DAILY STUDY OF ACTS
MESSAGE SIXTY-SEVEN
THE PROPAGATION IN ASIA MINOR AND EUROPE THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF PAUL AND HIS COMPANIONS (33)
WEEK 31 – SUNDAY
Bible Reading: Acts 26:1-32; Eph. 2:14-16; 3:8, 17; Phil. 3:4-8; Col. 3:10-11; Heb. 10:14, 18; Acts 21:20, 23-24
Read and Pray: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity” (Eph. 2:14-16).
In Acts 26:1-29, Paul defends himself before Agrippa. Then, in Acts 26:30-32, Agrippa delivers his judgment. Before we reach Acts 26:1-32, I would still like to address Paul's burden in the Epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews.
FOUR CRUCIAL EPISTLES REGARDING THE DISPENSATIONAL TRANSFER
In Acts 21 through 26, Paul endured much suffering, testing, and tribulation. The Epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews express what was on his heart during that time.
As we have mentioned, Paul wrote Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians during his first imprisonment in Rome. Hebrews was likely written afterward. We should not think these epistles were written by accident.
On the contrary, they were written after much consideration and preparation. I believe the two years Paul spent detained in Caesarea were a time of preparation. The more he observed the situation of Jewish religion, Roman politics, and the church—and compared it with what he had received from the Lord—the more he felt burdened to write about the revelation he had gained.
He had no opportunity to speak what was on his heart. Without a doubt, he longed for a calm environment where he could write the revelation concerning God's New Testament economy. He must have been seeking the opportunity to write everything he had received from the Lord about the divine economy and then send these writings to the churches for preservation.
We thank the Lord for granting Paul the time and place to write Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Hebrews; and for the fact that we have these four epistles today. In them, we see several crucial points about the dispensational transfer that we have emphasized in these messages. This dispensational transfer is a grand matter.
ABOLISHING ORDINANCES
In Ephesians 2:14-16, Paul says: “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity.” Here we see that on the cross, Christ abolished all ordinances. Undoubtedly, this includes those concerning circumcision, diet, and the Sabbath.
Although Christ abolished these ordinances, James still promoted them in Acts 21. Certainly, the ordinances abolished by Christ on the cross include the Nazarite vow. Do you not believe that when Christ abolished ordinances, He included those regarding vows? If we have a proper understanding of Ephesians 2 and Acts 21, we will see that what James did in Acts 21 was contrary to what Christ accomplished on the cross. Christ abolished the ordinances, but James upheld and promoted them.
We can say that the matter of abolishing ordinances is a negative aspect of the revelation in Ephesians. On the positive side, we have Paul's word regarding the unsearchable riches of Christ: “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” (3:8). For now, however, we will emphasize that in Ephesians, Paul clearly states that on the cross, Christ abolished all Jewish ordinances from the Old Testament.
CONSIDERING JUDAISM AS REFUSE
In Philippians 3, we see that Paul considered all things of Judaism as refuse. Although he was “a Hebrew of the Hebrews” and “as to the law, a Pharisee” (v. 5), he could testify: “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (vv. 7-8).
Paul realized that, in God’s eyes and in the New Testament economy, all things of Judaism were refuse. What he said in Philippians 3 reflects the vision he had. However, although Paul considered the things of Judaism as refuse, James, to his shame, continued to promote them.
Enjoy more: Hymn 19
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