Part 5: Conclusion

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called The 12 Apostle’s Ministry from Acts 7 to 15 and Afterward.

Section VI. Conclusion

The language of the Bible is that while Israel “fell” in Acts chapter 7 (cf. Matthew 12:31-32; Luke 13:6-9), she was “diminishing” until chapter 28 (Romans 11:11-14). For just over 30 years, God announced the dispensational change from Peter to Paul, Law to Grace, Israel to the Body of Christ, prophecy to mystery, Jew to Gentile.

Between Acts chapters 9 and 15, God gradually solidified Paul’s ministry. With Peter’s testimony of Acts chapter 10 shared in Acts chapter 15 with all of Israel’s Little Flock leadership present, Paul’s Gentile ministry (to all men) under grace could be permanently validated. Once that occurred, then Peter and the Little Flock could fade from Acts, leaving the final phase of the transition to come about and terminate with Paul’s final announcement of Acts 28:28 — “Be it known therefore unto you [Jews], that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and they will hear it.”

Over 15 years after learning some things from Paul, Peter, at the end of his life, admitted that he still could not understand everything associated with Paul’s ministry. Second Peter chapter 3:

“[15] And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; [16] As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.” For sake of brevity, we forgo further commentary here.

Friend, you asked, “If the national program is set aside, where do the converts of Peter ‘go?’ Where do they ‘fit’ in the scheme of things?” All of the believing Jews saved outside of Paul’s ministry, they stayed members of the “Little Flock” until their deaths. They did not have to convert to “the Body of Christ.” They had an earthly hope and now had to wait for Christ’s Second Coming (which, they later learned, did not come about yet in order to extend our Dispensation of Grace).

Once Paul’s ministry came to the forefront, and confirmed by the 12 apostles (at The Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 and later), Israel’s “Little Flock” was sealed off. Paul continued from Acts chapter 15 to the end of Acts (chapter 28), announcing to Israel that she was fallen and diminishing (read Romans 11:10-12, 15, 25). This was to give ‘LOST Jews’ plenty of time to trust Paul’s Gospel (of the grace of God) and join in God’s program via the Church the “Body of Christ.”

Please permit me to repeat for sake of emphasis. Peter and the other members of the “Little Flock” stayed together until the ends of the earthly lives. They had no reason to migrate into Paul’s ministry and “the Body of Christ.” As indicated by the Hebrew epistles, Hebrews through Revelation, Israel’s “Little Flock” during Acts just continued to look for the seven years of Tribulation and Christ’s Second Coming. They continued practicing the Law system, they continued following Jesus’ instructions in Matthew through John, the doctrine in early Acts. And when it was written, they applied the information of Hebrews through Revelation.

In the future, after our Dispensation of Grace ends with the Rapture, those Jewish epistles will start up Israel’s believing remnant once again. During that seven-year Tribulation, they will practice the Jewish doctrine that Peter and the 11 would have followed had the Tribulation come 2,000 years ago. When Jesus Christ returns at His Second Coming, He will bring all believing Jews in Israel’s programfrom Adam onward to the last believer killed in the Tribulationinto the earthly kingdom.

You also pointed out, “Additionally, it must be obvious that not all Israel (each individual) committed the unpardonable sin, or Peter and the others would have had no ministry at all.” That is correct. Not every individual Jew committed the unpardonable sin, but the vast majority did blaspheme against the Holy Ghost. Saul of Tarsus led the rebellion (1 Timothy 1:12-16). Israel’s corrupt and unbelieving leadership was influential in causing the common people to:

#1) reject God the Father speaking through John the Baptist (Herod beheaded him),

#2) reject God the Son Jesus Christ (at Calvary), and

#3) reject God the Holy Ghost (speaking through Israel’s Little Flock in early Acts via the 12 apostles).

(Note that Saul of Tarsus was “saved out of due time to be Paul, under grace, not under Israel’s law and kingdom program. – Arthur J Licursi)

Peter and the 11 began to minister to individuals in Acts chapter 8 and onward. They were no longer ministering to Israel as a whole like they did in the first seven chapters of Acts. Once Peter and the 11 learned from Paul about his ministry, they, in Galatians 2:9 (cf. Acts 15), loosed themselves from their commission and stayed with “the circumcision” (the born-again Jews, Israel’s “Little Flock”). From Acts chapter 15 onward, Paul and Barnabas went to the “heathen” (Greek ethnos, the lost Jews and lost Gentiles).

There came a point when salvation in Israel’s program was no longer available to lost Jews. From God’s viewpoint, Israel’s fall was in Acts chapter 7, but it took time for His human servants in Israel’s program to be brought up-to-date. Peter saw a hint of this dispensational change during the strange events of Acts chapter 10 (Cornelius). But they were not fully informed of the dispensational change until Acts chapter 15. Israel’s Little Flock was secure, and they continued on in the Jewish kingdom doctrine, but the Little Flock was no longer open to new memberships once the Little Flock public ally endorsed Paul’s ministry in chapter 15. Paul’s frequent visits to the synagogues to preach to the lost Jews was God’s way of saving some of these lost Jews from the apostasy that caused them to reject Jesus years earlier (see Romans 11:11-14). With Paul’s ministry now preeminent, these lost Jews (and lost Gentiles) would have to come to God apart from Israel’s rise to kingdom glory. They would have to come through Paul’s ministry. One final note, Romans chapter 10 is Paul’s rebuke of Israel for rejecting his ministry as they had done with Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry years earlier.