Answering Herb Evans (part 3)

The Beginning of the Whosoever Gospel

Mar 1:1 – 4 The BEGINNING of THE gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

            And from the days of John the Baptist UNTIL NOW [John the dispensational dividing line] the kingdom of heaven sufferETH violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the LAW prophesied UNTIL JOHN.   --Matt. 11:12, 13

And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to TURN THE HEARTS of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to MAKE READY A PEOPLE PREPARED FOR THE LORD . . .  And thou, child [John], shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give KNOWLEDGE OF SALVATION unto his people by the REMISSION OF THEIR SINS . . . -- Luke 1:17, 76,77

Luke 16:16 The law and the prophets were UNTIL JOHN: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

            But in EVERY NATION he that feareth him and WORKETH RIGHTEOUSNESS, is accepted with him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel , PREACHING PEACE  by Jesus Christ . . . THAT WORD, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and BEGAN from Galilee, after the baptism which JOHN PREACHED . . . to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH in him shall receive REMISSION OF SINS. -- Acts 10:36, 37

The beginning of THE gospel of Jesus Christ began with John the Baptist’s preaching. This gospel was the Gospel of remission of sins and the Son of God, rather than the Gospel of the King. John made a people ready for the Lord Jesus. It began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached. The word of peace by Jesus Christ was preached to Israel, and it is and was preached to every nation.

Grace and truth and the gospel pf the remission of sins came by Jesus Christ not by Paul or by the Pauline epistles.  Jesus Christ preached repentance for the remission of sins in conjunction with John the Baptist’s introduction of the gospel pre-picture of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, namely, water baptism. This gospel of the remission of sins is appropriated by receiving and believing on Jesus Christ and is identified with receiving the revealed knowledge of salvation and being translated into the kingdom of heaven/God (which was preached and suffered violence in the Four Gospels). Believers then and now were translated into this Kingdom of His dear Son (Col. 1:13).  

Yes the kingdom and the gospel of the kingdom was first preached by John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ which is the Son of God and King that Israel was to accept and believe on. "Whosoever" believed on Christ and His gospel of the kingdom could be saved (the NT talks about proselytes into Judaism). Who disagrees with that? Yes, grace and truth came with Jesus Christ. He died four sins and through His blood we have redemption (Col. 1:14, Eph. 1:7), what else is new? 
 

This more consistent Bible dispensationalism does not have the problems that MAD theory has and is able to find both the gospel of the remission of sins and also Jesus’ church (MY CHURCH) in the four gospels. This form of dispensationalism bypasses the Book of Acts, Pentecost, and the Pauline Epistles to find its beginning in the Four Gospels rather than in the Book of Acts, Pentecost, or the Pauline epistles.

I do not know what that means, but I do know that Jesus's church (which is apparently the called out assembly of the little flock that believed the kingdom gospel) started with John the baptist. The body of Christ, which is also a church, started with Paul in Acts 9. The spiritual organization the, body of Christ, can only exist BY THE CROSS so anytime pre-cross is unacceptable. (Eph. 2:16)

The scripture gives a clear, specific dispensational dividing line and beginning of the NOW dispensation and NOW gospel which began with John the Baptist and continues with Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul and modern day Baptists that are really Baptists. The law and the prophets were UNTIL John but not Pentecost or the Book of Acts or the Epistles. 

 That is completely made up in the mind of Herb Evans. The King, His kingdom, and His kingdom gospel were offered starting with John the Baptist. None of that is going on today. The new dispensation is clearly something given through Paul. (1 Tim. 1:10-17, Eph. 3:1-7, 1 Cor. 9:17, Col. 1:25) 
Ephesians 2:16 " And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:"

The Gospel to the WORLD

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which TAKETH AWAY THE SIN of the WORLD . . . This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. And I knew him not: but that he should be MADE MANIFEST to Israel, THEREFORE am I come baptizing with water [not to get you saved through this water picture]. -- John 1:29, 31

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

He that BELIEVETH on the Son HATH everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.    -- John 3:36

Acts 10:43  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight . . . ALL FLESH shall see the SALVATION of God. – Lk. 3:4-6

The same [John] came for a witness, to bear WITNESS OF THE LIGHT, that ALL MEN through him might believe.    -- John 1:7

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

John 3:15, 16 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved THE WORLD, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

The ultimate purpose of John the Baptist was to witness to the Light of Jesus Christ and to make a people prepared for the Lord that ALL MEN through him might believe and that ALL FLESH shall see the salvation of God. In Acts 19, it is still the Jesus Christ that John preached that folks were to believe upon and not merely Jews. In Acts 13, it was the WHOSOEVER to which the same word of THIS salvation was sent that John first preached. In Acts 10, it was true that he that believeth on Him shall receive the remission of sins, and all the prophets give witness to that.

In John 1:12, He came to His own, who did not receive Him, but AS MANY AS RECEIVED Him, to them gave he power to become the SONS OF GOD. It was true then, during the time of John, and it is true now that he that believeth on the Son HATH everlasting life. Of course, the Jews and even the apostles did not recognize the unlimited scope of this salvation at first. Still, John the Baptist preached that the Lamb of God would take away the sin of the WORLD. Jesus, Himself, prophesied that He would be given for the WORLD and not merely for Jew or Gentile. 

I have already refuted this in Part 2. Yes Christ was the last sacrifice needed--no more bulls and goats. Anyone could believe on the King and therefore do His works (John 14:12) and become a proselyte to Judaism and have part in the kingdom. 
I will point out that Herb Evans used a verse out of Acts 10 to prove that whosoever believeth on Christ could get saved (which includes doing His works as I showed you already in part 1 with John 14:12). But Peter and his friends were shocked when the Gentiles got saved without water baptism. 
 Acts 10:  
[43] To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth 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.

Peter was commissioned by Jesus to preach water baptism as part of the gospel in Matthew 28:17, Mark 16:15-16, and Acts 2:38. But when Israel blasphemed the Holy Ghost in Acts 7 with the stoning of Stephen, God transitioned things from prophecy to mystery and Israel to body of Christ. You can read the first part of Acts 10 and see that God was letting Peter know that there had been a change in the dietary laws and then at the end of the chapter God let Peter know that works were no longer required. To understand the transitional period of Acts one must study Romans 9-11. 

The Church

Mat 10:1 -2 And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Mat 18:17 --20 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Luke 9:1 - 2 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Eph 2:12-17  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us . . . for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.

1 Cor 12:27, 28 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, FIRST Apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, THEN gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

Eph 4:4, 5 There is ONE BODY, and one Spirit . . .  One Lord, one faith, ONE BAPTISM,

The Church, like the gospel of the remission of sins, began in the four Gospels and consisted first with 12 commissioned Jewish disciples and later followed by seventy prophets. Gentiles were added to the church later in a reconciliation of BOTH Jew and Gentile IN one body BY THE CROSS not by Paul the apostle or by the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. They were made nigh by the blood of Christ, without a distinction between a Jewish church and a Gentile church.

Peace is preached to both Jew and Gentile through Jesus Christ. MAD makes a false distinction between a Jewish church and a Gentile church – TWO churches, TWO BODIES (three counting the so called invisible church). MAD also makes a difference between water baptism in the Gospels and our water baptism now. MAD hold to as high as twelve baptisms (April/May/June McNuggets), as opposed to Dr. Peter Ruckman’s seven baptisms even though the scriptures tells us that there is only ONE valid, legitimate, baptism (other recorded baptisms not withstanding) and ONE legitimate body today, since Ephesians 4. 

 That is all a bunch of unscriptural babbling built on the assumption that every church in the Bible is the body of Christ and that every "gospel" is the same. A "church" is a called out assembly and God has had many starting from the OT (Acts 7:38). I have already gone over these things in part 1. 

Ephesians 2:

[11] Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands;
[12] That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
[13] But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
[14] For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
[15] Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
[16] And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

There are ordinances/commandments for the body of Christ. (Lord's Supper, water baptism, etc.) but those are not to get into the body of Christ. The body of Christ is a universal church of all believers that are a called out assembly (church).

Eph. 2:[4] But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
[5] Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) [6] And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

You can take that "made us sit together in heavenly places" however you want, but it is a called out assembly.

Now some gentlemen (Herb Evans) have made the claim that we must join a church, get baptized, get voted in, etc. before they are in there particular body of Christ. That means that Christ did not "abolish in his flesh the enmity" and that He really did not "reconcile both unto God in one body".

Did Christ "abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances" only to create new ordinances?

Verse 16 is saying that Christ "reconciled both (Jew and Gentiles) unto God in one body, having slain the enmity thereby", does that sound like "local bodies of Christ" to yall? There were Jews and Gentiles (proselytes) going to the same assemblies/churches/synogueges before the cross! Christ did not half to reconcile the two together in a local church.....it was already happening.

How anyone could read Ephesians 2 and think it is talking about a local church I do not know. 

The "one baptism" of Ephesians 4 is not water baptism. It is the baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. 

 Herb thinks that water did this.

Col 2:

[12] Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
[13] And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

And this....

Romans 6:

[1] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
[2] God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

Are we "dead to sin" because of water baptism or because we were baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ (crucified, buried, risen)?

[3] Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Did water baptize us into Christ's death? Are we crucified with Christ through water? Was Paul talking about water in Gal. 2:20? Herb, you do not have a verse of scripture that says anyone was baptized "into" anything accept for baptized "in Jordan". When it is water baptism it is always said to be baptized "unto" something.

Can water baptism baptize you "into Jesus Christ". Paul is saying that as many (saved people) as were baptized into Jesus Christ (1 Cor.12:13 baptism into His body) were also baptized into His death.

[4] Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

"Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead" -Col. 2:12

This burial into Christ's death is "through the faith of the operation of God". We ARE crucified, we ARE buried, and we ARE risen "through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead".

"Like as Christ was raised up", when Christ was raised He had completed the victory over sin! We are baptized into His death, burial, and resurrection and so we should walk in newness of life because we ARE risen and we have the victory over sin (spiritually) and so we should seek to have the victory over sin practically, (our "walk").

But no, all that is water....

[5] For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

[6] Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
[7] For he that is dead is freed from sin.

If " our old man is crucified with him" is talking about water buptism, then water buptism also destroyed the body of sin and water buptism is also what made us free from sin. You can't go through picking and choosing which of that applies to water buptism and which does not.

If you believe that water baptism freed you from sin than you are a cambellite/water dog/water snake.

We were not all literally baptized on to the cross and were crucified with Christ, we were not literally there in the tomb with Him, nor did we literally rise up on "resurrection Sunday" but the Holy Spirit baptized us into those things spiritually, i.e. a "likeness".

[8] Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

I am dead with Christ, but it is not because of water buptism!

[9] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
[10] For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
[11] Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[12] Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

Notice verses 11, "through Jesus Christ our Lord". Notice it did not say "through water buptism our tub".