MID-ACTS  VIEW : THE BEGINNING OF GOD'S NEW PLAN IN THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE

By: Brother Albert Gran

The ulterior objective of this study is to simply avoid classifications or distinctions of grace believers in our times. History made us recalled how RD dispensationalists were divided into several segments when they identified themselves as Acts 2, Acts 9, Acts 11, Acts 13 and Acts 28. Recently, few proponents identified themselves as Acts 20 with citations how the "testifying of the gospel of the grace of God" marked the beginning of the dispensation of grace when Paul had came through the church at Philippi.


My observation calls for a fact that when grace believers are fighting which particular period is the beginning of the body of Christ, this went through the label Paul had met in his time as he wrote to the church at Corinth when it reads:

1 Corinthians 1:10-11King James Version (KJV)

10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

11 For it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. 

1 Corinthians 3:3-4King James Version (KJV)

3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

1 Corinthians 11:18-19King James Version (KJV)

18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

The issue here is how can grace believers be of the same mind when they themselves are putting labels to each other. Debating the issues repeatedly which part in the book of Acts marks the beginning of the dispensation of grace is nonsensical, thereby a mere show of fleshly glory. Paul reiterated that when doctrinal issues caused division in the church in our time, spiritual believers would bear the principle of "avoidance of division" and possess maturity to handle things to be of one mind in Christ.

I thought it necessary to consider the things in this issue however, that when believers attempted to prove the beginning of the dispensation of grace in the book of Acts itself is partially correct. However, the most concrete proof to solidify the fundamental basis in the beginning of the body of Christ is when God acted upon and showed his first attempt in the time (dispensation) through which his grace has been delineated to Paul. We all got to compare God's firsthand demonstration when we set the beginning of grace in a particular time to qualify the term "dispensation" in it's sense. 

Dispensation is literally meant "God's action in time". The giving of God's word about the mystery of Christ in this dispensation of grace is something which I also greatly acknowledged as "transitional" in it's sense and thus, it meant no definite section in Acts when it began except the fact Paul was separated in his mother's womb and called him by his grace.   

DISPENSATION OF GRACE BEGAN WITH PAUL  

We knew that when Christ stood up in his heavenly throne after the stoning of Stephen, it's an indication of the outpouring of God's wrath. To our surprise, what was expected did not happen. Instead, the significance of GOD'S LONG SUFFERING was extended by calling the apostle in the dispensation of grace.

Galatians 1:15King James Version (KJV)

15 But when IT PLEASED GOD, who SEPARATED ME FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB, and CALLED ME BY HIS GRACE,   

It is a remarkable event in the history of times when one WHO KICKED AGAINST THE PRICKS was called BY GOD'S GRACE. Through God's forbearance, it pleased Him to call Paul by His grace along the way to the road of Damascus. It is a "calling" for God had set a particular purpose by which his ministry is so essential in the propagation of the gospel of Christ or the gospel of the grace of God. Could we not therefore distinguish this fact as a remarkable act of God's forbearance through out time how an injurious and persecutor was personally called by God in their firsthand encounter in order to bear his name towards the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel?

Acts 9
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:

16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.    

In God's plan, I did not thought of having in mind when God called to preach first the Jews then later to the Gentiles as similar instance during Christ's earthly ministry. Indeed, it's so plain how God's plan to Paul's apostleship to PUT NO RACIAL DISTINCTIONS as per appeared first in Acts 9.   

WHAT ABOUT THE "JEW FIRST" IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS?   

Romans 1:16King James Version (KJV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; TO THE JEW FIRST, and also to the Greek. 

Romans 2:10King James Version (KJV)

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, TO THE JEW FIRST, and also to the Gentile:       

Perhaps, many preachers and students had not across this point aside from clinging to the principle which they thought there's such what is called JEW FIRST in God's plan under the dispensation of grace.

When I read it over repeatedly, I did notice there's a sense of NO RACIAL DISTINCTIONS to mean being one is of primary importance in these verses of Romans 1 and 2. The phrases "to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" and "to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile" gave me  a significant meaning it has only one equal sense. If you say to the Jew first, and also to the Greek/ Gentile, the phrase "and also" gives idea it could also be to the Greek or Gentiles first. It didn't say to the Jew first, then to the Greek/Gentile through which there's a time barrier between them or a sequence of order between the two. My understanding is this: "If it's to the Jew first, it's also the Gentile first". To the Jew first, "AND ALSO" to the Greek/ Gentile. What is true to the Jew first, it's also the same to the Gentile.

Therefore, I found no distinctions between Jew and Greek/ Gentile when Paul preached the gospel of the grace of God. Thus, when a student of God's word put labels and distinctions between Jews and Gentiles during the early account of Paul's conversion when the dispensation of grace began, it distorts God's plan to put Jews and Gentiles in the body of Christ as no difference.  Take a look at the example what sense we understood in this account in Acts 20 as it reads:

Acts 20
21 Testifying BOTH TO THE JEWS, AND ALSO TO THE GREEKS, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

Indeed, it's great significance that Paul's preaching was aired to two groups of people without distinctions. If once we thought and believed there's a difference between Jews and Gentiles as to how God's word shall be delivered to people, now is the time to acknowledge there's no difference at all. If we thought God is planning a Body of Christ in the apostleship ministry of Paul, then think that there's no distinction of race, social status, and gender which you can prove therein.

Galatians 3:28King James Version (KJV)

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Colossians 3:11-12King James Version (KJV)

11 Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

These things clearly avoided any dissension among grace believers in our time by which God had not divided the body of Christ by making a policy that the gospel must be preached first to the Jews. Below is my proof how in the ministry of Paul after his conversion those who were saved were no longer classified as Jews or Gentiles but the CHURCH OF GOD( the body of Christ).

1 Corinthians 10:32King James Version (KJV)

32 Give none offence, neither to the JEWS, nor to the GENTILES, nor to the CHURCH OF GOD:

Corinth is categorized as one of the earliest epistle of Paul, however the believers there ( Jews or Gentiles) were placed and being identified  as members in the CHURCH OF GOD. It's a fact when they were in that church, their racial identity is gone in the spiritual sense. The church of God is the church the body of Christ with God's citizens, members in particular called saints and sons of God.

Those who were being preached by Paul after his conversation all the way to his Acts journey were members of the church the body of Christ. In fact many proselytes who gave audience to Paul when he preached the grace of God. 

Acts 13:43King James Version (KJV)

43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and RELIGIOUS PROSELYTES FOLLOWED PAUL Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the GRACE OF GOD.  

These religious proselytes were avid followers of Jewish religion and avid doers and observers of the law. It's a clear fact however, that in the early conversion of Paul, he knew something different in his preaching of grace compared to the law and thus made him reasoned in the synagogue. 

SPEAKING OF PAUL'S MANNER: DID HE LIVE A COMPROMISED LIFE?

This is the reason why many grace preachers and teachers fall prey to the fact and stressed why the beginning of the dispensation of grace was misunderstood. They thought when Paul was converted all through his missionary journey, he still observed the customs of the Jews as the basis by which the dispensation of grace had not yet began.

Basically, Paul entered to the synagogue to preach the grace of God and reasoned. In fact he went to the temple in Acts 22 during the days of purification and being accused as someone who violated the customs of Moses, in other words the Mosaic Law in general.

Acts 22

18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.

19 And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the GENTILES by his ministry.

20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of JEWS there are which believe; and they are all ZEALOUS OF THE LAW:

21 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.

When Paul started his preaching after his conversion, although he entered into the synagogue as his manner, he never compromised the doctrine of grace which he received from Jesus Christ. His ministry is always contrary to the law and always a mere violation of the religious Jewish customs. Those grace teachers who succumb to the idea that Paul is compromising his grace doctrine in the early period of the dispensation of grace by living a manner under the Jewish custom had not considered the essence why it's essential for Paul to reason in the synagogues. If his doctrines and his ministry was in complete consonance under the law, then he will not be accused as a violator of the law.What we saw contrarily is the accusation why such he preached a DIFFERENT GOSPEL and delivered a DISTINCT MESSAGE. Take a brief site in the accounts below:

Acts 21

26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day PURIFYING HIMSELF WITH THEM ENTERED INTO THE TEMPLE, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him,

28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where AGAINST THE PEOPLE, and THE LAW, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and HATH POLLUTED THIS HOLY PLACE.

29 (For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple: and forthwith the doors were shut.

You can see that even in Acts 21 Paul still entered in the temple and yet his life remained doctrinally uncompromising. Although Luke described him as someone who purified himself with the Jews in the temple, however you noticed what made that  so called purification observance supported a solid proof of accusation how Paul lived contrarily to the Jewish customs and laws.  He was grossly accused with the violations which I believed he committed against Jewish religion including its observances. He had his life uncompromising and consistent for the sake of THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD. 

SO, WHY PAUL SETS THE BEGINNING OF THIS DISPENSATION OF GRACE?

As stated beforehand, the term "dispensation" corresponds God's denouement of grace in a period distinct from that of the law. This is God's heavenly act to call the chiefest of all sinners by his grace. Many had conjectured over the fact that it's the same grace he gave to Noah. Will that grace of God to Paul void of the presentation of the cross? I don't think so.

Acts 9

3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why PERSECUTEST THOU ME?

5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.   

While I didn't have clear proof that Saul is one among belonged to the council who partook approval of Christ's resurrection based on his influence to persecute the Christians prior Acts 9, remarkably his persecution scheme in the Stephen account  is relative to say he then became the enemy of the cross of Christ. I believed that it's the same cross made the reverse of his life that gives him suffering for the sake of Jesus after his conversion.

Acts 9
16 For I will shew him how great things HE MUST SUFFER for my name's sake.

It's true at the onset how he suffered in the presence of his kinsmen, from the bands of Roman soldiers even against the Gentiles in order to preach the cross of Christ. Reasonably, even in one the earliest account of his missionary journey, he attested the PREACHING OF THE CROSS which for fools foolishness but to those who were saved it is the  POWER OF GOD.

The truth of the reason why Paul in the dispensation of grace is the fact God chose him first as pattern in the truth of eternal life towards those who believe hereafter.

1 Timothy 1:16King James Version (KJV)

16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.   

Christ's character nature of LONG SUFFERING colored His nature in the dispensation of grace who waved his wrath against sinners or ungodly. God first demonstrated his long suffering when Paul obtained God's mercy ( coined with grace) for a pattern others to life everlasting (salvation by grace through faith alone).

This characterized firsthand act of God in a period special WHEN AN ENEMY BECAME GOD'S FRIEND. Needless for God's friends today who will fight among each other in the issue marking where in Acts period marks the beginning of the body of Christ. 

Remember that if you are saved by grace in the dispensation of grace:

PAUL IS YOUR PATTERN!

Grace and Peace