FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW (PART II)

In Part one of "From The Old To The New" we left off looking at the seen and the unseen.

2 Cor 4:17-18 "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."

Here the transition is to faith..."look(ing) at the things which are NOT SEEN." How do we look upon that which is "NOT SEEN"? The only way to do that is by faith.

Again this is speaking of the contrast between the Old Covenant, Shadows, types, figures, etc., all which were seen. The temple, the priesthood, the sacrifice. These were constituent elements of the Old Covenant, ALL which could be seen. Paul says, do not look to those things, but look to the truth and reality of the New
[CLICK ON THE PHOTO FOR BETTER VIEW]
Covenant that cannot be seen with the human eye, but MUST be seen by FAITH.

Paul gets to the concept of "FAITH" very soon in 2 Cor 5:7, (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

But before he gets there he says some very interesting things...

Starting chapter five of 2nd Corinthians, Paul continues his progression of his logical argument using the term "FOR". Continuing to build on what he has said prior, his use of this transitional term indicates that he is NOT changing topics but rather building on the already stated topic. This already stated topic is the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant.

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked." 2 Corinthians 5:1-3

Many theologians and preachers at this point find reason to change the topic from Covenant transition to the believers death. Funny, Paul does not mention the believers death here and the "FOR" clearly ties his allegory about the body to the topic of covenant transition.

For a more extensive look at the use of the term "Body" see my post from 4 April , 2008

http://prosthero.blogspot.com/2008/04/body-2-corinthians-510.html

Moving from the end of chapter 4 having stated that we look to those things that are NOT seen, and our focus is on the eternal New Covenant, Paul is not changing the topic. He is declaring, that Because of the focus on the unseen..."FOR"..."We will put off the earthly tabernacle, the building of God". The tabernacle here is not the believers physical body, but it is the Old Covenant tabernacle, temple, building of God that was going to pass away in 70 A.D. as a physical manifestation that the Old Covenant had completely passed away.

But we have a building from God. A house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. This is speaking of our New Covenant tabernacle which is Christ himself.

In the heavens:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:" Ephesians 1:3

"Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places," Ephesians 3:20

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

"To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God," Ephesians 3:10

Where are these heavenly places of which he speaks. It must be a place where we are sharing the presence of Christ right now. This is evident because the Apostle declares that both Christ and the believer are occupying that same place at the same time.

The Heavenly places Paul is speaking of is the place of the New Covenant, for where Christ (the master) is, there will his servant (the believer) be.

"But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;" Hebrews 9:11

"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:" Hebrews 9:24

This is the same temple or city not made with hands that Abraham was looking for by faith.

By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Hebrews 11:8-10

For further reading on the typology of "The Body - The Building - The Bride - The Wife - The City - The Temple (or Tabernacle)" and how each of these literary pictures are all used to describe the church read my post from 12 June. 2010. Or just click on the link.

http://prosthero.blogspot.com/2010/06/body-building-bride-wife-city-temple.html

So here in 2 Corinthians 5 1-3 we find that Paul is building on the theme of the transition from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant...and he has not begun a new topic, but through his transitional phrases (FOR), he is continuing the same theme. This theme is highlighted elsewhere with Abraham and Christ in Hebrews.

To be continued...

FROM THE OLD TO THE NEW (PART I)

To break a paradigm you must be willing to look at something from a different, maybe not so obvious, new perspective. In my bible study I try to do this as often as I can. I have found that a great deal of what I have heard from the pulpit in the last 30 years of listening to preachers has been a party line or a denominational position.

In trying to live a berean life and wanting to be able to hear God's spirit for myself, I have had to throw off much of the "Christian Party Line" and the denominational dogma.

Another passage that has confronted me lately in my paradigm shift is 2 Corinthians. After an extended introduction in chapters 1 and 2 Paul begins in Chapter 3 to highlight the superiority of the New Covenant over the Old Covenant.

2 Cor 3:3 "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."

Here contrasts the Old Covenant written in stone and the fulfillment of the prophecy of the New Covenant coming to pass by the Spirit of the living God writing the epistles of Christ (the teachings of Christ--the Law of Christ) on our fleshy tables of the heart.

2 Cor 3:4-7 "And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:"

Paul next declares our full sufficiency to be found in God, and then elaborates on the nature of the Old Covenant compared to the New. The "Letter", or "Ministration of Death", or that which is "Written and engraven in stone", brings about "DEATH".

But the "Spirit", or the New Covenant brings "LIFE". He declares the Old Covenant as possessing some form of "Glory", but that Glory was being done away with. The Glory of the New Covenant was however superior to that of the old.

2 Cor 3:8-11 "How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious."

Here we see that the Old Covenant was being done away with in Paul's day and the New Covenant was to remain. The New Covenant is referred to in Hebrews as an "Everlasting Covenant".

Hebrews 13 20 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,"

2 Cor 4:1 "Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;"

Here in 2 Corinthians 4 Paul begins a series of logical arguments based on this covenantal transition in chapter 3. He uses terms like "Therefore", "Wherefore", and "For" All purpose clauses intended to point us back to the previous point of the argument for substantiation, but all of them finding their root and context in the covenantal change that Chapter 3 reveals.

Let's follow this logic trail of Paul's.

"Therefore seeing we have this ministry...: What ministry Paul? It is the ministry of the New Covenant.

Since we are now ministers of a New Covenant we "have received mercy", "we faint not", "But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God." 2 Cor 4:1-2. In verse 3 we have not "hid the gospel", but others have blinded the minds of those who do not believe (The New Covenant).

2 Cor 4:5 "For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." At the center of this New Covenant Gospel is Christ.

2 Cor 4:6 "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

In the New Covenant, it is God who commands the light (the truth of the New Covenant) to shine in our hearts by way of Jesus Christ.

2 Cor 4:6 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."

Having this treasure of the New Covenant in Earthen vessels allows the praise to go to God, but in verse 7 we see that those in the first century who participated in the transition from the Old to the New will be misunderstood and persecuted because of this New Covenant.

"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." 2 Cor 4:8-10

2 Cor 4:11-14 "For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you. We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak; Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you."

So the New Covenant will bring persecution that will lead to death, but Paul encourages those who will be faced with that death to recognize that their death will result in the bringing of life to others, just as the death of Jesus resulted in resurrection. This is following the pattern of putting away the Old Covenant of DEATH in favor of the New Covenant of LIFE.

2 Cor 4:15 "For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God." This suffering and possible death results in the grace of God toward those ministering the New Covenant, and ultimately gratitude.

2 Cor 4:16 "For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day." Because Grace is promised the ministers of the New Covenant can move forward without fainting, knowing that the New Man of the New Covenant will be renewed day by day.

2 Cor 4:17-18 "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." Here the transition is to faith..."look(ing) at the things which are NOT SEEN." How do we look upon that which is "NOT SEEN"?? The only way to do that is by faith.

Again this is speaking of the contrast between the Old Covenant, Shadows, types, figures, etc., all which were seen. The temple, the priesthood, the sacrifice. These were constituent elements of the Old Covenant, ALL which could be seen. Paul says, do not look to those things, but look to the truth and reality of the New Covenant that cannot be seen with the human eye, but MUST be seen by FAITH.

Paul gets to the concept of "FAITH" very soon in 2 Cor 5:7, (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

But before he gets there he says some very interesting things...

To be continued.

AS THE SEASONS TURN

My friend Steve in Buena Vista, CO took this picture this morning. The snow has begun to accumulate in the Rockies, what a beautiful time of year.







Click on the picture for a larger display.

RIDING ON A "SWIFT CLOUD"

Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst. (Is 19:1)

The above verse is describing:

A. Every Egyptian seeing God on a literal cloud as He rides in judgment against their nation.

B. God’s judgment of Egypt described in figurative, apocalyptic language.

Few, if any, students of the Word believe that God was actually seen on a cloud by anyone during His judgment against Egypt. In fact, most have no difficulty in acknowledging that while there was a literal judgment against Egypt, this apocalyptic description is not to be taken literally. Why, then, do we insist on a literal interpretation for the following verse?

Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven. (Matt 26:64)

When the high priest heard Jesus say this, he tore his clothes and accused Jesus of blasphemy.

Why?

Because he knew what coming on the clouds of heaven meant—that Jesus was claiming to be God, and would come in judgment against them.

The Jewish Council, before whom Jesus spoke these words, knew that cloud-comings were woven throughout the Old Testament Scriptures. Did they deem Him deserving of death because He claimed He could ride on a cloud, or because He had just stated, in language which all Jews understood, that He was God and would return to judge them? Surely the latter is the case.

Why, then, do we insist on interpreting this cloud-coming judgment of Christ in a literal fashion, instead of in the manner of Old Testament cloud-coming judgments?

ALL THE LAND...

The bible predicts and history clearly records that Israel was given all the land that God promised.

--God kept every promise that he ever made to the physical literal nation called Israel.

--That nation Israel rebelled against God in every possible way for years and years.

--God's ultimate purpose for this nation was to bring forth his Son, Messiah. Born under the law. THIS CAME TO PASS.

--Once The nation had fulfilled God's ordained purpose, God was free to keep the rest of his promises...Promises of Judgment and destruction.

--Read Deuteronomy 28-30 you will see the many many promises of God's justice and judgment to come on that nation.

--History records in the Jewish Roman wars of63 AD-70 AD the complete fulfillment of these promises of Judgment. God utterly destroyed this rebellious nation. In his destruction of this nation he showed that he was finished with them. They served their purpose and they received what they deserved for their rejection of God's son and their messiah.

Utter destruction is what was predicted by the prophets...Utter destruction is what happened to the nation of Israel in the first century.

Not all who are of the physical seed of Abraham are Israel...but those who are the sons of Abraham by faith.

SO..."FOR ME, there is an Israel"...but it is not the physical literal nation that was destroyed in AD 70. It is the remnant of that group mixed in the one body with the wall of partition being broken down. It is those who are the seed of Abraham BY FAITH. They are the Israel that I recognize. NOT a physical literal nation attached to a physical literal land. Those physical literal promises were all fulfilled in Joshua's day.

We now live in the greater reality of the Spiritual. The church, the elect, the bride of Christ, the new Jerusalem...we (believers in Christ) are all the spiritual Israel that Paul wrote about.

"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." Romans 2:28-29

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3:28

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God." Galatians 6:15-16

Who did Paul say are the "Israel of God"??? "As Many as walk according to THIS rule". Which Rule are you talking about Paul? The rule that Circumcision no longer counts for anything, but a NEW CREATURE. Paul do you men that the Israel of God are all those who are NEW CREATURES in the NEW COVENANT? That is exactly what Paul means.

There is no longer a physical literal nation attached to a land that God has any obligation to. He has obligated himself through his son and by faith to those whom he has redeemed out of every kindred tribe tongue and nation. The Church!