It is frequently taught by a ‘mid-Acts-hyper-dispensationalist’
that the phrase "by the word of the Lord" (in 1 Thess 4:15) means that
‘this information is part of Paul’s SPECIAL revelation,
uniquely for (what-he-calls) the mystery program,
only for (what-he-calls) the body of Christ
(which-he-thinks is only people who have been saved by what-he-thinks is Paul’s DISTINCT gospel).’
He said when Paul said, "by the word of the Lord" that meant is was not in (what-he-calls) the "prophecy program" but in (what-he-calls) the "mystery program".
We will briefly examine his ‘mid-Acts’ doctrine:
1 Thess 4:15-17 For this we say unto you
by the word [logos] of the Lord [kurios],
that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
A ‘mid-Acts’ preacher makes a mess with that phrase "by the word of the Lord" because of his paradigm (Yeah! Now I spelled it correctly!) that Paul had a ‘secret pre-tribulation rapture’ given only to him by the ‘risen, glorified’ Lord Jesus (Who-he-thinks is ‘another Jesus’ from ‘the earthly Jesus’ based on 2 Cor 11:4, which is another issue where he is wrong).
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Both the phrases "the word" (singular) and "the words" (plural)
are the same Greek word [logos].
When Paul was in Ephesus, he taught freely and confidently for 3 months in the assembly meeting-place of Jews, that eventually allowed Gentile Christians .... reasoning with people and convincing some to believe and preaching about (What?!?) the kingdom of God.
Acts 19:8-10 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
9 But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing (conversing, arguing, discussing) daily in the school of one Tyrannus.
10 And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word [logos] of the Lord [kurios] Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
Do you think that Jesus gave Paul a ‘special revelation’ just for the Asians?
Let’s try the phrase "the word of the Lord" again in another passage.
Paul told the Ephesian elders not to forget the words of the Lord Jesus:
Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak,
and to remember the words [logos] of the Lord [kurios] Jesus,
how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Do you suppose that Jesus only said those words to Paul?
That is the application of ‘mid-Acts’ teaching on that "the word/words of the Lord" phrase.
Could He possibly have said them during His earthly ministry?
Oh no, that was part of the ‘special revelation’ Jesus gave only to Paul.
According to Peter, the word of the Lord is eternal:
1 Peter 1:24-25 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ think Paul had the corner on the word of the Lord.
But he didn’t.
This is David Dowell, saying, "Think about it!"
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