The writings of Jerry Sterchi

PAUL IN HIS EPISTLES
Studies by the late Dr. Henry Grube

THE MYSTERY

INTRODUCTION : It must be understood that in Paul, we have one who was personally appointed by the Lord Jesus to be the Apostle to the Gentiles, ( Romans 15:16; also see Old Scofield Bible notes on page 1189). No other Apostle teaches, or corrects Paul, nor does any other add to his message.

Every student of the Bible must recognize the fact of "Progress of Doctrine". God has revealed His plans and purposes from time to time as they were needed. The truth we have today_ _ _ came to mankind gradually .

The message God gave to Paul, known as the "Mystery" is the climax of truth for this age, it is the roof of the building.

There are three underlying truths in the New Testament :

The Cross of Christ.
The Coming of Christ.
The Church of Christ, which is known as "The Body" or the message of "The Mystery".

Paul uses the word "Mystery" seventeen times. It does not mean something strange or fantastic, or mysterious_ _ _ but properly translated, the word actually means "secret". When the word is used in connection with The Church, it means the sacred secret which God revealed to Paul, ( Ephesians 3).

This message is :
A MESSAGE OF DISTINCTION Peter's message stressed the "Kingdom". John's message emphasized the "Family Relationship"_ _ _ but Paul's message set forth the glory of the oneness of the members of The Body of Christ…. Church truth, that is "the mystical Church", The Body of Christ, is not to be found in the Old Testament or The Gospels. We must remember that the message of the Old Testament is for The Church as a means of edification and blessing, ( Romans 15:4).

A MESSAGE OF PRIVILEGE ( Ephesians 3:6; 2:13-14, and I Corinthians 12:13. It never entered the mind of the people of Israel that the Gentiles would ever be on the same level and share the same glory with them. But Paul tells us that in Christ___ we are a privileged people.

A MESSAGE OF PROCLAMATION (Ephesians 3:7-8 ) This message is not to be concealed, but revealed, and for preaching this truth Paul tells us he was in prison, 3:1.

A MESSAGE OF FELLOWSHIP (Ephesians 3:9) There are many inequalities among Christians… many differences in gifts among the saints….. and many occupy different positions in life…… but IN CHRIST we are all members of the same Body, ( I Corinthians 12:20). What a truth…. No one can feel proud, when he realizes his position in Christ !!!

A MESSAGE OF WISDOM (Ephesians 3:10-12). The existence of creation reveals God's power_ _ _ the existence of The Church manifests His wisdom !! God displays His wisdom , His Grace, by pointing to The Body of Christ, The Church.

The practical application of this entire message is found in Ephesians 4:3….

We must endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace.

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The Distinctive Message of Paul

Practically all of the message of the Apostle can be grouped under these three subjects :

            The Cross of Christ
            The Church of Christ, the Body
            The Coming of Christ

That the epistles of Paul are different in their subject matter from the rest of Scripture, there can be no doubt. A few points of contrast will show this :

In the language of the Old Testament, we read of such expressions as "The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, ( Acts 3:13), but this expression is nowhere found in Paul's Epistles. He speaks of "God, the Father of our Lord Jesus, etc.

    Where the Old Testament speaks of "tithing", Paul speaks of "giving"
    In the Old we read of Revival, and with Paul it is Evangelize.
    Instead of calling fellow believers 'friends' or 'disciples' , he speaks of 'brethren' and 'saints'.

But perhaps the greatest paragraph written showing the importance of the change in the message of Paul as differing from the ministry of the Old Testament prophets and the Disciples during the Transition period, may be found in the (OLD) Scofield Reference Edition of the Bible on page 1189, and we quote a portion of that page here :

"The Epistles of the Apostle Paul have a very distinctive character. All Scripture, up to the Gospel accounts of the crucifixion, looks forward to the cross, and has primarily in view Israel, and the blessing of the earth through the Messianic Kingdom. But "hid in God" (Ephesians 3:9) was an unrevealed fact -- the interval of time between the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and His return in glory; and an unrevealed purpose -- the outcalling of the "ecclesia", the church which is Christ's body. In Mt. Xvi. our Lord announced that purpose, but wholly without explanation as to how, when, or of what materials, that church should be built, or what should be its position, relationships, privileges, or duties.

"All this constitutes precisely the scope of the Epistles of Paul. They develop the doctrine of the church. In his letters to the seven Gentile churches ( in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, Colosse, and Thessalonica) the church, the "mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God" (Ephesians iii.9), is fully revealed, and fully instructed as to her unique place in the counsels and purposes of God.

"Through Paul alone, we know that the church is not an organization, but an organism, the body of Christ; instinct with his life, heavenly in calling, promise and destiny. Through him alone we know the nature, purpose, and form of organization of local churches, and the right conduct of such gatherings. Through him alone do we know that "we shall not all sleep" that "the dead in Christ shall rise first", and that the living saints shall be "changed" and caught up to meet the Lord in the air at His return.

"But to Paul was also committed the unfolding of the doctrines of grace, which were latent in the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul originates nothing, but unfolds everything, concerning the nature and purpose of the law; the ground and means of the believer's justification, sanctification, and glory; the meanings of the death of Christ, and the position, walk, expectation, and service of the Christian.

"Paul, converted by the personal ministry of the Lord in glory, is distinctively the witness to a glorified Christ, Head over all things to the church which is His body, as the Eleven were to Christ in the flesh, the Son of Abraham and of David."

This being true, we may correctly conclude : The members of The Church, The Body of Christ, are to look to the Pauline Epistles as God's message to the Born-Again Believers of this Age. However, some things which Paul advocated during the transition period of Acts, were to pass away when God set Israel aside, see I Corinthians 13:8. There were some things which Paul did, but which he never commanded the Christian to do.

[note by J.W.Sterchi : The New Scofield Bible has rewritten the page introducing the Epistles of Paul. The Old Scofield has in the first line, with bold type added :

"The Epistles of the Apostle Paul have a very distinctive character". The New Scofield softens this statement in one way, leaving out the bold letters in the Old Scofield :

"THE EPISTLES OF PAUL have a distinctive character". But they add the capitals to the first four words, possibly to many, making this new statement equal to the Old Scofield statement.

In rewriting the page, The New Scofield has toned down the distinctiveness of Paul's unique contribution as the unfolder of the of the revelation of the doctrines concerning the church. They have discarded the language of the Old Scofield, where three times the wording is special:

"Through Paul alone"…. or "Through him alone", in the third paragraph, the Old Scofield uses this terminology three times.

"Through Paul alone we know that the church is not an organization, but an organism.."
"Through Paul alone we know the nature, purpose and form of organization, ……….."
"Through him alone do we know that "we shall not all sleep," that "the dead in Christ.."

The New Scofield has also left out the contrast of Paul with the Eleven. The New Scofield has this statement, which will be followed by the Old Scofield statement :

        "Paul, converted by the personal ministry of the risen Lord, is distinctively the
        witness to the glorified Christ, the Head of the Church which is His body."

        "Paul, converted by the personal ministry of the Lord of glory, is distinctively the
        witness to a glorified Christ, Head over all things to the church which is His body,
        as the Eleven were to a Christ in the flesh, Son of Abraham and of David."

There was to this writer's knowledge, every intention by the editorial committee of the New Scofield Reference Bible to improve, correct and fine tune this Bible in the same spirit of the Old Scofield's editor, Dr. C. I. Scofield. In many ways they did just that.

But at least on the page which introduced the Pauline Epistles, this writer feels they failed. [ They regressed, rather than progressed on that page.]

[I find it interesting that Wilbur M. Smith, a member of the editorial committee, is not introduced as a member of the faculty of Fuller Theological Seminary, but as Editor, Peloubet's Select Notes. With all the other members presented : three as Presidents, one as President Emeritus, a Vice-president, two Deans, a Headmaster Emeritus and a Chairman, it just may be that an 'Editor' looks better along with the others, rather than a 'professor'. On the other hand, may be there was the idea to NOT associate Fuller Seminary in any way with Dispensationalism or the Scofield Reference Bible.] It is a matter of trivia, at any rate.

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