Return To Paul
This is what E. W. Bullinger said about the teaching of the Apostle Paul…
“In the apostle’s own lifetime the most spiritual of all the assemblies “turned away from” him (II Timothy 1:15). Some used to tell us to go back to the first three centuries to find pure Christianity ... But our answer is that we cannot go back to the first century; for the very assembly (which received his longest ministry, “so that all they that dwell in Asia heard the words of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:10), were the first to turn away from him and his teaching.”
So what teaching did the churches (assemblies) turn away from? And has the modern day church returned to that teaching? No they have not.
The "teaching" of Paul can be seen in the following verses from his first letter to the Corinthians…
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and became the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death…that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
The Church is to have a "ministry" that shares this good news. Paul further explains this good news in his second letter to the Corinthians…
“And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
The "ministry of reconciliation" that God “has committed unto us” is the good news of the salvation and reconciliation of all mankind by and through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
It is that teaching that the “assemblies” turned from more than 1950 years ago. And no, they have never returned. They remain turned from this message of pure grace to a mixture of grace and the works of free will. They have been turned from the truth of a completed salvation of mankind by Christ Jesus, to a great but hopeless commission placed on the churches to save the world. And in the process formulating man-made doctrines such as:
Free will
Substitution Theology
Eternal conscious torment
Immortality of the soul
The Trinity
I was over 50 years old before I begin to see the teaching of Paul which Christianity turned from. I fought it for the same reason most of you do. How could so many wise men be so wrong?
The battle ended for me when I believed the truth and rejected the doctrines of men, and the truth set me free. The gospel of grace resulting in the salvation and reconciliation of all is now my teaching as it was for Paul. It gives me peace and a blessed hope for the world God loves.
“In the apostle’s own lifetime the most spiritual of all the assemblies “turned away from” him (II Timothy 1:15). Some used to tell us to go back to the first three centuries to find pure Christianity ... But our answer is that we cannot go back to the first century; for the very assembly (which received his longest ministry, “so that all they that dwell in Asia heard the words of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 19:10), were the first to turn away from him and his teaching.”
So what teaching did the churches (assemblies) turn away from? And has the modern day church returned to that teaching? No they have not.
The "teaching" of Paul can be seen in the following verses from his first letter to the Corinthians…
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and became the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death…that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
The Church is to have a "ministry" that shares this good news. Paul further explains this good news in his second letter to the Corinthians…
“And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
The "ministry of reconciliation" that God “has committed unto us” is the good news of the salvation and reconciliation of all mankind by and through the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
It is that teaching that the “assemblies” turned from more than 1950 years ago. And no, they have never returned. They remain turned from this message of pure grace to a mixture of grace and the works of free will. They have been turned from the truth of a completed salvation of mankind by Christ Jesus, to a great but hopeless commission placed on the churches to save the world. And in the process formulating man-made doctrines such as:
Free will
Substitution Theology
Eternal conscious torment
Immortality of the soul
The Trinity
I was over 50 years old before I begin to see the teaching of Paul which Christianity turned from. I fought it for the same reason most of you do. How could so many wise men be so wrong?
The battle ended for me when I believed the truth and rejected the doctrines of men, and the truth set me free. The gospel of grace resulting in the salvation and reconciliation of all is now my teaching as it was for Paul. It gives me peace and a blessed hope for the world God loves.
But, like Paul, to embrace it came with a price - rejection from those "assemblies". Nevertheless, God is the Savior of the whole world. He “will have all men to be saved” from death by the resurrection whether the "assemblies" teach it or not. Even they will eventually "come to a knowledge of the truth". As Paul says…
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom FOR ALL, to be testified in due time...Trustworthy is the saying and worthy of all welcome, and it is for this we labor and suffer reproach, because we have placed our trust in the living God, who is the savior of all mankind...These things command and teach.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6; 4:9-11)
“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have ALL MEN to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom FOR ALL, to be testified in due time...Trustworthy is the saying and worthy of all welcome, and it is for this we labor and suffer reproach, because we have placed our trust in the living God, who is the savior of all mankind...These things command and teach.” (1 Timothy 2:3-6; 4:9-11)