Kingdom Come

It is highly significant that, while encouraging Gentiles to identify with God’s people without full conversion to Judaism, Paul himself never relinquished his elite Jewish Pharisee identity.

• “I also am [present tense] an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.” (Romans 11:1)
• “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;” (Philippians 3:4-5)
• “among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.
• And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come.” (Acts 26)

Paul’s ostracism by the Jews proves that no Gentile Christian church was established during the Acts of the Apostles. There was only a Jewish Messianic sect that was fiercely opposed by mainstream Judaism, especially Paul’s claim that the HEBREW scriptures allowed non-practicing Gentiles into their assembly!!

1. Acts 9: in Damascus: And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues…And the Jews took counsel to kill him:
2. Act 9: in Jerusalem: And when Saul was come…he disputed against the Greeks [philosophically adulterated sect of liberal Jews: but they went about to slay him. 
3. Acts 14: in Iconium…there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use despitefully / torture, and to stone them.
4. Acts 14: they fled unto Lystra and Derbe…And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

Paul himself never claimed to found a new religion. He states multiple times that he was a follower of Jesus of Nazareth because Jesus was the fulfillment of Judaism’s Old Testament prophecy.

“Ananias the high priest descended with the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul…we have found this man a pestilent fellow…a ringleader of the [Jewish] sect of the Nazarenes…

Then Paul…answered, after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing [present tense!] all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust…I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings…certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple…” (Acts 24:1-18)

Paul clearly articulates that the law of Moses, which did not institute but rather affirmed the earlier practice of the identifying mark of circumcision, was never an element of salvation for the Jews but a code of righteous conduct for a select leadership who are already in a faith-based relationship with the LORD God.

“For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness…And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised…being fully persuaded that, what he [God] had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus / YHVH’s Savior our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:1-25)

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also.” (Romans 3:19-29)

It is precisely BECAUSE the Jewish national heritage has NOTHING to do with the MEANS of salvation by faith that the reverse is likewise true.

Accepting salvation by faith in Jesus Christ doesn’t change Jewish national heritage. They are two separate gifts of God.

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature…Timotheus, the son of a…Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek…Paul…took and circumcised…But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:” (Galatians 6:15, Acts 16:1-3, Galatians 2:3)

“And when we were come to Jerusalem…Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present…and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: 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…

Do therefore this that we say to thee. We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them…that all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also…keepest the law.”

And Paul agreed. He absolutely believed that Jewish believers should continue to practice the ritual law of Moses.

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.” (Acts 21:17-26)

What about Ephesians 2:11-15?

 “ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh…now in Christ Jesus ye…are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath

• made both one
• broken down the middle wall of partition between us
• abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances.”

The law of commandments contained in ordinances is not the entire set of Mosaic law.

The laws referred to this context are the laws segregating uncircumcised from circumcised believers in God from Ezekiel 44:

“Thus saith the LORD God; O ye house of Israel…of all your abominations…ye have brought into my sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because of all your abominations.”  

This is most obviously the condition of Herod’s temple in Jerusalem in Jesus’ day, as documented by Josephus.

Our fathers [including Zerubabel], indeed, when they were returned from Babylon, built this [modest] temple to God Almighty…but since I [Herod] am now, by God’s will, your governor…and, what is the principal thing of all, I am at amity with and well regarded by the Romans, who, if I may so say, are the rulers of the whole world, I will do my endeavor to correct that imperfection…by rendering his temple as complete as I am able.”

[When] the temple itself was built…all the people…feasted and celebrated this rebuilding of the temple: and for the king, he sacrificed three hundred oxen to God.

Did you catch that? Herod the Great took upon himself the position of Melchizedek Priest-King heir to Moses and David, higher than the Levitical High Priest.

• Now on the north side [of the temple] was built a citadel, whose walls were square, and strong, and of extraordinary firmness.
  • This citadel was built by the kings of the Asamonean race [Macabees], who were also high priests before Herod [usurped from Aaron’s and King David’s descendants], and they called it the Tower, in which were reposited the vestments of the high priest, which the high priest only put on at the time when he was to offer sacrifice.
  • “These vestments…were under the power of the Romans…the day before a [Jewish] festival, [the Jewish ministers] went up to the Roman captain of the temple guards…and received the vestments; and again when the festival was over, they brought it to the same place, and…reposited them there….
  • but for the tower itself, when Herod the king of the Jews had fortified it more firmly than before, in order to secure and guard the temple, he gratified [Marc Antony] Antonius, who was his friend, and the Roman ruler, and then gave it the name of the Tower of Antonia.

Josephus, who was an eyewitnesses to the Temple’s destruction in AD 70,… also mentioned the “dividing wall” which barred Gentiles & un-clean Jews from approaching the shrine building.

• “There was a wall of partition…this encompassed the holy house, and the altar, and kept the people that were on the outside off from the priests.” On it was a notice – “No Gentile may enter beyond the dividing wall into the court around the holy place. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his subsequent death.”
• Paul used this barrier wall as a metaphor in explaining to Gentiles how God, through Christ’s death, brought them to Himself, past the barrier of their sins (Ephesians 2:11-22).
• for to make in himself of twain one new man,
  • “For through him we BOTH have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
  • Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints.  [These are not the Jews!] “The LORD came from Sinai…he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.” (Deuteronomy 33:2-4)
  • and of the household of God; [Again, NOT the Jews!] “Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment;” (Genesis 18:18-19)
  • And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets
  • Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building [metaphor for the church] fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded [incorporated] together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:11-22)

“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

• 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. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:27-19)

And what was Abraham’s promise but to be the father of many nations.

Within the same letter to the Ephesians Paul most definitely continues to recognize the continued difference between male and female identities and roles, and the continued existence of slavery. Multiple texts establish that we are “heirs” to the promise which hasn’t been completely delivered yet. We’re caught between two worlds of the physical and spiritual.

^“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a [spiritually] new creature:

• • old things [physical drives and exploitive pursuits] are passed away; behold,
  • all things [drives, interests and activities] are become new.” (II Corinthians 5:16-17)

And there we have it! The “new man” is the resurrected, immortal human who has been redeemed from sin and death as promised to the Adams – for the express purpose of restoring dominion over the earth to humanity! This is what was understood as the Gentiles read John’s message that whosoever received Jesus as God messenger and savior could become a Son of God / Representative of God / Leader in the kingdom.