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Bible Contrasts! Why All These Differences?
"...FORGIVE FIRST was the requirement for forgiveness in the Gospels. After the Lord’s
Prayer, Christ explained, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not…neither will your Father forgive your tres-
passes” (Matt. 6:12-15).
When Peter asked how often to forgive, the Lord told of someone who did not, and
incurred wrath and torment. Christ said this would likewise happen to all who did
not forgive from the heart (Matt. 18:21-35). God’s people were to forgive others in
order to be forgiven by God.
FORGIVE AFTER being forgiven is the rule given by the Apostle Paul. Believers are
commanded to be“forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven
you” (Eph. 4:32). God already has “forgiven you all trespasses” (Col. 2:13). Therefore,
Christians are to be “forgiving one another…even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”
(Col. 3:13). Believers today are to forgive others just as God has already forgiven them.
MANY BAPTISMS were practiced through most of the Bible. The Old Testament religious
system required “divers washings [various baptisms, in the original Greek language]”
(Heb. 9:1,10). The Jewish religion of Christ’s time held to the “washing [Gr., baptismos]”
of many things (Mark 7:4,8). When John the Baptist came to “baptize…with water,” he
also spoke of the Holy Ghost and fire baptisms (Matt. 3:11).
Both Jesus and Peter at Pentecost taught water baptism as necessary to “be saved” —
“for the remission of sins” (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). Later Peter water baptized Cornelius
obviously after his salvation (Acts 10:43-48). Death and risking martyrdom are also called
baptisms (Luke 12:50; 1 Cor. 15:29). Christendom today practices many different baptisms.
“ONE BAPTISM” alone is now God’s rule (Eph. 4:5). That one baptism is a spiritual one “for
by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” (1 Cor. 12:13). The Apostle Paul also calls
this baptism “the operation of God” (Col. 2:12). This one baptism happens the moment a
person trusts Christ after hearing the gospel of salvation (Eph. 1:12,13).
BLESSING THROUGH ISRAEL’S RISE is promised the Gentiles in the Old Testament
through early Acts. Isaiah prophesied that Israel will be given supremacy over the
nations (Isa. 60:10-12; 61:6). From that position of priority Israel shall be a blessing
to “all the nations of the earth” (Gen. 22:17,18; Zech. 8:13; Acts 3:25,26).
The prophet further states that “the Lord shall arise upon thee [Israel].” Then “the
Gentiles shall come to thy [Israel’s] light, and…rising” (Isa. 60:1-3). Jerusalem and
the Jews will be the route whereby the nations come to God (Zech. 8:22,23).
The Gospels confirm these prophecies (Mark 7:27; 11:17; etc.).
BLESSING THROUGH ISRAEL’S FALL, apart from Israel, is presently God’s program. Now
“there is no difference between” Jew and Gentile before God (Rom. 10:12). The Jews
rejected the Word of God Paul preached so “the salvation of God is sent unto the
Gentiles” (Acts 13:45-47; 18:6; 28:25-28). It is through Israel’s “unbelief,” “blindness,”
“casting away”; “through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles”
(Rom. 11:11-15,25,30).
ANSWERED PRAYER was guaranteed by Jesus Christ in the Gospels. To His disciples He
promised “every one that asketh receiveth” (Matt. 7:8). “And
all things, whatsoever ye
shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matt. 21:22). “And
whatsoever ye shall
ask in My name, that will I do….If ye shall ask
any thing in My name, I will do it”
(John 14:13,14).
UNANSWERED PRAYER is seen in the Apostle Paul’s life. Concerning his “thorn in the
flesh” Paul wrote, “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart
from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee…” (1 Cor. 12:8,9).
God’s Word further tells us that “we know not what we should pray for as we ought”
(Rom. 8:26). And that God “is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask
or think” (Eph. 3:20).
Would you rather have whatsoever you ask, or exceeding abundantly above all that
you ask or even think?
GOD’S SPIRIT COULD LEAVE believers in other ages. “The Spirit of God came upon”
men for specific tasks. So it was with careless Samson and King Saul (Judges 14:6,19;
1 Sam. 11:6). God’s Spirit also came upon godly men such as Moses and King David for
their appointed work (Num. 11:17,29; 1 Sam. 16:13).
The Spirit came upon Jesus Christ when He began His earthly ministry (Mark 1:10).
But “the Spirit of the LORD departed from” such as Samson and Saul (Judges 16:20;
1 Sam. 16:14). Even David begged God, “take not Thy Holy Spirit from me” (Psa. 51:11).
GOD’S SPIRIT STAYS in believers today from salvation onward. When someone trusts
Christ as Savior, he is “sealed with that Holy Spirit” (Eph. 1:13). Everyone who is truly
saved possesses the Holy Spirit, for God’s Word declares, “Now if any man have not
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom. 8:9). By “the Holy Spirit of God…ye are
sealed unto the day of redemption” (Eph. 4:30).
ALL HEALED: While on earth Jesus Christ healed all who came to Him and sent His
disciples to do likewise (Matt. 10:8; 15:30,31). After His resurrection, He said His
followers were to “lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18).
After Pentecost all the sick who came to the apostles “were healed every one” even
by Peter’s shadow (Acts 5:15,16). Later “God wrought special miracles” through
the Apostle Paul, even healing at a distance by handkerchiefs (Acts 19:11,12).
MANY UNHEALED: But later Paul himself remains unhealed though he prayed to be
healed (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Paul tells Timothy to take a little wine as medicine for his
stomach because he’s often ill (1 Tim. 5:23).
Another coworker is left behind sick by Paul (2 Tim. 4:20). Paul clearly states that
the whole creation now has continuing pain, including even believers who “have
the firstfruits of the Spirit”—all together who wait for the future redemption of
the physical body (Rom. 8:22,23).
TONGUES A SIGN: Isaiah prophesied that God would speak to His people Israel with
“another tongue” (Isa. 28:11,12). At Pentecost, “Jews…out of every nation under heaven”
heard the disciples “speak with other tongues” (Acts 2:4-6). “Jews and proselytes…”
heard “them speak in our tongues,” that is, native languages (Acts 2:8-11).
The Apostle Paul wrote that “the Jews require a sign” (1 Cor. 1:22). He urged mature
understanding and then quoted what Isaiah wrote. He concluded that speaking with
other “tongues are for a sign” to unbelieving Jewish people (1 Cor. 14:20-22).
TONGUES TO STOP: Paul regarded tongues as the least of spiritual gifts
(1 Cor. 12:28-31; 14:19). Tongues were prominent in the most unspiritual
New Testament church (1 Cor. 3:1-4). Thus, it is not surprising to read Paul’s
statement: “whether there be tongues, they shall cease” (1 Cor. 13:8).
Instead, for the present time “now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three”
(1 Cor. 13:13). God has presently cast away Israel, the sign people, in blindness
(Rom. 11:15,25). Thus, the very purpose for tongues has ceased.
UNDER MOSES’ LAW: The Lord gave “the law which Moses set before the children of
Israel” to “keep and do” (Deut. 4:44; 5:1-3). If the “house of Jacob” obeyed, they would
“be a peculiar treasure… above all people” (Ex. 19:3-5). God promised Israel “life and
death, blessing and cursing” in accord with their obedience to the law’s commands
(Deut. 30:10-20).
Christ on earth was “made under the law” (Gal. 4:4). He did not “come to destroy the
law…but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). Under the “new covenant with…Israel,” God will put
His “law in their…hearts,” and they will “do them” (Jer. 31:31-33; Ezek. 36:26,27).
NOT UNDER THE LAW: Gentiles never were under the law of Moses and were exempted
when the issue arose (Acts 15:5,19-24; 21:24,25). The Apostle Paul declares that God’s
people today “are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14,15).
“My brethren, ye also are become dead to the law” (Rom. 7:4). That old covenant has
been “done away,” “abolished” (2 Cor. 3:6-14). “Christ is the end of the law…to every
one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4).
TITHING ORDERED: Abraham and Jacob gave to God “tithes” or “a tenth part of all”
(Gen. 14:20; 28:22; Heb. 7:2). “The Lord commanded Moses for…Israel” that the tenth
shall be “holy unto the LORD” (Lev. 27:30-34). The priests had “a commandment to
take tithes of the people according to the law” (Heb. 7:5 cf. Num. 18:21).
A second and third tithe was paid for festivals and the poor (Deut. 14:22-29). The
“sons of Jacob” robbed God when they withheld “tithes and offerings” and were
cursed or blessed according to their tithing (Mal. 3:6-10).
TITHING OMITTED: About giving, the Apostle Paul speaks “not by commandment”
(2 Cor. 8:8), for “the law of commandments” is today “abolished” (Eph. 2:15). The
believer now is to give “as God hath prospered him” (1 Cor. 16:2).
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly,
or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” The amount is up to the giver, but
God promises to bless accordingly as one gives (2 Cor. 9:6-8)
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to be continued...
