363 - Les Feldick Bible Study Lesson 1 - Part 3 - Book 31 - 2 Corinthians 5:9 - 5:21

https://lesfeldickbiblestudy.com Through the Bible with Les Feldick LESSON 1 * PART 3 * BOOK 31 II CORINTHIANS 5:9 - 5:21 Let's begin in verse 16. II Corinthians 5:16 Wherefore (because that's all been accomplished) henceforth (now remember Paul is only talking about Christ's death, burial, and resurrection so he says, henceforth since that time)know we no man after the flesh: (now who in the world is he talking about? Well let's read on and see.) yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now (this side of His death, burial, and resurrection) henceforth know we him no more." Now what's Paul driving at? Well come back with me to I Corinthians Chapter 1. Now here was what Paul was up against in verse 12. I Corinthians 1:12 "Well I'm going by what Jesus said." Some asked me, "Why do you emphasize Paul? Well now wait a minute, remember everything that Jesus said was under the Law. There would have been so much profound Jewish opposition that after all the Temple was viable, the priesthood was still viable, this is the only place (Jerusalem) to worship, and God knew that. II Corinthians 5:16 "Wherefore henceforth know we no man (Christ) after the flesh:..." Turn to Galatians Chapter 1. Always remember everything He taught back in the Four Gospels was before His death, burial, and resurrection. 12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." (And remember Jesus Christ was now in glory) 13. For ye have heard of my conversation (manner of living) in time past in the Jew's religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church (assembly of Jewish believers at Jerusalem) of God and wasted it: 14. (Paul was a religious zealot remember) 15. To show us (Church Age believers) that as soon as God saved this Jewish religious zealot He did not permit Him to have contact with the Twelve. That Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, The Son of God, yes He was crucified, but God raised Him from the dead, and He's still willing to be the King of Israel if Israel will only repent. But God says, "No, no, Paul. Well now Jesus didn't teach anything like that. Jesus certainly never taught the Twelve to go out to the Gentiles: I wish people could see that. Jesus never told those Twelve to go out and preach His death, burial and resurrection for salvation but this man, the apostle Paul, that's all he knows. You know there is no earthly headquarters for the Body of Christ, our headquarters is Heaven. But the one place on earth where Christianity did begin was not the church (or assembly in Jerusalem) but rather at Antioch. Acts 11:26 Well because God wouldn't have it that way. It was the place from which later Paul and Silas left again to go to the Gentile world, and again they came back to Antioch. Not Jerusalem. II Corinthians 5:16 "Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: (and you know he's talking about Jesus as we see in the next part of the verse.) II Corinthians 5:16b Why does the Holy Spirit prompt him to say that "we have known Christ after the flesh?" I think Paul and Christ were about the same age. We know that the apostle Paul or Saul of Tarsus was one of the key men of the Sanhedrin, and no doubt was in his thirties as well. (Judaism) Then he had to defend his religion, and later as Paul, he had to defend his apostleship. (now the voice is also coming from Heaven, so the pronoun me strikes the man, `Well it must be God speaking.' 5. And he said, Who art thou, Lord?..." Now you want to remember the word Lord in the Jewish vocabulary was that which replaced Jehovah. Remember Saul thought that Jesus was an impostor, He was blasphemer, He was a false teacher, and it was just destroying the religion of the God of Abraham. Oh if we could just get people to realize this. There's nothing wrong with studying Christ's earthly ministry, don't misunderstand me. II Corinthians 5:17a "Therefore (since we're no longer hanging onto Christ's earthly ministry, but rather we're hanging everything on His death, burial, and resurrection) if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:..." Now going back up to "if any man be in Christ," We need to look at that in I Corinthians 12:13: I Corinthians 12:13 The Holy Spirit places us into the Body of Christ. So now we're a new creation, we're a work of God. Only God can deal in that area, so then in the area of the invisible God has done a work of creation. Only God could put our old Adam to death in the crucifixion with Christ. II Corinthians 5:17b Every believer is suddenly going to have a change of appetites, a change of lifestyle, a change in behavior, a change in attitude. Why? If we are the work of a creative act of God then old things are passed away, and everything becomes new. #LesFeldick #BibleStudy #Bible