(Editor's note: I've posted this letter refuting Ironside's: "Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth", because it needed refuting. Institutional Christianity and most of the wobbly sects therein, have long time used this work as a preferred tool in their assault upon Dispensationalism and for obfuscating the Truth of Ephesians 3:9. The writer and I differ concerning when the Mystery was revealed (they would call me an ultra-dispensationalist because of my view that Acts 28 represents the cumulation of the setting aside of Israel, which begins with Saul's conversion in Acts 9), but aside from that, I am in agreement with this letter. Also, I have taken the liberty to use text formatting, italics and bold print to highlight specific and important points that one should not just "read over")
THE DISPENSATIONALRecently many Christians have found out that Ephesians 3:9 is in the Bible and they realize that their preachers have not been faithful in endeavoring to “make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ.”
Now in this country there is a real awakening and more interest in this study during the last few years than during two hundred years before. Satan is determined to keep God's people from learning this high and holy truth in God's Book, which is designated “the mystery”, and, sad to say, his chief agents are “Fundamentalist” , (Funkamentalists – ed.), preachers.
By the grace of God I intend to continue to be faithful in obeying Ephesians 3:9. I have printed and mailed out thousands upon thousands of books touching on this subject. I have been maligned, misrepresented, dis-fellowshipped, and boycotted by Fundamentalists who have been going around in a circle with a Premillennialism that is illogical, faulty, and Scripturally unsound. But the only printed attempt made to answer the message is a book published by Dr. H. A. Ironside, “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth.”
On Sunday, April 10, 1938, Dr. Ironside broadcast (WMBI) warning Christians not to read the books of certain “grace” preachers. But today I have a letter from him that he did not mean me. Because of the terrible blunders in his book, I believed the report that came to me that Dr. Ironside had apologetically explained that he knew some of the statements in the book concerning the mystery were ambiguous; that he had explained this to the publishers, but had yielded to their arguments and let the seeming discrepancies get into print.
But now he dogmatically affirms that he stands by his teachings in “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth,” as well as by his teaching in his other publications, “Lectures on Colossians”, “The Mysteries of God” and “Sailing With Paul”. He recently wrote me a letter stating he is not apologizing for “Wrongly Dividing” but that there is a greater demand for the book than ever before.
Don't let the controversy disturb you. It is being used today to get out God's truth. Instead of confessing that he had plainly contradicted his own teaching time and again, our brother is offering as his alibi, that he was talking about two mysteries. And the real student of the Scriptures, who has compared his writings, will say, “confusion worse confounded.” A number of brethren have written him of his plain discrepancies and he says he will fix everything with a preface. In this message we will show you that it will require more than a preface to cover up and explain away his blunders.
Chicago, April 28, 1938.
Under date of April 22nd, Dr. Ironside writes to
me:
“Whatever you may say, my
teaching is today what it has been for forty years. To distort my
words in “Wrongly Dividing” is ridiculous. If I had realized how
hard it is to explain some things I would have gone into detail
more.”
“When brethren asked me
your teaching I tried to tell them as clearly as I could with no
criticism of yourself personally. But of late I refuse to attempt to
explain it and urge them to get your own books and judge for
themselves.”
Every servant of the Lord should be willing to have his writings criticized. But if the critic is a Christian, he should neither misrepresent what the writer has written nor malign the writer. Perhaps there is no such person as an unprejudiced Bible-teacher, but if we cannot criticize with an unprejudiced mind let us under all circumstances be honest. I trust that God's servants will read in my writings what I believe and not accuse me of teaching certain doctrines which I have never believed or never taught, but which I most heartily oppose. I am glad for this plain, emphatic statement from the pen of Dr. Ironside “My teaching is today what it has been for forty years”. I want the verdict of any reader as to whether I distort any of Dr. Ironside's statements in “Wrongly Dividing”.
Now as to the second letter. It is from The Philadelphia Bible Testimony. It is dated Philadelphia, Pa., April 19th, 1938.
Dear Brother O'Hair:
“Your reply to a sermon by Dr. Ironside received. It
seems to be the stock and trade of the Fundamentalists to
dis-fellowship those who seek to make all see. Dr. Barnhouse did this
with C. R. Stam in a letter sent him because of Mr. Stam's booklet on
“Water Baptism” which I sent to Mr. Barnhouse. Yet Mr. Barnhouse
in his April magazine says that baptism should not be a basis of
fellowship.”
Dr. Ironside should read his book on “Romans”,
pages 112, 113 and 114. Also pages 173 and 174. Among other things he
says:
My teaching concerning
Pauline truth and the mystery is just what is quoted in this letter.
Now, note what Dr. Ironside has written, as above quoted. With this
in mind and remembering that he emphatically declares that he has not
changed his teaching concerning “the mystery,” note several
quotations from his pen:
“LECTURES ON COLOSSIANS”
P. 58. -- “The
mystery of the church as the Body of Christ was never made known in
Old Testament times, nor yet in the days when our Lord was on earth.
We are told distinctly it had been “hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to his saints.” The divine
method of making it known was by a special revelation to the apostle
Paul as he tells us in Ephesians 3.”
“SAILING WITH PAUL”
P. 44. -- “But this
doctrine of the one body is never referred to by any other apostle
than Paul. He calls it “the dispensation of the mystery” which he
had especially been entrusted with.
“MYSTERIES OF GOD”
P. 74. -- “To the epistles
of Paul alone do we turn for the revelation of this mystery. He was
the special vessel chosen to make known the heavenly calling. The
twelve were, as we have seen, connected primarily with the testimony
to Israel. Paul, as one born out of due time, was selected to be the
messenger to the nations, announcing the distinctive truths of the
present dispensation.”
Now on January 8th, 1938, Dr. Ironside
wrote in a letter:
“On page 74 of my book on “The Mysteries of
God” I am speaking of the mystery of the Body and this, of course,
was made ALONE to the Apostle Paul that he might communicate it to
others.”
On February 11th, 1938, Dr. Ironside wrote in a letter,
“Peter never preached the mystery of the Body so far as the record
goes. THAT was a special revelation to Paul.”
Now with all of
these statements of Dr. Ironside we heartily agree and we would
emphasize his statements that the mystery was unspeakably precious to
Paul and it is of vast importance that ever child of God be
instructed as to its true character.
Because Dr. Ironside has repudiated in “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth” what he has clearly stated in the above quotations, because he has abused God's servants who teach what he declares he has taught for forty years and claims he still believes, and because he has led many of his followers into confusion and darkness by his blundering contradictory statements in “Wrongly Dividing” which he declares to be his present views, and because he is sending out more of this book than ever before, I have not one single doubt that it is my duty to send out this message.
It is my earnest prayer that this controversy may cause some of God's people to see that God wants them to see what is the dispensation of the mystery. Certainly this secret revealed eighteen centuries ago should not be a secret to God's people in 1938 A. D. But our brother has certainly covered up the secret and bitterly opposes any other servant of the Lord who seeks to obey Ephesians 3 :9.
We desire to emphasize this statement quoted from
Dr. Ironside' s book on “Romans”
“This was not until Israel
had been given every opportunity to receive Christ both in
incarnation and resurrection. When they definitely refused Him, God
made known what had been in His heart from eternity.”
What does
our brother mean, that God gave to Israel every opportunity in
resurrection? He says it was then made known what had been in His
heart from eternity. The words “in resurrection” certainly imply
that Israel was given opportunities after the resurrection of Christ.
On pages 16, 25 and 30 in “Wrongly Dividing”, Dr. Ironside scoffs
at the very thought of Israel having another opportunity after the
resurrection of Christ. Now remember, in his letter to me, just
received, he declares that he believes and teaches in this matter
what he has believed and taught for 40 years.Would our brother call
Mr. John N. Darby, Dr. C. I. Scofield, Dr. James M. Gray, Mr. I. R.
Dean, Sir Robert Anderson, and other spiritual men of God, “extreme
dispensationalists”, “unscriptural theorists”, “ecclesiastical
hobby-riders” because they taught that Israel was given another
opportunity during the Book of Acts?
MYSTERY – MYSTERY – WHO' S GOT THE MYSTERY?
“Withal praying also for
us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the
mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds That I may make it
manifest as I ought to speak.”
“And for me that utterance may be
given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the
mystery of the gospel, For which I am an ambassador in bonds; that
therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”
“Wherein I
suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God
is not bound.”
Colossians 4:3 and 4. Ephesians 6:19 and 20. II Timothy 2:9.
Times have not changed very much. The opposition to the mystery is very much the same. Some of the religious leaders today would sanction a jail sentence for grace preachers who are trying to obey Ephesians 3:9:
“And to make all men see what is the fellowship (dispensation) off the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ.”
The “Fundamentalists” have us pretty well bound and their followers pretty well bluffed; but the Word of God is not bound. For you we join in Paul's prayer:
“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”
Ephesians 1:17 and 18.
“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breath and the length and the depth, and the height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.”
Ephesians 3:17 to 19.
Is it not strange, and also quite sad, that Bible-teachers, preachers, and Christian-workers will turn out in goodly numbers to hear about signs of the times, to hear some fellow-preacher seek to prove by Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin and the New Deal that we are in the last days, whereas they are not only passively indifferent, but many of them unceasingly active and even belligerent in opposing any conference of Christians to discuss the most glorious truth in all of the Bible; namely, the hope and calling, the identification and destiny of members of the Body of Christ described as God's eternal purpose in Christ, or “the mystery.” Ephesians 3:11 and 3:9 and 10.
Most of the
Premillenarian leaders among the Fundamentalists teach, that,
beginning with the day of Pentecost, there was a suspension or
interruption of the covenants that guaranteed a glorious earthly
kingdom to Israel, and kingdom salvation and blessing for Gentiles,
and that on the day of Pentecost God ushered in the dispensation of
grace, “the dispensation of the mystery.” And still these
Premillenarians quote present world events mentioned in the Old
Testament Prophets to prove that this mystery age is drawing to a
close. Is it any wonder that with such a perversion of Divine Truth,
few intelligent spiritual Postmillenarians have been converted to the
generally accepted Premillennialism. God's present economy of grace,
God's grace and purpose given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began (II Timothy 1:9), is called “mystery”, because the
Prophets
of Israel knew nothing about it: it was hid in God. Colossians 1:24
to 28, Ephesians 3:9.
It is next to impossible to get men of God,
who are bound together in Fundamental societies to seriously consider
the absurdities of the dispensationalism which they are dealing out.
They are enjoying the fellowship of their mutual benefit associations
and seem to have little worry about teaching that the dispensation of
the mystery began on the day of Pentecost; that Israel was set aside
before Pentecost, when everything that happened in the recorded
ministry of the twelve apostles in Acts was in fulfillment of
Scripture.
During those years Peter, in Acts 5:30 to 32, preached to Israel that God had exalted Christ to be their Prince and Saviour, to give them forgiveness and repentance. And Paul, at least ten years later (Acts 13:34 and 40) preached the sure mercies of David to Israel and warned them to “beware lest that come upon you which is spoken in the Prophets.” What did the sure mercies of David have to do with the dispensation of the mystery? Nothing. These Premillenarians continue to preach that Peter and James declared God's purpose in this age in Acts 15:14: “to visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name,” when at that very time, these two men, Peter and James, agreed to confine their testimony to Israel. Galatians 2:9. Why did they do this if God's purpose was to visit the Gentiles? The purpose of Acts 15:14 agree with the words of the Prophets. Acts 15:15. The Prophets were both ignorant and silent concerning God's purpose in the present economy.
The so-called “big” Bible teachers are very much to blame for the profound ignorance concerning the deepest and highest truth in all the Scriptures, for they cry “Bullingerism” every time some servant of the Lord preaches on “the mystery” of Ephesians and Colossians, and thus intimidate the “little” fellows. And if we could only know the number of these “big” men who are getting great help from Dr. Bullinger's Companion Bible! Personally I believe that Dr. Bullinger went too far with his dispensationalism; and let us agree that he made some mistakes, but I think that I can convince any unprejudiced thinking student of the Word of God that the writer of the book “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth” has in that book erred far more frequently than Dr. Bullinger erred.
But because both of these doctors erred, and because I may err, is that any reason why God's servants should be ignorant and silent concerning Divine Truth that has been fitly called “the masterpiece of God?”
The dispensationalism that I teach, whether it be right or wrong, I taught before I ever heard of the teachings of Dr. E. W. Bullinger. I have frequently and fully expressed in writing my objections to the dispensationalism of Dr. Bullinger, why I believe that the Body of the “Acts” period and the Body of Ephesians and Colossians are identical; why I believe that the Lord's Supper is for this age; why I am against the doctrine of the unconscious state of believers between death and the Rapture (something Dr. Bullinger DID NOTteach – ed.); why I am not persuaded that Israel is the Bride of Christ; and why I believe in and preach regeneration.
Even a babe in Christ should see the discrepancies, inconsistencies, fallacies and contradictions in the dispensationalism printed in the book “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth.” You will learn why after a comparison of the author's different written messages and his recent letters of apology and explanation, I give to this message the title of “The Dispensational Razzle-Dazzle.”
After the evidence is presented, even if you are a prejudiced Christian (ie: one who believes that the Traditions of the Early Church Fathers are also your final authority, along with the Scriptures – ed.) , you will render the verdict, “confusion worse confounded.”
CONCERNING THE
FUNDAMENTALS
As to the plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures and the eternal Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, Dr. Ironside and I are wholly agreed. We also agree that we are saved for all eternity by grace, through faith, in the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are also agreed that there is but one Gospel of the grace of God for this age and that one Divine baptism is all that is required to place a believing sinner in the Body of Christ. We are agreed that the Body of Christ had its historic beginning during the period covered by the Book of Acts.
I am uncompromisingly opposed to Dr. Ironside's teaching that water baptism is a watery grave to witness to the world that the believer is identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. I am heartily opposed to his present teaching that the gospel of the kingdom, the gospel of the circumcision, the gospel of the uncircumcision, and the gospel of the grace of God, are all one and the same gospel. I most heartily disagree with him that the dispensation of the mystery began on the day of Pentecost.
But in
this message I am showing how Dr. Ironside disagrees with himself.
And I am writing this message because he has led many to believe that
I propagated the dispensationalism of Dr. Bullinger. I wrote Dr.
Ironside at the time his “Wrongly Dividing” was being printed
monthly in “Serving and Waiting” and told him I was neither a
“Bullingerite” nor an “Ultra dispensationalist”. In his book
“Wrongly Dividing”, page 66, he wrote concerning this
statement:
"One such writes that he is neither a Bullingerite nor
on ultradispensationalist, and resents being so designated. Each one
must draw his own conclusions as to whether he holds the views I have
endeavored to refute. “I speak as unto wise men. Judge ye what I
say.”
I copy from page 49 of “Wrongly Dividing”:
"Error is
never consistent. It always over-emphasizes some Point generally
unimportant and fails to recognize other things of great importance.
Heresy is simply a school of opinion in which something is
particularly pressed out of proportion to its logical place."
Now
to our brother we say in the language of Matthew 12:37: “by thy
words thou shalt be condemned.” Along with his bitter sarcasm the
writer made some truthful statements concerning the dangers of Ultra
dispensationalism. I am warning, and have been warning for several
years against the extreme teaching of Dr. Bullinger and Mr. Welch,
but I must likewise warn against the faulty dispensationalism,
inconsistencies, contradictions and illogical arguments in “Wrongly
Dividing the Word of Truth.”
Note the terms of derision used by
the writer against God's servants, many of whom are neither
unspiritual nor proud. After he calls them many “naughty” names
he writes on page 66:
"Many otherwise excellent men have taken up
these new views. I have no quarrel with men. I do not desire to
reflect upon or belittle any of them."
Now note his bitter
sarcastic denunciations of fellow members of the Body of Christ:
On page 48:
"Let us imagine the late Dr. Bullinger, or some of his lesser satellites."
On page 31:
"It is contended by Bullingerites, and others of like ilk."
On page 35:
"These unspiritual theorists invariably overlook something that completely
destroys their unscriptural hypotheses."
And on page 34:
“It is absurd to say, as these ecclesiastical hobby riders do.”
On page 19:
"Such men ordinarily think they know much more than others, and they look down from their fancied heights of
superior Scriptural understanding with a certain contempt, often not untinged with scornful amusement, upon
godly men and women who are simply seeking to take the words of the Lord Jesus as the guide for
their lives."
I have never propagated “Bullingerism.” Dr. E. W. Bullinger was a minister in the Church of England. He was both a
Greek and a Hebrew scholar in the true sense of the word. He believed
in the eternal Deity and bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He was a profound student of the Scriptures. He was a deeply
spiritual man. He was uncompromisingly opposed to the mixture of any
Jewish legalism with the gospel of the grace of God. He was a
Premillenarian. I quote from the Moody Monthly of November 1931, an
article by the late Dr. James M. Gray:
“Bullinger
would be called a fundamentalist were he now on earth, for he was an
able defender of the inspiration of the Bible, the deity and virgin
birth of Christ, the substitutionary atonement, the premillennial
coming and all that. But he was an extremist, some would call him a
faddist, on dispensational truth, and he was unscriptural as we
believe, on future retribution (I don't know where people get the idea that Bullinger was "unscriptural"
concerning the fate of the lost. I've not ever been able to find such teaching in his works. ed). Because of these last-named errors,
The Monthly has not felt free to advertise Bullinger's books,
certainly not all of them, and yet the writer of these lines owes one
of his richest spiritual blessings to that great teacher, for a truly
great teacher he was. No one ever set before us from the Word of God
so clearly as did Bullinger, the profound mystery of the Body of
Christ, and we always shall be indebted to him.”
A SIMPLE
STATEMENT OF CONTRADICTIONS
Perhaps you have read a little
leaflet sent out by The Philadelphia Bible Testimony concerning Dr.
lronside's contradictory teaching. They said:
Mr. H. A. Ironside
in his earlier writings, as quoted in the following excerpts, was in
harmony, we believe, with the word of God.
However, in his
articles as published in 1935 in “Serving and Waiting,” the
official organ of the Philadelphia School of the Bible, and also
published in booklet form, Dr. Ironside contradicts his earlier
writings concerning the special revelation made known to and through
the Apostle Paul. The references in the following are from the
booklet.
We quote these contradictory statements so that the
Lord's people may not be children, tossed to and fro, and carried
about with every wind of doctrine,” but as the truth is spoken in
love, they “may grow up in Him in all things which is the head,
even Christ.” Ephesians 4:14, 15).
H. A. IRONSIDE
“Lectures on
Colossians”
P. 58. -- “The mystery of the church as the Body
of Christ was never made known in Old Testament times, nor yet in the
days when our Lord was on, earth. We are told distinctly it had been
“hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to
his saints:” The divine method of making it known was by a special
revelation to the apostle Paul as he tells us in Ephesians 3.”
P.
57. -- “It was a special revelation given not to the twelve, but to
him as the apostle of the new dispensation.”
“Sailing With
Paul”
P. 44. -- “But this doctrine of the one body is never
referred to by any other apostle than Paul. He calls it “the
dispensation of the mystery” which he had especially been entrusted
with:”
“Mysteries of God”
P. 74. -- “To the epistles of
Paul alone do we turn for the revelation of this mystery. He was the
special vessel chosen to make known the heavenly calling. The twelve
were, as we have seen, connected primarily with the testimony to
Israel. Paul, as one born out of due time, was selected to be the
messenger to the nations, announcing the distinctive truths of the
present dispensation:”
DR. H. A.
IRONSIDE
“Wrongly Dividing the Word of
Truth”
P. 30. -- “Generally, too, the ground is taken that
this revelation was given to him alone, and that the twelve knew
nothing of it.”
P. 40. -- “The Bullingerites tell us that the
mystery was only made known to the apostle Paul, not to other
apostles:”
P. 40. -- “But is it true that other apostles and
prophets had already known of the mystery? It is:”P. 41. -- “Was
this mystery made known by other servants besides the apostle Paul?
It was. The apostle John makes it known in his account of our Lord's
ministry as given in the tenth chapter of his Gospel.”
P. 41. --
“John, as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, had received the
revelation of the mystery even before the apostle Paul did.Then what
of the apostle Peter? We dare to say this same mystery was made known
to him on the housetop of Simon's residence in Joppa.”
Pp. 41,
42. -- “The greatest of all the New Testament prophets is Luke
himself, and in his book of the Acts, the mystery is plainly made
known:”
P. 32. -- “Error is never consistent:”
Instead of
humbly confessing the plain unmistakable contradictions above, Dr.
Ironside has been busy writing letters stating that he was talking
about two different mysteries. Up to date he writes “I still
believe what I have printed in “Colossians”, “The Mysteries of
God”, “Sailing With Paul” and in “Wrongly Dividing.”” But
we will prove to you from his books that he certainly was not talking
about different mysteries.
Before further reference to his books
or letters let us turn to the Word of God for some Divine light
concerning the mystery.
From the language of Ephesians 6:11 to 21,
we may be quite certain that Satan and his heavenly host are more
than passively opposed to God's special truth for this
present
dispensation which is designated in the Scriptures “the
mystery.” We should search the Scriptures to ascertain why.
Carefully read Ephesians 6:11 to 21. I quote only several of the
verses:
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to
stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against
the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual
wickedness in high places. (heavenlies). Praying always with all
prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with
all perseverance and supplication for all saints; AND FOR ME, THAT
UTTERANCE MAY BE GIVEN UNTO ME, THAT I MAY OPEN MY MOUTH BOLDLY, TO
MAKE KNOWN THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL, FOR WHICH I AM AN AMBASSADOR IN
BONDS; THAT THEREIN I MAY SPEAK BOLDLY, AS I OUGHT TO SPEAK.
Let
us add other Scriptures: Colossians 4:2 to 4:
“CONTINUE
IN PRAYER, AND WATCH IN THE SAME WITH THANKSGIVING; WITHAL PRAYING
ALSO FOR US, THAT GOD WOULD OPEN UNTO US A DOOR OF UTTERANCE, TO
SPEAK THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST, FOR WHICH I AM ALSO IN BONDS: THAT I MAY
MAKE IT MANIFEST, AS I OUGHT TO SPEAK.”
In Romans 11:13 we learn
that Paul magnified his office “Apostle of the Gentiles.”
Concerning this distinctive ministry he wrote in Ephesians 3:8 and 9:
“Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace
given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ; And to make all men see what is the fellowship
(dispensation) of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world
hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.”Did
Paul think he had some special revelation from heaven which he did
not really have? Was he egotistical? Was he deluded? What is the
“paratheke (Gk: παραθήκην)” which he mentioned in II
Timothy 1:12? In the original of this verse Paul writes concerning
“my deposit”.I am sure no child of God would accuse Paul of being
irrational or deluded. Unto him the “dispensation of the grace of
God was committed”, as well as the “dispensation of the mystery.”
Ephesians 3:1 to 3. It was the mystery which hath been hid from ages
and from generations. This particular dispensation of the mystery
differed from other Divine Truth which Christ had revealed to Paul.
Concerning other truth revealed to Paul and preached by Paul, note
what he said in Acts 26:22 and 23. “Having therefore obtained help
of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great,
saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did
say should come.”
In Philippians 1:10 the translation should be
“distinguish between things that differ.” Then even the babe in
Christ should acknowledge that the “none other things”, which
Paul had preached, and “the mystery”, about which the prophets
and Moses were both ignorant and silent, differed. Christ told Paul
to preach to Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. The word
“unsearchable” is literally “not to be traced.” That
particular message concerning Christ, and the hope and calling of His
people, cannot be traced through Israel's Old Testament Scriptures;
for the simple reason that it is not there. Neither can the
unsearchable riches of Christ referred to in Ephesians 3, be traced
through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This truth cannot be found in
the first twelve chapters of Acts, for the simple reason that it is
not there. Not one line of the mystery
is even hinted at in the
Four Gospels or in the first twelve chapters of Acts, and how stupid
of any one to begin “the dispensation of the mystery” with Peter
and the Eleven on the day of Pentecost. The dispensation of the
mystery is peculiarly “Gentilish” truth. Colossians 1:24 to 28.
The mystery was not revealed to any man before Saul was converted, or
at the time he was converted. The revelation of the mystery was
withheld for some time thereafter. When Christ revealed the
dispensation of the mystery to Paul it was different from the “none
other things” of Acts 26:22 and 23. The mystery was not even hinted
at in the ministry of the Twelve in Acts 1 to 12.
When we are
ready to acknowledge that Paul had a twofold ministry, preaching
Divine truth that was in fulfillment of prophecy and different Divine
truth, which no one ever heard or mentioned until Christ gave it to
Paul by special revelation, we have taken the first step necessary to
intelligently obey II Timothy 2:15 and rightly divide the Word of
Truth.
We should be courageous and uncompromising in yielding to
the Holy Spirit for guidance and light concerning “the mystery”.
If we are “to make all men see what is the
fellowship
(administration) of the mystery which from the beginning of the world
hath been hid in God,” let us not be intimidated by the abuses or
scoffing of supposed-to-be big Bible teachers. Let us, with meekness,
look into the Word of God.
If, on the other hand, we have imagined
that Paul had some special Divine revelation from Christ in heaven,
which he did not have, let us confess that we are permitting
our
imaginations to work overtime. Let's be honest and sincere and
unafraid of the bluffs and boycotts of the Fundamentalist hierarchy
of the land.We are all agreed that Paul was in jail for the “secret”
or “mystery”. Yes or no? We are all agreed that he wanted saints
to pray for open doors where he could proclaim this truth boldly. In
Ephesians 1:14 to 22 we learn of his prayer that saints might be
given the spirit of wisdom and revelation to comprehend some special
Divine message in connection with the Body of Christ, called in
Ephesians 3:11, “God's eternal purpose in Christ.” Inasmuch as we
read several times from the pen of Paul “follow me as I follow the
Lord,” we should be earnestly praying that doors and mouths and
minds and hearts should be opened by God for the proclamation of “the
mystery”, whatever that mystery is. Surely we cannot obey Ephesians
3:9 and make other saints see what we do not see. How many open
church doors and how many preachers open their mouths for that
message?
If religion or love of preeminence or any kind of
personal advantage is so hindering that we cannot do the will of the
Lord concerning members of Christ's Body, let us get rid of our
religious program and pray to God for the crucifixion of our pride,
remembering Galatians 1:10: “for if I yet pleased men, I should not
be the servant of Christ.”
I think we are all ready to
acknowledge that Paul was in the prison in Rome an ambassador in
bonds for “the mystery.” We might ask why Peter, James, John and
other apostles were not in jail for “the mystery.”
DR. IRONSIDE
CONCERNING THE MYSTERY
On page 57 of “Lectures on
Colossians” Dr. Ironside calls Paul “the apostle of the new
dispensation.” On Page 44, “Sailing With Paul,” he writes:
“This doctrine of the Body is never referred to by any other
apostle than Paul. He calls it “the dispensation of the mystery.”
On Page 74 of “The Mysteries of God” he wrote: “To the Epistles
of Paul alone do we turn for the revelation of this mystery. He was
the special vessel chosen to make known the heavenly calling.”
“Paul was selected to be the messenger to the nations announcing
the distinctive truths of the present dispensation.”
Note, “the
distinctive truths of the present dispensation.” Now keep this in
mind, for our brother emphatically and dogmatically states in
“Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth” that this present
dispensation began at Pentecost. Nothing that was said in this
present dispensation, during the first seven chapters of Acts, was
said by Paul. Were not those truths spoken by Peter, Philip and John
for this age?
A number of brethren have said, “Perhaps Dr.
Ironside changed his mind between the time he wrote the three books
above mentioned and “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth.” But I
have seen several letters in which he emphatically declares he still
believes what he wrote concerning the mystery in “Colossians”,
“The Mysteries of God” and “Sailing With Paul”, and also what
he has printed in “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth.”
A
number of earnest Christian men, who have been dizzy with the
Dispensational Razzle Dazzle of today, have written to me and also to
Dr. Ironside. On February 11th, 1938, Dr. Ironside wrote to one of
these friends as follows: “Peter never preached the mystery of the
Body so far as the record goes. That was a special revelation to
Paul.” On January 8, 1938, Dr. Ironside wrote to one of these
friends: “On Page 74 of my book on the mysteries of God, I am
speaking of the body, and this, of course, was made alone to the
Apostle Paul that he might communicate it to others.”
Now if he
really means this, then he and I agree; but the trouble is that he
disagrees with himself. But remember, “Peter never preached the
mystery of the Body, so far as the record goes.” Then what purpose
would the Lord have had in revealing the mystery to Peter on the
housetop?
Again “That was a special revelation to Paul.” Now
note a statement in “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth”, page
40: “The Bullingerites tell us that the mystery was only made known
to the apostle Paul.”Is Dr. Ironside, therefore, a
Bullingerite?
Dr. Ironside states that the mystery of the one Body
was revealed to the Apostle Paul alone that he might communicate it
to others. This Dr. Ironside said, this year, January 8th. This he
has stated in his other writings. He has written me this week that he
believes concerning the mystery and its revelation what he has taught
for forty years.
According to these earlier writings of Dr.
Ironside, he is severely rebuking himself in “Wrongly Dividing”
and repudiating his own teaching concerning the unique ministry of
“the apostle of the new dispensation.”
Even eighteen-year-old
Christians see the plain contradictions of our brother. What a
splendid thing he would do if he would humbly confess, “I
have made a mess of things in my book, “Wrongly Dividing”, which
I wrote in the flesh, because certain men were opposing my pet theory
concerning water baptism.”
WRONGLY
DIVIDING
From Dr. Ironside's
book, “Wrongly Dividing”, we quote:
NUMBER ONE
Pages 40 and 41:
The
mystery then is not simply centered in the term “Body” but
whatever expression may be used, the mystery is that during the
present age all distinction between believing Jews and believing
Gentiles is done away in Christ. Was this mystery made known by other
servants besides the apostle Paul? It was. The apostle John makes it
known in his account of our Lord's ministry as given in the tenth
chapter of his Gospel. There we read that the Lord Jesus, as the Good
Shepherd, entered into the sheepfold of Judaism to lead His own out
into glorious liberty. And cryptically He adds,
“Other sheep I
have which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and there
shall be one flock and one Shepherd.”
This is perhaps the
earliest intimation of the mystery that we have. It was not committed
to writing of course, until some years after the epistle to the
Ephesians was written. But it shows us that John, as an apostle of
the Lord Jesus Christ, had received the revelation of the mystery
even before the apostle Paul did.
Then what of the apostle Peter?
We dare to say this same mystery was made known to him on the
housetop of Simon's residence in Joppa, when he had the vision of the
descending sheet from Heaven and saw in it all manner of beasts and
creeping things, and heard the word from Heaven.
Note statement
Number One:
“THE MYSTERY IS NOT
SIMPLY CENTERED IN THE TERM “BODY”, BUT WHATEVER EXPRESSION MAY
BE USED, THE MYSTERY IS, THAT DURING THIS PRESENT AGE ALL DISTINCTION
BETWEEN BELIEVING JEWS AND BELIEVING GENTILES IS DONE AWAY IN
CHRIST”
Then he states that this mystery was made known to the
Apostle John
“JOHN HAD RECEIVED THE REVELATION THE MYSTERY
BEFORE THE APOSTLE PAUL.”
God's servants should be honest. If
the mystery of the Body is expressed in other terms, and was
expressed by John after it was revealed to him some years before Paul
was converted, then what about Dr. Ironside's statement on page 57,
“Lectures on Colossians”:
“It was SPECIAL REVELATION GIVEN
NOT TO THE TWELVE, BUT TO HIM (Paul) as the Apostle of the new
dispensation.”
Paul had not been called or the new dispensation
had not begun when John was supposed to have received the revelation
of the mystery while Christ was on earth.
PETER AND THE
MYSTERY
Number One:
“Then
what of the Apostle Peter. We dare say this same mystery was made
known to him on the housetop.”
Remember, the mystery is either
in the term “Body” or any other expression concerning the unity
of Jew and Gentile in Christ, according to Dr. Ironside Now first
note what our brother wrote to a friend on February 11th, 1938:
“Peter never preached the mystery of the Body so far as the record
goes. THAT was a special revelation to Paul” And to this same
brother he wrote that he believed what he wrote in all of his four
books which we are mentioning in this message.
On page 33,
“Wrongly Dividing”, the writer declares that the “Body”,
“Mystery” was revealed when Jesus of Nazareth said to Saul of
Tarsus, “Why persecutest thou Me?” This was about six years
before Peter received the vision on the housetop and preached to
Cornelius.
“Why persecutest thou Me?” “This is the
Mystery?”
Now for our thinking -- According to our dated Bibles,
Saul was converted 35 A. D. and Peter was on the housetop in 42 A. D.
According to our brother, Paul received the revelation of the
mystery, the Body, in 35 A. D. Peter received the revelation of the
mystery on the housetop. It is the same mystery, our brother
declares, whether it be called the Body or by some other
expression.
Now note a quotation from a letter from Dr. Ironside,
dated January 8th: “On page 74 of my book on “The Mysteries of
God” I am speaking of the mystery of the Body and this, of course,
was made alone to the Apostle Paul that he might communicate it to
others.”
Paul received the revelation of the Body in 35 A.D.
Paul went to Arabia. After three years he went to Jerusalem and spent
fifteen days with Peter. Galatians 1:18.
Now Paul had the mystery
to communicate to the other apostles. And he was communicating with
Peter at least two years before Peter was up on the housetop and yet
Peter
received the revelation of the mystery at the time he
preached to Cornelius. And then our brother adds to the confusion by
saying, on the housetop it was not the “Body” mystery Peter
received, but the mystery of Galatians 3:26 to 28.
This is
confusion worse confounded. Think of this utter nonsense in the light
of Galatians 2:1 to 9. We learn in these verses that it was at least
fourteen years after Paul was converted before he went, by
revelation, to Jerusalem to tell them of the gospel of the
uncircumcision. Pray tell, why would Paul be sent by revelation to
Jerusalem to tell of the gospel of the uncircumcision if Peter, years
before, had the revelation of the mystery which went far beyond the
gospel of the uncircumcision? God would not have revealed the
uncircumcision gospel after the revelation of Ephesians 3:1 to 11.And
again, note in Acts 15:13 to 18, what Peter and James declared
concerning the revelation and ministry to Cornelius: “to this agree
the words of the prophets.” Acts 15:14. Now note what our brother
writes in his “Lectures on Colossians” on page 58: “The mystery
of the Church as the Body of Christ was never made known in the Old
Testament times, nor yet in the days when our Lord was on earth. We
are told distinctly that it had been “hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to His saints.” The divine
method of making it known was by special revelation to the Apostle
Paul as he tells us in Ephesians 3.” And on page 57 of the same
book: “It was a special revelation given not to the twelve, but to
him as the apostle of the new dispensation.”
Then what
did Acts 15:13 to 18 have to do with the mystery? Absolutely
nothing.
Now let us decide -- are we living in a “prophetic”
period or a “parenthetic” period? If this is a prophetic period,
Paul must have been under a delusion when he wrote Colossians 1:24 to
28 and Ephesians 3:8 to 15.
Let us resolve right now not to be
stupid followers of men, but let us be true Bereans.
Our
brother, in “Wrongly Dividing,” speaks of the “puerile
diatribes” of the Bullingerites. What would he call trying to prove
that Paul received the revelation of the Body of
Christ in Acts 9,
because the Lord said, “Why persecutest thou Me?”? By the same
argument we could prove that the earthly kingdom of the Lord in
Matthew 25 is the Body of Christ, because in verse 40 Christ says,
“inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto Me.”
IS THE MYSTERY
OF GALATIANS 3:26 TO 28
THE MYSTERY OF EPHESIANS 3 AND 4?
NUMBER
TWO
Referring to Galatians 3:26 to 28
Page 37:
Here again we
are distinctly told that all the children of faith, Abraham's seed
spiritually, are sons of God, and that all such as have been baptized
into Christ have put on Christ, and that in Christ there is neither
Jew nor Greek, nor any of the other distinctions according to nature,
but all are one in Him. Is there anything in the revelation of the
mystery as given in Ephesians or Colossians that goes beyond
this?
Now note carefully the teaching of our brother, in “Wrongly
Dividing”, that there is nothing in the revelation of the mystery
in Ephesians or Colossians that goes beyond the fact stated in
Galatians 3:26 to 28, that Jews and Gentiles, without racial or
religious distinction, were one in Christ.
We heartily agree that
the unity of Jew and Gentile in Ephesians 2:13 to 21, is the unity
expressed in Galatians 3:26 to 28.
But now note the fact that our
brother has written a number of brethren that the mystery in
Galatians 3 is a different mystery from the mystery in Ephesians
3.
The “oneness” of believing Jew and believing Gentile, as
expressed in Galatians 3:28, was not made known to Israel's prophets.
But the Bullingerites declare that this truth has to do with the
Abrahamic covenant (Galatians 3:29) and therefore was not a mystery.
Dr. Ironside states that this was the mystery which was revealed to
Peter, John, Luke and others; but that the mystery of Ephesians and
Colossians concerning the Body, was revealed to Paul alone. And yet
he states that nothing in the mystery of Ephesians goes beyond the
truth of Galatians 3:28.We quote again from “Wrongly Dividing”,
concerning Acts 5:14; Acts 11:22 to 24, and I Corinthians 12:13.
NUMBER THREE
Pages 33 and 34:
“And
believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and
women.”
This was before Paul's conversion. Observe it does not
simply say that they were added to the company of believers, nor even
added to the assembly alone, but they were added to the Lord. This is
only by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Quite in keeping with this,
when we turn, to chapter Acts 11:22 to 24, we read concerning the
character and ministry of Barnabas that, “He was a good man, and
full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith: and much people were added unto
the Lord.”
Now no one was ever added to the Lord in any other
way than by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. So that clearly we have
the Body of Christ here in the Acts, although the term itself is not
used.
NUMBER FOUR
Page 24:
“For as
the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that
one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. For by one
Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or
Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink
into one Spirit:”
Here we are distinctly informed as to the way
in which the Body has been brought into existence, and this is
exactly what took place at Pentecost. Individual believers were that
day baptized into one Body, and from then on the Lord added to the
Church daily such as were saved.
BAPTIZED INTO
ONE BODY
Our brother seeks to
prove that the Body of Christ began before Saul was converted, even
on the day of Pentecost, because of Acts 5:14 and I Corinthians
12:13.
No student of the Word of God will deny that Saul
persecuted the Church of God before he was converted. But the
Scriptures above quoted do not prove that the Body of Ephesians and
Colossians, or the Body of I Corinthians 12:13, began before Saul was
converted.
The expressions “the Church of God” and “the
Church, which is His Body” are not always identical.
The
Israelites were baptized into (Gk.: εἰς eis) Moses. I Corinthians
10:2. Does this mean that they were a part of Moses or his
body?
The Body of Christ is called “the House of God.”
I Timothy 3:15. “The House of Israel” is not “the House of God”
of the dispensation of the mystery. “The House of Israel” is
certainly in at least the first eleven chapters of Acts and that
program for “the House of Israel” is not God's program for the
dispensation of the mystery.
If Israel's Prophets said nothing
about this period, if they did not mention the beginning of this
economy, they said nothing about the ending of it. In the name of the
Lord let us get busy and revamp our Premillennialism. One of our
first Scripture lessons is Luke 21:20 to 24. Read these verses and
study them. What is the meaning of Luke 21:20 and 22? “And when ye
shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the
desolation thereof is nigh.” “For these be the days of vengeance,
that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”
When was
Israel's house left desolate? What days of vengeance were fulfilled
when Jerusalem was destroyed? “All things which are written may be
fulfilled.” What things are being fulfilled in the dispensation of
the mystery? None. This present economy was never hinted at either
before or during the days of Christ on earth, or in any message or
Scripture in the first twelve chapters of Acts. But about 70 A.D.
Matthew 22:7 was fulfilled. God then sent his army to destroy the
murderers and burn up their city. How absurd then for any
Bible-teacher to say that Israel's desolation had taken place before
the day of Pentecost!
BAPTIZED IN THE
SPIRIT INTO THE BODY
When the Holy Spirit
came on the day of Pentecost Peter said, “this is that which was
spoken by the prophet Joel” -- “in the last days.” Could any
prophecy concerning “the last days” fit into “the dispensation
of the mystery?” Whose last days? Israel's last days -- Israel's
kingdom. Peter on the day of Pentecost referred to David's prophecy
and Joel's prophecy concerning Israel's last days and Israel's
kingdom. But the dispensation of the mystery is “Gentilish.”
Now
this question, do members of the Body of Christ today receive the
Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy? Did the Body begin on
the day of Pentecost? Did not those
penitent Israelites on that
day receive the Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy
concerning Israel's last days?
Now, if believers today receive the
Holy Spirit in fulfillment of Joel's prophecy, and if according to
Dr. Ironside's teaching, there has been no change of dispensation
since Pentecost, when the “Mystery Body” began, then surely “the
last days” of the Body began at Pentecost, and “the last days”
and “the first days” of the Body began at the same time. By such
argument the kingdom of Israel and the Body of Christ are one and the
same, that is, the Body of Christ is Israel.
I confess that I have
found some difficulty in reconciling some statements concerning the
Body of I Corinthians 12 with statements concerning the Body of
Ephesians. Nevertheless I still believe that the One Body of I
Corinthians 12 and Romans 12:4 to 6 is the One Body of Ephesians
4:4.
But if, as Dr. Ironside dogmatically affirms, “the
dispensation of the mystery” refers to the Body of Christ and this
dispensation and the Body began together, I certainly cannot believe
that they began together on the day of Pentecost, either because of
the statement in Acts 5:14, “believers were added to the Lord”,
or because of I Corinthians 12:13, “we are all baptized by one
Spirit into one Body, whether we be Jews or Greeks.”
If God's
purpose in this age is to send the gospel to Jews and Gentiles, and
if, as our brother states, God's order “to the Jews first”
continued after the climax of Acts 28:25 to 28, and if God's purpose
is to make a Body of saved Jews and Gentiles, then God's purpose for
this age is not expressed in Acts 15:14: “Simeon hath declared how
God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people
for His name.” It is one thing to send the gospel to Jews and
Gentiles, to make a Body of both: it is quite another thing for God
to take out from among the Gentiles a people for His name.
Whenever
and wherever Paul mentions “the mystery”, the Gentiles are in
view. They are in the place of special Divine favor and not in
subjection to the Jews. One reason why this Divine movement is called
“the mystery”, is because it was God's purpose in Christ long
before there was such a thing as a Jew, yea long before Adam was
created, before the foundation of the world. II Timothy 1:9 --
Ephesians 3:11 -- Ephesians 1:4. When the student of the Scriptures
once gets this clearly in his mind he will not make the awful
blunders our brother has in his “Wrongly Dividing” concerning the
“mystery”. Where is the Gentile in view in the first chapters of
Acts? The “afar-off” of Acts 2:39 refer to the “far-off”
Israelites of Daniel 9:7.
Any intelligent student of the Word
acknowledges that there can be no Pentecost without Jerusalem and
Israel. Pentecost was Jehovah's feast for Israel. What folly then to
begin a “Gentilish” dispensation of the mystery in Jerusalem, on
a Jewish feast day, at a time when the minister of the circumcision
(Galatians 2:8) was addressing devout Jews from every nation under
heaven (Acts 2:5).
NUMBER FIVE
Page 40:
“It
was his devotion to the revelation of the mystery which is part of
the dispensation of the grace of God, that resulted in his
imprisonment. He did not get this dispensation after he was in
prison. Then he insists that this revelation was not made in previous
ages unto the sons of men, that is, it was not made known in Old
Testament times. But he tells us it is “now revealed unto His holy
apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” Now if I believed in
over-emphasis as some do, I should like to print these words in very
bold type, but to do so would be an insult to the intelligence of my
readers. I simply desire to ask their most careful attention to these
words. The Bullingerites tell us that the mystery was only made known
to the apostle Paul, not to other apostles. The apostle himself tells
us here that “it is now revealed unto His holy apostles and
prophets.” Note not only the plural, but that others besides
apostles had this revelation. How utterly absurd would words like
these be if he were referring to something that had just
been
secretly made known to him! But is it true that other
apostles and prophets had already known of the mystery? It is. This
he declares in these words. What is that mystery? Verse six is the
answer.“That the Gentiles should be
fellowheirs, and of the same Body, and partakers of His promise in
Christ by the gospel.”
“Other apostles and prophets had
already known the mystery. What is that mystery? Verse six is the
answer. That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same
Body.”
In other of his writings Dr. Ironside plainly contradicts
this statement.
Now for the plain contradiction. Dr. Ironside does
not want to insult the intelligence of his readers by giving special
emphasis to Ephesians 3:5: “Which in other ages was not made known
unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostles
and prophets by the Spirit.” But he states that Ephesians 3:5
refers to the “Mystery Body” of Ephesians 3:6. He ridicules any
other brother who does not believe that apostles, other than Paul,
received the revelation of the mystery concerning the Body. But in
several recent communications as well as in his “Colossians”, and
“The Mysteries of God”, he emphatically states that Christ gave
the Body mystery to Paul ALONE to communicate to others. Which does
he believe? Now you see why we say our brother should confess his
blundering contradictions, withdraw his book, and begin all over in
an effort to see what is the dispensation of the “mystery” and
make others to see.
If the “mystery” was already made known to
Peter and John, the mystery of Galatians 3:26 to 28, and nothing in
Ephesians and Colossians goes beyond Galatians 3:26 to 28, why were
not Peter, James and John in prison for their devotion to the
“mystery?”Note Dr. Ironside's question and answer above! “Is it
true that other apostles and prophets had already known of the
mystery? It is.” “What is that mystery? Ephesians 3:6 is the
answer. The Joint-Body.”
Again -- “The Bullingerites tell us
that the mystery was only made known to the Apostle Paul, not to
other apostles.”
Bullingerites believe what Dr. Ironside wrote
in his other books and what he has recently written in a letter, that
the mystery of Ephesians 3:5 and 6 was revealed to Paul ALONE that he
might communicate it to others. In his contradictions, Dr. Ironside
has called himself a Bullingerite. Does he really know what he
believes?
Dr. Ironside, in his sermon preached at Moody Church,
Sunday, April 19, 1938 (broadcast WMBI), intimated that a certain
Bible teacher, whose books his hearers shouldn't read, did not have
much fellowship with other preachers, because of his peculiar views
concerning the Body. Why? Because Dr. Ironside is urging others to do
to that preacher the same thing that Paul's religious enemies did to
him for preaching the mystery. Paul was pretty much alone in that
Roman jail when he said: “Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil
doer, even unto bonds; but the Word of God is not bound.” II
Timothy 2:9. “Only Luke is with me.” II Timothy 4:11.
Yes,
Paul remained in jail rather than retract what he believed and wrote
concerning “the mystery”. How few Christians appreciate his
stand!
NUMBER SIX
Pages 41 and 42:
“The
greatest of all the New Testament prophets is Luke himself, and in
his book of the Acts, the mystery is plainly made known.”
Speaking
of the “Dispensational Razzle-Dazzle”, let us compare the
statement, “number seven”, with a statement of the same writer in
his book, “Mysteries of God,” page 74:
“To the epistles of
Paul ALONE do we turn for the revelation of this mystery.” Luke and
Paul were two different men. Turning to the Book of Acts written by
Luke, is not turning to the Epistles of Paul. How much better it
would be for the cause, if our brother would say, “I
have blundered and I really do not know what I do believe concerning
the mystery.”
Now bear in mind that our brother has written a
number of letters stating most emphatically that he still believes
all that he has written concerning the mystery in the four books
mentioned in this message.
On page 32, “Wrongly Dividing”, Dr.
Ironside writes, “error is never consistent.”
In these
discrepancies and contradictions our brother has done anything but
obey Ephesians 3:9: “And to make all men see what is the
dispensation of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world
hath been hid in God, Who created all things by Jesus Christ. They
can be nothing but a state of Razzle dazzle for the other preachers,
young or old, who follow the faulty dispensationalism of a man of
God, who has the reputation of being a big Bible teacher but has
shown by his writings that he really does not know what Paul is
writing about in Colossians 1:24 to 26.
Read this: “Who now
rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of
the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for His Body's sake, which is
the Church: Whereof I am made a minister, according to the
dispensation of God, which is given to me for you, to fulfill the
Word of God; Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from
generations, but now is made manifest to His saints.”
DID LUKE
MAKE KNOWN THE MYSTERY?
Pages 41 and 42:
“The
greatest of all the New Testament prophets is Luke himself, and in
his book of acts, the mystery is plainly made known.”
Dr.
Ironside, on page 74 in “Mysteries of God” writes
“To the
Epistles of Paul ALONE do we turn for the revelation of the
mystery.”
But now he writes that by Luke, in the Book of Acts,
the mystery is plainly made known.
Turning to the Book of Acts is
not turning to the Epistles of Paul alone. And our brother says, he
believes all he has written in all his writings concerning the
mystery.
We have observed that he believes that the
mystery, which had been made known to other prophets and apostles
before it was revealed to Paul, was the mystery concerning the
Joint-Body of Ephesians 3:6. He believes that nothing in Ephesians
and Colossians goes beyond the mystery of Galatians 3:26 to 28, that
baptized Jews and Gentiles are one in Christ. He therefore, makes the
mystery of Galatians 3:26 to 28 and the mystery of Ephesians 3:6
identical. But in the new preface to “Wrongly Dividing”, he is
explaining that they are different.
I heartily disagree with the
so-called Bullingerites that Paul received the revelation of the
mystery concerning the Body after he reached Rome. I heartily
disagree with them that a new Body began after Acts 28:31. I agree
with Dr. Ironside that the truth concerning the unity and equality of
Jew and Gentile, in Christ, is the same in Galatians 3 and Ephesians
2. But any intelligent student of Ephesians and Colossians most
heartily disagrees with Dr. Ironside that the mystery of Ephesians
and Colossians does not go beyond the truth of Galatians 3:26 to
28.
We have no way of knowing how much Paul taught orally
concerning the mystery of Ephesians and Colossians during the “Acts”
period, but surely we should admit that we would learn very little of
this mystery by reading Luke's “Acts” and the Epistles of Paul
written before he reached Rome before the “Acts” period closed.
The blessed, glorious, Divine truth in
Ephesians and Colossians
goes far beyond the truth of Galatians 3:26 to 28 and reveals phases
of the mystery never mentioned in the writings of any apostle written
before Acts 28:31.There can be no “dispensation of the mystery”
or “administration of the secret” in connection with the
untraceable riches of Christ (Ephesians 3:8 and 9) so long as God's
order was “to the Jew first.”
Surely the servant of God, who
cannot see the difference in the “sign” program of the “Acts”
period and the “signless” program of the “Post-Acts” period,
is a very superficial student of the Bible. This is likewise true
concerning any servant of God who reads water into the baptism of
Romans 6:3 and 4, Ephesians 4:4 and 5 and Colossians 2:11 and 12. You
cannot find one Bible teacher, or Christian preacher, who knows not
the difference between the three baptisms of the “Acts” period
and the one baptism of the mystery, who is obeying Ephesians 3:9.
I
believe you can now understand why our brother broadcast over WMBI
that his followers should not read the books of Christian brethren
who are exposing his blundering,
confusing, contradictory messages
concerning the Body of Christ. Surely this should teach all
Bible-teachers, especially young men of today, not to follow
so-called “big” men.
May the Holy Spirit teach us and help us
to teach others the glorious truth of Ephesians and Colossians, which
should no longer be a mystery.
NUMBER SEVEN
Page 33:
When then
did Paul get this revelation of the truth of the one Body? He tells
us he had been preaching it throughout the world among all nations.
The answer clearly is, he received it at the time of his conversion,
when he cried in amazement, “Who art Thou, Lord?” and the
glorified Saviour answered, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.”
This was the revelation of the mystery. In that announcement our Lord
declared that every Christian on earth is so indissolubly linked up
with Him as the glorified Head in Heaven, that everything done
against one of them is felt by the Head. This is the mystery --
members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.
Read
Matthew 25:40 and 45 and see that our brother's argument is
invalid.
Remember, Paul was converted, according to Acts 9, about
35 A. D. -- According to Acts 10, Peter preached to Cornelius about
41 A. D. According to Galatians 2:1 and 2, Paul told Peter and others
in Jerusalem of the gospel of the uncircumcision not earlier than 49
A. D.
Dr. Ironside is now trying to cover up his blunders and
contradictions in “Wrongly Dividing” by saying that Peter did
receive the mystery at the time of the house-top vision in 41 A. D.
But he says this was not the “Body” mystery. This was the mystery
of Galatians 3:26 to 28.
Point One -- Our brother, in “Wrongly
Dividing”, declares that the “mystery” truth of Ephesians and
Colossians does not go beyond the truth of Galatians 3:26 to
28.
Point Two -- Our brother teaches that Christ revealed the
mystery of Ephesians and Colossians to Paul that he might communicate
it to others. Others included Peter. When did Paul communicate it to
Peter? Note our brother declares Paul received the revelation of the
mystery, in Acts 9, when he was converted as Saul of Tarsus. Now,
note Galatians 1:18, Paul spent fifteen days with Peter in Jerusalem.
When? At least three years after Paul received the revelation of the
mystery of the Body.
Point Three -- When Peter received the
house-top vision, six or seven years after Paul received the
revelation of the mystery, he and all of the other eleven apostles
were astounded at the truth the Lord revealed to Peter. This, our
brother declares, was the revelation of the mystery of Galatians 3:26
to 28. Pray tell, why should such a revelation astound Peter six
years after Paul had received the revelation of the mystery? If the
Lord really revealed the glorious truth of Ephesians and Colossians
to Paul when he was converted and told him to communicate it to
others, do you really think he could have held back that blessed
truth when he visited Peter in Jerusalem two or three years before
Peter received his house-top vision?
Point Four -- Do you think
that Paul communicated the mystery of Ephesians and Colossians before
he made known the gospel of uncircumcision, which was fourteen years
after he was converted? Galatians 2:1 and 2.
CONCERNING
SIGNS
Now for some quotations
from “Wrongly Dividing”
NUMBER ONE
Page 22:
“It is not
true that a definite limit is placed in Scripture upon the
manifestation of sign gifts, and that such gifts have never appeared
since the days of the apostles.”
NUMBER TWO
Page 22:
“The
statement has been made over and over again by these
ultradispensationalists, that the twelve never went to the Gentiles,
excepting in the case of the apostle Peter and a few similar
instances. The statement has also been made that all miracles ceased
with Paul's imprisonment, that there were no miracles afterwards.
What superb ignorance of Church history is here indicated.”
NUMBER THREE
Page 27:
“The
signs of an apostle follow the ministry, God authenticating His Word
as His servants go forth in His Name. However, it is perfectly plain
that the nearer we get to the close of the Acts, the less we have in
the way of signs and wonders. This is to be expected. In the meantime
various books of the New Testament had been written, particularly
Paul's letters to the Thessalonians, the Corinthians, and the Romans.
In all likelihood, the Epistle of James had also been produced,
though we cannot definitely locate the time of its writing. The
Epistles of Peter and of John come afterward. They were not part of
the earlier written ministry.”
“Everywhere that Paul goes, he
preaches the kingdom as the Lord Himself has commanded, and finally
he reached Rome a prisoner There, following his usual custom,
though
not having the same liberty as in other places, he gets in
touch first with the leaders of the Jewish people, gives then his
message, and then tells them that even though they reject it, yet the
purpose of God must be carried out, and the salvation of God sent to
the Gentiles. This is supposed by many to be a dispensational break.”
NUMBER FOUR
Page 21:
“These
signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast cut
devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up
serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;
they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”
“During
all the period of the book of Acts, these signs did follow the
apostles. More than that, if we can place the least reliance upon
early Church history, the same signs frequently followed other
servants of Christ, as they went forth in obedience to this
commission, and this long after the imprisonment of the apostle Paul.
We should expect this from the closing verses of Mark.”
NUMBER FIVE
Page 20:
“The
Matthew commission makes it plain that baptism in the name of the
Trinity is to go on to the end of the age, and that age has not come
to an end yet, whatever changes of dispensation may have come in. Now
what of this commission in Mark? Observe first of all that our Lord
is not declaring that the signs shall follow believers in the Gospel
which is to be proclaimed by the Lord's messengers. The signs were to
follow those of the apostles who believed, and they did. There were
some of them who did not believe.”
Concerning the statement
above, that it is superb ignorance of Church history to say that
there were no miracles after the close of the “Acts” period, note
that the writer is accusing such men of God as Sir Robert Anderson,
and Dr. C. I. Scofield, and others of being superbly ignorant
concerning Church history. Now, concerning the statement that there
is no definite limit in the Scriptures as to the manifestations of
sign-gifts, I take my stand with Dr. Scofield that the sign-gifts of
I Corinthians 12 were operative only during the “Acts” period.
We
again challenge any “grace” preacher in this country to produce
one single spiritual Christian who can consistently manifest the
sign-gifts of I Corinthians 12. And we all know that these sign-gifts
were exercised by the most carnal Christians of Paul's day.
SIR ROBERT
ANDERSON -- DR. BULLINGER -- DR. SCOFIELD
In my humble judgment
Dr. E. W. Bullinger's dispensational dealing with the Book of Acts
was extreme and faulty. If you want to know just what Dr. Bullinger
taught, read the article by Mr. George Douglas, printed in the Moody
Monthly of July 1937, for that is Bullingerism. We quote the article:
“Only as we recognize and understand the place which Israel holds
in the divine scheme of revelation, can we read and understand aright
the Book of Acts.” “It is a common error to assume that the
rejection and crucifixion of Christ was the historical crisis at
which Israel was set aside.” “The simple answer is that in this
Book (Acts) we have the divine record of the Pentecostal
dispensation, and that the transition period was now ended. And here
we notice a very significant fact, which surely cannot be said to be
accidental, that in the New Testament Books written after the date of
Acts 28, there is not a word to be found about the Spirit
manifestations except as a warning, such as I Timothy 4:1 and
2.”
While we must acknowledge Sir Robert Anderson as one of the
most spiritual, profound and able Bible expositors of all times, I
have never been convinced by his arguments that the Church of
Ephesians cannot be both the Body and Bride of Christ. Neither can I
agree with his rather extreme views as to the Book of Acts:
“My
contention is that the Acts, as a whole, is the record of a temporary
and transitional dispensation in which blessing was again offered to
the Jew and again rejected.” “As indicated in these pages it
gives the clew to the right understanding of the Acts of the Apostles
-- A Book, which is primarily the record, not, as commonly supposed,
of the founding of the Christian Church, but of the apostasy of the
favored Nation.” (Quoted from the Silence of God.)The Moody
Institute sells this book and at the same time endeavors to keep
their students from listening to servants of the Lord who teach the
same general truth. It is indeed Razzle-Dazzle.
But I do most
heartily agree with the views of Dr. C. I. Scofield, expressed in the
printed message of A. E. Bishop, entitled “Tongues, Visions Not
God's Order For Today.” Send 18 cents to the Colportage Association
of the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, for this book and read this
statement:
“There is no foundation in the Word of God for the
prevailing popular doctrine of Divine Healing.” (p. 17) A careful
study of the Epistles, especially of the latest Epistles of Paul,
which give the normal course of the Church during the present
dispensation, would dismount all from their hobbies, eliminate the
last vestige of Judaism from their lives. (p. 19) After repeated
study of the Epistles written after Paul's arrival at Rome, I am
convinced that in them is found a curative teaching for all of the
present-day delusions and fanaticisms found among many of the most
sincere saints in the Church. (p. 5) The sign gifts of I Corinthians
12 were operative only during the Book of Acts Period. (p. 15) .
It
is one thing for a Bible expositor to appeal to Church history to
prove some religious theory; it is quite another thing to teach sound
doctrine by rightly dividing the Word of truth. No able
Bible-expositor will say that the absence of sign-gifts and signs, in
the prison epistles of Paul, is without signification. We call your
attention to the words in “Number Three”: “This is to be
expected.” Now we say, this is only a man's statement. What student
of the Scripture will accept this statement as Scriptural proof ? If
it is to be expected, that the nearer we get to the close of the
“Acts” the less we have in the way of signs and wonders, we ask,
“why?” What chapter and verse will our brother give us to support
his statement, “This is to be expected.”?
It is certainly not
to be expected, if some of the other statements which he makes
concerning signs are true. He says there is no dispensational break
after the close of Acts; that God's order is still “to the Jew
first;” that there is no transition period in the Book of Acts;
that the dispensation of the mystery and the Body to which we belong
began on the day of Pentecost.Dr. Scofield's teaching is, that the
normal course of the Church can be found especially in the Epistles
of Paul written after the “Acts” period.
Dr. Ironside admits
that Peter never preached concerning the Body of Christ, “so far as
we have any Bible record.” Dr. Ironside claims that we are still
working under Mark 16:15 to 18. He claims that there was no
transition period in the Book of Acts; no break thereafter; and the
only authority we have for doing away with signs is by what we can
learn in Church history. We had better confess with the
Pentecostalists that the absence of sign gifts in the Body of Christ
today is due to our unbelief and lack of Holy Ghost power.
My
contention is, that it is either the position of Dr. Scofield or the
position of the Pentecostalists; certainly not the uncertain,
contradictory, vague teaching found in “Wrongly Dividing.”
If
what Dr. Ironside says concerning signs is true, the Fundamentalists
of America should get together, confess their unbelief, and join with
the Pentecostalists in an endeavor to recover the “sign” program
of the Book of Acts, which program, according to our brother's
teaching, extended into early Church history.
In his own book,
“The Revelation”, he states that the Church, very soon after the
days of the apostles, went into darkness and apostasy and lost its
spiritual power.
His foolish arguments concerning “signs” are
playing right into the hands of the “healing” fanatics of our day
who would teach us, when the Church went into apostasy and
darkness,
the Christians lost their spiritual power and that we should seek the
power and recover the signs. But now as to the “razzle-dazzle” in
our brother's dispensationalism, we would like to know which of his
above statements we are to accept. Did the signs follow the apostles
only or did they follow all Christians? I do not know of any other
Bible teacher who states that the words of Mark 16:17, “these signs
shall follow them that believe”, apply only to the apostles. Dr.
Ironside makes this statement, as he has so frequently made in his
public utterances. Then he proceeds to controvert this statement by
writing that the signs followed the early Christians.
Can you not
see the same utter confusion in these contradictory statements that
you find all through the book we are reviewing? Now note this
statement: “If we can place the least reliance on early Church
history, the same signs frequently followed servants of Christ as
they obeyed the commission of Mark 16.”
We have already
mentioned the fact that the same signs are mentioned in I Corinthians
12 and were manifested by the carnal Corinthians.
Now as to the
statement that the twelve apostles did not preach to Gentiles other
than the household of Cornelius, we call our brother's attention to
his statement that Peter did not preach the Body of Christ, so far as
we have any record in Scripture. During the “Acts” period, not
one of the twelve apostles preached outside of the land of the Jews;
and aside from the message of Peter to the household of Cornelius we
have no record that any one of the Eleven preached to a Gentile
during the “Acts” period. Now remember our statement is, So far
as we have any record in Scripture. We call your attention to the
plain statement in Galatians 2:9, which we quote: “And when James,
Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that
was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of
fellowship; that we should go
unto the heathen, and they unto the
circumcision.”There is nothing intricate or obscure in this simple
statement. These three men were pillars in the Jewish Jerusalem
assembly. They represented in their activities the twelve apostles.
We would like to leave this question with our brother and with our
readers.
If according to Matthew 28:19 and 20 and Mark 16:15 to
17, the twelve apostles were to go to the Gentiles, why did they
agree some years later to confine their testimony to Israel? Don't
pass lightly over this question.
Now let's use our “thinkers.”
The Jews required a sign. There were signs all through the Book of
Acts. Therefore, the Jew must have had priority rights, and special
Divine favor all during those years. But how any one, in the light of
God's divine judgment expressed in Romans 11:7 to 25 and Acts 28:25
to 28, can believe that God would send blindness upon a people, and
then say to His servants “to the Jew first”, is more than we can
understand.
So far as the practices of all grace preachers are
concerned, we must confess that we are living in a signless age. Can
we prove that this age is a “sign” age or a “signless age” by
up-to-date signs or the absence of them without going back to Church
history of the first century after the death of the apostles? If we
can't prove it by the Scriptures, let's not try to prove it.
WATER BAPTISM
We quote hereunder
several paragraphs or statements from Dr. H. A. Ironside's book
entitled: “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth”:
Page
58:
CONCERNING
BAPTISM
NUMBER ONE
When John the Baptist
came in the way of righteousness he called on men to confess their
sinfulness and their just desert of death by baptism, and so we read
that the publicans and sinners “justified God, being baptized with
the baptism of John.” There was no merit in the baptism.
NUMBER TWO
Page 59:
Christian
baptism has its beginning in resurrection.
NUMBER THREE
Page 57:
These
brethren, by a process of sophistical reasoning, try to prove that
baptism belonged only to an earlier dispensation and was in some
sense meritorious, as though it had in itself saving virtue, but that
since the dispensation of grace has been fully revealed, there is no
place for baptism, because of changed conditions for salvation. To
state this argument is but to expose its fallacy.
NUMBER FOUR
Page 62:
To the lover
of the Lord Jesus Christ there can be nothing legal about baptism. It
is simply the glad expression of a grateful heart recognizing its
identity with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection. Many of us
look back to the moment when we were thus baptized as one of the most
precious experiences we have ever known.
NUMBER FIVE
Page 59:
It
is evident in the Book of Acts that there is a somewhat different
presentation of this, according as to whether the message is
addressed to Jews in outward covenant relation with God or to
Gentiles who are strangers to the covenants of promise. Paul calls
these two aspects of the one Gospel, the Gospel of the circumcision
and the Gospel of the uncircumcision. The Jew being already a member
of a nation which, up to the cross, had been recognized as in
covenant relationship with God, was called upon to be baptized to
save himself from that untoward generation. That is, to step out, as
it were, from the nation, no longer claiming national privilege, nor
yet being exposed to national judgment. With the Gentile, it was
otherwise. He was simply called upon to believe the Gospel, and
believing it, to confess his faith in baptism.
NUMBER
SIX
Concerning the One Baptism of Ephesians 4:5
Page 61:
Water
baptism is necessarily implied, because Spirit baptism is but a
figurative expression, and water baptism was the act upon which the
figure was based. This comes out in
the first mention of Spirit
baptism. “I indeed,” says John, “baptize you with water”
(this then was the actual literal baptism), “but He shall baptize
you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” It is not literal baptism
in the Holy Spirit. It is not literal fire, but figurative. If this
be but kept in mind, there would be no confusion. Baptism in water
pictures both burial and resurrection.
In our new book, entitled
“101 Questions Concerning Water Baptism”, we have printed a
Scriptural investigation of Dr. Ironside's water baptism theory.
But
now let us look into some of the statements above. What was the
signification of John's water baptism? We will not take the word of
man. We want the Word of God. Read carefully Matthew 3:11, Mark 1:4,
Luke 3:3 and John 1:31. We quote Mark 1:4 and John 1:31: Mark 1:4 --
John 1:31
“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the
baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
And John the
Baptist said in John 1:31:
“And I
knew Him (Jesus) not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel,
therefore am I come baptizing with water.”
Now let us compare
these Scriptures with the statement of our brother: “Christian
baptism has its beginning in resurrection.”Peter's message of Acts
2:38 was after resurrection. What did Peter preach? “Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the
remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.”
Compare the message of John the Baptist in Mark 1:4:
“the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Christ
shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit. Mark 1:8) with Acts 2:38:
“Repent and be baptized for the remission of sins and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”
Do you suppose for one
moment our brother would preach to his congregation Acts 2:38 and
call it the gospel of the grace of God? He dogmatically affirms that
the Body of Christ, the dispensation of the grace of God, the
dispensation of the mystery and Christian baptism all began on the
day of Pentecost. I dogmatically affirm that he is absolutely wrong.
Certainly our brother would preach neither Acts 2:38 nor Acts 2:44
and 45 to his people. He acknowledges that the communism of Acts 2:44
and 45 is not for saved Gentiles out of Jerusalem, but rather for
Israel in the Kingdom program. Then if the dispensation of the grace
of God began with the day of Pentecost our brother must acknowledge
that some things of the Kingdom program were brought over for a time
into the dispensation of the grace of God and then dropped. That is
exactly what I claim about water baptism. Remember that the communism
of Acts 2:44 and 45 and 4:34 and 35 was practiced after the great
commission of Matthew 28:19 and 20 and Mark 16:15 to 18 was
given.
Now what difference was there between the significance of
water baptism in Acts 2:38 and in Mark 1:4 and John 1:31. “Water
baptism was that Christ might be made manifest unto Israel.” Read
Acts 2:36.
If water baptism was without merit, did unbaptized
penitents receive the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost? No
messenger of the gospel of grace preaches the order of Acts 2:38 or
the order of Acts 8:5 to 15 where penitents believed the gospel and
were baptized and waited several days to receive the Holy Spirit.
If
Christian baptism began at Pentecost then kingdom baptism was valid,
for the twelve apostles were not rebaptized with Christian
baptism.
Our brother looks back to his water baptism as a precious
experience. Every Pentecostalist who received the baptism of the Holy
Spirit and speaks with tongues looks back to
a precious
experience, and they prove their experience by using the same
Scriptures our brother uses, Mark 16:14 to 18. What is the order?
1-Faith; 2-water baptism; 3-salvation; 4-tongues. What is the order
in Acts 19:3 to 9, the last Scriptural record of the baptism of
penitents with water? Faith -- water baptism -- Holy Spirit baptism,
and tongues. Let's go all the way with the Pentecostalists if the
Body, the dispensation of the grace of God, our Church baptism and
spiritual program began with Pentecost.
In the statement quoted
from page 59 we have shown that our brother acknowledges that water
baptism had a different meaning for Jew and Gentile and yet he
becomes furious when a servant of the Lord quotes Galatians 2:7 to
show the difference in the gospel of the uncircumcision and the
gospel of the circumcision. Where Paul said: “But contrariwise,
when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed
unto me as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter.”
Our
brother has preached so many times concerning the water burial of
Romans 6:4 that he really believes it is true. Then he preaches over
and over that Paul received the revelation of the mystery, or the
Body of Christ, when he was converted at the time the Lord said “Why
persecutest thou Me?” Our brother must have forgotten what the Lord
said at that same time, “Why tarriest thou-arise and be baptized
and wash away thy sins.” Acts 22:16. W-A-S-H does not spell “Bury”.
Did Christian baptism begin some months before Saul was saved? Then
why will not our brother preach to sinners who come forward in his
meetings, “Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins”? It is
hard for prejudiced Christians to be honest even with
themselves.
Whatever the baptism of Romans 6:3 to 6 is, it
certainly is efficacious and meritorious. If it is water, then water
is a creative agency producing the new man.
MISCELLANEOUS
STATEMENTS
Now note several statements in paragraphs which we
shall presently quote from “Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth.”
1.
Brethren who teach that Israel was offered the kingdom after Christ's
words of Matthew 23:38 are “extreme dispensationalists.”
2.
The dispensation of the mystery as well as the Body of Christ began
on the day of Pentecost.
3. In God's mind there was no transition
period during the years covered by the Book of Acts.Of course those
who do not agree with these statements are guilty of amazing
presumption. We quote the three paragraphs
From page 30:
“God
was giving Israel a second chance throughout the book of Acts, it is
evident that there is no foundation whatever for such a statement.
Our Lord definitely declared the setting aside of Israel for this
entire age when He said, “Your house is left unto you desolate. Ye
shall not see Me again until ye say, Blessed is He that cometh in the
name of the Lord!” It was after that house was left desolate that
the glorious proclamation at Pentecost was given through the power of
the Holy Spirit, offering salvation by grace to any in Israel who
repented, and to as many as the Lord our God shall call, which of
course, includes the whole Gentile world. Not once in any of the
sermons recorded of Peter and of Paul do we have a hint that the
nation of Israel is still on trial, and that God is waiting for that
nation to repent in this age.”
Copied from page 16:
“In
the light of the words, “Your house is left unto you desolate,”
how amazing the presumption that would lead any to declare, as
practically all these extreme dispensationalists do declare, that
Israel is being given a second trial throughout all the Book of Acts,
and that their real setting aside does not take place until Paul's
meeting with the elders of the Jews after his imprisonment in Rome,
as recorded in the last chapter of Acts. The fact of the matter is
that the Book of Acts opens with the setting aside of Israel until
the day when they shall say, “Blessed is He that cometh in the name
of the Lord.” That is His second glorious coming. In the
interval,
God is saving out of Israel as well as of the Gentiles,
all who turn to Him in repentance.”
Copied from page
25:
“Personally, I have no objection to the tern “transitional
period,” if it be understood that the transition was in the minds
of men and not in the mind of God. According to God, the new
dispensation, that in which we now live, the dispensation of the
grace of God, otherwise called the dispensation of the mystery, began
the moment the Spirit descended at Pentecost. That moment the one
Body came into existence, though at the beginning it was composed
entirely of believers taken out from the Jewish people. But in the
minds even of the disciples, there was a long period before they all
fully entered into the special work that God had begun to do. Many of
them, in fact, probably never did apprehend the true character of
this dispensation, as we shall see further on.”
Our brother
dogmatically affirms that in the mind and purpose of God there was no
transition period in the Book of Acts. I do not believe that there is
one grace preacher among the Premillenarians, of this or the past
generation, who agrees with this statement.
Let us remind our
brother of certain messages, practices and religious ceremonies which
were in God's Divine program which he presents to the assembly of
which he is the pastor. He does not request his people to tarry for
the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When they receive the Holy Spirit it
is not in obedience to Acts 2:38: “Repent and be baptized every one
of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye
shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” When they receive the
Holy Spirit there are no cloven tongues of fire, no shaking of the
auditorium, no speaking with tongues. There is not one member of our
brother's assembly, including the pastor, or in any of his Bible
classes, who exercises a single one of the sign-gifts of I
Corinthians 12:8 to 11, although they were manifested by the members
of the most carnal church of Paul's day. Our brother has not sold his
home and brought the money to his church treasurer; neither has he
instructed his members to make disposition of their earthly
possessions. In the light of our brother's statements above quoted,
and in the light of Acts 2:44 and 45 and 4:34 and 35, we ask, “why?”
His answer should be that it is a kingdom program that may again be
carried out after this present dispensation has closed. Was it
carried on after this dispensation began? My firm conviction is that
the events recorded in the first ten chapters of Acts give us a
pattern program of what is to take place after the Body of Christ has
been completed and taken to glory. No one in the Church today has
Divine authority and power to pronounce judgment of blindness or
death upon men and women.
We should ask our brother if his program
today is Matthew 10:5 to 9:
THESE TWELVE JESUS SENT FORTH, AND
COMMANDED THEM, SAYING, GO NOT INTO THE WAY OF THE GENTILES, AND INTO
ANY CITY OF THE SAMARITANS
ENTER YE NOT: BUT GO RATHER TO THE LOST
SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. AND AS YE GO, PREACH, SAYING, THE
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND. HEAL THE SICK, CLEANSE THE LEPERS,
RAISE TILE DEAD, CAST OUT DEVILS: FREELY YE HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY
GIVE. PROVIDE NEITHER GOLD, NOR SILVER, NOR BRASS IN YOUR
PURSES.
Were not the Twelve working under this same order in the
first seven chapters of Acts? Our brother is not healing the sick,
raising the lepers, casting out demons, or leaving for journeys
without expense money in his purse. I am sure that our brother would
acknowledge that the Angel of the Lord has never removed any shackles
from his arms or even spoken to him. Acts 5:19—8:26. He
never acts in obedience to visions. If he goes into a Jewish
synagogue with a Jewish vow or circumcises a Jewish believer, or
otherwise becomes as one under the law to win a Jew, he is altogether
out of the will of God. God's servants did these things during the
“Acts” period. Do you not think “transition” is a good word
for that period?
By carefully studying the Book of Acts
and the Epistles written during the period covered by that Book, we
find more than 350 Israelitish words, terms and ceremonies and very
many things are done in fulfillment of Israel's Old Scriptures.This
is all quite different from Paul's ministry and message recorded in
Ephesians, Colossians and II Timothy. Not once in the so-called
Prison Epistles of Paul do we find the
words, signs, miracles,
visions, tongues. In these Epistles are found very little of the
fragments of Judaism, Jewish terms or ceremonies.
What absurdity
to move Romans 11:5 to 8 back to Pentecost!
Even so then
at this present time also there is a remnant according to the
election of grace.And if by grace, then is it no more of works:
otherwise grace is no more grace.But if it be of works, then is it no
more grace: otherwise work is no more work.What then? Israel hath not
obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained
it, and the rest were blinded (According as it is written, God hath
given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and
ears that they should not hear;) unto this day.
ISRAEL'S
UNPARDONABLE SIN
I believe you will agree with me that Dr.
Ironside has Israel's unpardonable sin out of place.
Copied from
Page 22 of Wrongly Dividing:
But in Matthew, which is
preeminently the dispensational Gospel, the Lord is presented as the
Son of David first of all. Then when it is evident that Israel will
refuse His claims, He is presented in the larger aspect of Son of
Abraham in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed. The
break, with the leaders of the nation comes in chapter twelve, where
they definitely ascribe the works of the Holy Spirit to the devil, in
doing this, they become guilty of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost,
the crowning sin of that dispensation, which our Lord declares could
not be forgiven either in that age or in the one to follow.
Now
our brother asserts that Israel's crowning sin was blaspheming
against the Holy Spirit and they could not be forgiven. Matthew 12:31
and 32. In John 7:39 we read that the Holy Spirit was not yet given.
How could Israel's leaders have sinned against the Holy Spirit when
the Holy Spirit had not yet been given? He has Israel's unpardonable
sin in the wrong place. The sin that they committed in the Book of
Matthew was pardonable. Christ said so, and then went to the cross
and prayed “Father, forgive them.” (Luke 23:34.) Israel's
unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit was committed after the Holy
Spirit came down from heaven, after Acts 5:30 to 32; “The God of
our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him
hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour,
for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are
His witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, Whom
God hath given to them that obey Him.”
Concerning “Number
Three”.
CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OFFER
Note the comments of
several men of God concerning Acts 3:19 to 21.
Concerning Peter's
message to Israel in Acts 3:14 to 26, Mr. John Darby taught that God
sent that message to the Nations. He wrote in his “Synopsis,”
“Acts to Philippians” (page 11)“In a word, they are invited to
return by repentance, and enjoy all the promises made to Israel. The
Messiah Himself should return from heaven to establish their
blessing. The whole Nation is here addressed as natural heirs of the
promise made to Abraham.
In his “Christian Workers' Commentary”
(page 347), Dr. James M. Gray wrote, concerning Acts 3:19 to 21:
“Let
them now repeat that the Lord may send the Messiah who hath been
appointed for you. The inference from all this to the end of the
chapter is that, had they as a Nation repented the Messiah would have
returned at that time to set up His Kingdom in Israel.”
Then
read the foot-notes in the Reference Bible of Dr. C. I. Scofield. He
believed and taught the same truth.
If some one should ask you to
quote a single Scripture in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in which it
is definitely stated that Christ offered an earthly kingdom to Israel
with Himself as king on an earthly throne with the Israelites
enjoying the earthly blessings in Canaan promised in Amos 9:11 to 15,
could you point to a single Scripture and if so, is it a more
definite offer than is found in Acts 3:19 to 21?
What
two-fold purpose of God concerning Israel was being carried on while
Christ was on earth? Note concerning individual Israelites in the
Gospel of John -- “many believed” 7:31 -- “many believed”
8:31 -- “many believed” 10:42 -- “many believed”
12:42.
While the kingdom was being offered to the Nation
Israel and being rejected, many of the individual Israelites were
believing. Was not the same two-fold program being carried on in the
first seven chapters of Acts? Christ said in Matthew 10:5 to 8 and
15:24 that His message was for Israel only. Was not this God's order
during the first nine chapters of Acts?
Never did Israel
enjoy more liberty, more gracious treatment, or better protection
from Rome than they did during the “Acts” period. The high-priest
continued in his office. Israel's Jerusalem temple stood. Both saved
and unsaved Jews attended the temple services. James, the Lord's
brother, sanctioned the circumcision of the Jews.
Note
Acts 18:21 and 20:16, that Paul wanted to be present at the Jewish
feast more than twenty-five years after the events recorded in Acts
2.
Do you know of any intelligent, Premillennial, able
Bible expositor, who teaches that there was not a transition from the
gospel of the kingdom to the gospel of the grace of God in the Book
of Acts?
How could we ever accept our brother's teaching
in his book “Wrongly Dividing” concerning the mystery when he
blunders so about simple truths?
I beseech you, in the
Name of the Lord, don't let him or any other man bluff you out of the
knowledge of Ephesians 1:17 to 22 -- Ephesians 3:1 to 11 --
Colossians 1:20 to 28.
Read carefully what Dr. Scofield
believed concerning the signgifts of I Corinthians: “THE SIGN-GIFTS
OF I CORINTHIANS WERE OPERATIVE ONLY DURING THE BOOK OF ACTS PERIOD.”
Personally I take my stand with Dr. Scofield and against the
hyper-dispensationalism of Dr. E. W. Bullinger and Mr. Douglas and
the Moody Monthly of
July 1937. I also take my stand against the
hyper-dispensationalism of “the Voice” and one of its editors, in
July 1937.
I heartily agree with Dr. Scofield concerning
the transition and signs. I most heartily disagree with Dr. Bullinger
as to two different Churches, one from Acts 2 to Acts 28:31
and
another different Church (Body) thereafter.
Any
intelligent student of the Scriptures, who will prayerfully and
carefully study Acts 3:12 to 26, will say Israel was still the
favored nation after Pentecost. The Gentiles were still aliens from
the commonwealth of Israel, still the dogs of Matthew 15:26. Peter
said, “Ye are the children of the covenant.” Acts 3:25. Yes, they
were serpents and vipers in Matthew 23:33. But our blindness is only
surpassed by Israel's blindness when we cannot see that the prayer of
Christ on the cross gave the Nation Israel another chance beginning
with Pentecost. Note carefully Acts 5:31: “Him hath God exalted
with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give
repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.” Now think of
reading the dispensation of the mystery into Acts 5:31, or into the
words of Acts 3:26 “Israel”; “unto you first.” There can be
no Jew first in the dispensation of the mystery.
There is
a great difference between the judgment of Matthew 23 “serpents”
“vipers” -- “your house is left unto you desolate” and the
Acts message of mercy and affection “ye are the children of the
covenant” “I wot that ye did it through ignorance AS DID YOUR
RULERS” -- Unto you first”. Christ exalted to be a Prince and a
Saviour to give repentance to Israel. Acts 3:12 to 26. And Acts 5:31.
Pray tell, where would the dispensation of the grace of God for you
Gentiles come in here (Ephesians 3:1 to 3)? You say “Something
wrong”. Surely this is the dispensational Razzle-Dazzle. Now note
-- “AS DID YOUR RULERS.” Was God willing to forgive the rulers?
There are no rulers in the dispensation of grace. Our ministry of
reconciliation is to individual sinners. There is no difference now
between the Gentile and the ordinary Jew, or the rulers. When God
offered salvation to rulers of Israel He was dealing with the Nation.
So the Lord, in the first chapters of Acts, was dealing with Israel
in a two-fold manner, the same as He
was in Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John; the kingdom offer for the Nation, individual salvation for
the individual Jew. This has nothing to do with God's purpose during
this parenthesis. This program will not fit into Paul's “unsearchable
riches” program, “the dispensation of the mystery hid in God”
ages before God's earthly people were chosen. Ephesians 3:8 and
9.
Before God's message of reconciliation could be sent to
the nations in all the world Israel's blindness and rejection had to
take place. “Barjesus (the child of Jehovah-Saviour) must be blind
for a season.” Then the Gentile will be astonished because of God's
judgment upon the Jew and believe (Acts 13:7 to 15). Saul must become
Paul. Then Paul will say: “It was necessary that the Word of God
should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you,
and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the
Gentiles.” Acts 13:46. Then Paul will write: “I say then, Have
they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid; but rather through
their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them
to jealousy.” Romans 11:11. “For as ye in times past have not
believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief.”
Romans 11:30.
Then we go on to Acts 18:6: “And when they
opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said
unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from
henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles” and the climax of Acts
28:25 to 28. And then about 70 A. D. came fulfillment of Luke 21:20
to 24:
“And when ye shall see
Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation
thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judea flee to the
mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and
let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be
the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be
fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that
give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the
land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of
the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and
Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the
times
of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” Luke 21:20 to 24.How foolish then to
have Israel's house desolate on the day of Pentecost because of the
words of Matthew 23:38 “your house is left unto you desolate.”
This should be studied with Luke 21:20 to 24, and the events of Acts
where Israel is still the favored people of God with priority rights.
There are no Jewish priority rights in “the dispensation of the
mystery.”
Never forget the importance of knowing the
truth of Romans 11:12 and 11:15: “Now if the fall of them be the
riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the
Gentiles; how much more their fulness?” “For if the casting away
of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of
them be, but life from the dead?” Peter and the Eleven never
preached reconciliation. This doctrine is mentioned in the Scripture
for the first time in Romans 5:10 and 11 and II Corinthians 5:17 to
21 (also in Colossians 1:20 and 21 and Ephesians 2:13 to 21.)
An
offer of repentance to Israel “every one of you” (Acts 2:38 and
3:26) is not the ministry of reconciliation for Gentiles because
Israel was cast away.
How important it is to know that the
message of grace and reconciliation was sent to Gentiles after Israel
had committed the unpardonable sin. The casting away of Israel
brought reconciliation for Gentiles. Israel's unpardonable sin was
committed against the testimony of the Holy Spirit recorded in Acts
5:32. Certainly Israel did not commit the unpardonable sin against
the Holy Spirit, mentioned in Matthew 12:31, before the message of
Stephen in Acts 7. Acts 3:12 to 26 and Acts 5:29 to 32 is proof that
the sins Israel had committed, including the murder of the Son of
God, were pardonable.
Now note carefully Acts 3:14 to
18:
14. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and
desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15. And killed
the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we
are witnesses.
16. And his name, through faith in his
name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith
which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the
presence
of you all.
17. And now, brethren, I wot that through
ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18. But
those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his
prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”
In
these verses we learn two reasons why God would forgive Israel for
their sin against the Son of man. They committed this sin in
ignorance. It was pardonable. By sinning against the Son of man
Israel accomplished the foreordained purpose of God in giving His Son
in death for the sins of His people.
We will never begin
to understand “the mystery” until we understand that salvation by
grace was sent to Gentiles when Israel committed the unpardonable
sin.
Note in Acts 5:32 that the Holy Spirit had come to
witness to Israel that Jesus was the Christ; that the Son of man
against Whom Israel had sinned had been exalted to God's right hand
to be a Prince and a Saviour to give to Israel repentance and
forgiveness of sins.
What would now happen if they should
sin against the Holy Spirit? That sin would not be forgiven, but it
would bring in the reign of grace for Gentiles: “For if the casting
away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the
receiving of them be, but life from the dead?”
In Acts 7
Stephen, filled with the Spirit, saw the Son of man standing in
heaven and Israel sinned against the Holy Spirit and thereby
committed the unpardonable sin.Little wonder that our brother does
not think that there was a transition in Acts when he has Israel
committing the unpardonable sin against the Holy Spirit before the
Holy Spirit came. But because of his ignorance of the Scriptures, it
does not necessarily follow that he is an “unspiritual theorist”
as he called other Christian brethren.
CONCLUSION
FORWARD-WHY THIS MESSAGE
MYSTERY-MYSTERY-WHO'S GOT THE MYSTERY?
CONCERNING THE FUNDAMENTALS
A SIMPLE STATEMENT OF CONTRADICTIONS
H. A. IRONSIDE
DR. IRONSIDE CONCERNING THE MYSTERY
WRONGLY DIVIDING
PETER AND THE MYSTERY
IS THE MYSTERY OF GALATIANS . . .
BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY
BAPTIZED IN THE SPIRIT INTO THE BODY
DID LUKE MAKE KNOWN THE MYSTERY?
CONCERNING SIGNS
SIR ROBERT ANDERSON-DR. BULLINGER-DR. SCOFIELD
WATER BAPTISM
MISCELLANEOUS STATEMENTS
ISRAEL'S UNPARDONABLE SIN
CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OFFER
CONCLUSION