A DISCUSSION OF A BASIC ERROR IN THE MID-ACTS POSITION
The basic question about which the mid-Acts and Acts 28 communities differ is the question of when the church of the dispensation of the mystery began. I believe that it began when the dispensation of the mystery began. Further, I believe that the dispensation of the mystery began when Israel was set aside. The paper on this web-site “Are We Asking The Wrong Question?” proves from Scripture that the dispensation of the mystery began when Israel was set aside, and that the church of the dispensation of the mystery began at the same time.
From my discussions with believers who accept the mid-Acts position, I have learned that many tend to see several differences between Paul’s messages in the Acts period and the messages of the Gospel and Old Testament periods. That leads them to believe that because those differences were recorded by Paul, the church began with Paul. But some of those supposed differences are not new truths. They are truths that had not been previously recorded or emphasized, but they were just as true in the Gospel and Old Testament periods as they were in the Acts period.
To clarify my point I will give an example of a truth that was not recorded until John’s Gospel, but was, nevertheless just as true in the Old Testament period. We read in I John 4:8 that “God is love”. While the truth that “God is love” is emphasized in the New Testament, it was just as true during Old Testament times. God is love. That is, in part, Who He is. But if one sees this as a “new truth”, (i.e. one that was not true in the Old Testament) and assumes that this “new truth” defines a new dispensation, one is led into grievous error.
In short, I believe that there are some Bible truths that mid-Acts believers see as given to Paul, and then fix the point of a new out-calling and/or a new dispensation with Paul’s conversion or Paul’s going to the Gentiles etc. . But these truths are not new truths, they are only truths that have not been recorded or emphasized before the Acts period.
We will discuss the following topics:
SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH APART FROM THE WORKS OF THE LAW
IS THE BELIEVER IN THE DISPENSATION OF THE MYSTERY CALLED UPON TO COMPLETE HIS FAITH BY WORKS?
THE EQUALITY OF JEWISH AND GENTILE BELIEVERS
THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION
THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD
BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST
SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH APART FROM THE WORKS OF THE LAW
Many in the mid-Acts community believe that one of the basic differences between the present dispensation and past dispensations is that in previous dispensations salvation was by faith plus the works of the law, but that in the present dispensation works are not required for salvation. I believe that salvation has always been by grace through faith, and that works always has completed one’s faith. The paper on this web-site titled “Faith and Works In God’s Plan Of Salvation” proves that works and faith are and always have been inexorably connected in God’s plan of salvation in every dispensation.
We read in Rom. 4:4, “Now to him that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt”. The subject of Paul’s discourse in this passage is whether righteousness is accounted to a person by works or by grace. Paul says in this verse that he who works is owed the payment of a debt, but he who works not is counted righteous by God’s grace. In other words, there is a contrast in this verse between that which is received by grace, and that which is received as payment of a debt. If there is a contrast between works and grace, logic demands that the two cannot work together toward righteousness. For the sake of clarity, let me put this concept in mundane terms
Bill would like to have a motorized bicycle, but his parents, by contrast, would like him to have a bicycle that is not motorized. Bill’s parents might say to him, “We will give you a bicycle of our choice or you may work for the money to get the bicycle you want”. This is a contrast between a gift and something towards which Bill will work. Both concepts cannot be in play for the same thing. That is to say, either Bill will work for his bicycle or he will receive it as a gift from his parents. There is in this a contrast, an either or, they cannot go hand in hand. So too salvation. In Rom. 4:4 Paul makes the contrast between that which may be received as a gift or that which may be gained by works. The two cannot be in play for the same thing. We must conclude therefore, that salvation is either a gift of God’s grace or something for which one may work, it cannot be a combination of both.
There is however, more to this question. We read in Rom. 2:13, “For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified”. Here Paul wrote that it is works by which one is justified. But to make matters even more complicated, we read in Rom. 3:20-21, “But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested….”. Here Paul wrote that it is not the works of the law that justifies. There are no contradictions in the Word of God, so it behooves us to search further.
Because James discusses the place of works in salvation, let us consider James 2:14-26 as it will help us to understand the seeming contradiction between Rom. 2:13-15 and Rom. 3:21. We read in verse 14 of James two, “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?” James continues this same thought for the next two verses and then in verse 17 explains quite succinctly the point of this passage, “Even so, faith, if it hath not works, is dead being alone”. In other words, it is not enough to just say one believes, one must show that he is a child of God by his works.
Many, incorrectly in my opinion, see this passage as James saying that salvation is by faith plus works. But that cannot be what James is saying here because that would contradict what Paul wrote in Rom. 4:4, “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt”. Again, Paul is contrasting works which makes salvation a debt, with grace which makes salvation a gift. The point is that to say that salvation is by faith plus works contradicts Rom. 4:4 which is clearly a contrast between faith and works. We must therefore, conclude that salvation has never been by faith plus works.
Salvation is purely a gift of grace and works completes one’s faith. Let us come back to James 2 to confirm that truth from Scripture. We read in verse 21, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?” But according to Romans 4 Abraham was not justified by works, but by faith. The only way to avoid a contradiction between James 2 and Romans 4 is to see that works completes one’s faith. In point of fact, James says this very thing in verse 22, “Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?” (the Greek word means “to complete) In verse 23 James completes his point, “and the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:’ …….Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone”. But this is not faith plus works, it is faith that is completed by works. In other words, salvation is by grace through faith, works only completes one’s faith.
At what point was salvation a gift of grace? Let us allow Paul to answer that question. Let us return to Rom. 4 where we read in verses 5-6, “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works”. This passage tells us two very important things. It tells us:1) righteousness is imputed by grace through faith (“his faith is counted for righteousness”), and 2) David described the same blessedness. In other words, what was true of Abraham, who lived before the law was given, was also true of David who lived after the law was given.
In short, if we are to set the beginning of the church which is His body by when salvation was given by grace through faith, we would have to set it, at least, at the time of Abraham. I know of no dispensationalist that sets the beginning of the body of Christ at the time of Abraham. What is important here is that some have set the beginning of the church which is the body of Christ at the time in which the offer of salvation was by grace, but salvation by grace through faith is certainly not something new in the New Testament.
IS THE BELIEVER IN THE DISPENSATION OF THE MYSTERY CALLED UPON TO COMPLETE HIS FAITH BY WORKS?
Some will say that in past dispensations one must complete his faith by his works, but in the dispensation of the mystery salvation is by faith and does not need to be completed by works. Philippians is a prison epistle and therefore is written to and for the church of the present dispensation. Let us consider Phil 2:12, “……work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”. Does this mean that when you are saved you should show forth your salvation by your works, or does it mean that you should accomplish your own salvation? (It is understood, of course, that no one can accomplish his own salvation, but that the “accomplishment” is in completing one’s faith by works.) If this passage means that we should show forth our salvation by our works, why does Paul write that we should do so with “fear and trembling”?
To correctly understand Phil 2:12-13 we must understand how the Holy Spirit uses the Greek word “katergazomai” translated “work out” in verse 12. But before we study each occurrence of that word we need to understand the Greek word translated “worketh” in the phrase of verse 13, “For it is God Which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure”. That Greek word is “energeo”.
The Greek word “energeo” is used 21 times in the New Testament. The first two are found in Matt. 1:2 and Mark 6:14 where it is translated “shew forth”. Matt. 14:1-2 reads, “At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, and said unto his servants, ‘This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him’”. Mark 6:14 records the same conversation.
Let us consider a few other occurrences of the word where it is not translated “shew forth”. We read in I Cor. 12:6, “…..but it is the same God Which worketh all in all”. While it is true that “worketh” does tell us something of what God does, “energeo” tells us so much more if we allow it to. That is to say, it tells us that God shews forth Who He is. Here the context will help us to understand that Paul, in this context, wants us to know that God is shewn forth. We read in verses 4-5, “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit…. the same Lord”. In other words these miraculous gifts show forth the same Lord, the same Spirit, the same God.
We read in Eph. 1:20, “Which (God’s mighty power, vs.19) He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead….”. God’s mighty power was not merely “worked” in the resurrection of Christ, it was shown forth to be just that, i.e. His might power.
Let us also consider Eph. 2:2, “wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”. When one understands that “energeo” means more than just “work”, but that it means “show forth”, this passage becomes more meaningful. That is to say, the spirit that works in the children of disobedience is shown forth to be the spirit of the prince of the power of the air.
My point is that in Phil. 2:13 where we read that God works (Gr. “energeo”) in us to will and to do His good pleasure, the Greek word “energeo” tells us that God does more than work in us. It tells us that God is shewing forth Himself, i.e. Who He is, through His children, as they both will and do of His good pleasure.
What is key to our question of the meaning of Phil. 2:12 is that if Paul had wanted to say that we should “shew forth” our own salvation, he would have used the same word he used in verse 13, i.e. “energeo”. But he did not, he used instead the word “katergazomai”.
We are now ready to begin our study of the Greek word “katergazomai” translated “work out” in verse 12. It is used 24 times in the New Testament. I beg the reader’s indulgence as we consider each occurrence of this word as it is key in understanding this verse and the place of works in salvation during the present dispensation.
As we begin this study I will remind the reader that we are trying to ascertain if this Greek word means that we are to show forth our salvation by our works, or if it means that we are to “accomplish” our own salvation. I will also remind the reader that James does tell us that Abraham, for example, was “justified by works” (James 2:21). That is to say, according to James, Abraham did accomplish his own salvation. We must bear in mind however, that works only complete one’s faith and obviously do not actually accomplish anyone’s salvation.
The Greek word “katergazomai” is translated seven different ways. That tells us that there are shades of meanings, but it also tells us that the basic meaning of the word may be difficult to grasp. In order to ascertain the basic meaning I will suggest one word which, although may not be correct English Grammar, and will not show the shades of meanings, it will help us to see how the Holy Spirit means for us to understand it’s basic meaning. That one word is “accomplish”. Let us see if this word will fit every occurrence.(The word in bold and italicized type is the word that is used in the KJV that translates “katergazomai”.)
Rom. 1:27, ” men with men working (accomplishing) that which is unseemly…….”.
Rom. 2:9, “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth (accomplishes) evil…..”
Rom. 4:15, “Because the law worketh (accomplishes) wrath…..”.
Rom. 5:3, “…..knowing that tribulation worketh (accomplishes) patience”.
Rom. 7:8, “But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought (accomplishes) in me all manner of concupiscence”.
Rom. 7:13, “….But sin, that it might appear sin working (accomplishes) death in me by that which is good….”.
Rom. 7:15, “…..for to will is present with me; but how to perform (accomplish) that which is good, I find not”.
Rom. 7:17, “Now then it is no more I that do (accomplish) it, but sin that dwelleth in me”.
Rom. 7:18, “…..but how to perform (accomplish) that which is good, I find not”.
Rom. 7:20, “….it is no more
This paper was written by Joyce Pollard. If you would like to respond please write to me at: janjoyce@ao;.com