Paul's Experience and Our's

by Lavel Piccard

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Dear Reader, 

The following article was written by Lavel Piccard a true reformer. Lavel contributes many timely posts to our discussion group at this link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DefendEGW/

PAUL'S EXPERIENCE AND OURS

There are many points in history to which we might turn, but let us take what must be one of the very best and safest examples,--that of the experience of the Apostle Paul.

Paul, we find, was in exactly the same position the true believers will soon have church of that day, and he had to do it in the face of powerful statements from the Old Testament. Yet he did it, and we know that he did the right thing indeed and we feel that if we had lived then we most certainly would also have separated with him from the Jewish Church.

Paul's whole statement in regard to this is found in the ninth chapter of Romans, the first verses of which chapter record his testimony of love for the people of the Jewish Church. This is as strong a statement as it is possible to give in expression of love for a people.

Note his words carefully:

"I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost. That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning to the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen."

 

THE CALLED OF GOD

But note very carefully that the very same Paul who was saying this, who was giving this strong protest of love even to the point where he was prepared to lose his eternal life that they might be saved, was forced to separate from that very organization and communion.

Paul really did love the Jewish people and longed more than anything else to see them saved in the kingdom, but loving them as he did could not cause him to overlook their true state and to act in harmony with what he knew to be their true state. Facts are facts and he had to state them as they stood.

But his enemies naturally made the most of this and charged him with being one who did hate Israel and, what was worse, one that made the prophecies of none effect. Let us examine their line of argument that we may learn from it.

In the first case they could truthfully say that Israel was the called of God, having been called to be His chosen channel of communication to a perishing world. And Paul did not argue with this for he believed it even more strongly than they. It was one of the great foundation pillars of his faith.

In fact, the believing of it made it all the more imperative that he separate from those, who, while claiming to be the true continuation of the movement the Lord had raised, had turned against the very truths which had been the making of that people!

Therefore Paul could cheerfully and sincerely state his belief in the call of Israel. Read the words of his declaration:

"Who are Israelites; to whom pertains the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;..." Romans 9:4.