Paul's Premature Gentile Ministry

 [Editor:] Paul declared himself to be “one born out of due time” (I Corinthians 15:8; KJV), or of a “premature birth” (CV). Or as other translations render it:

 

“untimely born” (ASV; ALV)

“out of the right time” (BBE)

“not fully developed” (JMNT)

“unseasonable birth” (REB).

 

Prophetically, the Gentiles were to be blessed through Israel’s spiritual and national rise. Speaking of the future glory of Israel, Isaiah writes:

 

Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the Earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen upon you. And the Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising (60:1-3).

 

During the Pentecost Administration, along with Israel, Paul brough the nations a sampling of the coming Kingdom. They,

 

… tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the coming age (Hebrews 6:4).

The prophetic intent of this premature Gentile ministry was to provoke Israel to jealousy (Romans 10:19; 11:11, 14; c.f., Deuteronomy 32:31).


- Clyde L. Pilkington, Jr.

Bible Student's Notebook

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kingdom of the Heavens

[ Editor: ] The coming Kingdom Administration begins with the Pre-Millennial (“ the Kingdom of the Heavens, ” including the full Seventy-Sevens of Daniel). God is always absolutely sovereign over the affairs of man. This truth is hidden from the perception of mankind during “ Man’s Day .” But beginning with the “ Day of Christ ” this absolute sovereignty will be made abundantly manifest .  This phase of the prophetic phase will last between 500-700 years, depending on how one approaches the passages. If considering the 700-year period, 33 of these years have already taken place during the Acts period, as “ the blade ” stage the Kingdom (Mark 4:26-29). For more information of the 700-year period see, -           “666 ,” Otis Q. Sellers, Bible Student’s Notebook 909 ; -       “The Parable of the Kingdom's Growing Grain,” Andrew Brown, Bible Student’s Notebook 909 . For more information related to the “ Kingdom of the Heavens ” ( i.e., Pre-Millennial) aspect, see: –   Alpha/Beta,
Read more

Pauptit, G.J.

[ Editor :] G.J. Pauptit (1889-1962) was a student of E.W. Bullinger (1837-1913), an associate of A.E. Knoch (1874-1965) and Charles H. Welch (1880-1967), and co-editor, along with Stanislas Van Mierlo (1888-1962), of the Dutch monthly periodical Uit de Schriften ( Out of the Scriptures , 1920-1960), as well the author of several books including: The Holy Scriptures, The Covenants and the Law, Israel’s Prophecy, The Song of Songs, The Anti-Divine Trio, The Rich Man & Lazarus, About the Mystery. See Pauptit’s other articles in the Bible Student’s Notebook : –   “The Difference Between the Heavenly and the Over-Heavenly Spheres,” Bible Student’s Notebook #841 ; –   “The Opening of a New Dispensation,” Titbits of Truth, Bible Student’s Notebook #907 ; –                   “The ‘Body’ of Corinthians and the ‘Body’ of Ephesians, Bible Student’s Notebook #908 ; –                      “The Out-Resurrection: Rising Before Others,” Bible Student’s Notebook #916 .
Read more

Acts Period

  [ Editor :] The term “Acts period” is a reference that time-period covered by the events of the book of Acts. It begins at Pentecost and ends with Paul at Rome. This period is the “ blade ” and “ ear ” stage of the Kingdom of God (Mark 4:26-29). For more information on the stages of the Kingdom of God, see, -           “The Five Stages of the Kingdom of God,” Otis Q. Sellers, Bible Student’s Notebook 907; -           “The Parable of the Kingdom's Growing Grain,” Andrew Brown, Bible Student’s Notebook 909. For more information of this time-period covers by the book of Acts, see, -           “Gentiles During the Acts Period,” David Tavender , Bible Student’s Notebook 733 ; -           “The Acts Period and the Acts Period Epistles,” Tom L. Ballinger, Bible Student’s Notebook 604 ; -           “The Acts of the Apostles and Paul's Acts Epistles Considered Historically and Dispensationally,”  J.J.B. Coles, Bible Student’s Notebook 613 ; -           “Before and A
Read more