Prior Book | Prior Chapter | Prior Verse | Next Verse | Next Chapter | Next Book | Viewing NASB and Amplified 2015 | |
NASB | Luke 24:46 and He said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Luke 24:46 and said, "And so it is written, that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, [Hos 6:2] |
Subject: Paul our pattern to follow, not Jesus? |
Bible Note: I'm not sure you understand the manner in which Jesus came to us. He came to show us the Father, Who is over all dispensations. Speaking directly to dispensationalism, (which I believe in, although not to the extreme that some do) Hebrews tells us: Heb 1:1 In many ways and in various ways of old, God spoke to the fathers in the prophets; Heb 1:2 in these last days He spoke to us in the Son, God expresses Himself to mankind in Jesus Christ, and the new "dispensation" is through Jesus, and not through Paul. Heb 1:3 who (Jesus) being the shining splendor of His glory, and the express image of His essence, Jesus was, and is,a full and complete communication. You can 'not know Paul', and 'know Jesus', and have complete knowledge of God (so much as is possible for man), but you cannot 'know Paul', and 'not know Jesus', and know God. Jesus is the full expression of the Father, and Paul is not. That notwithstanding, look at what Paul wrote: 1 Cor 11:1 "Be imitators of me, as I am also of Christ." Paul tells us that he imitates Christ. If we imitate Paul, we will do the same as he does, and we will imitate Christ, as Paul does. Ephesians tells us this straight out: Eph 5:1 "Then become imitators of God, as beloved children," - we know God through Jesus. When the disciples said "show us the Father", Jesus answered "he who has seen Me has seen the Father." Paul does not tell us to imitate him, and not imitate Jesus. 1 Th 1:6 "And you became imitators of us and of the Lord" The New Covenant established by Jesus is definately a better convenant, but the New Covenant is what Jesus spent his life on earth showing us. The Old Covenant was a system of external behaviors and practices, but the New Covenant is of internal change. Jesus showed us that we need to be changed, born from above, with a new heart. Paul explained to us that we need to be born with His life, the life of Jesus in us. Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I live; yet no longer I, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith toward the Son of God, the One loving me and giving Himself over on my behalf. Paul does not write that we will Paul's life, but that we will life Jesus' life. If we are to live the life of Jesus in our own bodies, then certainly we can look to the life Jesus lived as our example, our model to follow. In spite of the externals, there never was any different way that we come to God, subsequent to the fall, other than by faith in the Redeemer. It always was, and always will be, by faith through Jesus' substitutionary atoning sacrifice. Look at how Jesus interacted with people. Look at how Jesus served and worshipped the Father. Look at His self-denial and sacrifice. He is our perfect example, and worthy of all emulation. But I could hardly say it better than did John the Apostle: John 1 14 And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, glory as of an only begotten from the Father, full of grace and of truth. 15 John witnesses concerning Him, and has cried out, saying, This One was He of whom I said, He coming after me has been before me, for He was preceding me. 16 And out of His fullness we all received, and grace on top of grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, that One declares Him. I hope this helps! Love in Christ, Mark |