The Revelation of the Mystery (part 6)

1 Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Aspect #4 All men can be saved apart from Israel

Before the dispensation of the grace of God began in the 9th chapter of the book of Acts, in order for a person to be accepted of God, that person would have to proselytize into the nation of Israel through either circumcision or water baptism. In doing so, that person would be placed into Israel's covenant position and performance program under the 613 points of the law. In this present dispensation of the grace of God, Israel has no standing for as much as God has concluded all under sin and in doing so, He might have mercy upon all.

Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

Therefore, salvation is offered to all people with Israel having no mediator position.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

In the Old Testament book of Mathew chapter 15, the Lord Jesus Christ tells a woman of Canaan to whom He was sent....

Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

In the same Old Testament book of Mathew chapter 10, we see to whom Jesus sent His disciples to and what they were to preach....

Matthew 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

I have actually heard people say..."we are the lost sheep Jesus is referring to in those verses" Or they might say things like the Bible is mistaken, or what it really means is...or..that is a bad translation. Have you ever heard statements like that? People will do or say anything to fit themselves into scriptures that are never intended or directed towards them in any respect. I purposefully began in verse 6 of Mathew 10 in order to now post verse 5 which plainly says that Gentiles were excluded from the earthly ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

Do you need anymore proof than Mathew 10:5 declaring the offer of salvation at that time and ministry of Christ was not to the Gentiles but only to that of the lost sheep of the house of Israel?
I'll give you one more. The apostle Paul backs up what Jesus ministry was while here on this earth in Romans 15....

Romans 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

In this dispensation in which we reside, salvation is offered to ALL men apart from Israel, apart from the covenants of promise, apart from the law, apart from performance. Salvation today is offered solely on the finished work of Christ, His death, burial and resurrection having victory over death, Hell and the grave!

No difference in Jew or Gentile in this dispensation of the grace of God!

Galatians 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 3:28 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.

In the Old Testament book of Mathew once again, Jesus was explaining to them about their position in their kingdom setting on the earth, and again He showed them the limit to whom His earthly ministry was directed in saying...

Matthew 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Now, compare that statement to what the apostle Paul has to say about to whom the life of Christ was a ransom for in....

1 Timothy 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Did you see the difference? Jesus said "many", Paul said "all". All is many, but many is not all. Words are funny that way, they mean stuff. In this case, Jesus signified his life was ransomed for Israel, and Paul, through the preaching of Christ according to the revelation of the mystery explains Christ was ransomed for all. Note how 1 Timothy 2:6 concludes in saying "to be testified in due time", don't let that be wasted on you in as much as Paul is the due time testifier of the revelation of the mystery as we see in these verses where Paul explains that he is the last to see Jesus and the first to get this message.

1 Corinthians 15:8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

If we are up to speed on our Bible exegesis, Paul is our pattern. If you want to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then believe what He said and that would be to follow the one He sent.....Paul.