SEARCH and SEE, and then to RIGHTLY DIVIDE.
1. Do you keep Israel's dietary laws (Leviticus 11)?
Or, do you obey Christ's later revelation through Paul in Colossians 2:16?
2. Do you keep Israel's Sabbaths (Exodus 16:29-30; 31:12, 16-17)?
Or, do you obey Christ's later revelation through Paul in Colossians 2:16 (c.f. Galatians
4:10,11; Romans 14:5)?
3. Do you keep Israel's Passover of Exodus 12:14?
Or, do you obey Christ's later revelation through Paul in Colossians 2:14, 20 (Also
Ephesians 2:15)?
4. Do you obey Israel's commission of Mark 16:15-18?
a. Do you preach its gospel?
b. Do you have the following signs?
(1) Do you cast out devils?
(2) Do you speak in new languages?
(3) Do you pick up serpents?
(4) Do you drink poison?
Or, do you go along with Christ's later revelation through Paul in Ephesians 3:1-9?
5. Do you obey consistently the words of Christ to Israel in Matthew 10:1, 5-13? If not, why
not?
a. Do you cast out devils?
b. Do you heal all manner of sickness?
c. Do you "go NOT" to Gentiles?
d. Do you go only to the lost of Israel?
e. Do you cleanse lepers?
f. Do you raise the dead?
g. Do you provide neither gold, silver, nor brass in your purses?
h. Do you provide no scrip (i.e., wallet or leather pouch for food)?
i. Do you have only one coat, one pair of shoes?
Or, do you follow Christ's later revelation to Paul having to do with all blessings that are
spiritual in the heavenlies in Christ (Ephesians 1:3), rather than the physical blessings so
typical of Israel?
6. Do you teach forgiveness according to the terms of Israel's KINGDOM PRAYER of
Matthew 6:12, 14-15?
Or, do you accept and teach forgiveness on the basis of Christ's later revelation through
Paul in Ephesians 1:7; 4:32; i.e., "according to the riches of His grace, ... Forgiving one
another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you?"
7. Do you assume a FUTURE state for yourself as being where Israel's twelve Apostles
are?
a. They will sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28).
b. They will be associated with the cubed shaped city, having the gates named after
the twelve tribes of Israel (Revelation 21:12), and the twelve foundations named
after the twelve apostles (Revelation 21:14).
Or, are you jointly-raised and jointly-seated with Christ in the heavenly places according
to Christ's later revelation through Paul in Ephesians 2:6?
8. Do you follow Abraham in circumcision as a sign of the covenant so as not to be "cut off"
from God's covenant in accord with the instructions of Genesis 17:14?
Or, do you consider Christ's later revelation through Paul in Galatians 5:1-4?
a. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free..."
b. "... if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing."
c. "... every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law."
d. "Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law,
ye are FALLEN FROM GRACE."
Moreover, do you consider Colossians 2:11 as a yet further advance upon fleshly, manmade
symbolical circumcision?
9. Do you follow Israel's pattern of water baptism as set forth in Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:14?
a. "And they were baptized of him in Jordan, CONFESSING THEIR SINS"
b. "John did baptize in the wilderness, and preached the BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE
FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS"
Or, do you consider the baptism of Christ's later revelation through Paul in Romans 6:3-
4:
c. "... that so many of us as were BAPTIZED INTO JESUS CHRIST were BAPTIZED
INTO HIS DEATH therefore, we are BURIED WITH HIM by BAPTISM INTO
DEATH?"
d. And that this BAPTISM INTO CHRIST JESUS, INTO HIS DEATH accomplishes
what no water baptism could, namely: "For as many of you as have been BAPTIZED
INTO CHRIST, have PUT ON CHRIST" (Galatians 3:27)?
e. And that this baptism is unique inasmuch as God is the BAPTIZER; Christ in
His DEATH, burial and resurrection is the ELEMENT; and God cojoins us with
Christ?
f. And that this baptism is the ONE baptism of Ephesians 4:5?
10. Do you claim Israel's New Covenant as yours, even though it is always addressed to the
HOUSE OF ISRAEL and the HOUSE OF JUDAH (c.f. Hebrews 8:6-9; Jeremiah 31:31-
33)?
Or do you, according to Christ's later revelation through Paul, take the place of a noncovenant
people (Ephesians 2:11-13)?
And do you base your blessings upon a purpose of God BEFORE there were any
covenants as stated in Ephesians 1:3-4?
Lastly, unless you are practicing EACH of the above ten items, you are in one manner or
another, "dividing the word of truth." Each truth will be found to be consistent with its context;
i.e., place, time and purpose.
As God's revelation changes or varies, so too, shall the record reflect those changes. If you
observe and honor those changes on a consistent basis, you will be "rightly dividing the word
of truth" (II Timothy 2:15).
(author unknown - edited)
Study Shelf, PO Box 265, Windber, PA 15963
1-800-784-6010 / www.StudyShelf.com
Taken from the Bible Student's NotebookTM, a weekly Bible study publication available in two formats
(electronic and printed)
www.BibleStudentsNotebook.com
