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 Right Division In Practice - Articles 21 thru 25
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RIGHT DIVISION N PRACTICE #21
Acts 21
The title of this chapter might be, “From Ephesus to Jerusalem.” But some unbelievers
have called it, “Paul’s Blunder.” They err not knowing the Word.
In verse 13 Paul makes his decision clear that he is going to Jerusalem. That this decision
was right is evidenced by the words of the Lord to him in 23:11, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. These words are of far
more import than the prattling of some over wise theologians. It pays to study the Scriptures carefully.
When Paul came to Jerusalem, he met with the elders of the church, some of the same men who had been at the
council there about 7 years before (See Acts 15 and Gal. 2.) And note how that they remember the decision about the Gentiles that believed,
As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood,
and from strangled, and from fornication (verse 25).
But a lie had been spread about Paul. That lie persists even yet today in some circles. Up to this time Paul had
been subject to the law of Moses, and had spoken will of the law, e.g. Rom 3:31; 7:12-16. It was very necessary that Paul
should uphold the law, for law was a part of the kingdom, which he was proclaiming those days.
But the lie that was being spread was this, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe
(Christians); and they all are zealous of the law: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to
circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. You will note that they were not telling that Paul had
been preaching the dispensation of the mystery, as they say today, for those people had not yet heard of it. But Paul’s’
gospel, the gospel of the grace of God, had been distorted till they had it that it was to Jews instead of Gentiles. Now it
was true that the taught the Gentiles not to observe Moses, and to that the council in Jerusalem had agreed. But at that time there had been no accusation that he had said this to the Jewish believers.
So the elders at Jerusalem advise Paul to go to the temple with some others, making a vow and going thru the
ceremonies at the temple to show that the stories told about him were false, that he was still subject to the law.
Since Paul was preaching the kingdom all this time from acts 13 to both Jewish and Gentile believer, and being a
Jew was still subject to the law, he found no objection at all to this proposal and he proceeded to do it. Not knowing the facts, many of the modern critics say that Paul was all wrong.
Unless one understands that Paul was still preaching the hope of Israel, for which he was in chains about 3 years
later (Acts 28:20), the meaning of this chapter is lost. Like the thousands of Jews of that day, so now, men will rather blame Paul and find fault than to believe what the Word says.
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #22
Acts 22-28
It is patent that Paul was not yet preaching the dispensation of the mystery in chapter 21, for he was in the temple
when arrested. If he knew the mystery, he would not be found worshipping in the temple, but rather worshipping in spirit and in truth (John 4:23; Ph’; 3:3). There is no record that Paul
ever went into a synagogue or the temple after he received the revelation of the mystery.
Note that in his defense in chapter 22 he speaks in the Hebrew tongue. He has not yet left Judaism nor its
language. It is well to read carefully this defense Paul made and note especially the very last word he said. To orthodox Jews, Paul’s preaching the kingdom to Gentiles was a great
crime. They would listen no farther.
Notice in chapter 23, verse 11, that the Lord stands by Paul and cheers him up. It is evident that Paul had made no mistakein going
back to Jerusalem, and also he is going to get to go to Rome, a thing which he had desired to do. Paul is not making any mistakes here, as some charge.
Chapter 24 tells us that Paul was in prison at Caesarea for 2 years.
Finally in chapter 25, Paul appeals to Caesar. The trip to Rome will not be delayed much longer.
In chapter 26, Paul speaks before Agrippa. He divides his Acts ministry into 2 parts:
1. He was to preach what he had seen (Acts 7).
2. He was to preach what the Lord would later reveal unto him (Acts 22:17).
And Paul claimed that he had been faithful in this ministry; that he had preached
in both these messages. It takes very little searching to see that Paul first preached to Jews only and the subject was the kingdom, the same as the 12 preached. His second
message was also concerning the kingdom, but it was proclaimed to Gentiles. So both messages were about the kingdom and coming King. But the difference between them was just this; the Jews were to
stay put under the law, and the Gentile believers were not to observe the law, but walk by grace. This is what brought up the great dispute at the council in Jerusalem as recorded in Acts
15. Paul’s grace gospel of the kingdom to Gentiles was approved by the council. But what sect or denomination today abides by that decision? Name just one if you can!
As in Romans, Paul in chapter 28 goes to the Jews first. There is still a fleshly distinction between Jew
and Gentile which has never been found in the church of the dispensation of the mystery.
Paul’s testimony still was, I have committed nothing against the People (Israel), or customs of our
fathers (Ac 28:17). There is no possibility that he had preached the church up to this time, or he could not have made this statement.
Then in verse 20 he states that he is bound with a chain, not for the mystery, but for the
hope of Israel. Now what was the hope of Israel? Was it to be blest with all spiritual blessings in the highest heavens? Were they all to be joint-heirs and members without any rulers or
distinctions? And is Paul about to proclaim to them the mystery?
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #23
Acts 28
We have now come to the great climax in the book of Acts. There was a small climax in chapters 2 & 3 and it looked as if there would be a great revival among the Jews and the
conditions of the coming kingdom met. But it soon faded out. The miracles of the Lord during His life here were soon forgotten. The gifts of the Spirit were no longer something new and
exciting. So the crowds drifted away. The Synagogues of the dispersion followed the same pattern. Paul has arrived at Rome, the last church to which the kingdom was to be offered.
Look in From Pentecost to Prison by C. H. Welch for the outline of Ac 28:23-31, or an abridged version of it in TFT Vol 21, page 41. Study the outline. It tells volumes and
should be considered.
Paul is at the last of his course. He had wished that he might finish it with joy. I believe that he did, for he received a new revelation that was so grand and stupendous
that it overshadowed the sorrow and regrets he might have had because of Israel’s final rejection of their King and kingdom.
So far as we can find out, this is the last sermon preached in the dispensation of promise, by Paul or the other apostles. This was the end. And as far as had been revealed,
this was the end, not only of Israel, but of any blessing for the nations. Up to this time all blessings to nations were to be thru Israel. So when Israel was set aside, there was no revealed channel
of blessing left for the Gentiles.
The revealed plan and purpose of God up to that time then was coming to an end. It looked as if the adversary had won. A great deal hung in the balance during that all day
meeting at Paul’s house. We do not know just how conscious Paul was of this fact at the time. We do not know that his all day sermon had been prepared for the occasion. He did not need to
do that, for he was well versed in the Scriptures and had many years of practice in presenting Christ as the King of the soon-coming kingdom.
Some of the Jews were convinced – some were not. So no decision was made. At that point Paul must have received a signal from the Holy Spirit, for he quoted Isa
6:10. Time had run out for Israel. For centuries Salvation had been of the Jews. But now Paul says something that was a turning point in the history of the world. And we have had the
wandering Jew ever since. In a short time their city was destroyed and they were scattered among the nations.
Paul had said just one short sentence that brought this about. He said, Be it known therefore unto you that the Salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will
hear it.
No more did Paul expound the Scriptures trying to persuade men that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah of Israel, the coming King. Without reference to
Scriptures, he proclaimed or preached another phase of the kingdom of God, the dispensation of the mystery. This was not in the Scriptures, for it had been hid in God from ages and generations. This
was the Salvation that was sent to the Gentiles. It was the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Head of a church which is His body, with heaven as its hope.
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #24
Acts 28:28
Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
Up to the time of the tower of Babel and the call of Abram from Ur of the Chaldees, there were just nations, or Gentiles as later called. They had the knowledge of God, but
exchanged it for the lie of Satan and were given up. This was close to a 2,000-year period. Thru Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob there came a chosen people, Israel, to be a channel of blessing and to
convert these nations again to the true God of heaven. After almost 2,000 years Israel failed and rejected their Messiah here at Ac 28:28. Salvation had been of the Jews (Joh 4:22).
But here at Ac 28:28 the salvation of God is no longer of the Jews. The salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles. The Jewish leaders who listened to Paul would have no doubt
as to what was meant by Gentiles in this context. They were the Gentiles who attended the Synagogues and believed on Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of Israel.
The salvation of Israel could be summed up in a Person, their Messiah, and their relationship to Him, the King of Israel. Also we can say that the salvation of Israel was to
culminate in a grand and glorious kingdom in which they would finally be able to evangelize the nations and be that channel of blessing that God intended them to be.
In a nutshell that gives us some idea of what the salvation of God was in relation to the nation of Israel. But when the salvation of God was sent to the Gentiles, just what would
it be? Does it mean that the promises are taken from the Jew and given to the Gentile? Does it mean that the law is now given to Gentiles, to whom it never before applied? Does it mean that the
ritualistic services, the offerings and the like were now transferred to the Gentiles? And finally, does it mean that the New Covenant which has been made with the house of Judah and the house of Israel
(Jer 31:31) was now for the Gentiles, and the Jews forever cast off?
Even though the Gentiles who had been far off in relation to all these things were made nigh by the blood of Christ, they were forever aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and
strangers from the covenants of promise (Eph 2:11-13).
During Acts, Gentile believers walked by grace, not by the law (Ro 2:14). That Gentiles today do not observe Sabbaths (Col 2:16) is proof that the law was not transferred to the
Gentiles.
The rituals and ordinances of the Jews were set-aside with that Nation and now the church does not have part in such observances (Col 2:16-23).
There is not the slightest evidence that the New Covenant has ever been in operation or valid yet. The very nature of it makes it mandatory that it be in force
in resurrection of the People, Israel. It is strictly for the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Much of Christendom has tried to steal the sole property of the Jews and so out of that has come
the confusion we see today. Christendom never learned right division, and what that salvation is.
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #25
Conclusion – Questions
Now the reader can go back over the 24 previous articles and maybe get some clues to the answers to the following questions.
1. Why did the apostles never make any attempt to go out and teach all nations? Matt 28:19.
2. Why did the apostles never baptize in the triune name as commanded? Matt 28:19.
3. There was a commission in Mark 16:15-18. Why is it indicated that they finished this work? Why is it not going on yet today? Verse 20.
4. Why is it that the 12 never went out to any heathen unbelievers and teach them, but stuck with the synagogues and the temple?
5. Paul had a vision in the temple and was told that he was to go far hence unto the Gentiles. Why was it that he never sought to establish a church
except in a synagogue or the equivalent?
6. If Paul was to be an apostle to the nations, why did he never visit the teeming millions in India and China? Or the vast colonies of North
Africa? Or Britain and other parts of Europe besides Italy and Greece? What Gentiles were to be in his ministry?
7. And that brings up the question; Who were these Gentiles mentioned in Ac 28:28? All of them?
8. In view of the great commission of Matt 28:19, why did Peter have to answer to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem for going into the house of a Gentile?
9. Paul grafted a great number of Gentiles into the hope of Israel by his ministry. But why was it that every one of these was already a believer and
attending the Jewish Synagogue?
10. Why did not Paul try to establish a church on Malta while he was there?
11. Asia, where Paul labored, is not much more than ½ the size of Texas. Why did he visit so little of it? Why confine his ministry there?
12. Israel were chosen in Abraham to be a blessing to the nations. Have they been so since Acts? Or were they so before Acts? Why?
13. Is there any indication that the church was to take the place of Israel in evangelizing the whole earth, and all the nations in it?
14. What is the commission of the church, if any?
15. As an individual, what can I do today that will be of any help or benefit to God’s plan and purpose of the ages?
16. Where was the church established in Philippi; at the riverside, in Lydia’s house, or in the town jail? Be careful with this one.
17. Why did not the apostles and Paul strike out against slavery, the corrupt government of Rome, and the moral degeneracy of their day?
18. Has God ever established or even approved any place of worship outside of the tabernacle and the temple of the Jews?
19. Can any part or the whole of organized Christendom today justify its existence by the Word?
20. Does the Word even suggest any apostolic succession besides that indicated in 2Tim 2:2?
21. Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Have you heard the mystery? Do you believe what you heard? Is Christ your Head?
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