How is it possible that a man can receive a letter from someone, take one sentence from the middle of the letter, separate it from the rest of the letter, and then expect to understand the message of the letter? It is not possible to do so. Even in nature it is known that a child cannot understand the message of it's mother, unless he considers "ALL" of her message. A person can not make a cake unless they abide be by all of the instruction teaching how to make the cake. A man cannot know the rules of the roads they drive on, unless they consider "ALL" of the instructions.
And yet, when it comes to theology or the differing religious philosophies of this world, like Armenian vs Calvinism or Pharisees vs. Sadducees, etc., etc., etc., this is the very foundation of their tradition. Each religious sect or business selecting certain parts of the message of God, separating it from, even omitting, the rest of the message, then breaking it down word for word with the Greek and Hebrew definitions, and then creating entire doctrines and philosophies based on their understanding of this one sentence.
Christ, The Holy One of Israel, knowing the deceiver would use this tactic to deceive, pointed this out in the very first 3 books of His Inspired Word, AKA "The Holy Scriptures".
Here we have an example of "another voice", other than Christ, who existed in the garden the Christ placed Adam and Eve in, who professed to know God, and even quoted "some" of God's Word.
"
Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?".
And of a truth, if I went back to Gen. 2, I would find the Christ's very Words, "
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat".
Now I could engage in the same tactic performed by the promoters of various religious sects and businesses of this world, and break this sentence down word by word, and conclude therefore, that Adam and Eve were free to eat of whatever tree they desired, and I could promote a degree or certificate in language arts and Hebrew and Greek Studies I paid for from the
Wesley Theological Seminary or any of the dozens and dozens of schools in the world where competing religious sects and businesses create schools to teach me how to know their version of God, the same as Paul who grew up at the feet of that great theologian Gamaliel.
But I would be wrong, deceived, and guilty of promoting a false teaching just the same.
However, If I simply believed in the Jesus of the Bible, and Paul's teaching, and considered the entire written message that the Christ gave to Adam and Eve, or as Jesus said, "Every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God", I would find this truth.
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
In this way a common man can know the Holy One of Israel. They don't need money to be trained by this world's religious system who are clearly partial concerning God's Word. They don't need to pick through the smorgasbord of religious sects, they can simply place their trust in Every Word of God.
In like manner, the message of Paul's Letter to the Ephesians is corrupted by various sects, by failing to follow the simple rule even shown to us in nature, that in order to understand anyone, one must consider all of the message.
That is not being done on this thread at all. If it were, then men would be more concerned about "Who" Paul was speaking to, "WHO" received the gift of Salvation, "WHY" they didn't receive it "In times Past", and "What" was the purpose of the gift in the first place. "Who" had relegated them as "
without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world". All of which are explained in the letter from Paul, but not in Ephesians 2:8.
Jesus accused the mainstream preachers of His time of "
Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel".
Let's be careful not to get caught up in the centuries old foolish debate concerning whether Faith or Salvation in the free Gift, and perhaps consider that it's the walkers of the "course of this world", which started this debate in the first place. Imagine if the Pharisees had stopped the popular practice of being "partial" in God's Word, and had Lived by" Every Word of God, as the Holy One of Israel instructed, both as a Spirit with them in the wilderness, and as the Prophesied mortal human that HE became. They would have been with the Church of God under HIS New High Priest on Pentecost.
