Again, this is what I believe.
Paul was given a dispensation that was a mystery, never revealed before, the Dispensation of Grace. 1 Cor 9:17-18 For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a dispensation. 18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
Eph 3:1-4 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles; 2 if indeed you have heard of the Dispensation of the Grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
We find in Acts 15 that Paul went up to Jerusalem to tell them about the new gospel that God gave to him according to Gal 1:11-2:10. The Holy Spirit showed the apostles that Paul’s gospel was valid at that council.
Eph 1:5-10 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 [Here’s the mystery which was never made before God raised up the Apostle Paul.] that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the Dispensation of the Mystery, which has been hidden from the ages in God who created all things through Jesus Christ. 10 that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one, the all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth - in Him.
This gospel that was given to Paul was a different gospel from anything before. That’s what the Galatian material is all about: Gal 2:7-9 But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision had been committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcision was to Peter 8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for [eis] the apostleship of the circumcision also worked effectively in me toward [eis] the Gentiles), 9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to [eis] the Gentiles and they to [eis] the circumcision.
Paul was faithful to this new program that God gave him. It tells us of his faithfulness in Col 1:24-29: I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the dispensation of God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, 26 the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. 27 To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
Unfortunately, many of those posting on TOL are not faithful to the doctrine God gave to Paul. We should be faithful to this dispensational program that God gave Paul for us. Most do not even know that the Bible places so much importance on the Dispensation of the Mystery. Most Christians are not even aware that God says we all “should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the Dispensation of the Mystery.”
For the body of Christ of this dispensation of grace, we have a heavenly hope. Phi 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
There are extremely important, major differences between our Dispensation of Grace and the Circumcision Dispensation. Works for salvation and water baptism are two of the big differences between the circumcision gospel and the gospel that God gave to Paul.
Thela what do you actually believe?
In Christ,
Bob Hill