What Luke and Acts tell us about the Gospel of the Kingdom

Luke 1:1-4 NRSV  Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us,  (2)  just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word,  (3)  I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,  (4)  so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed.

Act 1:1-5  In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning (2)  until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.  (3)  After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  (4)  While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me;  (5)  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

Two New Testament books are most instructive in piecing together what first century Christianity was, and how it related to first century Judaism. They are of course, The Gospel of Luke, and The Acts of the Apostles. The reason is they were both written by Luke. There is little evidence to disbelieve that Luke was the author of both, and a substantial amount of evidence to believe that he was the author. What he clearly states is that he set out as a reporter that investigated the material from first hand sources. Given this, Luke becomes a most reliable source.

It also must be noted that Luke the physician was a companion of Paul's and was mentioned in his epistles. Therefore, it can easily be concluded that Luke got a lot of the input for his writing from Paul. But, Paul was not an actual eye-witness to the earthly ministry of Jesus and therefore Luke consulted others that were with Paul. Several biblical scholars believe that his chief eye-witness was Mary the mother of Jesus herself. This makes sense to me because there is no mention that his mother brothers and sisters thought that he might be out of his mind  when they went to find him as was portrayed in the Mark account. It seems likely to me that Mary would leave that part out.

John MacArthur, wrote a book entitled "The Gospel According to Jesus." In it, he emphasized the law aspects of Jesus message and, in my view, laid waste to the gospel message. What he did not consider for a minute was the transition that takes place in the New Testament. This transition is most obvious in the two works written by Dr. Luke. One could conclude that Luke wrote about two different gospels. That is not what happened at all. He merely as a good historical reporter finding the facts and presented them as they were. The facts he uncovered and wrote down show the transition very well.

Luke begins with the last Jewish Old Covenant Prophet John the Baptist. Luke presents the story of his birth, calling, and the miracles surrounding his birth and upbringing. He was the prophet that was foretold in Isaiah, "a voice of one crying in the wilderness make way for the Lord." It was a strictly Jewish message to a strictly Jewish audience. He was a prophet to the Jews, before the cross/resurrection event, and thereby was strictly Old Covenant. Jesus said as much. Luke NRSV 7:26-28  "What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.  (27)  This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'  (28)  I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." Jesus states simply and clearly that while John the Baptist was the greatest Old Covenant prophet he was not in the kingdom per se, and was not a gospel of the kingdom prophet.

Luke then takes up the mission and ministry of the Lord himself.  Now it should be very interesting that Luke did not dwell too much on Jesus teaching about the Mosaic Law. There is indeed a contrast between the story that Luke tells and the story that Matthew tells. The reason most scholars give for the difference was that Matthew wrote to a strictly Jewish audience and Luke wrote to a Gentile and Hellenic Jew audience. However, this also shows that there was not as strong an emphasis placed on the law as evangelical orthodox dogma suggests. Most of the references to the Law in Luke's gospel are concerning Jesus birth and youth. However, Luke did record this interesting statement by Jesus: Luke 16:16  "The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force." According to Jesus the Law was in effect until the end of the mission of John the Baptist. The writer of Hebrews explains that it was fading or passing because it was obsolete and would SOON disappear (Heb 8:13.) It would disappear when the temple was destroyed (Heb 9:8.)

Moving on to The Acts of the Apostles, there are several sermons recorded there. Most notably are those of Peter. He preached the gospel to the Jews on Pentecost, and to the Gentiles at Cornelius' house. The complete content of his gospel message in both instances was the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. This also agrees with what Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 1 Cor 15:1-4. Likewise, you have Paul stating that he determined to know nothing among the Corinthians except Jesus Christ crucified, again the gospel of grace. Finally, Paul states this:  Col 2:6-7 NRSV "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him,  (7)  rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." How did they receive Jesus? The answer is by the obedience of faith. It is clear to see that the gospel of the kingdom was in fact the gospel of grace and nothing else.

People who want the gospel of the kingdom to be more than faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus often throw out the phrase "easy believism." Every time I hear or read that phrase I have to roll my eyes and shake my head. There was nothing easy about Jesus perfect faith in the Father. He believed that in spite of the ridicule and torture that he was the unique Son of God that had a special redemptive mission. It was his perfect faith that pleased the Father. How do we know this? Because the writer of Hebrews explained that without faith it is impossible to please the Father.

So back to the "easy believism" accusation; it is not easy to believe that God declares us righteous, which means justifies us, based on faith alone. Yet, that is precisely what Paul states in Romans 5:1. It just doesn't seem right to the human mind. That is why there are so many that want to add to their faith in Christ with their works for justification or to prove justification. It matters little if one adds works to justify or simply uses works as proof of justification. The end result is ALWAYS the same. It results in death by the killing letter of the law. The gospel of the kingdom operates in a very different manner. The person who hears the gospel, believes that they have been declared righteous by the Father, that they indeed have peace with God as the result of this reconciliation, will automatically love God based on the content of the gospel message. This presents a challenge however, we need to hear the message of the gospel over and over. Every time it is preached, it ALWAYS has the same exact effect. It promotes peace and love for God the Father. Upon hearing the gospel message one automatically fulfills the greatest commandment.

This is why the writer of Hebrews admonished his intended audience to not forsake the assembling of themselves. It was to hear and rehearse the gospel over and over and not for the purpose that most churches today try to force people to be in the church every time the door opens. It was the source of renewal for the Spirit life. The saint is in continual rebirth. We are freshly born of the Spirit each and every time we hear the gospel of grace. It is not that we become spiritually dead in between hearing the gospel message, rather it is that in hearing it we become revitalized. I pray to the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, that the saints of God will awaken to this fact, that they will forsake the leaven of the Pharisees, that they will set aside the strong delusion, and will renew their commitment to the gospel of grace which is the gospel of the kingdom.

The Gospel According to Paul: Part 2

It was a while ago that I wrote The Gospel According to Paul: Part 1. You may want to read it before you continue on with this, but hopefully this will stand alone also. I write this series because there are many Christians these days that emphasize the red letter parts of the New Testament and down play or suggest that Paul was not an apostle really connected to the actual message of Jesus. And, quite frankly, it is easy to see why one would arrive at that conclusion by reading the content of two messages that seem to be different. Many liberal theologians have suggested that the Christianity of Christ and Paul is different, and that Paul is responsible for the Christianity that exists today, especially in evangelical circles.

The truth is that there is but one gospel and that progressive revelation unveils more and more as the pages of the New Testament expand. The reason for this was that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah during his earthly mission. In fact he stated that his mission was strictly to the Jews under the Mosaic Covenant. He even asked a Gentile woman at one time should he give the children's bread to the dogs, meaning  should he give the message meant for the Jews to the Gentiles. There was a reason, he was sent strictly to the Jews under the Old Covenant as the fulfillment of the Messianic promises and prophecies.

Mat 15:22-28 CSB "Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.”  (23)  Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples approached him and urged him, “Send her away because she’s crying out after us.”  (24)  He replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”  (25)  But she came, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, help me!”  (26)  He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”  (27)  “Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”  (28)  Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment her daughter was healed." 

Now, while he rewarded her faith, he maintained that his mission and message was to the Jews only. The gospel was to be given to the Jews first, and then to the Gentiles. When Jesus sent out the seventy, he told them specifically not to go to the Gentiles. During the earthly sojourn of Christ the gospel was strictly for the Jews under the Mosaic Covenant. And yet, Jesus prophesied that ultimately, because of the fact that the Jews would reject Him as Messiah, the gospel would go to the Gentiles.

Fast forward to after the resurrection: Pentecost, the gospel still only was available to the Jews.  All of those who were baptized with the Spirit were Jews. In fact, the first nine chapters of the book of Acts was solely about Jews and the gospel of grace. From Pentecost forward, the gospel of the kingdom was in fact the gospel of God's grace. It is the tenth chapter of Acts where the narrative changes a bit. Peter is miraculously sent to Cornelius' house. There, the Gentiles as a group, first heard the gospel message, and upon hearing it, they were given the Spirit of God similarly to the Jews at Pentecost. There was a difference however, the believing Jews had been baptized by John the Baptizer and they received the Holy Spirit at nine in the morning on Pentecost. The Jews that heard Peter's sermon, asked what they could do? Peter told them to repent and be baptized in Jesus name and they would receive the Holy Spirit, and there were about three thousand that day added to the church. However, at Cornelius house, the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit upon hearing and believing the message Peter preached and were baptized afterward.

In both instances, the gospel that was preached by Peter was solely the message of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Peter did not rehearse the teaching that Jesus had given to the Jews during his ministry. For him as for Paul, the gospel was the good news of the reconciliation God provided by the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The first four books of the New Testament known as the gospels, mostly refer to events that happened before the cross/resurrection event. This makes the bulk of their content Mosaic Covenant in nature. While the teaching of Jesus is timeless it was solely to Jews under the Old Covenant.

Paul was given progressive revelation. He was called the apostle to the Gentiles and he was specifically given understanding for what he called the "new creation." Jesus spoke of the new creation in less specific terms in John chapter three. He told Nicodemus that he must be born again.  Nicodemus did not understand it at the time but Jesus was really speaking to him about the new creation... i.e., being born of the Spirit. He also said that his kingdom was not of this world. That can only mean that it is a spiritual kingdom if it has reign in this world. Thus when Paul spoke of the kingdom of God, he did so with progressive revelation that went beyond the time when Jesus ministered solely to the Jews under the Mosaic Covenant.

To wrap this up let me state that from both part one and two, again I would suggest reading part one and two as a whole even though there is some distance in time between the two posts, Paul's understanding of the gospel of the kingdom is based upon spiritual reconciliation. While as pointed out in part one, salvation has two meanings... one is physical salvation from the impending destruction of the temple... and the other is spiritual salvation which is synonymous with reconciliation. The true kingdom of God is the one in which reconciliation has taken place and is completed. The only thing that humanity has to do with this situation is apprehend it by faith.

How to rightly divide the word of truth

2Ti 2:15 NRSV "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth."

Rightly dividing the word of truth is a phrase that is found in the KJV and the NKJV of the bible. It is also referred to as correctly teaching, correctly handling, and in the NRSV version posted above it is rightly explaining the word of truth. I have written a couple of blog articles on rightly defining the word of truth. They show beyond doubt that when Paul and James used the phrase word of truth, they meant the gospel and not the scripture per se. However, that is not that important to the discussion in this post because Jesus said that the entire scripture's purpose was to point to him so that the reader could find him and then by finding him find life.

So then, whether you want to think of it as rightly dividing the bible or rightly dividing the gospel I am quite happy with either conclusion. However, I think it is important that we use the above definition which is rightly explaining or rightly handling the word of truth.

First we'll discuss what I believe is the incorrect way of handling and explaining the word of truth. Many, and I would actually say most evangelicals first think of the word of truth as a legal constitutional document, handbook, or manual for Christian living. Similar in nature to the standard operations procedures manual (SOP) that you find most business have for their employees and managers. This is most definitely NOT the way to correctly handle or explain the word of truth.

So let's examine the various kinds of messages that are in the scripture. I will list them in importance as I see them. First you have what I call God's redemptive decrees. They are passages of scripture such as Ephesians 1:3-14, Romans 5:1, Romans 8:1-4, and John 3:16-18. This is by no means an exhaustive list but merely an example as there are myriads of these redemptive decrees throughout the entire scripture. Secondly, there are prophecies that point to redemption such as those by Isaiah, Jeremiah and many other prophets.  Third, there are promises of God's faithful care such as can be found in the Psalms. Fourth, there are historical stories that act as metaphors for spiritual realities, such as the forty-year desert wanderings etc. Fifth, there are occasional messages that are essentially cultural in nature and to a specific audience for a specific occasion.

Common sense should let one know that not all of the messages of scripture are of equal importance. Here is Jesus priority: John 5:39-40  "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf.  (40)  Yet you refuse to come to me to have life." and..... Luke 24:27  "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures." and... Luke 24:45-47  "Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,  (46)  and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day,  (47)  and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem." It should be crystal clear from this that the important message in scripture in Jesus eyes and mind was redemption, and his redeeming mission.

When you look at the bulk of Paul's epistles you find that they all begin with the redemptive decrees. These redemptive decrees have pre-eminence in the scripture. I came up with a slogan about twenty years ago give or take a few years: it is simply this: "the only way to rightly divide the word of truth is with the cross." What that means practically is there are many passages in the Old Testament that prophesy of the time after the cross and the New Covenant, and get this, most of the gospels are written about a time before the cross about messages to Jews who were still under the Mosaic Covenant. A whole lot of doctrinal error is wound up in missing this most important point.

Old Covenant, New Covenant, or just one Covenant?

I was asked this question the other day by someone. "What should we pay attention too....  the Old Testament, or the New Testament, or both? What she was asking is essentially how much of the Old Covenant is brought over into the New Covenant? In a way that is a great question but, it also demonstrates some of the error in teaching that is out there among evangelicals. Essentially you have three main views. The dispensationalists believe that in some ways both, with the New Covenant having priority. Those who are New Covenant theologians see the New Covenant as the only one in force, and then there are the Covenant theologians that see but one covenant, which they call the "covenant of grace." It is a covenant between the Father and the Son for the redemption of humanity. All of them are somewhat right but all of them are equally wrong. I personally believe that the New Covenant theologians are the closest to right. The reason is that the ONLY covenant that is in force today is the New Covenant aspect of the Abrahamic Covenant.

In all of the above mentioned covenant views there is a presupposition or assumption. It is that the bible/scripture is a legal constitutional document between God and humanity; a prescriptive document that is a manual for right living. This is where all of the views fall short. While I admit that what we call the Old Testament was in a way a legal constitutional document between God and Israel it is no longer that. The reason is that Jesus and the first century apostles/disciples that wrote the New Testament documents began to see it as the redemptive narrative that was all about the Messiah.

Of course the terms new covenant and old covenant come from a passage in the writings of the prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah's mention of a NEW covenant of necessity suggests that there is an Old Covenant. When most people think in terms of the old covenant what they really mean is the Mosaic Covenant given on Mt. Sinai. It is important to note that there are other covenants mentioned in the portion of scripture that we call the Old Testament. God made a covenant with Noah and Abraham prior to the Mosaic Covenant. There is also a covenant with King David that Isaiah referred to as "the sure mercies of David" Isaiah 55. In fact, it is the Abrahamic Covenant that made way for the Old Covenant but, as we shall see moving forward, the Abrahamic Covenant also made way for the New Covenant and the sure mercies of David. The Mosaic Covenant was parenthetical with the purpose of developing a people who would bring forth the Savior. It was also designed to be a tutor or a pedagogue to drive humanity to Jesus Christ for reconciliation and justification.

To try to define some terms here, Jesus referred to what we now call the Old Testament as the Law and the Prophets or sometimes he simply said the law when he was referring to the Old Testament scripture. At least that is what is recorded of Him in the Gospels. He was referring to the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the writings which make up the Jewish TaNaKh which is what they call the Old Testament. The word comes from the three sections of the Jewish sacred text or the Masoretic Text. They are the Torah (Pentateuch,) Nevi'ium, and Ketuvim or in other words the TNK and the Jewish acronym is TaNaKh.

So then Jesus clearly stated that the Law and Prophets were in effect through John the Baptist. Luke 16:16 NRSV "The law and the prophets were in effect until John came; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone tries to enter it by force. So then, by Jesus own words the force of the Law and Prophets would come to an end with the prophet John the Baptist." Now I know, what about Matthew 5:17-20? Well, the fact is that ALL must have been fulfilled because jots and tittles were taken away from the law. How you ask? Well, Genesis 17:10-14 was eliminated based on Galatians chapter three and Acts chapter 15. The Gentiles could be part of the Abrahamic Covenant without being circumcised, and Genesis 17:10-14 clearly and completely prohibits it. 

So the question remains, how do I see the covenants? My answer is somewhat nuanced. I think that Jesus has stated in the above Luke Text that the force of the Old Testament, the TaNaKh was coming to a closure. More than that however, as I have proven over and over in this blog with a preponderance of evidence, Jesus and his first century disciples were eliminating the legal constitutional reading of scripture in favor of a redemptive reading. Jesus stated in John 5:39-40 that the purpose of the scripture was to point to Him. More than that, In Luke chapter 24 it is recorded that Jesus actually opened their minds to understand the scripture and see that it was all about him (Luke 24:27; 43-45.)  Even further, it is recorded in Revelation chapter five that the Lamb of God, Jesus, opened the scroll to those who could not read and understand it.

Paul states quite clearly in Galatians chapter three that the Gentiles are brought into the Abrahamic Covenant through Christ Jesus. Paul's point is that Jesus is the promised seed of Abraham. Further, that since Abraham received the promise before circumcision, that the Gentiles could and would be included in the family of God as the children of Abraham based upon the faith of the promised seed, Jesus the Christ. This was the content of the good news... the gospel.

The gospel contained a better way to achieve righteousness. It was not from a legal point of view but rather from the view point of total unconditional justification based on the faith OF Christ (Galatians 2:16.) You will see the actual wording faith of Christ and not faith in Christ in the KJV, the NET, and the YLT. The clear fact is that it was the faith of Christ in the original Greek text. The gospel operates in the following way. When proclaimed, it gives peace with the Father, (Romans 5:1,) that translates into love for the Father, which in turn when proclaimed often and heard often produces love in the individual toward his neighbor which according to Jesus is everyone including what we see as our enemies.

The bottom line is that it is the New Covenant, and the gospel that are now in charge. The Mosaic Covenant ended with the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. The Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants are part of the New Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant can still be beneficial when not looked at as Law whereby one can become righteous.

By his knowledge, my righteous servant shall justify many

Isa 53:11 NKJV  "He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities."

Isaiah chapter fifty-three is a passage that clearly states the gospel mission of Jesus earthly sojourn. In fact, it is probably one of the most concise explanations of the gospel found in the entire bible either New Testament or Old Testament. Isaiah prophesied that it would be Jesus' knowledge that would justify many. What on earth does this mean you ask?

What knowledge? It was the knowledge that he had by faith. He had perfect faith in the Father. He knew for certain that he heard from the Father, that he was the Son of the Father, and that he was only doing that which he heard from the father. Look at this passage: Joh 8:28-30 NRSV  "So Jesus said, "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me.  (29)  And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him."  (30)  As he was saying these things, many believed in him". You may be asking how does this show perfect faith? I'm glad you asked that question. You can get a clue from Hebrews 11:6. It states that without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God and Jesus says, I always do those things that please Him, therefore we can conclude that it is Jesus' faith that is pleasing.

So then, Jesus had knowledge by faith that God was His Father. He also knew that God was love/agape and loved humanity. Likewise, Jesus knew that he was eternal and that death need not concern him. He knew that if he was willing to die that God the Father would raise him from the dead. The key element in all of this is his faith. While the first Adam failed the faith test and brought about death, the Last Adam overcame death by his faith in the Father. That was the knowledge that he used to justify many. His knowledge allowed him to be willing to die and Paul explains it this way: Rom 4:25 NRSV  "who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for our justification."

It should be apparent that the knowledge that justified humanity was acquired by revelation from the Spirit and believed and accepted by faith. That is why Paul speaks of "the obedience of faith." in Rom 1:5 NRSV  "through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name," My wife is a prophetess and one day the Lord spoke to her and said that faith IS obedience. That is interesting because it merely confirms what the scripture says and the scripture confirms the prophetic word. In the third and fourth chapters of his letter, the writer of Hebrews equates obedience and faith and sin and unbelief.

Obeying men rather than God

Act 5:27-29 NRSV  "When they had brought them, they had them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them,  (28)  saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and you are determined to bring this man's blood on us."  (29)  But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority."

I know, I have the title of this post backwards. It is backwards on purpose. Over the years as a theology educator, working with pastors I have had several tell me that they do not want to miss the move of God. All the while they are deeply involved with following men and women. Yes, I know that the proverb states that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. However, if you look at redemptive history, you will find that major progress has been achieved by those who listen to God in spite of the input of others.

The examples begin with all of the Old Testament Prophets and then you have Jesus himself, Paul the apostle, Martin Luther, John Calvin and so forth. All of these mentioned received revelation or illumination from God to press forward with understanding. There is a need for this once again. It is so easy for the safety that comes from a multitude of counselors to devolve to a dogma that is as much if not more for control and maintaining the status quo, than it is for truly seeking what God is doing in the earth and what his ultimate plan for humanity is.

I know, one should not contradict what is already written and established clearly in scripture, but is that the reality? Is it really clearly written and established in scripture?  I don't think it is quite frankly. There are so many erroneous presuppositions that go into current evangelical dogma. Especially when it comes to how the scripture is viewed. Let's look at the definition of dogma; a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true. In controvertible means undeniable. Identifying erroneous presuppositions and revisiting the dogma base on that is very important.

Back to the pastors I have known that expressed the idea that they were not always comfortable with the status quo, and did not want to miss a movement of God on the earth. Unfortunately, most are connected with groups of pastors that are so steeped in evangelical dogma that it is very difficult to break with tradition. While many break with tradition with respect to cultural norms such as dress and liturgy, they are reluctant to embrace ideas that seem to contradict the beloved and quite often sacred dogma.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks to advancing in hearing God's redemptive plan unfold is the presuppositions about the scripture itself. Viewing the entire bible as God's Word and treating it as a legal constitutional document between God and humanity stifles the ability to hear from God. In reality, for New Covenant saints both Jews and Gentiles, The scripture is the redemptive narrative and the "Word of God" is the gospel, or Jesus the living gospel. This has been addressed and proven with a preponderance of evidence in many posts in this blog. Simply type in Word of God or redemptive narrative in the blog search bar and you will find them.

Another presupposition that is stifling is that the New Testament writings are all New Covenant. This is simply untrue. The gospels are written before the cross and therefore are actually old covenant in nature. Jesus entire message and ministry was to Jews that were expecting a Messiah. Only passage that refer to events after the resurrection are truly New Covenant. This presupposition does not allow for the transition that is obvious in the New Testament writings. The transition is as follows: John the Baptist, last Old Testament Prophet > Jesus, Jewish Messiah, prophet, priest and king > Pentecost, the installation of the New Covenant Jewish Church > The inclusion of the Gentiles at Cornelius house > Paul, the apostle to the "new creation" made up of believing Jews and Gentiles.

It should be pointed out that the apostles in the above passage were being brought before the Jewish council as heretics.  Let this marinate along with the title of this post.

Making sense of Justification

Rom 5:18 CSB  "So then, as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is justification leading to life for everyone."

So many people find it hard to believe in justification based on Christ's faith in a loving Father. It does defy human logic to believe that God would justify sinners. So, what could be the possible reason for God declaring humanity righteous on the basis of the faith of His Son? Notice that I did not write faith IN His Son, but rather faith OF His Son (Gal 2:16, KJV-NET-YLT and ALL Greek texts.) Again, what possibly could be God's motive in such a thing? Here is the answer simple and clear. It was to alleviate fear and promote real love. Let me say that again. It was to alleviate fear and promote real love. Turn to your neighbor, and say neighbor "God justifies and declares you and I righteous to alleviate fear and promote real love."

To be more precise, it is to alleviate fear of God and to promote love for God. The fact is that once one believes the fact that they have been declared righteous by God. Not on any intrinsic merit in oneself, but based solely of the merit of Christ's faith, one cannot help but love such a creator. This is precisely the gospel of grace, and when I say the gospel of grace, I also mean the gospel of the kingdom as the gospel of grace is the only gospel. The fact is that Jesus demonstrates two things. One that God is in charge and was able to raise him from the dead and therefore by virtue of that is King of the kingdom, and that by declaring humanity righteous and eternal based on Jesus obedient faith, He has shown that there is really good news!

Genesis explains that God created humanity in his image. Therefore he desires humanity to have his qualities. What quality you ask? The quality or capability to love humanity! A person who truly believes the gospel cannot help but love God, and when they focus on the gospel, they cannot help but love others, which is loving humanity. It is justification that allows humanity to be partakers of the divine nature and what is that? God is Love/AGAPE! A true faith in forensic justification will promote and produce agape in the individual. However, it is necessary for a person to hear the good news of justification over and over. The more it is heard and believed, the more agape that resides in the hearing believer. Obedience in the Greek is hupakoe, and it means attentive hearing.

First God declares one righteous, and then when heard attentively, the Holy Spirit provides the measure of faith that will produce agape. Again, this is precisely why Paul claimed to know nothing among the Corinthians except the gospel of Christ, crucified and risen. It is why Paul told the Colossian believers that just as they received the Lord Jesus, they should always walk/live in him that same way. What way was that? Believing that they were justified by the faith of Christ. In other words, Paul told them to continue to walk in Him just as they came to him and it is in hearing and believing the gospel.

Solomon said that there is a way that seems right to a man but the end of that way is the way of death. The way that seems right is to gain righteousness by right living, but alas, Paul said that it was the way of death as the letter kills. The way that God declares us right is the path of justification based on the faith of the Last Adam Jesus Christ our Lord!