I do not know why we have so many Christians who believe the entire Bible is written directly to them, the Church of God. There is nothing in the Bible to indicate such thinking, and I would like to add nothing could be further from the truth. It's true the Word of God was written for everyone for all time, and it's for our learning because it contains what everyone should know. That does not mean every part of it is addressed to everyone in this time, because the subject matter was written either to the Jews, to the Gentiles, or to the Church of God (1 Corinthians 10:32).
To rightly understand the Word of God, one must understand what part is written to the Church of God and what part is written for the learning of the Church. Every word from Genesis 1:1, to Revelation 22:21, is written for our learning. However, not all of the words from Genesis 1:1, to Revelation 22:21, are addressed to us. We must learn to distinguish not only the various people, but also the different time periods God has spoken to if we want to understand the written Word of God. The time God spoke to the children of Israel is not the same time period He has spoken to us. The time He spoke to the prophets in the time of the Old Testament is not the same time period He spoke to His Son Jesus Christ in the time of the gospels.
We will never understand the truth of God’s Word if we neglect to rightly divide the subject matter. As far as we are concerned in this Grace administration, what happened to Israel in the Old Testament was written for our learning. If we do not rightly divide to whom it's addressed—the Jew, Gentile, or the Church of God, we will use one truth to contradict another truth, and we will use what is true for one group in contrast to what is also true for another group.
These different administrations are suited to different times because God has spoken everything to its proper time and administration. We will never understand the truth of God’s Word if we read into one administration what God tells us belongs to another administration. If we believe what God said in one administration and carry it into another administration that was on a different principle, we will be taking what is true for one time, and using it to contradict what is also true for another time. When we mix them all together, by jumbling the whole Bible together: Law, Gospel, Grace, Judgment, Glory, Jew, Gentile, and the Church of God, we will be very confused in our understanding of the truth of God’s Word.
What is amazing is that people who claim to have read the Bible think the Bible is the Word of God!!
Did you not read even read it?
Gen 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.”
The word of the Lord who came to Abram saying was some sacred writing but a person, the anointed One, the Son of God, Jesus Christ who we can get to know and hear from just like Abram did - but do we believe in Him? If so, that belief in Him is counted to us as righteousness, right?
Gen 15:6 Then he believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness.
He even took on flesh, came to earth, yet His people in general did not know Him!! Sounds like today, maybe?
Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jn 1:2He was in the beginning with God.
Jn 1"10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.
Jn 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.
So from Peterlag we read "I do not know why we have so many Christians who believe the entire Bible is written directly to them, the Church of God. "
Indeed, Peterlat is correct on this. Of course Bible was not written directly to us personally!! But why did he write this? How did He come to think such a thing might be? Could it be because He also wrote "To rightly understand the Word of God, one must understand what part is written to the Church of God and what part is written for the learning of the Church. "
Oh wow - he is quite confused, because he thinks the Word of God means the writings instead of the person of Jesus Christ, like the writings tell us! Perhaps He does not have this revelation yet?
Rev 19:13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
The writings are not a person, Jesus Christ is a person. Jesus Christ is the One with a robe dipped in blood and His name is called The Word of God, and certainly a person who has read the Bible would have know that, right? I would think so, but if somehow He missed it in the writing He would certainly would have understood it if He spent time walking and talking with The Word of God, our Teacher!!
I mean, Abram certain knew the name of the One who showed up in a vision and spoke to Him was "the word of the Lord/God", and Moses who wrote the passage knew the name of the One who showed up and talked to Abram was the "the word of the Lord/God". And we read above that John obviously knew the One who took on flesh and walk among the was "the Word", and that was His name, though they called Him Jesus (because He is also God's salvation). And what about the others who heard from Him, walked with Him, and wrote about Him? Didn't they know His name is called The Word of God/Lord?
1 Samuel 15:10 Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying,
The Bible didn't come and talk to Samuel, did it? Of course not. The same One we called Jesus Christ and whose name is called Jesus Christ, and also Lord, came and talked to Samuel. So unlike Peterlag, Samuel knew the word of the Lord who came to Samuel is the One we call Jesus Christ! That verse could have been written:
The Jesus Christ came to Samuel, saying - except that The Word of God had not yet gone to the cross so as to be known as God's Salvation (Jesus) then.
And did not the others also write about Him being the Word of God? Oh yeah they did know Him!
1 Kings 6:11 Now the word of the LORD came to Solomon saying,
1 Kings 16:1 Now the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,
1KIngs 19:9 Then he came there to a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
2 Kings20:4 Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
Jer 1:11 The word of the LORD came to me saying, “What do you see, Jeremiah?” And I said, “I see a rod of an almond tree.”
Oh wow - all those people who wrote the Bible (Old and New testament), were calling Jesus Christ the Word of God/Lord! Yet we find people today thinking that the Bible is the Word of God we are preaching!!
We are not preaching the Bible we are preaching Jesus Christ, so why is Peterlag confussed?
What was Paul writing about in Romans 10? I think the confusion is discussed there, and this is what walking and talking with the Lord is all about!
Rom 10:2-9 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge.
For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness.
But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “DO NOT SAY IN YOUR HEART, ‘WHO WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN?’ (that is, to bring Christ down),
or ‘WHO WILL DESCEND INTO THE ABYSS?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).”
But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
The Bible is not always with you, but the Lord said He would never leave us and He sent His Holy Spirit to talk to us via our spirit. So we find the Lord speaking to us in our heart and often even in the words that come out of our mouth at times, because we don't usually pay attention to what is coming though our spirit. Therefore the Word of God we are preaching is absolutely not the Bible but what we get directly from the Holy Spirit of Christ!!!
We understand that the Holy Spirit does not speak on His own, right? And that He takes the words of God which the Father gave to the Son so that the words of God belong to Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit speaks them to us, right? So the Spirit is like streaming the Lord, right? (See Jn 16: 13-15 if you don't understand this)
Therefore Paul wrote that "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
That does not mean the law has gone away but that we fulfill the law by walking with Jesus Christ!
Still, know that He is the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, and like any King He has statues, ordinances, and commands!!
Walking and talking with Him does not change the fact that He is the King!! But it does mean that if you are walking and talking with Him and doing what He asks you are going to fulfill the law for righteousness!!!
That is opposed to trying to fulfill the law in an unrighteous way, right?
We would certainly understand about trying to fulfill the law in an unrighteous way, considering all the "lawfare" being done today!
Of course men have always done that! Which brings us back to walking and talking with Jesus Christ, TODAY!