Two Ministries of Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is foundational and central to all that God does, but there is a difference between His earthly ministry to Israel and the nations and His heavenly ministry to the Body of Christ.

Romans 15

8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 

16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
17  I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. 

It’s imperative to understand that the earthly ministry of Christ was one of CONFIRMATION (to confirm what was already promised to the Jewish fathers) and not INAUGURATION (to reveal His secret purpose). Israel is God’s earthly people, and He promised them a land and world-wide kingdom over the nations. Christ plainly said that He was “not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 15:24). It wasn’t that He didn’t care about the Gentiles, but that according to His prophetic plan the Gentiles were to be blessed through Israel’s RISE and glory.

In this present age, as revealed through Paul’s ministry, the Gentiles are blessed through the FALL and diminishing of Israel (Rom. 11:12) and believing Jews and Gentiles are baptized by one Spirit into one spiritual body wherein there are no earthly distinctions (Gal. 3:27-28). Paul’s ministry was actually the ministry of Christ from heaven and concerns things that were kept secret since the world began (Rom. 16:25; Col. 1:21-29).

In order to follow Christ in this age, we must follow Paul as His appointed pattern (1 Tim. 1:16) and spokesman (1 Cor. 4:16-17; 11:1). God used him to write 13 epistles by inspiration to the Body of Christ. These epistles are “wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Tim. 6:3). He wrote “commandments of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37), for Christ was speaking through him (2 Cor. 13:3). Therefore, when we follow Paul we are following Christ.

Earthly	Heavenly
Prophecy (Lk. 24:27, 44)	Mystery (Eph. 3:4)
Confirmation (Rom. 15:8)	Inauguration (Acts 26:16)
Primary Scriptures – Four Gospels	Exclusive Scriptures – Paul’s Epistles
Christ is the King of Israel (Jn. 1:49)	Christ is the Head of one Body (Eph. 1:22-23)
Dispensation of Law (Matt. 5:17)	Dispensation of Grace (Eph. 3:1-13)
Gospel of the Kingdom (Matt. 4:23)	Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24)
Difference Jew and Gentile (Matt. 15:21-28)	No Difference Jew and Gentile (Gal. 3:28)
Sent 12 to Israel (Matt. 10:5-6)	Sent Paul to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13)
Signs Abound (Jn. 20:30-31)	Signs Ceased (1 Cor. 13:8-13)
Kingdom Commission (Mk. 16:15-18)	Grace Commission (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
Second Coming (Matt. 24:29-31)	Secret Coming (1 Cor. 15:51-52)