Written by Pastor Don Fromer
With Israel’s continued rejection of her King, we now come to a further development in God’s eternal plan which had been kept secret through the ages. Saul, the leader of the persecution that was raging against Christ’s followers, is miraculously converted and commissioned to become Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles. He receives from the risen Christ, over a period of time, detailed instructions about God’s new creation, the Body of Christ, (see Acts 9).
What Moses was to God’s people in the Dispensation of Law, Paul has become to God’s people in the Dispensation of Grace. The Jewish Kingdom program has been set aside. Israel has temporarily lost her
place of privilege before God. No prophecy can be found concerning this new dispensation nor can it be found in the Gospels. New relationships now exist on both vertical and horizontal planes. New instructions are needed. The new order must be defined and explained. God’s purpose for the Church, Christ’s Body, must be revealed. It was for this purpose God commissioned the Apostle Paul.
As Israel in her wilderness wanderings identified with Moses, so believers today must identify with Paul. Make no mistake about this: to be a follower of Christ today you must be a follower of Paul. The Kingdom program for which Christ was preparing Israel during His earthly ministry has been temporarily set aside. The final offer of that Kingdom was given to the nation Israel at Pentecost by the Apostle Peter and was rejected. We do not “exalt Paul above Christ” when we recognize that his instructions for the Body of Christ supersede the Kingdom instructions given by Christ in His earthly ministry and those given by Peter at Pentecost.
We simply recognize Christ has spoken again through Paul to show us our place in God’s eternal plan, (see 1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Rom. 11; Acts 3; Gal. 1: 2).
Paul is God’s spokesman for the present dispensation. The Gospel he preached and the program Christ inaugurated through him were given to him personally by the risen, glorified Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus Paul could say, “Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more.” And thus Paul informs us that “Jesus Christ [in His earthly ministry] was a minister of
the Circumcision to confirm the promises made to the fathers.” (see Gal. 1:2; 2 Cor. 5:16; Rom. 15:8) By contrast, Paul characterizes his own ministry as the revelation of a “secret hid in God from before the foundation of the world.” He
identifies himself as “the Apostle of the Gentiles,” and then adds, “I magnify my office.” Paul declares he was called to be a “pattern for those who should afterward believe.”
Yet when we affirm that Paul is indeed a “pattern” for believers today we are charged with blasphemy. He indicates that only by his unique gospel (the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery) can believers today be es-tablished in the faith, (see Eph. 3:1, Tim. 1:16; Rom. 16:25-27).
In various ways, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul says, “Be followers of me, as I also am of Christ.” No doubt there are other ways to follow Christ: we could follow the pattern of His earthly life but we do so to our own peril! Jesus lived and died under the Law. We are called to live and die (perhaps!) under Grace—under a program which was revealed from Heaven by Christ to the Apostle Paul for the Church, Christ’s Body. Therefore, if
we would be obedient followers of Christ today, we must follow Paul as he followed Christ, (see 1 Cor. 11:1; Gal. 4:4-6) It is the widespread failure of Christians to recognize Paul as God’s spokesman and pattern for the present dispensation that has caused so much confusion and division in the Church. The Roman Catholic Church looks back to Peter and claims his “keys of the kingdom” for the Church.
Some say the requirement of water baptism for salvation while rejecting the miraculous signs that were to follow the preaching of that gospel. The Pentecostals claim the miracles associated with the Kingdom program but reject its requirement of water baptism for salvation, (see Mt. 16:18-19; Mk. 16:15 18).
The rest of the Evangelical Christian community embraces a curious blending of unique features of the prophetic program with equally unique features of the secret program given to Paul. This large segment of Christianity is hopelessly divided over ritual baptism—its meaning, its mode, its proper subjects, its formula, etc. Is it not sad that Satan has succeeded in fragmenting such a large segment of the Body of Christ by means of controversy over a Jewish ritual that has no place in the present order? (see 1
Cor. 1:18, 12:13; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12;
Rom. 6:1-6; Heb. 9:6-10.
With Israel’s continued rejection of her King, we now come to a further development in God’s eternal plan which had been kept secret through the ages. Saul, the leader of the persecution that was raging against Christ’s followers, is miraculously converted and commissioned to become Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles. He receives from the risen Christ, over a period of time, detailed instructions about God’s new creation, the Body of Christ, (see Acts 9).
What Moses was to God’s people in the Dispensation of Law, Paul has become to God’s people in the Dispensation of Grace. The Jewish Kingdom program has been set aside. Israel has temporarily lost her
place of privilege before God. No prophecy can be found concerning this new dispensation nor can it be found in the Gospels. New relationships now exist on both vertical and horizontal planes. New instructions are needed. The new order must be defined and explained. God’s purpose for the Church, Christ’s Body, must be revealed. It was for this purpose God commissioned the Apostle Paul.
As Israel in her wilderness wanderings identified with Moses, so believers today must identify with Paul. Make no mistake about this: to be a follower of Christ today you must be a follower of Paul. The Kingdom program for which Christ was preparing Israel during His earthly ministry has been temporarily set aside. The final offer of that Kingdom was given to the nation Israel at Pentecost by the Apostle Peter and was rejected. We do not “exalt Paul above Christ” when we recognize that his instructions for the Body of Christ supersede the Kingdom instructions given by Christ in His earthly ministry and those given by Peter at Pentecost.
We simply recognize Christ has spoken again through Paul to show us our place in God’s eternal plan, (see 1 Cor. 4:16; 11:1; Rom. 11; Acts 3; Gal. 1: 2).
Paul is God’s spokesman for the present dispensation. The Gospel he preached and the program Christ inaugurated through him were given to him personally by the risen, glorified Lord Jesus Christ.
Thus Paul could say, “Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him no more.” And thus Paul informs us that “Jesus Christ [in His earthly ministry] was a minister of
the Circumcision to confirm the promises made to the fathers.” (see Gal. 1:2; 2 Cor. 5:16; Rom. 15:8) By contrast, Paul characterizes his own ministry as the revelation of a “secret hid in God from before the foundation of the world.” He
identifies himself as “the Apostle of the Gentiles,” and then adds, “I magnify my office.” Paul declares he was called to be a “pattern for those who should afterward believe.”
Yet when we affirm that Paul is indeed a “pattern” for believers today we are charged with blasphemy. He indicates that only by his unique gospel (the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery) can believers today be es-tablished in the faith, (see Eph. 3:1, Tim. 1:16; Rom. 16:25-27).
In various ways, inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul says, “Be followers of me, as I also am of Christ.” No doubt there are other ways to follow Christ: we could follow the pattern of His earthly life but we do so to our own peril! Jesus lived and died under the Law. We are called to live and die (perhaps!) under Grace—under a program which was revealed from Heaven by Christ to the Apostle Paul for the Church, Christ’s Body. Therefore, if
we would be obedient followers of Christ today, we must follow Paul as he followed Christ, (see 1 Cor. 11:1; Gal. 4:4-6) It is the widespread failure of Christians to recognize Paul as God’s spokesman and pattern for the present dispensation that has caused so much confusion and division in the Church. The Roman Catholic Church looks back to Peter and claims his “keys of the kingdom” for the Church.
Some say the requirement of water baptism for salvation while rejecting the miraculous signs that were to follow the preaching of that gospel. The Pentecostals claim the miracles associated with the Kingdom program but reject its requirement of water baptism for salvation, (see Mt. 16:18-19; Mk. 16:15 18).
The rest of the Evangelical Christian community embraces a curious blending of unique features of the prophetic program with equally unique features of the secret program given to Paul. This large segment of Christianity is hopelessly divided over ritual baptism—its meaning, its mode, its proper subjects, its formula, etc. Is it not sad that Satan has succeeded in fragmenting such a large segment of the Body of Christ by means of controversy over a Jewish ritual that has no place in the present order? (see 1
Cor. 1:18, 12:13; Eph. 4:5; Col. 2:12;
Rom. 6:1-6; Heb. 9:6-10.
