Problem 3 - Pauline truth is just a continuation of what Jesus taught on earth

PROBLEM NO. 3--PAULINE TRUTH IS JUST A CONTINUATION OF WHAT JESUS TAUGHT IN HIS EARTHLY MINISTRY

What the Acts 2 position does is take the Upper Room Discourse of John, chapters 13-17, to be the seed plot of all grace teachings; that Christianity comes from this Discourse that Jesus spoke to His disciples in the upper room ('Systematic Theology' by Lewis S. Chafer, Vol. 5, page 141). Chafer teaches in his Theology that seven major doctrines of Christianity are found in the Upper Room Discourse. This third major discourse of our Lord's earthly ministry (the other two being the Sermon on the mount and the Olivet Discourse, both in Matthew) is vastly different from the other discourses. In fact, he even goes so far as to say that the Disciples were no longer in Jewish Law but were made clean through His Word (John 13:10; 15:3). On page 143, Dr. Chafer listed the seven major doctrines:
"(a) a new relationship to God through Christ, (b) cleansing unto unbroken fellowship, (c) abiding in Christ for fruit bearing, (d) a new relationship to the Holy Spirit, (e) a new relationship between believers, (f) a new ground of prayer, and (g) a new hope." This teaching, then, makes Paul's letters a commentary on our Lord's earthly teachings.

THE TRUTH

This view anticipates Pauline revelation. They take the first part of John 16:13, "However, when He, the Spirit of truth has come, He will guide you into all truth ..." and understand the phrase 'into all truth' to include the writings of the Apostle Paul. They see no significance in the fact that the Greek has the article 'the' with 'truth,' so that the phrase can and should be translated 'into all THE truth' instead of 'into all truth.' The 'the' makes a tremendous difference in what Jesus said that night. 'Into all truth' means just what it says, that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all the rest of Divine truth, including Pauline revelation. But Jesus DID NOT TEACH THIS. The translations wrongly teach this.

However, the Greek text, because of the article 'the,' limits the truth to a specific body of truth,, 'into all THE truth.' And this is correct. What Jesus taught them in that Upper Room was Divine truth related to Israel's NEW COVENANT. The NEW COVENANT represents a specific body of truth that is related to God's purpose for Israel. The emphasis of the NEW COVENANT is spiritual. This is why it is mixed up with Christianity so much. The Lord told them that the Holy Spirit would guide them into a certain body of truth that pertained to ' them. This is exactly what the Holy Spirit did at the beginning of the book of Acts.

A very important distinction needs to be seen in relation to the ministries of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the Holy Spirit. The revealing of new truth from the Godhead through revelation is the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is true of His earthly ministry to Israel as well as in His heavenly ministry to the Gentiles Now through the Apostle Paul.

The inspiration involved with these new revelations and the illumination into these revelations is the ministry of the Holy Spirit (the word 'revealed' in Eph. 3:5 is to be understood as referring to 'illumination' in the sense of FINDING OUT about new truth by the believer because of being illuminated by the Spirit of God). The Acts 2 viewpoint is mixed up about the responsibilities of the Lord Jesus and of the Holy Spirit. So what Jesus did, then, was to prepare His Apostles for the events of Pentecost and beyond.

Three to four years after His death and resurrection, He reached down and saved Saul, who also is called 'Paul' (Acts 9:3-6; 13:9). To him alone the risen Christ revealed the unique doctrines of Christianity (Gal. 1:11-12; Eph. 3:2-3; 2 r. 12:1,7; Rom. 16:25-26; Acts 20:24; 1 Cor. 11:23; 15:3). These doctrines are not found in the Gospel of John but found in Paul's letters TO the Body of Christ. This is where we are supposed to live in order to please our Father God.

By Robert C. Brock