Question 1
Could you explain the “transition” period after Acts 7? In Acts 9:31, we read that the churches (I take these to be “messianic” i.e. members of the Little Flock) multiplied. At what point would you say that people were no longer “inducted” into the Little Flock?
Response
Simply put, my understanding is that God concluded adding to the remnant of Israel when the fourteen years the Paul [sic] cites in Galatians 2:1 had transpired, upon which God then sent Paul up to Jerusalem by revelation to communicate unto them the gospel God had earlier on committed unto him. With this particular event my understanding is that the strict operation of the circumcision apostles’ ministry under Israel’s program (and their respective ministry with “the gospel of the circumcision”) came to a conclusion. And their ministry was now adjusted with all of the adjustments and alterations necessary to bring it into line with the dispensational change God had made. From this time on they would no longer have a ministry in strict accordance with how they had been operating. What God wanted accomplished during those fourteen years He had now accomplished, (including the filling up of the remnant of Israel for the time being), and they had fulfilled their role in connection with it. Things would now be different for them from this point on.
Question 2
Was there a period of time where Peter’s gospel and Paul’s gospel were both operating at the same time?
Response
Yes, my understanding is that during the fourteen year period of time of Galatians 2:1 this was so. And it was something that God in His wisdom designed to be the case in full accordance with the way in which He would commence the righteous diminishing of Israel, having suspended the fulfillment of Israel’s program with the bringing in of the dispensation of grace. The suspension of Israel’s program demanded that there be a just, and wise, and unimpeachable response on God’s part to the program itself, and especially to the ones already impacted by the program up until the point when it was suspended. And the same was true with respect to the ushering in of the new dispensation of grace. Hence the just, and wise, and unimpeachable response on God’s part is the very thing that the events following the conclusion of Acts 7 describe, along with those things that are testified to and related by Paul in Galatians 1 and 2; which things involved the special period of time spoken about during which both “the gospel of the circumcision” and “the gospel of the uncircumcision” were preached. In accordance with God’s genius in having this done. He not only dealt with the suspension of Israel’s program and the ushering in of a new dispensation in a completely legal fashion; but He did more. He dealt with it righteously, and He dealt with it mercifully, and He dealt with it in a manner full of goodness, which cannot be gainsayed in any manner or form.
This is the gist of my understanding on this matter. Hope it is of some help to you.
Keith Blades
Enjoy The Bible Ministries
20031204 B45 IP DG