Truth Magazine

By Johnie Edwards

There is lot of religious confusion because people do not understand the phrase, “Before And After Faith Came.” The passage containing the phrase says, “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should after-wards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:23-25).

How The Word “Faith” Is Used

Sometimes the word “faith” simply means “to believe in.” An example of this use is found in the book of Hebrews, as the apostle said, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). Another use of the word “faith” is in reference to the gospel of Christ. It was said of the apostle Paul, “And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed” (Gal. 1:22-23). Just what did Paul preach when he preached the faith? First Corinthians 15:1 contains the answer. “More-over, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand.” It is said in Acts 6:7, “And the word of God in-creased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priest were obedient to the faith.” What do people obey when they obey the faith? They obey the gospel as Paul used the phrase “obeyed the gospel” in Romans 10:16. There is just “one faith” (Eph. 4:5). That is, there is only one gospel system by which God justifies man today. So, the phrase “before faith came,” and “after faith is come” has reference to the time before the gospel of Christ was revealed and after the gospel was made known.

Some Things Binding

Before Faith Came

1. Before faith came, the Law of Moses was in force. That’s what the text of Galatians 3:23-25 says. “But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed” (Gal. 3:23). The Law of Moses was given to the Jews of the Old Testament to restrain the Jewish people from sinning so much until Christ should come. “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgression, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator” (Gal. 3:19). The seed referred to in this passage is Christ (Gal. 3:16).

2. Fleshly circumcision was binding before faith came. Circumcision was actually in force before the law of Moses began. God enjoined it upon Abraham and his male descendants as a sign of the covenant God made with Abraham (Gen. 17:10-14). To bind fleshly circumcision today is but to cause one to become “a debtor to do the whole law,” “make Christ of no effect,” and to fall “from grace” (Gal. 5:3-4).

3. Jerusalem was the place of worship before faith came. God chose the place of Jerusalem as the place of worship before faith came. “Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the Lord thy God in the place where he shall choose: in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the Lord empty” (Deut. 16: 16).

The woman of Samaria knew that Jerusalem was the place of worship under the law. She said, “Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:20). The eunuch, not realizing that faith had come, was keeping the law of Moses, and “had come to Jerusalem for to worship” (Acts 8:27).

4. Animal sacrifices were required before faith came. “.. . Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law” (Heb. 10:8). The book of Leviticus is filled with all kinds of sacrifices and offerings for those who then lived under the law of Moses.

5. Sins were remembered annually before faith came. The apostle to the Hebrews said, “But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:3-4).

6. Tithing was binding before faith came. The word “tithe” means ten per-cent. The Lord said under the law, before faith came: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10). Actually, the Jews, before faith came, gave far more than ten percent. Leaving the corners of their fields for the poor, the animal sacrifices, burnt offerings, and dozens of other things required of a Jew, added up to far more than ten percent!

7. Before faith came, the keeping of the Sabbath day was required. The law of Moses stated, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Exod. 20:8). The Sabbath came on Saturday and was the seventh day of the week. It was a day of rest and no work was to be done. “Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates” (Exod. 20:10). The Sabbath day was given to remind Israel that they had been in bondage while in the land of Egypt. “And thou shalt remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day” (Deut. 5: 15).

God never intended for the law of Moses to be lasting but was given to restrain Israel from so much sin, “till Christ should come” (Gal. 3:23).

After That Faith Is Come

We now take a look at some conditions “after that faith is come.” You can easily see the great contrast:

1. We are under the law of Christ, since faith has come and not under the law of Moses. We read, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal. 3:24-25). The faith, which is that body of truth, the gospel, replaced the law of Moses and we are now to be subject to the “law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). John wrote, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

2. After faith has come, the gospel is for all. The law was given only to the Jews and even the limited commission was for “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5-6). Now that faith has come, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28). Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). So, we can sing, “The Gospel Is For All.”

3. Jerusalem is no longer the place of worship, but worship is to be in spirit and truth. At one time, the place, Jerusalem was the place of worship, but now that faith has come, Jerusalem, as the place has been loosed. Jesus said, “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him” (John 4:23). Then Jesus said, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). The Lord’s people worship God as members of the New Testament church today.

4. Animal sacrifice gave way to Christians presenting their “…bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Rom. 12:1). After all, “In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure” (Heb. 10:6). Since faith has come, “. . .we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all” (Heb. 10:10). Aren’t you glad this is so? “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins” (Heb. 10:4).

5. Since faith has come, sins, forgiven, are remembered no more. The Hebrew writer penned, “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” (Heb. 10:17-18). Under the new covenant, when God forgives a sin, it will never be brought up again!

6 Since faith has come, the method of giving has been changed. Today, the Lord’s people are required to give as stated in the New Testament. The per-cent is no longer stated, but Christians are to give as they have been “prospered” (1 Cor. 16:2) upon the first day of the week.

7. The first day of the week is now the day set aside for certain acts of worship to be performed. The Lord’s supper and the “laying by in store” are first day of the week acts of worship (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). Sabbath keeping is no longer binding since faith has come and the feasts of the Old Testament were done away with the cross of Christ.

8. Now that faith has come, the church of Christ is in existence. Acts 2 tells us of the establishment of the Lord’s church, as a result of gospel preaching being heard, believed, and obeyed. Believing Jews were told to “repent and be baptized for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). “Then they that gladly received the word were baptized” (Acts 2:41). Now notice what took place: “. . .And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). For the first time, the church for which Jesus died is in existence. Since faith has come we can be members of that blood-bought body of Christ when we obey his word.

Conclusion

We have looked at the conditions before and after faith has come, and I trust that each of us will make the proper application of these thoughts.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 16-18
February 20, 1997

By Raymond E. Warfel, Sr.

Several parts of the Bible are misunderstood, misused, and abused but none more so than Matthew 24 and 25. We have those today who claim these things are yet to be fulfilled in the future or soon to be fulfilled in our time. They come to these chapters and declare that the wars and natural disasters that are happening today are the very things Jesus was talking about. They tell us that the “signs of the times” show that Jesus is about to return. Men of the past have made the same claims about the times in which they lived.

As long as the Lord allows time to continue, there will be men arise that pervert the things written in Matthew 24 and 25. To guard ourselves from this deception we first must read and study the Bible for ourselves. God said of his people “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Most of those who are deceived have very little knowledge of God’s word and are there-fore the more easily deceived. Second, read all that God’s word has to say on the subject.

Most of those who are confused and misled concerning this topic and others usually fail to read and study every thing that God has said about that topic. In studying about “the abomination of desolation” we will need to read at the very least Daniel 9 and 12, Matthew 24-25, Mark 13, and Luke 21. Third, we need to keep in mind that in the discourse of Matthew 24 and 25 Jesus and his disciples had just been in the temple. On coming out of the temple they talked about its buildings and Jesus told them that all they saw would be torn down to the point that not one stone would be left upon another. Jesus and his disciples proceeded to the Mount of Olives from which they had a good view of the city of Jerusalem and the temple. As they are looking upon these things the disciples ask Jesus, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matt. 24:3). And so it is that Jesus answers their questions in this discourse.

Jesus answers these questions in order and so he first answers the question “when shall these things be?” (i.e., when shall the temple be destroyed?). He tells them several things that are to happen before the destruction of the temple would take place. First, false Christ would come. Second, they would hear of wars and rumors of wars, but they were not to be troubled by this because this was not the end. In fact there would not only be wars, but there would be natural disasters as well and these were just the “beginning of sorrows.” Third, some of them would be persecuted and killed for his name’s sake. Fourth, many would stumble and would betray one another. Fifth, false prophets would come deceiving many. Sixth, iniquity would abound and love would wax cold. Then with all this gloom and doom he has these words of encouragement, “he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Seventh, the gospel would have been preached in all the world.

Did the things Jesus talked about come to pass or are they yet to be fulfilled? Well consider this: Josephus, the Jewish historian tells of many false Christ and false prophets that came along before the destruction of Jerusalem. This clearly shows the apostasy Jesus spoke of came to pass. This was also a time of war and natural disasters as well. Many of the small nations went to war with Rome. Remember that Daniel had prophesied that the Roman empire would be one that was “iron mixed with clay,” a kingdom that was composed of many smaller kingdoms which continued to try to free themselves from Rome and fought among themselves as well. The rulers of Rome also seemed to be in constant turmoil. Remember that in the space of about two years there were four men (Nero, Otho, Galba, Vitellius) who seized rule in Rome. History tell us that there was a famine during the time of Claudius Caesar. In fact in Acts 11:27-30 we find a prophecy of a coming world famine such as came in Claudius’ time. There were also numerous earthquakes during this time  remember that this area of the world is filled with fault lines.

The Bible in the book of Acts tells of Christ’s disciples being “delivered up.” In chapters 4 and 5 the apostles were arrested and commanded not to preach in the name of Jesus. Steven was martyred in chapter 7. The church was “scattered abroad” because of the persecution at Jerusalem in chapter 8. In chapter 9 Peter and James were imprisoned by Herod, and James was beheaded. Then Paul tell us in Colossians 1:5-6, 23 that the gospel had gone unto all the world.

Jesus was not describing tragedies which would not come until the twentieth or twenty-first century, but in fact those things which occurred during the first century that proceeded the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple. This has to be the case because in verse 34 Jesus said, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” As we’ve seen these things did take place in the first century and Jesus said after they took place then the end would come. The end that is not yet and the end that would come, is not the end of the world as some have misconstrued, but rather the end of the temple (i.e., it being torn down so that one stone was not left upon another) for that is the question Jesus is answering. The horrible end is seen in that fact that not one stone was left upon another in the temple building. This was brought about by the temple burning and the precious metals seeping into the joints of the stones. To retrieve the gold and silver the Romans literally took the temple apart stone by stone, and it was left totally desolate.

Having told the disciples what would precede the destruction of the temple, he then tells them the last thing to look for, “When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place” (Matt. 24:15). Let’s also consider the record of Luke, it will help us in getting a better understanding of what the abomination of desolation is. Luke writes, “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh” (Luke 21:20).

Though it is hard to say exactly what the abomination of desolation is, it seems clear to me that it has reference to the Roman army and what they would do. When these pagans entered the temple it would be an abomination and when they left, the city would be desolate. So Jesus tells the disciples that when they see the Romans surrounding Jerusalem it is time to get out of the city, and they were to make haste in doing that. Another thing that causes me to think that the abomination of desolation has to do with the Roman army surrounding the city is that this was the last thing to happen before Jerusalem was destroyed, and once the city was surrounded there would be no time to escape. This was just the last of a whole list of things by which God let his people (Christians) know what was about to happen to save them from great suffering. It is generally thought that no Christians died in the siege of Jerusalem. If they had no better understanding of this than those of our day, they most certainly would have perished.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 18-19
February 20, 1997

By Donnie V. Rader

Ephesians 1:5 teaches predestination. That is undeniable. The text says, “having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will.” Just what does that mean? This passage has been greatly perverted by those who have bought John Calvin’s thoughts on salvation.

Misunderstanding And Abuse Of The Text

Calvinism teaches an unconditional and individual pre-destination. This is necessary in view of their doctrine of total depravity. This says that man is born in sin and is completely depraved. He is unable to do any good. He cannot believe unless God causes him to believe. Thus, any election (chosen to be saved) would have to be unconditional.

Consider how the Calvinists use Ephesians 1:5. In The Doctrines Of Grace, Lasserre Bradley, Jr. (speaker for Baptist Bible Hour) has a chapter on each of the major points of Calvinism. In his chapter on unconditional election he says, “election is a sovereign act of God whereby He chooses certain individuals from the fallen race to eternal life for the glory of His name. . . . One of the clearest definitions of the doctrine of election is found in the first chapter of Ephesians” (p. 14). He then quotes verses 3-5 and applies them to his chapter heading: “Unconditional Election.” He adds, “By unconditional election, we mean that the choice of God was not conditional on anything within man” (p. 16).

Notice two things in the above quotes. Mr. Bradley says that Ephesians 1:5 teaches an election or predestination that is (1) unconditional and (2) individual. Thus, Calvinists wrest this text to say that before creation God arbitrarily and unconditionally selected certain individuals to be saved and certain individuals to be lost.

The Context of Ephesians 1:5

The book of Ephesians is about God’s eternal purpose in Christ Jesus (cf. Eph. 1:9-10 and 3:10-11). Chapter one describes the blessings we have in Christ through God’s eternal purpose. Chapter two describes the object of God’s eternal purpose: salvation. Chapter three tells of the revelation of God’s eternal purpose.

Back to chapter one. Verses 3-14 tell of the blessings that we have in Christ: (1) All spiritual blessings  v. 3, (2) We were chosen before the foundation of the world  v. 4, (3) We were predestinated  v. 5, (4) We receive God’s grace  v. 6, (5) We have redemption through the blood of Christ  v. 7, (6) God has made known to us the mystery of his will  v. 9, (7) We have an inheritance  v. 11, (8) We receive the Holy Spirit  v. 13.

The point I want us to see is that the context is dealing with God’s eternal plan.

The Meaning of the Text

1. Predestinated defined. The word “predestinated” means to “mark out beforehand, to determine before, fore-ordain” (W.E. Vine, I:305). Darby’s translation says “having marked us out beforehand” in Ephesians 1:5. Both the ASV and Young’s Literal Translation render this phrase, “having foreordained us.”

2. Two questions. No one can or should deny that our text teaches that God marked out our salvation beforehand. How-ever, we must ask: (a) Is the predestination conditional or unconditional? (b) Did God select particular individuals or did he select salvation in Christ and all in him are chosen?

3. Conditional. Receiving salvation (being chosen or elected) is conditional upon our obedience to the gospel. Consider these simple texts.

And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him (Heb. 5:9).

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city (Rev. 22:14).

Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven (Matt. 7:21).

Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace … (Rom 4:16).

If predestination is conditional, then the Calvinist concept of the text is wrong.

4. The selection is not particular individuals but choosing that those who are obedient will be saved. “God foreordained that all those who voluntarily choose to walk by faith in Christ shall be added to his family by adoption. God willed in his love that those in Christ should be his sons with the full benefit of inheritance” (C.G. “Colly” Caldwell, Truth Commentaries: Ephesians, 21).

“God foreordained the provisions of salvation, the characters that should be saved, and the conditions and tests by which they would be saved. He left every man free to choose or reject the terms and provisions of salvation and in so doing to refuse to form the character God has foreordained to be his children and so predestined to everlasting life” (David Lipscomb, Gospel Advocate Commentaries: Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, 19-20). B.W. Johnson said, “The whole line of argument is general in-stead of particular” (Peoples’ NT Commentary; On-line edition).

This is much like a man predestinating (marking out beforehand) a secretary. His choosing is not unconditional nor is it a “marking out” of a particular individual. Before he hires anyone he marks out the qualifications. She must take shorthand, do word processing on the computer, have some knowledge of his type of business, have at least two years of college, and be in good health. She must meet these conditions. He did predestinate her. No, he did not arbitrarily choose Sally Jane. But he chose the qualities of the person who would be hired. Sally Jane meets those and is hired. We can easily see how that works with God’s eternal plan.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 20-21
February 20, 1997

By Max Tice

Among a seemingly endless list of misunderstood Bible phrases, is the expression “until the times of restitution” found in Peter’s sermon in Acts 3:21. In order that the reader may be able to easily consider the context of its usage, the relevant portion of the text is cited below. After preaching the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ to the crowd gathered in Solomon’s porch, Peter then exhorted them:

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began (Acts 3:19-21).

A few readers may recognize this passage and the phrase of interest as one that is misapplied by the Mormons to the supposed restoration of the gospel in the days of Joseph Smith. Others may have heard it applied to an expected restoration of national Israel during a millennial reign. Still others may have never heard it applied to any-thing in particular, but are puzzled as to its meaning. In any event, a few brief observations are in order.

Reading Theories into the Passage

It is very common and very easy to read preconceived theories into Bible texts. By assuming that an idea is al-ready gospel, people sometimes imagine they have found references to it in vague phrases. Since it may be difficult for someone else to disprove their interpretation, they feel confident that it must be correct.

Nevertheless, those who prefer to read from the Bible, rather than into it, will hardly be satisfied with such practices. Needless to say, one has to read Joseph Smith’s latter-day heresy into Peter’s statement, and the same holds true for any premillennial application. While the phrase `until the times of restitution” could mean many things when taken in isolation, it should be interpreted in the light of what the Bible does say, not what it doesn’t say.

Defining Peter’s Terms

A fundamental principle in analyzing any passage is to make certain that all terms are clearly understood. In the case of the phrase in question, the terms “times” and “restitution” are of interest. The former is translated from the Greek word chronon and refers to an unspecified period of time. The term “restitution” is translated from the Greek word apokatastaseos and is found only here in the New Testament. Verb forms of this term are used in Matthew 17:11 and Acts 1-6 where the idea of “restoring” is in view. Consequently, Peter refers to a period in which something is to be restored. Of course, the big question is  what?

Looking More Closely at “All Things”

Just how encompassing are the “all things” which Peter says are to be restored? Good Bible students know that the expression “all things” should be understood in accordance with the context of its use (e.g., Rom. 8:28). A failure to confine its meaning in Acts 3:21can result in some unjustified conclusions. For instance, Origen used this verse to teach that God would restore all created things. Others have seen the doctrine of universalism in it.

Although Alford insists that the “all things” here is not limited to the things which were spoken by the prophets, this does not necessarily follow. This part of the verse must, at least, be given consideration as a possible restricting clause. Nevertheless, even if Alford is correct in saying that “all things” stands alone in the text, this does not prove that the expression has no limits. In Matthew 17:11, the reader is told that Elijah (John the Baptist) was to restore all things. Did he come to restore everything in creation to some pristine state? Of course not! His work as the first century Elijah was to change the hearts of those who would listen (Mal. 4:6).

Conclusion

The phrase “until the times of restitution” must be understood in the light of what is taught in the Scriptures. Otherwise, its meaning cannot be ascertained this side of eternity. As has been shown, John the Baptist lived in and was part of a restoring of all things through his preaching. Likewise, this period of restoring continues as God’s word is preached today. Christ will remain in the heavens until these times have come to a close.

Guardian of Truth XLI: 4 p. 15
February 20, 1997