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Topic: Sent -=- apostellō
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epouraniois
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Sent
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable, and this is what I believe with all my heart. And when Paul wrote this, he must have been thinking of the OT, as the NT had not been written. While it is stressed that we are to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace, and the unity of the faith, is noted that not all scripture is written to me personally. This Bible was not written in the hopes that someone might read it, but most definitely it was a message written and sent by God through a messenger to a particular people. Only afterwards did it become a complete works as we have it today where it may become profitable by God in another sense.
The law was given to Israel only, and not to those nations round about. So we should stress to ourselves that there are other callings that belong to other peoples, where we are found wise to rightly divide the word of truth to see what message is sent forth to us. For God in His mercy has not forgotten us; we do not fall under the heading of the wife, in the scriptures, nor the bride, nor Israel; but our calling, in regards to the relationship to Christ, is spoken of as the members of His body. It is wise, therefore, to observe these distinctions. Otherwise there will only be confusion, not only in our own hearts, but in the minds of others.
In Romans 9, Paul picks out the distinctive blessings of those who are Israelites according to the flesh; to whom pertain - the adoption - of a firstborn son. Then we have in Galatians, and its parallel in Hebrews, the New Jerusalem, or the Heavenly Jerusalem, and they have - the adoption - of a firstborn son. Then we have, in the first chapter of Ephesians, those chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world, and blessed at the right hand of God where Christ sits; and they have -the adoption – of a firstborn son. That makes three adoptions sent out to three distinct peoples. So there are three families, and if we blend them all together, we won’t know if we’re in earth or in heaven. We are honoring the fact that each book of the Bible was sent.
You do know that the word angel gives us the word evangel, and the angel is a spiritual messenger, and the evangel is the message that he brings. God complains that, in Jeremiah, some said that God sent them, but the Lord said, I sent them not. When the apostle raised the question about faith: Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, he said, how shall they hear with out a preacher, and how shall they preach except they be sent. Except they be sent! So Paul said he was an ambassador. An ambassador sent, to represent a distant ruler. The very word apostle is made up of two words, apo –away from, and stello – I send. I send someone from myself to represent me. The apostle Paul nor Peter were the chiefest of the apostles, for we learn that in Hebrews chapter 3, it says; consider Him the apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus. And Paul says, he that receiveth me, receiveth Him who sent me. So, we aren’t followers of Paul, but followers of the message giver who sent Paul out to you and me, as occupants of the nations.
We have the sermon on the mount, and what a wonderful sermon it is, but it wasn’t taught to you and me. It was meant for that specific people in that specific land, for that specific time. Then much later in Mathew 16, we have Peter, learning of the coming crucifixion, saying “this shall not be unto thee.” And Peter was sent out, healing lepers, raising the dead, opening the eyes of the blind, and yet he did not preach a gospel of Christ crucified. But when we get to Ephesians, Paul teaches redemption through His blood. He doesn’t teach about repentance, or the sermon on the mount at all. Because he is sent forth to a different calling, to a different people. Now, we ought to walk worthy of our calling, and we shall find ourselves in step with many of the things in the sermon on the mount. But not ALL of them, because they were addressed to a different people that were set apart for that purpose.
In Mathew, we read of John the Baptist, repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand, but in Luke, we read, that John the Baptist also said, repent for the forgiveness of sins. Mathew never talks about the forgiveness of sins he talks about the kingdom that is going to be set up, but when Luke writes, who was in harmony with Paul with whom he worked, he says the forgiveness of sins is in our heart. Mathew writes, born this day in Bethlehem, the city of David a King; but Luke says, born this day in the city of David a savior. They aren’t contradicting one another, but each messenger had his message, and he gave it. Its only by putting the Books in their rightful place, do we get the many facets of the person of Christ. Its when we mix them up, that we have confusion and whatever. Only Luke and Paul speak of Adam, yet John goes all the way back to the beginning and his great point is Life through His Name.
“Sent” is used something like 60 times in John’s Gospel, and when Christ told the blind man Siloam to wash in the pool, John even puts in brackets that Siloam means “sent”. And in that most beautiful prayer in John 17, there is that concern of Christ, that they may believe that thou hast “sent” me. In 1 John 4:14, “the Father “sent” the son the savior of the world”. The plan of the ages towards redemption is a message that God has sent into the world that we may know of it, and by it, Him that sent it.
The Acts of the Apostles divides itself into three sections by the word “sent”. In Acts 3, verse 19, Peter says repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out. the day of Pentecost is past, the baptism of the Spirit has taken place, the man has been healed at the temple, and Peter has pointed out that he is a type and shadow of how salvation must come through this risen Jesus of Nazareth. He sums it up here:
Act 3:25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
Act 3:26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
There is only one nation this can possibly address. None of our fathers ever had a covenant with God. This is unto them first. God’s Son Jesus, Peter tells them was sent to them. Some did, but there was no national repentance.
Act 13:26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
Paul has added something here. “and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation “sent”. There is a definite turning point in this teaching, for it was made known in chapter 10, but not until now is the word “sent”. They may have wanted the message, but until God sends the message to you, well, you’ve got no message. It must come from God, only He has been offended, and only He can send His message.
Act 13:42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath.
Act 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, 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.
Here we have a dividing line, a turning point. First, in chapter 11, it the word was sent out, and it was sent to Jews only. Now we have Jew and Gentile linked together. When we get to the end of Acts, Paul is in Rome, and he longed to speak in Rome, he says so.
Act 28:23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; 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, from morning till evening.
Act 28:24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9 one final time, their heart is waxed gross; and they did not believe him:
Act 28:26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:
Isa 6:9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
Isa 6:11 Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,
Isa 6:12 And the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
Of course, this happened in A.D.70, and they should’ve known, they studied it all their lives.
Act 28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
This is the first time the word is “sent” out to the Gentiles without the mediation of Israel. The Jew first, and also unto the Gentiles, but now, it is to the Gentiles only, for they shall be removed from the land. Even in the epistle to the Romans, which is so basic regards to its doctrine and justification, the figure is an olive branch where the gentiles were graphed in unnaturally. Well, we know that those epistles were written during the Acts, and addressed to those living within that specific period. But now the word is “sent” to the Gentiles, and they will hear it. The figure in Ephesians is a body with every member in absolute equality. You can’t keep the unity of the Spirit if you think you’re a wild olive graphed in contrary to nature, because the figures won’t march together. But they are both right if they are kept in their rightful places.
The word is sent first to the Jew, sent then to both Jew and Greek, sent then after they go out into their blindness to the whole world, that they may receive salvation. In verse 23 he spoke of Jesus, but in verse 31 he speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 23 he teaches of Moses and the prophets, but later he no more speaks of them, why? He tells us, as Paul the prisoner of Christ, that it was something “hid in God”, but only at that time revealed.
When we read some letter, before we try to put into practice what it says, we need to look and see who it is addressed to. Like James, he placed the address in the first verse. We are permitted to read what our Father said to some of His children, but it wasn’t written to you or me. It was written to the twelve tribes scattered abroad. We mustn’t go out and do what ever it says just because we have the privilege of reading it, or we can make the word of God of none affect by mixing it all up.
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
This sounds like me, but am I a holy priesthood? Well, I’ve got to admit that Israel is destined to become one, but I have no such promise or calling in the word of God. I can notice too, that this was written during the Acts, so that tells me something more of who it was addressed to. Similarly, in Hebrews, we find the words priest and priesthood over and over again. Yet, we have as our head a Priest, and a King, and a spiritual body, so we haven’t lost anything just because Paul doesn’t speak of them elsewhere. But we can’t go mixing things up when God has separated them. I am glad to read James, and I am glad to read Peter, but I am conscious that I am reading about another calling. Lets look at some of Paul’s writing and see if we don’t gain, instead of lose something through rightly dividing the word of truth.
Firstly, it has been contested as to whether the word “Ephesians” should be in the first verse, but it has been known now that it was a circular letter, where they filled in the blank as they SENT it along throughout Asia. And you may say, well, you aren’t on the address of the envelope, because it says it is written to Ephesus. But I should say that we should look at the character or the addressee.
Eph 2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh…
Eph 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:
Eph 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Eph 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
Eph 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to create in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:
Eph 2:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
Make no mistake, that God is not with Israel as He was during the Acts period, this new revelation given to all was sent. It is the truth sent forth for today. In Romans 9 they had Christ, but here they are aliens; they didn’t know anything about that, being cut off from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and with out God in the world. Now that is the character of what the epistle to the Ephesians is all about while Israel remains in their present blindness and unusable before the Lord. God said He would bless them [Israelites] in basket and in store. The word “spiritual” is not used in the OT. Once, as something which is opposite of spiritual.
Hos 9:7 The days of visitation are come, the days of recompense are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.
Below, we have the references which regard us, and they are beyond measure in contrast:
Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
This is the first time these words are used; “in heavenly places”. Its where Christ sits, at the right hand of God. And all 5 occurrences is found in the epistle to the Ephesians.
Eph 1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, [where is that]
Eph 1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
Eph 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Before the foundation of the world only occurs here in regards to us. The other two places refer to Christ. And here is the wonder of it:
Eph 2:4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, by (grace ye are saved;)
Eph 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
In this church body, what the beloved Father sees in Christ, He sees in you and in me, so far as we are in Him. Wherewith we are called to walk worthy, and to earnestly endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of the peace.
Eph 1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
When Mary was visited by the angel, and told she was “highly favored”, well, that’s the word that was used here. Used of us gentiles! “Accepted in the beloved”. Oh, how can we miss these important, yet fundamental differences when we try to ascertain which part belongs to us? I think we sometimes just think that whatever sounds good, we shall keep it for ourselves, but we aren’t missing out on anything by acknowledging what has been given to them is not ours, for what we strive for, is to reach the goal, and touch the mark, that when He arrives, we shall see Him, and sit together with Him in Heavenly places.
'Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son'
Col 1:12-13
John wrote, 'he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son'. Upon Israel being set asideat the end of Acts, an apostle was sent for with a specific message for those who came after. That would be us wouldn't it? No one can deny that going to heaven is a new message not revealed in any other portion of Scripture.
What we have in the epistles sent by the sent apostle to us is the record of His dear Son that John speaks so strongly about believing.
Act 28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.
Eph 3:1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
Eph 3:2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
Eph 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery
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