Plainer Words

The Working of His Mighty Power - Part I and II

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:39:50 PST

In the Old Testament, whenever God promised the children of Israel that He would perform a marvelous work, He would remind them of the great and mighty power He exerted when He delivered them from their Egyptian bondage. The Old Testament expressions for God’s mighty power of deliverance was with (1) “a mighty hand,” (2) “great or mighty power,” (3) “a stretched out arm,” and (4) “with fury poured out.” All four of these are Metonymies in which they are put for God’s “miracle working power.” When Israel faced oppression, perilous times, or even annihilation, He would remind them of how He delivered them from Pharaoh and their Egyptian bondage. Therefore, Israel could count on Him to step-in on their behalf. This act of God’s mighty power was the “Benchmark” for all of their deliverances.

The Lord's Supper During the Day of Christ

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:29:11 PST

During the first days of the closing week of the life of Jesus, as the minister to the Circumcision, the week commenced with the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. It was spent, largely, in the Temple. There, He spoke many parables (Matt. 21-22; Mark 12-13; and Luke 19-20); there, He delivered His tremendous arraignment of the Pharisees (Matt. 23 and parallel passages); there, as He “sat down over against the treasury,” He beheld the people casting in their gifts and praised the poor widow who cast in her two mites above all who cast in of their abundance (Mark 12:41 and parallel passages). It was on the evening of His last day in the Temple that His disciples drew His attention to “the goodly stones and offerings” (gifts for adornment) of the building (Luke 21:5 and parallel passages) and heard from His lips the astonishing announcement that the days were coming ─ even in that generation ─ in which there should not be left one stone upon another (Verse 6 and the parallels). The prediction was fulfilled to the letter in the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. But, the greater fulfillment will be in the future Day of The Lord (i.e., the consummation of the Pre-Millennial Kingdom) when “Ezekiel’s” Temple will be ravaged by the armies of Antichrist.

The City of God During the Day of Christ

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:03:45 PST

“Behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy”
(Isaiah 65:18)

The LORD’s reference, in Isaiah 65:18, to the Jerusalem He’ll create is the Pre-Millennial Jerusalem of the Kingdom of God. This will be when the whole creation will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is LORD, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11). This will be the time that it can truthfully be said that God “hath highly exalted [Jesus Christ]” (Phil.2:9). The Apostle has designated this age as the “Day of Christ.” The phrases “The Day of Christ” (Phil.1:10; 2:16), “The Day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6), “The Day of Lord Jesus” (1 Cor. 5:5 ; 2 Cor. 1:14), and “The Day of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor.1:8) denotes the time period between the Dispensation of Grace and the “Parousia” of Jesus Christ.

To Make all Men See

Mon, 10 May 2010 10:43:40 PST

Some traditional Christian doctrine is based upon expressions found in the Bible, but it is completely opposite of the Truth the Word of God is conveying. This is the result of disregarding the Context in which the words or expressions are found. The structure and arrangement of the words in the Bible are perfect, just as the Truth revealed in them are. The order, arrangement, and structure of the words are Divine. It is a crime for anyone to subvert the structure and order, either by ignoring or changing it.

The Gift of Grace

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 11:22:12 PST

“Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power”
(Ephesians 3:7)

The “whereof” refers back to its antecedent, “the gospel,” in Verse Six. The Apostle Paul rejoiced in the grace that was given him. This gift of grace enabled him to be the minister of the Gospel of the Mystery. The engracing of Paul was by the “effectual working of His power.” This phrase carries us back to the first chapter.

“ … according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at his own right hand [among] the heavenly authorities, over all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come” (A paraphrasing of Ephesians 1:19-21).

The Theme of the Mystery

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 09:54:48 PST

“That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (Eph. 3:6)

The “Scope” of the revelation of The Mystery is summed up in this one verse. When we speak of the “Scope” we mean—what it is all about. “That the Gentiles” is the King James’ introduction to the theme of the Mystery. The phrase is also rendered as; “(to wit), that the Gentiles” (ASV), “to be specific, that the Gentiles” (NAS), and “This mystery is” (NIV). All of these convey a one verse delineation of God’s great Mystery in Ephesians 3:6. This verse explains the Mystery in a capsule form. The verse standing alone does not yield the magnificence of the Mystery. Paul wrote fifty verses prior to Ephesians 3:6. When the previous verses are read and comprehended, then, we may understand Paul’s knowledge in the Mystery of Christ (Eph.3:4). Spiritual understanding of the first two chapters enables the believer to adequately discern the weightiness and splendor of Verse Six in Ephesians Chapter Three.

Truths Unique to the Acts Period

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 10:45:06 PST

Divine Records are set forth in the Word of God. These Divine Records are Truth. What we believe must be in harmony with them and must be understood in the light of “rightly dividing the Word of Truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

We will set forth twenty Divine facts as they relate to the Acts Period and the believers during that time. A clear understanding of the facts makes it abundantly unambiguous that the Church, during “The Acts of the Apostles,” was vastly different from the Church of the Mystery. Truth that belongs to a past dispensation should not be interpreted, or read into the present dispensation.

Ordinary Men with Extraordinary Power

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 18:40:58 PST

The ordinary men who were chosen by Christ to be His Apostles were endowed with extraordinary power. Power that was never possessed by any other mortal men.

It is very poignant to consider the men who the Lord Jesus Christ selected to be His Ministers of State—the Governors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. They were to be the ones who presided over “the Israel of God;” that is to say, the “new nation” that was being divinely formed during “The Acts of the Apostles.” These Officers of State were ordinary men chosen by Jesus Christ Who gave them unprecedented power to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils” (Matt. 10:8). The Ministers who Christ chose were the result of His fervent prayer that lasted all night. None of the Twelve were men of prominence. Nor, were any of them part of Israel’s elite. They were ordinary men of ordinary birth. They were men of low estate. Several of them were disciples of John the Baptist. Two were in John’s inner circle—Andrew and Peter. The one thing all Twelve had in common was their blood-line—which is to say; they were direct descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

I Am The Lord

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:06:50 PST

One-hundred-sixty-three times in the King James Version of the Bible, God says, “I am the LORD;” LORD being the translation of “Yahweh.” One-hundred-sixty-three times, God says of Himself—I AM THE LORD. Joseph Rotherham, in his “Emphasized Bible,” always translates LORD as “Yahweh.”

THE SONS OF GOD IN GENESIS 6

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:01:59 PST

The footnote in the Scofield Reference Bible, regarding the “sons of God” in Genesis 6, says, “Some hold that these ‘sons of God’ were ‘angels which kept not their first estate’ (Jude 6). It is asserted that the title in the Old Testament is used, exclusively, of angels. But, this is an error (Isa. 43:6). Angels are spoken of in a sexless way. No female angels are mentioned in Scripture, and we are, expressly, told that marriage is unknown among angels (Matt. 22:30). The uniform Hebrew and Christian interpretation has been that Genesis 6:2 marks the breaking down of the separation between the godly line of Seth and the godless line of Cain …” (Page 13).

End of the Rainbow

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 12:02:53 PST

Lyrics to the song End of the Rainbow by The Unseen Hand. You may hear this and other music by visiting www.TheUnseenHandMusic.com

The Unity of the Spirit - Part 9

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 18:26:23 PST

The ordinance of Baptism has been the source of endless controversies and divisions. It remains a constant source of antagonism among various sects and denominations. The reason for this disagreement is a historic one. A few short years after the Apostle Paul received the revelation of the Mystery, he wrote, “all men have forsaken me.” What he meant, by this, is that the Christians who had, initially, believed the latest report from God forsook the ONE FAITH. It is in Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy he recorded that Present Truth had been forsaken.

My Sweet Lord

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:54:52 PST

Lyrics to the song My Sweet Lord by The Unseen Hand. You may hear this and other music by visiting www.TheUnseenHandMusic.com

The Unity of the Spirit - Part 8

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:14:22 PST

Our last study of “The Unity of the Spirit” ended as we were considering the significance of the ONE FAITH at the time of its revelation.

At the time the ONE FAITH was revealed to Paul, the Gentile believer was no longer being used to “provoke them [Israel] to jealousy” (Rom. 11:11). The Gentile was no longer “a wild olive tree” (Rom. 11:17) being grafted into the “good olive tree [Israel]” (Rom. 11:24). Paul could say that NOW Christ is “among the Gentiles” and is their “hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). Embodied in the ONE FAITH is the fact that every vestige of Jewish privilege is done away with. There was no longer an advantage in being a Jew. There was no longer profit in circumcision. The item which always separated the Jew from the Gentile was the Law. The Apostle Paul, a teacher of the Gentiles (2 Tim. 1:11), announces from Christ’s Embassy, a Roman prison, that the “law of commandments contained in ordinances” have been “abolished,” “broken down,” and “slain” (Eph. 2:14-16).

The Unity of the Spirit - Part 7

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:15:55 PST

The fifth feature of the Unity of the Spirit is that of the ONE FAITH. Here, the word is a metonymy in which “faith” is put for that which is believed. The word, “faith,” is defined, very clearly, in Hebrews 11:1 and Romans 10:17.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

The Unity of the Spirit - Part 6

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:00:20 PST

With the background presented in the last issue, The One Lord, we can look at a most controversial and misunderstood section of Scripture which, clearly, sets forth the ministry of the spiritual “lords” who ruled over the Acts period Church of God.

The Unity of the Spirit - Part 5

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:25:33 PST

“One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism” (Eph. 4:5)

The fourth feature which now comes before us in the seven-fold Unity of the Spirit is that of the “One Lord.” Previously, we have considered the One Body, the One Spirit, and the One Hope.

The Unity of the Spirit - Part 1 to 4

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:34:06 PST

After the Apostle Paul wrote the first three chapters of “The Epistle to the Ephesians,” in which he penned the most glorious revelation of Truth God ever made known to mankind, he made a mighty proclamation for believers to—walk worthy of the vocation with which they had been called.

The Creation of the One New Man - Part 1 & 2

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:22:40 PST

It is crucial that it be pointed out that there are several schools of theology which teach that the “Gentiles,” mentioned in the Second Chapter of Ephesians, does not, in fact, refer to people of other nations. But, the word, “ethnos,” translated as “Gentiles,” is a reference to the Jewish exiles. The Jews who still lived in Palestine referred to the exiled Jews in a most derogatory manner. The exiles were called “Gentiles,” and the “uncircumsized.” These epitaphs were hurled at the dispersed Jews because many of them adopted the way of the true Gentiles. They were looked down upon by the Jews “of the Land.” We had accepted this idea until our studies compelled us to consider this with all of its attendant innuendoes. Mr. Otis Sellers wrote, in his “The Resultant Version” translation of the Ephesian Epistle, the following “Note” on Ephesians 2:11: “No one should attempt to interpret this portion (Chapter Two) until he is familiar with the Biblical history of Israel, and especially all of the facts related to the great barrier that existed between those in the land and those in the exile.” This type of remark gives us pause.

The Revelation of The Mystery - Part 2

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:42:07 PST

“Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory” (Ephesians 3:13).

We have concluded that the Apostle Paul received the Truth of the Mystery while he was undergoing “tribulations,” “sufferings,” and “afflictions.” These are, intimately, associated with the unique cluster of epistles which are called his Prison Epistles. It seems hard to imagine that what Luke reports in Acts 28:30-31 can be interpreted as the same conditions which Paul wrote about in the Prison Epistles.