Featured Does God Always Get His Way With Man?

Peter 2:1-2
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,
and like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

Did anyone say Peter was writing to organizations, a church or churches? Nope. Peter was writing to the individual believers that comprised his audience.

Folks, the actual effort is to claim that born anew believers were always a people and had always received mercy from before the foundation of the world. The claim is simply bogus, an effort to nullify the very word of God.

1Peter 2:9-10
But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Yes, we were corporately chosen before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4, but we were individually chosen during our lifetime on the basis of God crediting our faith in Christ as righteousness.

It is a lock if you read with comprehension.

 

The reason God sent Peter to Cornelius instead of someone else is because Jesus had given the "keys" of the kingdom of heaven to him specifically. Keys are the instrument that unlocks doors and Peter used the keys given him to unlock doors.

Matthew16:13 ¶ When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? 14 And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. 15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 20 Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

Notice that Peter has been given the keys to the kingdom of heaven and not the keys to the kingdom of God. This is an important distinction and anyone reading the KJV should ask the text why V 20 in in the paragraph. It may or may not be in your Bible, but it is in mine.

Joh 10:9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Ac 2:14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

He was not crucified as the Christ but as a man.

How would the men of Israel at that time come through the door. Do we know? Are we told? Peter knows.

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Fast Forward Ten Years.....

Ac 10:1 There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band,

Dear reader, if you teach Cornelius had already walked through the door into the kingdom of heaven, stop reading here because the rest will make no sense to you.

2 A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.
3 He saw in a vision evidently about the ninth hour of the day an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.
5 And now send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter:

6 He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.

Compare what the same Peter told the men of Israel in Acts 2 and what he tells Cornelius here.

34 ¶ Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36
The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all) 37 That word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and began from
Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; 38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the
devil; for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: 40 Him God raised up the third
day, and shewed him openly; 41 Not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to
preach unto the people (of Israel), and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. 43 To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth (by their testimony and not by actually seeing him) in him shall receive remission of sins.
44 ¶ While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because
that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can any man forbid water, that these should
not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Note on "were astonished" above.
These Jews and Peter recognized the salvation of these gentiles as the baptism with the Spirit on them like it was the Jews in Acts 2.
See Peter's words later in Jerusalem.
Acts 11:15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall
be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
This is not the beginning, it is an addition.

Much later, after the first missionary campaign, this incident is explained as the opening of the door of faith to gentiles so they may enter into the kingdom of heaven;

Acts 14:23 And when they (Paul & Barnabas) had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. 24 And after they
had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: 26 And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been
recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. 27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he
had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 28 And there they abode long time with the disciples.
1 ¶ And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Biblical Commentary on the bolded above;

6 ¶ And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a
good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the
Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

This is an "us and them" verse.

.Re 3:8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

I will stop there but I encourage the reading of all the context and be aware of time frames and when the scriptures pivots, pivot with them. The Bible is a dispensational book and the internals proves it.

Oh, one thing. When Cornelius began the salvation of the gentiles through the open door, those of Israel began to receive the Holy Ghost by faith only and not by preparatory baptism in water beforehand. Here is proof from the apostles;

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we (Jews) believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.(gentiles)

May the Lord be pleased with this treatment of his word!

 

I am not going to be the guy that disputes what you have learned from your Bible. I have no doubt that it teaches what you have learned. But it is different from my Bible and I have not learned from my Bible what you have learned from yours. You think your Bible is correct and mine is wrong and I think mine is correct and yours is wrong and so we will get the mind of God on it at the judgement. Meanwhile we will teach a difference in the application of the Christian gospel.



I really cannot understand your reasoning above and we may be in more agreement than not. I just can't tell. I know I do not teach in any fashion that believers were pre-decided before the world was created and that seems to be the point you are making. I am trying to say that the strangers were the 10 tribes of Israel that were the people of God but in 722 BC were dispersed and would no longer be God's people until that time they could become the sons of God. Certainly when Peter preached Jesus to them and then wrote to them, that was a possibility. The promise in Ho 1 is that after that at some point they will be reunited with Judah and be one people again. Therefore I conclude that Peter is not addressing these strangers in the context of the church of Jesus Christ first of all as is Paul. He is addressing them in an ethnic and a kingdom context.

 

1 Peter 1:1 YLT Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the choice sojourners of the dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

IYO are the, "choice sojourners," chosen out of, the House of Judah the House of Israel or both and or also from the heathen?

Was the answer to that question in your quoted post? I could not decipher it if so.

 

It was there even though I do not know what "choice sojourners" are. That is foreign language to me and an indication that we are not reading the same things. Following is what my Bible says and the word "choice" is not in it.

1Pe 1:1 ¶ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

I understand that you might be quoting a commentary by someone who has taken editorial license with the text.

But these folks are strangers by virtue of their being of the seed of Abraham through Isaac and Jacob and out of their promised land. Paul did not address any gentile members of churches in Europe as strangers. That would have been silly. They were citizens of those nations. James would write to "the twelve tribes scattered abroad." Same folks. James wrote his letter in 45 AD, the first epistle written in the NT age and Peter would write his letter in 66 AD. Much water had passed under the bridge in 21 years. Here is something for you to know. Anytime these people were out of their land they were cut off from their covenants. They were separated from God. They were strangers from the promises. They were dead. Paul himself, was born in Tarsus, a city of the province of Cilicia. Check your Bible map to see where that is. He was a Benjamite and not of the ten tribes

Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they (Israel) not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. ( this certainly did happen between Judah and these strangers in Asia minor)
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
1 ¶ I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. (There was a small remnant of Jewish believers through whom God would work out his purposes of this age)

This was written in 58 AD by Paul. Jesus rose from the dead in 30 AD. This is 28 years later. It was written by Paul from the city of Corinth and all the history from AD 30 until AD 58, which is everything from Acts 1 through Acts 18 had already transpired. It is a letter to a gentile church and a section, Ro 7:1 through Romans 11 is an explanation of why God has included the gentiles into the Jewish church. It is because that nation of Israel to whom God said in Hosea 1 when he drove them off the land," ye are not my people and I will show you no mercy until you are called the sons of the living God" and reckoning them as gentiles. When the angelic beings in the heavenlies saw what God was doing to restore his people to himself, this was said.

Eph 3:1 ¶ For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, (it was manifold because they could observe it)
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
13 Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

This church is in Ephesus, the chief city of the province of Asia. God opened up the door of faith through the apostle Peter after he had preached the gospel first to Jerusalem and to all Judaea, then the Samaritans and Galilee of the gentiles, Jews in the land. It was then he went to the 10 tribes, the strangers who were reckoned as gentiles and were far off from the land. God opened the door of faith to them in AD 40 after he had preached to the nation in the land and had been rejected by them.

I am sitting here for the last half hour trying to figure out how to help people understand these mysteries of the church that requires people to believe the OT first and knowing that this will be foolishness to those who don't.
Only God can reveal the mysteries to the mind.

So, to answer your question;

All twelve tribes were represented in a general way but the specifics were to the 10 tribes who were dispersed in 722 BC. The ultimate end for them is given here;

Ho 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
11 Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

If you think that has happened already then by all means ignore it.

 

Thank you and I agree with you. I used, Young's Literal Translation, which places the Gk word for elect in V 2 where it actually is in the text in V 1

choice strangers scattered ='s elect sojourners of dispersion

From your quote; "All twelve tribes were represented in a general way but the specifics were to the 10 tribes who were dispersed in 722 BC."

I agree.

 

Yes, Percho, This post will be rejected by all those who believe the OT covenants and promises to Israel are figurative and that God's dealing with them is not designed to showcase his attributes, especially his faithfulness to his words and his grace in the face of rebellion and rejection.

I just love to talk about and meditate on the marvelous wisdom and grace of God. These who Peter wrote to were strangers before they were "elect" strangers. The elect strangers were those who had the Spirit of God dwelling in them because of their faith in the gospel of Christ these preachers had presented to them. And they were strangers after they received the Spirit and were born again. They were just a different set of strangers with a different hope than the other group of strangers from which they came, because of being saved. Being saved did not change their physical location immediately.

Now, Peter was not addressing them as the church of Jesus Christ, even though all believers in this age since God sent his Spirit and he was given as his gift and those who received him became members of the church. The evangelistic efforts of different preachers were to collective groups but the receiving of the Spirit of God is an individual and personal thing to each one of them. Remember, Peter wrote this letter addressing these strangers in 66 AD after about 25 years of preaching to them. A few of the many of them had been saved.

The church of Jesus Christ with it's doctrines were addressed by Paul who had this commission as the apostle to the gentiles. This area where these strangers lived was the area God sent his preachers after he unlocked the door of faith to gentiles. Paul addressed the local churches he started in this area as the "body" of Christ and Peter and the Jewish apostles addressed them as a "nation." This is significant because the church has a Jewish foundation, Ep 2:

Remember that Judah was still a nation and the covenant promises of a glorious kingdom of Christ on the earth and the reuniting of all Israel as one nation under her King was still on the table. This would have been accomplished at the end of the 70 years generation of Jesus Christ had Judah and Israel believed and received the gospel of Christ. The people must be born again before the kingdom could be realized. We know they refused and God dispersed Judah from the land in 70 AD and the church is now a gentile church because of the loss of a Jewish national identity..

This is now the mystery form of the kingdom that our Lord Jesus outlined in his mysteries of the kingdom of heaven parables beginning in Matthew 13. All the kingdom promises of the OT covenants will come to pass as told us but it will be after the completion of the gentile church and after Israel is baptized by the fires of the great tribulation that will purge her of all her unbelievers as well as the gentile rebels of the world with few people left to save.

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

The Judaizers stood in the way of these people fulfilling God's purpose for them and you can apply He 6 to the situation. They were enlightened by the gospel and as a people rejected it in favor of the law.

He 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7 For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.


Most people read the Bible as a book of religion only. One must read the scriptures as if they have a historical and a prophetical context, because they do.

Heb 10:26 For if we (Hebrews) sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
28 He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

That is what these Judaizers of the first century did.

30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions;
33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used.
34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance.
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.


38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.

There will be a saved nation of Israel on the earth in the future because God says it.