At Paul’s conversion Christ came to him and said “I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.” Showing for us that Christ would come to Paul on numerous occasions to show him things. This Light that he witnessed was 7 times brighter than humanly possible, would make multiple appearances over time to complete his conversion.
You see, Paul could only understand so much at a time. Even as Christ said to the eleven “I still have many things to say to you, however you cannot bear them now.” Because of these truths we can see the greater revelation of who Christ is, is developed through successive visitations and revelations, to make the point that Paul’s Epistles show this progression. That Paul started out with some distorted Pharisaic views. From that he needed to be transformed. So we should not be surprised that his Epistles would follow this.
Paul said in Ephesians “how that by revelation Christ made known to me the mystery as I have briefly written already”. This shows us that Christ made good on His continuel comings, and is not restricted to just 1st and 2nd comings as many eroniously suppose.
We can see that Paul’s 1st Epistles were stilled influenced by his Pharisaic roots, while his later Epistles were clearer and more developed in New Covenant realities because Christ showed him mysteries and consecutive revelations to transform him.
Paul was in transition from one kingdom to the other. So we must reach the conclusion that, not all scripture is equally valid. If it was, Christ would not have countered Satan’s scripture with another, “for it is written”.
Paul taught us to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind. That you may know what God’s good, acceptable and perfect will is” who also said to “rightly divide the word of truth. Because he could not understand the full message all at once, so we shouldn’t expect ourselves to either.
We start out with carnal mindsets too. Kind of like a detective “give me just the facts please, I want to see the evidence”. Like Thomas, let me put my fingers in the holes in your hands. But you see that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen”. Meaning, these consecutive revelations for Paul and ourselves never take on physical form. They only convert the inner man of the spirit. The old one returns to the dust. As Paul said “flesh and blood shall not inherit the Kingdom” however the re-spirited mind of faith does.
This is our journey and why scripture calls us pilgrims and sojourners. To follow Christ to where He is. In the book of Acts the first believers were called the people of “The Way” first, because they were going somewhere. Where? Jerusalem, but not that one. Heavenly Jerusalem. This is why those who loved Jerusalem on earth persecuted the ones with heavenly aspirations. This is what Christ meant when He said “let us go up from here”. How? Through these consecutive revelations, let us go up to Heavenly Jerusalem, “The Kingdom prepared from the foundations of the world.
So we must get this point, that a trade off takes place, old for new. Earthen, for Heavenly. Even as Paul instructed us to “cast off the bond woman and her son. The two Jerusalem’s cannot coexist in importance in your mind. You have to make the cut. “For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which is on earth, and is in bondage with her children— 26 but the Jerusalem above is free, which is the mother of us all.”
The same is true when Paul said “so then all Israel shall be saved”.
Was He talking of the one of that day which was a plot of land? Or maybe the Israel that was people walking through the desert? Are they the ones to be saved? You see the first introduction with Moses with God saying “Israel is my first born Son” showing for us the real Israel is a type of Christ. The body of Christ. Of those who are in Christ. Even as Paul learned correctly in 1 Corinthians 10
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the [e]communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
18 Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices [f]partakers of the altar?
Paul shows us here that old testament visuals were given only to show invisible realities “in Christ” the true Israel of something invisible. Us who are a part of the body of Christ. Even as Christ quoted “lo the volume of the book was written about Me” affirming that all of scripture is given only to make visible, and knowable invisible realities with God in Christ. And we are in Him.
Any other such application of Israel or Jerusalem, glorifies another. And all Glory to our Heavenly Father for teaching us these things. We are the body of Christ and in the true Israel who is Christ. The fulfillment of all things are in God’s Son. Amen
Gods desire is that we fully enjoy Him now in His totality. As Paul learned that “God has given us every spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus”. So we can enjoy the deliciousies the Godhead does even now if we are “in Christ” the Son of God, and the only Israel that matters to the Father. Are you palleting this? Taste and see that the Lord is good.
So all Israel will be saved? But of course. But not the plot of land. Dirt has no lasting purpose with God. The idea that a modern day Israel with a modern day Jew as being beneficiaries of the scriptures is steeped in Phariseism. Let us go up from here.
With this principal in mind we can see throughout Paul’s Epistles he may flounder, but his later writings he straightens them out. You can see the exchanges take place. Old for new, visible for invisible, physical things for spiritual. Even as Christ spoke to the Samaritan women at the well with these words ” the time that is coming is already here when you will not worship the Father in Sameria or Jerusalem but in Spirit and Truth”. And so we do, we are the Israel of God and the Elect. Amen!
The Kingdom of God is at Hand.
Part 2
Pharisees were challenging Christ of His coming kingdom said “20 Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; 21 nor will they say, [f]‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is [g]within you.” showing for us the difference of the things within, supersede the things without as being the carnally visual. They were for instructive purposes only. .
You see Paul was still looking for kingdom coming with carnal observations in Thessalonians. When trying to explain Christ’s coming with observable events because he still had some Pharisee in Him. But by the time Paul had wrote Timothy he had understood that God used him, being a Pharisee of the most religious sect, witnessing the death of Stephen, a persecutor of the people of “The Way” a son of Satan, brood of vipers, whited scepelcure full of dead man’s bones. According to his own words that “I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an [d]insolent man; and that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief (chief in the Greek is “protos” and where we get “prototype”). 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern (also can be interpretated “a prototype to show a progression from being a son of Satan, to being a fellow citizen, saint and member of the household of God having been built upon the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets Jesus Christ the Chief cornerstone.” This is our invitation too and why we can say “The Kingdom of God is at hand” just as much today as when Christ first said it.
You see this invitation was never retracted, the blood of Christ through the eternal spirit was sufficient to deliver the goods. Our full inheritance is in effect. We are in the New Covenant, there will not be a 3rd Covenant, and no the old wine is not better, and you cannot mingle the two. This is why all the law and the prophets were till John, and they are no more. They were fulfilled. They are expired. And Paul struggled with that too.
End part 1
Paul was of the worst, most despicable, heinous, Satanic sect, for Christ to show He can save to the uttermost. Paul being the worst was a perfect candidate to show the transition from his Hellish mindset, ingrained in Jewish law, by degree to what you are able to receive, to map out the full transition from that Jerusalem, to “The Kingdom of God at hand” as being Heavenly Jerusalem come down of God from heaven made up of constructs specific to him. Ibanez Paul also said, for the gospel that I preached to you I did not come by man nor was I taught it by man but by revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul had to discard all his carnal teachings, to map out stair steps to the kingdom, to fulfill Christ’s words where he said, follow me that where I am you may be also. Some of us have done that.
It was Peter who warned us of Paul’s writings, having encountered Paul who withstood him to his face and belittled him for his Jewish origins that he was tightly holding on to. Peter now being corrected by Paul now says “consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” And why did Peter say this? Because he was one that was twisting scripture to his own destruction until Paul confronted him publicly. Showing us to that Peter was it on a similar journey.
Yes that if you take the Epistles at the face value, not understanding the progression, you may be holding onto old, Pharisaic concepts he had not expired yet. Even as Paul said “when I was a child I thought like a child and spoke like a child. When I became a man I put away childhood things” showing a progression. Even as he explained that a child is no different than a slave, but is put under guardians and tutors untill time appointed by the Father”. Fortunately for us we have many appointments for our continued growth, unless we get stuck in the process and can’t transition to the new.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” So you have to be careful to take the first rendering.
Paul early on still saw the resurrection and the Lord’s coming as physical events to be experienced on planet earth as a social event, like the old testament Jews.
Towards the end of the book of Acts, Paul testified that the purpose of the father’s was the pursuit of the resurrection as attainable before the physical death of the body. As also he conveyed to us in Romans to “recon your body to be dead” as an act of faith. Then in Colossians 3
that “you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” as a past tense fact.
Paul also says “but Satan hindered us” speaking of still not being fully delivered as he later said in Colossians that Christ “has delivered us from the power of darkness and [c]conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” as a foregone conclusion.
Paul had to experience Satan’s opposition to help those overcome as he would, saying “lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain”. Paul had still not attained the plateaue of the spirit. But the fact is we have been delivered and conveyed.
Christ in His temptation showed us that we defeat Satan with word, quoting one scripture to eradicate another, showing that Satan likes you on the lower application of the scriptures because you are still attached to physical fulfillments and works of the flesh being blind to the greater works of the cross where the curse is eradicated and the spiritual polarity is reversed.
All of our victories and accomplishments come from the cross and there is no future saving act from God or that would insult the Son who said “it is finished’ if in fact it is not. Then both the Father and the Son would be liars but they are “Spirit and truth.
The concept of one verse being more powerful than another should not be strange. You have heard of “Jacobs Ladder”. The Ladder is fulfilled in Christ too by His own words saying “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter[o] you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.” We know Christ “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God”. So it should not be strange that we go up by steps to the degree that you are able to attain. Even as Paul said to press on to lay hold of why Christ laid hold of us, it is His sayings that take us all the way to the Father, one revelation at a time to experience the Godhead unhindered.
This is the oneness and the “koinania” 1 John is wrote about. John also refers to these steps as to children, the young, and the fathers as seen here “I write to you, little children,
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you have overcome the wicked one.” By these standards Paul was still a babe because Satan hindered him. He hadn’t learned to do combat with Word to overcome Satan. To overcome meets to never do battle with again, and the truth of the matter is, if you find yourself struggling with sin and Satan, you don’t know the tools of our trade. Word. And chances are, you use lower level verses and carnal concepts in your thinking and are not transformed by the higher level of the Word, unveiled by the Holy Spirit. For the weapons of our warefare are not carnal, nor are they physical, but they are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds and every high thing that exaulted itself against the knowledge of God”. Why? Because if we expire and dismantle lower level thinking, Satan has no defence. You can gain mastery over each level of faith with a word
Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I write to you, fathers,
Because you have known Him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you have overcome the wicked one.” By these standards Paul was still a babe because Satan hindered him. He hadn’t learned to do combat with Word to overcome Satan. To overcome meets to never do battle with again, and the truth of the matter is, if you find yourself struggling with sin and Satan, you don’t know the tools of our trade. Word. And chances are, you use lower level verses and carnal concepts in your thinking and are not transformed by the higher level of the Word, unveiled by the Holy Spirit. For the weapons of our warefare are not carnal, nor are they physical, but they are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds and every high thing that exaulted itself against the knowledge of God”. Why? Because if we expire and dismantle lower level thinking, Satan has no defence. You can gain mastery over each level of faith with a word
Much like Moses was instructed to speak to the rock for water but used a stick, a physical work, and their struggle lasted 40 years. “How much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot”. And insult the Spirit of Grace. But this people do if they do not realize that Christ who through the eternal spirit shed His blood to secure our inheritance now as being “The Kingdom of God at hand”. There is the storehouse for our goods to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. Why? Because their are consequences to go about your life Willy Nilly. Once saved always saved?
2 Therefore we must give [a]the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just [b]reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation”. And “4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 [c]if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.” And “26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” [g]says the Lord. And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God”.
If you do not take your call to godliness, to God-like-ness serious, do not read on because you will be accountable for what you reject.
Philippians comes next because Paul still has yet to obtain the resurrection as well.
Galatians would be next because Paul realized that he must “cast off the bondwomen and her son ” as being Jerusalem on earth, and starting to realize spiritual entities like “Heavenly Jerusalem the mother of us all” and the dwelling place of resurrected saints. That to observe dates was futile that he labored for them in vain if they still believed that way.
1 Corinthians Paul still looks at the day of the Lord as being a social, collective event. He is now seeing the Lord’s people not as Israel of the old testament, but the body of Christ being a collection of believers.
Paul understands that our bodies are God’s temples and not buildings. That the Kingdom of God is in word and power 4.20
Paul eroniously sees death as something yet to be defeated and the last enemy. 15.20. But in Romans he teaches to recon the body dead through the working of faith, the tool of our trade.
2 Corinthians Paul sees a clear distinction between the law written on stone and God writing on tablets of flesh. He speaks of inner and outer man for the first time. 4.16 And he differentiates between temporary and eternal things. 4.18
Paul flounders by saying “at home in the body absent from the Lord, but he goes on to say “today is the day of salvation, but Christ said “I will never leave you or forsake you” and “lo I am with you always” giving us correct posture.
Paul also recognized that “in Christ” we are a new creation. Old things have past away, all things become new” as we transfer out of the carnal to the spiritual body.
2 Timothy say “4 I charge you [a]therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead [b]at His appearing and His kingdom” showing Paul still expects the kingdom later so this goes before Ephesians because Paul learns to consider ourselves citezines of the Kingdom of God.