Through the Bible with Les Feldick, Book 30
LESSON ONE * PART I
THE RESURRECTION COMPLETE
I CORINTHIANS 15:35-16:24
I know you are probably getting tired of I Corinthians Chapter 15, but it's
such a loaded chapter. So we hope that you take your Bible, and follow along
with us. It's still the greatest Book ever written, and once you learn how to
separate the Scriptures it becomes so enjoyable A lot of folks are finding
out that when you separate what God said, and what He does with Israel, and
what He does for us Gentiles, and completely separate the two; then this Book
just becomes so understandable and not all that difficult.
Let's go back where we left off in the last lesson in verse 35. Remember this
whole chapter is dealing with resurrection, and also that there is no other
religion on the planet which has resurrection as the very basis of their
beliefs. This is so unique to Christianity, that the very core of everything
that we believe, and everything that The Bible teaches, is based on this
doctrine of resurrection. This life does not end at the grave, but rather there
is also a life for eternity. The way we can enjoy that eternal existence is
that every believer is to experience a Biblical resurrection. And again I have
to stress over and over, the word `resurrection' does not refer to
someone who has died and been brought back to life, such as the widow's son,
and Lazarus in Christ's earthly ministry. They were not resurrected; they were
just simply called back from the dead, and they died again. But resurrection
began with The Lord Jesus Himself as He was the first ever to be
resurrected. And that means He died, and rose from the dead never again to
die, and it was for all eternity. We will see then in these succeeding verses
that this is the same eternal life that we experience the moment we have
believed the Gospel. Ref. I Corinthians 15:1-4.
I Corinthians 15:35
"But some man will say, `How are the dead raised up? and with
what body do they come?'"
I had a call recently where a gentlemen asked that same question, "When
resurrection happens what are we going to be like? Are we just going to be
invisible spirit beings, or are we going to be like angels?" But you see he's
not alone, and I'm not faulting him at all. Remember even Paul was also
constantly bombarded, "Well how, if we're going to be resurrected, are we going
to exist? What's it going to be like?" Well we are going to be eternally
existing in a body, but it's not going to be the same flesh and blood body like
we have now; it will be on the same order. I think the best illustration I can
give of our resurrected body is The Lord Jesus in His 40 days after His
resurrection. So basing that on Scripture let's turn to the Book of Philippians
where this same Apostle Paul (and he's the only one that does) gives us a real
detailed explanation of resurrection. Now the Old Testament saints believed in
resurrection, we know that Job used that expression:
Job 19:25,26
"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand
at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God."
When David lost the child from Bathsheba as a result of the adultery, he wept
and fasted for seven days, but finally came to the realization:
II Samuel 12:23
"But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him
back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."
So David also understood that there was resurrection. But now as Paul just
enlarges on all of the questions that people have concerning resurrection, he
lays it out so clearly. But here in the Book of Philippians, I just love these
two verses in Chapter 3, they are so simple:
Philippians 3:20,21
"For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven;
(remember the Book of Colossians says, `we've already been translated into
the kingdom of heaven.') from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord
Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like
unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to
subdue all things unto himself."
Do you see how plain that is? So all we really have to take time to study is
those 40 days after His resurrection, and before His ascension from the Mount
of Olives, and we're going to do that in just a moment. But before we leave
Paul's reference to all of this, let's go to the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1,
to another couple of verses that I just love to teach because so many hearts
have been opened by my simple reading of the verses. I haven't had to comment
on these verses, but rather just as I read them it was if all of a sudden I saw
something that I had never seen before, so I do like to read these two verses.
Ephesians 1:13,14
"In whom (Christ of verse 12) ye also trusted,
(placed your faith) after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation: (see the core of eternal life is believing the Gospel)
in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of
promise, Which is the earnest (or down payment) of our inheritance until
the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his
glory."
If you analyze that verse, the first thing you should ask is, "Well I
thought I was already redeemed." We are, but what part of us is not yet
redeemed? The body. It's still prone to the same pain and accident, and sins as
the unbeliever. So what is the down payment going to assure? That even this
body, this physical body, of which the soul and spirit are a part of, will be
redeemed. But at death of course we'll be separated from the body. Just don't
forget about that old body, and say, "Well all God's concerned about is soul
and spirit. Remember for eternity we have to be a complete entity. I explained
this to someone the other day again, and told them to search the Scriptures,
"Does any human being have any function as a complete entity, and that's the
best word I can find for it, unless he is body, soul, and spirit?" No way,
because all three of them are going to have to be brought back together before
we can spend eternity in the presence of Christ.
So if we're a believer tonight then the soul and spirit has already been
redeemed, absolutely, but the body is still unredeemed, it's still in the
flesh, and under the curse. But the very presence of the Holy Spirit in our
life as a believer is God's down payment that He's going to complete the whole
transaction. He's not going to just redeem the soul and spirit, but rather
body, soul, and spirit together. Now in light of that let's turn to Romans
Chapter 8 for a moment. And these are another series of beautiful verses. I
think that very few people really understand what these verses are talking
about. Let's begin at verse 18.
Romans 8:18-21
"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us, For the
earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons
(or children, or the born ones) of God. For the creature (creation)
was made subject to vanity, (curse) not willingly, but by reason of
him who hath subjected the same in hope," In other words the moment that
the curse fell back in Genesis 3:15, God promised a Redeemer didn't He? Now
this is all in reference to that. Now verse 21:
Romans 8:21-23
"Because the creature (creation) itself also shall be
delivered from the bondage of corruption (curse) into the glorious
liberty of the children of God." (In other words all of creation is come
under our rule and reign as we are joint-heirs with Christ.) For we know
that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And
not only they, (the bird and animals, trees and so forth) but ourselves
also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, (in other words our soul
and spirit are redeemed) even we ourselves groan within ourselves,(we
have a lot, but we don't have it all, now we're) waiting for the adoption,
to wit, the redemption of our body."
When that happens it will complete it, and that's exactly what he was
referring to in Ephesians Chapter 1. That as a believer, our soul and spirit
has already been redeemed, yet that in itself is just a down payment and that
God will complete the transaction, and redeem and give us a new body.
The best way to get a glimpse of that new body is to take a look at Christ in
His resurrection experience (those 40 days between His coming out of the tomb,
and when He ascended there in Acts Chapter 1). So come back to Luke 24, verse
36 and read about that account. Now we're going to take our time, we're not
going to rush through this, because this whole concept of resurrection is the
very bulwark of our faith. Not only did Christ die for us, but He arose
victoriously over sin, death, Hell, Satan, and all the rest. He is able to
impart unto us then, this blessed hope of resurrection. Now verse 36. One of
the disciples was missing, so the ten are meeting.
Luke 24:36
"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of
them, and saith unto them, `Peace be unto you.'" Now why did He have to say
"Peace"? Well all of a sudden when He appeared right in front of them without
benefit of a door or window, then naturally they, being human, were all shook
up, probably half scared to death, and He had to settle them down with the word
that He alone could use - "Peace be unto you." Now verse 37. But even with
those words of comfort:
Luke 24:37,38
"But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that
they had seen a spirit. (or ghost) And he said unto them, `Why are ye
troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?'"
Let's stop there for a moment. Could The Lord Jesus look right through their
thinking? Sure He could, and He was seeing all those thoughts of fear. Now you
want to remember although they had been in His company for 3 years they still
didn't know He was going to be raised from the dead. Remember what Luke 18:33
and 34 says?
Luke 18:33-34a
"And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the
third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things:..."
Why? Because the Scripture says, it was hidden from them Sovereignly. Now
it's the same way here in Luke 24. They should have known, we think, but on the
other hand let's not blame them because God has providentially hidden a lot of
these things from these men until a time that He has ordained that they
understand.
Luke 24:39-41
"Behold my hands and my feet, (and He showed them to them.
Now a ghost doesn't have hands and feet. He's not standing there fluttering in
some mist. He is standing there visibly, physically.) that it is I myself:
handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
And when he had thus spoken, he showed them his hands and his feet. And while
they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, `Have ye here
any meat?'" (or food)
Now this is going to be the proof positive. Up until now they still can't
believe it's really the same Jesus that they had known a few days before. Now
why was this so unbelievable to these people? I think that Isaiah tells us in
Chapter 52 why.
Isaiah 52:14
"As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more
than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:"
So as He suffered that death on the Cross, He was more disfigured than any
human being had ever been before. So take that into consideration when these
people just can't believe what they're seeing. Because their last view of
Christ on the Cross was something that didn't even appear human. But now He
stands before them apparently whole with the exception of the wounds.
Luke 24:42,43
"And they gave him a piece of broiled fish, and of a
honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them." That's what The Book
says. And He ate in full view of these 10 disciples to prove to them now that
he was a visible, resurrected Person. And that He had all of the physical
attributes of even being able to eat.
Luke 24:44,45
"And he said unto them, `These are the words which I spake
unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which
were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms,
concerning me.' (now verse 45. Here is the secret of Biblical understanding
even today. What did He do?) Then opened he their understanding, that they
might understand the scriptures."
Then it all fell in place. That, yes, the Son of God must come in flesh, and
must suffer, and die, shed His Blood as the supreme sacrifice for men's sin,
and then be raised from the dead. Now they understood it all and the whole
picture came together. But now I would like for you to come back up to verse 39
where He says:
Luke 24:39
"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me,
and see; for a spirit (or ghost) hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me
have."
Now for a moment we need to follow up on that verse by coming all the way back
to Genesis Chapter 9 where Noah has just come off the ark, and now God gives
some new instructions. Now humans are going to be permitted to kill of living
things and eat the meat. But along with that, He's going to put some
stipulations. So let's begin with verse 3. God is conversing with Noah:
Genesis 9:3,4
"Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat (food)
for you, even as the green herb (which was mandated back in Genesis 1)
have I given you all things. But flesh (meat) with the life thereof,
which is the blood (now don't forget that fact) thereof, shall ye not
eat."
Now we just read the secret. Every thing living in this economy, "The life
is in the blood!" Whether it's in the animal kingdom, or the birds or
humans the life is in the blood. So blood is the actual source of life that
keeps that creature functioning. Now, with that in mind, let's come back to I
Corinthians Chapter 15, and hopefully we can tie this all together. Let's begin
with verse 50. Remember that Jesus said back in Luke 24, "Touch Me, handle Me,
and see that I am flesh and bone."
I Corinthians 15:50
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
Now put those two things in your mind. Over here in His resurrection
appearance, Jesus said, "Handle me, look at me, see me physically in flesh and
bone." What did The Lord leave out? Blood! Now here in this chapter you can see
why it had to be only flesh and bone. You see, flesh and blood, as we are now,
cannot go into eternity. And even The Lord Himself could not go into eternity
with Blood. And so His resurrected body is devoid of Blood. It is flesh and
bone. Also remember what the Book of Philippians says:
Philippians 3:21a
"Who (Christ) shall change our vile body, that it may
be fashioned like unto his glorious body...."
So our new body will be a body of flesh and bone, and that's going to make all
the difference in the world. Now we may hit this a little bit in a later
lesson, but jump up quickly if you will, in this same Chapter 15 to verse 45,
and this will give us another thought. Now if we're going to go into eternity
with flesh and bone, and no blood, yet the Book of Genesis tells us that life
is in the blood, well, what is going to be the source of life in that eternal
body?
I Corinthians 15:45
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living
soul; (back there in Genesis when God breathed into him, and gave him the
breath of life.) the last Adam (Christ) was made a (life-giving
or) quickening spirit."
Now there's the secret. When we see that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
kingdom, but rather only flesh and bone then what has to be that life-giving
substance that will keep the eternal body functioning? The Spirit. And it will
be the Spirit of God Himself. Even now we are indwelt by the presence of the
Holy Spirit, but not to the degree it will be in our eternal state. When we
come into the eternal state of flesh and bone then the spirit will actually
take over the role that the blood now has in our body. Life is in the blood in
this physical existence. In the eternal existence life is going to be in the
spirit. So this is the teaching that comes out of this great resurrection
chapter. I'm amazed that Paul wrote in the beginning of this letter that these
believers were carnal and that he couldn't give them meat, but rather milk. But
yet at the end of this letter he comes out with the deep doctrine of our whole
Christian experience, and that is resurrection. I haven't figured out how all
this works yet, but I do know he suddenly shifts gears in this chapter and we
get profound doctrines concerning our eternal state, and the resurrection of
the dead. Always remember that the very core of our Christian belief is this
power of resurrection. First in our salvation as Ephesians 2:1 puts it so
plain.
Ephesians 2:1
"And you hath he quickened, (made us alive spiritually)
who were dead in trespasses and sins:"
And Paul is talking about this life. In so many words we were raised from a
dead spiritual existence to an existence that is filled with the Spirit of God,
we have that new Divine Nature, we have all of these things that salvation
brings working on our behalf, and all of this was unknown until we get to these
writings of the Apostle Paul. So when you mull all these things over about our
eternal state, the heart of it all is the resurrection.
_______
LESSON ONE * PART II
THE RESURRECTION COMPLETE
I CORINTHIANS 15:35-16:24
We're going to jump right back in where we stopped in our last lesson, so we'll
be turning to I Corinthians 15:35, and go on from there.
I Corinthians 15:35
"But some man will say, `How are the dead raised up? and with
what body do they come?'"
Now in verse 36 Paul is going to come into another concept of resurrection, and
that is, before something can live it has to die. And this, again, is a Pauline
concept. You just don't find it that much any where else in Scripture. We'll go
back of course to The Lord's earthly ministry but for the most part as a
doctrinal teaching, you do not find it like we do here in the writings of Paul.
So he says:
I Corinthians 15:36,37
"Thou fool, (in other words you foolish individual) that
which thou sowest is not quickened, (or made alive) except it die. And
that which thou sowest, (in agriculture, a grain crop) thou sowest not
that body that shall be, but (what shall ye sow?) bare grain, it may
chance of wheat, or of some other grain:"
Paul had to make it simple here so that people without a shadow of doubt can
get things straight. In other words Paul is saying that when you plant
something you don't plant the whole stalk of wheat, but rather the seeds. Now
it stands to reason if you're going to plant the seed then you don't expect the
seed to suddenly come up above the ground. What's going to come up first? The
stalk. Paul is using that as a total illustration of our own resurrection
experience.
I Corinthians 15:38
"But God giveth it (this grain) a body as it hath
pleased him, and to every seed his own body."
Now of course that goes all the way back to Genesis where everything is
confined to its own species. There is no such thing as crossing over from one
totally different specie into another. Now we know we can hybridize but so far
as sowing the seed of an apple and expecting to get an orange tree, that is
just not going to happen. Now Paul say, "It's the same way in the
flesh," as we see in verse 39.
I Corinthians 15:39-43
"All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of
flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: (in other words
that which is out in space, and things that are here on the earth.) but the
glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory
of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the
resurrection of the dead, It is sown in corruption; (death) it is raised
in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power:"
Now we'll go back and see what The Lord Jesus said about in His own earthly
ministry, and it's a portion that we've used often. So let's go back to John's
Gospel Chapter 12 and let's begin with verse 20.. And of course this is just
shortly before His crucifixion. In fact just a matter of hours. The crowds are
already coming into Jerusalem from all over the Roman empire for the feast of
Passover. And among that crowd were some Gentiles, some Greeks, and I always
like to use the analogy that when we go to the wailing wall we just sort of
stand back, and watch the Jews go through all of their rituals and their
prayers. We're just outsiders, we're looking at all this. Well I think the same
thing was taking place here. As all these Jews were getting ready for their
sacrifices, and the feast of Passover there were some inquisitive Gentiles. So
they are the Greeks in verse 20.
John 12:20-24
"And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship
at the feast: The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of
Galilee, and desired him, saying, `Sir, we would see Jesus.' Philip
(remembering that Jesus sort rebuffed the Gentiles in earlier experiences)
cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. (well
what did they tell Him? That there's some Greeks that want to talk with Him.
Now look at Jesus' answer.) And Jesus answered them, saying, `The hour is
come, (it's a matter of hours before He's on that Cross) that the Son of
man should be glorified. Verily, verily I say unto you, Except a corn
(kernel) of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if
it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.'" (or grain)
Now He's just simply saying that we, as gardeners or farmers, until we put that
seed in the ground, nothing is going to happen. But the moment that seed is put
into the ground and has moisture and sunlight - the first thing that seed has
to do is die. It dies, it become corrupt, and out of that death comes the new
stem out of which will come wheat, for example, hundreds of coronas. So this is
the whole concept throughout all of God's creation. If you're aware of it,
everything that you see in nature is constantly screaming the whole fact of
resurrection. Every springtime when things began to shoot out of the ground and
when you plant your crops and gardens, all of that is a reminder of the
resurrection. Now when Jesus said, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the
ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much
fruit." What was Jesus referring to? His coming death, burial, and
resurrection which was only a few days in the future.
And what Jesus is saying for these Gentiles was that He was not an object of
their faith until He had experienced the work of the Cross. I try to stress to
people that Christ in His earthly ministry was almost exclusive to the Nation
of Israel.
Matthew 15:24
"But he (Jesus) answered and said, `I am not sent but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'"
Oh we know there were a couple of times, but His ministry was only to the
Nation of Israel. But after experiencing the death, burial, and resurrection,
now the Gospel of Grace can go to the whole human race as the finished work of
the Cross is the object of our faith. Now coming back to I Corinthians 15 for
just a moment we come down to the place in verse 42:
I Corinthians 15:42
"So also is the resurrection of the dead. It (the body
that has lived and died) is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption:"(and power)
The reason that Paul has been led by the Holy Spirit to make so much of
resurrection is that when Christ arose from the dead He exhibited more power
than it took when He created the universe. And of course the reason being
through His resurrection from the dead, He defeated, totally defeated, all the
powers of Satan. He totally settled the sin debt for every human being that has
ever lived. Remember the sins of every human being have already been atoned
for. When people go to an eternal Hell it won't be God's fault. They just
didn't capitalize on the Atonement. They didn't appropriate it. So that's
what's going to make Hell so awful. They're suddenly going to realize that they
are there because they chose to be. Not because an unfair God sent them there.
A fair God has already declared those sins paid for at the death, burial, and
resurrection of Christ. And so it took all the power that God had at His
disposal to raise Christ from the dead. And that's why it is the very bench
mark of our salvation experience. So looking at the text again Paul tells us in
verse 42 "that it is sown in corruption." Let's go back for a moment to Romans
Chapter 6 and look at that. In this verse it's almost enough to make you smile
as it's the same kind of language that is used. It's a different word but it
means the same thing.
Romans 6:5
"For if (here's the condition) we have been planted
(or sown) together in the likeness of his (Christ) death, we
shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"
Well what's it saying? Just as certainly as you plant two kernels of wheat side
by side they're both going to come up the same. They're both going to be wheat.
If we have been planted in the likeness of Christ's death, then we will be
resurrected in Christ's likeness. So as we're planted together we come up in
resurrection power together. Never that we become God. I always have to stress
that. We will never become God, but we become the very manifestation of His
resurrection power. Now come back again to I Corinthians. So we are sown in
corruption. In other words, this old body, as soon as it dies, begins to go
back to the earth, back to corruption. Now verse 43.
I Corinthians 15:43
"It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power:"
Oh, as much as we love our loved ones as they lay there in that casket, and we
mourn for their passing, yet death is our enemy. I think we all hate death. I
hate even to lose an animal, it just tears me up to see an animal die. We hate
the death of our loved ones. The unbelievers will never see their loved ones
again. But we will. We're going to see them, we're going to know them. I've had
a lot of questions from our television audience in that regard. My proof that
we are going to know our love ones when we get to eternity is that experience
that happened on the Mount of Transfiguration. When Peter, James, and John, and
The Lord Jesus were there and suddenly with them was Moses and Elijah. Did the
three disciples ask The Lord Jesus, "Who are these fellows?" Did they? No,
because they knew, and here these two had lived a couple of thousands years
earlier. So that tells me when we get to heaven we're going to recognize our
love ones. We're going to know everybody. But nevertheless if we don't live to
see the Rapture and have to go the way of death, we have this blessed hope that
this body is going to be raised to a new life if we're a believer. And the
whole concept of resurrection is just exactly that. That body of flesh has to
die, and then be raised in resurrection power.
I Corinthians 15:44
"It is sown a natural body; (that which is born of the
flesh) it is raised a spiritual body. (we can't go into eternity with
flesh and blood) There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body."
Even though these two are eons apart, yet they are a lot alike. We are still
going to have all the outward features that we have now, and we're going to be
spiritual in that we now have eternal life instead of the promise of three
score and ten. Now verse 45:
I Corinthians 15:45
"And so it is written, `The first man Adams was made a living
soul; the last Adam (Christ) was made a quickening (or life
giving) spirit.'"
Christ never stops being God. I know there are cults that deny the Deity of
Christ, but that flies in the face of this Book. This Book says that He was
Divine, He was Deity, He was God, and He never gave that up. In fact there's a
verse in the Book of Hebrews that implies that even while He was in the womb,
He was still God. And He never stopped being God. Now verse 46. It had to be
that way because this is one of the rules of God in His manifestation with the
human race. And that is all through Scripture; you have first the
natural, and then the spiritual. Remember first Cain the natural and
then Able the spiritual. Then there was Ishmael the natural, and then Isaac the
spiritual. Esau the natural, and then Jacob the spiritual. First King Saul the
natural, and then King David the spiritual. And it's this way all the way
through Scripture to the very end of the Book where we find the appearance of
the Anti-christ, the man of sin, the natural, and then the Second Coming of the
true Christ, the spiritual. So this is one of the laws of Scriptures.
I Corinthians 15:46-48
"Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual but that which
is natural: and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the
earth, (The first man was Adam, he was made of the earth he went back to
the earth.) earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the
earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are
they also that are heavenly."
We are earthy in our make-up although once we become a believer we are heavenly
connected and our citizenship is in heaven, but we're still functioning,
living, producing, and reproducing as physical earthly beings. Now verse 49:
I Corinthians 15:49
"And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also
bear the image of the heavenly."
And this is where faith comes in. We believe it! Not because I can lay it out
on a laboratory desk and pick it apart, but rather because this Book says so.
We can believe it, we can trust it. It's the eternal Word of God. Now I know
there's a lot in the news media about these Bible codes that these
mathematicians in Israel are seemingly finding. But even that doesn't tell me
anything more than I already knew. This Book is supernaturally put together.
Every letter of this Book is in exactly the right place. We were discussing in
our Tulsa class, "What is God's greatest controversy against mankind?" Well not
man's immorality as much as God hates it, not his drunkenness as much as He
hates it, nor stealing, but what does God hate most of all? "UNBELIEF"
It just irks God to the core that man refuses to believe what He has said. And
that's called FAITH!
In some of our Old Testament characters that was their problem. Esau for
example - poor fellow, everybody feels sorry for him that he seemingly got
conned out of the birthright and out of the blessing. No he didn't get conned.
What was his problem? No faith. He couldn't believe a thing God said. Well for
the most part the whole world is that way tonight. Now coming back to the test
in I Corinthians 15:50:
I Corinthians 15:50
"Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit
the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption."
Well that's easy enough to understand isn't it? You do not put a spiritual Body
such as Christ's resurrected Body back in the tomb. That which goes into the
grave is this old physical body which is already corrupt. It's prone to
disease, failures, and it's that body of corruption that we bury and place in
the ground. But when it comes out of the ground in resurrection power it's
going to be a new body fashioned after Christ's glorious Body. Now let's go to
Ephesians Chapter 1, and if I don't experience it in this life then I know I
will in the next one. And this Paul's prayer on behalf of the believers.
Ephesians 1:17-20a
"That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the
hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who
believe, according to the working of his mighty power. Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead,..."
_______
LESSON ONE * PART III
THE RESURRECTION COMPLETE
I CORINTHIANS 15:35-16:24
There is probably more on resurrection in this 15th Chapter than the rest of
The Bible put together. It's interesting that Paul uses the word "mystery" that
is so intrinsic to his writings. For example in verse 51:
I Corinthians 15:51
"Behold, I shew you a mystery;..."
This word `mystery' comes from the Greek word `musterion' which simply means
`secret.' Those two words can be interchanged throughout Paul's letters when he
says, "Behold, I shew you a mystery or secret." And when we speak of secrets we
have to look at the Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 29. I like to use this verse
especially when there's a reference to Paul's use of the word `mystery.' God in
His Sovereignty has every right and reason to keep things secret as long as He
wants to keep it secret. But once He reveals it then He expects mankind to
believe it. Take it by faith! Another expression for faith is God said it and I
believe it! or Taking God at His Word!
Deuteronomy 29:29
"The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those
things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we
may do all the words of this law."
Now this was written for the Nation of Israel, but it still shows in the
attributes of God that He has the prerogative to keep things secret. For
example, look at Ephesians 3:1-9 things only revealed to Paul, and then for the
Gospel of Salvation, Romans 16:25, I Corinthians 15:1-4 and Romans 10:9-10
which He kept secret until He revealed it to the Apostle Paul for us, the Body
of Christ. For the Rapture of the Church was given only to the Apostle Paul.
Look at I Corinthians 15:51-58 and I Thessalonians 4:13-18. And there are many
more examples given only to that great apostle for us. Remember God doesn't
have to reveal secrets until He's ready. So this is one of the basic things it
takes to understand the Word of God. He does not reveal everything all the way
up, but rather at the right time. Now let's look for a moment at Luke Chapter
18. And here that is so evident that God actually, with the Twelve disciples,
kept things secret from them that they did not understand until He was ready to
reveal it. Remember this was at the end of His earthly ministry, just before
they went up to Jerusalem.
Luke 18:31-34
"Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them,
`Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets
concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto
the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And
they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise
again.' And they understood none of these things: (Well was The Lord
speaking in some foreign language? No. Well why didn't they understand?) and
this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken."
That was one of God's prerogatives to keep things hidden until it's time to
reveal it.
As you come back to I Corinthians 15, Paul now says he is going to reveal a
secret, or a mystery, which means it has never been revealed before. I can not
emphasize this enough. All of these things that were wrapped up in that ball of
knowledge, in that whole sphere of doctrines and revelations that have now come
to us through this apostle, were for the most part, kept secret in the mind of
God until He revealed them to the Apostle Paul. Paul makes reference to the
fact that it was to him first that God revealed these things. God had the right
to keep it secret. So keep that in mind now, that what He's now going to unveil
to Paul had never been alluded to, or hinted at. It has certainly never been
spoken, and that is that at a point toward the end of time there will be a
group of believers who will not die physically.
I Corinthians 15:51
"Behold, I shew you a mystery: (secret) We shall not
all sleep, (die physically) but we (remember Paul only writes to
believers so he's not including the lost world here) shall all be
changed,."
That is why I took so much time previously to show that our resurrected body is
going to be fashioned after Christ's resurrection body, it's going to be a lot
like our physical body, but it's going to be different. It's going to be a
spiritual body without blood. It's going to be flesh and bone and going to be
activated by the spirit. So Paul says, "there's coming a group of people who
will not die physically, but they shall all be changed." And of course Paul
writes as though it would happen in his lifetime. And so those of us who adhere
to this line of teaching, we speak of it as the imminent coming of Christ for
the Church, which means it could be tonight; it may be tomorrow, it may be ten
years from now, but we are to expectantly look for it at any time. There is no
set prophetic program that must be fulfilled for this event to take place.
Now contrary to the Rapture of the Church you have a completely different event
in the "Second Coming" when Christ actually comes to the Mount of Olives (we'll
be looking at this soon) in fulfillment of the second coming that will have
prophetic events leading up to it, so by these events there will no doubt when
He will be coming to the Mount of Olives. But for the Rapture of the Church
there are no prophetic signs, there is nothing to indicate at what day or year
that we can expect this to happen. Now let's read on:
I Corinthians 15:52
"In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump
for trumpet (singular) shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed." We shall be changed from this body
of corruption to a body of incorruption in that split second at the trumpet
call.
I Corinthians 15:53
"For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this
mortal (this body that is prone to death) must put on immortality."
This body we have now must lose the flesh and blood concept, and become flesh
and bone, and be activated by the Spirit. Let's talk a little about the
trumpet. Let's go back to Revelation Chapter 8, and look at the trumpet. This
is the one that people are always throwing up to me. For some reason or other
the best of people want to tie the trump of God in Paul's teaching concerning
the Rapture, with these trumpets in Revelation which will occur about the
mid-point of the Tribulation. But let me point out something.
Revelation 8:2
"And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to
them were given (not the trump of God singular, but rather were given)
seven trumpets." (plural)
Now that's a big point I think. These are not the trump of God, these are
angelic trumpets. The angels are going to blow these seven trumpets. Now
comparing Scripture with Scripture look at Chapter 15 again of I Corinthians.
The seven angelic trumpets can no way shape or form, as I understand language,
be a part of the trump (singular) of God Himself. In other words God has a
trumpet reserved for just this event and this alone "the calling out the Body
of Christ." Now the Roman army, I think, used the trumpet to put out commands
much like our American calvary used to (when the soldier blew the trumpet the
ones in the very far distance would know what the command was). I think it was
the same way in the Roman army. When the battle was over and the Romans were
victorious, and the generals wanted to let the legionnaires know "we're going
home to Italy" then that was the trumpet call that every legionnaire could be
exulted by. And what a message from that trumpet. "The battle is over, we've
won, and we're going home." Every soldier gets excited about going home.
Well you see that's where we are. We are in a battle, and even the press and
Congress are finally waking up to the fact that Christianity world-wide is
coming under ferocious attacks. Persecution is rampant against Christians, it's
become warfare, and it's going to get worse. My what a joy it will be to hear
that trumpet call, "The battle is over, come on home, and we're going to be out
of here." I believe that with all my heart. We're getting closer and closer to
the day when that trumpet call will take us out of this existence and we will
suddenly, as Paul says, "be changed." Now in order to get the full picture of
all this we have to go over to the corresponding portion in I Thessalonians
Chapter 4. This is just an extension of this revelation of this part of the
mystery which he now refers to "as being caught up." Now I've had a lot of
people try to corner me by saying, "Well Les, the word `Rapture' isn't in my
Bible." Of course it isn't in there, not in the English anyway, but we're going
to see in a little bit two words in the Greek that mean the same thing, so
what's the big deal.
I Thessalonians 4:13,14
"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning
them which are asleep, (died physically) that ye sorrow not, even as
others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again,
(that's the Gospel that saves you, and it was also given to Paul as a
mystery. If we believe the Gospel to the place where God has now imparted
salvation. If we believe the Gospel) even so them also which sleep (or
have died) in Jesus will God bring with him."
Now verse 14 is another one of those scriptures where Jesus and God are
synonymous. It's the same God, the same Jesus. Let's look at that a little more
in the Book of Ephesians. We're not going to look at all of them but if I'm not
mistaken there are 96 prepositional phases, "In Christ, In Whom, In Him"
speaking of Christ Himself in the Book of Ephesians. But we will look at a few
of them.
Ephesians 1:1
"Paul, and apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the
saints which are at Ephesians, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:"
Ephesians 1:4a
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world,..." Do you see what I'm talking about? Over and over you have
this prepositional phrase. Let's look at a couple more.
Ephesians 1:12,13
"That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first
trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted,..."
So all the way through these 6 chapters you have 96 times, if I'm not mistaken,
this prepositional phrase which is our position in Christ or the Body of
Christ. Now back to I Thessalonians, and let's pick up again with the Rapture
of the Church. So those of us who are in Christ, they have been baptized into
the Body by the Holy Spirit, not with water but rather by the power of the
Spirit. So we are in Christ. And if those kind of people are already dead they
will be raised in resurrection power, but that body that's raised in
resurrection power is still void of the soul and spirit remember because they
separated at physical death. So what does God have to do to get it back into
one entity again? Well the soul and spirit of that believer is already in
glory, and the body is in the grave. Although it just came to me to tie all
this together in II Corinthians Chapter 5.
II Corinthians 5:6-8
"Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we
are at home in the body, (while we're living in this tabernacle here on the
earth) we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by
sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the
body, and to be present with the Lord."
Now I had someone ask me that not to long ago. "What happens to the believer's
soul and spirit at death?" It immediately goes into paradise in heaven right
into the presence of The Lord. Now back again to I Thessalonians Chapter 4 and
let's look at verse 14 again.
I Thessalonians 4:14
"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so
them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." Believers only,
and He will bring them from heaven down to the atmosphere. Now verse 15.
I Thessalonians 4:15,16
"For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we
which are alive and remain (that's this one group of people He's talking
about in I Corinthians 15:51 who have not died, but will be changed in a
twinkling of an eye) unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent (or
go ahead of) them which are asleep. (or have died) For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, and with the trump of God: (not the trumpet of the angels)
and the dead in Christ shall rise first:"
Those that must be resurrected are going to be brought out of the tomb wherever
they're buried, and reunited then with their soul and spirit which The Lord is
bringing with Him. Now verse 17:
I Thessalonians 4:17a
"Then (after the resurrected saints have their new body)
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up..."
Or another name for caught up is "Raptured." It all means the same
thing. So if you don't like to use the word Rapture just say "caught
up." Any way you put it we're going to be out of here. If The Lord comes in
our lifetime then suddenly we're going to be out of here; whether we're
driving down the highway or asleep in bed.
I Thessalonians 4:17
"Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them (the resurrected who have died in Christ) in the
clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the
Lord."
Now for a quick comparison of Scripture let's go to the Book of Acts Chapter 1.
Here we have The Lord and the eleven disciples on the Mount of Olives. It's the
same Mount of Olives that we visit every time we go to Jerusalem. The Lord's 40
days of resurrection experience has now come to an end. Now verse 9:
Acts 1:9-11
"And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he
was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they
looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in
white apparel: Which also said, `Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into
heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come
in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.'"
Now to put it in a lighter vain, I always say, "He went head first, but He's
going to come back feet first." Now let's look at Zechariah Chapter 14 and
compare the language. Paul says, "Christ is only going to come to the air, the
atmosphere as we meet Him in the air." But here in this chapter in verse 4 it's
just like Chapter 1 of Acts.
Zechariah 14:4
"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of
Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east,...."
And that's the difference between the Rapture of the Church, and the Second
coming of Christ. They are exactly 7 years apart.
_______
LESSON ONE * PART IV
THE RESURRECTION COMPLETE
I CORINTHIANS 15:35-16:24
Well hopefully we'll finish I Corinthians in this lesson, I'm certainly going
to try. So turn again to Chapter 15, and we're going to take a look at this
revelation of a secret which was part of that whole revealed body of truth
which Paul refers to as the mystery. Before we look at I Corinthians let's look
for a moment at Romans Chapter 16. I want you to see that this is not just a
flippant use of the word, for Paul uses it throughout his writings. And simply
because the Holy Spirit has revealed to this man doctrines and truths that no
one else ever dreamed would happen. They're not in the Old Testament, or in
Christ's ministry, or in Peter's activity in the Book of Acts, but rather it's
a whole new revelation which builds on everything that went before. And that's
why I teach the Old Testament and the Four Gospels just as much as I do the
Pauline letters. Nevertheless this is something that has come out of every
thing that has gone before, but it was never prophesied. Now let's look at
verse 25:
Romans 16:25
"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my
gospel, (the one by which you are saved in I Corinthians 15:1-4) and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which
was kept secret since the world began.
Remember in our last lesson we looked at Deuteronomy 29:29:
Deuteronomy 29:29
"The secret things belong unto the LORD our God:..."
He is a God who can keep things secret as long as He cares to, and this whole
volume of revealed truths was one of those. God just did not reveal it, not
even a hint of the Church age, and what we call the Rapture in any of the
prophecies, or His earthly ministry. And that's a good way that we can divide
the Scriptures. The Old Testament was based on the prophetic word. Everything
was based on what God said, "I Will, I Will, I Will," That was prophecy!
And all sitting on that Abrahamic Covenant. So Christ came in fulfillment of
that Covenant. He came only to the Nation of Israel (Matthew 15:24) as their
Messiah, and their King, and we've been teaching that over and over. But Israel
rejected it, (Acts 28:27-28) they didn't believe Who He said He was. Now God's
going to turn to the rest of the world by putting the Nation of Israel into a
dispersion, and not using the Jew with the exception of this one man, the
Apostle Paul who was a Jew, a Pharisee of the Pharisees of the tribe of
Benjamin. So this Jew now has revealed to him and him only these mysteries,
these secrets, and now He can take it to the Gentile world and reveal it.
Now in our time line, we always start back with Adam, and then 2000 years later
we have the call of Abraham. That brought about the Nation of Israel which was
pulled off the main river of humanity. But the Nation of Israel, instructed and
taught, and nurtured through the Old Testament under the Law and prophecies,
rejected Him, and they were dispersed then back into that main stream of
humanity from which they were called in the first place. Remember God had
intended for the Nation of Israel to evangelize the world, but when he sent
them into dispersion, in the last chapter of Acts He put them into a place of
spiritual blindness. Paul tells us now there is no difference between Jew
and Gentiles. Now for salvation all must believe the Gospel that was given Paul
by the crucified, risen Lord, the Gospel we find in I Corinthians
15:1-4. When this dispersion took place about 70 AD the Jews lost the
Temple, and the city of Jerusalem, and their homeland. They were dispersed into
every nation on earth.
But about 30 years before this dispersion took place, about 40 AD, the Apostle
Paul was called by God, and he now is going to be progenitor of this Gospel of
Grace and the calling out of the Gentile Body of Christ. Now when this Body of
Christ, which is made up of Jews and Gentiles, is complete, and the last one
has been saved, that's when we have this meeting in the air (Rapture)
that we talked about in the last lesson. This is when the soul and spirit of
believers that have been in the presence of Christ after they died, are brought
to the atmosphere by God Himself in the Person of Christ, and their bodies will
be resurrected to be reunited with their soul and spirit in the air. And then
in the next instance we believers who are alive and remain shall be caught up
to meet The Lord in the air.
Then after that has taken place, the final seven years are ushered in and are
associated only with the prophecies concerning the Nation of Israel, which in
1948 became a nation again. We call that period the final seven years or the
Tribulation. Of course the ending of the Tribulation will bring about the
Second Coming of Christ to the earth as we saw in the closing moments of the
last lesson. This is when Christ will stand with His feet on the Mount of
Olives. Now just to show the graphic difference again between the Rapture and
the Second Coming let's go back to Matthew Chapter 24. Now there are many other
references to the Second Coming, but I'm going to use this passage as the prime
example of how everything that the Old Testament, and Jesus and the Four Gospel
accounts refer to in Christ's coming is never this Rapture of the Church,
this meeting in the air. That is something that the rest of The Bible knew
nothing about. It was only a secret revealed by, and to the Apostle Paul.
Now all these other references to the end time events are directed to the
Second Coming . When Christ will come and stand in that day on the Mount of
Olives. All right now let's just look at Matthew Chapter 24 for an example. At
this time the Twelve disciples are still intact.
Matthew 24:1-3
"And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his
disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus
said unto them, `See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, there
shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.'
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives the disciples came unto him privately,
saying, `Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy
coming, and of the end of the world?'" (or age)
Jesus gives them the answer, and He comes down through these series of verses
and none of this is associated with the Church one iota. This is all
instructions for the Nation of Israel concerning the Second Coming of Christ.
So when I teach Matthew Chapter 24 this is why I stress this over and over.
Matthew 24 is Tribulation ground. This is not for you and I in the Church
age. This is prophecy for those last 7 years. We're seeing the stage set
now leading up to the Tribulation when there will be false teachers and there's
going to wars and rumors of war, and granted we're seeing all this, but thank
goodness we are certainly not in the Tribulation.
Now I was reading a book the other night by a dear old Bible teacher who had
gone on to be with The Lord several years ago. And he was writing shortly after
he had been at a prophecy conference, and he had been conversing with another
well-known prophecy expert. As they saw the falling apart of western
civilization and the apostasy of the Church, they thought that we were so close
to the Rapture because they were seeing all the signs that were introducing the
Tribulation. Well I read some of those things to Iris, and said, "Well what
would those fellows say if they were alive today?" Stop and think about it.
Look how far we have come to Tribulation ground in the last 20 years. But we're
not there yet, we're not in the Tribulation by any stretch of the imagination.
But everything is bringing us closer.
I had a banker friend tell me recently that every new technology is just
bringing the prophecies that much closer, because the whole Book of Revelation
is based on our tremendous technology. So it stands to reason that the
Anti-christ could never be able to put his thumb on every human being on earth
without the computer. But with the computer he'll be able to, but I'm not
saying that he will. But if the Anti-christ wants to pull up some data on an
individual anywhere then all he has to do is request it and there it will be.
And he'll have every thing on that individual that he will want to know. Why?
Technology.
Even in our ministry we're on the Internet, but the more I hear about it, it
just scares the socks off me, because there's no place to hide. They can find
anybody, and if they someday want to find us it will be no problem for them.
There will be no place to hide. So what I want you to see in this lesson is
that everything that was spoken in the Old Testament prophets; which was spoken
by Jesus, and Peter, were all directed to the Nation of Israel, and His Second
Coming. Not to the Church or the Rapture of the Church! So keep that in
mind as we study even in these closing moments of this Book of I Corinthians.
So let's come back to I Corinthians and we find Paul revealing one of the
mysteries that was part of that whole volume of truth that he puts in one
category. And that category is "The revelation of the mysteries."
Now there were all kinds of mysteries revealed to Paul, and they were unknown
to the rest of Scripture. For example, that Jews and Gentiles would be brought
into the Body of Christ on equal ground. Now I pay all respect to Israel's
Covenant position, as the favorite nation of God. I know they are where they
are only because of that. But we must never lose sight that for a Jew today to
experience salvation, he's on the same level playing field that we as Gentiles
are on. The Jew today is not in a place of special privilege when it come to
his personal salvation. He's a sinner who needs salvation. just a much as a
Gentile. But in the great scheme of things they have to be in the land of
Israel for the culmination of the Prophetic Scripture.
I had a young Jewish listener out in California tell me once, "Now Les, stop
and think. I know that you would just love for all of us Jews to get saved
according to what you teach, but if all Jews would get saved then we would all
leave with you at the Rapture, and there would be nobody here to fulfill
prophecy." I told him that I hadn't thought of it that way. But you know
what he said is so true. Israel has to be in the land at the end-time scenario
for that final 7 years. She has no choice because all of prophecy is directed
to that. Well you take them off the scene and God's Word would fall apart, and
we know God's not going to let that happen. I was reading one of my little
books the other day and had made the point that, yes, we love the Arabs, and
Palestinians on God's behalf just as much as anyone else. But it's too bad that
they can't understand that Scripturally they are not in the line of the
Covenant promises given to Abraham. That was only for the Jew. If they think
they're going to drive the Jew into the sea, then they'll have to deal with God
first. Remember God has said that they are not going to disappear. They're
going to be there for the end-time.
Now back to I Corinthians 15: 54. I think we've touched enough on the Rapture
for now. All I want you to remember is that, "The Rapture is not prophetically
announced. We don't know when it will happen, there is nothing to indicate
that it's going to be today, tomorrow or next year. But as the world scene
is being fulfilled for that final 7 years, and the Second Coming, we have to be
ready at least 7 years ahead of His Second Coming. So as you see all the signs
of the world getting ready for the Second Coming just remind yourself, "Hey,
we're going to leave 7 years ahead of that so we'd better be ready." Now
verse 54. Here Paul continues on dealing with putting in the grave this
corruptible, and resurrecting the incorruptible.
I Corinthians 15:54-56
"So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and
this mortal (this old body we have now) shall have put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, `Death is swallowed
up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? (I think I said it just a
lesson or so back that we all hate death.) O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin; (that's why we hate it. Death and sin are almost
synonymous.) and the strength of sin is the law.'" It was the Law that
showed sin to be what it really is. Then verse 57:
I Corinthians 15:57
"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christ."
There is no other way to gain victory over sin and death. Religion won't do it,
good works won't do it, joining a church won't do it. It has to be by virtue of
this resurrection power of the Gospel that does it. Now verse 58, and he begins
this verse with the word "Therefore," Now Paul is winding this letter
down. So he can say "Therefore" in light of all that he has written in these
previous 15 chapters, but especially with this hope of the believers. Before we
read this verse I would like to show you a verse in Titus to tie it all
together. This verse shows that the Rapture is a reality, and it will happen
before the horrors of the Tribulation comes. Verse 13 says it all, but let's
start at verse 11.
Titus 2:11-13
"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath
(already) appeared to all men. (no one is ever going to say, `But
Lord I never heard.' For this Grace is) Teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,
in this present world: (and we are to be) Looking for that blessed hope,
and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:"
When someone asks that you to show them in The Bible that Jesus ever claimed to
be God well here's one reference right here, and there are many others. But
look at this verse. If this isn't giving Deity to Christ then I don't know what
is. That we are to be looking for that blessed hope, and what's the blessed
hope? The glorious appearing of the great God, the God of Creation, the God of
this Book, and Who is He? Our Saviour Jesus Christ! Now back to I Corinthians
15:58:
I Corinthians 15:58
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord."
We may not reap the rewards of our labor in this life. We may go to the grave
as poor as church mice, but don't let that discourage you. God hasn't promised
that, "Just because we're believers we're going to drive cadillacs, and live in
mansions." No way, but God has promised that He is keeping a record of our
earthly activities. Then one day we're going to cash in on the rewards in
glory, and remember that Paul is always teaching that. We are to run the race
for rewards. Now go to Chapter 16 to wind up I Corinthians. Here Paul is going
to deal with something totally different from resurrection. Here he is going to
come down to the nitty gritty of, "How we're to give." Many people are
hung up on the legal system of tithing. I've got nothing against giving. But
you are not under the tithe. Now I know this is going to ruffle a few
feathers, but remember the tithe was part of the Law. Tithing was given only to
the tribe of Levi. I dare say if we could ask some of our Jewish friends
whether they teach tithing today, I'd be very surprised if they would say yes.
Because they, too, do not know who the Levites are so I just have to doubt that
good Jewish people still tithe. Always remember that Paul never says tithe,
because that was part of the Law, but that doesn't say that God doesn't
expect you to give. Let's look how Paul puts it.
I Corinthians 16:1a
"Now concerning the collection (of money) for the
saints,..."
Paul was always instructed to remember the poor saints at Jerusalem. Why? They
had cashed in land and everything they had and brought the money to the feet of
the Twelve disciples. It all went into a common kitty back there in Acts
Chapters 2 and 3 in light of the Kingdom. But the Kingdom didn't come because
the Jews had rejected it. So what happened to these poor Jewish saints? They
had to live off the kitty and I imagine it was a pretty good existence for a
while. But God took care of them through Paul's Gentile converts, and the money
was taken back to Jerusalem for them. Now continuing on:
I Corinthians 16:1,2
"Now concerning the collection for the saints, (Jewish
saints at Jerusalem) as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even
so do ye (at Corinth). Upon the first day of the week (not on the
seventh day Sabbath. Why first day of the week? Resurrection day!) let every
on of you lay by him in store, (as a tithe? No, but rather) as God hath
prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."
Now that's one of the beauties of the Christian life, that's the beauty of
God's Grace. He has left us with that free will. We can give as much as we want
to, but God is not putting the thumb on our head, and saying, "You will give
10%! Now that's a guideline, and I'll always say that. God more or less lets it
be known that 10% is a guideline for giving. But God's not going to zap you if
you don't give 10%. Now you may lose some reward in glory, but you are under no
mandate under Paul's teaching to give a set amount. That's up to you as a
believer as God has prospered you. And God has enough respect for your free
will as a believer that you're going to give as much as you can.
Paul told these believers at Corinth to take this offering before he came so
that they wouldn't be under his influence. He wanted that all
taken care of before he arrived. Paul doesn't want them to dig down in their
other pocket and say, "Paul is here, and he'd better see how much I've given."
But Paul wanted that all taken care of before he got there. The rest of this
chapter is referring to the Corinthians how he still wants to come and see
them. He wants to stop in there again physically, but until he gets there
they're going to have to be satisfied with hearing from him, only by way of his
letters. Now look at verses 10-14:
I Corinthians 16:10-14
"Now if Timotheus (Timothy the young preacher) come,
see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord,
as I also do. Let no man therefore despise him: (Timothy) but conduct
him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the
brethren, As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto
you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he
will come when he shall have convenient time. Watch ye, stand fast in the
faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity.
(love)
_______
LESSON TWO * PART I
PAUL, OUR APOSTLE DEFENDING HIS APOSTLESHIP II CORINTHIANS 1:1-3:18
In our last lesson we finished I Corinthians 15 and 16. So as we come into II
Corinthians I'll have to give a little bit of background. I think it will
help you get a little better understanding of the Scriptures if you understand
the circumstances under which it was written, as well as who wrote it, and one
of the most important is to whom was it written. Of course most of you
understand now that I stress that the Apostle Paul is the apostle of the
Gentiles, and that's what he was called specifically to be. We will look at
verses pertaining to that.
Acts 9:15a
"But the Lord said unto him, (Ananias) `Go thy way: for
he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles,...'"
Romans 11:13
"For I (Paul) speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am
the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office:"
And in that role as the apostle to the Gentiles when he writes he is writing
primarily to Gentile believers. Remember most of the Old Testament and the Four
Gospel accounts were directed to the Nation of Israel and the Jew. So this
makes a vast difference in comprehending the Scriptures, and whenever you read
The Bible ask yourself, "To whom is this being addressed? Here Paul is
writing the second letter to the congregation at Corinth on the tip of Greece.
And as we saw in the first letter to the Corinthians, they were a carnal
church. They were one of the congregations that had just not begun to grow and
develop the deeper things of Paul's teachings.
Also remember that there were four distinct divisions. Some said "that they
followed Christ and His teachings." Another group of these believers said,
"No, we followed Peter." And another group said, "Well we follow
Apollos, he's the man that we look up to." And then there was the fourth
part of the congregation that said, "We follow the Apostle Paul, because it
was through him we heard the Gospel of Salvation for the first time, it was
through him we became believers so it's Paul that we will follow."
So these four groups caused a lot dissension and a lot of grief to Paul. They
just did not grow spiritually. Also remember in the first letter, these
believers had sent Paul a long letter of questions of how they were to handle
all these various problems, and we dealt with that as we came up through I
Corinthians.
One of the problems he dealt with in Chapter 5 was gross immorality. That was a
grief to the apostle to think that a believer would stoop to such a low level,
and the church wasn't addressing it. The reason I mention that is here in II
Corinthians Paul is going to seemingly give us the idea that a lot of these
things are now corrected. So evidently his first letter did not fall on deaf
ears. Again you want to remember that the second letter was probably written in
a matter of months, probably within a year from the first. So there's been time
enough elapsed that they could clean up their act.
Now in the first six chapters of this letter Paul is more or less dealing with
the defense of his apostleship. I'm always referring to that. Every time that
you get into Paul's writing he has to defend his apostleship. Now if you can
understand the background you can see why. You want to remember that all during
Christ's earthly ministry, Jesus had dealt only with Peter and the eleven, and
after His death, burial, and resurrection and you come into the Book of Acts,
it's still Peter and the eleven. But here is that other Jew, Saul of Tarsus who
in the meantime is doing everything that he can to destroy this element of
Judaism that had believed that Jesus was the Messiah. So Saul the great
persecutor, the one who reaped havoc among the early Jewish believers is now
the one that God has commissioned, after saving him by Grace on the road to
Damascus. This is the one that is being sent out into the pagan Gentile, Roman
empire with the Gospel of Grace.
Now it stands to reason if you all understand religion. I'm running into it
even from our television audience where people's eyes are opened after being
steeped in one religion or another. And it's not easy; I'm the first one to
empathize with that situation. When they've had something drilled into them
ever since they've been old enough to listen, then all of a sudden have someone
like myself perhaps come along and show from the Scriptures that they've
been taught totally wrong for so long, then it's not an easy situation. We've
had people call and say, "Les this is the toughest thing I've ever had to
do, but I can see that you're right on from the Scriptures."
Well the Apostle Paul was in that same situation. Now as he goes out among the
Gentile cities and he's calling out, by virtue of preaching the Gospel (I
Corinthians 15:1-4), a people for the Name of Christ, these Jews, whether they
were part of the believing element or whether they were totally still in
Judaism, constantly came back to the fact that, "You never walked with Jesus
like Peter did. You're just an upstart, you're just bringing all this on your
own." Well under those kinds of attacks what does Paul have to do? He has to
defend his apostleship, and over and over he has to refer to the fact that he
has suffered and suffered some more so that the Gentiles could get this message
of Grace that had been revealed to him by the risen Lord. So this is basically
the whole theme of these first six chapters, that he is again defending his
apostleship, showing to the Corinthians all that he has to go through for the
sake of the Gospel.
But this doesn't shock us because we know - in fact I'm going to take you back
to the Book of Acts for a moment to Chapter 9. I'm afraid that there are a lot
of people today that are still treating Paul the same way that the early
Churches did. They were prompted by the Judaisers, and I hope you all
understand what I'm talking about when I say a Judaiser. A Judaiser was a
believer that believed for salvation that Jesus was the Christ, he was saved
under that Kingdom Gospel. But they still did not comprehend "The Grace Of
God" and that the Law had now been satisfied and totally set aside. So the
Judaisers were constantly following in Paul's footsteps telling his converts,
"Now wait a minute, you can't be saved on just Paul's Gospel alone, you
still have to practice Judaism (Ref. Acts 15:1-5) You have to be
circumcised, you must keep the Law, and so on. And that just about drove the
Apostle Paul up the wall, and so he suffered because of that. But now back here
in Acts Chapter 9 let's start with verse 13. Now here we're in Damascus, and
Ananias, a believing Jew, is being approached supernaturally by The Lord from
glory. And The Lord is warning Ananias that Saul of Tarsus is in town and that
they would meet.
Acts 9:13-16
"Then Ananias answered, `Lord, I have heard by many of this
man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath
authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.' (that
is Jesus of Nazareth The Messiah) But the Lord said unto him,
(Ananias) `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my
name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will
shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.'"
As I was again reviewing all this, getting ready for the program, I couldn't
help but think about a book that hit the best seller list several years ago,
and I think it was written by a Jewish individual. The title of the book is
"Why Do Bad Things Happen To Good People?" You may remember the
book. Well that's always the question. Even when some of our number is suddenly
stricken, and the first thing that hits our mind is, "Why do these bad things
happen to believers especially, and many times to unbelievers, but they're good
people?" I'm also sure that the apostle must have had those thoughts many, many
times. "Here I am sold out to Christ, I am beating the bushes of the Gentile
community for the sake of the Gospel," and how he suffered. Not just physically
at the hands of his enemies, but even in the area of sickness. Evidently as he
left Ephesus and was in his second missionary journey under terrible
persecution, and pressure because of the silversmiths, he gets deathly sick.
We're going to see this in Acts Chapter 1 where he actually thought that he was
not going to live. Yet he had that burden of the millions of unreached in the
Roman Empire that he thought he was going to have to minister to. And on top of
that, we'll see here in II Corinthians how was beaten with rods, how many
times he was shipwrecked, how many times he was cold, naked, hungry, and in
prison. This was all for the sake of the Gospel. I just have to remind folks of
this because even today there are so many people that almost ridicule the
writings of the Apostle Paul. So actually what it amounts to is, "People
today are no different than they were in 60 AD. People don't change, their
attitudes stay the same."
As another introduction to II Corinthians I can take you back to II Timothy,
and just imagine how this must have grieved, and broken the heart of this
apostle who had now spent twenty-some years through all of these hardships,
through all of these sufferings. Probably, he had very little of the comforts
of life, and then had to, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, make this
kind of statement that we'll see. It has boggled my mind as long as I've been
teaching this Book. How the apostle must have been brokenhearted to have to
write something like this in II Timothy. Paul is writing to a young man who had
labored with him in the ministry and who is now a pastor.
II Timothy 1:13,14a
"Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of
me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing..."
In the Greek the word `things' as we see here means the deposit. And the
deposit was the volume of truth that we refer to in Paul's letters as the
mysteries. So Paul is telling Timothy to hang onto this doctrine of the
mysteries that was revealed to him by the ascended Lord which I have now left
these mysteries with you. Now reading on.
II Timothy 1:14
"That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the
Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." Now look at verse 15. Imagine that poor
man having to write a statement like this, and Paul was not lying.
II Timothy 1:15
"This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia (in
Paul's terminology Asia was the western half of Turkey in the area where he
established so many churches.) be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus
and Hermogenes. (the leaders)
What's he saying? All these congregations that he had founded in his Gospel of
Grace, and in the knowledge of the mysteries had now turned aside. It's really
heart wrenching to think that the poor fellow had gone all those years going
though such privation and yet have to come to that conclusion. When I read
things like this I'm always amazed but for the Grace of God Christianity would
have never gotten off the ground. It was constantly under Satanic attack. You
and I have to just thank The Lord that it survived and that we today at least
have the Word of God. Even today the truth of the fundamentals of Christianity
are under constant attack, from within Christendom and from without. So we get
a little taste of what Paul is talking about. Maybe that's enough introduction.
II Corinthians was probably written about 60 AD and I Corinthians was probably
written about a year earlier. Also remember II Corinthians was written two
years after the letter to the Galatians. I'll be going back to that to show you
that what Paul dealt with in the Galatian letter had already taken place quite
some time before he wrote this letter of II Corinthians.
II Corinthians 1:1-4
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, (Paul
was set apart by God Himself) and Timothy our brother, unto the church of
God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia:
(southern Greece) Grace be to you and peace from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth (encourages) us in
all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any
trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."
In other words even for us believers today as we go through trying and testing
times we have that promise that God is going to be a constant encouragement.
And here again this is the answer to the question, "Why do bad things happen
to good people?" Well I think it's so that God can show us that He's
sufficient. You know when someone comes along and promises you a rose petal
pathway if you become a Christian, then you just chalk it off as false
teaching, because that has never been the theme of Scripture. In fact I've made
the comment before, "The Christian life is like paddling a canoe up
stream." It's one of the toughest jobs on earth. A sissy cannot be a
Christian, because it's a constant battle against all the forces of Satan and
the world itself. But we have these promises that as we go through these times
of testing and discouragement The Lord God Himself is going to encourage us.
Now reading on.
II Corinthians 1:5-7
"For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, (Paul is
speaking of his own experience) so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
(The same Lord that permits persecution and testing to come into the life
is the same Lord that will provide the strength we need to go through it.)
And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which
is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or
where we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope
of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so
shall ye be also of the consolation."
Now another thing we have to remember is that all of the early believers under
the Roman yoke were immediately under persecution. They couldn't walk up and
down the street and glibly talk about their Christian faith. They were under
constant surveillance, and the Roman Empire at one time actually tried to stamp
out Christianity. So to become a believer under Paul's preaching and teaching
actually was an invitation to persecution. How many would buy that today? So
remember, although these early believer were under constant pressure they also
had that promise that The Lord Who was permitting the affliction and pressure
was also The Lord Who had the strength to bring them through it. Now verse 8:
II Corinthians 1:8
"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble
which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength,
insomuch that we despaired even of life:" Can you imagine that? What was
Paul talking about? He didn't think that he would live to finish his ministry.
Whether it was a physical sickness, or outside pressure from the various forces
that I've already alluded to, whether it was the Romans, or the Judaisers, he
would almost come to the place where he would despair even of life. Now verse
9:
II Corinthians 1:9-10
"But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should
not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: Who delivered us
from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet
deliver us:"
The apostle Paul must have had much the same kind of mental attitude regarding
his trials and tribulations as they pertained to the resurrection, as Peter and
the other disciple must have had at the time of the crucifixion. Let's reflect
back for a moment. After Jesus' arrest and as He was placed on the Cross, where
were those eleven men? They had pretty much scattered like a flock of quail.
They were practically running for their lives because they were seeing what was
happening to their Master. But do you remember when their attitude totally
changed? After His resurrection! Now they understood that there was nothing
that could touch that eternal part of them because if The Lord had been
resurrected they would be also. So Paul is going through that same kind of a
mindset knowing that the crucified Christ had been raised from the dead. They
could take his life, so what, but they can't end his spirit life. So I think
this is what he is constantly referring to that even the resurrection power of
Christ would keep him even through the trials and tribulations of his physical
life.
II Corinthians 1:11
"Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift
bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on
our behalf." In other words Paul then, and like we do today, realized what
really sustained him in his ministry. The prayers of the saints! Never fail to
pray for one another. Pray for us, and others in the ministry that God is using
to reach hearts. Remember prayer changes things. Now verse 12:
II Corinthians 1:12
"For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience,
that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the
grace of God, we have had our conversation (or manner of living) in the
world, and more abundantly to you-ward." (who are in Corinth).
What's Paul saying? What he has said over and over in his other letters. "He
did not come to the city of Corinth with a bunch of flippant statements and
silly ideas, or a lot of gimmicky, or fifth avenue advertising, but he came
with all the sincerity and desires of his heart that he might see these pagan
people come out of their pagan darkness and step into the light of the glorious
Gospel." So Paul is going to refer to that over and over, that he didn't come
selling his cheap wares, but rather he came with all the sincerity of heart
that he might see them believe. Now for a moment let's turn to I Thessalonians
Chapter 1. And this is typical of every place that Paul ministered.
I Thessalonians 1:9
"For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we
had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true
God:"
_______
LESSON TWO * PART II
PAUL, OUR APOSTLE DEFENDING HIS APOSTLESHIP II CORINTHIANS 1:1-3:18
Now getting back into our study in II Corinthians, and remember that this
letter is a follow up to the first letter where Paul had to deal with problems
in the Corinthian Church. They had problems like no other congregation under
Paul's Apostleship, and in I Corinthians he had to get rather hard with them.
But now in II Corinthians Paul is coming back to encourage these people who had
seemingly corrected their problems. Now we'll be seeing that more and more as
we come through this second letter. That in itself must have been an
encouragement to the apostle, that he did not have to come personally to them.
Paul had intended to personally go down to Corinth, but evidently the message
had come to him that his first letter had accomplished its work. The church had
dealt with the person in gross immorality, and he was evidently back in the
fellowship. So rather than come to them personally he writes this second
letter.
I think we can all appreciate that. We have all found ourselves in a position
where maybe we've had some hard feelings with perhaps a family member and it's
so much easier to just write our thoughts rather than try approach them face to
face. And I think this is exactly how Paul felt. He felt he could do more by
writing than if he would go and meet them personally and become possibly too
stern. Now verse 15. Remember in our last lesson we were talking about how The
Lord supplies all the needs of the believers.
II Corinthians 1:15
"And in this confidence I was minded to come unto you before,
that ye might have a second benefit;" In other words he wanted to come to
Corinth and deal with their problems personally. Verse 16:
II Corinthians 1:16
"And to pass by you into Macedonia, (in northern Greece)
and to come again out of Macedonia unto you, and of you to be brought on my
way toward Judaea."
In other words Paul's itinerary was to leave Philippi, and come to Corinth, and
then go back up into Macedonia and visit the churches and then come back to
Corinth and head to Jerusalem. But Paul didn't make it. And because he didn't
make it a lot of his detractors and his accusers would say, "Well you didn't
come because you were afraid to." And Paul had to deal with these accusations.
Remember, always put yourself in Paul's shoes. He was just as human as we are.
Now verse 17. So he says, "Since I didn't get that accomplished...
II Corinthians 1:17
"When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness?
(did I say I was coming just to be saying something? No.) or the things
that I purposed, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should
be yea yea, and nay nay?"
If you looked that up in the Greek what Paul is really saying is this: "Did I
come to you and talk in fickle language? Did I just say something to tickle
your ears? No way. Whatever the apostle said he said it with full meaning but
other things of course intervened. Verse 18:
II Corinthians 1:18-20
"But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me
and Silvanus and Timotheus, (Timothy) was not yea and nay, but in him
was yea. (It was not fickle language, it was not something superfluous,)
For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory
of God by us." In other words Paul is saying "Whatever I've said to you I
can put it in concrete. I meant every word of it, it was from the depth of my
heart and none of this was spoken with frivolity. Now verse 21.
II Corinthians 1:21,22
"Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath
anointed us, is God; Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest (or the
down payment) of the Spirit in our hearts."
Now there is another verse that is a perfect parallel with that and for that we
have to go to the Book of Ephesians Chapter 1. Some of these days we'll be
teaching this tremendous letter verse by verse. It's dealing with our position
in the Body of Christ as believers.
Ephesians 1:13
"In whom (in Christ) ye also trusted, after that ye
heard the word of truth, (and the word of truth is) the gospel of your
salvation: (I Corinthians 15:11-4) in whom also after that ye believed,
ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." Now that is part and
parcel again of our salvation experience. We have been sealed, we have been
marked by the Person of the Holy Spirit Himself. Now verse 14.
Ephesians 1:14
"Which is the earnest (and that means just exactly like we
use the term today. He is the down payment. A sufficient down payment to make
sure that the transaction is completed.) of our inheritance (which we
will have by being joint-heirs with Christ, and that's going to hold it)
until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his
glory."
Now if I'm not mistaken we dealt with this verse when we were back in I
Corinthians Chapter 15 on the great resurrection theme. I pointed out at that
time that, yes, soul and spirit are redeemed in full. We are saved, we are
redeemed completely for all of eternity. But at this moment only in the soul
and spirit, so what's left? The body. The body is still in the flesh, it's
still corrupt, it's still prone to sin and death. But the beauty and joy of
resurrection is that we're going to have a new body. So it's this same concept
that Paul is adhering to in II Corinthians 1:22 when he says again:
II Corinthians 1:22,23
"Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Sprit
in our hearts. Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you
I came not as yet unto Corinth."
What's he saying? "I did not come to Corinth purposely so that I would not be
more stringent in reproof, and a letter would be a kinder way in doing it." So
Paul just knew that the time was not right for him to make a personal
appearance among this congregation. And as we teach II Corinthians don't forget
what we learned in I Corinthians about all the problems, and all the necessary
reproofs that were brought upon that congregation. And remember Paul was broken
hearted over what was taking place there. So all of this is in the back of his
mind, and of course the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and we never want to
take anything away from that. Now verse 24:
II Corinthians 1:24
"Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are
helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand."
Now look at that verse again. Paul is not overlording them like a totalitarian
dictator. Oh he is their apostle, he's their teacher, he's the one who brought
them out of pagan idolatry. But he is not standing over them with a heavy whip,
or in a totalitarian way, but rather he is simply a helper of their joy and
what makes it all possible? For it's by faith. Now you see if Paul had been the
progenitor of a religion, and he was the grand guru of that religion, then yes,
Paul could have stood over them, and held the whip over them and made them
adhere to everything that he said. But that's not the case. You see Christian
liberty - Oh listen, the average believer today still does not comprehend
the liberty that we have in this age of Grace. Liberty, now that brings up
another verse in the Book of Galatians in Chapter 5. My these verses just ring
in my mind as I'm teaching that Paul is telling these Corinthians, carnal as
they were, with all their problems "You're not where you are because I have
forced you there. You're not what you are because I'm standing over you." No,
even the Corinthians in their carnality were still enjoying Christian liberty.
And we have a lot of so called Christians today that have no concept of
Christian liberty at all. They have no idea of what liberty in the Gospel of
Grace amounts to. And here Paul has again been appealing to the Galatian
believers much like he does to the Corinthians not to let the Judaisers destroy
their faith.
Galatians 5:1
"Stand fast therefore (with your feet in concrete if I may
use the example) in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be
not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
And that's exactly where most people constantly put themselves. They want to
put themselves under a legalistic situation where someone lays down the Law
that they must do this and do that. Well that's not Christianity! True
Christianity is liberty! And remember I've always followed that with liberty
is not license. Now let's come back to II Corinthians, and move on into
Chapter 2. Don't lose sight of what I said in my introductory remarks that in
these first 6 chapters we will find Paul constantly defending and reminding the
Corinthians of his Apostleship as not tied to Jerusalem, not tied to Peter and
the eleven, but tied only to the ascended Lord of glory.
II Corinthians 2:1
"But I determined this with myself, that I would not come
again to you in heaviness." (or in much sorrow). Here again his reasoning
for not coming personally to the city of Corinth, and meeting with the church,
but rather writing them a letter.
II Corinthians 2:2
"For if I make you sorry, (in other words if Paul would
come down on them too hard) who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same
which is made sorry by me?" In other words the human response is if Paul
would come to Corinth and just come down on these people would he experience a
joy in that kind of response? Of course not.
II Corinthians 2:3
"And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should
have sorrow (or grief) from them of whom I ought to rejoice; (In
other words he would hear about things taking place in the church that would
make him sorry instead of being able to hear things that would make him
joyful.) having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you
all."
Paul's whole mental concept concerning this carnal church at Corinth was that
they could grow and become real trophies of God's Grace in spite of all the
pressure. And don't lose sight of the fact that these early Christians, the
moment they professed faith in Christ, were under pressure. They were under
pressure from the Jewish element, they were under pressure from the pagan
element, and just a precious few of them were won for The Lord. Just a precious
few would come into this liberty of Christianity. Now verse 4.
II Corinthians 2:4
"For out of much affliction and anguish of heart (now
Paul's not over emphasizing) I wrote unto you with many tears; (I was
reading one commentary on this letter by an old Bible teacher. He said "Paul
must have written this letter with a quill dipped in tears." I think that's
just about true as his heart was broken, he was in tears because of what he was
hearing from the congregation at Corinth.) not that ye should be grieved,
but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you."
Are you seeing the heart of this man? In spite of all their failures contrary
to his teaching and doctrine, did he ever lose his love for them? No. And it
was a constant battle in that early church. These church members had come out
of abject paganism with no moral foundations whatsoever; with no concept of the
one Creator God, they were ignorant of all these things. They didn't have the
Old Testament like the Nation of Israel did. They had just recently heard the
apostle preach them the Gospel of God's saving Grace (how that Jesus died
for their sins, was buried, and rose again.) And how they were now set at
liberty, and yet to see that they really hadn't consummated all of the Grace of
God that would give them victory over their past lifestyle. And there was no
doubt about it. They were still dipping back into their old lifestyle, and this
is what the apostle is so grieved about. And yet understanding the
circumstances he could equate with all of this, that you couldn't expect these
people to all of a sudden live like Peter, James, and John did, because it
would take time for them to grow. So catch this as you read these verses. Now
verse 5:
II Corinthians 2:5
"But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in
part; (in part here usually means a percentage or fraction. In other words
it wasn't the whole congregation that was grieving him, but a percentage or
fraction of them.) that I may not overcharge you all."
Do you get that? So Paul wasn't condemning the whole congregation because they
weren't all guilty, but there was that small percentage that was grief of mind.
Now verse 6.
II Corinthians 2:6
"Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was
inflicted of many." (or the majority)
Now when you have a majority then you also have a minority. So it was not a
total consensus but it was enough of a majority that the Church could take the
action. Well what do you think Paul is talking about when he says,
"Sufficient to such a man is this punishment," Now verse 7:
II Corinthians 2:7
"So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and
comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch
sorrow."
Do you know who Paul is talking about? Well let's turn back to I Corinthians
Chapter 5 and look at it again, and it was a gross situation. When we came
through I Corinthians I touched on it lightly, because I realize that I have a
lot of kids that watch this program, and I don't want to get overly explicit.
But yet I guess more kids nowadays know more then we did when we were 20. But
here we find one of the shortfalls of this congregation at Corinth. Now verse
1.
I Corinthians 5:1-3
"It is reported commonly (everybody in town knew about it)
that there is fornication among you and such fornication as is not so much
as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife." (Paul
says, "even the Gentiles don't do anything that low." And the congregation
wasn't doing anything except maybe grinning or joking about it.) And ye are
puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might
be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body , but present in
spirit, have judged already (or made up my mind already how to deal with
it) as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,"
Now here is what Paul is admonishing the congregation to do.
I Corinthians 5:4,5
"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered
together, (as a congregation) and my spirit, with the power of our Lord
Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one (as this guilty man) unto Satan
(not for the destruction of his soul, but) for the destruction of the
flesh, (inflict him with a sickness, or maybe take him out with death)
that the spirit (of this guilty person, this saved individual who was a
member of the congregation) may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
So does Paul consider this guy lost again? No. But this guy is in dire
straights, because he is living in gross immorality, but the church is just as
guilty as he is because they're not doing anything about it. Now after that I
hope you can pick up again what he says in II Corinthians.
II Corinthians 2:6
"Sufficient to such a man (that we just read about)
which was inflicted of many. (or the majority)
So the Church had evidently taken corporate action and the majority had voted
to deal with this man to get him to straighten up his act (even though there
was a minority that is probably like many liberals we have even today that
would say, "Oh, leave them alone, because people are people."). Now verse 7
again:
II Corinthians 2:7,8
So that contrariwise (or on the other hand) ye ought
rather to forgive him, (even of a gross sin like that) and comfort him,
lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore
I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him."
Isn't that something? That's not an attitude that most of us would take. But
even today that's what we're supposed to do. When someone is overtaken in a
gross failure, what does the average Christian do? Smile about it, joke about
it. They never consider the fact that the person needs prayer and encouragement
and forgiveness. Let's look at one more verse in the Book of Galatians that
will just put the frosting on the cake for this. I'm sure that this event in
Corinth had a direct bearing on this verse in Galatians. It happens all the
time and it still does. But we can't just wink at it, but rather we must deal
with these people and restore them.
Galatians 6:1
"Brethren, (believers) if a man be overtaken in a
fault, ye which are spiritual, (the leaders of the congregation) restore
such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted."
Do you see what he's saying? Anytime you come down on a situation in harsh
judgment on a fellow believer, who are you setting up to be the next one to
fall? Yourself. So instead, in that attitude that Paul had, we should forgive
that man, and continue to love him. I think as we come to the end of the letter
we'll find out that the Church at Corinth did deal with it, and they did bring
the man back into fellowship.
_______
LESSON TWO * PART III
PAUL, OUR APOSTLE DEFENDING HIS APOSTLESHIP II CORINTHIANS 1:1-3:18
Remember as we begin this lesson: to get the full meaning and understanding
from Scripture, and to help you understand what you read, it is best to always
determine to whom a portion of Scripture is written. What are the
circumstances, and who is writing it. Remember things written to the Nation of
Israel or their representatives were for the Jews only. Here in II Corinthians
we are realizing that Paul is now following up his first letter which was a
letter of reproof and correction. So in this letter we know that, first, Paul
is defending his apostleship, because of all the snide remarks that are coming
out of Corinth. Paul was like us, and was heartbroken about some of the things
that were being spoken about him. Yet, on the other hand it was a recognition
that the first letter had done it's work. So we'll continue on with that
thought. Remember in our last lesson Paul is more or less commending the Church
for having dealt with the man of gross immorality and having restored, and
forgiven him, evidently, and that's as it should be. Now verse 9:
II Corinthians 2:9
"For to this end also did I write, (to take care of this
immoral situation, and to get the man straightened out.) that I might know
the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things."
Are you going to respond to this immoral situation or are you going to ignore
it. But the majority responded to it, and had evidently voted to deal with this
individual, and get him into a place of forgiveness and restoration. Now verse
10:
II Corinthians 2:10
"To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: (Paul had
that much confidence in them that if they had the mind of forgiveness he could
go along with it.) for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your
sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ:"
Now Paul had absolutely no power of forgiving sin and we know that. Only Christ
Himself can do that. But in the Name of Christ he could agree with them that
when they had restored this individual and forgiven him then he could concur.
What was the real purpose of bringing this individual, who had failed so
miserably, to a place of restoration. To keep Satan from getting the upper
hand! Now verse 11:
II Corinthians 2:11
"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us; for we are not
ignorant of his devices."
You all know the verse that says Satan can transform himself into an angel of
light. And he can make it appear that he is promoting the Scriptures and as he
does it he leads millions astray. Satan is a master at that, and so The Lord
has given us the direction of the Holy Spirit. He's given us the mind and
intelligence that by searching the Scriptures we can sort these things out. It
just thrills my heart when people tell us that they have suddenly realized that
some of the things that they thought were part and parcel of the Christian
experience are not, according to The Book. I had a lady call the other night
who wanted me to give her Scriptures to tell her that this particular practice
was wrong. I told her that I couldn't do that, but I did tell her to see if she
could find Scripture that instructs people to do it. I also told her that if
it's not in The Book then it must be wrong. Anything that is part and parcel of
our practice of the Christian walk is in The Book. If it's not in The Book then
look out because you're on thin ice. How many times have I made the statement,
"It's just as important to see what the Scriptures don't say, as what they
do say." A lot of people go through life thinking something is in The Book
because they heard it some place. But listen, you've got to search the
Scriptures and if it's not taught in Scripture run from it like a plague. So
Paul says in verse 11:
II Corinthians 2:11b
"...for we are not ignorant of his (Satan's) devices."
Now Paul is going to bring in his own past experience when seemingly Satan
had almost beaten him down in despair.
If you can picture in your mind the Mediterranean Sea and Turkey as it winds
out to the West. Also remember Paul's early ministry was there in that western
half of present day Turkey which was called Asia Minor. Then you have the
Aegean Sea between Turkey and the mainland of Europe which is Macedonia or
northern Greece, and Athens in southern Greece. And on this map in your mind
you go around the peninsula into the Adriatic Sea and across from that is Rome.
Now here Troas is located on the western shore of what is present day Turkey.
Evidently Paul had made arrangement with Titus, his fellow worker there in Asia
Minor, to meet him at Troas. Then they were going to go on around to the
northern reaches of Turkey or along the Black sea which at that time was called
Bithynia, and then head back to Asia. But remember back there they couldn't
just drop a note in the mail, they couldn't send a telegraph message, they
certainly couldn't phone - how they communicated in the ancients I have a hard
time understanding. But somehow or other Titus and Paul had made an agreement
to meet here in the sea port town of Troas, which was actually the ancient city
of Troy. Now look at what Paul says:
II Corinthians 2:12,13a
"Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ's gospel,
and a door was opened unto me of the Lord, (and we're going to look in the
Book of Acts as to what that was) I had no rest in my spirit, (in his
own being) because I found not Titus my brother:..."
When Paul couldn't find Titus, his brother in The Lord, can you imagine what
that must have felt like? Here they had no means of communication so he had no
way of knowing what had happened to Titus. Why isn't he at Troas at the
appointed time? And then at the very same time when he's so distressed about
what may have happened to Titus, The Lord comes on him with something totally
different; contrary to what he thought he was going to do, and the two were
almost a clash in the man's thinking. Now let's look at that in the Book of
Acts Chapter 16 and here Paul has been ministering in western Turkey which was
then Asia Minor So we find him at Troas. Now verse 6:
Acts 16:6-12a
"Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of
Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,
(in other words back to the East) After they were come to Mysia, they
assayed to go into Bithynia: (after that Paul had probably planned on
taking a route back to Antioch in Syria) but the Spirit (that's the Holy
Spirit) suffered (or permitted) them not. And they passing by Mysia
came down to Troas. (where he was expecting to meet Titus.) And a vision
appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, (northern
Greece) and prayed (or begged) him, saying `Come over into Macedonia,
and help us.' And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go
into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach
the gospel unto them. Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight
course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; And from thence to
Philippi,..." (which was up there in northern Greece.)
Now come back to II Corinthians Chapter 2, and get this whole scenario that is
coming down on the apostle. On the one hand he is heartbroken and distressed
because Titus for one reason or another, was unable to keep his appointment at
Troas. But evidently it was at this same time that The Lord revealed, by way of
a vision, that he was to go over into Macedonia or Greece and preach the Gospel
(I Corinthians 15:1-4) which we know he did. Now verse 13 again:
II Corinthians 2:13
"I had no rest in my spirit, because I found not Titus my
brother: but taking my leave of them, I went from thence into Macedonia."
So what does Paul do? In spite of the fact that he had lost track of Titus, he
is obedient to The Lord's call now to go across the Aegean Sea and begin his
ministry in Macedonia. Now verse 14:
II Corinthians 2:14a
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to
triumph..."
Do you do the opposite? On the one hand he is depressed, down and distressed,
and yet he's always triumphant. These are tremendous lessons for each of us.
Paul was just as human as we are, he had the same passions and appetites and
feelings. He could get down, and he could rejoice. Now reading on:
II Corinthians 2:14,15
"Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in
Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, (they
are the recipients of God's Grace) and in them that perish: (a potential
sweet savor to them that are perishing.)
So it isn't to those who are already lost, but rather to those who still had
opportunity to hear him preach the Gospel. Paul was the good news for them,
just as well as he was to those who had already embraced the Gospel. Now verse
16:
II Corinthians 2:16
"To the one we are savour of death unto death; (in other
words if they didn't respond, then spiritual death was their end results)
and to the other (the ones who did respond) the savour of life unto
life. And who is sufficient for these things?"
Now I hope I have enough time to do with verse 17 what I did with it the other
evening. Every once in a while a word will just catch my mind, and I'll think,
"I've got to chase this one down in the Greek." And here in verse 17 was one of
those times.
II Corinthians 2:17a
"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of
God:...'
What does Paul mean when he says corrupting the Word of God? So I went and
found the Greek, and the Strong's concordance and did some checking. Well the
Greek word here is `kapeleuo.' Now that Greek word is just Greek to us isn't
it? But you can look it up in the Septuagint or the Old Testament Hebrew
translated into the Greek by 70 Jewish scholars back quite a few years before
Christ (and the reason I put a lot of emphasis on the Septuagint is because
that was the Greek that Jesus always referred to). Whenever Jesus would quote
from the Old Testament, if He didn't quote it from the Hebrew then He would
quote it from the Septuagint Greek. That's where a lot of our Greek scholars
put the Greek language together for our benefit.
Now when you compared that Greek word `kapeleuo' from the Septuagint it meant
"One who was a huckster or one who would hock his wares, or from Isaiah
Chapter 1:22 it meant someone who was selling or was hocking an adulterous
product." Now turn for a moment to the Book of Isaiah, and you will see
when Bible study gets to be fun, or at least I think it is. How The Bible all
so beautifully fits together. And the word "corrupt" in the English doesn't
really show you this. We just think of corruption as something that has begun
to spoil, but maybe this will help you see it. Now here in Isaiah we find
Isaiah coming down on the Nation of Israel because of all their sins and
wickedness.
Isaiah 1:21
"How is the faithful city become as harlot! it was full of
judgment: righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers.
What's Isaiah talking about? The city of Jerusalem. At one time it had been a
righteous city and the Jewish people were obedient to the Mosaic Law, and the
system. But what had happened? They had become so wicked, and that's why Isaiah
was castigating the nation. So this city that at one time had been full of
righteousness was now full of murderers. Now verse 22:
Isaiah 1:22
"Thy silver is become dross, (it was no longer pure
silver, but rather impure. Now here is a word translated corrupt in II
Corinthians 2:17) thy wine mixed with water:"
What were they doing? They were adulterating it, they were making it a cheap
product. And this is the very same word that Paul uses. Paul says, "I didn't
come unto you with wine watered down with water. I didn't come to you as a
huckster hocking his wares which were not worth half of what he claimed." All
of that is wrapped up in that one word "corrupt." Now coming back to II
Corinthians Chapter 2. For Paul says:
II Corinthians 2:17
"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: ( a lot
of people do hock an adulterated product of the spiritual.) but as of
sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."
Now I'm also thinking about another verse that corresponds. Let's go back to
the Book of Jude for a moment. I imagine that these were the kind of people
that Paul had in mind when he said, "For we are not as many which bring you
an adulterated product, but rather we are bringing you the real
thing." And remember Paul is defending his apostleship. He said, "I'm not
like these false teachers. I'm bringing you the absolute truth." Now look what
The Bible says concerning false teachers. I think this is the best description
that you can find anywhere in Scripture. In fact I think II Timothy Chapter 3
is almost word for word like Jude. Now verse 8. Here Jude has given the example
of the fallen angels, and Sodom and Gomorrah and so forth.
Jude 1:8,10
"Likewise also these filthy dreamers (he's talking about
false teacher who are hocking an adulterated product. They) defile the
flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities," Now verse 10:
"But these speak evil of those things which they know not; (does that
sound familiar? They will ridicule the truth of Scripture, but have they ever
really studied it? No. So what are they ridiculing? Something that they know
nothing about. They ridicule it because it's the Word of God.) but what they
know naturally, as brute beasts, (now that rings a bell doesn't it? When
much of society lives at the level of animals. That's where these false
teachers are coming from. They're no higher in their thinking than the animal
world so they are as brute beasts) in those things they corrupt
themselves."
They can live in the moral level of an animal and they think that they're
living it up. Now verse 11:
Jude 1:11a,12
"Woe unto them!..." These (false teachers) are spots in
your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without
fear: clouds they are without water, (false teachers can bring a cloud on
the horizon of hope but all of a sudden the adherents suddenly realize that
it's nothing) carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without
fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots."
Now these are all descriptions of what Paul says he was not. He said, "I did
not come corrupting the Word of God, I did not come like we see in verse 13."
Jude 1:13
"(like a) Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their
shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for
ever."
And that is what the world is falling for tonight. They're falling for this
line of false teaching that is nothing but an adulterated product. It's so sad
to be sure. Now coming back to II Corinthians. And let's look at verse 17 again
in defense of his apostleship.
II Corinthians 2:17
"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God; but as
of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ."
Paul didn't come to these Corinthians with fickle language, or half truths, but
everything that Paul spoke was prompted by the Holy Spirit, and he was here
because of his love for Christ as we will see in Chapter 5. The love of Christ
is what constrained Paul. So Paul was able to suffer all the privations that he
will list a little later in this letter. He went through privation after
privation, and there is no doubt he was being accused of not bringing the
truth, because you see he wasn't agreeing with the Judaisers in Jerusalem. He
was not working hand in glove with Peter and the eleven. He was out here
proclaiming something that they really knew nothing of. So, consequently, he
was being bombarded with all of these false accusations that should have been
reserved for false teachers. But isn't it amazing how so often it's the other
way around. Instead of the false teacher being bombarded, it's those with the
truth who come under attack.
_______
LESSON TWO * PART IV
PAUL, OUR APOSTLE DEFENDING HIS APOSTLESHIP II CORINTHIANS 1:1-3:18
We're going to begin with Chapter 3. We would encourage you to study right
along with us. We had missionary friends from Bolivia stop by this summer, and
they couldn't get over the fact that all of our people had a Bible and most had
a notebook in front of them. They said they had never seen that before, even on
the mission field. And I do think it's unique that our people always bring
their Bible to class.
I want to remind you that the Apostle Paul was always having to defend his
apostleship because of all the false teachers that were coming in. Probably the
strongest element at Corinth that was in opposition to Paul and his teaching
according to the mysteries, were those who claimed to follow Peter. And right
next to that were those who claimed to follow the teachings of Jesus. And,
of course, it's no different today. Many people tell me, "Les I know you
like to teach Paul, but I'm not going according to what Paul said, but rather
what Jesus said." Well I know these people mean well, but you want to
remember what Jesus said, He said in His earthly ministry. Also remember that
He was only sent to the Nation of Israel.
Matthew 15:24
"But he (Jesus) answered and said, `I am not sent but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'"
Romans 15:8
"Now I (Paul) say that Jesus Christ was a minister of
the circumcision (Jews only) for the truth of God, to confirm the
promises made unto the fathers:" (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob)
So what Jesus said was to the Nation of Israel under the Law. Although we can
make applications from it, it was not spoken to us. What the Apostle Paul
writes is Holy Spirit inspired and it is directed directly to us as Gentiles in
this age of Grace in the Body of Church. Verse 1:
II Corinthians 3:1
"Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some
others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from
you?"
Do you see what Paul is saying? Do I have to come here with official letters
from Peter, and the eleven in Jerusalem? Do I have to come with some kind of a
commendation from those who were apostles before me? They had nothing to do
with his apostleship. Peter and the eleven didn't send Paul out into the
Gentile world, but rather the ascended Christ seated at the Father's right hand
did. So Paul is reminding them of that. Now verse 2:
II Corinthians 3:2
"Ye (these people I pointed out in our first lesson today,
like the Thessalonians. They had turned from idols to the living God. So Paul
says you) are our epistle (you are changed people) written in our
hearts, known and read of all men:
I like to feel the same way about so many who have come to know The Lord
through our simple teaching. They've become living epistles!
II Corinthians 3:3
"Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of
Christ ministered by us, (now watch this) written not with ink, (on
paper) but with the Spirit (Holy Spirit) of the living God; not in
tables of stone, (reference to the Ten Commandments,) but in fleshly
tables of the heart." So you as believers are living epistles with the work
of the Holy Spirit written on the heart - and that's where it all has to be.
II Corinthians 3:4,5
"And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that
we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our
sufficiency is of God;"
Now again let me remind you, what kind of a man was Saul of Tarsus? Highly
educated. He was the most educated Jew of his day, having sat at the feet of
the greatest Rabbi of that time. So he had all that intellectual background,
and he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He could have said, "Hey, I'm qualified
by virtue of my training." But he never did that. In fact back in the Book of
Philippians he called all of that just so much what? Dung.
Philippians 3:7,8
"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for
Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ."
He cast it all aside as worthless that he might become the very workmanship of
Christ Himself. So all of his sufficiency was never because of his background.
Not because he was a Hebrew of Hebrews but because he was a humble servant of
the Creator God.
In these next series of verses, the casual reader probably never catches this,
but there is one example after another of the difference between Law and Grace.
I trust that, if The Lord tarries, and I go by way of the valley of the shadow
of death and I'm off the scene, that people will still be able to remember that
I was constantly trumpeting the difference between Law and Grace, and here it
is again. Verse 6:
II Corinthians 3:6
"Who (God from verse 5) also hath made us able
ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, (the Law of Moses)
but of the spirit: for the letter (Law) killeth, but the spirit giveth
life."
See the difference? Law could do nothing but condemn. The Law had no
life-giving power whatsoever. And that's why people are so foolish when they
say, "Well, I'm trying to do the best I can. I'm keeping the Commandments." The
Commandments can't do anything but kill. The Commandments pronounce it as
guilty! But Grace, which is epitomized here in verse 6 as the work of the Holy
Spirit, giveth life. Now, remember from our resurrection study that when we get
into the eternal state we will no longer be flesh and blood, but rather flesh
and bone with that power of life coming from the Holy Spirit. Now here in this
verse is that same Spirit - that power from on High, it's that Holy Spirit that
gives life. But the Law can only condemn.
II Corinthians 3:7
"But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in
stones, (the Law, and so if that) was glorious, so that the children of
Israel could not steadfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his
countenance; which was to be done away:"
Now before we go back and look at those verses in the Book of Exodus I'm going
to tell you something. I'll bet that you thought, like I did for so long, that
in the account when Moses came down the mountain after talking with The Lord
face-to-face that Moses' face shone, Right? So we know a veil was put upon his
face. Now what do most of us think that the veil was for? Well, because Moses
was so radiant in his glory, having been in the presence of Christ of the Old
Testament that the children of Israel couldn't stand to look on his face. But
that's not what that means at all. Now this is going to be hard to swallow
isn't it? What was being veiled was the passing away of the Law. Now put that
in your mind, and as we come down the line you'll see what we're talking about.
Now verse 8:
II Corinthians 3:8
"How shall not the ministration of the spirit (which is
now indicative of Grace) be rather glorious?"
What's Paul talking about? As the gloriousness (if there is such a word) of the
Law faded away, then what takes its place and is even more glorious? Grace! So
you have the passing away of one and the bringing on the scene of the other.
Law has to fade away and Grace becomes epitomized. Now moving on to verse 9:
II Corinthians 3:9a
"For if the ministration of condemnation..." Remember you
only condemn something that has a flaw. We had better use some Scripture with
this so let's go back to the Book of Romans in Chapter 3.
Romans 3:19,20
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith
to them who are under the law, (who's under the Law? Israel. The Gentiles
never were. But the power of the Law didn't stop with Israel but) that every
mouth may be stopped, and all the world (not just Israel) may become
guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds (or keeping) of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of
sin."
And what's the other word that is connected with sin? Death! So the Law was an
administration of death. All the Law could do was condemn the individual, and
if he was condemned then death was the only alternative. Now coming back to II
Corinthians again. If that was going to be done away with in verse 7, now we
have the whole concept of Grace taking the place of Law.
II Corinthians 3:9
"For if the ministration of condemnation (Law) be
glory, (then) much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in
glory."
As great as the system of Law was in operating in the Nation of Israel, it's
nothing to be compared with the operation of Grace.
II Corinthians 3:10
"For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this
respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth."
Now you know what I think Paul is saying? That, by comparison, the glory of
legalism which was, of course, the way God mandated to the Nation of Israel
living under the Law, was nothing. The sad thing is that we have people
today by the millions who turn their backs on Grace and say, "I'll do the best
I can, I'll keep the Commandments." It's just a sad commentary isn't it?.
Now verse 11. In this verse Paul puts it in plain language. This isn't covered
up or veiled one iota.
II Corinthians 3:11
"For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that
which remaineth is glorious."
Well what was done away with? The Law. What now remains? Grace. So we have two
great contrasts, but the same God. These are two totally different economies.
The one said, "Thou shalt not and thou shalt." The other one stands over
here in the verse we saw a couple of lessons ago. "Therefore stand in the
liberty wherewith Christ has saved us." What a difference.
Galatians 2:4
"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who
came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they
might bring us into bondage:"
So you can see what a difference. Grace is far more glorious. Now verse 12:
II Corinthians 3:12
"Seeing then that we have such hope, (the coming out of
legalism with all of its demands) we use great plainness of speech:"
I don't care in what form or shape legalism comes, it's legalism. And legalism
always instructs you as to what you have to do in order to merit favor with
God. There are millions of people who are shunning the Gospel of God's Grace,
(believing in His finished work of the Cross. (I Corinthians 15:1-4) and
saying, "I have to work for it." What a sad commentary, but that's the
Devil's lie. When Christ died and rose from the dead, God was totally
satisfied that was all we needed. We can trust that completely, and we
don't have to work and sweat, and worry, hoping that maybe we've done enough,
because Christ did enough. He did all that was necessary. But always remember
that Grace is not license. That doesn't mean that I can go out and live like
the Devil's crowd, and mostly because we don't want to. I dare say that the
average true believer would be as miserable in a honky tonk on Saturday night
as a regular honky tonk customer would be in Church on a Sunday morning. It's
the same difference. Two totally different lifestyles, two totally different
desires, and this, of course, is what makes it work. Now verse 13:
II Corinthians 3:13
"And not as Moses, (in other words it's not the same set-up
that Moses was operating under when he had to put the veil over his face.)
which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not
steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:"
Does that tell you what I've been trying to say? In other words when Moses put
the veil over his head, it wasn't that Israel couldn't stand the brightness of
his complexion, but rather that they could not see the end of this whole system
of Law, and they can't even to this day. They are blinded to the fact that the
whole system of Law has passed off the scene, it is abolished, and in it's
place is this tremendous revelation of the mysteries, "The Grace of
God!" Now verse 14:
II Corinthians 3:14
"But their (the Nation of Israel) minds were blinded:
for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken (or not taken) away
in the reading of the old testament; which is done away in Christ."
In other words when Christ finished the work of redemption by virtue of His
death, burial, and resurrection the whole system of Law was done away with. It
was abolished because now we've got something far better. Now you want to
remember that the Law was given to the Nation of Israel to prepare them for the
coming of their Messiah. But in their unbelief they failed it from start to
finish, but God didn't stop His plan of redemption because of it, He carried it
out anyway. So Christ died, He rose from the dead, He revealed to this
apostle, the apostle Paul, this whole new concept of salvation by faith because
of God's Grace, and nothing added. But the average Jew in his blindness is
still tying himself to the Law. To him the veil is still on Moses' head, and
they cannot see that it has come to an end. Now I hope you can see that. It
took me a long time and I don't expect you to really catch it in five minutes.
But the veil was only to keep Israel from seeing that the Law was fading away,
and that something better had now come in it's place. Now reading on:
II Corinthians 3:15
"But even unto this day, (now Paul was writing this about
60 AD but it's the same truth for 1997. To this day) when Moses is read, the
vail is upon their heart."
Remember in synagogue worship what is primarily read? The Torah, from Moses.
Bless the Jews' hearts because they're sincere, and Paul felt the same feeling
toward them. They were sincere in their activity, but as they read from Moses
that veil that keeps them from seeing that it has all passed off the scene, is
still on their hearts. Now let's look for a moment at a verse back in Romans
Chapter 11. This says it in a little plainer language than what it is here in
II Corinthians.
Romans 11:6,7
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace
is no more grace. (in other words, Grace cannot operate mixed with Law. It
has to stand totally by itself.) But if it be of works, then is it no more
grace: otherwise work is no more works. What then? Israel (nationally. not
individually) hath not obtained that which he seeketh for: but the election
(that small percentage of Jews who believe the Gospel) hath obtained it,
and the rest were blinded." And that's the vail that's on their heart
according to II Corinthians, and they just can't see through it. Now coming
back to our text for the few moments we have left, and lets read verse 15
again.
II Corinthians 3:15-17
"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon
their heart. Nevertheless when it (their hearts) shall turn to the Lord,
(by believing Paul's Gospel) the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord
is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
We have liberty, and not the heavy hand of legalism. Every believer has that
liberty, that wherewithal to search the Scriptures to come to their own
conclusion. I don't mind if folks write or call saying, "Hey I don't agree with
you." That's fine. We have that liberty. But when they disagree they have to do
it on the basis of The Book. Now verse 18:
II Corinthians 3:18
"But we all, (now who is Paul speaking on behalf of? Every
believer of the Grace Gospel) with open face beholding as in a glass the
glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as
by the Spirit of the Lord."
Remember when they're on the Mount of Transfiguration and Peter, James, John,
and The Lord was transfigured before them, and He shone forth with all of his
glory. Do you know that's the same identical word as changed is here in
the Greek. So every believer has experienced that already. Oh we don't show it
outwardly, but God sees it inwardly, and so we have already been transfigured
into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of The Lord. All
right come back up to the first part of that verse for a moment.
II Corinthians 15:18a
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of
the Lord,..."
Now Israel was depicted as being veiled from the truth of the Law. They
couldn't see that it was fading away. But we look at Christ as in a mirror,
and as we look at Christ in a mirror, what does the world see on us? His
reflection! It's just that simple, and the Law could never do any of that,
because Moses had to be veiled, and Israel could never understand. But you're
not under Law, but rather GRACE!
_______
LESSON THREE * PART I
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?
II CORINTHIANS 4:1-5:9
Now if you will turn with me to II Corinthians Chapter 4 we will begin our
study for this lesson. I think though before we begin with verse 1 that we
should have just a little review. We review because we have so many people that
thank us for reviewing. For so many of our people this is the first time that
they have really heard The Bible taught on a verse by verse basis, and
especially the letters like I and II Corinthians. Even in my own Bible study I
suppose these were two of the most neglected letters of Paul's writing, and
even as I study for the television programs, I am seeing things that I have
never seen before. Never lose sight of the fact that as soon as he began his
ministry to the Gentiles, Paul came under satanic opposition from every
possible direction. I think as we're going to see in Chapter 4, Paul grew weary
and almost despaired of life itself. Because it just seemed as though he was
just getting the Gospel off the ground, when everything fell in on him.
Remember Paul was just as human as we are.
Also never lose sight of the fact that all the way through these Corinthian
letters he is, especially more than in the others, defending his apostleship.
Everywhere Paul went the Judaisers would say, :"Well you're not Peter. After
all Peter spent 3 years with The Lord and Peter is our spokesman and Peter is
the one we're going to listen to." Then there were other factions that
said, "Well we go by what Jesus said in His earthly ministry." Does that
sound familiar? It does to me. And then there were others that said, "Well
Apollos is the man that we follow." And then on top of that controversy
Paul had that tremendous opposition from Satan throughout the pagan background
where they to were trying to stamp out this new idea.
I've often wondered why the Roman government came down so hard on Christianity
when they didn't bother Judaism? In fact I've read and I'm sure that some of
you have, that the Roman authorities guaranteed that the offerings to the
Temple would arrive safely. So the Romans had no problem with the Jews
religion, in fact they protected it. But Christianity - the Romans tried to
stamp it out and I think I finally found the answer to all of that and it was
that the Romans had due respect for any ancient religion. It didn't
matter whether it was pagan or whatever and, consequently, since the Jews
religions went back into antiquity, the Romans had a high regard for it, but
Christianity was something new. This was something that coming from the
up-start of this one man Paul, and so they, too, had no compunction about
putting it to death, and martyring those who were adhering to it.
So as we come through even the first couple of chapters of the second letter to
the Corinthians I want you to understand that the first letter was written from
Ephesus over there in what is today the land of Turkey on the western coast. So
he wrote I Corinthians from Ephesus, and it was a letter that came down real
hard on many of their problems, division, immorality, and some of the other
problems that they had. And then this second letter was written sometime after
he had been forced out of Ephesus because of the tremendous hatred for the
Gospel from the pagan followers of the goddess Diana. So after he had left
Ephesus he went up north into the northwest corner of what is now Turkey to the
ancient city of Troas, which was the city of Troy. Remember it was at Troy
where you had the Trojan horse so that will give you a little historical
background. So, evidently he began a little congregation there at Troas, but he
was supposed to have met Titus there in Chapter 2 verse 13. We might look at
that again for a moment, because I'm giving this background to show you why
this man was under such constant satanic attack. Now, that's nothing new. I've
always taught that just as soon as God made that classic statement in Genesis
3:15, and God was speaking to Satan, that the seed of the woman would bruise
the head of the serpent.
Genesis 3:15
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between
thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his
heel."
Now Satan knew what God was talking about. It was the coming of the Redeemer.
And so Satan kicks into gear everything to prohibit the coming of a Redeemer
for the human race. And then when the Abrahamic Covenant was given to Abraham,
again Satan understood that this was the vehicle that God would use to bring
about the seed of the woman. So what does Satan do? He turns on the Nation of
Israel. So all the way up through Israel's history there is that satanic attack
and the apparent desire to destroy the nation Israel, because if Satan could
destroy that nation then God's whole program would fall apart. Well it's the
same way now as you come into the advent of Christianity. Satan is going to do
everything in his power to disrupt it, to destroy it in order to thwart the
very program of God. Paul has been under such pressure from the persecutors of
Ephesus and now he's up at Troas, hoping to meet Titus. Now let's look at verse
13:
II Corinthians 2:13
"I had no rest in my spirit, (that is, in his innermost
being) because I found not Titus my brother: but taking my leave of them, I
went from thence into Macedonia."
Now imagine - there was no communication. He couldn't just go to the telegraph
office, as those of you who are older would probably think of as being
antiquities. But there was no way of communicating. There was no way that Titus
could tell Paul that he would eventually make it. And so after, no doubt,
waiting a few days and ministering to the people at Troas, he finally had to go
on his way, not knowing what had happened to Titus. Well from there he went to
Phillipi, which is way up in Northern Greece and it was probably at Phillipi
that he became so deathly sick that he despaired of life itself and thought his
ministry had come to an end. And all of that was heaped on the man, I think, by
Satanic forces. But God, on the other hand, said, "It's in weakness that you
become strong." And so Paul had to rely on that. Now as we come into
Chapter 4, once again he's going to defend his apostleship because of all the
innuendos that were leveled against him, because of all the attacks of the
Judaisers and the other forces that were in the man's life and so let's look at
verse 1 of Chapter 4:
II Corinthians 4:1
"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received
mercy, we faint not;" Paul didn't, but he was oh so close. Now verse
2.
II Corinthians 4:2a
"But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not
walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully;..."
Now does that ring a bell? Come back with me again to Chapter 2. Remember there
was a word we used in verse 17. It's not the same Greek word but it's awfully
close. So here again the Apostle is showing us that he is not in this for
personal gain, nor wealth, or fame, but rather for only one purpose and that is
to see lost humanity given the Gospel of Salvation as we find in I Corinthians
15:1-4. Now for a quick review let's look at verse 17.
II Corinthians 2:17a
"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of
God:..."
The word `corrupt' is translated in the Septuagint back in Isaiah 1:21-22 as
water mixed with wine. Well when you throw water in with good wine, what do
you do to it? You adulterate it, you corrupt it. So that's exactly what the
word means here in verse 17. Paul wasn't corrupting the Word of God. He was not
watering down his message with something that would tickle people's ears. He
was not giving them a message that would just make people feel good. That kind
of message would have been an adulteration, that would have been a corruption.
Then the other part of the Greek word for corruption in verse 17 was like a
street salesman, like a huckster, who is out simply hocking his goods, but
those kind of fellows are usually a little bit suspect, because they do not
have the best quality products because they too are adulterated. So all of this
fits together when Paul says, "I'm not like those kind of people, and I'm
not coming with something that is corrupted, adulterated, or cheap, but rather
I'm coming with the real thing." Now back to Chapter 4 then if you will,
and continuing on in verse 2 we find Paul saying:
II Corinthians 4:2b
"...nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by
manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in
the sight of God."
Now you know the meaning of truth is an elusive thing isn't it? A lot of our
universities use to put across their main gates, "Seeking After Truth."
in one way or another. But truth can be so elusive many times, and yet if we
just get in and search the Scriptures then the truth will come out. We had
three phone calls just yesterday from people of the same denomination, and they
were from different parts of the country who said, "Les you've opened my eyes.
I never realized that I was under such false teaching. Well it was not that I
opened their eyes, but rather the fact was they're doing something that I tell
people to do and that is asking, "What does The Book say?" And that's
when they found out that they were under a lot of false doctrine, because they
couldn't find it in The Book. It was coming from their pulpit, but it wasn't in
The Bible. And seeing it wasn't in The Bible made them come away from it. And
that's all I'm saying because I'm not here to knock any group, and if you can
line up with what they're preaching in The Book then fine, I have no opposition
with that. But so much of what we're hearing is not in The Book, it's men's
ideas, and people are swallowing it hook, line, and sinker and then suddenly
realizing that they have been led down some back alley. Now verse 3:
II Corinthians 4:3
"But (Now here's the flip side. Paul's not coming with an
adulterated product, but he says) if our gospel be hid, (or veiled)
it is hid to them that are lost:" Now just mull that statement over. A
better word for hid is veiled like we saw in Chapter 3. Let's turn back
there a moment and look at it.
II Corinthians 3:15,16
"But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon
their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be
taken away." What has been happening? Something has been hidden from them.
Now you bring that same concept up into verse 3.
II Corinthians 4:3a
"If our gospel be hid..." (or veiled)
Something is over it so that hearts cannot comprehend it. What has to happen?
Well someone has to remove the veil, and in this case who is holding the veil
in place? Satan is, as we'll see in the next verse.
II Corinthians 4:4a
"In whom the god of this world..." (Satan)
A lot of people don't like to talk about Satan. They think of him as a cartoon
character in a red underwear suit, and a pitchfork with some horns on his head,
but listen, that's not the Satan in The Bible. The Satan of The Bible is a
powerful being. Paul says in another place that he can transform himself into
an angel of light. So this is what Satan is doing so expeditiously today. Satan
is constantly confusing the issue with his seeming light, but remember it's
Satan who -
II Corinthians 4:4b
"...hath blinded the minds of them which (will not repent
and be baptized? Notice it doesn't say that. So what is God's controversy? They
won't believe. They) believe not,..."
It's not that we have to repent, it's not that we have run down some aisle in
repentance. But rather what does God demand for salvation in this day of Grace?
That we believe the Gospel. Now is a mighty good time to look at the Gospel of
salvation that saves us and places us into the Body of Christ. Jerry Pool isn't
here with us today, but if he was here he'd be winking at me, and I know what
he'd be saying. So turn back with me to I Corinthians Chapter 15. And bless his
heart, Jerry started coming to my classes about 16 years ago and I guess one of
the first Thursday nights he attended I must have struck a cord with these
first 4 verses in I Corinthians, "The Gospel!" There is no clearer place
in the whole Bible where the Gospel is laid out in full. This beats John 3:16 a
hundred miles. Now I have nothing against John 3:16, but John 3:16 can't even
come close to what Paul writes here. Remember any time that Paul makes a
reference to the Gospel in any of his epistles it's always this one. All right
verse 1:
I Corinthians 15:1,2
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel
(absolutely. Today there is only one Gospel of Grace.) which I preached
unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (that was all
it took. When they believed the Gospel then God literally moved heaven and
earth to bring that person to place of enlightenment. And as soon as we believe
the Gospel this Book begins to open up to understanding. And it begins to make
sense) By which also ye are saved, (it's by this Gospel and this Gospel
only that we're saved. I don't care if it was in Corinth or any other area of
the world, whether it was back in 50 AD or in the present year it makes no
difference because this is the Gospel that saves lost people.) if ye keep in
memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain."
Paul is saying, "Don't believe the wrong thing for salvation." Listen
God is meticulous. Again this same Jerry had been to a funeral of a dear
friend, a good person, and I'll never forget the look on Jerry's face when he
said, "Les is there any chance that God might compromise this a little bit and
let this person in?" No way! Because God is not a compromiser. God has made
the plan of salvation so simple, and plain that He is not going to let someone
slip in a side door, and say, "Well I thought..." You see that's what Cain
did. I always have to go back to Cain and Abel because they were so typical.
Abel did just exactly what God said to do. Abel believed what God said and he
acted on it. But old Cain rationalized, and said, "Yeah but I think that if I
do this and if I come on with all of this effort then God will accept me."
But did He? No! I've often said that Cain was probably a better person
than Abel. It wouldn't surprise me a bit. Because Cain tried, but what was his
problem? Cain didn't believe what God said.
And it's the same way today. If people are going to somehow or other connive
around this simple Gospel, then I don't believe that God is going to accept
them. Now I don't know hearts, and I never pretend to, but I have to go by what
The Book says, and The Book says that this is the Gospel by which people are
saved. Here it is in verse 3 and 4.
I Corinthians 15:3,4
"For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also
received, (now here we come back to the revelation that Paul received from
the ascended Lord, and not from Christ's earthly ministry. Christ had the
finished work of the Cross now behind Him. So this is what was revealed by the
ascended Lord for us to believe for salvation) how that Christ died for our
sins according to the scriptures; (This was in that whole preordained plan
of the ages that Christ would go to the Cross) And that he was buried, and
that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures;"
Now folks that's the Gospel that you must believe in your heart for
salvation. And isn't it so simple. Oh there is no string attached, there is
no prescribed ritual, there is no particular way that you have to do this. You
can believe it at the kitchen sink, you can believe it driving down the road,
you can believe it when you wake up in the middle of the night. You can say,
"Yes I see it. For me there is only one remedy, and that is that Christ died
for my sins, and He arose from the dead!" Then God does all the rest. God
saves us. God sets our feet on a Rock, and He begins to open up the Scriptures,
and then we begin to comprehend the truth of The Bible from cover to cover. Now
this isn't going to happen all at once, but salvation happens all at once. I
told a class many years ago that salvation is not a process, but rather
salvation is an event. Salvation is an instantaneous event. Christian growth is
a process. Bible understanding is a process, but salvation is a one time
event. And what an event to be translated from darkness to light! To know
your sins have been forgiven, and to know that you're justified! And all this
happens instantaneously.
I noticed in my studies of this past week that in all of Paul's letters that we
never have to beg God to forgive us of our sins. Think about that. And yet for
most people who are putting out the plan of salvation they say, "You have to
ask God to forgive you of your sins, you have to repent." Well I can't find any
of this in Paul's letter to the Church Age believers. It's not in here, but
rather my Bible tells me that when Christ died the death of the Cross, He took
on Himself not just the sins of those who are saved, but rather He took on the
sins of every human being that has ever lived or will ever live. And when He
took every human being's sin then He could cry to the Father, "Those sins are
forgiven," All of those sins are buried in the deepest sea, never, never to be
brought before us again. So even when lost people slip out of this life into
eternity, their sins are already forgiven. But they had not believed unto
Salvation. Now when we get into Chapter 5 of II Corinthians we're going to find
the word "Reconciliation" and the same thing applies. Every human being that
has ever lived has now been reconciled to God by virtue of the work of the
Cross.
But now I have to clarify that don't I? I think this will be a good
illustration. Those guys in Congress who hold the money bags, and can hand it
out by the billions. For a particular program they can appropriate millions of
dollars, but that money stays in that account until somebody out there starts
drawing on that account. Am I right? Is that government process? You know it
is. All right the money is already appropriated, but it won't do a nickels
worth of good until somebody draws on it and puts it to use. Now that is God!
At the Cross God paid the payment for every person's sins. He paid their
eternal doom, He did everything that needed to be done. So now all that lost
people have to do is draw on that account. And how do they do that? By simply
believing the Gospel for their salvation. But the reason they will never enjoy
all the ramifications of that finished work is that they are never going to
draw on it by believing. They will never exercise the faith that God demands.
Now isn't that sad? You know I think when people go to the Lake of Fire for all
eternity, they won't be going there for all their sins. They're not going there
because of the drunkenness, and adultery and whatever you want to call sin.
They're going there because of their unbelief! And if I'm not remembered
for anything else I want to be remembered for that. That lost humanity is going
to their eternal doom for only one reason, and that is they refuse to believe
that everything is already done. And isn't that sad. And who is keeping them
from seeing all of this? The powers of Satan as we see in II Corinthians 4:4:
II Corinthians 4:4a
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not,..."
And how does Satan do it? I think his favorite choice today is to keep people
so busy. Everybody is so busy. Our kids are all involved in sports from the
time they get old enough to walk. And so it is a constant bombarding of our
time with everything except the things that count. And so I believe this is
Satan's biggest instrument. And there is nothing wrong with a lot of those
things. There's nothing wrong with kids playing T-Ball, or basketball; but
what's it doing? It's keeping their minds so occupied that they never have time
to think in terms of the spiritual. Oh, the old Devil loves it when we're
preoccupied. The more he can keep people in programs, and the more he can keep
people with their eyes on material things the more old Satan can say, "I've
got them veiled, I'm keeping them blinded, and I'm the winner.
_______
LESSON THREE * PART II
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?
II CORINTHIANS 4:1-5:9
Now to begin this lesson let's pick up where we left off in the last lesson and
that will be in verse 4.
II Corinthians 4:4a
"In whom..."
That is, the lost people of the world who are lost, not because of what they've
done, but rather because of their unbelief. Now while we were in Minnesota last
week several people showed me my little quote in the fly leaf of their Bible,
and it kind of tickles me that people take note of these things. But I've had
it on the board several times in the past, and the quote goes something like
this. "We are not sinners because of sins we commit but rather we sin
because we are sinners." Now all that means is that we are born with that
old Adamic nature, and that Adamic nature knows only one thing, and that's to
rebel against the things laid down by God Himself. So the human's natural
tendency is to listen to the old Adam. So, consequently, we become sinners, and
it isn't because of what we've done. It's because of what we are.
Now the same way here. The people who are lost are not lost because they went
out and got drunk one night. They're not lost because they cheated or stole, or
committed immorality, but rather they are lost because they are born in sin as
children of Adam and they have refused the remedy; which, of course, is faith
in the finished work of the Cross. And Paul is constantly throwing out that the
Cross has completed everything. We were just talking at break time about how
the Devil blinds people and I think that this is just another ploy of the god
of this world who transforms himself into an angel of light, because he won't
do this clothed in the black robes of magic. But rather the Devil does this
clothed in bright lights, as the angel of light, and that is he is keeping the
world that has any interest in Scripture in the Four Gospel accounts.
I think it is so frightening that people are not getting away from Christ's
earthly ministry, and getting into the fact that it was His death, His burial,
and the fact that He arose victorious over sin and death, and now we are on
this side of the Cross. We are not back there in Christ's earthly ministry, and
we're going to see that specifically in the next chapter. So we have to
constantly force ourselves almost because the tendency is to just study mostly
in Christ's earthly ministry. But what did Jesus say in Matthew 24:14?
Matthew 15:24
"But he (Christ) answered and said, `I am not sent but
unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'"
Romans 15:8
"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the
circumcision (Jews only) for the truth of God, to confirm the promises
made unto the fathers;" (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.)
So remember the Four Gospels were only to Israel and that was under the Law of
Moses. Now looking at verse 4 again.
II Corinthians 4:4
"In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them
which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them."
Now there is another point. You have no idea how many people are asking the
question, "Well, Who is Christ?" A lot of people are confused. Some have the
idea that Christ never really amounted to anything until He was born at
Bethlehem. They do not have the understanding that Jesus of Nazareth was the
manifestation in the flesh of the Creator God of Genesis 1:1. I show that when
we teach the Book of Genesis that Christ, as we know Him in the New Testament,
was the Creator of the Old Testament.
John 1:1-3
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made
by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."
John 1:14a
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,..."
As I explained to a person yesterday morning on the phone, and this very
concept that we talked about in our last lesson. that when Christ died He paid
the sin debt of every human being from Adam until the end of time. He could
have never done that if He had not been the God of glory. So Jesus is the
fleshly manifestation and is the image of that invisible eternal God. Turn with
me for a moment to the Book of Colossians in Chapter 1. And let's see how this
fits so beautifully with what the Holy Spirit inspires the apostle to write
back in the letter to the Corinthians.
Colossians 1:15
"Who (speaking of the Son in verse 13, and who has redeemed us
in verse 14 through His Blood.) is the image (or visible manifestation)
of the invisible God, the first born of every creature:"
So you see this is what we have to take by faith. I know I can't prove this in
a laboratory experiment, but the Scriptures says it. And by faith we believe
it, that God the Triune, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
were invisible. But God the Son stepped out of that invisible Godhead and
became the visible manifestation of the whole. And that's Christ, that's The
Lord Jesus of Nazareth. Do you see that? Now verse 16, and here we find that
Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, attributes The Lord Jesus with the
Creation.
Colossians 1:16
"For by him (Son in verse 13) were all things created,
that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they
be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; (that even goes
into realm of Satan and his powers) all things were created by him, and for
him."
So that's why I say He is the same God in Colossians as He is in Genesis. The
only difference is He has now taken on human flesh, human appearance. He is the
image of the invisible God. I had a whole living room full of people about 25
years ago the first time I taught this. And when I just laid this out so
clearly that Jesus of the Cross was the same God Who created everything in
Genesis 1:1 it just blew their minds. And these people had been in church all
their life, but they had never seen that before. And that's what we have to
understand that Jesus of Nazareth was same God of Genesis 1:1, the only
difference being He had now been manifested in the flesh. And that's why when
we put our faith and trust in what He has accomplished, then we're not just
talking about some Jew who grew up in a carpenter shop. But rather we're
talking about the Creator Himself Who has taken it upon Himself the very work
of redemption. Now coming back to our text in II Corinthians.
II Corinthians 4:5
"For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and
ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake."
Here Paul is again defending his apostleship. He's saying, "I'm not coming in
here with something just to gain personal support. I'm not coming in here for
some kind of personal fame. What I'm doing is only because I am the servant."
Now the word in the Greek here is really bond slave. So Paul says, "I'm a bond
slave for Jesus' sake." Let's go for a moment to Ephesians Chapter 3. And here
the apostle is constantly showing us that he's not in it because he wants to be
some religious big wig. He's not in here to build some personal empire. He is
only out here to bring these pagan Gentiles out of their sin, out of their
spiritual darkness, and into the knowledge of his Gospel.
Ephesians 3:1
"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you
Gentiles."
And not only was Paul a bond slave of Christ, but also a literal prisoner of
Christ for this distinct purpose. Now we've got to go back to the Book of Acts
Chapter 9, because there are so many people in our listening audience that do
not understand how all this began. I know for a lot of you folks this will be
just a review, but for a lot of folks they do not understand. Why does Paul
make these kind of statements? Well you want to remember that Paul early on was
a religious zealot, and he earnestly thought that by stamping out anything that
referred to Jesus of Nazareth in Israel, he was doing the God of Abraham a
service. But you see God all of a sudden stopped the man in his tracks, and you
find the story of his salvation on the road to Damascus. But look what took
place in Damascus while Saul, now blind, is making his way into town.
Acts 9:11-15a
"And the Lord said unto him, (Ananias) `Arise, and go
into the street which is called Straight, and enquire in the house of Judas for
one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold he prayeth, and hath seen in a vision a
man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive
his sight.' Then Ananias answered, `Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how
much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he hath authority
from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.' But the Lord said
unto him, (Ananias) `Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to
bear my name before the Gentiles,...'"
Now that was something unheard of in the Jewish culture. They had no idea that
they were to go to the Gentiles. Oh they knew the prophets spoke of it, they
knew that Isaiah spoke of Israel being a light unto the Gentiles, but certainly
not their generation. I mean they had the same mentality that Jonah had, and
you all know what Jonah did. Jonah would rather walk the plank than go to a
Gentile city. So the Jews attitude hadn't changed, and now God tells Ananias
that this man is going to go to the Gentiles? Boy I bet Ananias swallowed hard
on that one. And he probably thought well that's better than having to back to
Jerusalem a captive of the guy. But nevertheless right here is where God takes
a drastic change of direction. Up until this time He had been dealing only
with the Nation of Israel. God had been dealing only with the Jew. In fact
look for a moment in Acts Chapter 11.
Acts 11:19
"Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution
that arose about Stephen (and remember who headed up that persecution? Saul
of Tarsus. He held the cloaks of those who stoned Stephen) travelled as far
as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the
Jews only."
I know people rebel at that, in fact it's almost like they say, "Les that's not
in my Bible." But oh yes it is. Here we are about 7 or 8 years after Pentecost,
and these Jews have gone to no one but Jews only. But now all of a sudden God
is going to do something totally different because Israel is rejecting it in
unbelief again just like they did at Kadesh-barnea. And just like they do so
many other times, they rejected God's offer, and so God says, "all right
then we'll do something different." So then this is why He raises the
Apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles. Have you still got your hand in the Book of
Ephesians? Let's read that verse again.
Ephesians 3:1
"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you
Gentiles,"
Well let's back up a page and see which cause Paul is speaking of. Chapter 2
verse 8 and 9. Now this isn't the only thing he's referring to, but primarily.
And who had ever heard something like this before?
Ephesians 2:8a
"For by grace are ye saved through faith;..."
Now stop a minute. What do a lot of people think should also be in this verse?
Oh sacrifices from the Jewish economy. From our own present day a lot of people
think that repentance and baptism, church membership, good works should be in
here, but none of that is in here. That doesn't save us. It's all a part of the
result of salvation. But look what it says, For by grace are ye saved
through faith.
Ephesians 2:8a
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves:..."
Now that flies in the face of works doesn't it? Oh, look at the millions of
people across the world tonight who are still hoping that they are going to
make it by their works. And this Book says it's not of works. The moment anyone
puts works to salvation then it becomes worthless. Then Christ shall profit you
nothing.
Ephesians 2:8,9
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of
yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
Now back to Ephesians Chapter 3 again, and let's look at verse 1 again.
Ephesians 3:1,2
"For this cause I Paul, the prisoner (the bond slave)
of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation
(or administration) of the grace of God (not Law, not works, not
legalism, but the grace of God) which is given me to you-ward."
And who is Paul writing to? Gentiles. You know I'm always making the analogy
that when God gave the Law to Moses up there on Mount Sinai, and Moses came
down the mountain with the Law who was he to dispense it to? Israel. So God
gave the Law to Moses, and Moses gave it to the Nation of Israel. But now about
1500 years later God does much the same thing, and yet totally different. I
think He has Paul down there at that same Mount Sinai in Arabia (Gal 1:17) and
now to this man He gives not the tables of stone but the revelations of the
mysteries of the Grace of God.
And God doesn't tell Paul to go back to Jerusalem and give it to Israel, but he
tells him that He's going to send him far hence to the Gentiles with this
whole new concept of a salvation by faith, and faith alone. Without temple
worship, without a priesthood, without works. Is that mind boggling? Absolutely
it is. And most of humankind can't understand that, unless the Holy Spirit
opens our thinking. And this is what it takes. All I can tell people when they
call with questions is I can't help you unless the Holy Spirit helps you to
understand it. He has to give you the wisdom. And that reminds me of another
verse in Ephesians still in Chapter 3. Look how Paul prays for these Gentile
believers, and it's still valid for us. Remember this is a prayer that Paul is
uttering.
Ephesians 3:14
"For this cause I bow my knees..." (See he's praying. And
look what he prays in verse 16.)
Ephesians 3:16
"That he would grant you, (remember he is writing to you and
I) according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by
his Spirit in the inner man;" Not just intellectually, not just in the head,
but it has to be in the heart. It has to be in that very core of our being. Now
verse 17, and Paul is still praying.
Ephesians 3:17,18
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being
rooted and grounded in love," (Now this is fantastic. This is for everyone
of us, that we) May be able to comprehend (and if we comprehend it we
will appropriate it.) with all saints (this isn't just for the clergy,
this isn't just for the few, this is for every single believer.) what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height;"
The fourth dimension. I suppose that Einstein had a little bit of this in the
physics. But nevertheless we're not used to four dimensions, but rather only
three. But here is a fourth dimension that God wants the believer to enter
into. You know there's a book out now that is one of the best sellers that has
to do with the codes of The Bible. It's called "Bible Codes" and you have all
been hearing about it. How this Jewish mathematician in Israel has seemingly
found the code in the subliminal area (or however you want to put it) back in
the Old Testament. Someone gave me a copy and in the introduction of the book
this mathematician in Israel really got the idea from all this from finding
something like 2000 pages of notes, if I remember correctly, from the old
inventor Isaac Newton.
Now I never knew that Isaac Newton was that kind of a Bible scholar, but he
was. He had already determined that the Word of God was so supernaturally put
together that there could very well be hidden truths in here that man had never
been able to recover. Then if we can put some credibility to this finding then
it's the computer that makes it possible. I had a little quote that I was going
to bring and read today but I went off and left it on the kitchen table. Anyway
in Isaac Newton's life, which was from 16 something to around the early 1700's,
he wrote that he could see that in the latter times shortly before The Lord
would return, a body of men would be raised up who would be able to discern the
prophecies written within this Book. Now Isaac Newton saw that over 200 years
ago, and of course we're seeing it now. We're understanding prophecy like never
before. But getting back to the text we have the potential now in response to
the prayer of this apostle to enter into a fourth dimension. Now verse 19.
Ephesians 3:19
"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth (or goes
beyond) knowledge, (every body is hung up on education, and I have
nothing against education. I mean it's amazing the explosion of knowledge and
technology today. But you know something far better than that, and that is to
know Christ. To know Him is beyond knowledge,) that ye might be filled with
all the fullness of God."
Now a thought just comes to me. I think that it was Dwight L. Moody who, at the
beginning of his tremendous ministry, had read a quote by a previous great man
of God. But that man of God on his death bed had said, "I had always hoped that
I could be the man that God had used to the full, but I've failed." Well when
Moody read that and began his ministry, he said, "Gentlemen I hope to be that
man." But years later after all of his tremendous response to evangelism, and
on his deathbed, he said, "That man still hasn't lived." And isn't that true?
There has never been a man that has lived out the full potential of what God
has in store. Every one of them and every one of us will somehow fail and come
short of it, but the potential is there, and God is able. Now come back in the
short time we have left to II Corinthians again. Now verse 6.
II Corinthians 4:6a
"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of
darkness,..."
Now that may be a reference to the Creation, but I think rather it's a
reference to Christ on the planet earth in the flesh. Let's look at that in
John's Gospel Chapter 1.
John 1:6-9
"There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. (John
the Baptist) The same (John) came for a witness, to bear witness of
the Light, (Christ) that all men (not just a few) through him
might believe. He (John) was not that Light, but was sent to bear
witness of that Light. That was the true Light, (Jesus of Nazareth)
which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."
Now that's a frightening statement isn't it? In other words, no one is ever
going to be able to say, "But I never had a chance." Remember the true Light
lighteth every man that comes into the world.
_______
LESSON THREE * PART III
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?
II CORINTHIANS 4:1-5:9
Now we'll go right back to II Corinthians Chapter 4 where we left off. In my
opening remarks a couple of lessons ago we said that the apostle Paul had left
Ephesus where he had written the first letter to the Corinthians and I put a
make-shift map on the board. We had the land of Israel and the Mediterranean
Sea coast coming along what is present day Turkey or which in New Testament
days was called Asia Minor. There on the west coast of present day Turkey is
still the ruins of the ancient city of Ephesus for which Paul, I think, almost
had to flee for his life. You remember at one point he referred to the beast at
Ephesus? Well he wasn't talking about the beast in the coliseum, he was just
talking about the population in general that had been so pagan in their fervor
for Diana the goddess of the Ephesians.
Well up here at Troas the ancient city of Troy, he had hoped to meet Titus who
had been down ministering at Corinth. And remember all these churches were
founded on his first missionary journey, and here Paul is on his second. He
missed meeting Titus at Troas so he goes on up to Philippi in northern Greece
where he was evidently on his sick bed, nigh onto death. Then after he got well
he made his way on down and finally visited Corinth a second time. Now that's
the back drop for these next few verses when he was almost despairing of his
life because of his tremendous sickness. Now remember in verse 6 we have this
treasure, this Light that lighted the whole world. It's already there for us to
draw upon. And we who know The Lord can have the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God. But even though this is such a magnificent knowledge and
understanding, yet God didn't see fit to put it in the hands of angels, but
rather He left it in the hands of mortal men. Paul was just as human as the
rest of us. But it didn't stop with Paul. Other men came along and as we've
come down through human history, and even today, every one us has the
opportunity to share the Word with whoever might listen. And so verse 7
says it all in that regard.
II Corinthians 4:7
"But we have this treasure (the light of God) in
earthen vessels, (Now Paul wasn't talking about a clay pot, but rather this
body of flesh.) that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of
us."
Man can never take the credit for anything. It all has to be of God or it will
fall flat on it's face. Let's turn back to I Corinthians for a moment and look
at verse 27, 28, and 29. I have to remind myself of these verses constantly
because I'm the first one to say, "Who in the world am I. Why did God see fit
to even use me what little ways He does?" Well, it's not because I'm
somebody, but rather because I'm a nobody. And according to Scripture
that's the way it has to be.
I Corinthians 1:27,28
"But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to
confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound
the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are
despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought
(nothing) things that are;"
In other words what's all this saying? God uses that which mankind would never
dream of using. And He uses it for His honor and glory. Now what's the purpose
in verse 29? And it's the same concept of II Corinthians 4:7. All of this is
for the one purpose.
I Corinthians 1:29
"That no flesh should glory in his presence."
No one! Not a Dwight L. Moody, or Charles Wesley, because no one can ever glory
that they accomplished something. It is all of God or is none of God.
Now back to II Corinthians Chapter 4, and here I think you can get the mindset
of the apostle as he is now writing. He had just gotten up from the sick bed in
Philippi. He was actually thinking that his ministry had come to an end. He
thought God for some reason was taken off the scene. But we know God wasn't.
Paul goes on now and look what he writes.
II Corinthians 4:8
"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair,"
Why was Paul perplexed? My he had been doing so much. He had been set apart way
back there in Damascus to go to the Gentiles. Paul knew that he hadn't finished
the work, he knew that Christianity was still in it's infancy. He knew it was
being attacked from every direction imaginable. So Paul was perplexed, and I
think it's the same thing that we are today. Sometimes we're prone to ask,
"Well God, why?" Why? But remember God has His own purposes. Even though Paul
was perplexed he never gave up. He didn't say, "I'm throwing in the towel
because it's not worth it." Now verse 9.
II Corinthians 4:9
"Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, (laid in a bed
of sickness) but not destroyed;"
Absolutely Paul was persecuted. He was driven from city to city, but The Lord
didn't forsake him. The Lord promised him what? When he was in Corinth The Lord
said, "Paul don't you run from the enemies because I've much people in
Corinth." So Paul was cast down and disappointed especially not being able to
meet with Titus who was part of his whole ministry. What a disappointment, but
yet he says, "not destroyed." Now verse 10.
II Corinthians 4:10
"Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
(Now upon first reading this I think most people think that Paul is making
a reference that when Christ died we died also. Well up to a point that's
correct, but I also think that if you know the setting here he had just gotten
up from a sick bed that he thought was unto death, and so this is what he's
making reference to.) that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in
our body."
In other words, as Paul was lying on that sick bed which we can assume was up
there at Philippi. Even though he thought his ministry had ended, what was he
confident of? That he had done as much as The Lord had intended him to do. I
always have to think of how he wrote to Timothy at the end of his ministry.
Let's look at that for a moment in II Timothy Chapter 1. This was probably the
very last of his epistles that was written before he was finally martyred.
II Timothy 1:9-12a
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was
given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by
the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am
appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the
which cause I also suffer these things:..."
What is he talking about? Well, number one, who was his chief opposition? The
believing Jews as well as those still steeped in Judaism. But it wasn't the Jew
alone, but rather a satanic power from every direction. So Paul suffered
because Satan didn't want the Gospel going to the Gentile world. Satan hated
that it was going to Israel throughout the Old Testament. But now to go to the
masses of Gentiles? That was the last thing that Satan wanted. Now continuing
on with verse 12.
II Timothy 1:12
"For these which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I
am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed (isn't that something? In
spite of all his difficulties and all of his sickness, and sorrows, and
sufferings, he never doubted the God in Whom he served. Paul says,) I know
whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have
committed unto him against that day.
Now we'll be studying Timothy some day if The Lord tarries. I don't think it
will be that long before He returns for us, but He may tarry. Now verse 13 and
14.
II Timothy 1:13,14
"Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of
me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was
committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us."
Now those of you who are real Bible students and want to chase down an
interesting word "that good thing" in the Greek is the deposit.
In other words Paul tells Timothy, "What I have deposited with you keep it. Now
when you deposit something you look for security as the number one thing. You
don't want to put something someplace and get back next week and it's gone.
Secondly, especially in our age of investments and so forth, if you're going to
make a good deposit what do you expect? Dividends, interest, a return on it.
Well you see the word means all of those things. Timothy keep the deposit and
let it earn dividends and interest. Don't just sit on it. Now that goes back to
when Jesus gave the talents back there in the Four Gospels. Did He want them to
just go home and bury it? No. But rather go out and gain some increases with
each talent. So I think the same admonition is good for all of us.
I made comment on the next verse in a previous program and I'm still getting
calls about that verse. One person said, "I never knew that verse was in my
Bible. What did the apostle Paul mean?" I said, it means exactly what it
says.
II Timothy 1:15
"This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned
away from me;..."
Now you want to remember that Greece was Europe, and Asia Minor was the Asia of
the New Testament. Here of course is where Paul had started so many churches.
You remember Thyatira, and Pergamos, and Smyrna? All these little town here in
Asia Minor had evidently already turned away from his Gospel (Ref. I Cor.
15:11-4) by the time he was martyred. What a heartache to think that he
spent so much and poured out his life and yet those were the people that turned
their back on him. And of course I think the results are very evident. None of
those little cities are left anymore, not one of them. But on the other hand
many of the cities in Greece are still valid. Philippi is still a valid sea
port. Athens is still valid. Corinth is no longer the ancient city, but there's
another city right next to it, and much of Greece refers to the journeys and so
forth of Paul, but back there in western Turkey not one of these cities are
left. They have all faded off the scene, and I think that is the basic reason
for their disappearance. Now returning to our text in II Corinthians, and we'll
just skim through these next few verses because they're all just decrying the
fact, "that Paul had suffered so much to get the message to these
Gentiles." Now verse 11 and 12 for example.
II Corinthians 4:11,12
"For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus'
sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
So then death worketh in us, but life in you."
What's he saying? Well as a result of him spending his physical life, his
physical energy, to get his Gospel to these pagans, they were coming out of
their physical darkness, they were coming out of their spiritual darkness into
the joy and the life of the Gospel, but his body was suffering the
consequences. I'm sure that the old fellow must have been wracked with much
pain as he sat in prison in Rome waiting for the executioners sword. Now verse
13.
II Corinthians 4:13
"We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is
written, I believe, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore
speak;."
Speaking of believing, come back for a moment to Acts Chapter 9. I know a lot
of our folks were with me when we studied this many months ago, but a lot of
you weren't. And also remember this where you had this tremendous change of
direction in the Book of Acts. Up until this chapter it's Peter and the eleven
and the Nation of Israel. And now all of a sudden with just an exception in
Chapter 10, and Peter comes back on the scene momentarily, all the rest of the
Book of Acts covers this one man. Peter is completely forgotten so far as the
Acts accounts are concerned. But here in Acts Chapter 9 we find Saul of Tarsus,
that great persecutor of Jewish believer. Now remember Paul didn't go after
Gentiles because there were none of them believing yet. But Paul was after
the believing Jews who had followed the supposed heresy that Jesus of Nazareth
was the Messiah for their salvation. Remember at that time the Gospel of the
Kingdom was the only Gospel that had been revealed. To this good Jew, Saul
of Tarsus believed that this was the worst thing that could have happened to
the Nation of Israel. Remember he thought Jesus was an impostor. So he's trying
to stamp it out by persecution, by imprisonment, by putting them to death.
Acts 9:1-5a
"And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter
against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of
him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, (Saul was not satisfied any
longer with just working the small towns of Israel) that if he found any of
this way, (that is that Jesus was the Christ) whether they were men or
women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came
near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, `Saul, Saul, why
persecuted thou me?' (Now this is what I want you to see in verse 5. We
always make this point.) And he said, `Who art thou, Lord?...'"
Now you want to remember that all the way up through the Old Testament the word
Lord was used by the writers of Scripture, by the Jews in
general, in place of the name that they didn't even dare to repeat, and what
was it? Jehovah! It was of such awe and such high esteem that the average Jew
didn't even want to breath the name. So what did they substitute? Lord. Now all
the way through the Old Testament when you see the word LORD all in capital
letters, it's Jehovah. When Saul of Tarsus addresses God, which he knows this
Light and voice is, then in so many words he says, "Who art thou Jehovah?" Even
though he didn't come right out and say, yet he was thinking it. And how does
Jehovah answer?
Acts 9:5a
"I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:..."
And this answer blew his mind. He thought he was doing the work of Jehovah by
stamping out the name of Jesus, and then to suddenly realize that what he
thought was his enemy was in reality the God of Abraham. Oh what a transcending
experience. And then Saul says:
Acts 9:6a
"... Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?..."
It didn't take Saul of Tarsus an hour to figure out Who The Lord was. It didn't
take him very long to understand Who Jesus was. I've shared on this program
before about a gentlemen who came to my home several years ago and that was his
first question. "Who in the world is Jesus Christ?" Oh I wish more
people would ask that question. There are too many people who don't know.
People do not understand that Jesus Christ of the New Testament is the Jehovah
God of the Old Testament. Jesus of the New Testament is the God of Genesis 1:1.
They are One in the same. The only difference was that in the New Testament He
manifested Himself in the flesh.
John 1:1
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God,"
John 1:14
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,..."
That's who Jesus Christ is. He's the God of glory. He's the God of Creation.
Well enough for that, now back to II Corinthians. So this is where the apostle
is now after his years of taking the Gospel that was revealed to him to the
Gentiles, and still having a heart for the Nation of Israel. Now verse 14.
II Corinthians 4:14,15
"Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up
us also by (that same) Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all
things (everything that has happened to this man) are for your sakes,
that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound (or
resound) to the glory of God."
It's always God's glory. We don't elevate Paul to glory. He was just a common
human being like the rest of us that God saw fit to use. But everything was to
bring glory to the God of heaven. Now verse 16.
II Corinthians 4:16-18
"For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man
perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal;
(they are earthly not heavenly) but the things which are not seen are
eternal."
Oh listen, get the impact of that. The world today is only set on the temporal.
What's in it for me. How can I enjoy life to the fullest? How can I make the
most? How can I do this, and how can I do that? But listen that's not where
it's at. Remember what The Lord said back in His earthly ministry?
Matthew 6:33
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness;
and all these things shall be added unto you."
Now there's nothing wrong with things. The Bible doesn't condemn things
provided we have our priorities straight. But if the believer gets hung up on
things, and more concerned about the temporal then he loses the sight of the
eternal. Oh please don't get caught in that trap. I feel we are in the closing
seconds of this age, and I'm not a date setter, but I'll tell you what; the way
I see the world rushing into the scenario that is going to be on the earth for
the appearance of the Anti-christ; I see it coming so fast. You see the Nation
of Israel pushed tighter and tighter by the Arab world till finally she will
get to the place where she may do something rash (which I do not think is going
to happen because God's going to do it in His time, and not according to the
Arab world's time). But if Israel would be pushed to the corner to do something
rash, it would be to use nuclear energy, and don't think they don't have it,
for they do, - but the world is literally rushing to the time when the man of
sin will make his appearance, and will finally bring a semblance of peace to
the Middle East.
Peace is what everybody is waiting for. And while they're waiting for peace to
come to the Middle East they're forgetting all about the admonition, "That when
you see all these things come to pass, then lift up your eyes for our moment of
redemption is coming near." And the more you see technology explode, the more
you see world politics move into a global format, the more you see global
economics, the more you see the religions and the major denominations of the
world coming in under one headship (and they're doing it), then that tells us
that time is short. Now coming back to the last verse again. Don't be concerned
about the things that are seen, but rather look at the things that are not seen
because they are eternal.
_______
LESSON THREE * PART IV
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?
II CORINTHIANS 4:1-5:9
Now in this lesson we're going to move into Chapter 5. I would like to make it
known that even though our material is copyrighted that's only to protect us
from somebody who would use it for profit. But anytime someone wants to copy
our material we give full permission as long as you don't try to sell them for
a profit. I do not believe in making merchandise of this Book (Bible). Now II
Corinthians Chapter 5. Paul is still dealing with this whole concept that he
thought he was going to die, and lose the rest of his ministry. So all of this
is on his mind, but the Holy Spirit is inspiring it. In this chapter I will be
able to answer the question, "What Happens When We Die.?" Here it is.
II Corinthians 5:1a
"For we know that if our earthly house..."
Our earthly house is a tent, a temporary dwelling place of our earthly body...
a temporary place for the real you and the real me. See the real us, the part
that's going on into eternity, is that invisible - the mind, the will and the
emotion, the personality. It is simply dwelling in this old earthly tabernacle.
And one of these days this old earthly tabernacle is going to dissolve and go
back into the earth from which it came, unless the Rapture of the Church takes
place first. And if that happens then this old body will just be changed. This
earthly house, this earthly tabernacle is the body of flesh. Now reading on:
II Corinthians 5:1
"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, (in other words it goes back into the ground from which it came.
However that won't stop us because we're eternal. So) we have a building of
God, an house not made with hands, eternal in heaven."
We should get excited about eternity. Even though Israel is more or less going
to enjoy the ramification of the new earth, as God's earthly people, you and I
as members of the Body of Christ are going to be heavenly. And I think that
whatever new universe God is going to create, He will create one that will be
literally garden plots for believers. I think that we will have
responsibilities throughout all of God's new creation. And we won't be limited
by time and space, but rather we'll be able to go to the end of the universe
and back in a second or two. We are literally going to be ruling with Christ in
the heavenlies. My, what a prospect. And not for a thousand years, but for
eternity. Now that's mind boggling. Eternal, forever in the heavens. Now verse
2:
II Corinthians 5:2
"For in this we groan, (we just can't fully comprehend)
earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house (or our dwelling
place) which is from heaven: In other words the new body. Now again I've
got to turn to the Book of Philippians because there's a verse there that
answers all the questions, "Well what kind of a body are we going to have when
we get to the eternal?"
Philippines 3:20,21
"For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from
whence (from that same heaven that our citizenship is now located) also
we look for the Saviour, (not the King. Remember at His Second Coming when
we come with Him, He will be coming as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But
when He comes for the Rapture or catching away of the Church He'll be coming as
our Saviour.) the Lord Jesus Christ; Who shall change (it will be a
metamorphous only on a grander scale than a butterfly. He shall change) our
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to
the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."
I always tell folks to study the 40 days after His resurrection if you want to
get a glimpse of your new resurrected body. How did He operate? Well, He looked
very normal, He had all the outward appearances of another human being. He
walked in step with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, and they didn't see
Him as something strange. They invited Him into the house for probably the
evening meal then suddenly He's gone. The Lord didn't go out the door, He
didn't slip out a window; He was gone, and in a split second He was in the
upper room in Jerusalem with the disciples. And again He just suddenly appeared
to the disciples. Then we find Him up at Galilee, and He stands there on the
seashore and waits for the fellows to come to shore in their little boat. And
when they don't have any fish what does He tell them? "Breakfast is ready." The
Lord had fish frying, and had the bread ready, and the Scripture says He ate
with them. Now is that weird or bizarre? No. He had a Human appearing Body, and
It could do all the things that the disciples did, but now It was an eternal
body, it was the resurrected Body. It was not of flesh and Blood, but rather
flesh and bone. And the Spirit is the life-given aspect of that new Body and
that's our prospect. So when this old body dies, and if we are buried and it
goes back into corruption then we know without a shadow of doubt that this is
going to be resurrected to a new body fashioned like His body. Now returning II
Corinthians Chapter 5.
II Corinthians 5:2a
"For in this we groan, earnestly desiring..."
How many Christians today can earnestly say that? Very few I'm afraid, but I
hope I'm wrong. But you see for every believer, the minute they wake up in the
morning the first thing they should think is `Oh Lord I hope you come
today.' We should be so fed up with this old world. And I love life just as
much as anybody. When I drive across those pastures and look at those cattle, I
love it, just ask my wife. I think she sometime thinks she's in second place.
So don't think I don't enjoy life.
But you know what I love more? The thought that maybe today or tonight I'm
going to be suddenly in the realms of glory. What a prospect. And I know
that takes a lot of faith. Iris and I were talking about it the other night. It
just takes a lot of faith to believe that all of a sudden there's going to be a
sudden disappearance of millions of people. I want you to realize that if you
can believe God's Word it's going to happen. And I can understand when the
scoffers say, "How can you believe such stuff." Because it does take faith. But
for us who believe it is an exciting prospect that maybe before this day is
over, maybe before this year is over, or before this century is over it's going
to happen. And I believe we're getting so close, and it's going to happen
because The Word declares it. Now verse 3:
II Corinthians 5:3-4
"If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4.
For we that are in this tabernacle (we're still here in the flesh) do
groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon,
that mortality might be swallowed up of life."
What's Paul driving at? We are not so much looking forward to losing this old
body, and having the soul and spirit separated from it. But the whole prospect
is that as soon as this body has quit functioning and is no longer necessary
then we have a new one. One that's far better, one that will never again have
an ounce of pain, one that will never again have sickness. Oh what a glorious
prospect. But it's coming and we're getting so close. I try to tell even young
people about how close we are. You can tell those young people the same thing
that you can tell the older folks. "Hey listen we're getting close. One day
this body, whether it's young, old or in-between, is suddenly going to be gone,
and we're going to be clothed with that which is immortal."
We have seen lives full of vigor and vitality, suddenly gone in a split second.
That also happens on our highways everyday, and we never know who's going to be
next. But all of a sudden this body that is prone to die is never going to die,
only change, and that's the hope of the believer. Now verse 5:
II Corinthians 5:5
"Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God,
(it all began with God and it will all end with Him.) who also hath
given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." Now why did the Holy Spirit
inspire the apostle Paul to talk about something like a down payment? Because a
down payment is something that is only a holding pattern until something later
consummates. Let's go to Ephesians Chapter 1 for the answer.
Ephesians 1:13,14
"In whom (speaking of Christ) ye also trusted,
(placed your faith) after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of
your salvation: (as you find in I Corinthians 15:1-4. How that Christ died
for you, was buried, and rose again) in whom also after that ye believed,
(in your heart) ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. Which
is the earnest (the down payment. I thought our salvation was complete. Yes
and No. That's a terrible answer isn't it? Spiritually of the soul and spirit -
Yes it's complete. We are redeemed, we are justified, we're sanctified, we're
in the Body of Christ. But there's one part of the great plan of redemption
that is only partial and here it is. At our salvation the Holy Spirit comes in
as God's earnest or down payment) of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."
Now what's the purchased possession if it's not the soul and spirit. Well
there's that third part of us that has to be ready for eternity, and what is
it? The body. Several years ago I had a pastor claim from our pulpit that,
"God's not concerned about the physical body, but rather all He's concerned
about is your soul.' Oh No? We are a three-part person. We are body, soul, and
spirit! Before we go to the Book of Romans let's look at that in the Book of I
Thessalonians Chapter 5.
I Thessalonians 5:23
"And the very God of peace sanctify (set you apart) you
wholly; (completely) and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body
(all three parts) be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ."
The spirit, soul, and body is preserved for all eternity. We're talking about
eternal things. So we're not going to be a viable entity in eternity until we
get the body. The soul and spirit when it is totally redeemed, has experienced
absolute salvation, so what is waiting to be consummated? The body. Now let's
go to Romans Chapter 8. In this chapter we find such a thrilling concept of
that. In our next lesson we're going to get into detail about what happens to
the believer the very moment that we die. The moment the medical authorities
say, "Well, he or she is gone." Where are they? Well, they're in the presence
of The Lord immediately. But for now read verses 22 and 23:
Romans 8:22,23
"For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth
in pain together (that's the whole creation) until now. And not only
they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Sprit,
(believers) even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the
adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body."
See how beautiful that all fits? So even though the moment we're saved, the
soul and spirit are totally redeemed, it's saved, it's made ready for eternity.
But what about this old body? Oh it's not ready yet. But God has put His down
payment on it by virtue of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Remember that's His
brand on us, and that tells us regardless of whether we go through the valley
of the shadow of death and we're put out in the cemetery or whatever, we know
one thing for sure, one day we're going to have a new body, and it's going to
be reunited with the soul, and the spirit so that we're a complete entity for
the eternal. Now back to II Corinthians Chapter 5:
II Corinthians 5:6
"Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we
are at home in the body, (while we're alive here on the earth) we are
absent (bodily) from the Lord:" We can't be in both places at once.
Now we know that spiritually in the realm of the invisible, yes we are already
citizens of heaven. The Book of Colossians makes that so plain.
Colossians 1:13
"Who (God) hath (already) delivered us from the
power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son."
So we're already citizens of that kingdom, but for now the soul and spirit
are The Lord's. The Holy Spirit is indwelling us to be that comforter. But the
old body is still prone to death and sickness, and failure.
II Corinthians 5:7
"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)" How do we know all
of this? Faith! And faith is taking God at His Word. If the Word declares it
then we believe it and God reckons it for righteousness especially for
salvation. Now in verse 8 Paul repeats.
II Corinthians 5:8
"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from
the body, and to be present with the Lord."
I hope you haven't lost what we've been talking about, what the apostle has
just recently gone through. There he was lying on a sick bed in Philippi having
barely escaped with his life I suppose out of Ephesus. He was under constant
attack from all of his adversaries within the Church as well as without, and
death then almost becomes, I think, a welcome escape. But on the other hand
Paul realizes that there is unfinished business to be done. There are still
people to be reached with the Gospel as only he could do it. Now verse 9:
II Corinthians 5:9a
"Wherefore we labour,..."
Paul's life is not his own. He had long pitched that. You remember he said in
the Book of Philippians that he counted everything in his past, which was no
doubt rather lucrative in the area of Judaism, and probably had a rather
expensive lifestyle. I think he had a family, he probably had a beautiful home
in Jerusalem, and he called it all but dung. And it was all for the sake of the
Gospel.
II Corinthians 5:9
"Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may
be accepted of him."
Now that's not for salvation, but rather for rewards. A lot of people don't
like to look at it in that light, but that's the whole idea of salvation in the
first place. God leaves us here to further the work of the Gospel. And as we do
it in whatever capacity that God gives us, it's to be for His glory to further
the work of the Gospel. Because you never know. You may just drop a word
someplace, you may just have a short conversation with someone that will all of
a sudden make them start thinking. And they're going to start considering some
of the claims of God on their life.
Oh I hear it almost every day of just one little comment someone may make. And
it just blows people's minds. There was a guy that called from the audience,
and he said, "I just love to go in and bounce some of these things off people,
and they look at me quizzically, and all I say is, `Well think about it.'" One
of these people happened to be a pastor, and the next day was at his door, and
the pastor said, "I never thought of these things before but now you've got me
searching the Scriptures." Well you can do that also. My, you come across
someone and all you have to say is, "Have you ever thought about it? Have you
ever considered it? Well think about it because eternity is long, eternity is
forever." We can do this while we are yet in the body.
Copyright © 1997 Les Feldick Ministries. All rights reserved.