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 Right Division In Practice - Articles 16 thru 20
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #16
Acts 13-15
Perhaps many have not noticed the great similarity between the experience of Peter in Acts 10 and that of Paul in Acts 13. In each instance the Jews were not believing and bearing fruit, as an
olive tree should. Both had a heavenly vision to prod them on the minister to Gentiles. In each instance Gentile believers received gifts of the Spirit which proved that they had entered into the
blessings of the kingdom. The reader may find other likenesses in these incidents.
Right division immediately places these events in their rightful places. The church of the dispensation of the
mystery is not in evidence in either. The Jew is first in each instance and there is no mystery, Scripture being quoted to
prove that this had been prophesied. The reader must beware of any claims made for any church beginning at any time before Israel is set aside and Lo-Ammi.
That Paul and Barnabas should turn to the Gentile believers in Acts 13:46 is not in any way unique. They went to
the Synagogue at the first town they visited after this. Both Jews and Gentiles believed. And many times after that the
same procedure was done over and over. And when called to account for these actions at the council in Acts 15, Peter came to their defense and said that he had done it first.
Another thing that must be noted in these chapters in Acts was the fact that Paul was in no way going out to evangelize
the heathen who had no contact with the good news. He went only to Synagogues or the equivalent (as at Philippi) and
only incidentally did he ever come into contact with raw heathen. When he did so, he preached to them God as Creator, and not his gospel of the grace of God. Search and see.
Now let us look at Acts 15 for a while. This chapter has been interpreted in a great variety of ways. A council is
called at Jerusalem and Paul appears before it to defend himself against certain charges. He was not charged with
beginning the church of the dispensation of the mystery. No doctrinal question is involved. Paul has been preaching the
same gospel he was told to preach in the beginning and it is the same gospel that the 12 had been preaching. But the
difference was not in the doctrine preached, but to whom they preached. This was the whole problem.
Just once Peter had preached to Gentiles. He faced the council (Acts 11) and was exonerated of any blame for obeying
god and the vision that was given. Now Paul and Barnabas have been preaching the same gospel of the kingdom to Gentiles again. What have they to say for themselves?
After they had rehearsed what wonders god had done among the Gentile believers in the Synagogues, and Peter
reminded them that he had once done the same thing, the right hand of fellowship was given to Paul and Barnabas and they were encouraged to proceed in their work among the Gentile believers.
There was one catch in this, however. There were 4 things they were to tell the Gentile believers. They were to
abstain from pollution of idols, fornication, things strangled, and from blood.
Now if the church began at Acts 13, then these things should be highly stressed in the church today!
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #17
Acts 15 & 16
When Paul and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles in the Synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, and preached to them the
coming King and kingdom, they started something. It was not long till new reached Jerusalem and the apostles there that Paul and Barnabas were offering the kingdom to Gentiles on the basis of grace and not
according to the law. When we say Gentiles here, we mean the Gentile believers who attended the Synagogue and were not yet circumcised as the law demanded. So there was an uproar in Jerusalem.
The council that met later in Jerusalem was to settle this difficulty and dispute once for all. It is recorded in Acts 15.
Now if the church began at Acts 14 or even any point earlier, the decision of the council would be of importance to
it. We must keep in mind that there were no doctrinal differences in this council. It was whether or not Paul and Barnabas were justified in offering the kingdom to Gentiles on the basis of grace
rather than law.
The decision was that Paul and Barnabas were doing the will of God, even as did Peter when he preached the kingdom to
Gentiles in Cornelius’ house.
Now mark this: the Gentile believers were not obligated to keep any of the law in any way. They need not be
circumcised, keep any of the feasts (Passover or Lord’s supper, Feast of Tabernacles, and the like. Not even Pentecost), nor was there any provision for their worship except that they do as usual, go
to the Synagogue each Sabbath (not Sunday) and hear Moses and the prophets.
Bu, they were to observe 4 things, which would keep them from being an offense to the Jews with whom they would
associate at the Synagogue:
1. Abstain from pollution of idols
2. Abstain from fornication
3. Abstain from things strangled
4. Abstain from (eating) blood.
Now, if the church did begin at Acts 13, as many claim, these 4 things should first of all be proclaimed in such assemblies. Do they do it?
A halfway obedience in these things is like unto Saul and his disobedience in the case of the Amalekites and king
Agag. In fact, a halfway obedience may be worse than no obedience at all. Too few are willing to go all the way with god. If we are going to rightly divide the Word of truth, let us do it right,
and not according to our own wishes and taste. Just as many at that time were troubling the church with such questions, even so today there are those who trouble the church with their compromise and
disobedience to the will of god.
In Acts 16 we have the story of the Roman jailer. Right division is in order. This is a
time when Paul preached neither the kingdom gospel nor the dispensation of the mystery. This man, unlike Cornelius, had heard nothing of the true faith. In verse 31 we are not warranted I pushing the
word save any further than preserve. The jailer was much interested in preserving his won skin and that of his family. He was preserved, as also his family. But he was also much
more and there was great rejoicing.
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #18
Acts 17
Acts 17 is a chapter that calls for right division, if any do. Here Paul had another experience with unbelieving
Gentiles, as he did in the chapter before at Philippi. So we must watch the context as we proceed with the study.
After Philippi, the first stop that is recorded is at Thessalonica. There Paul spoke in the synagogue of the Jews
3 Sabbaths, using the Scriptures. Not yet had he received the gospel of the dispensation of the mystery, for it could not have been preached from the Scriptures that they had. The mystery was
smoothing that had been hid in God and from ages and generations until made known to Paul.
Paul then went to Berea and likewise there he preached in the synagogue of the Jews. Again we can see that it was
evident that he was not telling them about the mystery, for they looked up his subject in the Scriptures daily to see if he were preaching them the truth. The mystery could not be checked by their copies of
the Scriptures.
Now there are a few highlights that we should not miss in connection with Thessalonica and Berea. In both
instances Paul went to the synagogues of the Jews. That is final proof that his turning to the Gentiles in chapter 13 was only local and for those few days. Until the end of Acts, the Jew was first
in the gospel Paul preached. In every city he went, he attended the synagogue on the Sabbaths until he left or was thrown out. In the two cities we are now studying, he went to the synagogues, but it
also mentions the fact that some Greeks (Gentiles) also believed. So Paul’s preaching was to the Jew first, and not to the Jew only.
Paul’s hearers understood enough of his message that they understood that he preached another King than Caesar (v
7). This makes it plain that he was not yet preaching Christ as Head of the church.
Then Paul went to Athens. Again he went to the synagogue. This was on the Sabbaths. He also met in
the market with Jews and Gentiles from the synagogue. This was on the other days of the week. And he was teaching them of the kingdom of God.
While in this market place he also met with some of the philosophers of the day. And they had some questions to
ask. These were, we must remember, unbelieving Gentiles, worshippers of idols and knew very little of the Jewish religion.
These philosophers heard two things from Paul which they on the main, could not accept. First they heard of a
resurrection that had happened some years before. Secondly they heard that the One who was resurrected would soon come and judge the nations of the world. Note that Paul spoke to these unbelieving
Gentiles about judgment, not the gospel of the grace of God. Why?
Before there could be blessing and hope connected with the coming kingdom, there must first of all be the recognition
of a great God and Creator. This Paul proclaimed in every instance he met with raw heathen. And so it was here.
And even today, the salvation of Eph 2:8-10 must be gotten via John 3:16. There is a parallel.
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #19
Acts 18&19
When we come to chapter 18 of Acts we find Paul still going to the Synagogue every Sabbath. And his audience is
made up of Jews and Greeks (Gentiles).
Note the particular emphasis upon the word persuade. This word is never used in connection with the
preaching of the dispensation of the mystery. To persuade one is to give him an argument. The argument must be based on facts that are known to both parties. So in preaching the kingdom during
Acts, Paul and the 12 argued from the Scriptures that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah of Israel. Now that is exactly what Paul was doing here at Corinth in the presence of Silas and Timothy (v. 5).
Again when they opposed and blasphemed, he said that he would turn to the Gentiles, just as he had said in Ac 13:46 in
Antioch. If his turning to the Gentiles at Antioch was the end of the kingdom and the beginning of the mystery, why should he repeat it here in Corinth? But this statement made here was not
final. You do not find that final statement till you come to the last chapter of Acts.
Now you will notice in verse 13 that a charge was made that Paul was preaching a worship of God contrary to the Jewish
law. Do we need to remind you that after Acts, when Paul was proclaiming the mystery, that no such charges were ever brought against him? There is no record that Paul ever set foot in a Synagogue
after he began to tell about the mystery. In present times, who knowing the mystery has any business going into so-called churches that profess to be preaching the kingdom?
Now notice verse 18. Paul has taken a vow and shaved his head. Can you find anything in the mystery that
would allow such procedure? Even though Paul preached the gospel of the grace of God to Gentiles during Acts, yet here is the proof that he as a Jew was still under the law. Paul the Jew could not
enjoy the liberty of the gospel of grace that he proclaimed to Gentiles. That is because the church of the dispensation of the mystery had not yet been revealed to Paul or anybody else.
In verse 21 Paul makes it known that he must be all means attend the feast at Jerusalem. Again this shows that he
was still under the law and that the church had not yet come into being. Contrast this with Col. 2:16 where he puts away the rituals of the Jews and warns against them.
In this same chapter we find Apollos preaching according to the baptism of John, that is, telling his hearers to repent
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Aquila and Priscilla took him home with them and told him how that the King had both come and gone, and the kingdom was not yet. When he was thus instructed, he
was powerful in preaching that Jesus was Christ (the Messiah), not the Head of the church. So Apollos did not preach the mystery.
In chapter 19 Paul found some disciples that, like Apollos, had heard only the baptism of
John. They did not know of the baptism of the Holy Ghost or the outpouring of power from on high. Paul laid hands on them and they received the power. But no such power is mentioned with the
mystery.
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RIGHT DIVISION IN PRACTICE #20
Acts 19&20
In Acts 19:21, Paul firmly resolved to make a last visit through Macedonia and Achaia and then visit Jerusalem.
Then he said,After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
Some folks may be a little perplexed by the note in the Companion bible on this verse, which states that this is
the last that Paul proclaims the kingdom. This would put the dispensational frontier at Acts 19. But remember that Dr. Bullinger’s old notes were used in compiling this portion and this does not
represent his later knowledge of the truth. You only have to read his book, Foundations of Dispensational Truth, to see the advance he had made.
We mention this especially due to the fact that when Paul finally reached Rome, he spent a whole day with the Jewish
leaders to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, form morning till evening (Acts 28:23). He
expounded their Scriptures to them. If he were proclaiming the mystery, then he would have had no Scriptures to expound it, for it was his from ages and generations. The theme of Moses and the
prophets was the coming King and kingdom, and that was what Paul preached till the salvation of God was sent to the Gentiles, which happened on that very day. Paul never had any occasion to go to Jerusalem
after he received the revelation of the dispensation of the mystery. It was concerning Gentiles, not Jews.
Now take notice of 20:7 in Acts. This is on the first of the weeks (day is not in the Greek) from which the count
of 7 weeks was made till Pentecost. So Paul observed the Passover at Troas (Troy) and then managed to get to Jerusalem in time for Pentecost, 50 days later. And this first of the weeks was the time
Paul had appointed for the bringing in of gifts for the poor saints at Jerusalem. And these poor saints were those who were waiting for the kingdom. They knew nothing of the church of the mystery.
Paul preached that night at Troas till midnight, and Eutichus fell asleep and fell out of the window. Eutichus
was revived and Paul talked yet till break of day. The fact that Paul still had the power from on high and brought the dead to life proves again that this was under kingdom administration with its gifts of
the Sprit.
Now since the church of the dispensation of the mystery does not observe Sabbaths, holidays feasts, and any other
rituals and ceremonies of the law, it would be strange that if Paul was by this time proclaiming the mystery, that he should observe Pentecost, a Jewish thanksgiving feast. Such facts as this are easily
overlooked by those who refuse to rightly divide the Word of truth.
Acts 20:17. What elders of what church? Did Paul ever get to see these Ephesians
again? Note in verse 24 that he desires to continue to testify the gospel of the grace of God. Peter began this gospel in Acts 10. It was good news that Gentile believers could partake or be
grafted into Israel’s dispensational blessings and privileges. This has nothing to do with the dispensation of the mystery.
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