The Word of Truth for Today 17

By Joseph L. Watkins

As we seek to encourage folks in the task of DividingThe Word of Truth Rightly, we must remain mindful of our ever-changing readership. We want each paper to offer something for each one, and we are always concerned for the "New Learners" of truth, and we find that sometimes we are repeating ourselves, so we ask the "Old Learners" to bear with us.

Truth For Today is truth that The Spirit of Truth gave with this age in view. All of the word of truth is out of God, and is for our learning, but all is not for -- Our Faith's Obedience- Today.

We see one message addressed to all mankind today, a divine proclamation and offer of Life in the one giver of Life, Christ Jesus. Hear that message, believe that and live in resurrection form. Reject that message and live not again.

This divinely authorized message is set forth in the One record we have come to know as The Gospel of John. Believing that message of life in Christ Jesus makes one a saint (a holy one) born of God, in Christ Jesus. To these saints were given Seven other letters which were sent out from Paul to make known another Gospel Message.

These letters we see as seven chapters of one book. This book is the only divinely given depository in which this message can be found today. However, we do find fragments of other messages lingering from the Acts-time message, so as always, The Divine Law of Right Division comes into play:
"Endeavoring yourself, approved to
      stand (before) the God, aworkman
      unashamed, rightly dividing the word."

These, The One and The Seven, are what we identify as "Truth For Today." There are many words of truth that are profitable today, but we see these as given out of God with the present age in view. Read and study all of His Truth - but master these.

Eat of that bread, of life, for any man that eats of "this bread," he shall live forever. And if you have loved ones that you want to also live forever, feed them this bread, for such is Bread For Today, it is the one life giving message for today.

And if you would find God's Divine Purpose for yourself today, then devour the "meat" found only in the Book that Paul was given to write, the message that the Spirit had Paul call the "unsearchable riches" of Christ, meaning it cannot be found in any other writing, by any other man.

In Eph. 3:9 it is called The Message, or "The Dispensation of The Mustrion," in Col. 1:18 it is "The Body," the outcalling; of which Christ Jesus is The Head, and in 1 Tim. 1:12 it is "The Gospel of The Glory," and the "epiphaneia" (Strong's #2015) of our Lord Jesus Christ. Titus 2:13 also has the same "Blessed Hope" of the "epiphaneia" of our God, even our Saviour Christ Jesus.

We also know that Paul held the same hope in his heart as he wrote to Philemon, being in bonds as the prisoner of Christ Jesus. Philm. 9, see Acts 28:30-31, 2 Timothy the last of the seven chapters (letters) that together make up the One Book that Paul was given to write concerning his last revelation, holds in view the "epiphaneia" three times 2 Tim. 1:10, 4:1 and 4:8.

Now - we return to our thoughts and study of Paul's letter to the saints at Philippi, which we see as the first chapter of his book, and which we have come to identify as "The Musterion Truth - of The One Body".. always holding in view the saints Paul has in view as he seeks to ... "enlighten all saints as to what is The Dispensationof The Musterion." Eph. 3:9

Epaphras, having returned to Paul, with a largely negative report, the dear saints at Philippi having in their hearts the hope of The Lord's "parousia" have not found it to their liking to now embrace Paul's new revelation concerning the Lord's "epiphaneia" (appearing) in The Heavenlies above Heaven.

Paul views these "unfaithing, believers" as being otherwise minded, but he writes as encouragingly as he can, and always in the spirit of the new nature, in Christ Jesus, for he would that all might exchange that Acts time earthly hope, for this new hope and calling, to The Heavenlies. And so we today have those same aspirations for "All" saints of God. For as those unfaithing saints hoped to be in the Lord's earthly kingdom, so today those saints who do not answer "His Call" to The High Calling, will have their hope of life in "The New Earth".

This is the heart of Paul's "New Message" as we find it recorded in the very heart of this first epistle Philippians 3:10-21,
The Out-from Resurrection.
    The High Calling of God, in Christ Jesus.
    The New Citizenship in The Heavenlies.

It is not our purpose to try to give a full study of these great subjects here, our only hope at this time is to try to be of some help and encouragement concerning "The Divine Law of Right Division." We may find it helpful to offer our personal views or our own sources of help from time to time, however.

The first dispensational fact that we want to set in your mind concerning these things is Paul would not, and Paul could not have spoken or written of these truths before the
"lo-ammi" judgement had come upon the nation of Israel, at Acts 28:26-28. Until that very day, God had these great truths "Hid" up in His heart.

jlw