The religious world teaches to obey is a separate response which God requires of an
alien sinner--to obey is in addition to believing. Thus, they present God as saying to
the alien sinner, "Believe and obey the gospel."
One religious writer said, "One must obey the gospel. The gospel saves the believer
(Rom 1:16) but the gospel saves those who obey it, (II Thes 1:7-9)."
In Romans 10:16-17 Paul said, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias
saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God."
The word report comes from the Greek word ako meaning to hear. The word akou, the
noun, means the thing heard. The word is translated twice by hearing in verse 17 from
the same Greek word ako.
Therefore, faith is out of the source of that which is heard, and , in this
connection, is the preaching of the gospel which produces belief in it. The expression
word of God is translated by the Greek scholar A.T. Robertson as by the word of Christ.
As a result, we could say, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith,
Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by reporting, and reporting
by the word of Christ."
Paul's conclusion that they have not all obeyed the gospel was based on Isaiah's
words, "Lord, who hath believed our report?" If words mean anything, then to obey the
gospel is equal to believe our report. This is why the alien sinner is not told in one
place by anyone to believe and obey the gospel. Why? Because, if he has believed it,
he has obeyed it, and if he has obeyed it, he has believed it.
Some believed not on him Jn 12:37. However, Christ contrasts others not included in
that group by saying, Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him;
but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of
the synagogue Jn 12:42.
If the chief rulers who believed on him did not believe what the truth required them
to believe, then what does the adverb nevertheless mean in contrasting them to that
class who believed not on him? If they did not believe what the truth required them to
believe--that Jesus is the Christ--then why would the confession of anything less be
offensive to the Pharisees?
One thing is certain. Those who believed not on him fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy in
Isaiah 53:1, and Paul showed that prophecy to be fulfilled in those who obeyed not the
gospel. Thus, the words of John 12:37-38; 42, are teaching the same things as Romans
10:16-17.
In I Peter 4:17, Peter raises the question, " . . . what shall the end be of them that
obey not the gospel of God? II Thessalonians 1:8-9 provides the answer to that
question: In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.
All here who know not God equal them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. But, in II Thessalonians 1:10 we find a contrasting statement which reads,
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe (because our testimony among you was believed in that day.
Here, his saints are in contrast to them that know not God, and all them that believe
stand in contrast, as in Romans 10:16-17 and John 12:37-38-42, to them that obey not
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If obeying the gospel is something in addition to
believing the gospel, then it would be possible for some who have believed the gospel
to be numbered among those who obeyed not the gospel. But, II Thessalonians 1:10 does
not leave any room for them that believe to be numbered with those that obey not the
gospel. Why? Because the Lord will be admired in all them that believe.
Therefore, unbelievers equal those who obey not the gospel, and believers equal those
who have obeyed the gospel. The word obey when imposed on the alien sinner is
equivalent to believing. This is why, we repeat, the alien sinner is not told in one
place by anyone to believe and obey the gospel. When he has done one he has done the
other.
In I Peter 2:7, we have you . . . which believe set in contrast to those said to be
disobedient. Do the words believe and disobedient describe two classes of believers?
Or, do they refer to believers and unbelievers? Since the word disobedient does have
application to the child of God under certain circumstances, then the contextual
consideration must determine whether or not the saved or lost are in view.
Of necessity, the word disobedient in I Peter 2:7, which stands in contrast to you . .
. which believe, is descriptive of the alien sinner, and is equivalent to an
unbeliever. Paul wrote, "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I
lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall
not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them
which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the
head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them
which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed" (I
Pet 2:6-8).
The word disobedient in this text speaks of unbelievers and is not to disobedient
children of God. Peter referenced them noting they which stumble . . . being
disobedient.
Paul tells us why they stumbled. They sought it not by faith, but as it were by the
works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold,
I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed Rom 9:32-33.
The disobedient are contrasted to whosoever believeth on him and of this last group,
the truth declares, whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. This would
not be true if some who believed on him were, at a later time, put to shame. Such will
never the be case for . . . he hath made us accepted in the beloved Eph 1:6.
In the second aspect, Peter wrote, "As obedient children . . . be ye holy in all
manner of conversation" (I Pet 1:14-15). The obedience enjoined is not in order to
produce the relationship as children for that was established when the subjects were
born again. To obey, or to believe, as enjoined upon the alien sinner is in order to
produce relationship. The obedience of children has nothing to do with the
establishing of that relationship.
To confuse that portion of truth which produces children with the truth that obligates
children to practice holiness is to seriously blunder. To confuse what God's will is
for the alien (Jn 6:34-40) with the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning the
children of God (I Thes 5:18) is to wrest the scriptures to one's own destruction, as
well as to the destruction of all who believe the confusion.
Believing the gospel is equivalent to obeying the gospel. This believing, required by
God of the alien, is a mental response to the truth which precedes all overt actions.
It involves something done in the heart (Acts 8:37), and precedes what the body does
in subjection to the heart (Acts 8:38).
If believing in Christ includes all overt acts, then why do those who so claim require
the alien sinner to believe and obey the gospel? If believing in Christ includes all
overt acts subsequent to believing, then what does the word obey include? In Mark
16:16, believeth precedes baptism, and is just as distinct from baptism as baptism is
from the Lord's Supper. In John 12:42, some believed on him yet did not confess him.
Here, believing also precedes confession, and thus is not inclusive of the overt act
which follows.
One can and does believe in Christ as an act of the heart, a mental response to the
truth, before there is any physical expression of that fact. Any physical act in
scriptural obedience involves the yielding of one's members, but such can only be done
by . . . those that are alive from the dead Rom 6:13. And, any physical act in
scriptural obedience must be through faith which worketh by love, a thing true only in
Jesus Christ Gal 5:6. BD
alien sinner--to obey is in addition to believing. Thus, they present God as saying to
the alien sinner, "Believe and obey the gospel."
One religious writer said, "One must obey the gospel. The gospel saves the believer
(Rom 1:16) but the gospel saves those who obey it, (II Thes 1:7-9)."
In Romans 10:16-17 Paul said, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias
saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God."
The word report comes from the Greek word ako meaning to hear. The word akou, the
noun, means the thing heard. The word is translated twice by hearing in verse 17 from
the same Greek word ako.
Therefore, faith is out of the source of that which is heard, and , in this
connection, is the preaching of the gospel which produces belief in it. The expression
word of God is translated by the Greek scholar A.T. Robertson as by the word of Christ.
As a result, we could say, "But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith,
Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by reporting, and reporting
by the word of Christ."
Paul's conclusion that they have not all obeyed the gospel was based on Isaiah's
words, "Lord, who hath believed our report?" If words mean anything, then to obey the
gospel is equal to believe our report. This is why the alien sinner is not told in one
place by anyone to believe and obey the gospel. Why? Because, if he has believed it,
he has obeyed it, and if he has obeyed it, he has believed it.
Some believed not on him Jn 12:37. However, Christ contrasts others not included in
that group by saying, Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him;
but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of
the synagogue Jn 12:42.
If the chief rulers who believed on him did not believe what the truth required them
to believe, then what does the adverb nevertheless mean in contrasting them to that
class who believed not on him? If they did not believe what the truth required them to
believe--that Jesus is the Christ--then why would the confession of anything less be
offensive to the Pharisees?
One thing is certain. Those who believed not on him fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy in
Isaiah 53:1, and Paul showed that prophecy to be fulfilled in those who obeyed not the
gospel. Thus, the words of John 12:37-38; 42, are teaching the same things as Romans
10:16-17.
In I Peter 4:17, Peter raises the question, " . . . what shall the end be of them that
obey not the gospel of God? II Thessalonians 1:8-9 provides the answer to that
question: In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.
All here who know not God equal them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ. But, in II Thessalonians 1:10 we find a contrasting statement which reads,
When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that
believe (because our testimony among you was believed in that day.
Here, his saints are in contrast to them that know not God, and all them that believe
stand in contrast, as in Romans 10:16-17 and John 12:37-38-42, to them that obey not
the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. If obeying the gospel is something in addition to
believing the gospel, then it would be possible for some who have believed the gospel
to be numbered among those who obeyed not the gospel. But, II Thessalonians 1:10 does
not leave any room for them that believe to be numbered with those that obey not the
gospel. Why? Because the Lord will be admired in all them that believe.
Therefore, unbelievers equal those who obey not the gospel, and believers equal those
who have obeyed the gospel. The word obey when imposed on the alien sinner is
equivalent to believing. This is why, we repeat, the alien sinner is not told in one
place by anyone to believe and obey the gospel. When he has done one he has done the
other.
In I Peter 2:7, we have you . . . which believe set in contrast to those said to be
disobedient. Do the words believe and disobedient describe two classes of believers?
Or, do they refer to believers and unbelievers? Since the word disobedient does have
application to the child of God under certain circumstances, then the contextual
consideration must determine whether or not the saved or lost are in view.
Of necessity, the word disobedient in I Peter 2:7, which stands in contrast to you . .
. which believe, is descriptive of the alien sinner, and is equivalent to an
unbeliever. Paul wrote, "Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I
lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall
not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them
which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the
head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them
which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed" (I
Pet 2:6-8).
The word disobedient in this text speaks of unbelievers and is not to disobedient
children of God. Peter referenced them noting they which stumble . . . being
disobedient.
Paul tells us why they stumbled. They sought it not by faith, but as it were by the
works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; As it is written, Behold,
I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offense: and whosoever believeth on him
shall not be ashamed Rom 9:32-33.
The disobedient are contrasted to whosoever believeth on him and of this last group,
the truth declares, whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame. This would
not be true if some who believed on him were, at a later time, put to shame. Such will
never the be case for . . . he hath made us accepted in the beloved Eph 1:6.
In the second aspect, Peter wrote, "As obedient children . . . be ye holy in all
manner of conversation" (I Pet 1:14-15). The obedience enjoined is not in order to
produce the relationship as children for that was established when the subjects were
born again. To obey, or to believe, as enjoined upon the alien sinner is in order to
produce relationship. The obedience of children has nothing to do with the
establishing of that relationship.
To confuse that portion of truth which produces children with the truth that obligates
children to practice holiness is to seriously blunder. To confuse what God's will is
for the alien (Jn 6:34-40) with the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning the
children of God (I Thes 5:18) is to wrest the scriptures to one's own destruction, as
well as to the destruction of all who believe the confusion.
Believing the gospel is equivalent to obeying the gospel. This believing, required by
God of the alien, is a mental response to the truth which precedes all overt actions.
It involves something done in the heart (Acts 8:37), and precedes what the body does
in subjection to the heart (Acts 8:38).
If believing in Christ includes all overt acts, then why do those who so claim require
the alien sinner to believe and obey the gospel? If believing in Christ includes all
overt acts subsequent to believing, then what does the word obey include? In Mark
16:16, believeth precedes baptism, and is just as distinct from baptism as baptism is
from the Lord's Supper. In John 12:42, some believed on him yet did not confess him.
Here, believing also precedes confession, and thus is not inclusive of the overt act
which follows.
One can and does believe in Christ as an act of the heart, a mental response to the
truth, before there is any physical expression of that fact. Any physical act in
scriptural obedience involves the yielding of one's members, but such can only be done
by . . . those that are alive from the dead Rom 6:13. And, any physical act in
scriptural obedience must be through faith which worketh by love, a thing true only in
Jesus Christ Gal 5:6. BD
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