Description:

The presence of hundreds of denominations often distracts from the real doctrinal source for large kingdom building organizations: a failure to follow Paul. Learn the true nature of denomination building and where some of the major branches began. As people gain more access to Paul’s epistles and follow his pattern, denominational competition becomes less important than sound Bible study.

Related posts:

1. Blueprints for a Pauline Foundation
2. Following Paul
3. Audio: 1 Peter Series

Description:

For the past century the doctrine of inerrancy has been replaced by a misplaced authority in missing originals, foreign languages, or imperfect scholarship. To build a proper doctrinal foundation we need a Bible that is always true, accurate, and without error in every detail. This has always been the view of Bible believing Christians. Learn how this elementary doctrine of Biblical inerrancy has crept into the most sincere student’s thinking and how it can affect their understanding right division.

Related posts:

1. Three Kinds of Bible Application
2. Blueprints for a Pauline Foundation
3. Talking to People About Right Doctrine

Are you emotional and insecure about your salvation?
You have the gift of tongues.

Do you want to tell people how to live and think?
You have the gift of prophecy.

Are you lazy and destined for great things?
You have the gift of working miracles.

Do you want to talk in church, but are not a good public speaker?
You have the gift of tongues.

Are you outgoing and have an ego at least twice as big as your hair?
You have the gift of healing.

Are you shy and quiet but still attend a Pentecostal charismatic church?
You have the gift of faith.

Are you able to feel the Spirit moving inside you? (The rumble is louder if you fast.)
You have the gift of tongues.

Have you been looking for your gift in the church longer than 5 years and can’t seem to manifest it?
You have the gift of helps.

Can you write movie reviews separating the good from the bad wizards in Harry Potter?
You have the gift of discerning spirits.

Have you made money writing books?
You have the gift of knowledge.

Has this list not identified your gift yet?
You have the gift of tongues.

Can you collect money from people who have already claimed their own gifts?
Congratulations! You are ordained an apostle.

Have you won awards for your singing in large churches and want to glorify God by a music album with your name on it?
You have the privilege of serving God by being America’s next Idol. You are God’s gift to the entire country!

Now, someone with the gift of skepticism may speak up and declare that there are only nine gifts in 1 Cor 12:7-11, and none of them have anything to do with American Idol, but they are wrong.

How do you think American Idol judge Steve Tyler knows how to identify the best Christian singers except by this gift?

“… to another the interpretation of tongues…” – 1 Cor 12:10

Want More?

Paul does say that there is something more excellent than any of the spiritual gifts (1 Cor 12:31; 13:13; charity).

Then again, in order to exhibit charity none of the previous selfish criteria for the gifts can exist.

“Charity envieth not…
[Charity] is not puffed up,
[Charity] doth not behave itself unseemly,
[Charity] seeketh not her own,
[Charity] rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth” – 1 Cor 13:4-6

Maybe next season.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -
Learn more about the real nature of the spiritual gifts in our verse by verse study of 1 Corinthians 12 starting with lesson 31 and 32.

Related posts:

1. What Is the Spiritual Gift in Romans 1:11?
2. Should I Speak in Tongues?
3. Charity vs. Love

Description:

When believers learn they can not leverage a covenant obligation to get things from God they stop praying. This is contrary to God’s will in 1 Thess 5:17-18. Believers ought to pray and that with understanding.

Learn how to use prayer without a covenant in this lesson identified what prayer looks like under grace.

Also, avail yourself of our other prayer resources on our prayer page.

Related posts:

1. Pray Without Ceasing
2. Praying for Other People
3. Audio: 1 Thessalonians Series

Yet, too many times people give the excuse not to study because supposedly God wants us to have “faith like a child”.

The problem is that the Bible never says we should have faith like a child. Other churchy phrases about being children include having “child-like faith”, “heart of a child”, or “to think like a child”, none of which are found in the Bible anywhere.

Children as a Pattern

This folk theology fits right into our modern child worshiping culture where grown ups try to embrace their inner child and relive their childhood dreams.

Like-a-child spirituality perpetuates the fictional idea that children are somehow nobler, closer to God, obedient, and that their carefree adventure seeking behavior is more admirable.

If children were more spiritual then perhaps spiritual growth would mean digressing to a child like lifestyle, but the Bible has a different view of young simple minded children. At no time does God instruct us to remain children in the Bible.

Contrary to the imaginative descriptions of “child-like faith” real children are not wise, they cannot understand as adults, and they are not responsible. Real children can also be whiny, greedy, lazy, and rebellious until they mature. Ask a parent. Children’s oft wretched behavior is not an example of spiritual maturity in any way.

So then, why did Jesus present children as a teaching object for his followers going into the kingdom?

Jesus to Israel: Become as Children

“Faith like a child” and other such bogus ideas come from passages where Jesus told his disciples to receive the kingdom as a little children or they would not enter in (Luke 18:17). That seems pretty serious.

Jesus used children as the teaching object when the disciples were arguing over who would be the greatest in the kingdom:

“At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” – Matthew 18:1

It was at this time that Jesus called a child over (Mat 18:2) and said:

“Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3-4

The one lesson that they could learn from this child was humility. Children have the lowest position in all of God’s created order! They have authority over no one in their low position.

Consider the hierarchy: first there is God, then there are angels, then there is mankind (Heb 2:6-7). Man is the lowest, but who is the lowest of mankind? The children, of course, they must obey their parents!

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.” – Ephesians 6:1

Jesus brought the person in the lowest position and said, “Humiliate yourselves.” The lesson of humbling was taught all throughout Jesus ministry:

“ But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.” – Luke 22:26

“ The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.” – Mat 10:24

“ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.” – Mark 10:43-44

Humility for Salvation

Humility was not merely a suggestion for spiritual growth. If those under the covenant did not display humility and obedience towards God they would be least in the kingdom.

“ And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” – Mat 23:12

The covenant guaranteed life and riches through humility (Prov 22:4). God would give them grace if they would humble themselves (James 4:6).

It was while he showed the humble, low, and last position of the child that Jesus told his disciples:

“ If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” – Mark 9:35

James, copying Jesus earthly ministry, instructs the believing remnant of Israel going into the kingdom to humble themselves (like a lowly child):

“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” – James 4:10

Salvation by Grace not of Humility

“Child like faith” is not only unbiblical and the product of imaginative religionists, it is patterned after the covenant keeping message of Jesus to Israel in the old testament books of Matthew-John.

It was not until later that Christ revealed to Paul salvation by grace to all without a covenant and without required works (humility is a good work) (Eph 2:8-9).

We now know that salvation by grace is not a divine game of limbo seeing how low one can go and still walk the walk. God has knocked us all down and said we cannot earn righteousness at all (Rom 3:10). He has taken away the limbo bar and declared the game over (Rom 4:5).

We either trust the finished work of Christ, or we continue trying to earn our own salvation with humble attitude and religious good works. The latter is hell bound. Trusting Christ’s finished work gives life.

Christ through Paul: “Grow Up, Be Men”

It is not spiritual to have child like faith when God wants us to be mature in our understanding:

“ I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.” – 1 Cor 3:1

“ That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine,…” – Eph 4:13

Folk theology teaches that faith should be simple minded, ignorant, and careless like a child. The Bible teaches that you should grow in knowledge of the Bible and understand like men.

“ Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. “ – 1 Corinthians 14:20

Related posts:

1. Jesus, the God-Child
2. What the Lord Requires
3. Mid Acts Dispensational Questions and Answers

Description:

Jesus said the Spirit would speak of him. Paul testifies that it was the Spirit that revealed to us the manifold wisdom of God. Everything we know about the Spirit is revealed to us in the book He inspired. Learn the Holy Spirit’s Biblical ministry in this dispensation as he is involved in our salvation and our life in Christ.

Related posts:

1. Fundamental: Inspiration of the Bible
2. Same Spirit Different Ministry
3. The Ignorant Natural Man

“[God] will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Tim 2:4

If you know how to rightly divide, then you know it is God’s will that all men have knowledge of the truth. This is why God gave us a book, the word of truth, which we are to rightly divide (2 Tim 2:15).

But God did not tell us to study a book just to keep us busy. Every seminary, university, and most grace assemblies study the Bible. Surely, a bunch of puffed up people would not be God’s will (1 Cor 8:1-2). There seems to be a piece of the truth that is missing from most Bible study and from the average dispensational chart.

Knowledge is the Foundation

Knowledge of dispensational charts is not the final objective. It’s only a stepping stone to grow in understanding and wisdom.

Before anyone can understand the Bible they must have knowledge of the Bible. Before anyone can walk in wisdom they must have knowledge of the Bible, but knowledge is not the goal.

Knowledge is the tool. Understanding is how to use the tool. Wisdom is why the tool is important and where it is leading us.

The purpose of having knowledge with wisdom and understanding is walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing (Col 1:10).

It is not a coincidence that popular culture becomes more profane and foolish as it becomes more ignorant of the Bible. Without a foundation knowledge of the truth, believers cannot have understanding and wisdom to walk worthy of the Lord. It is impossible for unbelievers to please the Lord (1 Cor 2:14, Heb 11:6).

But even with knowledge of basic truths like the dispensational chart does not mean we are walking in wisdom.

Where Grace Believers Get Stuck

It is obvious that we must study the Bible to obtain knowledge, but having knowledge is not enough to make a Biblical workman (2 Tim 2:15). This is where most of Christianity gets stuck.

Many men are puffed up with knowledge of the Bible, but fail to understand the mystery of Christ. Of course, they cannot be the stewards of that which they do not understand (1 Cor 4:1-2).

We must understand how to rightly divide the word of truth, but understanding all things does not produce unashamed workman (1 Cor 13:2). This is where grace believers can get stuck.

There are many shameful men who can rightly divide the Bible, but have not moved an inch past the day they were saved in their walk in newness of life (Rom 6:4, 1 Cor 3:1-2).

To be an unashamed workman we must have wisdom of the “whys” of Rom 6:10, Col 1:10, Eph Eph 1:10, Eph 2:10, and Eph 3:10.

Only the Beginning

When you have the knowledge of dispensational right division, and understanding of the mystery of Christ, you have only begun to learn.

Don’t get stuck on what you already know. Growth does not happen unless you press on.

“I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” – Phil 3:14

Even the apostle Paul was pressing on toward a mark. The mark was the reason why. His life was not his own anymore. That Paul was pressing toward the mark meant he was walking in wisdom.

Wisdom is not knowing the details of a dozen dispensational charts, it is knowing the reason why it is important.

God wants all men to come to the knowledge of the truth for His purpose of a higher calling. Don’t fall into the trap of ever learning and never coming to a knowledge of this truth.

Related posts:

1. Inconvenient Thing #19– “without understanding”
2. The Treasures of Knowledge
3. Too Many “Scholars”

Description:

The ministry of the holy Spirit in the dispensation of grace is often confused with his ministry to Israel at Pentecost. Learn about the ministry of the Spirit throughout the Bible and how it changes with the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery.

Related posts:

1. The Holy Spirit’s Ministry
2. The Spirit of Fear
3. How Prayer Works

Description:

Though resurrection is a Biblical doctrine taught from the first book of Genesis the mystery includes information about Christ’s resurrection that was not made known until revealed to the apostle Paul.

Learn about the relationship between the doctrine of resurrection and the mystery of Christ.

Related posts:

1. Fundamental: Physical Resurrection of Christ
2. God’s Two-Fold Plan and Purpose
3. Blueprints for a Pauline Foundation

Those who do believe in the resurrection and respect days observe tomorrow’s Easter as the day of Christ’s resurrection.

It is strange then that those who think we should observe days and that Easter represents Christ’s resurrection would want to change “Easter” in Acts 12:4 to “passover”.

The Bible reveals clearly that Christ did not resurrect on the Passover (Mat 26:19, Luke 22:15). No one claims that he did. Also, Peter was captured after the feast of Passover during the days of unleavened bread, most likely near the day of Christ’s resurrection.

So, of all the Biblical options for Acts 12:4 it cannot possibly be “passover”. Why wouldn’t the day worshippers want it to remain “Easter”?

Most say it should remani “passover” because the underlying Greek word is the same. But that can’t be the real reason since the man who coined the word “passover” used “Easter” in Acts 12:4 in his translation. Why are they so adamant about changing this verse?

Could it be because they don’t want to reveal that in this case the Greek is inferior in that a single word must carry two words in English? Could it be that they honor knowledge of a foreign tongue over knowledge of the Bible?

It is not coincidence that understanding Acts 12:4 relies more upon Bible knowledge than knowledge of a foreign tongue.

Study your Bible and you will get more answers than studying an unkown tongue (1 Cor 14:19).

For His glory,

Justin Curtis Johnson

Related posts:

1. Every Day God
2. Mistakes In The Bible
3. What is Mid-Acts Pauline Dispensational Right Division?