The Coffee House Eon Scripture Study 1.5 - The Address on the Envelope

Rodney Paris

 THE ADDRESS ON THE ENVELOPE 

Dispensational Studies 

God has revealed Himself in many ways in His Word. The historic, prophetic and literary portions are usually in the form of short scrolls or pamphlets. His latest and highest communications have come to us in the form of letters, or, being formal and of a public character, epistles: When the postman brings a large stack of mail, we must first sort it out, if several receive their letters at the same address. Before we open it and read it we must make sure for whom it is intended.

 In early days there were no envelopes, so the address of an epistle was always the burden of the opening lines. Hence the epistolary portions of the Scriptures are usually introduced by some specific indication as to the particular person or persons from whom the epistle comes and to whom it is to go. Peter and James are especially particular on this point. 

JAMES TO THE TWELVE TRIBES 

None of the circumcision epistles so clearly indicates the class to whom it is written as the letter of James to the twelve tribes in the dispersion. Its conflict with Paul's epistles is so pronounced that Luther rejected its authority, and endless attempts have been made to find a means of reconciliation, without coming to any satisfactory solution. However, once it is apprehended that this epistle is for a different people and a distinct administration, all need of reconciliation vanishes and we are not tempted to adjust one to the other. 

The epistle begins, "James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the dispersion." Nothing can be plainer than the fact that this letter is addressed to a special class. It is not for the tribes in the land. It is absolutely impossible to apply it indiscriminately to the nations without causing the utmost confusion. 

PETER TO THE DISPERSION 

Peter wrote to the expatriates of the dispersion in the upper provinces of what is now called Asia Minor. This conclusively confines it to the Circumcision, for the Gentiles were never scattered there from their own land. This cannot, however, refer to the general dispersion of the Jews, for few of them were of the faith.  

It doubtless refers to the fact that, from the dispersion at the stoning of Stephen, continuous persecutions in the land had driven many Jewish Christians into exile. After seeking an asylum from their fierce fellow countrymen among the idolators, they found that these, too, turned persecutors because of false charges against them in an edict from Nero. 

These Circumcision epistles are not addressed to us today. It seems probable they doubtless will find their fullest application to the sons of Israel after the present administration of God's grace has passed by, and God deals once more with the Circumcision at the opening of the day of the Lord. Then 16 judgment will begin at the house of God, and they will be beset with trials, such as these epistles foretell and provide for. 

Only in such an atmosphere and at such a time will the message Peter brings be fully appreciated and really understood. Just as it was difficult for him to apprehend the epistles of Paul (2 Pet.3:16), so it is only by an earnest effort to place ourselves in the position of those to whom these epistles are sent, that we shall be able to partially apprehend their message. Peter received his commission to write these epistles from the Lord, after His ascension. On the shores of the sea of Tiberius, after the miraculous draft of fishes, he is charged to graze His sheep (John 21:15-17). This is the ministry which he fulfills in these pastoral epistles. The people addressed, unlike "the church which is His body," are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." 

THE EPISTLES OF JOHN 

John, just as truly as Peter and James, ministered to the Circumcision, and referred to the nations as outside the sphere of fellowship (3 John 7). Even when he widens the scope of blessing to include the whole world, he lays the heaviest stress on its relation to the favored nation. "He is the Propitiatory Shelter concerned with our sins, yet not concerned with ours only, but concerned with the whole world also" (1 John 2:2). The key to John's writings lie in the Lord's question to Peter (John 21:22), "If I should be wanting him to be remaining till I am coming, what is it to you?" The Lord did not say that he actually would remain alive until His return, but we have little room to doubt that, in spirit, this is true. His writings have special application to those who enter the Kingdom without dying, and provide the doctrinal basis of the Kingdom itself. This is further confirmed by the fact that, in his apocalyptic visions, John enters the Kingdom, in spirit.

 It is a striking fact that John never appeals to his apostleship in his epistles. In the second and third letters he is simply an elder. This accords with the private character of these short notes, yet it undoubtedly reflects the waning authority of the twelve apostles as the apostasy of the chosen nation developed. They are not given any place in Jerusalem in the latter part of the book of Acts.

 THE EPISTLES OF PAUL 

 In his epistles Paul always prefixes his name and usually follows with the character he assumes in writing and a concise description of those he is addressing. The name "Paul" has a strange sound to one accustomed to the Hebrew titles of so many of the ancient scrolls. Of course, Paul was an Israelite, like most of the other sacred penmen, but God changed his Hebrew name, Saul, to a foreign one, "Paul." This change was made at that crisis in his career when he was severed from his associates for a special ministry to the nations (Acts 13:2,3). Not only that, but the very first time that we read of the evangel being proclaimed directly to a Gentile, not a proselyte, we are told casually that Saul "is also Paul." Furthermore, this Gentile was also called by this name, for he was the proconsul Sergius Paul. Still more significant are Paul's dealings with Elymas, the magician, who sought to pervert the proconsul from the faith. He undoubtedly is representative of Israel, and foreshadows the opposition to Paul's ministry for the nations. The climax is capped by Paul's miracle, so unlike his other gracious deeds. He brought blindness on the apostate Jew "until the appointed time." What a marvelous miniature of Paul's ministry! During Israel's blindness he brings salvation to the nations (Acts 13:6-12). Paul introduces himself according to the character of the epistle. Is it concerned with service? Then he speaks of 17 himself as a slave. Is it authoritative? Then he appears as an apostle. Where fellowship is the theme he associates others with him in his salutation. Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, are fine examples. As he alone is the authoritative revelator of the secret of the joint body, he presents his credentials in Ephesians as an apostle; as service and fellowship are uppermost in Philippians, he introduces himself as a slave, along with Timothy; as Colossians is concerned with correction and communion, he is again an apostle, along with Timothy.

 ROMANS

"Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, severed for the evangel of God... concerning His Son... Jesus Christ, our Lord, through Whom we obtained grace and apostleship for faith-obedience among all the nations . . ." (Rom. 1:1-5). Here Paul dates his apostleship from the commission he received at Antioch when he was severed from the rest to preach the evangel of God to the nations. Hitherto only Jews and proselytes like Cornelius heard the evangel. Now Paul is called to preach justification to the other nations. 

This evangel is not concerning the sinner but concerning God's Son. Paul had obtained this unparalleled grace from the risen Son of God when he met Him on the road to Damascus and, later, was given a distinct commission in accord with this grace, to evangelize all the nations, to whom the twelve apostles were not sent (Gal.2:9). James and Peter wrote to their Jewish brethren among the nations, but none of the Circumcision, not even Christ Himself, ever went to any nation but Israel. Paul alone, of those whose writings we have, was the minister of Christ Jesus for the nations (Rom. 15:16).

 1 AND 2 CORINTHIANS

1 Corinthians, like the Thessalonian and Galatian epistles, is written to a corporate ecclesia (1:1,2). Indeed, the whole of the latter half treats of ecclesiastical relations. The name Sosthenes recalls much of Paul's career in Corinth. Crispus, the chief of the synagogue, believed and probably lost his place immediately, for we next read that Sosthenes was the chief of the synagogue. When Gallio refused to interfere, the crowd took Sosthenes and beat him in front of the dais. It may be that this man was also reached by the evangel, and became Paul's companion in Ephesus, where this epistle was, in all probability, penned. If so, it is a notable triumph of grace. 

This example of grace given in the introductory verses of 1 Corinthians, joined with references to the "invoking [of] the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ" (verse 2) and "the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord" (verse 9) sets the tone of this epistle which is a divine commentary on the conduct inculcated in the epistle to the Romans. Power is found in the word of the cross (1 Cor. 1:18) which is the message Paul was bringing to the nations. 

The opening words of 2 Corinthians also strike the keynote of Paul's message. God is introduced as the Father of pity and consolation. This reflection of the grace of God engages us with that strong undercurrent of feeling which stirred the heart of the apostle to its very depths. Here we see the precious fruit of the evangel abounding in the apostle's dealing with his erring children. Such thoughts prepare us for the discussion of the conciliation given in chapter 5, an especially unique revelation associated with Paul's message.

GALATIANS

The address of this epistle is very brief. Paul loses no time in coming directly to the heart of the trouble at Galatia. If he received his commission from the twelve apostles at Jerusalem or through Peter, he could have no distinct evangel for the nations. But he insists that he, as well as they, received his evangel directly from the risen Lord.

 PAUL'S PRISON EPISTLES 

The revelation of the secrets depends on the authority of Paul as an apostle. There were not wanting those who questioned or denied his right to the title. He was not one of the twelve. He could not qualify for such a place. He did not become an apostle until after the main ministry of the twelve had been accomplished. The one who took Judas' place had to be taken from among those who had been with Christ all the time from John's baptism until His ascension (Acts 1:21,22). This was the one condition, and Paul had not been with Him at all. Moreover, his apostleship was based on the very reverse of this. It was necessary that he should not know our Lord until after His ascension, for he is the apostle of Christ Jesus, the glorified, not Jesus Christ, the rejected Messiah. 

The title apostle has often been defined as "one sent." But it has not the usual element for send, which is pemp. Apostle is made up of two elements, apo, from and stel, put. Its literal meaning is to put someone at a distance, as a representative. Its nearest English equivalent is commissioner. An apostle was given a commission, with authority to enforce it. The commissions for the twelve were given them by the Lord while He was yet with them. Paul did not receive his from them or through them, but from the Lord Himself. The vast difference between his commissions and those of the twelve should show how utterly impossible it is that Paul should be numbered with the eleven. 

Repeatedly, Paul ascribes his apostolic office to the will of God (1 Cor l:l; 2 Cor l:l; Col l:l; 2 Tim 1:1). None of the twelve do this. They were chosen by Christ in accord with the revealed counsel of God. Their commissions, their careers, all about them, were in line with Yahweh's promises in the Law and in the Prophets and in the Psalms. Some details and developments may have been secret, but their whole course was in keeping with a program previously prepared. One of the special points in Paul's call was that he should know God's will (Acts 22:14). This cannot refer to a knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures, but to matters still unrevealed. It was Paul's special privilege to explore new and unknown fields of God's purpose. To be appointed an apostle by His will is suggestive of a fresh departure in the divine activities. 

 THE ADDRESS OF EPHESIANS 

 When Paul indicates the destination of his letter, he characterizes those to whom he is writing. He sends Ephesians "to all the saints who are also believers in Christ Jesus." It is said that an expert can read the history of a man's health by looking at his teeth. So we can see the apostasy from Pauline teaching in the interpolations and mistranslations and interpretations of these simple words.

It is evident that the force of "being ... in Christ Jesus" was lost very early. The name and titles of our Lord were given no special significance. And how few today would recognize the great distinction between "Christ Jesus" and "Jesus Christ!" Yet this is the point in this address.

 All who are in touch with God are holy ones or saints. This is the most inclusive name by which they can be known. From Adam and Abel to the last to be called in the eons to come, in every era, and in all the various administrations, not only men but messengers, are called holy ones, or saints. When Paul wrote this epistle the saints were divided into two classes. One group, associated with the twelve apostles, mostly of the Circumcision and proselytes, were proclaiming Jesus Christ as the rejected Messiah. The other group, associated with Paul, mostly of the Uncircumcision, recognized His present heavenly exaltation, which is expressed concisely and forcibly in the title Christ Jesus. To this class this epistle was sent.

 No more correct or concise direction could be given for delivery of this epistle. It is not for unbelievers, but for saints. It is not for those in Jesus Christ, but those in Christ Jesus. Try as we will, we cannot find any better address for the envelope, even though we should add much to it. It is for some Jews and some Gentiles; hence we cannot easily draw a line there. Though mostly for the Uncircumcision, it also includes some of the Circumcision. We cannot use this distinction. There is only one way to divide them, and that is their attitude toward Christ, as expressed in the two titles Jesus Christ and Christ Jesus.

Since the significance of the title "Christ Jesus" was lost, this sentence in the salutation has been beyond apprehension of the copyists and translators; hence they have tried to remedy the apparent fault. So the scribe of Alexandrinus, or someone before him, added "in Ephesus" in order to make sense. It is most likely that this epistle was sent to Ephesus as well as to all the Pauline ecclesias, and there may have been a tradition to that effect which led to the insertion of this phrase. But the character of the epistle is such that it is clearly a circular letter, one copy of which might be addressed particularly to Ephesus, but which is by no means to be confined to that ecclesia.  

We are confirmed in this position by the fact that both Vaticanus and Sinaiticus, the most ancient of our texts, were originally written without "in Ephesus."

This epistle contains no local allusions. The apostle has no special place in mind. The theme is developed along the broadest lines. There are no special expedients as in Corinth, no corrections as in Galatia and Colosse. Every part of the epistle applies to all the ecclesias. It is of such a character that it could not be withheld from any saint in Christ Jesus, in any place or at any time. It applies to us today as fully as if we had just received it fresh from the pen of Paul.

This epistle was for all the saints in Christ Jesus. It should have been sent to all the saints who had come under Paul's teaching. It would not have been understood by any others. Since it was written for them, surely it must have been sent to them. Only some of these were at Ephesus. Others were at Corinth and Thessalonica and in Galatia, as well as Philippi and Colosse, wherever Paul and his preaching had penetrated.

  PHILIPPIANS  

This epistle was not written by Paul and Timothy in the character of apostles, but slaves. This is important, as it gives us a key to the character of the whole letter. The mention of the supervisors and servants leads to the same conclusion. Philippians does not deal with doctrines, but with deportment in harmony with the rich revelations of Ephesians. Even grace is presented here as being from the Lord. If we keep this in mind it will greatly simplify the understanding of difficult portions of the epistle.

 COLOSSIANS 

 "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus," introduces us to a glorified Christ in heaven and invokes the authority vested in Paul as His legate. The distinctive designation, "Christ Jesus/' in verses 1 and 4, connected with the expectation reserved for us in the heavens, reminds us of the opening words of Ephesians. Before these letters were written the saints among the nations had no clear indications of a celestial destiny. This is practically unknown outside Paul's epistles, and even in them it is gradually approached. 

1 AND 2 THESSALONIANS 

The addresses in these earliest epistles of Paul are very brief. While Silvanus and Timothy are associated with Paul in the salutations, the letters are practically by Paul himself. Their genuineness is attested by Paul's own signature in 2 Thessalonians 3:17.

In the adjustment era preceding the present secret administration of God's transcendent riches of grace, Paul wrote his epistles to the Thessalonians and to the Romans, the Corinthians, the Galatians, as well as his first letter to Timothy.

The question arises, did the revelation of the secret in Ephesians and its companion epistles annul the previous revelation completely, and ignore its recipients, so that Romans to Galatians and Thessalonians are obsolete, or do they still stand just as they are, so that Ephesians is a mere addition to their message? Or is there a third course indicated, between these two extremes, their acceptance as a whole, yet with modifications in detail to accord with the later revelation? Is Ephesians addressed to those in Christ Jesus to whom Paul wrote his previous epistles?

The third item of the secret settles these questions for us satisfactorily. We are joint partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus, through the evangel of which Paul became the dispenser (Eph.3:6,7).

To conclude: the opening portions of the non-Pauline letters clearly indicate that the subjects concern the nation of Israel and the Kingdom on earth which was promised to them. Paul's epistles are written to those who, like himself, had been severed from the rest, and associated with Christ in glory, rather than in His rejection. Today, notwithstanding the fact that the church knows little of this, and generally follows the twelve apostles, ignoring Paul and his teaching, the message heralding the Kingdom to come from heaven to the earth is no longer in force. By grace, all are associated with the risen and ascended Christ. Let us pray that God would reveal to His saints the transcendent glory which is theirs in "Christ Jesus."