Brother Bill Sunday School 8/23/15

Brother Bill Sunday School 8/23/15

Salvation to the Jews and the Gentiles: according to what the Bible says, the Jews are no longer a special people, a step ahead of us.  If they reject the plan of salvation they will be lost just as well as the Gentiles.  They must go through the same process to be saved as the Gentiles do.

Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

There is neither Greek nor Jew.  There is no more the thought of nationalities or of God discerning one nation above another.  In modern day, “There is neither Italian nor Irish.”  We all can be saved. 

It is neither by circumcision nor uncircumcision; it is not by rituals.  The sacrifices and offerings are done.  The distinction between circumcision and uncircumcision is done. 

In the book, “What the Bible Teaches,” it helped me to have a better understanding of this scripture:

Gal 4:30  Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman.

Gal 4:31  So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free.

You can get the answer to a math problem in many different ways.  Sometimes it is just having someone explain it to you so that you can understand it. 

When the Gospel dispensation came, those Old Testament rituals as far as sacrifices and offerings were done away with at the cross.  But what happened was that their system of operation was hard to change overnight; to have such a reformation happen overnight was hard. 

Even after Jesus hung on the cross and died they were still doing certain things.  God had to reveal to Peter when He brought a vision of animals coming down and told him to eat, Peter said, “No I have never eaten anything unclean.”  God said, “What I have made clean that call thou not unclean.” 

Then those of the Italian band came with a testimony and Peter accepted them.  Before the vision, he would not have accepted them.

Remember in the book of Acts they had a big discussion of what to require of the Gentiles.  Then they decided, “Let’s not put anything on them except…” 

Cast out the bondwoman and her son.  The old form of Old Testament rituals: remember how Hagar and her son Ismael were with Abraham; also Sarah and Isaac were there.  There was no peace.  Abraham, to keep peace in the camp, had to cast out the bondwoman and her son. 

Paul was trying to tell the Galatians, “That form of ritual and worship is done.  We have to leave it behind.  Cast out the bondwoman and her son.” 

The New Testament mentions “Jerusalem which is from above”.  We are not of the old system anymore.  God set up a better plan.  We are of Spiritual Jerusalem now.

Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

Barbarian means of or relating to a land, culture, or people alien and usually believed to be inferior to another.  Lacking refinement, literacy, or culture. 

I was one of those kind of people.  I was not raised in the church of God.  I didn’t have the same training as some of you have and some of your children had.  I lacked teaching.  I am aware that the scripture says, “No man will teach you, you will be taught of the Lord.”  There are things that God teaches you, but I believe that we need the help of the Body to learn some things too.

Even to those that are Barbarians spiritually, salvation is even unto them.  I felt that I lacked refinement, that I was a rock with a bunch of edges.  You’ve seen those tumblers, I was put in the tumbler and rolled around with the other rocks to get those edges knocked off.  We need the body.

Scythian: Owing to their reputation as established by Greek historians, Scythians served as the epitome of savagery and barbarism.  Even those that spend time at the bar and fighting, even they can be saved. 

Bond nor free: Whatever the position in life, whether slave or free man, you can serve God.  Whether you are barely scrapping by or are the banker, you can serve God.

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Gal 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.

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In some cultures the women are counted as lower.  According to what the scripture says, “There is neither male nor female.”  God doesn’t look at one as any higher than anyone else. 

Even as far as our gifts, in Corinthians it tells us that God gives the gifts.  What are we as humans to think that one is above another when all you have received is from Him?  What do we have to glory in when we cannot even open and close our hand without Him?

God doesn’t look at one above another but we are all equal in His sight, heirs according to the promise.  Not according to nationality, nor according to law keeping, but according to the promise and only through salvation. 

Heb 12:18  For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

We are not come to darkness, blackness, and tempest anymore.  When the feeling would come that you are inferior or oppression comes, remember this: It is not of God.  It is the enemy that brings that.