Our
number one desire for these Bible lessons are for them to be understandable,
defendable, and for the Holy Spirit to bear witness that the conclusions are
the true and correct interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
Guidelines
for our Bible studies on this website:
1. We treat the living words of the
living God as spoken by the Lord Jesus and given to the Apostle Paul for the
Body of Christ the same importance, as
the words of the Lord Jesus recorded in red
letters in the books of Matthew – Acts Chp. 8, as what should be known as the
instructions to the nation Israel.
2. We will not be wresting the scriptures
against each other, we will look at the verses in their context, and will not
try to make the scriptures say anything, but what they say.
3. We will be using the verses out of the
Authorized Version, commonly known as the KJV. It is fine if you want to look
the verses up in other translations if you like, but we will consider the
Authorized Version as our final written authority.
4. We do not and will not use the Greek,
Hebrew, Aramaic, or Latin languages to prove any points, or give any indication
that the Authorized Version has been incorrectly translated.
I
hope these studies are interesting enough to provoke you to study your Bible
and for you to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The
other day I stopped at a traffic light and an individual was holding a sign
with the words “I need money for food” and also the words “Jesus said to help
thy neighbor”.
Immediately
I recognized that he had incorrectly quoted the Bible verse, as Jesus said
“love thy neighbor” probably the majority of the people who read that sign
never picked up on the misquoted verse.
Of
course, I do believe when you Love your neighbor as yourself, you certainly will
come to the conclusion that you should also help your neighbor. But the point
is Jesus was still misquoted.
The
apostle Paul when quoting Jesus in his epistle to the Galatians did not change
the word love to help.
Gal. 5 [14] For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou
shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Paul
also under the guidance and control of the Holy Spirit when writing his epistle
to the Thessalonians gave the following instructions provided by the Lord Jesus
for the Gentile believers.
2Thes.3 [10] For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that
if any would not work, neither should he eat.
I
think we should question why the man on the corner didn’t have on his sign these
words of the apostle Paul about the need to work in order to be able to eat.
This
is a perfect demonstration of why we need to understand the Bible in context
and rightly divide the word of truth.
People
are all the time quoting the Bible or misquoting the Bible to support their
particular unsound doctrine or beliefs.
Now
let us continue with this theme of unlearning unsound doctrine. As always, we
will go to the living words of the living God to get our information and let
the Holy Spirt make the scriptures clear to us by comparing scripture with
scripture.
Acts.10 [9] On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh
unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: [10]
And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he
fell into a trance, [11] And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending
unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down
to the earth: [12] Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the
earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. [13] And
there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. [14] But Peter
said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or
unclean. [15] And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What
God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
In
the verses above we see Peter, who was a pork abstaining Jew, and a disciple of the
Lord Jesus get some new instructions on what he could eat. Notice the first
words out of his mouth were, I have never eaten anything that is common or
unclean.
Now Peter immediately recited these words because as a Jew he was not allowed to eat pork or any animal listed as unclean in
the Old Testament laws. So he was making sure the Lord knew he had never violated
those laws concerning the eating of unclean animals.
Now
what every Christian should know is that this is the first time in the Bible a Jew was told by God that he did not have to obey the Mosaic Law
concerning the eating of unclean animals.
Another
thing every Christian should know is this did not happen until after the
Apostle Paul became a Christian.
Now
this is a big deal and I hope to explain it with the Holy Spirit’s help so that
it’s importance is clear.
I
believe that the Body of Christ or the Church of this dispensation did not start
on the day of Pentecost, but started with the conversion of the Apostle Paul.
I
know this is a doctrine that very few Christians of today are familiar with, as
I believe Satan has gone to great extremes to get everyone to give the words of
Jesus recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, preference over the words of
Jesus given to the Apostle Paul for Christians living today.
Now
let’s compare what happened with Peter and the instructions that Paul gave in
the book of 1st Timothy concerning the eating of certain meats.
1Tim.4 [1] Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times
some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having
their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry,
and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to
be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know
the truth. [4] For every creature of God is good, and nothing
to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: [5] For it is
sanctified by the word of God and prayer. [6] If thou put the brethren in
remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus
Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine,
whereunto thou hast attained. [7] But refuse profane and old wives' fables,
and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
In
Acts chapter 10 we saw Peter was told to kill and eat unclean animals which prior
to that time period was clearly forbidden, but the Lord after the conversion of
Paul changed the rules and made it so Peter could now eat pork.
Now
Paul gives further explanation of this doctrine of eating or not eating unclean
animals in his epistle to the Gentiles, remember these words are not just the
words of Paul but were the words of the Lord Jesus given to Paul after he went
back to heaven.
Verse
1: Paul clearly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith
and give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.
Verse
2: He says they will be speaking lies with a seared conscience.
Verse
3: Now pay close attention to the lies they will be speaking, they will be
forbidding to marry, I bet there is no one reading this lesson that as soon as
you read these verses didn’t think of the names of some of the Christian
organizations that forbid marriage to some of their members. Paul continues
with the words that these groups will be commanding to abstain from meats which
he now states that God has “created to be received
with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.” Again I bet
everyone reading this can name supposed Christian organizations that command
their members against eating certain animals or meat.
Verse
4: Paul goes on to say that every creature of God is good for nothing to be
refused if it is received with thanksgiving.
It
should also be noted that there was another time in the Bible when man was told
he could eat anything he wanted to.
Gen.9 [1] And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. [2] And the fear of you and
the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of
the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the
sea; into your hand are they delivered. [3] Every moving thing that liveth
shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.
So
now let me make the point, sound doctrine for one dispensation can be unsound
doctrine when misapplied to the people and time periods in the Bible that it
was not intended for.
Adam
and Eve were vegetarians, Noah and his Sons were meat eaters, Moses and his
group could eat vegetables and meat but restricted in some of their choices,
and in this current dispensation we can eat anything once again like Noah.
So,
when people are telling the Christians of this dispensation that you cannot eat
bacon, lobster, shrimp, catfish, etc. they are teaching and following unsound doctrine.
This is what the Apostle Paul taught on the subject and since we the Body of Christ or Church of the Grace Dispensation are under Pauline doctrine this is the doctrine we are to follow.
All
of the confusion among Christianity/Christians today can be attributed to the
simple fact that the church, the Body of Christ, does not recognize the
separate, distinct, and unique apostleship, ministry, and message of Paul.
If you have never trusted the Lord Jesus as your savior, I
encourage you to believe in him and invite him to save you today! All one needs
to do is to trust and believe in the Lord Jesus’s death, burial and
resurrection for the forgiveness of sins to be made new in him.
Gal.2 [16] Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the
law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus
Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ,
and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the
law shall no flesh be justified
Eph.3 [17] That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;
that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, [19] And to know the love
of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the
fulness of God.
What
a great day that will be when Jesus Christ returns in all his glory, friend
don’t let that day take you unawares. Today Jesus has his arms outstretched and
open to sinners to put their trust in him. One day we will all stand before him
either as our savior or our judge, don’t put it off invite Jesus to save you
today!
"The
crowd that will not accept one truth will decay to the point that it does not
accept one God: many denominations, many translations, many gods."
The
words of our Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles!
2Tim.2 [15] Study
to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Come
join with us as we study God’s Holy Word!
Remember
most unsound Bible Doctrine, is sound Bible Doctrine misapplied to
the wrong time period, or wrong group of people.
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