• From: Dana Fitz-Randolph Sent: Friday, March 23, 2001 11:35 AMSubject: Breaking of bread
  A brother in Christ is convinced that comparing 1Cor.10:15-17 with Acts2:42,46 proves that the Apostles at Pentecost were in the church " the body of Christ" because the "breaking of bread" appears in both passages. I`ve been trying to direct him in the path of rightly dividing the scriptures. Could you give me your viewpoint on these scriptures.

1. When we read the two accounts, we must be careful about saying they were even taking the Lord’s Supper in the Acts account. They may have, but it could be showing the fellowship they had in eating together. However, we know that the Lord instructed them in Mat 26:26-29: “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom’”, and Mk 14:22-25 “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ 23 Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, ‘This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. 25 Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.’”, and Lk 22:14-22: “When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. 15 Then He said to them, ‘With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ 17 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you. 21 But behold, the hand of My betrayer is with Me on the table. 22 And truly the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!’” But just because they ate the Passover with the Lord, doesn’t mean they are in the body of Christ that God started with Paul at his conversion in Acts 9.
   Acts 2:42,46 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
   1 Co 10:15-17 I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? 17 For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
   When Paul was speaking to the Corinthians, he told them this was “the communion of the body of Christ”. The body of Christ was a new man with no distinction between Jew and Gentile, but that true only after the body of Christ started. Those saved before the body of Christ started, were not in the body of Christ, they were part of redeemed Israel.
   In Christ,
   Bob

• Is speaking in tongues, if they are a foreign language, possible today if
• God wishes to use them in a particular circumstance, maybe for a witness, in
• a church, etc.?
• Edward

1. Edward,
2. Since biblical tongues of speaking another language that is spoken today in
3. the world is not mentioned in the Bible, I would have a difficult believing
4. it would happen. God has already sent His message in the stars, Psa 19, and
5. put it in the hearts of everyone in the world, Col 1:6,23. That, along with
6. Rom 2, in my mind, is enough for anyone to believe. It is still hard, but
7. that is why we need to continue sending missionaries.
8. In Christ,
9. Bob

• Dear Pastor Hill,
• I have some questions on tongues. I have read most, not all, of your posts
• on the topic, and I have listened to the audio program as well.
• First, I would like to give you a little background about myself. I came to
• understand Acts 9 just over a year ago through Bob Enyart's, "The Plot".
• Prior to that I attended an Assemblies of God Church for 7 years. Almost
• everyone I know speaks in tongues! I struggled the entire time I was there
• because I never spoke in tongues. I went through every emotion under the
• sun as I wondered what was wrong with me and why didn't God give me this
• gift as He had to everyone else I knew. The pinnacle came each May-June on
• the Day of Pentecost. That's when all those who hadn't received would come
• to the altar for prayer to receive the Holy Spirit Baptism. I left every
• year in tears. Now after understanding GRACE, I praise God that I never
• spoke in tongues.
• Also at this Church, the method operated according to the instructions that
• Paul gave to the Corinthians. If a person spoke out loud in tongues, they
• would stand, and then the congregation waited until someone gave the
• interpretation. That person would stand and speak forth what the Spirit
• gave them to utter. It is very orderly and seems scriptural. As I recall,
• there was never any new revelation of knowledge, but what was said always
• encouraged, edified and it always agreed with scripture. I personally knew
• some of the people who stood to either speak in tongues or give the
• interpretation. I have no reason to accuse them of demon possession; maybe
• ignorance. They are sincere Christians.
• I still have many questions about it because of the fact that my husband and
• most of my dearest friends speak in tongues. My main question is one I have
• heard others ask, but haven't yet heard a satisfactory answer.
• How is this possible????
• How can a person speak in a tongue in this dispensation if tongues have
• passed away?
• What does the scripture mean when it says that prophecies shall fail and
• knowledge shall vanish away? Have they?
• Is it possible that tongues are not only a sign, but a gift from the Spirit
• given to some and not all?
• If speaking forth in tongues was to declare judgment, why did Paul instruct
• some to "keep silence in the church; and LET HIM SPEAK TO HIMSELF and to
• God"?
• Why would Paul "sing in the Spirit" (assuming in tongues)?
• I just don't understand how these sincere Christians could "do" something
• that is clearly "supernatural". I know there are people who make themselves
• do it because of the intense pressure to do so, but there are others, like
• my husband, who is so quiet and mild-mannered and would never seek to fake
• anything.
• I sure hope you can give me some clear direction on this. By the way, I
• have been tremendously helped by the notes you sent me on the book of
• Hebrews. I ordered your book a couple days ago.
• Sincerely,
• Lisa Spencer

1. Dear Lisa,
2. Since you ordered my book, The Big Difference, you’ll find a thorough answer
3. to your questions there. In the meantime, I’m going to send you a synopsis
4. of the chapter in my book.
5. I think this is a subject where Christians really get confused by pat
6. answers. They ask questions that don’t really get answered. Many times the
7. person trying to answer the question has an inconsistent theology which
8. prevents him from giving a suitable answer. I think the only answer is a
9. dispensational one.
10. One of the worst problems we face today is the name it and claim it gospel
11. with its tongues and miracles and promises of health and prosperity. As a
12. pastor, it’s sad to hear how disillusioned people become when they are
13. accused of lack of faith because they weren’t healed or were unable to speak
14. in tongues. I don’t know if you have been accused of that. It is interesting
15. to read the Bible when tongues was in. They were a gift of the Holy Spirit.
16. He gave it to them. They could control the gift by not being out of order,
17. but the Spirit was the one who gave them the gift.
18. I have witnessed the false hope which was given when faith healers claimed
19. to heal the sick. I have seen two persons die within a week of the time they
20. sere supposed to be healed. Those kinds of deceptive promises have
21. disillusioned many believers.
22. These groups have claimed that our dispensational “. . . teaching has played
23. literal havoc with the faith of millions of Christians, deluding them into
24. believing that the supernatural power of God which wrought miracles in New
25. Testament days is not available today.”
26. They have written things like this: “The Bible does not leave any doubt. It
27. does not say SOME of you, or just a FEW of you who believe; it simply says
28. that ALL those who believe are going to be able to lay hands on the sick,
29. and the sick ARE going to recover. . . . Sometimes people will say, It is
30. not God’s will to heal. We need to remember that when people say this, they
31. do not know the scriptures. . . . A good scripture to give them is Acts
32. 10:38, How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
33. power: who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the
34. devil, for God was with Him. . . . IT IS GOD’S WILL FOR ALL OF HIS CHILDREN
35. TO BE HEALED. . . . I believe all sickness comes from the devil, but God can
36. take it, turn it around and make it the greatest miracle in your life. . . .
37. Unfortunately, many people have been told that healing is not for today.
38. According to some, healing was possible in the days of the disciples, but
39. not today. God does not heal any more. Have you ever heard someone make that
40. statement? IT IS A LIE OF THE DEVIL himself! If Jesus Christ healed
41. yesterday, he will heal today. If he heals today, he will heal tomorrow
42. because he has never changed and never will!” We plan to talk about healing,
43. next week.
44. We know there is evidence in the Bible for healing, speaking in tongues, and
45. other miracles. But when we thoroughly investigate God’s word on these
46. subjects, we find that tongues and the other sign gifts were specifically
47. for Israel and now have passed away.
48. First, the purpose of these sign gifts was to accompany the proclamation of
49. the kingdom that was promised to King David in 2 Samuel 7. Then later, when
50. Gentile believers spoke in tongues, their purpose was to judge unbelieving
51. Israel. Then, after their purpose was accomplished, these sign gifts faded
52. away. Those who attempt to speak in tongues today are trying to do something
53. which stopped over 1,900 years ago.
54. The sign gifts before Pentecost were grouped together by Christ in Matthew
55. 10, and promised to the eleven in Mark 16. Because of this grouping, the
56. cessation of one sign gift, tongues, as it was shown in 1 Corinthians 13
57. illustrated the cessation of all of them.
58. I’ve had people ask me why the sign gifts don’t work. The answer is found in
59. two biblical prophecies. The fulfillment of one prophecy announced the
60. approaching establishment of the promised kingdom. It is found in Joel 2.
61. The fulfillment of the second prophecy meted out judgment on the unbelieving
62. nation of Israel because they rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ. This
63. prophecy is found in Isaiah 28.
64. First let’s look at the prophecy where tongues was used by God to announce
65. the long awaited kingdom which He had promised to King David in 2 Samuel. It
66. ’s in Joel 2. First let’s see the contextual setting in verses 1 & 2.
67. Joel 2:1,2 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain!
68. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is
69. coming, for it is at hand: 2a A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of
70. clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the
71. mountains.
72. Joel 2:28-3:2 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My
73. Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old
74. men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My
75. menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
76. 30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire
77. and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon
78. into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 32
79. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall
80. be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as
81. the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls. 3:1 For behold, in
82. those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and
83. Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations and bring them down to the
84. Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there on
85. account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the
86. nations; They have also divided up My land.
87. Next we need to look at the prophecy where tongues were used by God to show
88. judgment upon Israel. This is found in Isaiah 28.
89. Isa 28:1-4 shows the example of Ephraim in the north about 725 BC. It says,
90. “Woe to the crown of pride [Samaria], to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose
91. glorious beauty is a fading flower” Samaria is compared to the garland of
92. flowers revelers wore on their heads when feasting.
93. “which is at the head of the verdant valleys,” Samaria was at the head of
94. several verdant valleys.
95. “To those who are overcome with wine! 2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and
96. strong one,” Probably Sennacherib, king of Assyria.
97. “Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty
98. waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. 3
99. The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, [The crown of flowers] will be
100. trampled underfoot; 4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at
101. the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer,
102. which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand.” Like
103. early figs or the first peaches, etc. Then he switches to Judah.
104. 7 But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are
105. out of the way. The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating
106. drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They are out of the way through
107. intoxicating drink. They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8 For all
108. tables are full of vomit and filth. No place is clean.
109. Then in 9&10 we have the mocking reply of these drunken men to Isaiah.
110. 9 “Whom will he teach knowledge?” They’re saying, “Who does he think he is?”
111. “And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from
112. milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?” Whom does he think we are, babies
113. who have just been weaned? For he keeps repeating as though he’s speaking to
114. children,
115. 10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line,
116. line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” Like teaching children. But,
117. his teachings are like petty annoyances to these rebels. One command after
118. another. They don’t get Isaiah’s whole picture because they were too drunk
119. to understand. The words seemed like endless platitudes. Isaiah takes their
120. mocking words and turns on them.
121. You call me a stammerer, well God will speak to you in judgment.
122. 11 “For with stammering lips and another tongue” He predicted that God,
123. through the Assyrians, would speak to them in judgment by men whose language
124. would sound like jabbering.
125. 11 “He will speak to this people [That’s Israel], 12 Yet they would not
126. hear. 13 But the word of the LORD was to them, precept upon precept, precept
127. upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little”
128. They have scorned his instructions as monosyllables fit for children. So God
129. will speak to them with simple brutal penalties: harsh invasion and
130. destruction so
131. 13 “That they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and
132. caught. 14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, who rule
133. this people who are in Jerusalem”
134. This judgment is for whom? Israel! So the fulfillment of the prophecy of
135. Joel 2:28-32 was for spiritual enlightenment as they prepared to go through
136. the great tribulation with signs of the anticipated kingdom. Enlightenment
137. for whom? Israel! In contrast, Isaiah 28:1-14 was a prophecy of judgment
138. against whom? Israel!
139. With this information in mind, let’s look at these prophecies in the N.T.
140. Remember, Joel 2 was prophecy announcing the kingdom promised to David for
141. Israel. [Explain the offer of the kingdom in Acts 2 & 3 then read]
142. Acts 2:14-21 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and
143. said to them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known
144. to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since
145. it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the
146. prophet Joel: 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that
147. I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters
148. shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream
149. dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My
150. Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in
151. heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of
152. smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood
153. before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 21 And it shall
154. come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.
155. We must always remember a Jewish principle found in 1 Co 1:22 “For Jews
156. request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom.” In spite of all these signs,
157. Israel rejected God and was set aside. This happened in Acts 7.
158. Acts 7:51-56 “You stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You
159. always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of
160. the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who
161. foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the
162. betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of
163. angels and have not kept it. 54 When they heard these things they were cut
164. to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being
165. full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and
166. Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, Look! I see the
167. heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
168. Paul was inspired by God to write about this. Rom 11:11,15,25 I say then,
169. have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their
170. fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 15
171. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will
172. their acceptance be but life from the dead? 25 For I do not desire,
173. brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be
174. wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel
175. until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
176. Because of Israel’s fall, God started a new program, and Paul became the
177. apostle of the Gentiles with a new gospel. Notice what Paul relates about
178. his confrontation by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus in,
179. Acts 26:16-18 “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you
180. for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things
181. which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I
182. will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to
183. whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from
184. darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive
185. forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by
186. faith in Me.” A careful reading of Galatians 2 establishes this further: Gal
187. 2:7 “But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the
188. uncircumcision had been committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcision
189. was to Peter,” they realized it was God’s will.
190. Now, when Israel rejected God, He judged the nation of Israel. That’s where
191. the prophecy which showed the judgment of tongues comes in. In 1 Co 14, Paul
192. referred to the Isa 28 prophecy, because the leaders of Israel were, again
193. like babies in understanding. 1 Co 14:20-22, “Brethren, do not be children
194. in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be
195. mature. 21 In the law it is written: ‘With men of other tongues and other
196. lips I will speak to this people [Which people?]; And yet, for all that,
197. they will not hear Me,’ says the Lord. 22 Therefore tongues are for a sign,
198. not to those who believe but to unbelievers [Which unbelievers?]; but
199. prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.”
200. Remember, the Isaiah passage was a warning of judgment. According to verse
201. 22, these tongues were for a sign. Again, to whom? Israel! 22 “Therefore
202. tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but
203. prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.” And, what was
204. the purpose? Judgment!
205. Then, when God set Israel aside, He made a final official decree rejecting
206. Israel in Acts 28:28. After that time, we see that tongues stopped. He said
207. in 1 Co 13:8, “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will
208. fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is
209. knowledge, it will vanish away.”
210. Then, in answer to your question, why do some people speak in tongues today?
211. There are a many reasons. But they all have the same source, failing to
212. rightly divide the word, and then misapplying God’s word meant for another
213. dispensation to our dispensation today.
214. There’s a lot at stake in this issue. Christians have been disillusioned.
215. The unsaved have been scared away by the emotionalism. And much of the Lord’
216. s money has been wasted on big ministries which have a counterfeit gospel.
217. But we must, according to 2 Timothy 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself
218. approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing
219. the word of truth.” And in this diligence we must be loving and
220. compassionate. Most of these people are very sincere.
221. Why do people speak in tongues today? There are a number of reasons. These
222. are not reasons I have thought up. They have been classified by those who
223. have spoken in tongues but now do not believe their experience was really
224. from the Holy Spirit. These classifications are:
225. 1. Some people fake it because of pressure from those who have spoken in
226. tongues already. Sociologist Nicholas Spano says this speech is actually an
227. example of nonsensical babble called glossolalia. “It consists of non-random
228. patterns of vowels and consonants linked together. It’s not really any kind
229. of language.” Spano and his colleagues invited a group of Protestant
230. Charismatics who had spoken in tongues for at least two years into a sound
231. studio and audio taped them. The researchers played a one-minute segment of
232. each tape to people who had never heard it before and asked them to mimic
233. (but not exactly duplicate) what was heard. About one-fifth of the subjects
234. were immediately able to imitate the speech pattern fluently. This is
235. consistent with reports of some new converts speaking religious glossolalia
236. after only one brief exposure to it. After several sessions, 70% of the
237. novices spoke fluently in tongues. If this is a spiritual gift, why can it
238. be so easily faked by unbelievers?
239. 2. With some, it is emotional. It is psychologically induced. A psychiatrist
240. wrote: “The product of our analysis is the demonstration of the very natural
241. mechanism which produced glossalia. As a psychological phenomenon, glossalia
242. is easy to produce and readily understandable.” In other words, it can be
243. produced emotionally. The Encyclopedia Britannica states: “The gift of
244. tongues . . . was not peculiar to the Christian Church, but was a repetition
245. in it of a phase common in ancient religions. . . . Oracular possession of
246. the kind above described is also common among savages and people of lower
247. culture.” Therefore, we can see that it can be caused by a high state of
248. emotion. However, just as it appears in primitive pagan cultures, it can
249. also be the next category.
250. 3. Some tongues are satanic. Satan can use tongues speaking in order to
251. deceive. Sir Robert Anderson gives an account in his Spirit Manifestations
252. and the Gift of Tongues. A man who was in a Pentecostal church spoke in
253. tongues more than anyone else in that church. I made a agreement with him.
254. We would study the Bible, but we would not discuss the issues of tongues or
255. healing. He agreed. After studying the Bible with him for 9 months, he made
256. a decision. He came out of Pentecostalism after studying the Scriptures in
257. this Bible study. He declared that he could remember times when he spoke in
258. tongues and had a bad taste in his mouth afterwards. He now states
259. emphatically that tongues are demonic. We know that Satan will use anything
260. which appeals to the flesh. This man spoke in tongues because it made him
261. feel good most of the time.
262. The Scriptures show that the gift of tongues was for Israel. First it was a
263. sign that the tribulation and kingdom were close, but after Israel’s
264. rejection tongues were a sign to Israel that they had been set aside. Other
265. sign gifts, including healing, were also linked with tongues and passed away
266. when Israel was shown that it had been set aside. We find these signs in
267. many places, but the two most important are Matthew 10:1-8 and Mark
268. 16:15-18. However, according to 1 Corinthians 13, there are other gifts
269. which fade away because they are no longer needed. They are the revelatory
270. gifts.
271. Let’s analyze 1 Corinthians 13:8-10. “Love never fails. But whether there
272. are prophecies, they will fail; This shows that this gift will not be needed
273. after the perfect thing has come. But what is the perfect thing? Many
274. believe it is the return of Christ. However, if it were referring to Christ,
275. the phrase, “when that [We know this is a neuter adjective because of the
276. definite article. This substantized adjective, perfect, could be referring
277. to a neuter object or an abstract thing. If it were referring to Christ it
278. would say, “When He who is perfect has come.”] which is perfect has come,”
279. would have a masculine definite article. It would have been translated,
280. “When He who is perfect has come.” But it is neuter. This means it would be
281. referring to a neuter noun like sign or mystery, or an abstract idea.
282. Let’s continue in verse 8, “whether there are tongues, they will cease;
283. whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away For we know in part and we
284. prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which
285. is in part will be done away.” When would these two gifts become of no
286. value? When would they be null and void or rendered idle? That would happen
287. when these revelatory gifts were no longer needed. From Paul’s viewpoint for
288. this dispensation, that would be when the full revelation of the mystery was
289. given to him. This event is explained in Col 1:24-28: “I now rejoice in my
290. sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the
291. afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of
292. which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was
293. given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been
294. hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His
295. saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of
296. this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
297. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that
298. we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
299. We see in verse 25 that it was given to Paul to complete the word of God
300. (the mystery). It wasn’t given to him to complete the canon, but the
301. mystery. When this was accomplished, the body of Christ’s need for the
302. revelatory gifts of prophecy and knowledge was gone. They were now null and
303. void – replaced by the full revelation of the mystery of Ephesians and
304. Colossians. In verse 25, fulfill the word of God, is the same word found in
305. its noun form and verb form in Col 2:9,10. The hoped for result of this full
306. revelation of the mystery to Paul was our spiritual maturity, loving God and
307. one another. That is reiterated in Col 2:2,3, “That their hearts may be
308. encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the
309. full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God,
310. both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of
311. wisdom and knowledge.”
312. If you have any other questions on this, let me know.
313. In Christ,
314. Bob

• Fri, 29 Sep 2000

• "Mike & Missy Eagle" 

• Mike & Missy

Answer: (click here to view the answer)

1. Dear Mike & Missy,

2.       Before Paul reached Rome where he was incarcerated for two years (Acts 28:30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him), he was warned by an angel about ship-wreck and told that he must appear before Caesar.

3.       Acts 27:13-25 When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete. 14 But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon. 15 So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty. 17 When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven. 18 And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. 19 On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. 20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. 21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 "And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.' 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me."

4.       After he was in jail, he received the complete revelation of the mystery and the things "in part" passed away. These included prophecy and knowledge. Also, with the truth of Ephesians/Colossians, the indwelling Holy Spirit would be the only leading necessary. Therefore angelic visitation seems to have passed away with the other revelatory gifts.

5.       You may want to get my booklet that shows why certain gifts passed away: Tongues, The Sign Gifts, & The Revelatory Gifts available at biblicalanswers.com.

6.       In Christ,

7.       Bob

Question: How can the Pentecostal movement be explained?

• Crusaders

• Thu, 29 Jun 2000 21:33

• Hey Bob

• You also said that God is not revealing himself through signs or miracles. How do you feel about the Pentecostal movement? How can it be explained? I belong to a Pentecostal church. I used to attend a very "traditional" style Southern Baptist church. One day a friend invited me to go to a men's retreat at a Pentecostal church. When the service started people started worshiping God with a fervor, and style that was unknown to me. Grown men started to break down in that service and... Anyway, my point is that I knew nothing about "speaking in tongues" or the other spiritual gifts. I myself, was worshiping God in a new way. In more intimate way. During the service, I felt my tongue contracting, and convulsing. It scared the daylights out of me! Later I shared with my friend about my experience, and he told me it was the "baptism of the Holy Spirit". I was very hesitant to such a foreign thing, and asked that he show me the evidence in the Bible. He did! I was amazed, and "invited" the Holy Spirit to fill me. At that moment I was uttering things that made no sense to me. I personally have had such and experience, and get this... I didn't even have knowledge of such things! That's why I find it hard to brush off as a psychosomatic event.

• I want to thank you for taking the time in answering my questions, and being patient with me. I am not trying to get into a biblical debate, but just trying to figure it all out. Personally, I would be ecstatic if your interpretations are accurate. After all, it would do wonders for my sense of security. Your views are very unique, so I have all these questions.

• Thank you,

• Clint Akine

Answer: (click here to view the answer)

1. Dear Clint,

2.      Thanks for being so gracious. Although this has been answered on biblicalanswers.com, I will tell you what I believe. You, I believe have gotten a lot of pat answers. I bet you have asked many questions that you haven’t really gotten answered. I think you’re beginning to see that there is an inconsistent view of the Bible and the teaching in it. This is what is preventing many in Christendom from getting suitable answers.

3.      One of the worst problems in the name it and claim it gospel with its tongues, miracles and promises of health and prosperity is the heartache when the promises made by the preachers don’t come to pass. As a pastor, it’s sad to hear how disillusioned people become when they are accused of lack of faith because they weren’t healed or were unable to speak in tongues.

4.      In my last theology class in the Derby School of Theology, I found about 8 students who had spoken in tongues. Seven of the eight testified that they felt emotional pressure to speak in tongues. The eighth one didn’t. She just began speaking with tongues. She does not believe it was a true experience, now. She can still speak in tongues, but she knows it is just nonsense syllables that she can speak at will. I had her do it in our class.

5.      I have also witnessed the false hope when faith healers claimed to heal the sick. I have seen two persons die within a week of the time they were supposed to have been healed. One person had received a prophecy from God that this 18 year old girl would be healed. She died the next day, and I had the funeral. That deceptive promise disillusioned the whole family.

6.      There must be some evidence in the Bible for healing, speaking in tongues, and other miracles. Well, there is. But when we thoroughly investigate God’s word on these subjects, we find that tongues and the other sign gifts were specifically for Israel and now have passed away.

7.      Why were these sign gifts even in the Bible. The purpose of these sign gifts was to accompany the proclamation of the kingdom that was promised to King David in 2 Sam 7. Then later, when Gentile believers spoke in tongues, their purpose was to judge unbelieving Israel. Then, after their purpose was accomplished, these sign gifts faded away. I hate to say it, and I hope this doesn’t sound harsh, Clint, because I don’t mean it that way, but those who attempt to speak in tongues today are trying to do something which stopped over 1,950 years ago.

8.      The sign gifts before Pentecost were grouped together by Christ in Mat 10, and promised to the eleven in Mark 16. Because of this grouping, the cessation of one sign gift, tongues, as it was shown in 1 Co 13 illustrated the cessation of all of them.

9.      I don’t know if you have ever asked why the sign gifts don’t work. But, the answer is found in two biblical prophecies. The fulfillment of one prophecy announced the approaching establishment of the promised kingdom. It is found in Joel 2.

10.      The fulfillment of the second prophecy meted out judgment on the unbelieving nation of Israel because they rejected their Messiah, Jesus Christ. This prophecy is found in Isa 28.

11.      First let’s look at the prophecy where tongues was used by God to announce the long awaited kingdom which He had promised to King David in 2 Samuel. It’s in Joel 2. The context shows God will be dealing with the nation of Israel in preparation for the day of the Lord. Joel 2:1,2 Blow the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, for it is at hand: 2a A day of darkness and gloominess, A day of clouds and thick darkness, Like the morning clouds spread over the mountains. Joel 2:28-3:2 And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days. 30 And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 32 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls. 3:1 For behold, in those days and at that time, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, 2 I will also gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land.

12.      Next we need to look at the prophecy where tongues were used by God to show judgment upon Israel. This is found in Isaiah 28. Isa 28:1-4 shows the example of Ephraim in the north about 725 BC. It says, “Woe to the crown of pride [Samaria], to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower” Samaria is compared to the garland of flowers revelers wore on their heads when feasting.

13. “which is at the head of the verdant valleys,” Samaria was at the head of several verdant valleys. “To those who are overcome with wine! 2 Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one,” Probably Sennacherib, king of Assyria. 2 “Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. 3 The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, [The crown of flowers] will be trampled underfoot; 4 And the glorious beauty is a fading flower which is at the head of the verdant valley, like the first fruit before the summer, which an observer sees; he eats it up while it is still in his hand.” Like early figs or the first peaches, etc.

14.      Then he switches to Judah. 7,8 But they also have erred through wine, and through intoxicating drink are out of the way. The priest and the prophet have erred through intoxicating drink. They are swallowed up by wine. They are out of the way through intoxicating drink. They err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8 For all tables are full of vomit and filth. No place is clean.

15.      Then in 9&10 we have the mocking reply of these drunken men to Isaiah. 9 “Whom will he teach knowledge?” They’re saying, “Who does he think he is?” 9 “And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts?” Whom does he think we are, babies who have just been weaned? For he keeps repeating as though he’s speaking to children, 10 “For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” Like teaching children. But, his teachings are like petty annoyances to these rebels. One command after another. They don’t get Isaiah’s whole picture because they were too drunk to understand. The words seemed like endless platitudes. Isaiah takes their mocking words and turns on them.

16.      You call me a stammerer, well God will speak to you in judgment. 11 “For with stammering lips and another tongue” He predicted that God, through the Assyrians, would speak to them in judgment by men whose language would sound like jabbering. 11 “He will speak to this people [That’s Israel], 12 Yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of the LORD was to them, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little” They have scorned his instructions as monosyllables fit for children. So God will speak to them with simple brutal penalties: harsh invasion and destruction so 13 “That they might go and fall backward, and be broken and snared and caught. 14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scornful men, who rule this people who are in Jerusalem”

17.      This judgment is for whom? Israel! So the fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel 2:28-32 was for spiritual enlightenment as they prepared to go through the great tribulation with signs of the anticipated kingdom. Enlightenment for whom? Israel! In contrast, Isa 28:1-14 was a prophecy of judgment against whom? Israel!

18.      With this information in mind, let’s look at these prophecies in the N.T. Remember, Joel 2 was prophecy announcing the kingdom promised to David for Israel. [Explain the offer of the kingdom in Acts 2 & 3 then read]

19. Acts 2:14-21 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. 15 For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. 18 And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. 21 And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.

20.      We must always remember a Jewish principle found in 1 Co 1:22 “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom.” In spite of all these signs, Israel rejected God and was set aside. This happened in Acts 7. Acts 7:51-56 You stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. 54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!

21.      Paul was inspired by God to write about this. Rom 11:11,15,25 I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles. 15 For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

22.      Because of Israel’s fall, God started a new program, and Paul became the apostle of the Gentiles with a new gospel. Notice what Paul relates about his confrontation by Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus in, Acts 26:16-18 “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” A careful reading of Galatians 2 establishes this further. Gal 2:7 “But on the contrary, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision had been committed to me, as the gospel of the circumcision was to Peter.”

23.      Now, when they rejected God, He judged the nation of Israel. That’s where the prophecy which showed the judgment of tongues comes in. In 1 Co 14, Paul referred to the Isa 28 prophecy, because the leaders of Israel were, again like babies in understanding.

24. 1 Co 14:20-22 “Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature. 21 In the law it is written: “With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people [Which people?]; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me,” says the Lord. 22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers [Which unbelievers?]; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.” Remember, the Isaiah passage was a warning of judgment. According to verse 22, these tongues were for a sign. Again, to whom? Israel! 22 “Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.” And, what was the purpose? Judgment!

25.      Then, when God set Israel aside, He made a final official decree of Israel’s rejection in Acts 28:28. After that time, we see that tongues have ceased. He said in 1 Co 13:8, “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.”

26.      Then why do some people speak in tongues today? There are a many reasons. One is the emotional meetings that make the environment conducive for these emotional outbursts. But the biggest one is failing to rightly divide the word, and then misapplying God’s word meant for another dispensation to our dispensation today.

27.      There’s a lot at stake in this issue. Christians have been disillusioned and the unsaved have been scared away by the emotionalism. But we must, according to 2 Ti 2:15 “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Then why do people speak in tongues today?

28.      There are a number of reasons. These reasons have been classified by those who have spoken in tongues but now do not believe their experience was really from the Holy Spirit. These classifications are: Some people fake it because of pressure from those who have spoken in tongues already. Sociologist Nicholas Spano says this speech is actually an example of nonsensical babble called glossolalia. “It consists of non-random patterns of vowels and consonants linked together. It’s not really any kind of language.” Spanos and his colleagues invited a group of Protestant Charismatics who had spoken in tongues for at least two years into a sound studio and audio taped them. The researchers played a one-minute segment of each tape to people who had never heard it before and asked them to mimic (but not exactly duplicate) what was heard. About one-fifth of the subjects were immediately able to imitate the speech pattern fluently. This is consistent with reports of some new converts speaking religious glossolalia after only one brief exposure to it. After several sessions, 70% of the novices spoke fluently in tongues. If this is a spiritual gift, why can it be so easily faked by unbelievers?

29.      With some, it is emotional, psychologically induced. A psychiatrist wrote: “The product of our analysis is the demonstration of the very natural mechanism which produced glossalia. As a psychological phenomenon, glossalia is easy to produce and readily understandable.” In other words, it can be produced emotionally. The Encyclopedia Britannica states: “The gift of tongues . . . was not peculiar to the Christian Church, but was a repetition in it of a phase common in ancient religions. . . . Oracular possession of the kind above described is also common among savages and people of lower culture.” Therefore, we can see that it can be caused by a high state of emotion.

30.      Some tongues are satanic. Satan can use tongues speaking in order to deceive. Sir Robert Anderson gives an account in his Spirit Manifestations and the Gift of Tongues. A guy who was in a Pentecostal church and spoke in tongues more than anyone else in that church came out of Pentecostalism after studying the Scriptures. He declared that he could remember times when he spoke in tongues and had a bad taste in his mouth afterwards. He now states emphatically that tongues are demonic. We know that satan will use anything which appeals to the flesh.

31.      The Scriptures show that the gift of tongues was for Israel, first as a sign that the tribulation and kingdom were close, but after Israel’s rejection they were a sign to Israel that they had been set aside. Other sign gifts, including healing, were also linked with tongues and passed away when Israel was shown that it had been set aside. We find these signs in many places, but the two most important are Mat 10:1-8 and Mk 16:15-18. However, according to 1 Co 13, there are other gifts which fade away because they are no longer needed. They are the revelatory gifts.

32.      Let’s analyze 1 Co 13:8-10. “Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; This shows that this gift will not be needed after the perfect thing has come. But what is the perfect thing? Many believe it is the return of Christ. However, if it were referring to Christ, the phrase, “when that [neuter, to] which is perfect [to teleion The neuter [because of the definite article] substantized adjective here could be referring to a neuter object or an abstract thing. If it were referring to Christ it would say, “When He who is perfect has come.”] has come,” would have a masculine definite article. It would have been translated, “When He who is perfect has come.” But it is neuter. This means it would be referring to a neuter noun like sign or mystery, or an abstract idea.

33.      Let’s continue in verse 8, “whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.” When would these two gifts become of no value? When would they be null and void or rendered idle? That would happen when these revelatory gifts were no longer needed. When God revealed this to Paul, we see that would be when the full revelation of the mystery was given to him. This event is explained in Col 1:24-28 “I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”

34.      We see in verse 25 that it was given to Paul to complete the word of God (the mystery). It wasn’t given to him to complete the canon, but the mystery. When this was accomplished, the need for the revelatory gifts of prophecy and knowledge was gone. They were now null and void – replaced by the full revelation of the mystery of Ephesians and Colossians.

35.      In verse 25, fulfill the word of God, is the same word found in its noun form and verb form in Colossians 2:9,10. The hoped for result of this full revelation of the mystery to Paul was our spiritual maturity, loving God and one another. That is reiterated in Col 2:2,3, “That their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

36.      Please let me know if you have any questions on this material.

37.      In Christ,

38.      Bob

Question: 1 Co 13:13 seems to indicate that faith, hope, and love remain while the others do not.

• Wed, 7 Jun 2000 10:28

• "Jeremy Clark"

• Bob,

• 1 Corinthians 13:13 indicates that faith, hope, and love now abide. However, it does not mention prophecy, knowledge, and tongues even though these things remained too at the time Paul wrote this letter. Verse 13 seems to indicate that faith, hope, and love remain while the others do not. What is the significance of verse 13?

• Jeremy

 Answer: (click here to view the answer)

1. Jeremy,

2.      First, I want to give the context: 1 Co 13:8-13 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

3.      Whether you realize it, your question leads to the theology of the sign gifts–healing the sick, raising the dead, tongues, and miracles. Since tongues is a sign gift, if we deal with it, it will show why the other sign gifts passed away too. So, answering your question will answer a few others as well. Prophecy and knowledge are a different situation, as we will see.

4.      Many in my congregation have shared that when they were in previous churches they felt they were not saved because they had not spoken in tongues. Many have told me there was more pressure to speak in tongues than anything else, even loving God or living for Him.

5.      When Christians do not rightly divide the word of truth they believe the gospel to Israel, along with its signs, is for us today. They believe the health & wealth, name it & claim it theology. Why? Because the Bible teaches sign gifts.

6.      In Mk 16:17,18, it says “And these signs”. [These signs include tongues. They were to accompany the presentation of the kingdom promised to David.] “will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Why does it say that in Mk 16:17,18, if it doesn’t come true today? It’s because this was the kingdom gospel.

7.      Let me show you the promise, proclamation, offer, and setting aside of the kingdom gospel, and the change to a different gospel with its consequences. To begin with, God promised King David an everlasting kingdom in 2 Sa 7:12. Later, in Isa 35:4-6,10, He said, “Say to those who are fearful-hearted, Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you. 5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer. And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. . . . 10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

8.      When Christ came He showed His credentials. Mat 9:35 “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” He was showing that He was the Messiah. Christ said in Jo 5:36 “But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.” The kingdom promised to David was being proclaimed. But Israel rejected their Messiah.

9.      The sign gifts of tongues, healing, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, and casting out demons were signs that the kingdom was going to be established shortly. That’s what the incident in Lk 7:18-22 was all about. “Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things. 19 And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? 20 When the men had come to Him, they said, John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another? 21 And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. 22 Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.

10.      Christ quoted the Isaiah 35 passage and told them to “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard”. That’s also why Christ sent His apostles out in Mat 10:5-9: These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

11.      They were sent to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” That’s what Jeremiah called them in Jer 50:6, My people have been lost sheep. Their shepherds have led them astray. Christ was not sent to us Gentiles. That’s why He said this to the Gentile woman in Mat 15:24: But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”