during the present time.  Christ is never called the `King' of the Church.

Then again, the various `gospels' need carefully dividing.

A -- Surely you do not mean me to understand that there is more than

one gospel?

B --

No, I do not, not in the sense that you mean.  There is but one

gospel and

one way of salvation, nevertheless, there are `gospels' in the

that are not all alike.  For example, `The gospel of the Kingdom'

is defined

for us in Mark 1:15:

`The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye,

and believe the gospel'.

The twelve apostles went out and preached this gospel (Matt. 10), yet

Peter reveals that he did not know at the time that the Lord Jesus was to die

and rise again (16:21 -23).  Surely the `gospel of the grace of God' could

not be preached without Christ's death and resurrection being either

expressed or acknowledged!  In Revelation 14:6 we have the `everlasting

gospel'.  Read its terms for yourself.  There is no reference to redemption

or to Christ, just `Fear God the Creator'.  This again is no gospel for the

present time.

Then again we read in some Scriptures of a `mystery', which had been

hidden by God, and revealed at a definite period (see Eph. 3 and Col. 1).  We

must be careful not to read into earlier Scriptures therefore the truth

revealed in later ones.  This applies to the epistles of Paul as a whole.

While all his epistles are necessary for the Church, we shall find upon

examination that his ministry needs rightly dividing, and that not only is it

as a whole distinct and independent, but that within itself it divides into

two distinct sections.  But I think you have had enough for the time being.

Just open your Bible and make a few tests.  Consider

The envelope,

Whether Jew, Gentile or Church,

Whether past, present or future, and

Whether the dispensation be Law, Grace, Kingdom, Church or

A -- I should like to know a little more fully what you meant by saying

that while Paul's epistles as a whole are distinct from the rest of

Scripture, yet they themselves need rightly dividing.

B -- I am glad this important matter has arrested your attention, and

will do all I can to make the position clear.

We must look at the subject first to see that Paul's ministry is

something quite distinct from that of any other apostle, and then, having

that ministry before us, realize that it is divided into two clear sections.

This is not merely interesting -- it is vital to the full understanding of

God's purpose and our place therein.

First of all, Paul was not one of the twelve.

A -- How do you prove that?