“... Become imitators of me brethren, and be noting those who are walking thus, according as you have us for a model…” [Phil.3:17] It is very important that you understand that we are to follow Paul as a model in walk and word and not try to follow Christ in the flesh as the pattern for us in the new administration of grace and the new dispensation of the secret economy of the conciliation.

 It is not generally known the Christ approached Paul outside the land of Israel and without any constraints that were on Him during His ministry in the flesh to confirm only what Moses and the Law and the prophets had spoken. [Luke.24:25-27]. The Glorified Son of God went way beyond and revealed "all the truth" that He had previously told the twelve He could not tell them at that time. [John.16:12-15] However, He did tell the twelve that whenever the spirit of truth may be coming it will be guiding you into all the truth.

 Where else is this "all the truth" found, but in Paul's [Gr.graphon prophetikon] "prophetic scriptures" [prophetic writings] the New Testament prophets [Eph.4:9-14] the "prison epistles" prophetically written to all the nations in the new administration of the grace of God in the new dispensation of the "spirit" [2.Cor.3:7-11]" the secret"  [economy] unknown in the "prophets" and the "gospels" and the "book of Acts.".

 It was revealed to Paul directly by Christ and written by the injunction of  the eonian God in the [Gr. graphon propheetikon] "prophetic scriptures" and sent to all the Nations for faith-obedience. [Rom.16:25-27]

"...So that we, [Paul and his associates] from "the" now on, [57.A,D.] are acquainted with no one according to flesh. Yet even if we have known Christ according to the flesh, nevertheless now we know Him so no longer. So that IF anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: the primitive passed by. Lo! there has come new! [2.Cor.5:16-17]

Paul told the Philippians that he had a new goal to stretch out and head for. He called it the [Gr. ex-Anastasias] up-out-standing resurrection from among the dead. [Phil.3:10-12] Let us read from that portion of scripture where Paul is contrasting his seven gains as an Israelite in the administration of the law to his new expectation in Christ Jesus in the new administration of the grace of God after the administration of law was suspended together with the dispensation of the Acts of the apostles from which the book of Acts derived its name.

“…And am I having confidence in flesh, also? If any other is presuming to have confidence in flesh, I rather: in circumcism the eighth day, of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, in relation to law, a Pharisee, in relation to zeal, persecuting the ecclesia, in relation to righteousness which is in law, becoming blameless.

 But things that were gain to me, [they were gains, seven in all] these I have deemed a forfeit because of Christ. But, to be sure, I am deeming all to be a forfeit because of the superiority of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, because of Whom I forfeited all and am deeming it to be refuse, that I should be gaining Christ, and be found in Him, not having my righteousness, which is of law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is from God for faith: to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, conforming to His death, If somehow I should be attaining  to the [Gr. ex-anastasis,] resurrection that is out from among the dead. [Phil.3:4-11]

Let us now see what the new gains are that Paul was contrasting with the seven gains he forfeited and be found in Christ Jesus during the new administration of grace.  

[1] “… and may be found in Him, not having my righteousness, “the” which is of law, but that which is of the faith of Christ, the righteousness  which is from God for faith…”  

[2] “…to know Him…” The knowledge or the excellency of knowing Him.  

[3] “…to know Him, and the power of His resurrection…”  

[4] “…and the fellowship of His sufferings…”  

[5] “…conforming to His death…”  

[6]”…If somehow I should be attaining to the [Gr. ex-anastasis] resurrection that is out from among the dead..”  

[7] “…For our realm is inherent in the heavens, out of which we are awaiting a Savior also, the Lord, Jesus Christ, Who will transfigure the body of our humiliation to conform it to the body of His glory.

The apostle Paul has revealed that he has already experienced the first five of his new gains in Christ but is still stretching out in front towards the goal for which Christ has grasped him. Paul was pursuing the for the prize of God’s  calling above in Christ Jesus.  

The final gain [still his expectation, not yet realized] was the [Gr. ex-anastasis] out from among the dead, resurrection, that is, if he was to expire prior to the arrival of the Savior the Lord, Jesus Christ, or if he survives until His arrival, the promise of the Lord Jesus Christ, to transfigure the body of his humiliation to conform it with the body of His glory prior to this "snatching away" to the celestials to sit down with the ecclesia the complement of the One completing to all in all. [Eph.1:15-23]  

Brethren, this is the most important revelation from God for us to comprehend. We are members of the joint body of Christ. We cannot be in Christ personal. We are in the "corporate body of Christ" of which He is the Head and we are the members. This transcendent truth is something that only God can reveal to the individual members who were chosen in Christ before the disruption of the world. [Eph.1:3-4]  

Paul, writing to the saints who were chosen to this high calling before the disruption of the world had to pray for them that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may be giving them a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the realization of Him, the eyes of their hearts to be to be enlightened, for them to perceive what is the expectation of His calling, and what the riches of the enjoyment of His allotment among the saints was to be. [Eph.1:15-20]  

 Brethren, did you know that all that is said of Christ Personal, is said of us also?  

MANIFESTED IN FLESH. [Rom.1:3]

JUSTIFIED IN SPIRIT. [Rom.5:12 to 8:39]

APPEARED TO ANGELS.[Eph.3:10]

PROCLAIMED AMONG THE NATIONS. [Rom.16:26] [Col.1:27] [Eph.3:8]

BELIEVED ON IN THE WORLD.. [Rom.16:26]  [i.e. faith-obedience.]

RECEIVED UP IN GLORY. [Rom.8:17  

This is our great hope to be “Received up in Glory”, as the Head was. This is our blessed hope. We are waiting for the Son of God to come and receive us and resurrect the dead in Christ out from among the rest of the dead and transfigure the bodies of our humiliation and fashion them like unto His glorious body to allow us all to ascend by snatching us away to the celestial realm to be seated with Christ as His complement at the right hand of God to our realm which is inherent [Eph.1:3-6] in the heavens. [Phil.3:20-21]  

Paul wrote all this in the first chapter to the Ephesians, verses 1-14 then in verses 15 to 21 he reveals our wonderful allotment is to become His complement in the allotment that the Father gave His Son when He raised Him from among the dead and seated Him at His own right hand among the celestials.

What is even more amazing is that the head cannot say to the feet, I have no need of thee. [1.Cor.12:20-21.C.V.] Is there any wonder why Paul said, "..Behold I show you a secret..." Who ever heard of such a thing. We, the miserable sinners saved in grace, [Rom.5:6-11] given glorious incorruptible and immortal bodies like unto the Lord's glorious body, then, "the unbelievable" the promise almost no one believes, "snatched away to heaven" and seated with Him as His complement at the right hand of God?  [Eph.2:1-6. C.V.]

 This is why Paul said to the Galatian ecclesia, "..those of faith are the children of Abraham,  Just as Abraham believed [FAITHed] God, their actions were also were to based upon belief [FAITHing] and sustained by the confidence that what God said He was going to do, He would do, exactly that! This is why Paul said," those that believed, [FAITHers] these are the sons of Abraham..." [Gal.3:5-9] Believing is not faith, Thomas had no faith, he believed by sight. "FAITHing" is believing when there is no evidence or substance to base belief on. That is why Jesus said, it would have been better to have believed without seeing ,Thomas!

Listen to Paul as he reveals the secret of our snatching away.

"...Lo! a secret to you am I telling! We all, indeed, shall not be put to repose, yet we all shall be changed, in a twinkle of an eye, at the last trump. For He will be trumpeting, and the dead will be roused incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal put on immortality..." [1.Cor.15:51-55.C.V.]

In [Phil.3:20-21]. Paul expands the detail and tells us "our realm is inherent in the heavens," out of which we are awaiting a Savior also, just like the kingdom people of God who are waiting for the return of the Son of the Most High to sit on the throne of His father David, and He shall reign over the house of Jacob.

But Paul said, "our realm" [citizenship, Gr. Politeuma] is inherent in the heavens out of which we are awaiting a Savior to come and transfigure the bodies of our humiliation and conform them to the body of His glory to enable us to be snatched away to the celestials to sit at the right hand of God as the complement of the Son of God. Read [Eph.1:15-23]

"...God did not appoint us to indignation but to the procuring of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for our sakes, that whether we may be watching or drowsing, we should be living at the same time. Wherefore, console one another and edify one the another...." [1.Thess.5:8-11]

This message of "wrath" and "tribulation" and "anguish" is not edifying?  The messengers will go about their work in the day He is revealed from heaven in flaming fire. This spoken by Peter to the Circumcism expatriates of the dispersion in the upper provinces of Asia minor.  The epistle of Jude is another Circumcism writing which is addressed to the faithful among the Circumcism believers who accepted Christ as their Messiah and received the pardon of their sins, yet were warned they should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. This is a warning to them to be faithful and not fall away during the frightening afflictions of the time of the end.

This is the absolute opposite and it is worlds apart from what Paul told those in Christ Jesus.

 "...Nothing, consequently, is now condemnation to them in Christ Jesus.Not according to flesh are they walking, but according to spirit, for the spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus frees you from the law of sin and death..." [Rom.8:1-2]

  Why is this? It is because Paul speaking to the Ephesian ecclesia said,

"...Grace [unmerited favor] and peace [cessation of againstness] from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Who gives Himself for our sins, so that He might extricate us out of the present wicked eon, according to the will of our God and Father, to Whom be glory for the eons of the eons. Amen!..."

Brethren, when the Lord arrives in the air for us, whether this be as some say, "post-tribulation" or as we believe, "pre-tribulation" it does not change the facts. We will be seated with Christ as His complement at the right hand of God and Paul said the realm was inherent in the heavens. [Phil.3:20-21].

 Paul writing to the Ephesian ecclesia said,

"...BLESSED BE THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO BLESSES US WITH EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING AMONG THE CELESTIALS, IN CHRIST, ACCORDING AS HE CHOOSES US IN HIM BEFORE THE DISRUPTION OF THE WORLD, WE TO BE HOLY AND FLAWLESS IN HIS SIGHT, IN LOVE DESIGNATING US BEFOREHAND FOR THE PLACE OF A SON FOR HIM THROUGH CHRIST JESUS..." [Eph.1:3-5]

Brethren, you can believe God no matter what the clergy tells you.

Why is it the modern clergy will not accept Paul's prophetic writings? The answer is that they like their New Testament brethren who were "foolish and tardy of heart" to be believing on all which the Old Testament prophets speak! They are also "foolish and tardy of heart" to believe on all that the New Testament prophets have written to all the Nations for faith-obedience.

We must, like Christ, Who, beginning from Moses and from all the Old Testament prophets, He interprets to them, in all the [OT] scriptures that which concerns Himself. We, must also by beginning with Paul's New Testament "prophetic writings," interpret to them the message he was severed to, "the evangel of God," and especially from his prison epistles all those scriptures that concern the unknown aspect, "the secret" of the evangel," which had been hidden in the mind of God [Eph.3:8-11] until He commanded Paul to make it known in his [Gr. graphon propheetikon] "prophetic writings," the prison epistles written from Rome in 62.A.D. [Rom.16:25-27]

Brethren, Paul said he "completed the word" of God for the nations. [Col.1:25-29] Do not let anyone try and coerce you with writings other than Paul's. He said,

"...Now to Him Who is able to establish you in accord with "my evangel", and the heralding of Christ Jesus in accord with the revelation of "the secret" hushed in times eonian, yet manifested now [62.A.D.] and through [Gr. graphon propheetikon] "prophetic scriptures", [writings]  according to the injunction of the eonian God being made known to all the nations for faith-obedience to the only, and wise God , through Christ Jesus, be glory for the eons of the eons.." [Rom.16:25-27] 

God bless you real good.

David and Carol Buckman.
Down-under in the land of OZ.

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