The Sideshow Alley of the Mind

A CALL TO WISDOM IN A DISTRACTED AGE

Walk down the sideshow alley of a fair or a carnival, and you meet masses of people and an explosion of sights, sounds, and smells. Every attraction competes for your attention, and after successfully grabbing your attention, grabbing the contents of your wallet soon follows. The attractions are not deep or meaningful — they are instant enticements to relieve you of your money in return for a very short-term hit of “fun”.

A child wants to sample every treat, every ride, and every strange sideshow. However, today, we and our children don’t just visit Sideshow Alley; we live there. A thousand things cry out for our attention constantly, and each one is carefully designed to influence the human brain, mostly for the purpose of distraction from reality through the form of fun, amusement or the promise of an improved life experience of some kind.

 

A CULTURE OF DISTRACTION

 

In 1985, Neil Postman wrote a book called  “Amusing Ourselves to Death”, in which he concluded that America (and we say the entire Western world) was drifting toward what another famous writer, Aldous Huxley, described in his book, Brave New World, as a time when truth becomes irrelevant because people prefer amusement.

Neil Postman wrote this insightful passage:

“Orwell feared those who would ban books. Huxley feared there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one. Orwell feared those who would deprive us of information. Huxley feared those who would give us so much that we would be reduced to passivity and egoism. Orwell feared that the truth would be concealed from us. Huxley feared the truth would be drowned in a sea of irrelevance. Orwell feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared we would become a trivial culture. In 1984, Huxley added, “people are controlled by inflicting pain. In Brave New World, they are controlled by inflicting pleasure. In short, Orwell feared that what we hate will ruin us. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us”. ~Neil Postman

 

Television was the threat back then, but today, social media, smartphones, and gaming have incredibly amplified the problem. Attention spans have, and continue to, shrink. Nowadays, even that which is entertaining turns quickly to boredom, demanding ever more and increased levels of fun and entertainment to take up the slack and keep us interested.

Debate has become shallow and meaningless, while the deeper subjects of life and death have become taboo for fear of upsetting somebody’s sensitivity. Insults replace arguments, and fantasy has replaced fact.

Now, today, we are deeper into this terrible brain experiment, and many who were once avid book readers struggle to read more than a paragraph of even a news story that interests them. On social media, people discuss important issues, but usually at the shallowest of levels, seldom caring whether it makes sense or not. Someone poses a delusional or illogical question on social media, and then says, “I’ll wait,” as if their “logic” can’t possibly be disproved because, in their own mind, what they have just said is the smartest thing that can be known about the subject. Insults are common and used as proof of a position.

As Neil Postman said, “We are getting sillier by the minute.”

Like children wandering through Sideshow Alley, we have become addicted to instant enticement rather than thoughtful persuasion.

 

RETURN TO READING

 

It’s time to read again.

We need to let our children see us read. Visit libraries and bookstores. Most of all, read the Bible.

When waiting for a friend or sitting in an office, our default should perhaps not be social media. One blessing of smartphones is that the Bible is always available. Open God’s Word and let Him speak. Read a little when you can — and also indulge in long sessions. Ask questions. Marvel at its wonders. Puzzle over its mysteries. Find real answers.

In a world saturated with bright, noisy distractions, stop. Focus on God. His desire is clearly stated in 1 Timothy 2:4: Who [God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

and

Colossians 2:2-3

That their [that’s us] hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

 

FOOLISHNESS AND ATHEISM

 

Atheism is not new, nor is the misuse of Psalm 14:1:

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.

God is not name‑calling. The Bible defines a fool in Proverbs 1:7:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

 

A foolish man thinks he knows everything and still lacks understanding.

Atheists often lift themselves up as those who “know.” But what they cannot see is that to claim God does not exist, they must claim to know everything, absolutely everything, about everything. How was the impossibly complex human eye formed from nothing, randomly, and what was it’s purpose before it was formed. Was it in an already perfectly formed body with all the incalulatable support systems already in place, just waiting for the eye to form before connecting in through more impossibly complex systems to the brain and nervous system, that, of course, were already somehow formed?

This is clearly unreasonable and ridiculous — even aside from the fact that God is invisible and existed before the world, outside matter, energy and time, (John 1:1).

Their explanations of origins, morality, and value collapse under scrutiny. It is foolishness in the extreme.

 

CHRISTIAN FOOLISHNESS

 

Not all fools are atheists. Many Christians behave foolishly. Paul rebuked the Galatian Christians in Galatians 3:1,

“O foolish Galatians…”

And the Ephesians in Ephesians 5:15:

“Walk… not as fools, but as wise.”

Christian fools reject doctrinal study to follow what “God put in their heart.” They look for God’s will and His advice to them through endless signs and in their daily circumstances and even in the weather and the environment. They seek emotion instead of understanding:

In Proverbs 18:2, we see this,

“A fool hath no delight in understanding…”

Both atheists and foolish Christians have left the Bible and their brains in the basement. But foolish Christians harm the gospel more than atheists do.

Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:38

“Let them be.”

In other words, leave them alone.

Intelligent, doctrinal Christianity makes atheism crumble. Rightly dividing the Word of Truth into its correct contexts and dispensations is a step in the right direction.

We need to pick up our Bible and turn on our brains.

 

THE NATURAL MAN

 

The natural man — the man without Christ — thinks wisdom comes from philosophy and science. He sees the preaching of the cross as foolishness, as we see in 1 Corinthians 1:18. But Scripture is inspired by the Spirit. 2 Timothy 3:16 says,

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

It is impossible for the natural man, the man who rejects even the idea of a reality outside the “see, feel and touch,” to receive the things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:14,

But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

The natural man may even study the Bible academically, but without faith, he cannot know its spiritual truths. He does not receive the Bible as God’s Word (1 Thessalonians 2:13). He lacks the Spirit needed for discernment (1 Corinthians 2:12).

Only by trusting the gospel is a new man regenerated (Titus 3:5). Then spiritual realities become knowable — the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:2‑8), the quickening of the Spirit (Romans 8:9‑11), heavenly affections (Colossians 3:1‑4), and walking in Christ (Colossians 2:6‑7).

Ignorance is curable: trust the power of God unto salvation.

 

THE SHORTCUT TO WISDOM

 

Wisdom comes from three sources:

  1. Parents or other people
  2. Personal experience
  3. The Bible

Young orphans with no Bible are disadvantaged. Elders with a Bible should be treasure chests.

If we lack wise mentors, read the writings of wise men. If we lack experience, work and be patient, but never avoid the Bible:

1 Corinthians 1:25  reveals,

“The foolishness of God is wiser than men…”

What seems to be foolishness on God’s part, in the eyes of men, is actually wiser than men at their very best. What seems to be weakness on God’s part, in the eyes of men, is stronger than anything that men can produce.

The Bible is a shortcut to wisdom — but only if rightly divided according to the method of Bible study shown in 2 Timothy 2:15-16,

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

Failure to rightly divide the Word of truth leads to a long, dark road guided by blind faith.

We need to learn to use the Bible properly and then live in its wisdom, for it’s the wisdom of God.

 

TRUTH IN A CULTURE OF RELATIVISM

 

The majority of people now believe that each person determines their own truth.

Pontius Pilate, before authorising the crucifixion of Jesus, asked in John 16:38, “What is truth?”

The Sadducees tried to undermine truth by quoting Scripture to Jesus in an attempt to trap him in Matthew 22:24,

Jesus replied in Matthew 22:29:

Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

The Sadducees argued that the idea of resurrection posed impossible difficulties; therefore, it was not reasonable, therefore it was not true.

Jesus answered that the difficulty was not in the doctrine but in their minds; they were ignorant of the Scriptures and the power of God.

Most truth‑deniers learn about the Bible from Google, social media, ignorant Christians, or atheist rants. They are not students of Scripture — and sadly, neither are many Christians.

Titus 1:9, talking about sound church leadership, encourages faithfulness by,

Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

The silence of the gainsayers does not mean they suddenly believe — only that they must retreat to their own preferred source of “truth.”

Jesus asked in Matthew 22:31,

“Have ye not read…?”  

Paul said in Acts 17:22‑23, speaking of the Athenians’ unknown god,

“Ye ignorantly worship… him [God] declare I unto you.”

The Word of God astonishes people, as Matthew 22:33 shows, because God’s Word carries authority (Matthew 7:29).

How do we respond to the rejection of absolute truth? By rejecting that rejection — and speaking from the source of absolute truth in our hands.

 

GOD CHOOSES THE WEAK

 

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:26 that,

…not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

We say we lack pedigree or credentials? Good. We’re on the right track. Most of the Body of Christ are common, weak, unknown people saved by trusting the cross.

The wise and mighty often struggle to believe because pride blinds them. Faith is treasured by the weak because we have nothing else to boast in except Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:29 tells us that God designed salvation so:

That no flesh should glory in his presence.

The Word of God cures ignorance, makes the simple wise, sanctifies the common, justifies sinners, and redeems the weak — but only if believed.

Faith in Christ is the key to spiritual understanding.

Let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4). Acknowledge your own foolishness and weakness. This humility gives you an advantage over the wise and well‑credentialed.

 

CONCLUSION

 

We live in a noisy, distracted world — a digital sideshow alley, but God calls us to wisdom, truth, humility, and faith. The Bible is our anchor, our shortcut to wisdom, and our source of spiritual understanding.

 

Let’s pick up our Bible. Turn on our brain. Trust Christ. Walk wisely.

66 Books – 1 Integrated Message

The Bible is God’s book. It’s God’s word to mankind, to you and me.

Human imagination or human creativity was not involved in writing it. God’s the author of it. He chose men to record the words He wanted written down.

Because it’s God’s book, the Bible’s also “the word of truth.” It’s God’s complete written record, His own testimony, about what He’s doing in and with His creation.

“Speed Slider”

66 Books - 1 Integrated Message

66 Books – 1 Integrated Message – Transcript

The Bible is God’s book. It’s God’s word to mankind, to you and me.

Human imagination or human creativity was not involved in writing it. God’s the author of it. He chose men to record the words He wanted written down.

Because it’s God’s book, the Bible’s also “the word of truth.” It’s God’s complete written record, His own testimony, about what He’s doing in and with His creation.

The Bible, “the word of truth,” is a logical book, as you would expect if God wanted us to see and know its truth. God didn’t present that truth to us in a random, haphazard manner that makes no sense.

It’s set out logically, in a progressive step-by-step order.

The journey from the first of the 66 books that make up the Bible, the book of Genesis, to the last book, the book of Revelation, is a step-by-step unfolding of God’s plan and purpose.

The Bible declares that God is working out a two-fold plan and purpose.

One aspect centres around the nation of Israel and the covenant God made with Abraham and his seed, from who that nation began. God’s plan and purpose with Israel concern this earth, and that purpose has been spoken of by “all his holy prophets since the world began.”

The other aspect centres around God’s “new creation,” the “one new man,” the church, the body of Christ, which He’s forming now, today, in this present dispensation of grace.

God’s purpose with the church pertains to the heavenly places and is something God kept “hid in Himself” in ages past. He first revealed it when He raised up Paul to be a brand new apostle. God’s program and His dealings with Israel and His program and dealings with the church, the body of Christ, are not the same. They’re two distinctly different programs. Because of this, God commands us to be “rightly dividing the word of truth” as we study it. In 2 Timothy 2:15-16, we’re told this,

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.

We must rightly or correctly divide the word of truth into its two main divisions, the part that concerns God’s program with Israel and the part that concerns what God’s doing today in the dispensation of His grace. To fail to rightly divide the word is to get caught up in foolish, empty chatter that doesn’t honour God or help anyone, least of all ourselves.

This article is a very simple survey of the Bible, recognising its “right division.”

We’re using the timeline chart, which appears under this recording, to help trace and visualise this simple description of the Bible record. The progressive outworking of God’s plan and purpose is followed from Genesis to the book of Revelation and it illustrates the “right division” of God’s word showing God’s “Time Past” dealings in His program with Israel; His “But Now” program and dealings with us today in the dispensation of His grace; and the resumption and fulfillment of His program with Israel in the “ AgesTo Come.”

Let’s get our article underway, starting at the beginning with the book of beginnings, the book of Genesis.

Genesis

The word genesis means beginning, and the book of Genesis describes 5 specific beginnings.

  1. The Beginning of the World (Genesis 1:1-1:25).
  2. The Beginning of Man (Genesis 1:26-2:25).
  3. The Beginning of Man’s Sin and Satan’s Dominion on the Earth (Genesis 3:1-3:24)
  4. The Beginning of Man’s Fall Under Satan’s Plan of Evil (Genesis 4:1-11:32)
  5.  The Beginning of the Nation of Israel (Genesis 12:1-50:26).

The majority of Genesis describes God’s work in creating and forming the nation of Israel. In light of all the events of Genesis chapters 1-11, God made a covenant with Abraham that sets in motion His plan and purpose for using a nation of His own creation to reconcile the earth back to Himself, destroying Satan’s domination of the earth that he seized from mankind through deception.

That promised destruction of Satan’s domination will come to pass through Abraham and his seed, being God’s “great nation” through which He will establish His kingdom on the earth.

The name “Israel” signifies that God’s rulership on earth will be accomplished through them.

With Jacob Abraham’s grandson, God revealed more details of His plan and purpose. Not only did He change Jacob’s name to Israel, but he also gave him a dream in which he saw the goal of the Abrahamic covenant.

Jacob saw that the land of Israel would be “the gate of heaven.” God would reside on the earth in Israel, and Heaven’s business would be conducted from the earth. God would set up His kingdom in Israel, and they would be the ones to carry out His rule on the earth.

Israel’s role concerns God’s plan for destroying Satan’s dominion on the earth, repossessing it and using it for its original intended purpose.

Israel’s covenanted kingdom, covenanted by God to Abraham and his descendants, is “the kingdom of heaven,” the “kingdom of God,” literally established on this earth.

With Jacob, God began multiplying the seed of Abraham into a nation. He also sent them down into Egypt, from where He would have them begin the actual repossession of the earth.

Exodus – Deuteronomy

The books of Exodus through to Deuteronomy tell the history of Israel’s triumphant departure from Egypt and the slavery they had fallen into there, fulfilling what God had said to Abraham in Genesis 15:13-16.

They also show the establishment of the Law covenant and Israel eventually preparing to enter the land to begin the repossession of the earth.

These are extremely important books to understand. There are at least 5 crucial issues revealed in those books that must be understood for the details of the outworking of God’s program with Israel to be known.

They are:

  1. Israel’s Education in God’s “Jehovah-ness” and Grace, showing them He’s the God who acts for them, carries them, and keeps His promises. He used their troubles and His deliverances to teach them His grace. (Exodus 1-18:27)
  2. The Five Courses of Punishment of the Law (Leviticus 26)
  3. God’s Warning to Satan and the Gentiles (Numbers 22-25).
  4. The Making of an Additional Covenant (Deuteronomy 29-30).
  5. Moses’ Last Acts (Deuteronomy 31-34).

Of these five crucial issues, the Five Courses of Punishment are the most important to understand because Israel’s history can only be understood when the Five Courses of Punishment are understood. And, if we don’t understand Israel’s program, we’ll never properly understand our program today.

According to Leviticus 26, failing to comply with the Law contract would result in Israel receiving curses instead of blessings from God. Those curses come in step-by-step courses of punishment. There’re five courses in all, each building on the previous one and intensifying. The courses are:

  1. Physical illness and affliction, including enemy raids, defeats in battle, and dominion over them by their border enemies. (Leviticus 26:14-17)
  2. Internal government problems; cursing of the land and its environment. (Leviticus 26:18-20)
  3. Increasingly severe land judgments, including affliction from wild beasts. (Leviticus 26:21-22)
  4. Greater oppression by enemies, including occupation of their land, sieges and famine. (Leviticus 26:23-26)
  5. National destruction and captivity, with removal from the land and captivity to the nations, and even, in some cases, cannibalism. (Leviticus 26:27-41)

Simply put, Israel’s history is its coming under these Five Courses of Punishment.

Each of these courses is highlighted on the timeline chart with a corresponding number.

Joshua

The book of Joshua tells how Israel finally stepped into the land and began to take it. God’s plan to take back the earth was going to start with Israel taking the land He promised to Abraham and his descendants.

The first nine verses of Joshua chapter one lay out the whole pattern of the book. God tells Joshua to do four things: bring Israel into the land, conquer it, divide it among the tribes, and keep the covenant while living in it. The book shows Joshua doing exactly those four things.

Joshua understood what God was doing with Israel, and he also understood Satan’s plan to fight against it. When Israel entered the land, Joshua reminded them who they were in God’s purpose and why the land mattered. But he also knew that God’s kingdom would not be set up at that time. Because of that, Joshua placed the memorial stones in the Jordan River. He put them right where the true “Joshua,” the Lord Jesus Christ, will one day cross Jordan when He comes to take the land and set up His kingdom.

The last part of the book gives the warnings and instructions Joshua gave Israel once they were settled in the land. He spoke this way because he saw early signs of rebellion starting to show among the people.

He reminded them that the curses of the Law were waiting for them if they turned away from the Lord. The Five Courses of Punishment in Leviticus 26 would begin to fall on them if they didn’t cling to God. Joshua uncovered what was already growing in their hearts by the way he spoke to them. He pressed it into their conscience when he told them to “choose this day” which path they were going to take.

By doing this, he helped them see that the seeds of rebellion were already planted among them, that those seeds were starting to take root, and that they would soon grow.

Joshua made a covenant with them so they would be responsible for pulling out the apostasy before it spread.

It’s important that the book ends this way because the rebellion Joshua feared came to life shortly after he died.

Judges – I Samuel 16

After Joshua died, the rebellion he warned about began to grow. The next generation turned away from the Lord, and because of that, Israel fell under the First Course of Punishment from Leviticus 26. The books of Judges, Ruth, and the first sixteen chapters of 1 Samuel tell the story of Israel living under that first level of discipline.

The book of Judges is named after the men God raised up during this time. These judges were leaders God used to correct Israel and guide them. God did this only because of His mercy and grace, as the Law did not require Him to send judges. Many times, Israel listened for a while, but Judges 2:19 says they always went back to their rebellion and sank deeper into corruption.

For about 450 years, Israel lived under the First Course of Punishment, but they didn’t change. So in Samuel’s day, God made it clear that they deserved the Second Course of Punishment, and He announced that it was coming.

God showed Israel just how far they’d fallen by allowing the ark of the LORD to be captured by the Philistines. The glory of God departed from Israel, and Eli’s sons were killed in judgment. All of this showed how low Israel had sunk.

Even though Israel deserved the Second Course, God again showed mercy and raised up another judge and prophet — Samuel. His mother’s name, Hannah, means grace, and that’s exactly what God gave Israel. Under Samuel, Israel was corrected. At first, they responded well, and God delivered them from the Philistines. Like Joshua before him, Samuel set up a memorial to remind Israel of God’s “Jehovah‑ness” — that their help and hope were only in the Lord.

But again, their change didn’t last. Israel soon rebelled worse than before. They wanted to be like the nations around them. By doing this, they prepared the way for the Second Course of Punishment to fall on them.

I Samuel 16 – I Kings 11

Samuel made it clear that Israel deserved the Second Course of Punishment. Their rebellion had gone far enough. But instead of letting that second level of discipline fall, God gave Israel a break — a time of glory, blessing, and prosperity under David and Solomon. This was not something the Law promised. In fact, Israel didn’t deserve it at all. From 1 Samuel 16 to 1 Kings 11, the Bible records this golden age when Israel reached its highest point.

God gave Israel this special time for a reason. During these years, He showed them every part of His “Jehovah‑ness” — everything His name “Jehovah” means He’ll do for them. He also showed them how He’d bring all of this to pass. God Himself, Adonai Jehovah, would become one of them. He would take on flesh in the family line of David and do for Israel what they could never do for themselves.

This is the heart of the Davidic Covenant.

While Israel was under the First Course of Punishment, God showed them that they needed five things:

a Redeemer, a Deliverer, an Avenger, a King, and a Blesser.

He also showed them that no man in Israel could ever be any of these things. Their only hope was for God Himself to become all five.

So God made a covenant with David. He promised to bring His “Jehovah‑ness” into action and fulfil all five roles. God Himself would become Israel’s Redeemer, Deliverer, Avenger, King, and Blesser.

Through both David and Solomon, God gave Israel early tastes of what those five mandates would look like when fully carried out. Their reigns were previews of the future kingdom.

There’s also a second record of this same period in 1 and 2 Chronicles. This parallel account highlights God’s faithfulness even while Israel continued to fall into apostasy. It also shows His special dealings with David’s family because of the Davidic Covenant.

 

I Kings 12-22

Solomon’s disobedience near the end of his reign pushed the nation back into deep apostasy. Because of this, Israel made itself worthy of the Second Course of Punishment. The First Course began again during Solomon’s final years, but for David’s sake, God said He’d not bring the Second Course on them yet. Instead, their “pride of power” would be broken, as Leviticus 26:19 warned, when the kingdom split through rebellion after Solomon died.

1 Kings 12–22 tells the story of Israel living under the heavier judgments of the Second Course. Breaking the pride of their power was only one part of this discipline. God also judged their weather and environment, just as He said He would in Leviticus 26:18–20. This began during the days of the wicked King Ahab. God used Elijah to show these Second Course chastisements. Elijah did this by stopping the rain for three and a half years. Other miracles Elijah performed also fit the Second Course and showed God’s hand of judgment.

The breaking of Israel’s pride was the biggest part of the Second Course. Because the Five Courses of Punishment build on each other, the division of the kingdom — and the breaking of Israel’s brotherhood — would stay with them all the way until the end of the Fifth Course. It also meant that the punishments of the later courses would not always fall on both kingdoms at the same time.

With only a few exceptions, the kings of Judah (the southern kingdom) and Israel (the northern kingdom) responded badly to the Second Course. As 1 Kings ends, it’s clear they’d not be reformed. Because of this, they earned the heavier judgments of the Third Course, which 2 Kings begins to describe.

II Kings 1 – 10:31

Instead of responding to the heavier discipline of the Second Course of Punishment, Israel kept walking in rebellion against God. The deep apostasy that took over during King Ahab’s reign continued under his son Ahaziah.

God strongly rebuked Ahaziah for rejecting the very meaning of Elijah’s name, but Ahaziah refused to listen. This angered God even more, and it opened the way for the Third Course of Punishment to begin.

2 Kings 1–10:31 tells the story of Israel under this Third Course. God showed how serious this new level of judgment would be by taking Elijah out of the land in the exact reverse order of how He first entered it back in Joshua’s day.

Then God came back into the land through Elisha, but this time He came ready to walk contrary to Israel and punish them seven times more for their sins as promised in Leviticus 26:18.

Elisha, carrying a double portion of Elijah’s spirit, was used by God to show the worsening judgments of the Third Course.

One of the first things Elisha did when he came back into the land was to pronounce a curse from the Lord at Beth‑el. This curse matched the plague described in Leviticus 26:21–22. Beth‑el was still the main center of Israel’s idolatry, just as it had been since Jeroboam’s day, Jeroboam being the main figure in the nation’s revolt and splitting in two.

When the children of Beth‑el mocked and insulted Elisha, he looked at them and cursed them in the name of the LORD. This was the curse of the Third Course. Right then, two she‑bears came out of the woods and tore forty‑two of those children. This is exactly what the Third Course warned about in Leviticus 26:22,

“I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children.”

More plagues of the Third Course also fell on Israel during this time. Their roads became empty and unsafe, as 2 Kings 6 shows, and the nation began to fall into poverty, but even in the middle of all this, the Lord still showed mercy and grace. But Israel’s rebellion continued and the Fourth Course of Punishment was now ready to arrive.

II Kings 10:32 – 16:20

The Fourth Course of Punishment greatly increased the damage Israel’s enemies could do to them. As God said in Leviticus 26:23–26, He would now begin to quote, “walk contrary” to Israel. He would send a sword against them to avenge the quarrel of, or the complaints against of His covenant. Their land would be invaded. Their walled cities would be surrounded and starved out. Their open countryside would be left empty and abandoned.

The Fourth Course was almost a complete handing over of the people and the land to their enemies.

When God began to “cut Israel short” in 2 Kings 10:32, the Fourth Course officially started. By cutting Israel short, God allowed their enemies to actually take parts of the land. Israel began shrinking — losing territory and losing people.

God repeatedly delivered them into the hands of their enemies as He continued to “walk contrary” to them.

A few times, Israel’s kings responded the right way and sought the Lord.

God, in His mercy, gave them short periods of relief. But these moments never lasted. The nation as a whole stayed rebellious and stubborn.

In 2 Kings 13:22–23, God’s mercy is mentioned while Israel suffered under Syria’s attacks. God showed mercy because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Because of that covenant, He would not cast Israel out of His presence, quote, ” as yet”. The possibility was there — Israel could have been removed from the land at this time — but God said the time for that was “not yet.” That final casting out would come under the Fifth Course of Punishment.

The Northern kingdom of Israel/Samaria reached the point of deserving the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Courses before the Southern kingdom of Judah did. Most of 2 Kings 10:32–16:20 deals with the Northern kingdom under the Fourth Course. But in 2 Kings 15:36–37, God announces that the Fourth Course has also begun for the Southern kingdom.

II Kings 17:1 – 25:30

Under the Fifth Course of Punishment, God would deal with Israel in fury. Their deep apostasy and stubborn refusal to listen made God’s soul abhor them.

We see a sample of how low the nation had fallen in 2 Kings 17:17, where it says:

“They caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire,”

It means child sacrifice.

Israel was copying the pagan nations around them — especially the worship of Molech — where parents burned their children alive as an offering to a false god. Sometimes the child was killed first and then burned; other times the child was burned alive. Either way, it was a horrific, literal sacrifice by fire. It was not symbolic.

All through these five courses we do not see an angry God punishing His people for no reason.

Because they didn’t respond to the Fourth Course, the Fifth Course came on the Northern kingdom of Israel/Samaria during the days of King Hoshea. It later came on the Southern kingdom of Judah after the days of King Josiah.

2 Kings 17:1–25:30 records the arrival of this Fifth Course.

The judgments of the Fifth Course are described in Leviticus 26:27 and onward.

God’s fury meant Israel would be removed from their land and forced to live in captivity. Their land would be torn apart, ruined, and emptied. Their sanctuaries — both their shrines to idols as well as the temple of the Lord — would be destroyed. They would be cast out of the Lord’s presence, become Satan’s lawful captive, and their enemies would take over their land.

Leviticus 26 shows that the Fifth Course would be a long and far‑reaching period of punishment. God explained just how long and how serious it would be through the prophets He raised up when the Fifth Course was about to begin.

The Fifth Course would itself have five installments.

These installments are depicted on our chart with the small numbers 1–5.

Each installment would have its own special feature and its own special trouble.

Because Israel was handed over to their enemies, the Fifth Course is called “the times of the Gentiles.”

A series of Gentile empires would rule over Israel, and the people would suffer many things under them.

The First Installment was the Assyrian/Babylonian captivity.

The Fifth Course will end with the fifth installment, when the Lord brings His day of wrath. In this “time of Jacob’s trouble,” the Lord will completely purge Israel of all apostasy and fully avenge His cause with Israel against the Gentile powers of Satan’s plan of evil.

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther

The Second Installment of the Fifth Course of Punishment was explained to Daniel as the time when Jerusalem would be rebuilt, but rebuilt “in troublous times.” This rebuilding happened under the Medo‑Persian empire, the second Gentile power ruling over Israel during the Fifth Course.

The books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther record Israel’s history during this Second Installment.

Ezra focuses on rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra was a priest who obeyed the command to return to the land.

Nehemiah focuses on rebuilding the city and its walls.

Esther shows the “troublous times” Israel faced outside the land, as Satan fought against their return.

All three books show how hard things were for Israel. Satan opposed them from every side. Israel was still his “lawful captive,” and they faced trouble both inside the land and outside it.

At the end of the Second Installment, Israel entered a very unusual kind of punishment belonging to the Fifth Course.

During the Third Installment, God went silent toward Israel.

For about 400 years, God said nothing to them.  The ultimate silent treatment!

– No prophets spoke.

– No new revelation came.

– No sign was given that they were God’s people.

They lived through a “famine of hearing the words of the LORD.” as Amos 8:11 puts it.

The last prophets before this silence were Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, who ministered during the Second Installment. After Malachi, God stopped speaking.

The blank page between Malachi and Matthew in the Bible represents this Third Installment.

Because God was silent during this time, there is no confusion about the books called the Apocrypha that were written during this silence. Since God wasn’t speaking, those books are not the word of God and don’t belong in the Bible.

During the Third Installment, even though God was silent, Israel could still understand their situation. The Scriptures already gave them their history and the prophets had described the installments of the Fifth Course.

A special set of five books was designed to help Israel during this silent period:

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon.

These books taught Israel:

– the truth about their condition,

– the hope of deliverance through the Christ,

– and how to live faithfully inside an apostate nation.

These five books give essential instruction to the faithful remnant, and will be especially important during the fifth and final Installment of the Fifth Course, The Day of Wrath.

Job shows Israel’s condition of being in Satanic captivity. God allowed Job to be taken by Satan to teach Israel what their own captivity was like.

Psalms celebrates the promises of the Davidic Covenant — Israel’s only hope of deliverance. Psalms is divided into five sections, each one highlighting one of the five mandates of the Davidic Covenant.

Proverbs teaches the faithful remnant how to live inside Israel’s corrupt and apostate system.

Ecclesiastes gives reproof or critisim about the emptiness of worldly wisdom and its ungodliness.

Song of Solomon teaches the faithful remnant to stay loyal and wait patiently for their deliverance, no matter how long it takes.

The full purpose of these five books will come into play during the final Installment of the Fifth Course of Punishment, that as of today, is yet to unfold.

Isaiah – Malachi

The books of the prophets make up a major part of Israel’s Scriptures.

Even though some of these prophets began their work during the Fourth Course of Punishment, all of them are really Fifth Course of Punishment prophets. Through their ministries, God explains the Fifth Course in detail, including its five installments.

Since there’s no sixth course, everything in God’s program with Israel reaches its climax in the Fifth Course. Because of this, much of Isaiah through to Malachi focuses on the last two installments of the Fifth Course — the days of the Messiah, which are the final and most important stages of God’s plan with Israel.

The huge amount of information in the prophets falls into seven major areas of doctrine:

  1. Details about the five installments of the Fifth Course.
  2. The doctrine of the Messiah.
  3. Details about the new covenant of grace God would make.
  4. Details about the Lord’s day of purging and avenging wrath.
  5. Details about the cleansing God would give Israel.
  6. Details about the time schedule for the Fifth Course.
  7. Details about Israel’s future glory when the promised kingdom of heaven’s finally set up with them.

Of these seven, the time schedule of the Fifth Course is extremely important.

God gave Jeremiah the first part of the schedule — the 70 years needed for the land to enjoy its sabbaths during the First Installment.

The rest of the schedule — the timing for the remaining four installments — was given to Daniel. From Daniel’s timeline, Israel could follow the progress of the Fifth Course as each installment unfolded.

Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi were the final prophets God sent before He went silent during the Third Installment. Through their ministries, Israel was told to pay attention to everything the Fifth Course prophets had said, and to wait for the day when God would begin the climactic stages of His plan with them.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

The Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, record the arrival of the Fourth Installment of the Fifth Course of Punishment. With John the Baptist, God broke the 400‑year silence of the Third Installment, and the final, climactic stages of the Fifth Course began.

John preached the “gospel of the kingdom” to Israel. He began giving God’s cleansing prescription to those who responded. He also pointed Israel to Christ and prepared them for His ministry. Those who believed the gospel of the kingdom became part of the Lord’s generation and were no longer counted as part of apostate Israel.

The time schedule for the Fifth Course was almost finished, and the Fifth Installment was drawing near. Because of this, Israel was warned to “flee from the wrath to come.” Meanwhile, the Lord trained and equipped the believing remnant so they could make it through the coming tribulation. He taught them corrective doctrine to separate them from Israel’s corrupt religious system.

To prove that the kingdom of heaven was “at hand,” the Lord performed the signs and miracles the prophets had spoken about. He also gave this same kingdom power to the twelve apostles, who He chosen and commissioned to work with Him during this time.

The Lord also prepared the twelve to carry on after His rejection. They would later form the government of Israel in the kingdom, sitting on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

When Israel rejected Christ, the Fourth Installment was ready to end. But God, in His mercy, gave Israel an extension of grace because of Christ’s prayer for them on the cross.

After His resurrection, and after preparing His disciples for the Fifth and final Installment that was soon to begin, Christ returned to the Father and sat at His right hand “until his enemies be made his footstool” as estated in Hebrews 10:13.

The Acts of the Apostles

The first eight chapters of Acts record the “stumbling” and “fall” of Israel during the extra time of mercy and patience God gave them after they rejected Christ. During this period, God offered “repentance to Israel” before Christ would begin His day of wrath and make His enemies His footstool.

This stumbling and fall had already been prophesied, and it happened even though God increased the signs and wonders starting on the day of Pentecost, proving that Israel’s “last days” had arrived.

God gave Israel’s leaders three clear chances to repent. They refused every one of them. After the third rejection, Stephen was allowed to see that the extension of mercy was over and the Lord was ready to begin His day of wrath. The Fifth and final Installment of the Fifth Course of Punishment was ready to start.

But instead of beginning His day of wrath, the Lord did something completely unexpected — something never prophesied.

In Acts 9, the Lord Jesus Christ came back from heaven and raised up Paul as a brand‑new apostle. He sent Paul out with an astounding message:

– God was holding back the day of wrath.

– God was pausing His program with Israel.

– God was bringing in a new and different dispensation.

Because of this, the Lord’s day of wrath has not yet happened, and the kingdom of heaven has not yet been set up on the earth.

After raising up Paul, the book of Acts shows how God informed the twelve apostles about the change in His program. Acts also describes the “diminishing” of Israel, as God made sure that Jews living outside the land also heard about their rejection of Christ. In doing this, God left them without excuse, but He also provoked them to jealousy by His new program with the Gentiles.

So Acts records Israel’s stumbling, it’s fall, and it’s diminishing.

Romans – Philemon

The apostle Paul is the “apostle of the Gentiles.”

God gave him the “dispensation of the grace of God” for us Gentiles and revealed to him the “mystery of Christ.”

You and I today live in this dispensation of grace. Paul is our apostle, and Romans through to Philemon are the books where God explains what He’s doing with us right now.

During this time, Israel’s program is on hold. It won’t start again or be completed until this present dispensation ends.

Believers today are part of God’s “new creation,” the “one new man,” the church, the body of Christ.

As Paul teaches, God will use this new creation to reconcile the heavenly places back to Himself. God kept the “mystery of Christ” hidden in the past so He could catch Satan in his own craftiness. Now that the mystery’s revealed, God’s made known His plan to take back not only the earth, but also the heavenly places, from Satan’s stolen rule and there’s absolutley nothing Satan can do about it. He never saw it coming thanks to God’s incredible wisdom that kept the complete plan from him.

Paul’s Epistles are God’s plan for our instruction and guidance today.

God designed our spiritual growth to follow a doctrinal progression, or a step by step process which is outlined in fRomans to Philemon.

Romans lays the foundation. It teaches:

– who God’s made us to be in Christ,

– our justification,

– our sanctification,

– how to live in this new dispensation,

– and how God deals with us as sons.

1st Corinthians – Galatians build on Romans.

Paul shows how these truths work in real life, correcting problems and strengthening believers.

Ephesians adds deeper knowledge about God’s plan and purpose for us, especially our role in the heavenly places.

In Philippians & Colossians move us into deeper knowledge and Paul teaches how this deeper knowledge should shape our thinking, our choices, and our daily walk.

1st & 2nd Thessalonians are Paul’s letters that show the attitude and conduct of mature saints who understand God’s plan and live in light of Christ’s coming for the church.

The so called Pastoral Epistles of 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy, Titus and Philemon explain how a local church should function. God designed the local assembly to be the “pillar and ground of the truth” for godly edifying or instruction and knowledge in this dispensation.

This dispensation of Grace will end when the Lord raptures or chatches away off the earth the church, taking the body of Christ to be with Him in the heavenly places.

Hebrews through to The Revelation

When this present dispensation ends, God will restart and finish His program with Israel.

The Fifth Installment of the Fifth Course of Punishment will then take place. During that time, the Lord will carry out the remaining promises of the Davidic Covenant, and Israel will finally receive their promised kingdom. They will serve on earth as God’s “kingdom of priests and a holy nation.”

After this, God will bring in the “new heavens and new earth,” a world where righteousness lives forever.

The books from Hebrews to Revelation deal especially with the Fifth Installment of the Fifth Course of Punishment, and the completion of God’s plan with Israel on the earth.

Because these events are still future, God placed these books after Paul’s epistles, which deal with our present dispensation. Their position in the Bible shows clearly which time period they belong to.

In these books, the Hebrew people, Israel, and God’s program with them become the main focus again. Their apostles write to them about the coming day of the Lord’s wrath.

The book of Revelation explains the details of how Daniel’s time schedule starts up again. It describes the Lord’s day of wrath,  Satan’s final plan of evil against Israel,  God avenging His cause with Israel against the nations, the Lord’s return with power and great glory at the end of the great tribulation, and the setting up of the kingdom of heaven in fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.

In these books, the issue is Israel’s “fulness” — the fullness of everything God promised them — which is on hold during this present dispensation.

In the 66 books from Genises, the book of beginnings, to Revelation, the book of finalising, fulfilling and completing, the Bible sets out a perfectly organised and timed shecdule of God’s entire plan for this earth, the heavens and for manking, you and me and its one integrated message. To reject or fail to understand the Bible is to discard the only source of truth about us, you and me, and why we’re here and where we’re going.

What Is The Gospel?

Do you know where you would be if you were to die in the next few minutes?

Are you certain you’d go to be with the Lord?

If you don’t know that for sure, if you don’t have absolute confidence in it, then there’s only one portion of God’s revealed will to mankind, the Bible, that you need to be concerned with at the moment.

“Speed Slider”

What Is The Gospel? – Transcript

The very first place to look for you to be able to get that certainty is the passage of Romans 1:16-17, which is the apostle Paul writing to you personally, that which Jesus Christ Himself revealed to him.

And he says,

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

God has a portion of His Word that He calls the Gospel of Christ. There are several Gospels in the Bible. The word Gospel means the Good News or Good Tidings, but the Gospel that affects you and me today is the Good News about salvation, freely given by God’s grace through faith alone.

Sinners cannot save themselves or make themselves worthy enough for God to save them.

Salvation is not for the righteous or the good, but for the unrighteous and the ungodly. The truth is that there is none righteous, and all have fallen short of God’s glorious standard, and we see this in Romans 3:23,

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Salvation is the saving of a person’s soul and spirit from the eternal, spiritual death that is the wages that every person is due for sin. Salvation is being saved from that penalty through the sacrifice of a perfect and innocent life, the life of God Himself.

There was never a time when salvation from sin could be given to anyone apart from God’s grace, or to men who did not have faith, and without Christ’s death, blood, burial, and resurrection being accomplished.

This was a future event people trusted in before Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, and a past event people trusted in after.

God has somehow, mysteriously and miraculously, woven and embedded within that word, that Gospel, His power unto our salvation.

If we believe that message, He’ll do the very thing the verse says. He’ll save us.

The power of God unto our salvation is not in Genesis chapter one, or in Ezekiel chapter twenty-eight. It is not in the book of Revelation, chapter fourteen, and it’s not in the Gospel of John. It’s right here in Romans 1:16-17, where it begins to be preached and goes all the way through to Romans 3:26.

In that gospel, in Romans 1:18-19, God tells us that we deserve his wrath,

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

In his sight, you and I are guilty sinners by nature, and the only reason why we’ve not yet received his wrath is that He, in his long suffering and grace, is withholding His day of wrath, and He’s giving us an opportunity to be reconciled to Him and to escape His wrath.

The second thing God teaches us, beginning in Romans 2:1 and running through to Romans 3:20, is that there is not one single thing we can do on our own to escape His wrath. He teaches us that it is humanly impossible, which leaves only one alternative: He’ll have to do it all for us. He’ll have to save us and give it to us as a free gift since it’s impossible to earn it, and, from Romans 3:20 to Romans 3:26, He tells us that that’s the very thing He’s willing to do.

The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, God who took on the form of humanity, died on the cross of Calvary two thousand years ago. And when He did, He paid for everything that was wrong with us. He took the debt and penalty of our sins upon himself as our substitute Redeemer. He suffered the debt and penalty of those sins in His torture and death on the cross at Calvary, was buried and raised again from the dead the third day, having completely satisfied the justice of God in connection with our sins.

He propitiated or satisfied God’s justice based on that.

God’s able to freely forgive us our sins and give us an absolutely free gift of righteousness, justifying us unto eternal life, based on the Lord Jesus Christ’s willing sacrifice.

The only condition is that we accept that death payment with full persuasion in our mind that it is totally sufficient, just like God the Father Himself has done.

 

We have to believe in Jesus. When you believe in someone, you trust in them completely to do for you what you could not do for yourself. That’s what believing in Jesus means.

In Romans 3:26, Paul says,

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

God is just in offering us salvation because the penalty for sin has been paid, and we can have it simply by believing in Jesus. And, once again, that means we trust Him and Him alone, and what He’s done for us, for our acceptance with God.

If you’ve never settled that issue, if you’ve never allowed God to save you by His grace, you must know that the only thing that’s stopping you is your own refusal.

However, you can stop refusing right now. There’s no aisle to walk down. There’s no ceremony to go through. There are no rites for you to submit to. Nothing like that.

He told you there in Romans 1:16, that the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes.

Believe that message, and at that very moment God will forgive you your sins. He will impute, or charge, or attribute, or account Christ’s righteousness to you, and you’ll be saved from the death penalty of your sins.

Why would you refuse a gift like that, the most important gift ever offered to mankind?

If you have taken that step, believed and put your trust in the Gospel of Christ, the power of God unto salvation, there are two verses in Romans you should read, realising that what they say is now true of you, as it is true of every single one of us who’ve already done that.

The verses are Romans 5:1 to 2,

THEREFORE being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Notice the “we have”. This is not something we “will” have at some time in the future; we have it from the moment we believe, and it can never be taken away from us. We are fully secure and sealed, as 2 Corinthians 1:22 tells us.

That’s the best news any human could ever hear.

The first thing God wants to effectually work within you after the gospel you just believed is that He wants you to realise that having justified you, you now have peace with Him. You won’t feel anything in your body or experience anything supernatural, but your trust will give you peace and the hope of the glory of God.

As you study God’s Word to you, the Bible, you will understand more and more the incredible redemption you’ve received, and you’ll come more and more into the knowledge of God. Start by digesting slowly and completely Paul’s letter to the Romans. Romans is a sort of condensed summary of the entire Bible, with particular emphasis on the age we live in today. It is a critical part of your walk through this life.

Was Jesus God?

We’re currently studying Paul’s epistle to the Romans and perhaps the greatest of all things to recognise is that none of what Paul writes about means a thing unless Jesus is God.

In fact if Jesus wasn’t God Christianity itself doesn’t exist and there’s no hope for this world and the countless millions who’ve lived in it and are living in it today.

Many people challenge the deity of Jesus Christ and even some who say they’re Christians say that nowhere in the Bible did Jesus claim to be God. Nothing could be further from the truth!

“Speed Slider”

Covenant Names of Jehovah (YHWH) in the Old Testament

Tap or click on the PDF to read it

Tap or click on the PDF to read it

Was Jesus God? – Transcript

If we want to understand the foundation of Christianity, we have to understand who Jesus is, not just what He did on the cross, not just the miracles, not just the teachings — but who He claimed to be. Everything rises and falls on that.

If Jesus is not God, then His death means nothing more than the death of any other man. If He’s not God, then He cannot save anyone and the cross is just a tragedy, not a triumph and certainly not salvation.

But if Jesus is God — if He’s the same God who spoke to Moses, who led Israel, who created the world — then everything He said and did carries divine authority. Then His death can be and is the payment for sin. Then His resurrection is the defeat of death. Then His words are the very words of God.

But the fact that “Jesus is God,” is challenged by many sceptics. It’s common to hear these crowds asking, “Well, when did Jesus ever say He was God?”

Many, if not most Christians don’t know their Bible, so they freeze up.

When people ask that question They expect Jesus to have said the exact phrase, “I am God,” in those exact English words, but it’s important to realise that by Jesus just saying “I am God” doesn’t prove anything. Any crazy person can say that, and many have.

I could say I’m a brain surgeon, but it’d be a real idiot that believed me without me ever once proving it in the operating theatre.

But that’s not how God revealed Himself in Scripture. God didn’t say to Moses, “Hello Moses, I am God.” He said, “I AM THAT I AM.” That was His name. That was His identity. That was His declaration.

So when Jesus uses that same name — I AM — again and again, He’s declaring Himself to be the same God who spoke from the burning bush. And when He takes the titles, roles, and works of Jehovah from the Old Testament and applies them to Himself, He’s making the strongest possible claim to deity.

And we’ve also got to remember that the Jews of Jesus’s day knew full well that He claimed to be God. That’s why they crucified Him.

The book of John is full of these claims. But to see them, you have to know the Old Testament. You have to know who God said He was, what God said He would do, and how God described Himself. Then, when Jesus shows up doing the same things and using the same names, the picture becomes clear.

Let’s  look at the “I AM” statements of Jesus, the miracles He performed, the Scriptures He fulfilled, and the reactions of the people who heard Him. We’ll see how Jesus declared Himself to be God — not in one sentence, but in every sentence, every miracle, every title and every action.

We’ll understand why the Jews wanted to stone Him, why the disciples worshipped Him, and why the early church preached Him as Lord. We’ll see why Paul said He created all things, why Peter called Him the Shepherd, and why John wrote his Gospel quote, “that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.”

And we’ll see why Jesus Himself said, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”

Before we can understand Jesus’ claims, we have to understand God’s name. Not the name people give Him, but the name He gave Himself.

Let’s take a look at Exodus 3:13-14,

And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

 

When Moses stood before the burning bush, he asked God a simple question: “What is Your name?”

God answered with words that shook the world:

“I AM THAT I AM.”

“Tell them I AM hath sent me.”

That name means God is self‑existent. Eternal. Dependent on no one. The One who simply is. No beginning. No end. No source. No creator. He is the Creator.

In the Old Testament, this name appears as LORD, L_O_R_D in all capital letters — Jehovah. Jehovah means “He is” or “The Self‑Existent One.”

The name Jehovah is an English way of pronouncing God’s covenant name, the divine name Y-H-W-H, the Tetragrammaton, the most profound name in existence with the deepest of meanings. The covenant name God revealed to Moses.

Ancient Israelites considered this name too holy to pronounce, so they substituted Adonai (“Lord”) when reading Scripture aloud. The original pronunciation was eventually lost and that’s why we get forms like Yahweh and Jehovah.

It’s meaning is rooted in God’s self‑revelation to Moses. It’s how God’s people speak of Him.

Whenever we see “LORD” all in capitals, that’s the name God gave Moses.

If we go back to Genesis 1:1 we read —“In the beginning God…”

Before heaven, earth, time, space, or matter, God already was. In Genesis 2:4 we see “the LORD God”—Jehovah—making heaven and earth. He was already there!

In Genesis 15, Abraham talks directly with this same LORD (Jehovah), the One who made all things and made the covenant with him.

In Exodus 6:3 we see God talking to Moses,

And I (God) appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

He’s revealing His name Jehovah. This is the same “I AM”, the One who simply is.

Throughout the Old Testament, Jehovah is described with certain roles:

  • Creator in Genesis 1
  • Shepherd in Psalm 23
  • Light in Psalm 27 and Isaiah 60
  • Bread in Deuteronomy 8
  • Judge in Isaiah 45
  • Vine‑Owner in Isaiah 5
  • Resurrection in Daniel 12

These weren’t just poetic images. They were identities. They were the ways God revealed Himself to His people. We have a list of the covenant names of Jehovah below this recording.

When Jesus comes and uses these same titles — bread, light, shepherd, vine, resurrection, judge — He’s not speaking randomly. He’s taking the identity of Jehovah and applying it to Himself.

And when He uses the name “I AM”, He’s directly claiming the name of God.

This’s why the Jews reacted so strongly. They knew exactly what He was saying.

All this matters because when we get to the Gospel of John we see that John’s whole purpose is to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and  we see Jesus uses that same name—I AM—for Himself. It’s not an accident.

Jesus is taking the name of the eternal God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

If somebody asks, “Is Jesus God?” the book of John is a good place to look. If we want the gospel of the grace of God, John isn’t the book for that—that comes later in Romans. But John shows who the Savior is.

John 1:1 says,

IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

 

John’s telling us the Word is God. Later we learn this Word became flesh—Jesus.

Now while remembering Exodus 3 when Moses asked God His name, and God said, “I AM THAT I AM,” we go to John 8:52–53 where the Jews argue with Jesus.

They say Abraham and the prophets are dead, so who does Jesus think He is, saying people who keep His sayings will never die? They think He has a devil. Jesus tells them He knows the Father, and that if He denied that, He’d be a liar like them.

Then He answers their question: “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day.”

Jesus isn’t guessing—He’s telling them what Abraham actually did and only God would know that.

The Jews say, “You’re not even fifty years old. Have you seen Abraham?” And Jesus replies in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”

They knew exactly what He meant. “I AM” is the name revealed to Moses—YHWH, the Tetragrammaton, a Greek word meaning “four letters.” It’s the name of Jehovah in Exodus 3. So when people ask, “Where did Jesus say He was God?”—there it is right there. He’s saying He’s the I AM, the very name of the eternal God.

God didn’t create Israel just to give laws and then later switch to Jesus. Without Israel, without the covenants, without Jehovah speaking to Moses and Abraham, we wouldn’t know who Jesus is.

The Old Testament shows God’s power in His creation, His miracles, His promises and covenants—so that when Jesus came doing the same works and speaking the same way, Israel should have known that God was now standing in front of them in person.

If all we had was the book of John, without the Old Testament, Jesus’ claims could be brushed off as just a man talking big. But His words and His miracles fulfill Scripture and connect Him to the God of Israel. That’s why John proves Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus didn’t just claim to be God—He fulfilled everything that God said He would do to the tiniest detail. He did the same miracles God did for Israel. He spoke the same name. He acted with the same authority. That’s how we know He’s Jehovah in the flesh.

Now let’s look at the “I AM” statements.

We already saw “Before Abraham was, I AM.” In John 6:35, Jesus says, “I am the bread of life.” He’d just multiplied the loaves and fishes. The people wanted more food, but Jesus told them they missed the point. The miracle wasn’t about filling their stomachs—it was to show who He is. They wanted the bread. He wanted them to see the Bread‑giver.

God fed Israel with manna in the wilderness. Now Jesus stands there saying, “I am the true bread.” Only God could say that.

Everything He did pointed to the same truth: Jesus is the almighty I AM, the same Jehovah who spoke to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The Jews knew exactly what He meant. That’s why they got angry. He was taking the name of God.

In John 8:12, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” In the Old Testament, God is the One who gives light, who created light, who led Israel with a pillar of fire. Jesus is claiming that same role.

In John 10:7, He says, “I am the door.” In verse 11 He says, “I am the good shepherd.” In the Old Testament, Jehovah is Israel’s Shepherd (Psalm 23). Now Jesus says He is the Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.

In John 11:25, standing at Lazarus’ tomb, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection, and the life.” Only God gives life. Only God raises the dead. Jesus doesn’t say, “I can help with resurrection.” He says I AM the resurrection.

In John 14:6, He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Not “a way.” Not “a truth.” He says He is the way to the Father. No prophet ever talked like that.

In John 15:1, He says, “I am the true vine.” Israel was called God’s vine in the Old Testament. Jesus says He’s the true one — the source of life and fruit.

All these “I AM” sayings tie Jesus straight back to the God of Israel. He didn’t come out of nowhere. He came fulfilling the covenants, the miracles, the promises and the prophecies. God showed Himself to Israel in power in the Old Testament so that when Jesus came doing the same works, they’d know God was now standing among them in the flesh.

Jesus didn’t just claim to be God.

He acted like God. He spoke like God. He did the works of God. And He used the very name of God for Himself — I AM.

That’s why John wrote his book: so we’d believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the same Jehovah who spoke to Moses and Abraham, now here amongst mankind in human form.

In John 6:29 Jesus told the people,

…This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

 

They wanted power, miracles and signs but Jesus said the real work is to believe! To believe on the One God sent—Jesus Christ, God in the flesh.

In verse 30 (John 6:30) the crowd ask Jesus,

What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

 

In verse 31 They remind Jesus,

Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

 

But Jesus corrected them in verse 32:

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

 

He’s saying it wasn’t Moses who fed them—it was Jehovah God. And now Jesus says He is the true bread.

Then in verses 33–35 Jesus says,

For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

 

He’s not talking about literal bread or literal drink. He’s talking about believing on Him. Catholics miss this when they say you must literally eat His flesh. Jesus explains the meaning Himself: coming to Him and believing on Him is the “eating.”

In verse 47 (John 6:47) He says,

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

 

See, that’s the point. Eating bread keeps your body alive for a day, believing on Jesus gives everlasting life.

He says in verse 48,

I am that bread of life.

 

Israel ate manna and still died. But Jesus says in verse 51,

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

 

Either He’s God, or He’s a madman. There’s no middle ground.

Even the Old Testament taught this.

In Deuteronomy 8:3 God said,

And he humbled thee (Israel) , and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

 

He gave Israel manna so they would learn that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. That LORD is Jehovah the great “I AM”.

God wanted Israel to trust Him daily. Jesus wants the same thing: trust Him, the true bread from heaven.

Then in John 8:12, Jesus gives another “I AM” statement:

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

 

He says if we follow Him, we won’t walk in darkness. That’s a huge claim. In Genesis 1:3, God created light before the sun existed. In 2 Corinthians 4:4–6, Paul says God shines spiritual light into our hearts through Jesus Christ, who is the image of God. Jesus isn’t claiming to be a teacher of light—He claims to be the light itself.

Paul says God commanded light to shine out of darkness, and that same God shines the light of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ. That’s why Jesus can say, “I am the light of the world.” He’s claiming to be the very source of truth, life, and understanding.

People may choose not to believe Him, but they cannot say He never claimed to be God. He did—again and again—by taking God’s name I AM, by performing God’s works, and by offering what only God can give: eternal life.

Paul says this in 1 Timothy 6:15–16,

Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, (which means ruler of great authority), the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.

 

That light is God’s own glory. No man can see God in His full light. Yet Jesus says, “I am the light of the world.” He’s claiming to be that same divine light.

Israel already knew God as their light. Psalm 119:105 says,

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

 

Isaiah 49:6 says God would make Israel a light to the Gentiles.

Isaiah 60:1–3 says,

Arise, shine, for thy light is come… the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

 

That LORD is Jehovah, I AM, God and He promised to dwell with Israel and shine His glory through them.

So when Jesus comes and says, “I am the light of the world,” He’s claiming to be the very light Isaiah spoke of—the glory of Jehovah shining on Israel.

In John 3, Jesus explains that He came from heaven, just like the manna and just like the light that comes from above. In verses 19–21 He says, “Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light.” Darkness is sin. Light is truth and righteousness. Jesus says He is that light. People who hate truth avoid Him. People who want truth come to Him.

In John 12:44–46, Jesus says if you believe on Him, you are believing on the One who sent Him. If you see Him, you see the Father. Then He says again, “I am come a light into the world.”

He tells them in John 5:39,

Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

 

The Old Testament showed God as light, bread, shepherd, door and life. Jesus takes all those titles for Himself.

Revelation 21:23 says that in the future kingdom they won’t need the sun, because “the Lord is the light of it.” Jesus is claiming to be that same Lord.

Then in John 10:7, Jesus gives another “I AM” statement:

I am the door of the sheep.

 

To understand that, we must know the Old Testament. God led Israel like a shepherd leads sheep—through the wilderness, through danger, feeding them, and protecting them.

Isaiah 53:6 says,

All we like sheep have gone astray.

That “we” is Israel.

Psalm 79:13 says, Israel speaking,

So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever: we will shew forth thy praise to all generations.

 

Israel were God’s sheep.

So when Jesus says, “I am the door of the sheep… I am the shepherd,” He’s claiming to be the same Shepherd who led Israel in the Old Testament—the same Jehovah who fed them, guided them, and saved them.

Psalm 95:7 says, “He is our God; we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.”

Israel were God’s sheep. He was their Shepherd.

Jesus taught Israel to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven,” because God was the Father of Israel as we see in Exodus 3. Over and over the Old Testament says Jehovah is the Shepherd, the Light, the Bread, the Door, the One who leads His people.

Jesus isn’t just using nice pictures. He’s tying Himself directly to the God of Israel.

Every “I AM” statement is a claim to deity. People may choose not to believe Him, but they can never say He never claimed to be God. He did—again and again—by taking God’s name, God’s titles, and God’s works for Himself.

 

Psalm 100:3 says,

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

 

So when Jesus says in John, “I am the bread of life… I am the light of the world… I am the door… I am the shepherd,” He’s taking titles that belong to Jehovah. That’s how He declares He is God.

It’s like my earlier example of me claiming to be a brain surgeon. I could say I’m a brain surgeon, but only a fool would believe me without me proving it in the operating theatre and having that reputation.

Israel had the “book” that told them what God does. Jesus came doing the same works God did. That’s how they should have known who He was.

God often rebuked Israel’s shepherds—its leaders—for failing to care for His people.

Ezekiel 34 says the shepherds fed themselves instead of the flock. They didn’t heal the sick, gather the lost, or strengthen the weak. God said He would judge them. Then He promised He Himself would come and be the true Shepherd.

Everything those false shepherds failed to do, Jesus did. He healed the sick, lifted the broken, found the lost, fed the hungry, and cared for the weak. That’s why He says, “I am the door of the sheep… I am the good shepherd.” He’s doing exactly what God said He would do.

Jeremiah 23:1–2 also rebukes the pastors who scatter God’s flock. Jehovah says He will visit them for their evil. Then He promises to raise up a righteous Shepherd for His people. When Jesus comes, He fulfills that promise. He is Jehovah in the flesh, doing the work the shepherds refused to do.

People often read Psalm 23 at funerals, but it’s about Israel in their wilderness and tribulation. “The LORD is my shepherd… He leads me beside still waters… He restores my soul.”

That’s what God did for Israel. Jesus comes and takes that same role. He leads, feeds, protects, and restores. He is the Shepherd of Psalm 23 because He is Jehovah, the mighty “I AM.”

Paul says in Romans 15:8 that Jesus was a minister of the circumcision to confirm the promises made to the fathers. That means Jesus came to Israel to fulfill everything God said He would do.

So when Jesus says in John 10, “I am the door of the sheep,” He’s saying He’s the only true way into God’s fold. The Old Testament is the frame, and Jesus fits it perfectly. Anyone who doesn’t fit that frame is not the Shepherd.

Jesus fits every prophecy, every picture, every promise. That’s why He keeps saying, “I AM… I AM… I AM.”

He is Jehovah God in the flesh, the true Shepherd of Israel.

In John 10:11, Jesus says,

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.  

 

That was a hint of what He would do later. A normal shepherd might protect sheep, but who dies for sheep? Jesus knew exactly what He came to do. He knew the mystery. He knew the cross. He knew He would lay down His life. He says this long before He dies because He is the I AM.

Jesus came to Israel, the lost sheep. In Matthew 15:24, He says,

I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

 

In Matthew 10:6, He tells His disciples to preach only to Israel. So the sheep are not Gentiles—they’re Jews. But not all Israel believed. Only the little flock of Luke 12:32 heard His voice.

In Matthew 26:31-32, on the night before the cross, Jesus quotes prophecy from Zechariah 13:7. He says,

I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.

 

He tells them He’ll rise again, but they still don’t understand. They go to the empty tomb thinking someone stole His body. We understand now because we can look back.

Peter later writes in 1 Peter 2:25 to those scattered sheep, the scattered believing remnant of Israel, calling Jesus their Shepherd.

Israel’s prophets had spoken of this long before.

Then in John 11:25, Jesus gives another “I AM” statement:

Jesus said unto her (that’s Martha) I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

 

Lazarus has died. Martha says she knows he will rise “at the last day.” How does she know that? Because the Old Testament scriptures taught the resurrection of God’s people and she believed that.

But Jesus says, “I am the resurrection.”

He’s claiming to be the One who gives life at the last day—the same God who promised resurrection in the Old Testament. He asks her, “Believest thou this?” She answers, “I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.”

Then Jesus proves His claim. He raises Lazarus from the dead by His own word.

Elijah and others raised the dead too, but they never said, “I am the resurrection.” They said God did it. Jesus says He is the life. That’s a claim only God can make.

This miracle wasn’t about Lazarus. It was a sign to unbelieving Jews to show who Jesus is. If God raises His people at the last day, then who is this man who raises the dead right now? He is the I AM.

Jesus keeps saying it:

I am the bread of life.

I am the light of the world.

I am the door.

I am the good shepherd.

I am the resurrection and the life.

Every one of these ties Him to the God of Israel. We have to read the Old Testament and John together. That’s how we see it. Jesus didn’t need to say the exact words “I am God.” He said it in every way that mattered—by taking God’s name, God’s titles, and God’s works for Himself.

In John 11:41–42, Jesus prays before raising Lazarus.

He says, “Father, I thank You that You hear me… but because of the people standing here I said it, that they may believe You sent me.”

He wasn’t raising Lazarus just because He loved him, even though He did weep at the news of his death.

He raised Lazarus as a sign, so the people would believe He was sent by God.

Yet even after seeing a man raised from the dead, many still refused to believe and began plotting Jesus’ death. Just like Abraham said in Luke 16, “If one rose from the dead, they still won’t believe.”

Then Jesus gives another great “I AM” statement in John 14:6. He says,

I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

 

That’s not just the religious slogan it’s become today. In the Old Testament, God was Israel’s way. God led them through the wilderness, told them when to fight, where to live, how to walk.

Psalm 119 is full of prayers like, “Teach me the way of Thy statutes… make me to go in the path of Thy commandments.” Israel knew God alone was the way.

So when Jesus says, “I am the way,” He’s claiming to be the same God who guided Israel.

He also says, “I am the truth.”

Psalm 119:160 says,

Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

 

God is the source of all truth.

John 1 says Jesus is full of grace and truth—a description used of Jehovah in the Old Testament.

In John 17:17 Jesus prays, “Thy word is truth.” And who is the Word? Jesus Himself. So when He says, “I am the truth,” He’s claiming the very nature of God.

Some people argue about whether Jesus had “faith” like we do. But faith is trusting in truth. If you are the truth, you don’t “believe in” truth—you are it.

Jesus didn’t need faith the way we do. He lived in perfect obedience because He’s God manifest in the flesh.

Then Jesus says, “I am the life.”

We don’t have life in ourselves—we die. We need life from God. Jesus says He is that life.

In John 5:24, He says those who hear His word and believe have everlasting life.

In John 5:28–29 He says the dead will rise at His voice. Only God can do that. That’s why He says in John 11, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

He also says in John 15:1, “I am the true vine.”

In the Old Testament, Israel was God’s vine, God’s vineyard, God’s olive tree. But Israel failed. Jesus says,

I am the vine, you (Israel) are the branches.

 

If they don’t abide in Him—believe Him, follow Him—they will wither and be cut off. That’s kingdom truth for Israel. But in this dispensation, the dispensation of grace that you and I live in today, believers are not branches on a tree—we’re members of His body. A body part that is weak or sick is cared for, not chopped off.

The branches of the vine are Israel, especially those who believed Him.

He says in verse 2 (John 15:2) that every branch not bearing fruit is taken away, and the ones that do bear fruit are purged to bear more.

That’s covenant language. Under Israel’s program, fruit proved faith. A branch with no fruit was worthless. That’s why James 2:17 says,

Faith without works is dead.

 

Thank God our salvation today in this dispensation of Grace doesn’t depend on fruit, but theirs did.

Jesus keeps saying “I AM” because the whole point of John’s Gospel is to show He is the Son of God—Jehovah in the flesh.

Every “I AM” statement connects Him to something God said or did in the Old Testament. When Jehovah says, “Every knee shall bow to Me,” and Jesus says He is the Judge before whom every knee bows, that’s a claim to deity.

Paul says the same in Colossians 1:16–17,

By Him were all things created… He is before all things, and by Him all things consist.

 

That’s Genesis 1. That’s the I AM. Jesus existed before creation because He is God.

In John 18, when they come to arrest Jesus, He shows this again.

Judas brings soldiers with torches and weapons. Jesus already knows everything that’ll happen—because He’s God and knows all things. He steps forward and asks, “Whom seek ye?” They say, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus answers, “I am he.” The moment He says “I AM,” they fall backward to the ground. That was the power of God.

Isaiah uses the phrase “I am he” for Jehovah. Jesus uses it for Himself.

Israel needed to believe who He was.

Today, the whole world. if they’re to receive life, must believe who He is and what He did—that He died for our sins and rose again.

But we can’t understand the cross until we understand the Person on that cross. And Jesus made it plain: He is the almighty I AM.

The Secret Gospel

The secret gospel really starts in Luke chapter nine, in the middle of Jesus earthly ministry where He’s surrounded by the disciples.

“Speed Slider”

The Secret Gospel Timeline

The Secret Gospel Timeline – Press Image To Expand

Terms Paul Used for His Gospel

Paul uses these terms to describe the Gospel he preached;

  • Gospel of God – Romans 1:1, 2 Corinthians 11:7, 1 Thessalonians 2:8, 1 Thessalonians 2:9, & Romans 15:6
  • Gospel of his Son – Romans 1:9
  • Gospel of Christ – Romans 1:16, 1 Corinthians 9:12, 1 Corinthians 9:18, 2 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 9:13, 2 Corinthians 10:14, Galatians 1:7, Romans 15:19, Philippians 1:27, 1 Thessalonians 3:2 & Romans 15:29
  • My gospel – Romans 2:16 & Romans 16:25
  • Gospel of peace – Romans 10:15
  • Christ’s gospel – 2 Corinthians 2:12
  • Gospel of your salvation – Ephesians 1:13
  • Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ – 2 Thessalonians 2:14
  • Gospel of the blessed God – 1 Timothy 1:11
  • Gospel according to the power of God – 2 Timothy 1:8
  • Gospel of the uncircumcision – Galatians 2:7
  • Gospel of the circumcision – Galatians 2:7.

The Secret Gospel – Transcript

Our study of the book of Romans has lead to where almost every sentence opens up more and more of the reality of what the body of Christ is, how and why there is a body of Christ and our personal part in it.

I must admit that until my study of Romans Christianity for me was confusing and full of loose ends that always seemed to flap about with no anchor point.

As I studied the passages, that have no comparison in any literary work of mankind, what began to unfold was an understanding of the gospel as I’ve never experienced in my 40 some years as a Christian.

Paul’s writing is very deep and very complex in that he crams so much into his sentences with parentheses and side bars everywhere, and yet, once I realised how to read his explanations and sidebars without losing the original point of the sentence, I began to see the utter simplicity of salvation.

This bought a new awe of God’s wisdom, a new respect for the Word as a whole and led me to be more sure and certain of salvation through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ than ever before.

Finally I found a sense of wonder that Romans is both the foundation and the finish of the Body of Christ, and, along with the entire rest of the bible, was intended for me personally, just as it was intended for you personally.

One of the great freedoms I found was timing. Understanding the Lords timing and the different ways He’s dealt with mankind since the foundation of the world, and the ways He’ll deal with mankind in the future.

Understanding timing, or context, blows away all the seaming contradictions of the Word.

The teaching and preaching that says we’re saved by grace and then goes on to list all that we must and must not do always made me have a sense of mistrust in the bible even though I was convinced it was God’s Word. How could God say one thing here and then an almost opposite thing there.

I put it down to man’s interpretation but Romans made me realise that the bible’s not open to man’s interpretation. It says what is says and means what it says.

 

I found that an overwhelming amount of teaching and preaching in modern day churches, especially on social media channels and Christian television, comes from a stockpile of bible verses that’s almost like a preacher’s toolbox.

Selected verses are pulled out of the box and often used out of context as a basis for sermons that’re often some sort of feel good, life enhancing speech. Very seldom are these toolbox verses used within the context they’re part of.

An example would be the word “therefore”. It’s used 105 times in Pauls epistles from Romans to Philemon and 27 times in Romans alone and every time it’s used it’s telling us that we can’t understand what follows the “therefore” if we don’t know what the “therefore” relates to in the previous passages. So often the context makes what follows the “therefore” a completely different message than what’s being preached.

 

Another good example of context is Philippians 4:13 where Paul says,

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

 

If we isolate that verse we can easily see where a motivational preacher can use it to urge his audience to be positive because we can do all things through Christ because He gives us the strength to do all things. A new car? No problem! A new house? Good as done! Overweight? Just pray and you’ll be slim.

But when we see the verse in context we see it differently.

The previous two verses must be read to understand exactly what Paul’s saying. Philippians 4:11-13,

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. 

I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

 

This happens in so many places throughout the bible, and in any other book or writing for that matter, where context absolutely matters and is critical to understand what’s being said.

 

Almost all scripture, and almost every verse, is a puzzle piece, a part of the whole picture of God’s dealings with mankind.

The biggest objection to this comes from those who don’t believe that the Bible is the infallible, inspired Word of God.

The challenge for every one of those folk is to first settle for themselves what the Bible actually is.

Once the evidence is looked at honestly anyone can prove that the Bible is a supernatural, living Word.

Of course one step before that is to first be convinced that God actually exists and that He really is the omnipotent almighty Creator of the universe.

Again the evidence for that is overwhelming and everywhere and only those who willingly blind themselves to that evidence can reject it.

Remember “proof” is the result of convincing evidence.

 

So, the discovery of God’s timing, the ages, the dispensations by which God deals with man in different ways is vital in understanding the Word of God.

And, within God’s timing, perhaps the most important piece of timing is the section we could call Paul’s secret gospel, especially for the Body of Christ today.

One of the most valuable tools we can have in this respect is a timeline chart and we have a very basic timeline chart available below this recording.

 

Paul’s secret gospel really starts in Luke chapter nine, in the middle of Jesus earthly ministry where He’s surrounded by the disciples.

Let’s read Luke 9:1-6,

Then he (Jesus) called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 

And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick. 

And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. 

And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. 

And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them. 

And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

 

So we see that they preached the gospel.

So what exactly does the word “gospel” mean?

The word in our concordance is basically described as meaning “Good News” or “Glad or Good Tidings”.

The actual word “gospel” only appears in the New Testament section of the Bible although the concept of “good news” absolutely does appear in the Old Testament, especially in Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 52:7 and Isaiah 61:1. Jesus used these verses in His earthly ministry.

 

The word gospel is used in three different but connected meanings:

Firstly, the “Gospel” as the account of Jesus’ life in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books are called “Gospels” because they tell the good news about Jesus. The word is like a title or genre here, such as “The Gospel according to Matthew.”

 

Secondly, The “Gospel” as the good news of the long prophesied Kingdom of God that Jesus, who was God, came to earth in human flesh to usher in.

We know that Jesus, when He came to the earth came to Israel, the chosen nation. He was the Jews long prophesied Messiah,

We see that all through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and early Acts.

In Matthew 15:24 this is specifically stated but the entire context of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John displays this. It’s about Israel.

In Matthew 3:1 at the beginning of Jesus’s earthly ministry we see this,

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

 

Thirdly, The “gospel” as the message of salvation — the good news preached by Paul.

Paul uses the terms gospel of God, gospel of his (God’s) Son, gospel of Christ, my gospel, gospel of peace, Christ’s gospel, gospel of your salvation, gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, gospel of the blessed God, gospel according to the power of God, gospel of the uncircumcision, gospel of the circumcision and many times simply The gospel. There’s a list of references to Pauls terms below this recording.

 

These 3 groups do not contradict each other. One is the story, one is the heralding in of the earthly Kingdom (they kingdom come), the other is the salvation message that was revealed to Paul.

 

1 Timothy 2:4  reveals God’s will,

Who (God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

To undertake this will of God we need to know the gospel.

In Luke 9:1-6 here we have Jesus sending out the twelve and they’re preaching the gospel.

Christians believe that’s what we’re doing, or should be doing today, going out to the towns and preaching the gospel. And if they don’t receive us, if we think they’re not receiving the gospel, we’re going to shake the dust off of our feet.

 

But one of the basics of the timings, the dispensations we’re talking about here is that Jesus revealed a secret to Paul.

Paul explains it in Romans 16:25 like this,

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 

 

What does this mean and how does this “my gospel” as Paul puts it differ from the gospel we just read about in Luke 9?

Is there a difference? Why was it a mystery and only revealed to Paul?

 

Paul preaches, Jesus Christ according to the revelation of this mystery. So Christ revealed a mystery, a secret to Paul. And it includes information about the gospel, the gospel Paul calls my gospel.

It’s about Jesus Christ, but it’s about Jesus Christ according to the revelation of this mystery which Paul says was kept secret since the world began.

Look at 1 Corinthians 2:7,

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: 

 

In verse 8 (1 Corinthians 2:8) reads,

Which (this mystery wisdom of God) none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 

 

Did these quote “princes of this world” crucify Christ? Yes they did.

Did they know this mystery then? No. Because Paul says if they had known it, they wouldn’t have crucified him and that needed to happen to bring salvation and righteousness into the world.

 

Let’s go to Ephesians 3:3-9,

How that by revelation he (God) made known unto me (Paul) the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 

Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 

Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power. 

Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ; 

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

 

This mystery was preached by Paul.

So here’s Paul saying he’s teaching a mystery that’s been revealed. And it includes information about the Gentiles. And the gospel and God’s grace. And this was kept secret since before the beginning of the world and it was revealed to him by Jesus.

 

Look then at Colossians 1:25-27 where Paul again talks about this mystery,

Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; 

Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus: 

Whereunto I (Paul) also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily. 

 

Paul says that this mystery gospel is not just for the Gentiles, but it’s to every man. Obviously, when we talk about men in the Bible, we’re talking about mankind there.

So every man means every man and woman.

 

What happened when Jesus revealed this mystery to Paul.

Let’s go to Acts 9 and see what happened there that was so special.

Acts 9:3-5. and remember that Paul is called Saul here. His name was changed later.

We read,

And as he (Saul – Paul) 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 persecutest thou me? 

And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

Now to Act 9:6,

And he (Saul) trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

 

So here’s Paul. He’s on the road to Damascus when Jesus the Lord comes to him. He tells he’s going to tell him what to do in response to Paul asking the Lord what do you want me to do?

The Lord tells Paul to go into Damascus where there’s a man called Ananias. At this stage Paul has lost his eyesight.

 

At the same time Jesus is dealing directly with Ananias and in Acts 9:11-12 we read,

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. 

 

Ananias questions the Lord because of the evil reputation Paul has of persecution to those who believe in Jesus as the Messiah.

Jesus explains to situation to Ananias in Acts 9:15,

But the Lord said unto him, 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.

 

In Acts chapter 22:12-15 Paul explains the events that occurred in detail to an audience in Jerusalem and he says Ananias told him that “the God of our fathers hath chosen thee” to know God’s will, and to see “that Just One,” and hear the voice of His mouth, and be a witness “unto all men.”

 

Paul repeats it again in Acts 26:14–18, where Jesus

says He appeared to Paul “for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness,” and that He is sending Paul to the Gentiles “to open their eyes… that they may receive forgiveness of sins.”

 

So in Acts 9, Christ Himself gives Paul a ministry and begins revealing His will to him. This is the same thing Paul talks about in Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 2, Ephesians 3, and Colossians 1. Christ reveals the mystery that was kept secret since the world began. It includes a gospel committed to him by Christ.

 

In Galatians 1:11-12 Pauls says to the Galatians,

But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. 

For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

 

Paul didn’t get this gospel that he’s preaching from anyone other than Christ.

Paul reminds them how he once persecuted the church, was zealous in the Jews’ religion, but God called him by grace “to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen.” He didn’t go to the apostles to learn anything—he went into Arabia and back to Damascus. His gospel came straight from Christ.

 

So here’s where this one thing, the gospel, gets confused and it’s only by understanding the changes in dispensation, the timing that we can erase the confusion.

Paul says, I preach the gospel. It was a mystery kept secret. It was given to me directly by Jesus Christ. And yet in Luke 9 Jesus is sending twelve people, and they’re going out through all the cities and they’re preaching the gospel.

So how can they preach the gospel when it was unknown before it was revealed to Paul?

Paul’s preaching the gospel and says it was a mystery until revealed to him. How could it be if the disciples were preaching it long before Paul was even converted?

Paul’s preaching a gospel that was kept secret, given to him directly by Jesus. The disciples are given a gospel from Jesus to preach that was not a secret.

 

This is where so many controversies and arguments are birthed and it’s such a shame because it’s so simple when we let the Bible speak and stay out of its way.

 

1 Corinthians 9:16 gives a bit more context about Paul and the the gospel that he’s preaching and, and the ministry that he was given of the Lord,

For though I (Paul) preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 

 

Why does Paul have to preach the gospel?

Next verse 1 Corinthians 9:17,

For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 

Paul says, a dispensation of the gospel, is committed to him, and that’s what he’s testifying of.

Christ gave him information, revealed a mystery, wisdom that had been kept secret, and committed it to Paul to minister.

This gospel Paul calls  “the gospel of the grace of God” is unique because it offers salvation to God’s enemies by grace through faith, and Paul himself is the pattern.

In Act 20:24 Paul talks about his ministry to the Ephesian elders and he says,

But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

 

Paul calls it the gospel of the grace of God.

What’s unique about his gospel, in part, is that it talks about salvation for God’s enemies by grace through faith. And Paul is a pattern as we see in 1 Timothy 1:15-16,

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.  

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

Paul is a pattern of an enemy of God being saved by His grace, and we too are enemies of God, and we too need God’s grace to save us.

Colossian 1:21-22,

And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 

In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister; 

This ministry that Paul had was regarding in part the gospel, and that gospel was a gospel of God’s grace that was offered to his enemies.

Let’s look into a little bit more about what that gospel included and how that worked in Galatians 1:8-9

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 

As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 

Something about this gospel is so important that Paul says if any other gospel is preached unto you, let that person be accursed.

However, we have this conflict between the gospel that was revealed to Paul, which any man who preaches otherwise is cursed, and the gospel Jesus Himself gave to the twelve apostles to preach.

Let’s get a bit more detail about the gospel that Paul preached before we look at the gospel during Jesus earthly ministry.

Paul says that we’re sinful enemies of God and will face God’s judgment, and we deserve death.

Romans, which Paul wrote and is the foundational book of doctrine for the Body of Christ, includes information about his gospel and salvation.

In Romans 3:23, which we’ve studied in our verse by verse study of the book of Romans Paul concludes this,

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 

Paul concludes this after painstakingly building the picture in the previous chapters of Romans.

And in Romans 1:18-32, Paul talks about the judgment that’s coming to sinners and he describes what a sinner looks like and if we’re honest with ourselves we can all recognise ourselves in that awful description.

The end of that passage should send chills up our spine. Romans 1:32,

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 

The passage continues in Romans 2:1-3 with one of those “therefores” we talked about,

Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. 

But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things.

And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

 

There’s no one that’s going to escape that judgment. We’re all sinners. God’s going to judge that sin, and the result is going to be death.

But Paul also says God offers a gift—eternal life through Jesus Christ. And that gift comes through Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for sinful, ungodly enemies of God. Those who receive this free gift will escape judgement because there’s nothing to judge. Their sin has been paid for by death even the death of God Himself in the flesh.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Paul declares the gospel he received from Christ. Here it is,

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

 

Paul says in Romans 16:25 that this gospel includes things that were not revealed before. In Romans 5:6–10, Paul says Christ died for the ungodly, for sinners, for enemies, who we all were, and that we’re “justified by his blood” and “reconciled to God by the death of his Son.”

Colossians 1:14 and Ephesians 1:7 say His blood brings redemption and forgiveness.

Paul also teaches that believers have eternal life because we are joined to Christ. In Romans 6:6–11 we’re told that our “old man with its body of sin is crucified with him,” and we’re to reckon ourselves “dead unto sin, but alive unto God.”

In Romans 8:11, the same Spirit that raised Jesus will “quicken our mortal bodies.”

In 1 Corinthians 15:20–22, Christ is the “firstfruits,” and all in Christ “shall be made alive.”

So how do we get into Christ?

We become “in Christ” the moment we believe the gospel, when the Holy Spirit places us into Christ’s body, uniting us with His death, burial, and resurrection. That’s it. Paul never commands to “Become in Christ” or “Get into Christ” or “Try to be in Christ”.

Instead, he declares it as a completed fact for every believer:

No ritual.

No process.

No striving.

Just faith in the finished work of Christ.

Paul says salvation is by grace through faith, not by works or the law. In Romans 3:24–28, we are “justified freely by his grace,” and God is the “justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” Paul concludes that a man is “justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” In Romans 4:4–5, he says if you work for it, it’s not grace—but to the one “that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Because Christ’s blood justifies, redeems, and gives eternal life, we’re complete in Christ. Ephesians 1:3 says we have all spiritual blessings in Him.

Colossians 2:10 says we’re complete in Him. No law‑keeping can add to what Christ already finished.

 

So Paul’s gospel is this:

We’re all sinners and enemies of God whether Jew or Gentile and we’re all facing judgment and death.

Christ died, was buried, and rose again for our sins.

His blood brings forgiveness, redemption, and reconciliation.

Eternal life is given to all who believe.

And this salvation is a free gift of grace, not of works.

This gospel that was revealed to Paul is part of the mystery, kept secret until Christ made it known and it includes something new: “one new man”, the body of Christ.

In Ephesians 2:14–16, Christ broke down the wall between Jew and Gentile and made “of twain one new man,” reconciling both to God in one body by the cross.

In Ephesians 3:6, Paul says Gentiles are now “fellow heirs… of the same body.”

This is part of the hidden wisdom Christ revealed to him.

 

Now, let’s skip back to the four gospels.

There were twelve people that Jesus sent out and they were preaching a gospel and Paul wasn’t even around then. Paul came on the scene in Acts 8 and then Acts 9 is when Jesus reveals the mystery to Paul.

So what did Jesus actually send the twelve disciples to preach?

In Matthew 10:5–6, Jesus commands them and we read,

These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 

That’s already different from Paul, who is sent to all men, especially Gentiles.

In Mark 6:12, the twelve preach that men should repent or change their mind about breaking the covenant, because the kingdom was coming. Their message was about Israel’s promised kingdom, not the body of Christ. The term “The Body of Christ” is only found in Paul’s writings.

And if the kingdom was “coming,” then it obviously wasn’t here yet.

Paul, on the other hand, preaches forgiveness now, reconciliation now, and one new man made of Jew and Gentile now.

Another difference is in Luke 18:31–34, where Jesus tells the twelve He will die and rise again, but they quote “understood none of these things.”

Yet Paul’s gospel centres on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. The twelve who preached in Luke 9 didn’t even know about it and when they were told of it by Jesus they didn’t understand. Peter even began to rebuke Jesus. That alone shows the two messages, the two gospels cannot be the same.

In Luke 18:31–34, Jesus takes the same twelve men He sent out in Luke 9 and tells them plainly that everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man will now happen—He’ll be handed to the Gentiles, mocked, beaten, killed, and rise again the third day. That’s the death, burial, and resurrection, the same truth Paul later preaches in 1 Corinthians 15:1–4. But, again, the twelve “understood none of these things.”

It was “hid from them.”

That’s a big problem if the gospel they preached in Luke 9 was the same as Paul’s. How can you preach a gospel that you don’t even understand?

Just a few verses earlier in Luke 18:18–25, a rich ruler asks Jesus how to get eternal life. Jesus does not tell him what Paul tells us. He doesn’t say, “Believe my death and shed blood, it’s a free gift by grace.”

Instead Jesus points him to the commandments, and then tells him to sell all, give to the poor, and follow Him into the coming kingdom.

That’s the gospel of the kingdom, not the gospel of the grace of God.

Rich or poor doesn’t matter for us today, but in that kingdom message, refusing to give up riches meant he could not enter.

So what gospel were the twelve preaching in Luke 9 and Luke 18? It clearly wasn’t Paul’s gospel, because they didn’t even understand the cross or resurrection. Their hope of eternal life was tied to doing the law and following Christ into the earthly kingdom.

 

Then Jesus dies in Luke 23 and rises in Luke 24 and none of the disciples believed it at first—not just Thomas, but all eleven of them, minus Judas, and we see this in Luke 24:9–11 and 36–41.

After He appears to them, Jesus spends forty days teaching them, opening their understanding to the law, prophets, and psalms as we read in Luke 24:44–45.

He explains that it was written that Christ must suffer and rise again, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached “beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:46–47). He blesses them and ascends into heaven.

Luke also wrote the book of Acts and Acts 1 continues the same story. Jesus shows Himself alive for forty days and gives commandments to the apostles (Acts 1:1–3). Surely now they understand the Scriptures He taught them.

Then in Acts 2, Peter finally preaches—but notice who he preaches to in Acts 2:22: “Ye men of Israel”.

Not Gentiles. Not all men. Israel.

And what does he preach? That they crucified their Messiah. He doesn’t preach the one new man, the body of Christ, or salvation by grace through faith without the law. He preaches the kingdom message to Israel, but now with the added fact that Jesus rose from the dead.

So even after the resurrection and forty days of teaching, the message the twelve preach in Acts 2 is still Israel‑focused, still kingdom‑focused, and still not the gospel Paul later calls “my gospel,” revealed to him as part of the mystery.

Paul says that if the mystery had been known, the rulers would not have crucified Christ.

That means God planned the cross before the world began as the way to deal with sin.

But Peter says in Acts 2 that Israel wickedly crucified Christ.

Why? Because under the gospel of the kingdom, Israel was supposed to recognize Jesus as their Messiah and believe who He said He was. That would be the key to usher in the long prophesied glorious kingdom. Instead, they rejected Him and crucified Him, going against God’s revealed will for them.

Peter preaches in Acts 2:24 that God raised Jesus from the dead and in Acts 2:36 he says, “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

The people are pricked in their hearts and ask, “What shall we do?”

Peter does not preach Paul’s gospel of grace.

Instead he says, “Repent and be baptized… for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). This promise is to Israel and their children.

In Acts 3:13–15, Peter again preaches to Israel. He says they denied the Holy One and killed “the Prince of life”.

He says the lame man was healed by faith in His name, not faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. There’s a big difference. Then Peter says something very important Acts 3:19: their sins will be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come. That’s future—when Christ returns. That’s not the same as Paul’s teaching that we have forgiveness now through Christ’s blood.

Peter also says in Acts 3:21 that what he’s preaching was spoken “by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began”. This is diametrically opposite to what Paul says, that his gospel was a mystery kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25). Those two things simply cannot be the same.

Peter’s message was prophesied. Paul’s message was hidden.

Peter’s preaching to Israel only, offering the kingdom, calling them to repent so the kingdom can come.

Paul preaches to all men, Jew and Gentile alike, about a new man, the body of Christ, created by the cross (Ephesians 2:14–16).

Paul’s gospel requires Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection for the ungodly (1 Corinthians 15:1–4; Romans 5:6–10).

Peter’s gospel in Acts 2–3 does not preach the cross as good news for salvation; he preaches it as Israel’s crime.

So we see clear differences:

– Peter’s gospel was prophesied while Paul’s was a mystery.

– Peter preached to Israel while Paul to all men.

– Peter preached repent and be baptized while Paul preached grace through faith.

– Peter preached future blotting out of sins while Paul preached present forgiveness, forgiveness now.

– Peter preached faith in Jesus name while Paul preached faith in His finished work on the cross.

It’s not the similarities that matter—it’s the differences.

And even one difference means they cannot be the same gospel.

So the gospel in Luke 9 and Acts 2–3 is not the same as the gospel Christ later revealed to Paul.

This is one of the basic truths of the bible and can only be fully understood when we divide the word of God correctly into it’s past, present and future dispensations as 2 Timothy 2:15 says.

Paul’s gospel is the secret gospel Jesus gave to him, and it’s different from the kingdom gospel preached before.

Both are correct in their right context and dispensation. Jesus is the Author of both and we need to understand both.

What About Israel?

What About Israel?

Following the terror attack by Islamists on a Jewish gathering at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia on the 14th of December 2025 we find ourselves drowning in a sea of words. Unfortunately the vast majority of those words and the ideology behind them bear little resemblance to the truth.

When making statements about Israel there is only one place where the unadulterated truth is available, and it’s available to every person on the planet, and that’s the Bible, The inspired Word of God.

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Biblical Current Israel Comparison

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What About Israel? – Transcript

In this episode I’d like to challenge you, my dear listeners, to not just listen but to have a Bible (preferably a King James Bible) open while you listen and to check out the verses I’ve provided.

Following the terror attack by Islamists on a Jewish gathering at Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia on the 14th of December 2025 we find ourselves drowning in a sea of words. Unfortunately the vast majority of those words and the ideology behind them bear little resemblance to the truth.

When making statements about Israel there is only one place where the unadulterated truth is available, and it’s available to every person on the planet, and that’s the Bible, The inspired Word of God.

The vast majority of those doing the talking, on all sides, would heartily disagree with that statement, of course, but we must ask those people, “If you reject the Bible as truth then what is the basis for what you’re stating is truthful fact?”

People rarely form a point of view on their own.

Most people shape their beliefs from a mixture of sources such as family traditions, religious teachings, their community, books, media, and social media.

Many opinions are formed from trusted voices such as preachers, teachers, politicians or from someone who knew someone who had a particular experience.

Over time, these influences shape how they see the world and what they consider “truth.”

But knowing where information comes from is only half the challenge.

The harder question is how a person decides whether or not their source of information is trustworthy.

Some rely on authority figures, others on the news or entertainment media or some even on personal experience.

Others base facts on whether or not the information fits what they already believe or what they want to believe.

 

Careful thinkers, those who care more about getting it right rather than believing something that’s corrupt or wrong, look for evidence.

They ask who produced this information? What motives have they got? Can the claims be checked against independent sources?

Truthfulness isn’t guaranteed by the loudest voice or the most familiar one, or by what may feel is right emotionally, but by a willingness to test rather than simply accept.

 

When we look at our universe and the life it contains and the countless perfect systems needed to sustain that life, we must accept that a great and mighty creator was responsible for it all, God, who is outside of time and outside of our known dimensions.

 

Once we accept that and we come to realise that His power, His majesty and His wisdom are far beyond our ability to imagine, we look to Him as the one and only source of absolute truth.

We come to understand that God has an eternal plan for mankind and we naturally long to hear what that plan is.

We learn that God has revealed that plan to every man that desires to look for it.

He’s given us a book, the Holy Bible, which contains all the revelation he’s given to mankind, little by little, over many centuries.

If we care to look at the evidence we can prove that this Bible is in fact the inspired Word of God.

It’s here, in this Word of God, in the whole story, not just selected verses, that we find the truth of the beginning of and the history of, the nation of Israel.

But even with the Bible we must see the whole book, the whole story, the whole plan, and not just cherry picked verses used to proof text a particular stance or doctrine. The whole bible must be studied and rightly divided as 2 Timothy 2:15 says.

An example of wrongly dividing is the Islamist who believes God’s promise to Abraham was fulfilled in Ishmael, or those that preach that the church has replaced Israel.

Many modern day preachers use scriptures in isolation to try and prove just about any doctrine such as, God wants you wealthy and free from the challenges of this present world.

There’re seemingly endless false or doubtful doctrines that come from taking verses out of their correct context.

We need to see that although God’s character, who He is, never changes, His dealings with man do. For example when He spoke to Abram in Genesis 12:1 we know He wasn’t talking to us today just the same with Exodus 9 where God is instructing Moses and the same with countless other places even when the Lord Jesus walked on the earth. Every word of the Bible is for our instruction as 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us but not every word is for us to carry out under the dispensation of grace that we live under today.

 

In Genesis 12:1-3 God speaks to Abram who would later be Abraham. Let’s read,

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: 

And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

 

God gave the fathers of Israel a special promise that they would be the channel of God’s blessing and curse to the world.

If anyone was to be blessed they needed to bless Israel, and if anyone did not, they’d be cursed. Israel was the channel of God’s judgment and reward toward the earth.

 

People, kings, and nations were blessed or cursed depending on how they responded to the channel of God’s blessing, Israel, and we have numerous proofs that this was so.

Jesus was not sent to Gentiles as we see in Matthew 15:24, but look how a Gentile centurion who sought healing for his servant from Jesus, is described as blessing Israel in Luke 7:4-5,

And when they (the elders of the Jews) came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he (the centurion) was worthy for whom he should do this: 

For he loveth our nation (Israel), and he hath built us a synagogue. 

 

When most of the Bible describes Israel as the channel of God’s blessing, it’s easy to assume that God’s doing the same thing today as He’s always done.

Sincere Christians continue to bless Israel according to Genesis 12:3 and seek their favour in order to receive God’s blessing.

But this is a mistake which has it’s seed in the failure to rightly divide the word of truth as 2 Timothy 2:15 advises we should.

 

Our Blessing through Christ today, in the dispensation of grace in which we live is not Israel.

The problem with trying to obey Genesis 12:3 today is that it ignores the way we access the riches of God’s grace according to the mystery of Christ given to the apostle to the gentiles, Paul.

 

According to the mystery, Israel is fallen today and although it will always be God’s chosen nation it has no spiritual standing with God in this dispensation as we read in Romans 11:11,

I (Paul) say then, Have they (Israel) stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: (here Pau’s saying God forbid that their fall is permanent. It’s not.) but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them (Israel) to jealousy. 

 

Israel is counted in unbelief and all in sin, exactly the same as the Gentiles as we see in Romans 3:9 and Romans 11:32.

 

In the church today, the body of Christ, there’s neither Jew nor Gentile. Being Jewish doesn’t give anyone gain closer access to God or his blessings in this dispensation as we see in Galatians 3:28 which reads,

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 

 

Paul describes in Ephesians 2:13 that though Israel was the channel and access to God’s blessing in time past, now our access to God and his blessings comes through the body and blood of Christ,

But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

 

And Ephesians 2:18,

For through him we both (that’s Jew and Gentile) have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

 

If there wasn’t a single Israelite in the body of Christ, and thankfully there are many, every member would still have all spiritual blessings in Christ as we see in Ephesians 1:3.

God has changed the channel of his blessing from the nation of Israel to the body of Christ which we see in Ephesians 3:1-6. Let’s read,

For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 

How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 

That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: 

 

There are Jews who’ve been saved by the gospel of grace, but blessing Israel as a nation today ignores God’s will and blesses unsaved men because of their flesh as we see in Galatians 6:15.

 

God’s channel of blessing has changed, and so has how punishments are dealt.

The promise of Genesis 12:3 includes not only a blessing but a curse. In Genesis 12:3 if anyone fails to bless Israel, they’re cursed by God.

Many pastors and teachers who fail to see the mystery try to place a country that does not politically endorse the Zionist movement today as cursed.

By the way a Zionist is simply someone who supports a Jewish, self-governed homeland in the land of Israel (historically called Palestine).

 

In contrast to Genesis 12:3, Paul says that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law in Galatians 3:13-14 which reads,

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: 

That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. 

 

The body of Christ can’t be placed under a curse any more by God’s grace.

 

Our glory is not in the nation of Israel, but in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ through which we receive every spiritual blessing and redemption from every curse as Galatians 6:14 explains,

But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. 

 

However we can Bless Israel today.

The mystery of Christ describes how God’s blessings can come upon anyone despite Israel’s fall, and how curses can be removed from sinners who don’t deserve such a deliverance. The mystery is revealed in the grace of Christ.

 

Today all men are offered salvation freely, not through covenants, a special nation, or the law, but through the finished work of Christ as we see in 1 Timothy 2:4,

Who (that’s God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 

 

Though Israel is temporarily fallen today as a nation, they can still be saved. In the future, Israel will return as the nation above the nations in Christ’s earthly kingdom, but not today.

Romans 11:26-28 explains this.

 

To bless Israel (or any nation) today, we bless them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray for and urge them to put their faith in Christ as the means for all spiritual blessings under grace.

 

Unfortunately, for many who refuse to see the fellowship of the mystery, this is seen as the ultimate offense especially by Israel. That offense existed in Paul’s day, and it continues today. We read in 1 Corinthians 1:23-24,

But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 

But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. 

 

In this dispensation of grace, God is not sending blessings through any nation, but rather through Christ to the church, which is His Body as we see in Ephesians 1:22-23.

Studying the Bible with a dispensational view not only helps us understand the Bible but also helps us make sense of the news in relation to Israel.

 

What Is God’s Prophetic Purpose For Israel?

The Bible describes a two-fold plan and purpose that God has for the universe.

The difference between these two programs which are inside God’s overall purpose comes to us two ways. Firstly by what was ‘spoken by the mouth of the prophets since the world began’ as in Acts 3:21, and secondly that which was ‘kept secret since the world began’ as in Romans 16:25.

We mark the difference between the two programs by calling the first “prophecy”, while the other is the “mystery”, revealed to Paul as in Ephesians 3:1-5.

 

The prophetic program, “prophecy” promises a future dominion on earth, while the mystery program “mystery” promises a dominion in heavenly places.

These two programs describe the way to God’s single purpose for eternity – that all things would be in Christ as we read in Ephesians 1:10,

That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: 

 

God began to reveal his plan for the earth almost immediately to Adam, then to Abraham, and eventually to the nation of Israel. However, he kept the information of his heavenly program, “the mystery” a secret from the foundation of the world as Ephesians 3:9 explains, and we read,

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: 

 

God’s program for the earth can be summed up like this:

Israel is created as God’s chosen people. God created the nation Israel to have a privileged status before Him as a peculiar people and we see that in Genesis 12:2, Exodus 19:5, Romans 3:1-2 and many other places.

This chosen nation is promised a kingdom on earth and God promised a specific piece of land that would mark where He would set up His kingdom on earth and we see this throughout the bible especially in Genesis 13:15, Deuteronomy 34:4, Psalm 37:22, Matthew 5:5 and Isaiah 2:2-4.

 

A Messiah was promised to Israel that would lead the nation into world dominion and power as we see in Daniel 2:44-45, Isaiah 9:6-7 and Jeremiah 23:5.

This kingdom will rule the world with the Messiah as King.

Israel will be the channel of blessing to the Gentile nations Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:18, Zechariah 8:20-23, Isaiah 60:3, Matthew 5:16.

 

In this prophecy program righteousness comes through God’s covenants.

God gave the Old Covenant as a token that Israel would be a nation that followed after God. The New Covenant would replace the old as the method of attaining righteousness and entrance into the kingdom as we see in Deuteronomy 6:25, Ezekial 36:24-27, Matthew 5:20, John 14:21 and 1 John 3:7-10.

A remnant of Israel will live through a great tribulation before entering the kingdom. With the divine protection of God, Israel will be able to live through the time of His wrath poured out on earth against all who reject Him.

They’ll be refined as silver and come out prepared to enter the kingdom on Earth says Daniel 9:24, Zechariah 13:9, Mark 13:13 and 1 Peter 4:17.

 

All these aspects of the prophecy program stand in stark contrast to the aspects of God’s mystery program, “the Mystery” or God’s program for heavenly places.

Today we who are saved are not participants of God’s program for the earth. We’re ambassadors of God’s heavenly purpose residing on earth to do His will see 2 Corinthians 5:20 and Ephesians 2:6.

 

Understanding the difference in the Bible between the Prophecy and the Mystery is a key to understanding what God’s will is for us today.

This basic truth can help us better understand our Bibles and the purpose of our Lord and Savior.

 

What about national Israel now, today?

Their story doesn’t begin in 1948, when Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben‑Gurion, publicly announced the Israeli Declaration of Independence, The State of Israel was established just hours before the British Mandate in Palestine expired.

The British Mandate for Palestine was a League of Nations mandate that gave Britain legal authority to administer the territories of Palestine and Transjordan after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in World War I.

Instead the story starts, as we’ve pointed out, in Genesis 12, when God calls Abram to “go…to the land that I will show you,” promising to make him into a great nation, to bless those who bless him, and to curse those who curse him, Genesis 12:1–3. That promise is unconditional. God binds Himself to it in a covenant ratified in Genesis 15 and reaffirmed in Genesis 17.

 

The apostle Paul describes in Romans 11:25 the present state of spiritual Israel,

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 

 

He then looks forward to a future national turning to Messiah in Romans 11:26,

And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 

 

Put together, Scripture speaks of a time, such as is today, in which Israel is going back to their land but still largely in unbelief and under intense pressure through which they’re mysteriously preserved as a nation until God opens their eyes again after the fullness of the gentiles, when this dispensation of grace has ended.

When God’s grace ends His wrath starts against all unbelief. He cannot offer grace freely to every person while bringing wrath at the same time.

What will follow will be a terrible tribulation the likes of which the world has never before seen but a remnant of the nation of Israel will believe and they will be miraculously preserved through the period of tribulation to enter the Kingdom that’ll finally come after this 2000 year interval in the Kingdom’s prophecy timeline due to Israel’s rejection of the Messiah.

That interval period was revealed to Paul as “the Mystery”.

Today the nation is physically going home but spiritually far off, and yet they’re right at the center of God’s unfolding plan.

Today, as in every other nation in the world, personal, individual salvation is only possible through faith in the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah, Jesus Christ no matter whether we’re Jew or Gentile.

Which Bible Version?

Which Bible Version Should I Choose?

The Bible version issue is one of the most misunderstood controversies among Christians, and it is a big controversy. People choose a bible for many reasons, often because they simply like the cover.

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Bible Preservation

 

What About The King James Bible?

Since Eden, there’s been a battle between the pure Word and the corrupted one. That battle still goes on.

We should be sure that the Bible we’re reading truly is God’s inspired word and not some human’s critical take on what the words should say.

The changes in many newer Bible versions aren’t small—they’re serious!

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TextComparison

 

When A Loved One Dies

Death is terrible. It’s man’s worst affliction and when we die there are usually loved ones that suffer.

There’s nothing more grievous and painful than the death of someone we love.

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When a Loved One Dies – Transcript

When a person dies who we’ve shared our life, our time and our love with and who we’ve created precious memories with the pain can seem unbearable. With those that have no hope that pain can be seen as incurable.

 

There’s very little comfort for those who feel they’ve lost everything and have hope in nothing.

Sometimes we cope with this grief by focusing on living our lives in as they would intend it to be lived, honouring the memory of the lost loved one.

However, that does nothing to cure the pains and the consequences of death. One day we’ll die also. What’ll happen to those we leave behind? The cycle continues.

Those without hope have little comfort in the face of death, but those who know and trust the gospel have every hope. So much so, that not only is death conquered by resurrection, but the sting of death is alleviated.

 

God teaches us this in Romans 5:12,

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 

 

The original cause and source of death in the world is sin.

God has no pleasure in death. It’s mankind’s self-inflicted injury. It started when man rebelled against God.

But, God, in Christ, came to earth and died a sinless death to pay the penalty for all our sins. He conquered the source of death which is sin and then defeated the effect of it when he resurrected from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:21 reads,

For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

 

The gospel teaches that these benefits of the cross are offered to all men freely if they trust what Christ did for them.

The solution is when we’re reconciled to him through the sacrificial death of God’s own son and we read 2 Corinthians 5:18,

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

 

This ministry of reconciliation is given to his ambassadors to proclaim as victory over death, hell, and the grave.

Now, there’s no need for anyone to die without hope.

 

Just because our loved one is saved doesn’t mean that what we suffer at their death is any less. It’s still suffering, but the sting of death is replaced with the hope of eternal reunion and resurrection at the coming of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 15:57,

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory [victory over death] through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 

That the dead in Christ continue to live is not something mystical or symbolic. It’s a truth that was explained by the gospel that works in those that believe. The dead, if they are in Christ, live forever. That they have died in their earthly body means they are in a different place. We know it to be a better place.

2 Corinthians 5:6-8,

Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, 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. 

 

Those who die in Christ leave us to gain a higher position in heavenly places. Some call death a promotion to glory for a saved person since the soul is not lost, but rather promoted ahead of us into the glory that we’re still waiting for while we’re in this earthly body.

Philippians 1:21,

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 

 

Even with this knowledge that our saved loved one lives on in an indescribably better place the pain of that loved one’s departure is very real. But those who’re also in Christ are not ruined by that pain because even though it’s sad for us that they’re no longer with us here, they’re now operating in a better place with better blessings by the promise of the gospel of Christ. All is not lost.

 

Everyone suffers great loss when a loved one dies. Only those who face death with the hope of the gospel can be sure that the one they lost is not gone forever.

It’s written in Psalm 116:15,

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. 

 

With the knowledge of the gospel we can now understand why.

 

Many people ask, “Why doesn’t God stop all suffering?”

To do that God would need to prevent life itself.

Every man, woman and child born into this present broken existence cursed by sin is subject to suffering in one way or another.

 

Suffering was not introduced by God. It was introduced by humanity through sin and its consequences. God has been involved in removing suffering and sin ever since. This is called salvation.

 

If God were to prevent all suffering immediately, then he must prevent all people born in sin from being born at all.

This would be the ultimate abortion, and would be a quick end to humanity.

 

God knows that life is better than death and would rather let people live with the hope of salvation, than to condemn them all to certain non-existence and death.

 

If there is a sure hope of salvation, then living, even in suffering, is better than not.

God shows his will in Jesus Christ being sent to suffer and die while bringing the message of hope and life to all .

Romans  5:8,

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

 

And 2 Timothy 1:9-10,

Who (that’s God) 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: 

 

Hope helps people endure pain by assuring us of something much greater that’s just around the corner. But some people see nothing beyond their suffering.

That’s where scripture steps in. Through the patience and comfort of the scriptures, we can have hope (Romans 15:4).

The Bible shows the evil and suffering in this world, but it also gives us a greater hope.

 

When God revealed the mystery of Christ to our apostle for the Body of Christ today, Paul, He gave the greatest comfort to those who suffer.

Colossians 1:27,

To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: 

 

This glory is far greater than anything we suffer here.

Romans 8:18,

For I (Paul) reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 

 

But we only see that through faith, not sight and that faith comes by the Word of God.

Romans 10:17,

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 

 

We trust that God can and will do what 2 Corinthians 4:14 promises,

Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. 

 

Therefore we see our suffering through the light of 2 Corinthians 4:17,

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 

 

Romans 5:2-4 says this regarding our suffering,

By whom (Christ) also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 

And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 

 

Paul says in Philippians 4:11,

Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

 

Suffering is real. It’s not something to ignore or accept without help. The treatment is hope—and that comes by faith in God’s Word rightly divided.

Some sufferings won’t go away until glory, but we wait for the hope of righteousness by faith (Gal 5:5).

Rom 8:24-25 says we’re saved by hope,

For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 

But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 

 

The world offers temporary comforts like jokes, food, music, positive thinking all manner of fun and amusement but these things don’t solve the real problem. Only God does. He confronts the problem and gives the solution in Jesus Christ. We were once enemies of God, but His kindness appeared as Titus 3:4 tells us. He loved us when no one else could. In Christ, we have forgiveness and eternal life and that’s real comfort.

 

Galatians 1:4 reminds us that we live in a present evil world. Sin brings suffering, but sin was paid for at the cross. One day it will be removed, completely, but until then, we trust God’s strength in our weakness.

 

To say every tragedy is God’s wrath is untrue and a poor testimony to His grace.

That’s not how God works today. That thinking ignores the mystery revealed to Paul. God’s not judging the world. Hew will one day but He’s not today. He’s offering grace and peace (2 Corinthians 5:19–20).

Even Peter saw the delay in judgment as God’s longsuffering as we see in 2 Peter 3:15.

God’s not dealing with the world through death and destruction. He’s offering reconciliation and heavenly hope.

 

When tragedy strikes, we should see it as a symptom of the broken world that Galatians 1:4 details, and let it move us to preach the gospel. Christ was made sin for us so we wouldn’t bear the punishment. Our hope is in heavenly places as we see in Colossians 3:2–4 and Philippians 3:20).

 

God has been offering salvation to a suffering dying humanity for thousands of years. It’s man that’s rejected His hope of salvation.

For Bible believing Christians suffering and death needn’t be the problem it is for a world that rejects Christ.

Does Your Pastor Believe the Bible?

Most people expect to go to church to learn about God and the truth of the Bible.

Most of those people automatically accept that the pastor or preacher believes the Bible literally and completely.

Perhaps they should question that.

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Does Your Pastor Believe the Bible? – Transcript

 

A nationwide survey among a representative sample of America’s Christian pastors shows that a large majority of those pastors do not possess a biblical worldview.

In fact, just slightly more than a third (37%) have a biblical worldview and the majority—62%—possess a hybrid worldview known as Syncretism which is the blending of ideas and applications from a variety of worldviews into a unique but inconsistent combination that represents their personal preferences.

More than six out of 10 pastors (62%) have a predominantly syncretistic worldview.

Here’s a link to the survey.

The modern picture of a false teacher is the cult leader dressed in robes, uniforms, or clothing that sets them apart from followers and carrying staffs, medallions, books, or other objects that suggest spiritual or ideological power.

However, there should be a real concern that today’s false teacher looks much more like the average pastor and the above research and a number of others like it provides the evidence.

These pastors and teachers are often much loved and probably genuinely believe they’re preaching bible truth.

While the Bible speaks about false teachers we mustn’t think this is just an ancient problem.  Half of the pastors surveyed denied one or more of the following Biblical worldview positions:

The Bible is accurate in its teaching.

Jesus was sinless.

Satan exists as a real being.

God is omnipotent and omniscient.

Salvation is by grace alone.

 

We’re given the responsibility to evangelize. 1 Timothy 2:4 says (God) will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 

Paul teaches us that the front line of the spiritual battle is within the Christian community.

 

The Galatians were being deceived by those teaching ‘another gospel’ Let’s see Galatians 1:6-9,

I (that’s Paul) marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 

Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 

As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 

 

Paul was afraid that the Corinthians would also fall captive to false teachers preaching ‘another Jesus’, ‘another spirit’, and ‘another gospel’. 2 Corinthians 11:3-4) says,

But I (Paul again) fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 

For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. 

 

Later in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 Paul shows that false teachers look like the ‘apostles of Christ’ and ‘ministers of righteousness’,

For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

If it’s true that appearances can be deceiving then who do we trust and more importantly, what do we believe?

 

We must go back to studying the source and learn what the Bible really says. This is the only safeguard against false teachers and false teaching.

When we do this and undertake a systematic study of God’s Word to mankind we’ll find that the answer is the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery in Romans 16:25,

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 

 

We can’t teach the Bible any old way, we must rightly divide it into the correct contexts, the ages and times that have been revealed piece by piece by God over many centuries.

As 2 Timothy 2:15-16 says,

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 

But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 

 

A failure to rightly divide the context, the ages and the times of the Bible effects the spiritual growth and eternal destiny of deceived millions. Romans 16:17-18 confirms this,

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 

For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 

 

If you’re in a church with one of these pastors then get out as fast as you can and then learn how to rightly divide and therefore understand God’s Word.

This poll we give a link to in the transcript relates to America but comparing America’s vast recognition that God is real to most other western nations suggest that in our nation of Australia these false teaching statistics are far worse.