchadnezzar.

And of the Sodom judgment, the daughters of Lot declared,

“There’s not a man in the earth (erets) to come in unto us”​​ Gen 19:31. We know that not every man in the world was killed…only those in the area of the destruction.

Another odd, and often missed fact, with the many collateral damages such a world-wide flood would have implicated, all seem to have forgotten that it would ‘collide’ with the extreme temperatures found in heights like Mt. Everest, over 8000 meters altitude. It is only 50-60 minus degrees Celsius there! If the Ark at any chance had passed by that spot, it would cause them all to freeze to death; and not only at that spot (Everest, Himalaya) – but anywhere. The water did not cover all the mountains in the entire world, but only those tops found in the area of the flood, that is the Middle-East; Ararat being one of those, slightly above 5000 meters.

What of the fresh-water fish life as the salty sea-waters mixed in with all the lakes on earth, and all the rivers? ​​ You see? ​​ Things get quite a bit more complicated!

The word for ‘earth’ in Hebrew is​​ erets​​ (# 776 in Strong’s) as used in the flood account – and it does not require a world-wide meaning. This word is translated “country” 140 times, and “land” 1,476 times in the Bible. Many of them are often of limited areas.

As for the method that God used to achieve a limited flood, however huge enough, we shall have a closer look at this. ​​ I used this scenario already back in 1997 having my radio-lectures in Oslo. And I was stricken with the utter simplicity of the method as such, but still only God could make this happen nevertheless. You can see it in my graphic drawing below.

Bible says it came forth water from both the heavens and from fountains beneath the Mediterranean sea floor, ​​ Gen 7:11 –

“In the year 600 of Noah’s life, in the seventeenth day of the second month, that same day all the fountains of the great deep (Mediterranian) were broken up and burst forth, and the windows and floodgates of the heavens were opened.”

The Book of Jubilee says the very same, but more specific, Jub 5:24, 25,

“And the Lord opened for the seven water-streams of the heavens, and for the spring-waters of the great deep, a total of seven springs. And the streams of water began to pour down from heaven in 40 days and nights. AND THE FOUNTAINS OF THE DEEP PRESSURED THE WATER UP, until the whole world (erets) was full of water.” (Transl. via the Norwegian version)

One important detail is not mentioned, namely that the landmasses sunk down in same proportion as the seven springs below pressured the water up!

Ask any expert on oil drilling at sea, and he can tell you that this is so. Land will sink if substantial volume of water (or oil) comes to surface. The once filled ‘pockets’ of water down in the ground in Noah’s time were cracked open by God and His angels. God knew exactly were those seven ‘fountains’ were.

The combination of water filling up on surface and land sinking down, made the Middle-East into a slack bowl, so to speak. Check my illustration below.

 

The giants – Hebrew​​ Nephilim​​ – caused the evil mentioned

 

Why such a brutal judgment? ​​ Was there not a single person capable of repenting and thus come under God’s saving grace? It seems to me that mankind in that area of the world had come to a ‘Point-Of-No-Return’ – just like in Sodom and Gomorra later on in history. God found it useless to tell them to repent. He knew that they would not.

But it is my firm belief that the existence of the giants, the so-called Nephilim, was behind the evil that had gotten a stronghold on mankind.

In one of the Apocryphal books the giants, which were hybrid human-angels, children of fallen angels having human/normal women as mothers, and thus a forbidden as well as a very evil-minded race of creatures – they were about 4 million in number. They were killers and evil-doers and abnormally huge and strong.

They became thus the main target for the flood. But unfortunately normal people took after their evil, and they were drowned together with the giants.

Gen 6:4 is a well-known ‘mysterious’ verse, but it only speak of those unusual events taking place when fallen angels went in to regular women, and begot children. The Nephilim. Nephilim means ‘A fallen one’. Called giants, and half angel, half man.​​ 

“There were giants on the earth (erets) in those days – and also afterward – when the sons of God (the angels) lived with the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, men of reknown.”

Notice that it says ‘and also afterward’ – which mean, some of these Nephilim survived the flood! ​​ Then it is obvious that they survived because they managed to get away from the area of the flood.​​ 

Bible tells nothing of how they managed to survive. We only know that when Joshua took the land on God’s command, he fought and killed all the known giant-families.​​ 

He was told to spare no one, for most of the population there were giants, children of fallen angels, and very evil. ​​ Check out Book of Joshua. ​​ He actually saved the world from those dangerous and murderous giants and those who followed them. Here is a little glimpse of the report the early scouts gave before the people as they came back from Canaan, ​​ Num 13:32, 33,

“…the land through which we went to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. AND ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WE SAW IN IT ARE MEN OF GREAT STATURE (VERY TALL). ​​ 33: ​​ THERE WE SAW​​ THE NEPHILIM (GIANTS), THE SONS OF ANAK, WHO COME FROM THE GIANTS, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”

Jos 11 and 12 mentions lots of names, among which king Og definitely was a giant, - ​​ he slept in a huge iron bed it says in another passage. Goliath who later came against Israel was a giant. To be classified as giant it was not enough just to have a large body. There are people on earth today (think of the actor in ‘Moonraker’, called Jaws, a big fellow lifting James Bond – actor Roger Moore, up with one hand) who are extremely tall and strong. Image: Kiel “Jaws” with Roger Moore.

They are not giants like the ones in the Bible. One has to be Nephilim, that is…half angel, half man. Jaws’ name was Richard Dawson Kiel, and he was 2,17 meters tall. Pretty big I would say. But Goliath was 2,74 meters (9 feet) according to most Bible translations, however the Aleppo-codex 900 AD hold Goliath at 2,90 meters! ​​ He carried a spear that weighed 120 kilos. Talk about strength, since he obviously must have been capable of throwing that spear some yards/meters. King Og was about 2,80 – 3,00 meters. See Deut 3:11. His bed of iron was 13, 5 feet (9 cubits), which is 4,11 meters. I assume he slept with a safe margin upon such a massive bed. The width of it was 6 feet, which is 1,83 meter. That was almost twice the size of most double-beds of our time, which measures about 2,10 meters long and 1,60 meter wide.​​ 

 

Estimates of the size of the flood

 

Probably it was flooded within a stretch of about 2000 kilometers. From Tel Aviv to the Persian Gulf it is 1200 kilometers, and to Mt. Ararat it is 800 kilometers.

Because of the landmasses sinking down, the tall Mt. Ararat (5156 meters) came under 7 meters of water. The ‘Bowl Shape’ of the flood probably had an​​ ecliptically form seen from the sky. See this image with red ring as the flood.

Archeological excavations (at various places and with distance between them) in Iraq/Iran found a layer of mud which was more than three meters thick. The tools and household kitchenware at the level under the mud was of older origin than things found above the layer of mud, but not very much. Something disastrous had happened, causing a whole civilization to drown in water and mud…a great flood had happened, and the center of it was most certainly there in Iraq/Iran.

How could Noah’s grandchildren, the children of his sons Shem, Ham and Japheth travel and settle down in various countries…if all countries was laid waste and destroyed by the flood? Such places would not exist, by the definition ‘Countries’ or ‘Nations’ – if the flood had been global. But see what Gen 10:5 says,

“By these were the isles (coastlands) of Gentiles DIVIDED in their lands, every one after their tongues, after their families, in their nations…These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations in their nations: and by these were the nations DIVIDED in the earth after the flood”.

I find it natural to end my article on the Great Flood here. It is no doubt: The flood was local; however it covered a substantial area of the Middle-East and some nations near to the Middle-East.

A final word:

Atheists world-wide are using the flood, as well as the war when Joshua took the land – accusing God (whom they don’t believe in!) of being a bloodthirsty killer.

And of course, this again, is falling on us Christians to make us look dumb if not entirely ridiculous. How can we believe in such a God Who keep massacring people whenever He chooses to?

My point is that these unbelieving and angry atheists should rather thank God for having killed the vicious evil monstrous dangerous Nephilim/Giants, and thus having saved the whole world from them. Not only once, but twice!

The world would have gone under if God allowed these monsters to go ahead and dominate the globe. Tell the god rejecters and atheists, if​​ you happen to have some friends or acquaintances with such unbelief, that God SAVED the world by the judgments He made. He removed threatening evil from the face of the earth.

 

 

Gracepano.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




IN READING THE BIBLE:

WE MUST​​ BE​​ LIKE​​ ‘DETECTIVES’

LOOKING FOR EVIDENCE!

 

JAN LILLEBY

 

 ​​​​ For a starter: I haven’t seen a Bible student yet, who has not made errors; regardless of whether they are laymen or ministers.

In short, we ALL make mistakes when trying to find the right clues and advice in Scripture.

One can be very excellent in one particular topic, but making​​ severe mistakes​​ in another topic.

I shall be using a​​ few​​ number of examples on how we may get along in a better way, trying to avoid embarrassing mistakes when we study the Bible.

Studying the Bible actually requires quite a bit of detective work from us.​​ We can’t afford to bump along…taking things at random, or worse: reading the Bible without paying attention to the context. In Greek language,​​ particularly, it is of essence to know that context is crucial to the reader to be able to understand properly what is written.​​ This is because Greek uses words that can mean at least two different things. An example: The word for​​ salvation​​ – zozo – means to be rescued from an accident, or to recover from an illness, but it also means to​​ be eternally saved.​​ To find the proper meaning, we must find the​​ context.

The English reformer and Bible translator​​ Miles Coverdale, wrote a much correct advice in this regard,​​ 

"It shall greatly help to understand scripture if thou mark, not only what is spoken or written, but of whom, to whom, with what words, at what time, where, to what intent, and with what circumstances, considering what goes before and what follows."

I highly recommend this advice!

 

STARTING WITH THE OBVIOUS

 

In using detection-methods when reading the Bible, we must learn to begin with the obvious. I will use a few examples of such method.

I recall in an email discussion with a fellow believer abroad, we had the Flood of Noah ‘on the desk’: Was it a local or a global flood?

I have written an article on this subject, for those interested…but I did not use our discussion as any argument in that article.

My personal standing is: The flood was local – like​​ ​​ it​​ only came upon the Middle East and then some. But it was NOT a global flood.

Why so?

For one:​​ The Ark of Noah was around 150 meters long, and there it not a chance that such a vessel ever could hold two animals of each kind, from around the whole globe!

Secondly: ​​​​ Serious science can confirm to us all that if the whole globe was covered by water, it would have taken much longer than just 150 days​​ (5 months!)​​ to have all the flood water disappear. It would at least have taken​​ decades, maybe centuries​​ to evaporate.

Gen. 8:3, NASB,​​ “and the​​ water​​ receded​​ steadily​​ from the​​ earth, and at the​​ end​​ of one​​ hundred​​ and​​ fifty​​ days​​ the​​ water​​ decreased”.

Thirdly: ​​​​ The enormous distances certain species would have to walk, in order to be able to entering the Ark, makes it entirely impossible for them to get there in time. In fact, they would not get there at all, time or no time: They would have perished along their journey, from lack of food, lack of HELP, lack of strength. To make it easier for you to understand, a Jaguar or an Anaconda in the Amazon River, Brazil, would have to have swam across the Atlantic Ocean….they wouldn’t stand a chance. The Penguins in the Antartic/South Pole, and the Polar Bear in Arctic – the​​ same thing with those; no chance at all.​​ Can you imagine two Penguins walking and swimming all the way from​​ Antartica up to the Middle East landscapesa journey of some​​ 14 000 kilometers? They would have died not long after they had left their habitats!

I am just pointing to a few OBVIOUS and very basic facts of life on earth in regard to animal life.​​ And additionally we have to put in the fact of TIME: Noah was given just 7 days to gather these animals mentioned. It would have been impossible for any species in Antarctica and Arctic to make the Middle East in just seven days! Comprende???​​ Even Giraffes and Rhinos down in Africa would not have been able to make it to the Middle East. These facts are OBVIOUS to anyone who has some brains in their head.

It clearly says of the ones called/guided into the Ark, that they came by themselves two and two. Even birds came​​ flying as well. Miraculous moves​​ of God, thus​​ making them obey His will and plan of rescuing. But He did NOT send angels to lift them up and carry them there.​​ They came all by themselves, and it was not in God’s plan to have animals from far, far away. He only rescued those who would eventually have been threatened by this local flood.

Conclusion: There was NO GLOBAL WATER FLOOD – the one described in Genesis​​ 7-8. It was limited. We come to this shortly.

But we have to read the Bible in a​​ mindset of investigation and detection. Don’t be a lazy slob when you read your Bible.

 

THEN COMES THAT WHICH IS NOT OBVIOUS,

NAMELY THE BIBLICAL FACTS

 

When diving into Genesis 7 we MUST understand each and every sentence, word and contexts all together. There are no short-cuts to be taken.

When a ‘sleepy Bible student’ read Gen. 7, a major mistake is to take short-cuts. They only think of the flood as something which had to do with a heavy​​ extreme rain fall.

Gen. 7:10-12, NASB,

“10 ​​ It came about after the seven days, that the water of the flood came upon the earth.​​ 

 

11 ​​ In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth​​ ​​ day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.​​ 

 

12 ​​ The rain fell upon the earth for forty days and forty nights.”​​ 

 

But as we now can see from text, not only did it fall a mighty rain, but ALL the​​ fountains of the great deep burst open. This ‘great deep’ is nothing less than the Mediterranean Ocean. The sea floor cracked open…and billions and billions of cubic meters of water came from underneath. It rained from above and it came up water from below!​​ And BOTH of these factors were working to make this flood. Not just the rain fall. Be a detective, do some reasoning and also using logic.​​ 

In the Book of Enoch​​ as well as Book of Jubilees,​​ mention Noah and the flood.​​ It says the​​ ‘Seven fountains of the great deep’​​ let up water. And it even says that the​​ ‘Flood came upon all the LAND OF EDEN​​ – meaning that it flooded everything between the Mediterranean and​​ the Gulf of Persia.​​ The entire Middle East in olden times was called the Land of Eden. But the Eden in Gen.1 was in north-eastern Iraq, says historians.

What it means in technical/geological terms is simply that the land masses​​ sunk down, as the rain poured down on top of that.​​ 

The best illustration I can give you, is to think of a football which gets​​ a dent​​ as it leaks air. The earth was given a substantial ‘dent’ in the surface in the Middle East regions, so much that it made the Ark strand on top of Mt. Ararat in Turkey. Five thousand meters​​ above normal sea level.

In other words: God made a limited pool, a basin, so that the flood could not harm the rest of the planet.​​ No need to fetch the animals of other continents, like Antarctic, South America and the likes. Noah had only to get the species​​ already found in the vicinity of where he built the Ark.​​ Simple and correct.

This thing, with the extreme flood, is but​​ one of many incidents​​ and topics found in the Bible. And I hope that this will help you to become much like a detective when reading it. Go scrutinizing and investigating the text to find what it tells us.​​ 

The waters not only evaporated after the flood, God sending strong winds,​​ -​​ but it was​​ sucked down again​​ back through these seven openings in the sea floor of the Mediterranean Ocean.

 

EVEN CERTAIN PASSAGES IN PAUL’S EPISTLE

TO THE COLOSSIANS CAN BE MISUNDERSTOOD

 

If we fail in using investigation methods reading Scripture, we risk promoting outright lies.

One​​ second​​ example​​ I want to use,​​ is what Paul declared in​​ Col. 1:21-23, NASB,

21 And although you were​​ formerly​​ alienated​​ and​​ hostile​​ in​​ mind, engaged in​​ evil​​ deeds,​​ 

22 yet​​ He has​​ now​​ reconciled​​ you in His​​ fleshly​​ body​​ through​​ death, in order to​​ present​​ you​​ before​​ Him​​ holy​​ and​​ blameless​​ and​​ beyond​​ reproach​​ -​​ 

23 if​​ indeed​​ you​​ continue​​ in the​​ faith​​ firmly​​ established​​ and​​ steadfast, and not​​ moved​​ away​​ from the​​ hope​​ of the​​ gospel​​ that you have​​ heard,​​ which was​​ proclaimed​​ in​​ all​​ creation​​ under​​ heaven, and of​​ which​​ I,​​ Paul, was​​ made​​ a​​ minister.

Now, dear fellow believers in Christ, I am living in Norway​​ ​​ so I can only investigate on my behalf as such. And I really did. I checked out all references regarding​​ the time of the Grace Gospel of Paul​​ when it​​ came to us here up north.

It shows clearly that Jesus Christ was​​ not presented here before around 850 CE​​ – and it came by Catholic ministers.​​ 

So Paul really did NOT preach any Gospel here (nor did any other apostle) in the first century. Colossians was written around 63 CE as Paul sat in jail in Rome. And still: We find Paul saying of it​​ “…which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven..”​​ – during the ministry time of the apostle. So this saying or declaration must have been meaning all creation under heaven – WHERE PAUL WAS AT THAT TIME – had been told this Gospel of salvation. Not all of creation on earth, globally.​​ We cannot possibly just flat out read this passage, and not also deduce the full meaning of it. We need very much to include the context!

This we can​​ transfer​​ into the narrative told of the flood, which actually says ​​ …Gen. 7:10 ​​ “…and the water of the flood came upon the earth” -​​ ​​ but as with Paul and​​ all creation on earth, this water was never reaching the entire globe. Only the place and land where Noah had the Ark waiting to bring salvation. Namely, the Middle East – or​​ as told in the Apocrypha, “…the whole land of Eden. ​​​​ 

 

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING FROM BELIEVERS

THAT KNOWS THE BIBLE MORE THAN YOU DO

 

This is a simple fact – a law of learning – that we must pay attention to believers who already have been trained in Biblical knowledge for decades. With time comes wisdom and knowledge.

A new convert cannot be expected to know so much regarding the Bible and the Faith Doctrine of the Gospel. It all takes time.

 

Acts 8:30-35,​​ NASB,​​ - ​​​​ and the​​ eunuch of the Ethiopian court of Candace, is a very good example of this truth,

30​​ Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?"​​ 

 

31​​ And he said, "Well, how could I, unless ​​ someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.​​ 

 

32​​ Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "HE WAS LED AS A SHEEP TO SLAUGHTER; AND AS A LAMB BEFORE ITS SHEARER IS SILENT, SO HE DOES NOT OPEN HIS MOUTH.​​ 

 

33​​ "IN HUMILIATION HIS JUDGMENT WAS TAKEN AWAY; WHO WILL RELATE HIS GENERATION? FOR HIS LIFE IS REMOVED FROM THE EARTH."​​ 

 

34​​ The eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?"​​ 

 

35​​ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.”

 

And it ends with the salvation of this officer of the Royal House of Ethiopia. He believed on Jesus it says. (v. 37).

He had read​​ in the Book of Isaiah 53 and the​​ prophecy of Jesus dying for our sins as a sacrificial lamb.

 

It is not entirely certain that the Ethiopian would have understood about Jesus if Philip had not been sent to the road where the chariot was rolling on its way back to Caesarea to board the ship for Africa.

One simply have to learn understanding from such believers that already knows Christ and the faith doctrine of the Christian Church…which to us is the​​ doctrine we have gotten from Paul, namely the Ephesians and Colossians. The two prison epistles explaining to us the wonder of our Grace salvation by faith alone, and no works.

Eph. 2:8, 9,​​ NASB,

“8​​ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;​​ 

 

9​​ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 

 

I wish you the very best of luck in approaching Scripture with a mindset of a detective and investigator! ​​ Go for it!

 

 

Gracepano.com

 




UNDERSTANDING PAUL

PART IV:

 

From «Saul, why Are you persecuting Me”- to “Take courage Paul, for as you testified at Jerusalem so must you testify at Rome”.

 

JAN LILLEBY

 

 ​​​​ We cannot possibly overlook the way Paul was ‘handled’ by the Lord, aiming to have​​ Paul come out to us Gentiles in​​ due time!

Throughout his entire ministry for Christ, we find that the Lord spoke with His faithful servant times and times again.

To​​ ‘pilot’​​ Paul ahead,​​ to​​ have him say and​​ do the right things at the right time. Jesus Christ stood by Paul all the time.

To be able to understand Paul, we must check out what – and how – the Lord led him on.

The final words spoken to Paul while still on Israeli soil, is found in​​ Acts 23:10, 11, NASB, - the night right after he was taken in custody at the temple site,

“10​​ And as a great dissension was developing, the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them and ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force, and bring him into the barracks.​​ 

11 ​​ But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said,​​ "Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause ​​ at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also."​​ 

 

When letting our​​ scrutinizing eyes read the text – as we find in Acts – we also notice one peculiar thing: Each time something came up as an utmost​​ extra important issue​​ in the eyes of the Lord, we find that it was the​​ Lord Himself​​ bringing the message at hand!

 

Yes, we know from Scripture that He​​ mostly used to send His angels, especially in times before He came to earth as Jesus Christ and was crucified and resurrected, and taken up into heaven.

He sent angels in all important matters, but in extra-important matters​​ He Himself made His appearances.

 

In​​ Acts 7:55, 56, NASB, we find Jesus Christ appearing to Stephen when he was stoned, in that this first martyr in a vision saw Him standing by the Father’s throne in glory in heaven,

«55​​ ​​ But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;​​ 

 

56 ​​ and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."​​ 

 

 

After this we find that Peter, actually two times, was rescued from prison​​ by an angel who led him out of there, Acts 5 and 12. I quote from​​ Acts 12:5-11,​​ NASB, - as it happened in Passover 44 CE,

 

“5​​ So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.​​ 

 

6​​ On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.​​ 

 

7​​ And behold,​​ an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared​​ and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands.​​ 

 

8​​ And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."​​ 

 

9​​ And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.​​ 

 

10​​ When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.​​ 

 

11​​ When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."​​ 

 

Shortly before this, we find that James had been killed by Herod Agrippa​​ I…thus raising​​ a considerable alarm within the Messianic congregation in Jerusalem.

The Lord did not allow anyone to harm Peter (executing him) – even if it shows that James had just been killed.​​ 

 

PAUL AT SEA, GOING TO ROME

 

We learn that when Paul and the crew onboard the ship​​ were​​ caught in a winter storm in the Aegean Sea,​​ Acts 27-28, and the entire crew faced death by shipwrecking,​​ -​​ an angel of the Lord appeared to Paul​​ at night, telling him not to despair, for they would strand on an island​​ (Malta)​​ and all would be rescued.​​ Acts 27:22-26,​​ NASB,

 

22​​ "Yet now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.​​ 

 

23​​ "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me,​​ 

 

24​​ saying,​​ 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.'​​ 

 

25​​ Therefore, keep up your courage, men, for I believe God that it will turn​​ out exactly​​ ​​ as I have been told.​​ 

 

26​​ "But we must run aground on a certain island."

 

 

Regarding Paul, we find that he was visited by Christ in person – not just as a ‘vision’. ​​ The first time was as quoted above from Acts 23:11​​ – and Jesus stood in the room where Paul slept, in the Antonia Fortress. It clearly says that the Lord… ‘stood at his side, and said…’

 

But the second time Paul had such a visit by the Lord, is told by Paul himself, and not Luke who wrote the Acts.

 

Eph. 3:1-4,​​ NASB,

 

“1​​ For​​ this​​ reason​​ I,​​ Paul, the​​ prisoner​​ of​​ Christ​​ Jesus​​ for the​​ sake​​ of you​​ Gentiles​​ -​​ 

2​​ if​​ indeed​​ you have​​ heard​​ of the​​ stewardship​​ of​​ God's​​ grace​​ which was​​ given​​ to me for you;​​ 

3 that by​​ revelation​​ there was​​ made​​ known​​ to me the​​ mystery, as I​​ wrote​​ before​​ in​​ brief.​​ 

4​​ By referring to​​ this, when you​​ read​​ you​​ can​​ understand​​ my​​ insight​​ into the​​ mystery​​ of​​ Christ,​​ 

The word ‘revelation’ can imply several things. It can mean that an angel told Paul of a certain secret, or it can mean that Paul had a vision of this, or it can actually mean that Paul was given the said revelation by the Lord Jesus Himself, visiting him in the jail cell.

Personally, I hold to the last alternative. Simply because of​​ the​​ extra-important nature of Paul’s mission to Rome: He was sent there to take the new REVEALED Grace Gospel by faith alone, out to us Gentiles.

Jesus could not entrust such an important and glorious message to angels alone; Jesus Himself had to bring this to Paul, making sure he would ‘catch on’ to this brand new salvation message, and bring this out.​​ The Lord told him that the entire Law of Moses (including all ordinances) had been abolished, and that believers in Christ, both Gentiles and Jews, had been made to ‘one new man’ by faith in Christ.

When adding these Bible truths to the article series here, we are​​ closing in on a more complete understanding of Paul​​ and his immensely important message, that of the free Grace of God by faith alone….Eph. 2:8, 9,​​ NASB,

“8​​ For by​​ grace​​ you have been​​ saved​​ through​​ faith; and that not of​​ yourselves, it is the​​ gift​​ of​​ God;​​ 

9​​ not as a​​ result​​ of​​ works,​​ so​​ that​​ no​​ one​​ may​​ boast.

 

Paul’s Gospel message has nothing to do with Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, let alone Acts! Paul’s Gospel stands all alone, and all by itself. A revelation brought forth by Jesus Christ.

 

Gracepano.com

 

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Miracles And Signs:

These Things Were Glued to the Apostles!

 

JAN LILLEBY

 

 ​​ ​​​​ What do you mean ‘glued’?

As proven throughout the Acts history, we cannot find any ‘private’ miracles​​ or healings!

There has to be a​​ logical reason​​ why Luke, the writer of Acts, never described miracles, signs and healings,​​ unless​​ it was an apostle involved in it.​​ God had given the apostles of Christ these fabulous powers by the Holy Spirit – that they could show forth signs and wonders to Israel and the Jews. First He gave this to the twelve apostles to Israel, and 8-9 years later on, He chose Paul to be His apostle, sending him to the Jews abroad, mostly the eastern parts of the Roman Empire.

I have mentioned these Bible truths in some of my writings lately, but here I shall put a​​ full focus​​ on that sole fact: Miracles were never granted anyone, unless an apostle – or​​ in two instances someone who were​​ closely ministering with one​​ – I am thinking of the two deacons Stephen and Philip told in Acts 7 and 8.

Seen with our present modern Christian eyes: Miracles will NOT happen (healings and signs) unless there are genuine elected apostles of Christ present …in the​​ NOW.

And I can assure you all​​ -​​ there are none​​ of these apostles in our time​​ whatsoever.​​