Observing What Jesus Taught His Disciples

 

Notice that the disciples were to teach new converts to OBSERVE ALL THINGS that Jesus taught them. Believe it or not, this Great Commission is still in force today, "and, lo, I am with you alway, even UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD." Everything Jesus taught those disciples, they were in turn to teach ALL NATIONS. This also means that whatever Jesus taught is also church doctrine! Since all the disciples are dead, it is up to us, who follow Jesus, to obey His last command. All the Gospel accounts directed to the disciples are just as applicable to us today.

Some make a big deal out of Jesus speaking to Jews before His death and resurrection as though it nullifies anything Jesus ever said that could apply to us. They make a big deal how Jesus uses the term "brethren," for example in Matthew 25, meaning Jews only! It doesn't matter if one is a Jew or not, or whether it's before the death or after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus told us who His brethren are.

However, according to those steeped in dispensationalism will claim that ALL of what Jesus taught His disciples doesn't really apply to anyone today while those who take Jesus' words seriously are mocked by those who disagree with them, and go on about handling snakes and challenging Christians with drinking poison and to post the results of their step in faith, and making a big deal about "cutting straight" or "rightly dividing". If you cut something, you are dividing anyway! (A sample of this can be seen in the Eternal Truth Forum) Rightly dividing the word of truth doesn't mean you disregard what Jesus ever taught and tell people not everything Jesus said applies to anyone in the church. Rightly dividing the word of truth does not mean you divide people, books, chapters, or certain verses to support pet doctrines. It means rightly dividing the word of God so as to get a balanced teaching that agrees with the whole body of Scripture.

Everything Jesus personally taught His disciples applies to every Christian today, even with it's many warnings, because you find the same warnings in the epistles.

We are the household of God and the saints, the church, are not just built upon Paul so that one can disregard the book of Hebrews, James, 1&2 Peter, 1,2 & 3 John, and the book of Revelation. Paul even said that the church is built upon the apostles (plural) and prophets (Eph. 2:20). Peter, James and John were just as much apostles as Paul, and we are to disregard what Peter, James and John have to say because you claim some of what they say does not apply to the church?

 It's interesting that we should be told that the church should only apply the Pauline epistles and yet ignore Hebrews while claiming Paul wrote it! How mind boggling is that? They will make a big deal out of who the books are "written to" (take James and Hebrews for instance), and not to the church. Well, either those Jews were in Christ and part of His body or they were not! Again, how were these Jews different from us who have trusted in Christ for our salvation? How do they differ from us since we also have been enlightened, have tasted the heavenly gift, have been made partakes of the Holy Spirit, have tasted the good word of God, and in the church? Doesn't the Bible say that 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? One must not hold his breath because there won't be an answer coming soon. People would rather hold on to pet doctrines than answer these types of questions and face the truth. Rather, they like to sit around and mock other Christians and gossip. They surmise other people's activities who are seeking the truth, especially women, by saying, "This is particularly true of today when these devilish people can creep in through the doors of the husband’s house by means of the internet and snare the wife. If the woman is left to her own devises and Satan is allowed to work her over, the internet can be an anonymous pulpit from which to spread venomous scorn. This type of woman has been allowed by her husband (for the sake of the him wanting some peace and quiet) to be idle in the duties of a wife and has become a widow because of it." So, if you are a woman who doesn't agree with his pet doctrine, this evil is spoken of you. He must sit in every woman's home to be able to know what the husband allows (for the sake of him wanting some peace and quiet)?

 Jesus said in Matt. 12:36,

Nothing in the Bible contradicts. What James and the other apostles write do not contradict with what Paul taught. In fact, Peter talked about the writings of Paul and never made a distinction between Paul's teachings and that of the other apostles (2 Peter 3:1-2, 15-16).

It's interesting, I'm in the midst of studying James. What Paul and James taught are exactly the same. People think that when James says, "being justified by works," that he's talking about salvation. James did not say Abraham was saved by works. He said Abraham was justified by works. "Justify" means to declare "righteous." People connect righteousness with salvation. If "justified" means "saved," we've got a problem. Read 1 Tim. 3:16 where it says Jesus was justified in the Spirit. When was Jesus saved?

James declares that imputed righteousness to Abraham, just as Paul did. James states, "And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God." James message has nothing to do with how one is saved (see Acts 15, for he already knew about salvation without works). James message has to do with the PERFECTING of one's faith. He picks Abraham as an example. He doesn't talk about how a man is saved, but about one's FAITH in action. Was Abraham's faith perfect in Gen. 15? Was it perfect in chapters 16,17,18,19, and 20? It wasn't perfect until chapter 22. Abraham was justified in chapter 15 of Genesis. He had faith in God, but his faith was not perfected until chapter 22. He showed his faith by his works.

Abraham proved his faith by his works. Abraham was not only justified before the eyes of God, but also men. James and Paul are in agreement. Read his epistles where he talks about the faith of the saints and how their faith is spread abroad (read 1 Thess. 1 for example), by what they did! (For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;) We also have Titus 2:11,12. We have 2 Tim. 3:16 how the word of God is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. Even when we read Hebrews, it speaks of the many warnings, but also the fact that God wants our faith perfected. God is not going to control us, He's expecting us to be obedient and remain faithful.

Our faith will be proved by our good works. Good works doesn't mean singing I'm saved forever even though I can't stop sinning and Paul knows my troubles (by taking Rom. 7 and 1 Tim. 1:15 out of context). Notice how many excuses are made for sinning and using the Scriptures to justify it!

The most vile sinner can come to God and be saved and the Holy Spirit will immediately work in that life, but the person must also cooperate with the Holy Spirit. We will be told that God will change our lives. He can't change it if we don't cooperate. He gives us the strength to live right. He gives us the strength to put away anger, to be able to forgive, to live soberly, godly, and righteously in this present world. Granted some may slip, but the Holy Spirit will immediately convict that person and he will repent. But those who call themselves Christians and live in anger, fornication, drunkenness, etc., how can he say he is a Christian? Does that kind of life give glory to God? I would say these kind of works do not justify the person. Like James says, "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."

We would do well to heed the many promises and warning of Jesus as well of His apostles in the New Testament, who preach Christ, and learn as examples of those from the Old Testament. We should obey Jesus' commands and abide in Him.

 We are told the Gospels, most of Acts, and Hebrews through Revelation are for a future dispensation and therefore not binding on us today. There can be only one conclusion to all this. That is, if only Paul's epistle apply to us directly, then we are not bound at all by the teachings of Christ! If we are going to relegate Jesus' words to another dispensation, then what we have are Christians who do not keep Jesus' words. (John 14:23) I wonder how many would say the prayer Jesus' taught His disciples? "Oh, that's not for us," they say. Or how about those who refuse to forgive their brother? It is plain to see that Christ does offer forgiveness, but He can also take it back! ( Matt. 6:14; 18:21-35; Mr 11:26; Luke 11:4; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13). When we come to Christ in faith, he takes away our past sins, but absolutely nowhere does it say that all "present" and "future" sins were forgiven at the cross. "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Rom. 3:25) Peter is in agreement, "But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins" (2 Peter 1:9).

John said if we did not abide in the doctrine of Christ, we do not have God. (2 John 1:9) Are we to believe John's books only applies to "Tribulation saints"? We don't have to abide in the doctrine of Christ? We don't have to keep Jesus' commandments? Nothing Jesus said anywhere in the Gospels applies to us? We simply choose what we want applied to us?

Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments...."

John reinforces Jesus' words: