1049. The Common Clash Between the Gospel and the Red Letters

There is a common misconception within the Christian mindset that the words Jesus spoke to His disciples and others should also be considered as if He was speaking to all future believers. But the primary mission of Jesus was to minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel ... Jewish people who were under a different religious system of the Mosaic law which could not bring them life or righteousness.

While there are some demonstrations, blips, and words looking forward to a new and different covenant, there is very little good news contained within the chapters and verses in those books about the gospel of grace.




"Clash of the Covenants" book available on Amazon

978. God's Long-Term Plan for the World: A Better Covenant

The New Covenant is far better and more glorious than the old and obsolete one established with the people of Israel initiated during the days of Moses. In other words, the ministry of JESUS is superior to the first covenant containing the law. Why? The old way required the people to hold up their end of the agreement (they said they would do it—but they didn't). The new way of Jesus would be based on an oath God made—swearing to Himself—because he could swear by no one greater.

A covenant is generally agreed upon by two or more parties. But this new way was established by God—between Father and Son—so that it could not fail and fault could not be found. It would be a covenant made available to all people—both Jews and Gentiles ... because the scripture has confined everyone under sin. In other words, everyone has fallen short and is in need of Jesus—the Savior who takes away the sins of the world.



   
Get the book

977. Jews, Gentiles and the New Covenant

Many who have attended a church for most of their lives can attest that they seldom or never heard teaching that revolves around the concept of the New Covenant. They may have been taught to view the Bible as one book, and in doing so, have been confused with a combination of two very different covenants that don't always translate into the true gospel.

There are also some who don't believe there is a New Covenant available except to those who are Jewish. Paul spent a good deal of time explaining to Gentiles (in the flesh) the changes that took place since the cross and resurrection ... opening the gate to both groups to receive salvation and life by faith ... while leaving the old ministry of law in the dust.



   
Get the book

934. The Gentile Denial - The First Decade After the Cross

This is the first in a series of programs about the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) seemingly not having the gospel preached to them for nearly a decade after the cross and resurrection of Jesus. It may surprise some believers and even avid Bible readers that the focus in those early years by the apostles and other Jewish believers was to spread the message of Jesus to their Jewish brethren. This is very interesting since Jesus plainly stated they should go to all nations. Also, the many prophetic scriptures from the Old Testament looked forward to Gentiles coming to salvation.

After Jesus ascended and the Spirit came down upon people ... even Peter's speech in Acts chapter 2 quotes the prophet Joel, looking to a day when God's Spirit would be available to all and that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. So how did Gentiles seem to fail to show up on the radar for 7 to 10 years when it came to spreading the message of salvation through Jesus? People can speculate as much as they want, but one thing is certain ... it had to do with the Mosaic law that they thought was still in effect.



   
Get the book

905. False Assumptions: Gentiles Are Defined as "Unbelievers"

Gentiles are referred to throughout the pages of the Bible, especially in the New Testament. Sometimes when Jesus mentioned them to his Jewish audience, it is assumed by the modern-day reader that he was just referring to unbelieving heathens. The meaning of the word gets more specific in the original language ... a Gentile is defined as a non-Jewish person—which would be over 99% of the world. The reason they were considered heathens and unclean from a Jewish perspective wasn't just because they were viewed as sinners, but were "covenant outsiders." At one point before the cross, Jesus sent out his disciples and told them to avoid going to Gentiles (and Samaritans). Certainly Jesus wouldn't tell them to avoid unbelieving people—that isn't why they were sent. But the gospel was to be ministered to the lost sheep of the house of Israel first.

After the resurrection, Jesus encouraged the disciples/apostles to go to the Gentiles. But that didn't really happen until years later when God came to Peter with a vision ... and Paul would eventually take the gospel to all people—with a big emphasis on Gentiles. Non-Jews were unfamiliar with the law and the promise of a Messiah, they had been without God and without hope in the world. Much to the dismay of many Jews who were clinging to the obsolete Mosaic law at that time, Gentiles would be saved in the same way as Jews—through faith in Jesus Christ, and not by a law of works.



   
Get the book

902. False Assumptions: The Sermon on the Mount Was a New Christian Teaching?

It's easy to get confused between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant if we're under the assumption that when Jesus was speaking to His disciples, it means He was also speaking directly to us today.

Jesus was born under the law for the purpose of redeeming the Jewish people from that law, which was incapable of providing them with life and righteousness. The New Covenant did not begin in Matthew 1:1 or at the birth of Jesus ... but would be ratified after His death (Hebrews 9). The "sermon" in Matthew 5-7 was Jesus attempting to methodically show His disciples that if they were to continue to make attempts at attaining righteousness through that law of works, they would fall short of the perfection it demanded ... because it would mean keeping every jot and title of the 613 commandments and statutes. They would need a greater righteousness.

Therefore, what Jesus spoke with His words in these passages is of critical importance ... but it was not a new Christian teaching for all future believers in Christ with a new set of rules that would be even more difficult to follow than the impossible law. They would need a better way to get to God—and Jesus would be that way.



   
Get the book

887. Misunderstandings About "The Dispensation of Grace"

The phrase “dispensation of grace” found in some Bible translation such as the KJV and NKJV in Ephesians chapter 3 is often misunderstood to mean an age where grace is poured out for a period of time. It is also considered by some that the dispensation of grace is meant for Gentiles, while the New Covenant was meant for the Jews only. We’ll look at this passage in context to break down what the word dispensation means in the original language and why it is found in many translations as stewardship.

Paul was referring to a stewardship of grace that was given to him to help reveal a mystery that had been hidden in previous generations … and that mystery is that Gentiles would be fellow heirs with the Jews as was explained in the earlier part of the book of Ephesians. Paul preached the gospel to both groups, because everyone is justified in the same way—by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law—a ministry that Jesus abolished and tore down. The grace of God is not a temporary period of time in history … it is eternal.

There were even those named as apostles who were advocating for a gospel catering to Jews and another for Gentiles. Paul came along with a revelation on how the establishment of a New Covenant by Jesus resulted in a bringing together of these two groups—not a separation with different gospel messages. And the obsolete and abolished law would have nothing to do with the one gospel message to be ministered to all people.



   
Get the book

886. The New Covenant Brought Jew and Gentile Together

In the early days of the church, there were intense disputes and disagreements among Jewish believers in Jesus regarding non-Jewish people (Gentiles) and how they would fit into the bigger picture. Since Gentiles had never been under the law, but seemingly could still be saved, how would all of this work? Most believing Jews still assumed the Mosaic law would continue to be in effect and remain part of the “Christian” culture in a post-resurrection world.

There were even those named as apostles who were advocating for a gospel catering to Jews and another for Gentiles. Paul came along with a revelation on how the establishment of a New Covenant by Jesus resulted in a bringing together of these two groups—not a separation with different gospel messages. And the obsolete and abolished law would have nothing to do with the one gospel message to be ministered to all people.



   
Get the book

885. The New Covenant and the Jewish/Gentile Controversy

The world has an army of theologians who consider themselves soldiers sent to interpret the writings of the Bible. An army is more effective when they work together in sync, but the countless array of viewpoints and opinions have largely left each individual soldier fending for themselves, running in all kinds of different directions and resulting in confusion and disarray. One of the subjects that has “Bible believers” all over the map is on the topic of the New Covenant.

Some will claim it hasn’t begun yet and it will come later after Israel agrees to the terms of the agreement. Others will say it is in effect, but only for Israel. Others who believe the NC is in place and available for everyone have differing views on just exactly how the covenant should be defined. Few church denominations teach on it at all. So let’s take a closer look at the New Covenant and the Jewish/Gentile controversy that was taking place in those early days after the resurrection of Jesus.



   
Get the book

719. Tear Down This Wall!

In Ephesians Chapter 2, Paul talked about a dividing wall which brought a separation from Christ. It kept us from the covenants of promise while leaving us without hope and without God in the world. What was this wall of separation? Many might be surprised to find out that Paul revealed it was the law of commandments contained in ordinances.

Jesus broke down this barrier and it resulted in us who were far off being brought near by His blood. It ended with both Jew and Gentile being brought together into one new man (Christ). For centuries, the religious business has attempted to rebuild this wall which Jesus leveled… leaving people in a place of covenant confusion and uncertainty.



   
Get the book