Written by Pastor Don Fromer part 1
Do we (in the Grace Movement) exalt the Apostle Paul? This charge. has frequently been leveled against us by those who oppose our stand concerning the uniqueness of Paul’s apostleship, his message, and his relationship to the Church, the Body of Christ.
My own response (and perhaps the characteristic response of our movement) has been to dismiss the charge as obviously false. I have wondered if such accusations might be born of frustration over the failure of our critics to Scripturally refute our position. Surely nobody who understands our teaching could seriously believe we would give to Paul anything that rightfully belongs to the Lord!
Recent exposure to such criticism, however, has convinced me some of these critics do not understand our teaching, and are quite sincere in their belief that Paul has become something more than a mere mortal man in our theology. They really believe we identify more closely with Paul than with Jesus Christ!
Perhaps it is time to take their criticism more seriously and explain our position more carefully. Paul tells us the Israelites were “baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” In other words, they identified with Moses as their God ordained human leader. They became followers of Moses and gave him honor appropriate to his divinely ordained office. They did not worship him nor did they exalt him in an inappropriate way. They simply recognized his authority as the
man God had chosen to be the dispenser of His instructions for them.
Through Moses they encountered Christ! (see 1 Cor. 10:1-4) Jesus honored Moses in a similar way, urging His disciples to
obey the Scribes and Pharisees as the rightful successors of Moses. They were to honor the Scribes and Pharisees as their fathers had honored Moses—as dispensers of the Law. Yet any idea of “exaltation” is immediately squelched in the context as Jesus goes on to describe the hypocrisy of these same men. Thus, Jesus taught that one can honor the God-ordained authority of a man without exalting the man. (see Mt. 23:1-3) Jesus also honored John the Baptist saying that no greater man had ever lived before John! Did Jesus thereby exalt John above that which is appropriate for a man?
Of course not! He merely honored him for the importance of his God-ordained role in God’s unfolding plan of the ages, (see Luke 7:28) We are instructed to give honor to the Elders who serve among God’s people and double honor to those who labor in the Word. Does this constitute “glorifying men rather than Christ?” (see 1 Tim. 5:17) Moses (in his time) was God’s man of the hour. Those who identified with him as their leader who looked to him for the latest word from God and followed him wherever he led were, in the truest sense, following God! It was God who placed Moses in that place of honor. And when they murmured against Moses they were, in reality, murmuring against God!
John the Baptist also made disciples. He was the forerunner of Christ, preparing a nation for the arrival of her King. God appointed him to that office. Jesus honored him with a tribute to his greatness. His disciples followed him. But John decreased as Jesus increased and another phase in God’s unfolding plan was initiated. What had made John so great? Was it not the office to which God had appointed him? But now the King was in the midst of His people and those who believed in Him worshipped Him and exalted Him as Lord. He alone is worthy of such adoration.
But He was rejected by the rulers of the people and delivered to Pilate to be crucified, (see John 3:23-30 and Luke 7:28).
The early chapters of the book of Acts record the continuing ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ (now risen from the dead and glorified at God’s right hand) through the Holy Spirit. Once again God reaches out to the chosen nation through the
Apostolic ministry. Peter now occupies the place of honor as God’s primary spokesman. Although Peter exercised the authority of his office and was appropriately honored, he refused the worship of men. (see Acts 2:5).
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 commis-
sioned 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).
Do we (in the Grace Movement) exalt the Apostle Paul? This charge. has frequently been leveled against us by those who oppose our stand concerning the uniqueness of Paul’s apostleship, his message, and his relationship to the Church, the Body of Christ.
My own response (and perhaps the characteristic response of our movement) has been to dismiss the charge as obviously false. I have wondered if such accusations might be born of frustration over the failure of our critics to Scripturally refute our position. Surely nobody who understands our teaching could seriously believe we would give to Paul anything that rightfully belongs to the Lord!
Recent exposure to such criticism, however, has convinced me some of these critics do not understand our teaching, and are quite sincere in their belief that Paul has become something more than a mere mortal man in our theology. They really believe we identify more closely with Paul than with Jesus Christ!
Perhaps it is time to take their criticism more seriously and explain our position more carefully. Paul tells us the Israelites were “baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” In other words, they identified with Moses as their God ordained human leader. They became followers of Moses and gave him honor appropriate to his divinely ordained office. They did not worship him nor did they exalt him in an inappropriate way. They simply recognized his authority as the
man God had chosen to be the dispenser of His instructions for them.
Through Moses they encountered Christ! (see 1 Cor. 10:1-4) Jesus honored Moses in a similar way, urging His disciples to
obey the Scribes and Pharisees as the rightful successors of Moses. They were to honor the Scribes and Pharisees as their fathers had honored Moses—as dispensers of the Law. Yet any idea of “exaltation” is immediately squelched in the context as Jesus goes on to describe the hypocrisy of these same men. Thus, Jesus taught that one can honor the God-ordained authority of a man without exalting the man. (see Mt. 23:1-3) Jesus also honored John the Baptist saying that no greater man had ever lived before John! Did Jesus thereby exalt John above that which is appropriate for a man?
Of course not! He merely honored him for the importance of his God-ordained role in God’s unfolding plan of the ages, (see Luke 7:28) We are instructed to give honor to the Elders who serve among God’s people and double honor to those who labor in the Word. Does this constitute “glorifying men rather than Christ?” (see 1 Tim. 5:17) Moses (in his time) was God’s man of the hour. Those who identified with him as their leader who looked to him for the latest word from God and followed him wherever he led were, in the truest sense, following God! It was God who placed Moses in that place of honor. And when they murmured against Moses they were, in reality, murmuring against God!
John the Baptist also made disciples. He was the forerunner of Christ, preparing a nation for the arrival of her King. God appointed him to that office. Jesus honored him with a tribute to his greatness. His disciples followed him. But John decreased as Jesus increased and another phase in God’s unfolding plan was initiated. What had made John so great? Was it not the office to which God had appointed him? But now the King was in the midst of His people and those who believed in Him worshipped Him and exalted Him as Lord. He alone is worthy of such adoration.
But He was rejected by the rulers of the people and delivered to Pilate to be crucified, (see John 3:23-30 and Luke 7:28).
The early chapters of the book of Acts record the continuing ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ (now risen from the dead and glorified at God’s right hand) through the Holy Spirit. Once again God reaches out to the chosen nation through the
Apostolic ministry. Peter now occupies the place of honor as God’s primary spokesman. Although Peter exercised the authority of his office and was appropriately honored, he refused the worship of men. (see Acts 2:5).
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 commis-
sioned 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).
