Divisions in the word of Truth

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Some people, when they refer to 2 Timothy 2:15, mistakenly say to “rightly divide the word of God.” But the verse doesn’t say to divide the word of God. It says to divide the word of truth. Some people mistakenly think that we say that the word of truth is ONLY in Romans thru Philemon. But that’s not what we say at all. As a matter of fact, James in the book of James says “of his own will begat he us with the WORD OF TRUTH. And that would be in one accord with what Peter says that “God has BEGOTTEN THEM AGAIN unto a lively hope.” But we have never said that the word of truth is Romans through Philemon or that only Romans through Philemon IS the word of truth. The bible defines, EXACTLY, what the word of truth is. The entire bible is the word of God, but that is not what is meant by the verse. We know that all scripture is given by inspiration of God. Paul says:

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2 Timothy 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

When we talk about scripture being inspired, it means God-breathed. In other words, all scripture, the verses in the bible, are the words of God. As Peter wrote:

2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

Now when Peter refers to prophecy, he is referring to God’s prophetic program which pertains to the earth. God’s program concerning the earth is to be fulfilled to and through, the nation of Israel. God’s prophetic program was “spoken since the world began,” as the father of John the Baptist said:

Luke 1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

Luke 1:69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

Luke 1:70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

On the other hand, there is ANOTHER message in your bible, a message which was never spoken by any prophet, but which was KEPT SECRET since the world began. For instance, you can clearly see the difference when you compare what Peter said to the Jews in Jerusalem when he spoke about Jesus Christ:

Acts 3:21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

In contrast to that which was “spoken since the world began,” is the gospel, the “good news” which was given to the Apostle Paul:

Romans 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

So here we see that the “word of truth” in your bible is in TWO FORMS. There is that which was spoken, and that which was kept secret. So when a person misquotes 2 Timothy 2:15 and says “rightly dividing the word of GOD,” it could cause some to be confused about it, and sometimes it even causes others to label you a BIBLE CHOPPER, and other such terms. Take a close look at what Paul does say in the verse:

2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

So what Paul is specifically referring to here is the word of truth. He is not saying to throw away parts of the bible, or make a pamphlet out of the bible, as some claim that we say. What he is calling attention to SPECIFICALLY is the WORD OF TRUTH. He even gives you the definition of the phrase. Look at Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:12 That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

Ephesians 1:13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

It’s plain then, that what Paul is referring to, what needs to be RIGHTLY DIVIDED is “the gospel,” THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION. Now it becomes plain that God has not ALWAYS said the same things. Sometimes he says different things to different people at different times. People who oppose this bible truth always like to say “God is God and God don’t ever change,” and they like to go to the verse in Hebrews which says:

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

The verse says that Jesus Christ is the same. It doesn’t say that he always talks about the SAME THINGS or even to the SAME PEOPLE. For instance, the book of Hebrews opens with these words:

Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;

So, in time past, God spoke to his people by the prophets, and the verse says that now, God has spoken to us by his own Son. And the writer of the book of Hebrews goes on to say in the next chapter:

Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Now what you particularly need to notice in that verse is that it says that a message of salvation first began to be spoken by the Lord and then later the same message was confirmed to us, to the Hebrews, BY THEM THAT HEARD HIM. That has to be a reference to the 12 apostles to Israel, and those 12 apostles had then confirmed the message to others, including the person who wrote the book of Hebrews. It was “confirmed to us by them.” There is no way that the Apostle Paul could be included in that statement. Paul was not someone who had his message confirmed to him by someone else who had heard the Lord. How do we know that? Because Paul HEARD AND SAW the Lord himself. He didn’t get his message from someone else who heard the Lord, he got it from the Lord HIMSELF. Another thing we need to notice is that the message Paul received from the Lord is NOT THE SAME message the Lord had previously taught Peter and the 12:

Galatians 1:11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle Paul never knew or never met Jesus Christ on planet earth. The 12 apostles to the nation of Israel knew the Lord on earth. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ CHOSE 12 men for a specific ministry in Matthew chapter 10:

Matthew 10:5 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:

Matthew 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

So when the writer of the book of Hebrews talks about the message being confirmed to him and the others by “those that heard him,” this is what he is talking about. The 12 apostles to Israel only knew the Lord on earth. The last time ANY OF THEM heard the Lord, they were on the Mount of Olives, forty days after the Resurrection, on the day the Lord ascended into Heaven. Those men NEVER AGAIN heard the Lord speak. There were visions, and they saw angels, but the Lord never spoke again about his earthly program.

Now some argue that Paul was the Lord’s choice to be the replacement for Judas, the one who betrayed him, and that the choice of Matthias in Acts chapter one, was an illegal election. Some say that Paul was simply the replacement for Judas and was a part of the twelve disciples. But the only reason people have for doing that is to support their religious tradition, or else someone has told them that, and they simply accepted it without checking out the facts for themselves. The truth is, Paul was never involved in any way with the ministry of the twelve and was never a part of it. The election of Matthias by the others was “by the book.” Peter actually quoted the prophecy pertaining to Judas and a replacement being named for him

Acts 1:16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

Acts 1:17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

Acts 1:20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

Acts 1:21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

Acts 1:22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

It’s important to understand that the very reason for the appointment of the man was that he was to be a WITNESS. In order to be a witness he must have first hand knowledge of “all that Jesus began both to do and to teach.” Now let’s go back for just a minute to the events just after the resurrection of Christ. The Lord had appeared to two disciples on the road to Emmaeus. Since the day was almost over, they asked him to stay and eat with them. As he blessed and broke the bread they recognized him and then he disappeared out of their sight. So immediately they went back to Jerusalem and told these things to the others:

Luke 24:33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,

Notice the verse says that THE ELEVEN were gathered together. Well, there was ONE who was not there. Who was not there? It was Thomas. Remember DOUBTING THOMAS, or CONFIRMING THOMAS? He wasn’t there. Look at the same account in the book of John:

John 20:19 Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.

John 20:20 And when he had so said, he shewed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord.

John 20:24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

So Thomas was not there at the first when the Lord appeared to them. But the bible says THE ELEVEN WERE GATHERED TOGETHER. If Thomas was missing and eleven were there, then who was the eleventh man? It was Matthias! You can TRUST your King James Bible.

Acts 1:23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

Acts 1:24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

Acts 1:25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

Acts 1:26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Choosing by lot doesn’t mean that they were throwing Roman dice. The choosing by lot was a means of making a choice, of discerning the will of God for a particular thing. It was used in association with the priesthood. It is the operation of the Urim and Thummin, as in the case of the father of John the Baptist:

Luke 1:9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

Now we are talking here about “rightly dividing the word of truth,” but it is very important that you understand that Paul was never involved in the ministry of the twelve, THAT is the reason for DIVIDING, for making a clear distinction between the two messages. Once more, notice that Matthias was numbered with the eleven. Eleven plus one makes twelve, the number of the apostles to Israel, the number of the TWELVE tribes of Israel:

Acts 2:1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

On the Day of Pentecost, all TWELVE of these men were filled with the Holy Ghost and all TWELVE of them spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

By the way, it is worthy of note that when it says “they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,” it is a reference to these TWELVE men. It is not a reference to the 120 men, women and possibly children, mentioned earlier, a week earlier, in Acts chapter one. No women and no children spoke in tongues that day. Twelve Jewish men, 12 apostles, spoke God’s message to the devout Jews gathered for that Jewish holy day.

Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

Acts 2:6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

And look at verse 13:

Acts 2:13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.

It says THESE MEN. 12 Jewish MEN were speaking in foreign languages, other tongues, which they had never learned. The point that I want you to see is that Israel has 12 tribes and 12 Apostles and the complete number of 12 was there from the beginning, the Day of Pentecost. The twelve are also mentioned later, when a dispute arises between the Jews and the Greek-speaking Jews, the Grecians:

Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

We know that ALL TWELVE of those men, including Matthias, were witnesses of the Lord. That would include being a witness to the resurrection.

Much later, at the time of Acts chapter 19, Paul writes his 1 Corinthian letter. In it he reminds them of the gospel which he preached to them. Remember that we have already read from the book of Galatians that Paul CERTIFIES that the message he preaches was not of man. It was not taught to him. It was by direct revelation from the Lord. It is a DIFFERENT MESSAGE than the one preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost. Peter NEVER SAID in Acts two, three, four, five and so on what Paul says here:

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1 Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

1 Corinthians 15:5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

So Paul verifies, first of all, that all 12 of the Jewish apostles had seen the Lord. That includes Matthias, because he was there, sitting at meat, when the Lord appeared to them:

1 Corinthians 15:6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

1 Corinthians 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

Now when Paul saw the Lord, he saw the risen, ascended and glorified Lord from Heaven. Paul never knew Jesus of Nazareth. He never knew the Lord on earth. Paul’s first encounter with the Lord was on the Road to Damascus in Acts chapter nine, long after the events of Acts two, three, four and five and so on. So Paul states that “the gospel I preach” is not of man, not received of man, but by DIRECT revelation from the Lord. And it is a DIFFERENT MESSAGE than the message preached by Peter and the 12, so Paul says to “rightly divide the word of truth.”

In Galatians chapter one and two, Paul gives an account of his conversion and how he went into Damascus, then went into Arabia and returned to Damascus, only going to Jerusalem three years later to introduce himself to Peter, and then look what he says:

Galatians 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.

Galatians 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.

It’s very plain, from the words in the verse, that Paul’s reason for going to Jerusalem was not to GET information, not to JOIN the twelve, but for an entirely different purpose. He says that the Lord REVEALED to him that he should go and that he should COMMUNICATE to them, he says, “that gospel that I preach.” Now if Paul had the same message the twelve were preaching, no such trip would have been necessary. As a matter of fact, it would have been ridiculous to even suggest such a trip. But Paul says he went by REVELATION from the Lord. Now by the time of this meeting, which took place in Acts chapter fifteen, James the apostle, who wrote the book of James, is dead. He was killed by the sword in Acts chapter 12.

So at this time, James, the Lord’s brother, has emerged as the spokesman for the church at Jerusalem. So Paul, according to this passage, took James, Cephas (that’s Peter) and John (who wrote the gospel of John and the book of Revelation) into a private room and shared, or delivered, or COMMUNICATED unto them the gospel, the WORD OF TRUTH, which he had received by revelation from the Lord. Now look at what scripture says:

Galatians 2:6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:

Now one thing is for sure. The big bone of contention had been whether or not it was necessary for the believers in Paul’s assemblies to be circumcised and told to keep the Law of Moses, something that most certainly was being done by the Jerusalem church. In other words, the circumcision message. But Paul says they ADDED NOTHING to me:

Galatians 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

Now I need to stop here and make a point. THE GOSPEL OF doesn’t mean the same as THE GOSPEL TO. In the same way, the FAITH OF GOD or the FAITH OF CHRIST does not mean the same thing as FAITH IN GOD or FAITH IN CHRIST. Many bibles, in an effort to be aligned with religious thinking, change these little two letter words, and when they do they PERVERT the entire meaning. They change the meaning. For instance, your salvation is not based on your FAITH IN CHRIST but rather it is based on the FAITH OF CHRIST. It is because of HIS FAITH, HIS FAITHFULNESS, of HIS enduring to the end, that there is hope for you in the gospel.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: neverthless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

If it were a matter of YOUR FAITH IN CHRIST, then it would mean that God had left it up to you to perform the work of salvation. But that is TOTALLY not the case. God did not give you a salvation maintenance program, God gave you A GIFT: The completed cross work of Jesus Christ. To James in the book of James, faith without works is dead. But GRACE without works IS NOT DEAD!

Now in this passage, the GOSPEL OF the circumcision, and the GOSPEL OF the uncircumcision carries a totally different meaning than simply the gospel TO someone. Most of religion would have you believe that it simply means that Peter preached TO SOMEONE and that Paul preached TO SOMEONE ELSE. Stay with me and you will find that that is NOT THE CASE. The gospel OF the circumcision is a specific message. The gospel OF the uncircumcision is an entirely different message. It’s important to “rightly divide the word of truth.”

Now James the apostle was not one of the ones who met with Paul on that day in Acts 15. As we said, he had been killed in Acts chapter 12, so he never heard anything that Paul had to say. The book of James is quite contrary to what you read in Paul’s epistles, but yet, it is the WORD OF TRUTH:

James 1:16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

James 1:18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

So James says that SOMEBODY had been begotten with THE WORD OF TRUTH. Who is James talking about? Well, who is it that James writes to in the book of James?

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

A large segment of religion today wants to get their doctrine from the book of James. James’ book is the PET of many religious organizations. But remember, the man who wrote the book NEVER MET PAUL. He was dead before Paul was sent to communicate. The book of James is filled with the works of the law from beginning to end. It is a Jewish tribulation message, and as a matter of fact, is basically the doctrine of the Sermon on the Mount, of Matthew five, six and seven. Basically the CONSTITUTION, the Magna Charta of the restored kingdom to Israel at the second coming of Christ. Don’t lose sight of the fact that the KINGDOM is what the 12 were looking for, what they were enduring to the end for. They had no clue whatsoever of a heavenly group called the church, the body of Christ. Look at their very last question the day the Lord ascended into Heaven:

Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?

So James says that God had “begat them with the word of truth.” We will soon see that this “word of truth” will turn out to be the gospel OF THE circumcision, and is DIFFERENT from Paul’s message. Now I want you to notice that just as James writes to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad, Peter writes to the same group of people:

1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Strangers would be someone who is an “alien.” These people were Jews who had fled the vicinity of Jerusalem because of the persecution which broke out at the time of the stoning of Stephen in Acts chapter 7. Peter says basically the same thing James says:

1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

Now when he says “hath begotten us again,” it leads you to believe that you could look around somewhere and find where God had BEGOTTEN them before. And you certainly can. Look at:

Exodus 4:21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

Exodus 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

So we see then that God refers to Israel as His son, “even my firstborn.” So Peter says He has “begotten us again” to a lively hope, by what? By the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now read on:

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

“Born again” is a very popular phrase in religion today, but did you know that only here in 1 Peter and in just one other place in your bible do you find the term “born again?” When Nicodemus, a “Master of Israel” came to Jesus by night, for fear of the Jews, the Lord uses the same phrase. But when the Lord uses the phrase it is in a totally different context than when Peter used it in 1 Peter. Peter talks about a group of people who were “begotten again” to a lively hope but the Lord is speaking specifically about resurrection.

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

John 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Now the Kingdom of God is a spiritual realm. It denotes God’s sovereignty over all of His creation, Heaven and Earth, but it is a spiritual, not a physical realm. Here’s what Paul says about it:

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

The Lord’s statement to Nicodemus was puzzling to him too, in view of what he said:

John 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?

Now that seems to be a logical question. Can a man be born the second time? Look at the Lord’s response to that:

John 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

John 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

So when the Lord says “I said unto THEE,” what does it mean? It means that the Lord is addressing Nicodemus personally. It is singular. Ye. In other words, YOU Nicodemus. And then he says ‘YE.’ What does he mean by that? Ye would mean plural, all of you. But who is YE, who is all of you?

This is where most of the religious system gets confused. But there are several facts that need to be considered here: Number one, the Lord’s earthly ministry was to ISRAEL and to ISRAEL ONLY. The bible is very clear that in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ is to ISRAEL alone. It is about Israel. It is for Israel. The church, the body of Christ is not in view at that time. At that time the church was still a MYSTERY. It had not been revealed. Look at what the bible says on the subject:

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Well, who are HIS OWN in the passage? The lost sheep of the house of Israel. Remember what the Lord told the twelve when he sent them forth to preach the message of the Kingdom?

Matthew 10:5 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:

Matthew 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Matthew 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

So from this it is clear. The Lord told them where to go, he told them specifically where not to go, and he even told them what to say when they got there. When a Gentile woman came to the Lord and sought healing for her daughter, his answer to her was:

Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Read what the bible REALLY says about the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ:

Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

Remember that we have been talking about the gospel OF the circumcision and the gospel OF the uncircumcision. The Lord’s ministry was TO the circumcision. He was confirming God’s promises made to THE FATHERS, as in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob being the fathers of the nation of Israel. Where did we fit in? We didn’t!

Ephesians 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;

Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

So when the Lord says “ye must be born again,” what does he mean? He is talking about the WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. He is not talking at all about the church, the body of Christ. As a matter of fact, you never find the phrase ”born again” anywhere in Romans thru Philemon. The simple truth is that flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, so there must be a NEW BIRTH. But, for the body of Christ, that happens at the Rapture. Some members of the body of Christ will not even see death. Paul says that our vile bodies will be changed, and he says that will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

So the Lord says YE, meaning all of Israel must be born again. There is no Rapture for them. Not those involved in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. So THEY must be born again, in order to get into the Kingdom. That is what the Lord meant when he said in Matthew 16 that the “gates of hell would not prevail against” that church. In other words, they could and would die confidently as martyrs, knowing that Christ had made a way for them to be “born again” from the dead and enter the Kingdom. But as for the church, the dead will be raised and WE will be changed. That’s why Paul never uses the phrase “born again.” But, the end result, for both Israel, and the Church, is the same. The new birth. Now as far as THE NEW BIRTH, here is the example of that:

Romans 1:3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

But we are dealing here with the WORD OF TRUTH. James says they have been begat by the will of God with the WORD OF TRUTH. Now here is where “rightly dividing the word of truth” is essential:

Galatians 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;

Two different gospels, two different messages, are right here in that one verse. There is the gospel OF something, the circumcision, and the gospel OF something else, the uncircumcision. Both messages are related back to Abraham in the book of Genesis. But one, the circumcision, refers to Abraham AFTER he was circumcised and the other, the uncircumcision, refers to Abraham BEFORE he was circumcised. This one was a mystery. It was a mystery which was revealed to Paul, and to Paul only. As he said:

Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

So let’s take the WORD OF TRUTH and see if you can see HOW it should be rightly divided. James was one of the 12. He only knew the Lord on the earth. His message was learned from the Lord Jesus Christ on the earth, in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and in the forty days in which the Lord appeared to them BEFORE he ascended into Heaven. Here is the WORD OF TRUTH preached by James. It’s easy to see in just five verses:

James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

James 2:22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

James 2:24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

So James, preaching the WORD OF TRUTH, is preaching salvation by faith PLUS works. His conclusion is basically this:

James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

If the Lord had told the body of Christ to do WORKS in order to maintain salvation then WORKS we should do. But the fact is that we were NEVER told any such thing. James was told what James preached. Works of faith to the end would keep them from falling, keep them from recanting. It was THEIR FAITH which was on trial. Now remember, that this message was taught by the Lord, by the Twelve, and later on in the book of Acts by the Kingdom apostles. It was a tribulation message. It was endure to the end to be saved. It was preached consistently by the 12. All the Hebrew epistles, Hebrews through the book of Revelation contain the same works of faith message. It was a message given BEFORE the message of grace was given to the church by the Lord through Paul and it will be the message of salvation AFTER the church is gone, caught up and out of this world before the tribulation and the second coming of Christ. It is a message of repentance, water baptism and good works to the end. It is a CONDITIONAL salvation message. It is a FAITH ON TRIAL message.

Now please compare James’ WORKS OF FAITH message with what Paul said. Paul talks about the same man, Abraham, but Paul is on MYSTERY ground. Paul has revelation truth that goes back BEFORE the circumcision of Abraham. This is something that was just not in view in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Romans 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

So here, Paul is showing that Abraham was justified BEFORE he was circumcised:

Romans 4:9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

Romans 4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

So there you have TWO DIFFERENT messages. To James, in a tribulation context, faith without works is dead. But in Paul’s message, GRACE without works is NOT DEAD. You have the gospel of the circumcision and the gospel of the uncircumcision. Both are THE WORD OF TRUTH. James says, and Peter says they were begat, or begotten again, with the WORD OF TRUTH. But Paul says, in 2 Timothy 2:15 to “rightly divide the word of truth.”

What many today in religion fail to acknowledge is the distinctive ministry and message of Paul. Paul had a message for a DIFFERENT group of people. The 12 had the message of the gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of the circumcision. They FADED OUT of the picture. By the time of Acts chapter 12, Peter is gone from the scene. He is never mentioned again in the bible other than the one occasion in Acts 15 when he stands up and speaks in support of Paul’s ministry. The only other thing you know about Peter is the two books he wrote to those who had been “scattered abroad.”

The message of salvation to the church the body of Christ was given to Paul and to Paul alone. Paul’s message is the message of salvation by grace alone THROUGH faith. Not BY our faith but by the faith OF Christ. He was the one who endured to the end in our behalf. The message is markedly different from the Jewish tribulation message. Paul is the apostle of the Gentiles. Peter never was, never claimed to be, and neither did James or John. As a matter of fact, at the time of the meeting in Acts chapter 15, they agree NOT to go to Gentiles but to go only to the circumcision:

Galatians 2:9 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.

If religion wants to claim doctrine in passages written by the circumcision Apostles to those of the circumcision, then they need to find scriptural authority that supersedes this agreement here. The message of the gospel OF the circumcision was a message of faith and of works of faith. It was a tribulation, and endure to the end message. It was a TIME PAST message and not the message which should be preached today. But consider what Paul said:

Ephesians 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,

Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

So it’s clear from what we looked at here that all GOOD NEWS is not the same good news. God never changes. Jesus Christ IS the same yesterday, today and forever. But there is a holy nation, a royal priesthood who expects to inherit the land of Palestine because God PROMISED those things to them. It is crooked to try to take promises God has made to someone else and try to claim them for our self. In the WORD OF TRUTH, there is a two fold purpose, a purpose for each place:

Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

The earthly hope, the earthly promises, the earthly KINGDOM is for Israel. Peter was given the KEYS to the Kingdom by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 16. There are no KEYS to the body of Christ. The Kingdom is a literal, visible political KINGDOM OF HEAVEN on the earth. It will be set up when the Son of Man comes in all his glory and all his holy angels with him. Sheep and goats will be separated, and judged, based on the treatment of THESE MY BRETHREN the Lord says in Matthew 25. Jesus Christ confirmed those promises to Israel and they will come to pass. But as for you and me, Paul says:

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Philippians 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.