ACTS 28 BELIEFS AND ITS ‘RIGHT DIVISION’
ACTS 28 BELIEFS AND ITS
‘RIGHT DIVISION’:
WHERE IN EPHESIANS AND COLOSSIANS
HAS PAUL TOLD US TO MAKE
‘RIGHT DIVISION’?
JAN LILLEBY
The quoted expression above, ‘Right Division’ has been some sort of benchmark for the Acts 28-Believers like yours truly.
E.W. Bullinger, Charles Welch, Stuart Allen and several other notable Bible expositors used/use this labeling (Right Division) mostly to point to that we must section and ‘compartmentalize’ what is written, and to whom. Mainly it boils down to: ‘what was written to Israel, and what was written to the Church?’
This, - because of the need to make the Bible understandable. That is, having the believer understand how it is with the Church, compared to how God once dealt with Israel in the times of Jesus and His apostles.
The use of ‘Right Division’ labeling stems from 2 Tim. 2:15, NASB,
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”
AMP,
“Study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman [tested by trial] who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth.”
KJV,
“ Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
I used just three examples above, NASB, AMP and KJV Bible. Only KJV has that exact term of ‘rightly dividing’ the word of truth.
But by using this term constantly – it actually ties us into the time of Acts, when the apostles preached the Kingdom-Gospel to Israel. Peter and the 12 inside the land, and the thirteenth apostle, Paul, to the Jews and proselytes outside the land, mainly the eastern parts of the Empire. (Paul was not really counted in with the twelve, as we know).
Why so?
Because we cannot find this kind of advice taught by Paul in the two only Church epistles, Ephesians and Colossians. We find the ‘Right Division’ labeling only as addressed to Paul’s ‘Son in the faith’, Timothy. The Pastorals were written during Acts era.
Actually, we find that Paul (without him telling his readers/fellow believers) did make ‘Right Division’ of the word of truth; and thus we find that his two Church epistles are already clarified as such type of writings. Both epistles are entirely rightly divided from THE REST OF THE BIBLE, in that they are the only writings from Paul which were addressed to this present dispensation, the Church, called ‘One new Man’ in Eph. 2:14, 15. Paul, in other words, wrote the epistles in such manner and with such contents that none of what is written in them needs any additional ‘Right Division’. Have you ever thought of that simple fact?
For instance, the abolishment of the Law of Moses, told in both Ephesians and in Colossians, clearly cut these writings off from the Tora as well as all the prophets. Paul wrote of a faith-doctrine which was based on a freshly REVEALED MYSTERY, something which had not in earlier times been revealed by God to anyone.
But in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, we find that the ENTIRE BIBLE is fit to give the believers proper teaching and valid good advice and so forth. Something is off here, since we know that the Church has its faith based on the REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY in Eph. 3:3. (See my articles regarding the Pastoral Epistles; they are not written to the Church!)
2 Tim. 3:14-17, NASB,
“14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;
17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work”.
Of course it is correct that all Scripture (O.T.) is inspired by God. But inspired to address WHOM? The Church or Israel?
Paul wrote these words to Timothy in Acts period, when he was preaching to Israel, and so he instructed Timothy likewise. They ministered to the Jews and proselytes, and the Church dispensation was not yet revealed to anyone. That was a revelation given to Paul as he sat in jail in Rome, 63-64 CE.
And we learn from Colossians that Paul had Timothy nearby in Rome, talking with him in that jail. Thus we know that Paul could not possibly have written any letter to him – telling of the new revelation, the Church dispensation. Since then he most certainly told Timothy face-to-face of this revelation. And had no need to write to him about it! Col. 1:1, 2, NASB,
“1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
2 To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ who are at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.” (Editor’s emphasize)
EVEN ACTS 28 BELIEVERS CAN MESS IT UP
In one instance we mostly find us Acts 28 believers keeping up a good standard – even academic standard - to teach the Grace Gospel of Paul according to the revelation of the Mystery; and still, in many instances (as I have discovered on the internet) all too many Acts 28 believers seem to be inconsistent when they hold forth the Acts-28 beliefs!
How so?
For the first, as I already have pointed to, Paul’s exhortation to Timothy of ‘Rightly Dividing the word of God’ was NOT an advice given him post-Acts. He told him this while still preaching to Israel of the Kingdom on earth, with Jesus as king at His Second Advent.
For the second, we find that many (maybe the majority?) Acts 28 believers carry with them that well known slogan or labeling, that we must be like those ‘Bereans who studied the Scriptures to find out that Paul had taught them rightly’ – as in Acts 17:11, NASB,
“10 The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily * to see whether these things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed, along with a number * of prominent Greek women and men.” (Editor’s emphasize)
Have you really thought this through, like, as in academic standard…checking everything to assure you read this correctly?
If you really have, then you will readily see that one cannot possibly do like those Bereans mentioned. We cannot today go checking the Scriptures (O.T.) to find whether Paul preached rightly regarding the Grace Gospel! That is because his Grace Gospel WAS A MYSTERY HIDDEN IN GOD before He revealed it to Paul.
We can’t go into O.T. to try to find support for a Bible truth which God had kept entirely to Himself from before the creation of the world. The revelation of the Mystery in Ephesians and Colossians cannot be found in any parts of the Tora or the prophets. Like it or not. These two Church epistles are the only writings in N.T. in which we find BOTH the abolishment of the Law, AND the mention of the Mystery revealed. It erases all doubts you might have had. (Eph. 3:1-9; Col. 1:25, 26; 2:13-17).
The ‘Berean labeling’ as well as the ‘Right Division labeling’, both are dead and no longer valid. Both labels came from the Acts era, when the apostles preached the Kingdom-Gospel to Israel. They don’t apply to the Post-Acts era, the Church dispensation.
CONCLUSION
We don’t try to rightly divide the two only Church epistles, Ephesians and Colossians, so to make sure we preach a true and correct Gospel. All things in these two epistles are true and the right Grace Gospel for our salvation. Paul did that ‘Right Division’ himself, before he sent the epistles out to the Church to be taught there!
Gracepano.com
