If they only had known it, Stephen’s death at the hands of Israel’s religious leaders was a signal to that nation that the advancing “Pentecostal” outreach to God’s people was now failing.  Perhaps God would now turn his back on Israel as Stephen had so strongly suggested in his great message in chapter 7 of the Acts.  For the one bringing the accusation against Stephen was a young man named Saul.  Today, we move ahead to see as chapter 9 records it how this same man Saul was traveling to Damascus with official papers from the high priest and Israel’s elders to continue arresting the believers.  But Saul was intercepted on the road by Christ himself who introduced himself with these words: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? … I am Jesus whom thou persecutest”.  Saul’s life was transformed by these words.  We finished our study by seeing how Saul’s life was radically transformed by the power of God as he in due time became a powerful witness for Jesus as Israel’s long awaited Messiah.  Saul also learned, in this case through a disciple named Ananias, how much he would soon begin to suffer for Christ’s sake, what would become the hallmark of his testimony as he then might rightfully proclaim in his letters, how through weakness God’s grace would now be made manifest. 

Perhaps the greatest miracle of all in the early chapters of the Acts (before Paul’s salvation, that is) was the work of the Holy Spirit in bringing a singleness of heart to all believers that led to the selling of properties and the proceeds being distributed according to need.  However, even with so many spiritual and physical miracles proving that God was working toward the realization of the earthly Kingdom, the religious leaders of Israel still were in rebellion and would not accept Jesus as their risen Messiah.  Peter offered the kingdom in Acts 3 and on multiple occasions after that without a positive response by Israel’s religious leaders. Then, finally, when Stephen preached that great message recorded in Acts 7 in which he so powerfully blamed Israel’s leaders for the death of our Lord, they stoned him.  In this event, Israel had now in the plan of God nationally rejected the salvation of God.  The Lord would consequently turn away from Israel through the salvation of Saul, renamed Paul, and his appointment as apostle of the Gentiles.

One thing we have learned in our studies on the Great Transition is that the preaching of the Kingdom when it is authorized by God is always accompanied by Signs and Wonders.  That is so evident in the early chapters of Acts.  In chapter 2 Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost and the great miracle was that of foreign languages.  All those Jews that had gathered in Jerusalem speaking only languages other than Hebrew or Aramaic heard and understood Peter’s message that day.  That was convincing and 3000 were converted. Now, in chapter 3 Peter preaches boldly again and this time it is in the Temple with the high priest and other rulers of the Nation of Israel in attendance. A man has been healed and no one can deny it.  Peter preaches that those present, Israel’s rulers, are personally responsible for his death and that they will judged when he returns. Israel’s rulers reject that message even though Signs and Wonders have been seen by so many.  That message was the first of several offers of the Kingdom to this rebellious nation. Peter’s message that day was an offer of the Kingdom to the nation such that if they would receive it they would be forgiven when the Lord returned.  But they clearly did not and plotted against the disciples.  The Lord did require a believing and “elect” nation and a people for his name.

Today we reach our next major development in the ongoing post-resurrection ministry of the apostles to God’s chosen people, Israel.  Since Pentecost, Signs and Wonders have been manifested as the Gospel of the Kingdom was preached.  Thousands have come to repentance and faith in their risen Messiah. Chapter 3 opens with the Lord using Peter to heal a man crippled from birth.  He praises God accompanying many into the Temple itself.  The healing cannot be denied by Israel’s religious rulers and they confront Peter with the simple question “how did you do it?”  His answer concludes with his preaching of the risen and then ascended Christ who is awaiting God the Father’s command to return in judgment of those who had not believed.  About 5000 do repent at this offer of the Kingdom but the leaders of Israel refuse that message and seek to cause additional trouble for the apostles.  Miraculous signs including a manifestation of true unity of spirit and a communal sharing of personal property with each other sets the stage for chapter 5 and the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

Last time we learned that the Gospel of the Kingdom was preached as “at hand” and that preaching was accompanied by God-given Signs and Wonders.  After Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection the disciples were asked to wait for the giving of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit of God, called by our Lord Jesus “the Promise”.  He then ascended to the right hand of God to reside there until, as he said, he would return to judge the world.  In preparation for that, the message was to be preached as before regarding the Kingdom which was “at hand” but now with the added component that was so important, that the one Israel had crucified was alive from the dead!  Repentance in that national context was required in addition to individual and personal faith in their Resurrected Messiah.  Pentecost was the day Peter preached that message.  Thousands believed with as the promised signs of Joel’s chapter 2 prophecy of many speaking in foreign languages were given. Those Jews from foreign lands in Jerusalem on pilgrimage understood Peter’s and the other’s preaching and this was a Sign no one present could deny.  What would be next considering that Joel’s prophecy was in some measure (but not entirely) being fulfilled?  Was the resurrected Lord soon returning to judge his deniers? 

We have seen how Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 and 13 that the miraculous gifts found among believers in Corinth would be passing away.  As a result, no one should assume that those gifts would be permanent.  God would be giving something far better, namely, the fullness or completion of the Word of God.  We saw how that was accomplished through the writings of the apostle Paul. But beginning with today’s study in the Word of God Rightly Divided we start a four part series of studies on what I am calling “The Transition: The Glorious Sweep of God’s Abundant Grace”.  What we will see is how God’s plan regarding the manifestation of his abundant grace was implemented.  That plan required the setting aside of the nation of Israel as the centerpiece in God’s working, a working that began with the preaching we consider today, that Israel’s promised Kingdom was “At Hand”.  John the baptizer preached that message as did Christ himself and the Twelve.  It was that message that led directly to Pentecost once the death and resurrection of our Lord had occurred.  Israel’s promised Kingdom WOULD be established, but it would be a work of the Lord in his timing and not the timing of mankind, even the Twelve.

Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 12 & 13 highlight not only the temporary nature of those sign gifts and other miraculous gifts if the Spirit, but also the reason why they were soon to pass away.  That reason was that through Paul the completed word of grace would be completed and then there would not longer be a reason for these gifts.  Even the gift of apostleship would pass away when the apostle himself was martyred.  With that teaching in mind, Paul teaches so powerfully (in Philippians 4, for example) that those that reject the Word of God Rightly Divided will suffer the consequences, whether in this life or in the next.  In addition, those that love grace and its fullness — and love his appearing, will be blessed greatly in this life and eternally.  Amen.

Based on Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 - 13, we have seen how what was true then when he was writing was in the process already of changing.  Before long those gifts of the Spirit mentioned in chapter 12 would be gone, whether ceasing of their own accord or being perhaps dramatically terminated.  Even the gift of prophecy was included.  But we know from other references (such as in chapter 14) that prophecy continued for a time.  Paul’s teaching was intended to comfort the believers when they saw that those gifts were passing.  They had had such a dominant role in the church in Corinth so their passing would have been troubling indeed.  On a final note though, when God removed those gifts as the word of grace became compete, that is, full, there was no longer a need.  Full maturity in Christ was then available to all members of Christ’s Body Church as taught there in those final verses in chapter 13. Praise God, to know oneself as known by Christ.  What a great gift this truth is, the Word of God Rightly Divided .  The signs, wonders, and miracle gifts have no purpose in God’s economy today!  Amen.

Today we look carefully at Paul’s primary teaching on the gifts of the Spirit to members of the Body of Christ.  Miraculous powers were indeed given to believers under Paul’s ministry.  But, he teaches in 1 Corinthians chapters 12 through 14 that these special gifts from the Spirit would be given and useable only for a short time.  He teaches that they were appropriate only for that time of “the partial” revelation of God’s word.  When “the perfect” or“the completed” revelation was available (through Paul, of course), then those special gifts would no longer be given or even used if given previously.  Many have wanted to tie this revelation to the Second Coming of Christ, but that does not make sense in this context.  Col. 1:25-29 is about that completed giving through Paul of that special “secret” revelation previously kept hidden but now revealed.  Summarizing that, Paul writes there of “the Christ in you [Gentiles], the hope of glory.  That is God’s work today with great power as Paul writes in Col. 1:29.  This explains the teaching about the “maturity” of that revelation concerning the Dispensation of grace itself found in 1 Cor. 13:11-13.  Now “we know even as we are known”.  This correlates as well with Paul’s final words to Israel recorded in Acts 28:25-29.  With Israel set aside, there was no more need for any miraculous signs, since primarily they were for the Jews.  Praise God for his unspeakable gift.

1 Corinthians chapters 12 through 14 provide the teaching on the miraculous gifts of the spirit that were given to believers in the early Church which is His Body. Signs, wonders, and miracles were common during Christ’s earthly ministry and continued during the early Acts period after the death and resurrection of our Lord.  They provided authentication of the messenger and the message as the Kingdom Gospel was preached to the Jews (Mk. 16). But when Paul was raised up as apostle of the Gentiles, there was a continuation of signs and wonders and Paul himself exhibited them authenticating his apostleship.  But believers saved through Paul’s preaching were given special gifts as well and that is the focus in these three chapters.  Paul teaches there that those particular gifts were to be given and used only temporarily.  So they would be passing away and the implication is that that would be sooner rather than later. Otherwise the exhortation would be somewhat meaningless.  Next time we will get to the detailed teaching as to why these gifts would no longer be exercising the work of God.  But in summary, it was so God’s abundant grace might be fully displayed apart from the Kingdom Law and its preaching.  For no longer was the coming Earthy Kingdom with its earthly powers in view but rather a heavenly citizenship with a correspondingly great difference in how godly power would be manifested.  Now that power was to be exhibited through weakness as the apostle Paul so gloriously demonstrated in his life (2 Cor. 12).