Chapter 1

Verses twenty-four through twenty-nine: In this passage Paul spends considerable time reminding the church that he has suffered much in order to bring God’s Word to them. In verse 24 he reminds them that the church is the body of Christ–a sobering reality when one considers the fact that the body follows the head. Likewise, the spiritual body of Christ follows its Head. Those who do not follow (obey) the Head are not part of the body–the are counterfeit Christians who belong to a counterfeit church which worships a counterfeit god who offers a counterfeit salvation.

In verse twenty-five Paul tells the people that his job is to “fulfill the Word of God,” meaning to preach the Word of God whose central theme is “Christ in you the hope of glory” (vs 27). “Christ in you” is symbolic of the Godhead’s (Father and Son) filling the true saint with Their Holy Spirit. We are told that God IS (present tense) on His throne in heaven and that Jesus IS at His right side.  It is their Holy Spirit that resides in true saints–the true body of Christ–of which God said there are “few” (Mat. 7:13,14). See The Trinity. The “mystery,” Paul reminds the church, has been offered to the Gentiles, some of whom had by that time become a part of the body of Christ. Verses 28,29 tell us that the gospel is preached to the church in order for them to reach a spiritual point of perfection. As the Scriptures repeatedly bring out, this can only be done by total obedience to the Word of God. Paul warns the church that they must present themselves before the Lord at the time of judgment in a state of perfection (spiritual maturity) by having been obedient to His Word. Jesus warned His followers that only those who remain in that state “unto the end shall be saved” (Mat. 10:22). Note in the previous verse that He warns them that they will suffer much persecution for being obedient to Him, for being “peculiar.” Those, and only those, who retain their righteousness until the end of their lives or until He returns will be saved. IF YOU ARE NOT BEING PERSECUTED FOR YOUR OBEDIENCE TO CHRIST YOU ARE NOT A SAINT. THUS SAITH THE LORD. FOR PROOF, SEE THE POSTINGS TITLED “PERSECUTION.”

Bear in mind that persecution will come from the Institutional Church (Catholicism/Protestantism), not the unchurched world who does not care what we believe, say or do. Recall that it was the Jews–those who knew the Word that the apostles preached–who killed them for believing and preaching it. Nothing has changed. It is those who own Bibles, read them, claim to believe then and go to church to prove it who reject God’s saints. As the lord said, count the cost before becoming a part of His body. He also said not to put your hand to the plough and look back. Remember Lot’s wife. L.J.