That statement shocks people.
It sounds irreverent.
It sounds dismissive.
It sounds wrong.
But it isn’t.
It is about context.
It is about audience.
It is about rightly dividing the Word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15).
And when you see it, the Bible opens up.
▪️Matthew–John: Still Under the Old Testament Economy
Hebrews 9:17 tells us:
“A testament is of force after men are dead.”
The New Testament was not in force during most of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Jesus had not yet died.
The cross had not yet happened.
The blood of the New Covenant had not yet been shed.
So what was happening?
Israel’s prophetic program.
Not the dispensation of grace.
Not the Body of Christ.
Not the Mystery revealed to Paul.
▪️Jesus’ Earthly Ministry Had a Target
Romans 15:8 says:
“Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision, for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.”
His earthly ministry was directed to Israel.
He preached:
• The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
• Repent.
• Believe the gospel of the kingdom.
He sent the Twelve to:
“The lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matt. 10:6)
That is not disrespectful to say.
It is Scripture.
▪️Then Where Do We Look Today?
Jesus Christ is our Savior.
But the risen, glorified Christ gave special revelation to Paul.
Paul says:
“Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1)
And again:
“The things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 14:37)
Paul is not competing with Christ.
He is Christ’s chosen apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13).
If you are in the Body of Christ today,
Paul is your pattern.
Not for salvation by works.
Not for religious performance.
But for doctrine.
For identity.
For your heavenly calling.
▪️Matthew–John: Prophecy Being Fulfilled
Luke 1 speaks of things:
“spoken by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began.”
Acts 3 says the same.
Matthew through early Acts is prophecy coming to pass.
Kingdom signs.
Messianic credentials.
Covenant promises.
Not the mystery kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:25).
That mystery — Jew and Gentile one Body, blessed in heavenly places — was revealed later.
To Paul.
▪️What Happens If You Don’t Rightly Divide?
Confusion.
Take Matthew 5:
• Pluck out your eye.
• Turn the other cheek.
• Give to everyone that asks.
If you lift those commands out of Israel’s kingdom context
and drop them straight into the Body of Christ…
You create spiritual chaos.
Or consider the healing ministry.
In Matthew 10 and Mark 16,
signs confirmed the kingdom message.
Mark 16:20 says the Lord worked with them,
confirming the word with signs following.
Why?
Because:
“The Jews require a sign.” (1 Cor. 1:22)
Today?
We walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7).
We do not demand signs.
We trust the completed Word.
▪️Israel and the Church Are Not the Same
Israel:
• Earthly kingdom
• Covenant promises
• Signs and wonders
• Law written on the heart
The Body of Christ:
• Heavenly position (Eph. 2:6)
• Blessed with all spiritual blessings (Eph. 1:3)
• Justified freely by grace (Rom. 3:24)
• One new man in Christ (Eph. 2:15)
Two programs.
Two callings.
One Bible — rightly divided.
▪️The Love of God — Seen More Clearly
In John 15, Jesus speaks to His disciples as friends who keep His commandments.
But Paul tells us something astonishing:
“While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)
Not friends.
Not covenant-keepers.
Not commandment-keepers.
Enemies.
That is grace.
Not kingdom favor.
Not covenant loyalty.
Grace.
▪️Where Do You Find God’s Will for Today?
In the epistles of Paul.
Romans through Philemon.
That is where you learn:
• Who you are in Christ.
• Your heavenly hope.
• Your position above principalities and powers.
• How to walk worthy of your calling.
If you live in the “red letters” without right division,
you will struggle.
If you live in Paul’s epistles,
you will grow.
Not because we minimize Jesus.
But because we follow Jesus the way He instructed us to —
through the revelation He gave to Paul for this dispensation of grace (Eph. 3:2).
This is not about ignoring Scripture.
It is about honoring it.
It is about letting Israel be Israel.
Letting the Body of Christ be the Body of Christ.
Letting prophecy be prophecy.
Letting mystery be mystery.
And when you do…
The contradictions fade.
The confusion lifts.
The Christian life becomes clear.
Right division is not division for division’s sake.
It is clarity.
It is liberty.
It is grace understood.
