If the Lord Will?

God, through James, taught saints to be conscience of the Lord’s will in every thing they do, in every where they go:

 James 4:13-17  Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.
 16 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
 17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

God, through Paul, showed the example by experience of doing what James taught:

 1 Cor 4:17-21  For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
 18 Now some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
 19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power.
 20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
 21 What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

 1 Cor 16:7-9  For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.
 8 But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.
 9 For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ live like God doesn’t care what they do or where they go .... and that no one should say anything to them about it .... because ‘they’re under grace’.  But God does have a ‘will’ about the way they live:

 Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
 Rom 12:1-2  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

Where Did Paul Rightly Divide

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ say that since ‘Paul’ told us to ‘rightly divide’ .... then we should ‘go to Paul’ to show us how! So they run to Eph 2:11-12 to pick up ‘time past’ .... followed by Eph 2:13 for ‘but now’ .... then they have to back-track in the scriptures, to before ‘time past’, to Eph 2:7 for ‘the ages to come’. I don’t have a problem with the concept of past, present, and future .... but I strongly disagree with the separation of saints that the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ assign for the three sections. They have Israel isolated in ‘time past’ with all the old testament prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, and His 12 disciples, and all who believed by them. ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ make ‘but now’ saints be ONLY those converts who have believed by PAUL. They think that Paul preached a different gospel than any other of Christ’s ministers, even though the scriptures teach otherwise:

Mark 1:1-4 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

John explained that He was talking about Jesus:

John 1:15-17 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

The old testament prophets preached in ‘time past’ .... the time of the old testament law .... but since John the Baptist came at the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ .... things changed. ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ don’t recognize what God says in these verses:

Matt 11:13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.

Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were until John:
since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

After John preached the kingdom of God ....
Jesus preached the kingdom of God (Mark 1:14).
The 12 disciples/apostles (Matt 10:1-2) preached the kingdom of God (Luke 9:1-2).
Jesus told a certain unnamed man to preach the kingdom of God (Luke 9:57-60).
Philip preached the kingdom of God (Acts 8:12).
Paul preached the kingdom of God (Acts 20:25, 28:31).

John recorded where John the Baptist rightly divided ....
between the law and Moses .... and grace/truth and Jesus Christ:

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Paul rightly divided the very same place ....
between the law written in tables of stone .... and the Spirit’s writing of the law in the heart (just like the prophecy said Jer 31:33):

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.

Again, Paul rightly divided the same way ....
between the old testament ‘letter’ that killeth .... and the new testament Spirit that giveth life:

2 Cor 3:5-6 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 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.

Paul rightly divided the same points ....
between the ministration of death written in stones (the law, the letter that killeth) .... and the ministration of the Spirit:

2 Cor 3:7-8 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:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

Paul kept the same position of right division ....
between the ministration of condemnation (the law by Moses, written on tables of stone, the letter that condemned and killed) .... and the ministration of righteousness (the grace and truth by Jesus Christ, the law written in the heart by the Spirit that ministered righteousness and life):

2 Cor 3:9-10 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory,
much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

The law by Moses was done away .... but the grace of Jesus Christ continues:

2 Cor 3:11 For if that which is done away was glorious,
much more that which remaineth is glorious.

The old testament by Moses is out .... and the new testament in Christ is in:

2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old.
Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.

That’s just where Paul rightly divided ....
between the old testament law in ‘time past’ .... and the new testament grace in ‘but now’:

Rom 6:14-b for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

That’s the SAME place Paul rightly divided in Eph 2:11-13 ....
between the old testament and the new.

Paul did NOT divide the saints, the church of God, nor ministers.
But ‘mid-Acts-ers’ do. Beware!

1 Cor 3:3-4 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

Yes, ye are!

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

What if God Gives Them What They Want?

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ boldly claim that they have ‘no part at all’ in the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as it is recorded by John:

Rev 1:1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ deny new Jerusalem being their mother .... even though Paul declares it .... because new Jerusalem is in the book of the Revelation (Rev 3:12, 21:2).
What if God gives the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ what they want?
‘No part’ in new Jerusalem?

Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ boldly claim that James, Cephas (Peter), and John wrote only to the circumcision (Israel) and not to the Gentiles (based on Gal 2:9).

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev 19:10b). ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ think they have no part in the book of Revelation. They want nothing to do with the book of Revelation:

Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

What if God gives the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ what they want?
‘No part’ of the book of this prophecy .... and thus, no part in the book of life?

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

Cannot Sin?

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ apply being ‘born of God’ to Israel, never us Gentiles (John 1:11-13). They teach that Peter, James, and John ministered only to Israel (Gal 2:9), not us Gentiles. Those are 2 sure ways to totally eliminate having to deal with 2 verses, in particular, in John’s 1st epistle:

1 John 3:9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1 John 5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Since I came out from being a ‘mid-Acts-er’ .... I am willing to reevaluate every doctrine I held, and take a fresh look at each issue .... without the ‘mid-Acts’ paradigm. I found MANY areas where they are, and I WAS, wrong. I admit it is much EASIER and more CONVENIENT to just throw these away, but that is not the right thing to do. So here is my understanding.

The Greek word [dikaioo] that is translated ‘freed’ in Rom 6:7 is written 40 times in scripture. It is translated ‘justified’ 37 times, ‘justifier’ 1 time, ‘be righteous’ 1 time, and ‘freed’ 1 time. Paul teaches in Romans that we are dead and ‘justified’ (freed) from sin. Therefore, we understand that sin cannot be ‘charged’ to us. We are released from it. We are detached from it. Sin cannot be on our account:

Rom 6:7 For he that is dead is freed (Greek [dikaioo]) from sin.

Rom 8:10-11 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Rom 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Thus, in essence, we, who are dead (to sin) and yet alive (to God),
do not commit sin.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Did Paul Preach Messiah?

Indisputably, Paul preached the good news of Christ:

Rom 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. (also see Rom 15:29; 1 Cor 9:12, 18; 2 Cor 4:4, 9:13, 10:14; Gal 1:6-7; Phil 1:27; 1 Thess 3:2)

Common sense would tell you that the gospel of Christ is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Would any ‘mid-Acts-er’ contest this?

2 Thess 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Interestingly, could the gospel of Christ and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ be the same as the gospel of Jesus Christ? Of course, it is .... unless you’re a ‘mid-Acts-er’ .... then it can’t be, because they must maintain their paradigm .... even to the point of not being rational!

But surely, Christ is Jesus the Christ .... is Jesus Christ .... is the Lord Jesus Christ .... is Jesus Christ our Lord.

Not only is the gospel of Jesus Christ in Paul’s writings, and in the beginning of Mark, but gospel of Jesus Christ is also written in the OLD testament prophets:

Mark 1:1-2 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

John penned his gospel message so that people who read it would believe that Jesus is the Christ and be saved:

John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Peter testified that the same Jesus who Israel crucified was their Christ:

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Paul himself proved from the prophetic scriptures that Jesus is Christ:

Acts 17:2-3 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

Here is the kicker for the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ .... ‘Messias’ is of Hebrew origin for the Greek word meaning ‘Christ’. The words, Messias (or Messiah) and Christ, are in different languages, Hebrew and Greek, with the same meaning ‘the Annointed’:

John 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Paul had persecuted ‘this way’ unto the death (Acts 22:4, 26:11). He persecuted Jesus (Acts 22:8), not individually, but by persecuting His church (1 Cor 15:9, Gal 1:13). After Paul personally encountered Jesus (Acts 9), he preached in the Hebrew tongue (Acts 21:40, 22:2) .... the very same faith (Eph 4:5) that he had once destroyed (Gal 1:23):

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Thus, Paul preached Jesus, the Christ, the Messias.
He was not embarrassed of it, and neither am I, and neither should you be.

I am standing on the Word of God .... not just with Paul.
Will you even stand .... and if so, where?

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Different Gospels?

The gospel of Christ is the good news of grace:

Gal 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Just because Peter and Paul went different directions (Peter to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles) .... does NOT mean that they took a different message:

Gal 2:7-9 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of (no Greek word here for the preposition 'of') the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of (no Greek word here for the preposition 'of') the circumcision was unto Peter;
8 (For he that
wrought effectually in Peter to (Greek: [eis]) the apostleship of the circumcision,
the same was mighty in me toward (Greek: [eis]) the Gentiles:)
9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship;
that we should go unto (Greek: [eis]) the heathen,
and they unto (Greek: [eis]) the circumcision.

In the same letter, Paul emphasized that it made no difference between circumcision and uncircumcision:

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

They certainly would not have had different gospels for them, when it did not matter:

Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

When Peter went to the first group of Gentiles (at Cornelius’ house), he knew that everyone - regardless of whether they were Jew or Gentile - would be saved by the grace of Christ:

Acts 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

When God said, over and over, it makes ‘no difference’ ....
then ‘mid-Acts-ers’ should stop making a difference!

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Peter’s Further Revelation from the Risen, Glorified Lord

Scripture details Peter’s vision with the Lord, after He was ‘risen’ and ‘glorified’ .... but ‘mid-Acts-ers’ don’t like to mention it because it messes up their ‘Pauline’ paradigm:

Acts 10:9-20 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
Like Saul in Acts 9:4, Peter heard a voice, but saw no man:
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Like Saul in Acts 9:5, Peter called the voice he heard, “Lord”:
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Like Paul in Acts 26:19, Peter described his experience as a ‘vision’ -- also from ‘heaven’ as was Paul's (Acts 10:11):
17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,
18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing:
for I (the Spirit) have sent them.

Peter testified that it was God that showed him the equality of the Gentiles:

Acts 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Peter knew that God specifically picked him out to take the gospel to the Gentiles:

Acts 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us,
that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Peter understood the ‘no difference’ issue back in Acts 10, and he told the council at Jerusalem about it later:

Acts 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Peter preached the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles:

Acts 11:11-14 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

What gospel did Peter take? According to the Bible (and NOT the 'mid-Acts-ers'), it was the same gospel the 12 took, the same gospel Paul took:

1 Cor 15:3-5, 11 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas (that is, Peter),
then of the twelve:
11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach (that is, Paul or them), and so ye believed.

Paul was not the only apostle to get ‘further revelation’ .... Peter got it, too!

The Bible disrupts ‘mid-Acts’ doctrine, so they follow a man with a chart instead. How sad!

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”