Today was an incredible day of Bible study! We are really unpacking the understanding “Things different are not alike” clarifying that the Kingdom of Heaven (on earth) / the literal, physical messianic kingdom of Messiah King Jesus is different from the Kingdom of God, which is a spiritual kingdom. Romans 14:17 and 1 Corinthians 15:50 state that it is not meat and drink and flesh and blood cannot inherit it. It is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.
We laid the foundation of understanding the four major gospels (good news) messages in the New Testament, by first identifying where we are by understanding The Mystery (Dispensation of the grace of God) which God has hidden “in Christ” since before the world began. We covered the mystery of “Christ in you the hope of glory” this morning.
Romans 16:25-27, Ephesians 3:1-9, Colossians 1:25-29, 2 Timothy 1:8-11They are as follows:1. The Ministry of Reconciliation, which we are all called to participate in – God, in Christ, is actively seeking to reconcile the world to himself. This message connects us all the way back to Adam, who is responsible for alienating all of humanity from God through sin. We will cover this ministry this coming Sunday. Romans 5:12, 10:9-10, 11:15, 2 Corinthians 5:11-212. The Gospel of the Uncircumcision / Grace – the dispensation of the grace of God revealed to Paul by our Lord Jesus Christ. Progressive revelation establishes this gospel message superseding the message given to the apostles during the ministry of Christ. This gospel connects us to Abram, who believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Genesis 15:6, Romans 4:1-10, Galatians 2:7 3. The Gospel of the Circumcision – the gospel message that was uniquely Jewish, and preached to Israel / the Jews by the apostles after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Acts 2:29-38, 3:19-26, Galatians 2:74. The Gospel of the Kingdom – the gospel message preached by John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, as prophesied in Malachi 4:5-6. Jesus said if the Jews would accept John's message, he is Elijah. They did not accept his message, and they did not accept the message of Jesus, either. The kingdom has been put on hold until the accepted time of the return of Christ.
Psalms 89:34-37, Jeremiah 31;31-34, Matthew 1:17, 3:1-2, 4:17,23, 9:35, 10:7, 24:14
I can hardly wait until our next Bible study! We are unfolding the simple process of proper Bible study. Yes, our Bible is divided into Old Testament and New Testament, which clearly presents different dispensations / economies of God's grace – the first is filled with law and obedience, and the second is filled with the message of salvation by grace alone through faith alone, and God's interactions with man, but an even clearer way to read and study this precious book is by being able to identify the difference between what is prophecy (that which is for us / for our learning, pointing to the coming kingdom of Messiah King Jesus) and what is mystery (that which is to us in this dispensation of God's grace upon Jew and Gentile alike).
