Before The Foundation Of The World

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Noblemen

Senior Member
#1
Jan 14, 2018
498
149
43
#1
Ephesians 1:4

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Paul, before his conversion knew nothing but law, nothing but Judaism.
He was academically the best trained man in the scripture. Paul was a rabbi, a lawyer, and someone who fullfilled everything the law demanded.
Paul knew nothing about the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, other than what he had been told. Paul was a man that could be trained in the new message of Grace, which was the antithesis to Judaism. Therefore, I think the reason the Lord choose Paul was because Jesus earthly ministry, which was to Israel, did not influence him.
I think the reason the Lord did not choose one of the other Apostles is because they had walked with Jesus, they suped with Him, and witnessed the many miracles. I do not believe they could have handled Grace the way Paul did. Paul, the meanest man alive, came to understand Grace.
God used Paul to bring the Grace message into the world.
Like He used Moses to bring law into the world, Paul was God's man to carry the message of the plan of God from before the foundation of the world.
Not to say the other Apostles didn't have things to say.
But the message of God that He would literally birth His Own children and put another in them to be their only life, came through the Apostle Paul.
The importance of Paul to the born again, cannot be stressed enough. Paul speaks directly to the born again, and we know nothing about Christ even being in the believer, without Paul. Paul gave to the church the in Christ message.
We get our understanding of the cross from Paul, the crucifixion of all in Adam, Galatians 2:20

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.

Without the knowledge of Paul being the Apostle to the Gentiles, you cannot put the rest of scripture together.
You must start with Paul, because he lays the foundation for Christianity.
Paul never mixed law with his gospel, he tells you who you are, how you got to be who you are, and what to do with it, how to live it.
Confusion in Christianity is at a all time high, and religion prevails when Paul's is not understood.
Paul's gospel understanding does not start at his conversion, it doesn't even start at the cross.
Paul's message to the world starts before the foundation of the world, that is true Christianity found in the word of God.
 
Zmouth

Zmouth

Senior Member
#2
Nov 21, 2012
3,391
134
63
#2
Noblemen said:
Paul knew nothing about the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, other than what he had been told.
Click to expand...
If not mistaken, didn't Saul persecute those who believed the Gospel before his conversion?
  • For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: Gal 1:13
  • That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. Gal 1:23
Not sure how one could know what a person knew or didn't know except to say that if the person had been told of the gospel then if faith comes by hearing then wouldn't hearing be sufficient, yet even by faith in the law then one would be without execuse seeing that it is written of the law "Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?"

Yet Paul's faith came by hearing an audible voice and seeing no man, which in all fairness might not mean that the audible voice didn't come from a man who could be seen since Paul had just seen a light brighter than the sun which left him unable to see for several days.

Noblemen said:
Paul's message to the world starts before the foundation of the world, that is true Christianity found in the word of God.
Click to expand...
I'll take the doctrine of Christ over Paul's message any day.
 
L

Lillywolf

Well-known member
#3
Aug 29, 2018
1,562
543
113
#3
Noblemen said:
Ephesians 1:4

4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

Paul, before his conversion knew nothing but law, nothing but Judaism.
He was academically the best trained man in the scripture. Paul was a rabbi, a lawyer, and someone who fullfilled everything the law demanded.
Paul knew nothing about the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, other than what he had been told. Paul was a man that could be trained in the new message of Grace, which was the antithesis to Judaism. Therefore, I think the reason the Lord choose Paul was because Jesus earthly ministry, which was to Israel, did not influence him.
I think the reason the Lord did not choose one of the other Apostles is because they had walked with Jesus, they suped with Him, and witnessed the many miracles. I do not believe they could have handled Grace the way Paul did. Paul, the meanest man alive, came to understand Grace.
God used Paul to bring the Grace message into the world.
Like He used Moses to bring law into the world, Paul was God's man to carry the message of the plan of God from before the foundation of the world.
Not to say the other Apostles didn't have things to say.
But the message of God that He would literally birth His Own children and put another in them to be their only life, came through the Apostle Paul.
The importance of Paul to the born again, cannot be stressed enough. Paul speaks directly to the born again, and we know nothing about Christ even being in the believer, without Paul. Paul gave to the church the in Christ message.
We get our understanding of the cross from Paul, the crucifixion of all in Adam, Galatians 2:20

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.

Without the knowledge of Paul being the Apostle to the Gentiles, you cannot put the rest of scripture together.
You must start with Paul, because he lays the foundation for Christianity.
Paul never mixed law with his gospel, he tells you who you are, how you got to be who you are, and what to do with it, how to live it.
Confusion in Christianity is at a all time high, and religion prevails when Paul's is not understood.
Paul's gospel understanding does not start at his conversion, it doesn't even start at the cross.
Paul's message to the world starts before the foundation of the world, that is true Christianity found in the word of God.
Click to expand...
Romans 9:
21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same mass (lump) one vessel for beauty and distinction and honorable use, and another for menial or ignoble and dishonorable use?

22 What if God, although fully intending to show [the awfulness of] His wrath and to make known His power and authority, has tolerated with much patience the vessels (objects) of [His] anger which are ripe for destruction?

23 And [what if] He thus purposes to make known and show the wealth of His glory in [dealing with] the vessels (objects) of His mercy which He has prepared beforehand for glory,

24 Even including ourselves whom He has called, not only from among the Jews but also from among the Gentiles (heathen)?


These are some articles to consider on the topic of Predestination. They are rather lengthy. But consider, if it isn't worth the time to become informed about God's word in this way, how does one expect to read God's word, the Bible? Which is of a far greater length than these.

This article below involves also those with NDE. As regards someone who has had a NDE=near death experience, or who has taken the time to watch the many videos available wherein experiencers report either Heaven or Hades as their experience.
 
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