R656 Rumination for 03 September, 2017By KC Ung

The Theme: Received and deliveredberita-bethel-ung.com

The Text: For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you.I Cor. 11:23

The Thots:

Intro. The Lord gave Paul two exclusive revelations to be delivered personally to the Church at Corinth:

  1. Regarding the Gospel – For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received…I Cor. 15:3-4
  1. Its Contents:
  1. It Comments onChrist’s Death: how that Christ died for our sins
  1. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. Rom. 5:6
  2. God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5:8
  3. The Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.Gal. 2:20b
  1. It Confirms that Christ really died and was buried – And that e was buriedMt. 27:59, 60

When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.

  1. It Consolidates the Miracle of Christ’s Resurrection: and that he rose again the third day

By Christ’s Resurrection, God declares His Acceptance of HisSon’sSacrifice for our Sins.Acts 2:27

  1. Thou wilt not leave My soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.
  2. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that His soul was not left in hell,

neither His flesh did see corruption. Acts 2:31

  1. He saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Acts 13:35
  1. The neededConfession for our Salvation:Rom. 10:9

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart

that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

  1. The Commitment and Challenge to all who believe: Mk. 16:15-16

And He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

  1. The Conclusion of it all: Rom. 14:9

For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living.

  1. Its Confirmation: according to the scriptures (i.e. The Old Testament) Lk. 24:44-48

And He said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things.

  1. Regarding the Lord’s Supper.I Cor. 11:23-26

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you…

  1. Its Initiation:That the Lord Jesus the samenight in which He was betrayed
  1. What He Did: Lk. 22:19-20, NKJV
  1. He took Bread and Broke it:

And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying,

"This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

  1. He took the Cup of the New Covenant and said:

"This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.”

  1. What the early Disciples Did:

And they continued stedfastly...in breaking of bread…Acts 2:42

And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread…Acts 20:7

2.Its Instruction:

  1. What the Lord wants us to Do:I Cor. 11:24-25
  1. And when He had given thanks, He brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is My body,

which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of Me.

  1. After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in My blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.

3.Its Institution:I Cor. 11:26

For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come

According to Thy gracious word,In meek humility,

This will I do, my dying Lord,I will remember Thee.

Thy body, broken for my sake,My bread from heaven shall be;

Thy testamental cup I take,And thus remember Thee. James Montgomery

REFLECTIONS FOR THE WEEKR. 656

  1. Today the “Gospel” comes in many forms – all claiming to be the true Gospel. This is not surprising because even as early as in apostolic times, Paul already encountered such cases.

He wrote to the church of Galatia and warned them about “another” Gospel which was any

other gospel “different” from the one he preached.

What was so special about the Gospel he preached? See I Cor. 15:3-5

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures: And that He was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve…

Essentially it was all about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. He was the sacrifice for our sins and we need to confess that in order to be saved.

Nothing more is to be added and nothing more is to be subtracted from that!

Paul was not a material witness to all these but these facts and features were made known to him in a special revelation by the Lord Himself and there were living witnesses in his time who could testify to all these (I Cor. 15:5-11)

However, it is sad that so soon after the Lord had ascended into heaven, and local churches had been founded in various places, that Paul had to write to the church of Galatia concerning this unique Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ when certain Jews in the church wanted to add to the Gospel their background of Jewish traditions, customs and requirements as conditions to be saved. Paul called that a “different” and “another” Gospel, i.e. a so-called gospel of another and of a different kind - not of the original Gospel that he was testifying to. Thus, he wrote: (Gal. 1:6-12, NKJV) – I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.

As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ. But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.

Paul firmly stated that this “different” gospel was not “another” of the same kind, but it was completely one of a “different” kind. Even though angels might be “preaching” it, it would still be false and such preachers and preaching would be cursed. Paul’s Gospel as revealed to him was very simple that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that He was buried,

and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.

To add to it or to subtract from it or to multiply it with other ideas and versions was indeed “anathema” (cursed or be accursed).

What kind of Gospel do you believe in?

Were you required to add something else to be believed or to be done by you to the original Gospel as stated above before you could be reckoned to be saved?

There are numerous additions and subtractions to the Gospel in various multiplied forms today.

Do not be deceived and do not perpetuate such false doctrines or practices.

Are you saved? How do you know? On what grounds?REFLECT

  1. Apart from Paul, Apostle John also received a special revelation from the Lord Who told him to write the down the things hewould see and hear as revealed to him (Rev. 1:19). At the conclusion of his recorded Revelation, John gave a warning, thus,

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.(Rev. 22:18, 19)

Today there are many who have added and subtracted, as well as, are still adding or subtracting to the inspired Word of God (II Tim. 3:16, 17).

Are you able to rightly divide the Word of truth to discern what is right, wrong or false?

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,

rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Tim. 2:15)REFLECT.

Points to Ponder: “God Spared not His own Son but Delivered Him up us all” (Rom. 8:32);

Having Received it have we Delivered this message to the world around us?