Ascension Life Booklet . Paul's Revelation Introduction

It is primarily in Paul's epistles that we find out what God did for us in Christ. Of those twenty-one New Testament epistles, Paul evidently wrote fourteen. And of the seven written by others, three have only one chapter each.

In Paul's epistles we find the gospel explained. In the Old Covenant the historical account of the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai in Exodus was followed by much explanation of the law in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Without the explanation it would have been difficult for Israel to carry out the terms of that law. So it is in the case of the New Covenant. The work of redemption, the consummation of the Father's plan of the ages, was accomplished totally and completely by the Lord Jesus Christ. But without an explanation of that accomplishment, it would be difficult-impossible-to fully enjoy the benefits of that covenant.

Has it ever seemed strange to you that the great burden for formally wording the "theology" so to speak of the New Covenant fell upon one who was not even with Christ in his earth walk, instead of one of those in the "inner circle?" Some say Paul was chosen to do this formulation because of his educational background, but Paul himself called his accomplishments "dung." No, Paul was selected by the Spirit to bring forth the bulk of the New Testament theology because he, more than any other Apostle, had a revelation imparted to him directly by Christ, of what Christ's redemptive work had actually accomplished.

The Church has not failed in her proclamation of the gospel so much as in her explanation of the gospel. And because she hasn't explained the gospel, believers have stayed ignorant of their place and privileges in Christ. The believer can never overcome and fully enjoy his inheritance and express Christ in the world until he has a rich understanding of his redemption in Christ, his righteousness in Christ, his identification with Christ in his redemptive work, his union with Christ in spirit and the reality of the new creation. All of these are found in vivid detail in Paul's revelation. When you really know who you are and what you have in Christ, the faith problem is settled. Faith is not a matter of trying to believe. It is a matter of knowing your place and rights and acting on them. Faith then becomes an almost unconscious assurance. Instead of telling the believer who they are and what they have, the ministry for the most part has demanded that they "do" and "believe." Paul never took that approach in his letters. He told the believers who they were and what they had in Christ and then told them to act like it.

The disciples' knowledge of Jesus in His earth walk was limited to their senses. Their knowledge of His death and resurrection was limited to sense knowledge. The most important aspects of Christ's death and resurrection, however, could not be seen with the physical senses. His substitution, bearing and becoming our sin, our sickness, spiritual death and His mighty triumph over Satan and hell could only be seen in the Spirit. And this information could only be revealed in the spirit, as it was to Paul.

This revelation of Christ's redemptive accomplishments, the believer's identification with Christ in them, and the believer's place and provision because of them had to be given. And, thank God, they were. They were given to the Church by the Spirit through Paul!

In Christ,
Gary L. Garner

Intro to Paul’s Revelation