Paul's Epistles

There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit inspired the apostle Paul to write 13 epistles to the Body of Christ in this present age (13 associated with his separate ministry, see Acts 13:2). His name appears first in every epistle that he wrote (2 Thess. 3:17). 

While all the Bible is for our learning and admonition we must consider what Paul says first because he is the spokesman to the Body of Christ in this present age. Christ made various appearances to him and progressively gave him “an abundance of revelations”. I agree with the note in the Old Scofield Bible that says, “In his writings alone we find the doctrine, position, walk, and destiny of the church.” 

The major keys to Bible study are:

1. Believe the scriptures (1 Thess. 2:13)

2. Search the scriptures (Acts 17:11)

3. Compare the scriptures (1 Cor. 2:13) 

4. Consider the scriptures written by Paul (2 Tim. 2:7)

5. Rightly divide the scriptures (2 Tim. 2:15) 

Right division has to do with the study of dispensational truth. Moral truth never changes but dispensational truth is gradually revealed and brings about changes in God’s dealings with men. The word "dispensation" is used four times in the Bible (1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 1:10; 3:2; Col. 1:25). A dispensation is simply a dealing out or dispensing of something. Ages are periods of time. Dispensations operate withinn ages but are not periods of time. Each dispensation is marked by: divine revelations, human spokesman, human responsibility, human failure, and divine judgment. 

God dispensed grace to Paul to make known the mystery of the Body of Christ. Just as the law was dispensed through Moses (Jn. 1:17), so the mystery was dispensed through Paul. This mystery fulfilled or completed the word of God (Col. 1:24-26). Although the book of Revelation is placed as the last book of the Bible it is the consummation of OT prophecy and was probably written much earlier than most teachers claim. We are not told to rightly divide the Bible until Paul fulfilled the word of God with his last inspired epistle which, chronologically, was possibly the last book of the Bible that was written. 

It is vital to understand that the dispensation of the mystery was not given to John the Baptist, Jesus (in His earthly ministry), or the twelve apostles. One of the keys to understanding the Bible is to understand the distinctiveness of Paul’s apostleship and message. God gave us three chapters about Paul’s conversion (Acts 9; 22; 26) as well as several other passages (Gal. 1:13-23; Phil.  3:4-8; 1 Tim. 1:12-16). Paul referred to the importance of his ministry in nearly every epistle that he wrote (Rom. 11:13; 15:16; 16:25; 1 Cor. 3:10; 4:16-17; 9:1, 17; 11:1; 14:37; 2 Cor. 12:1-4; 13:3; Gal. 1:1, 11-12, 2:5-9; Eph. 3:1-12; Phil. 3:17; 4:9; Col. 1:24-29; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2 Thess. 3:6; 1 Tim. 1:11-16; 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11-13, 15; 2:2, 7; 3:10; Titus 1:3).

 

Paul was not an egomaniac (Eph. 3:8)! Clearly, the Lord has placed an emphasis on the distinct apostleship and ministry of Paul because he is the spokesman for the Body of Christ to follow in this age. The specific doctrines for this age are revealed in Paul’s epistles. We cannot base doctrine on the book of Acts because it is a history book that records a transition. Things are changing throughout the book of Acts! 

Romans is first in order of his 13 epistles but it was not the first epistle that he wrote by inspiration of God (probably Thessalonians). The Pauline epistles are not arranged chronologically but according to a divine order for our edification (2 Tim. 3:16-17). He wrote 9 epistles to 7 churches and 4 epistles to 3 individuals. 

Let's consider the order of the church epistles:

Salvation in Christ

• Romans - doctrine of salvation by faith

• 1 & 2 Corinthians - reproof for not living by the doctrine of Romans

• Galatians - correction for listening to doctrine not in line with Romans

Body of Christ

• Ephesians - doctrine of the body of Christ

• Philippians - reproof for not living by the doctrine of Ephesians

• Colossians - correction for listening to doctrine not in line with Ephesians

Coming of Christ

1 & 2 Thessalonians - doctrine, reproof, and correction concerning the coming of the Lord

Taken together these epistles provide instruction in righteousness for the present age. The epistles to Timothy and Titus concern the proper order for the church. The second epistle to Timothy deals with the apostasy of the last days. The epistle to Philemon is fittingly placed last because it illustrates the doctrines of Paul's epistles through a real-life situation.