‘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!”
