Home Bible Study©
Rightly Dividing the
Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
WWW. 2Tim215.Net
Established November 2008
Published Weekly on Friday
For this is
good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men (and women) to be saved, and
to come unto the knowledge of the truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4).
***
Announcement
It’s
difficult saying goodbye to something you love, whether that is a person,
place, or thing. I’m certain all those
who have more than a few years behind them would agree.
For
more than twelve years I’ve poured my heart and soul into Home Bible Study©,
but due to personal reasons it’s time to let it go. After May 31, 2019, no new Bible lessons will
be published. Whether this is permanent or
merely a hiatus of undetermined length, I don’t know. I’ve pre-paid the website, so it should
remain accessible for a year give or take a month. There are more than 500 Bible lessons at your
disposal, so please continue visiting the site.
When my subscription ends, however, I believe the website will end.
I
apologize for the abruptness of this announcement but to help fill the void I
have listed a few recommendations for y’all.
All these gentlemen teach the Bible, rightly divided, as per God’s
command (2 Timothy 2:15). You’re in good
hands with whomever you choose:
Les
Feldick - LesFeldick.org (teaches the Bible verse-by-verse so you can
pick up right where we left off at his user-friendly
website).
Pastor
Kevin Hobbs - ButNowFellowship.com
or via YouTube
Pastor
Richard Jordan - Graceimpact.org or ShorewoodBibleChurch.org
Pastor
Russ Hargettt - SuncoastBible.com
GJ
Heitzman
*****
Philippians 3:4 – (L
27)
In
Philippians 3:1- 4:1, our Apostle Paul warns the Philippian Believers to be
wary of dogs, evil workers, and the concision
or their adversaries. Why? Judaizers
were attacking both Paul’s apostolic authority and the gospel of grace (3:1-2).
Last week, in verse
3:3, Paul identified the true circumcison:
“For we (all
those who have been baptized into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit) are the circumcison, which worship God in
the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”
One of the things we
learned is the Israelites took God’s command to be circumcised to the extreme. By that I mean to say their religious system,
and the rite of circumcision became a false idol. The Jews placed their trust in their religious
system and their heritage. They named
Abraham as their father and were proud of it:
We find the Lord
Jesus Christ addressing their misguided mindset in John 8:44-45:
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on
him,
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And
ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They
answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how
sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for
ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye
shall be free indeed. I know that ye are
Abraham’s seed; but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. I speak that which I have seen with my Father:
and ye do that which ye have seen with your father. They
answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye
would do the works of Abraham. But now
ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of
God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the
deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of
fornication; we have done Father, even God. Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and
came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the
lusts of your father ye will do. He was
a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no
truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he
speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not (Genesis 15:6; Romans
4:3, 9-25; Galatians 3:6-14).
Our
Apostle Paul faced the same opposition, i.e. the Pharisees (Acts 15; Romans
6:14). In
Romans 2:25 Paul told his countrymen “For
circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker
of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision” (1 Corinthians 7:19).
If you opt to place
yourself under the law in order to please God, you must keep the whole law
perfectly and history shows no human can achieve success with that plan. This book holds up the nation of Israel as an
example of this truth. The Jews had
superior privileges which should have produced a corresponding lifestyle. They should have lived differently than the world, but that didn’t happen. They partnered with the world, causing the name of Jehovah to be blasphemed among the Gentiles (Romans 2:23-24). In addition, their circumcision is made uncircumcision, proving adhering to religious
rituals without the reality of personal devotion to God, and obedience to His
expressed will amounts to “nothing.”
********
Please
open your Bible at Philippians 3:4-6.
“Though I might also have confidence
in the flesh. If any other man thinketh
that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eight
day, of the stock of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning
zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in law;
blameless.”
Paul
previously said the true circumcision has “no
confidence in the flesh,” so what’s he saying now? In expectation of an argument from his
opposition, he listed some of his religious credentials as a challenge to all
those who are trusting in religion to make themselves right with God. To make his point he reflects on his former
life, when he too was “outside of Christ Jesus.” To refute the opposing argument of the
Judaizers that there is saving value in their religious distinctions, Paul will
show (from his own experience) what
he had considered gain, he now considers “dung”
(3:7-8).
Simply
said, Paul’s challenge is this – lay your religious credentials alongside mine
and then we’ll see who has the better resume!
If any other man
thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: (3:4a) – let’s look
at Paul’s statement in Galatians 1:11-14:
But I certify you,
brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was
I taught it,
but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For
ye have heard of my conversation (conduct)
in time past in the Jews’ religion,
how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited
in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation,
being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
Saul/Paul
sincerely believed he was serving the LORD in “persecuting the church of God.” (Acts 8:35-38). Paul’s referring to the kingdom church prophesied
in the O.T. and not the Body of Christ (Acts 9; Ephesians 5:32). It’s plain to see the O.T. Prophetic Program
is still in effect after the Lord’s ascension into heaven. The Temple of the LORD is open for business
and we find Peter and others going up to the Temple to pray at the assigned
hour. All the Jewish Feast Days are
still being observed. Nothing has
changed, including the condition of their hearts.
FYI: People generally agree there are seven
dispensations marked off in Scripture (Ephesians 3:2). Each new dispensation denotes a change in
God’s method of dealing with mankind, or portions of mankind, in respect to #1:
sin; and #2: man’s obligation in a given dispensation. Therefore, each dispensation may be regarded
as a “new test” of the natural man (1 Corinthians 15:4-6), and each one ends with
man’s failure to obey God’s commands bringing about His judgment. We are presently living in the Dispensation
of Grace, a parenthetical period of time, kept hidden in the mind of God since
before the foundations of the earth.
This administration was not made known to man until the conversion of
Saul of Tarsus, the very first member of the Body of Christ (Romans 16:25-27; 1
Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:9; Colossians 1:26),
And I thank Christ
Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting
me into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and
injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding
abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all
acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I
am chief. 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 (1 Timothy 1:12-16).
Since
the Church Age didn’t begin until the apostle Paul was called by the risen Lord
in Acts 9, it stands to reason the church did not begin with the Apostle Peter
in Matthew 16:18 or in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost.
So,
Saul/Paul profited in the Jews
religious system above many others. He
was “sold out,” as they say, for the “traditions
of (his) fathers.” I can relate and perhaps some of you might as
well. I grew up in a works-based religious
system that has been around for centuries.
From generation to generation we too passed on our traditions and basked
in them. We had our own feast days and
our own set of religious rules and practices that set us apart. I remember people commenting on how beautiful
it was. However, this doing and not
doing, or keeping these religious rules and practices, didn’t change how God viewed
us one little bit. All these religious
exercises amounted to “nothing” in
the eyes of God (Romans 8:7).
The
Bible clearly states Salvation is of God and to the glory of God (alone) we contribute not one thing
(Ephesians 2:8-10):
Be not thou therefore
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who
hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given
us in Christ Jesus before the world began, But is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: Whereunto I am
appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles (2 Timothy 1:8-11).
Your
salvation is determined by what you do or don’t do with Paul’s gospel below:
Moreover, brethren, I
declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye
have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye
keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in
vain. For I delivered unto you first of
all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins
according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose
again the third day according to the scriptures: (1 Corinthians 15:1-4;
Romans 2:16).
Now
you don’t have to be a seminary graduate to understand this Bible passage and
that’s how God intended it. We have the
written Word of God because He desires everyone “to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy
2:3-4). The truth is, on your best day
you can’t keep God’s commandments, so trusting in self will not get the job
done. This is what Paul said in verse
3:4, having just said in verse 3:3 true Believers have “no confidence in the flesh,” that is, things they do or don’t do,
including one’s religious achievements. Paul
shows us if that were possible, he’s ahead of the pack, “being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.”
In
verses 3:5-6 Paul provided a list of his religious credentials which began in
infancy:
“Circumcised the eight day” (5a) – if you’ve been with us for past two weeks, then you know what this means to the nation of Israel. For those of you who are new I’ll take the time to explain. The Lord God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and gave him a list of things he needed to do for Him in Genesis 17, after explaining all He would do for Abraham and his descendants under the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3). One of these responsibilities was the rite of circumcison. The Hebrew male child, 8 days old (not seven days and not nine days old) underwent a physical operation to remove their foreskin. This religious rite was enforced later by the Mosaic Covenant (Leviticus 12:3). Paul’s saying, he was a child of this everlasting covenant. Let’s be clear, this religious practice could not save anyone, but it gave those who were obedient the opportunity to be saved. I liken this to a child raised in a faith-based home. Who’s more likely to be saved the child of believing parents or the child raised in a home without Jesus Christ? There is a distinct advantage here that should not be overlooked.
“of the stock of Israel” (5a) – Paul was
not born into any nation; he said he is numbered with the chosen nation of
Israel. In times past, Israel held
prominence over all the nations. The
LORD God channeled all His earthly blessings through the Israelites which
included “the covenants,” “the oracles of God,” “the promises,” the adoption,”
etc. (Romans 3:2, 9:4).
“of the tribe of Benjamin” (5a) – I’m
assuming y’all know the nation of Israel is made up of 12 tribes. There was a time in Israel’s history when
they were not one. According to the
Bible, King David reigned over a large territory and his son Solomon over an
even larger section of land. After the
death of Solomon, the nation was divided in two. The Southern Kingdom consisted only of the
tribes of Judah and Benjamin. The Northern Kingdom consisted of the ten
remaining tribes and was called Israel. Their
initial capitals were at Shechem and Tirzah.
King Omri established his capital at Samaria, where it remained. The Northern Kingdom departed from the LORD
God and gave themselves over to worshipping gentile idols. But the Southern Kingdom proved to be more
spiritual re: the things of the
LORD. Eventually, they too wandered into
apostasy, even after the LORD continued to channel His blessings through the
tribe of Benjamin and Judah during their captivities. Jerusalem eventually fell to the Babylonian
Empire and was destroyed circa 586 B.C.
The
tribe of Benjamin had a special place in the nation of Israel. Benjamin was the child of Rachel, the
well-loved wife of Jacob, and of all the twelve patriarchs, he alone had been
born in the Promised Land (Genesis 35:17-18). It was from the tribe of Benjamin that the
first king of Israel had come (1 Samuel 9:1-2), and it was no doubt from that
very king that Paul had been given his original name of Saul. When, under Rehoboam, the kingdom had been
split up, ten of the tribes went off with Jeroboam, and Benjamin was the only
tribe which remained faithful with Judah (1 Kings 12:21). When they returned from the exile, it was from
the tribes of Benjamin and Judah that the nucleus of the reborn nation was
formed (Ezra 4:1). The tribe of Benjamin
had the place of honor in Israel's battle-line, so that the battle-cry was:
"After thee, O Benjamin!" (Judges 5:14; Hosea 5:8). The great feast
of Purim, which was observed every year with such rejoicing, commemorated the
deliverance of which the Book of Esther tells, and the central figure of that
story was Mordecai, a Benjaminite. When
Paul stated that he was of the tribe of Benjamin, it was a claim that he was
not simply an Israelite but that he belonged to an elite tribe of Israel.
An Hebrew of the
Hebrews (5b)
– here Paul refers to his family’s social status. Apparently, his family was well connected
socially, politically, religiously, and monetarily. Everything that floats most people’s boat
today, wouldn’t you say? Seemingly, Paul
had everything a man could desire, but there’s more. In addition to everything else he was educated
by Gamaliel an esteemed doctor of the law (Acts 22:3-In referring to himself as
“an Hebrew of the Hebrews,” Paul is
saying his family tree held many examples of men who held positions of
authority in the Jews religious system.
As touching the law,
a Pharisee (5b)
– there were three religious’ factions in Paul’s day: the Pharisees, the
Sadducees, and the Essenes. The most
important group was the Pharisees. Their
distinguishing characteristic was a belief in the Oral Law the LORD gave Moses
at Sinai along with the Torah, or written Law.
The Pharisees also maintained an after-life existed; these things as
well as others set them apart.
Concerning zeal, persecuting the church (6a) – this is usually where people trip themselves up over what God has clearly revealed in this book. The church Paul refers to here is not the Body of Christ of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head.
You won’t find language like that in the O.T. which includes the four gospels. You only find it in Paul’s epistles. However, people are in the habit of taking what God said to His chosen people, the Jews, and including the Body of Christ, but that would be an error. Here Paul speaks of the kingdom church. We could take the time to study this subject, but it would take many lessons to do it justice. Suffice to say, the kingdom church and the Body of Christ, a.k.a, the mystery program, are two separate plans purposed by God. We are not to combine them; something the Scriptures make clear (read Acts 15; Galatians 2:9). Saul of Tarsus believed Jesus was an imposter. He did not believe the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Consequently, he persecuted the kingdom church, i.e. followers of “the way,” with religious fervor, and in doing so believed he was performing God’s will (Acts 9:1-2, 22:19-20).
Touching the
righteousness which is in the law, blameless (6b) – Paul is not saying he was
without sin – blameless. He is saying when he did commit sin he
brought the proper sacrifice to atone for his sin, in accordance with the ceremonial law. Outwardly, no one can point the finger of
shame at Paul. He was a model Jew, an
example, in other words. Paul is not
claiming perfection. The demands of the
law didn't touch the heart, again it wasn’t much more than religious exercise. The Lord Jesus Christ addresses this concern
in the Sermon of the Mount. Adultery was
not just the act; it was a matter of the heart. Not only should you not murder, Jesus Christ
say you shouldn't even hate. Hatred itself
violated God’s command not to murder. So, outwardly, Paul had done it all but,
inwardly, he remained an unsaved sinner.
For we know that the
law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I
would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I
consent unto the law that it is good.
Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,)
dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform
that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but
the evil which I would not, that I do. Now
if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in
me. I find then a law, that, when I
would do good, evil is present with me. For
I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members,
warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law
of sin which is in my members. O
wretched man that I am! who shall
deliver me from the body of this death? I
thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law
of God; but with the flesh the law of sin (Romans 7:14-25).
It’s
been my pleasure to serve y’all these past twelve years. I pray you will continue to study your Bible,
rightly divided, of course, to mature in the faith and to help those who are struggling
to comprehend what is truth and what is not.
©
Copyright 2011
GJ
Heitzman’s MinistryAll Rights Reserved
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