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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Our regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the Bibleline Ministries dot O-R-G homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

not be the best title in the world, what books in the Bible are for the church. You’d be surprised how many times I have been called on the carpet for teaching a message that was contrary to what Christ taught because Paul says it’s by faith, but Jesus says you’ve got to keep his commandments. So Paul was way off base because he didn’t teach what Christ taught. And so therefore they want to eliminate all of the writings of Paul from the Bible as though they were not supposed to be in the Bible.

I was asked to speak in a church one time and I already had my message on what I was going to say. And so they asked me, it says, now would you do us a favor? Sure. Don’t mention Matthew chapter 28. I said why? Because we don’t believe that that’s for today. Matthew 28, you know, the Great Commission and going to all, we’re going to teach all nations and baptize them and they don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t teach that because we, we don’t believe that.

And if I did, then they got to get up and explain it afterwards. Well, that wasn’t in my sermon. So it didn’t bother me at that time, but I’ve never held back on preaching a particular sermon because somebody didn’t want me to refer to something. I was at one church up in North CarolinaWARE. them. And the man came up to me and I had my sermon already. Of course, what I was going to do, this is what God wants me to speak this morning.

But he came up to me and preached it right before I was going to preach it. He said, whatever you do, do not teach on the two natures. My sermon that morning was on the two natures. He says, because I don’t really understand it and I never taught it to my people. So therefore, I would appreciate it if you just uncovered. Though that’s what I believe the God wanted me to speak. So that morning I spoke on the two natures and I hid it as hard as I could, as clear as I could possibly do it.

And when I got through the preacher came up and he had a few words to say and he says, I asked this preacher before the service, not to speak on the two natures. And he did it anyway, because I did not really understand it. And he was a pastor, and he had been to Florida Bible College, but he didn’t understand it, clear enough to present it. So he never did. And he didn’t want me messing him up, but he got up there and he says, now I understand it.

He says, I appreciate him going ahead and doing what he believed God wanted him to do. And he taught for about 15, 20 minutes after the service was over that he still had everybody and he was just a weeping. He says, I’ve never understood this before. He said that was one of the best sermons I have ever heard. And it was on the two natures, the very sermon he didn’t want me to speak on. Well today, I don’t know if I’m going to make any friends or enemies.

I never know them. But I know this. Anytime you are in error on any doctrine, it takes its toll somewhere in your life. Because if there’s anything that you don’t believe correctly, error in doctrine affects the way you think or the life or your purpose, everything about it. So I don’t try to straighten out everybody else in the world, but I am responsible for what I teach here. And so I want to explain a few things to you. So if you will, look there at your notes, the problem.

There’s got to be a problem before you can solve anything, you’ve got to have a problem. This is what lawyers do. They always got a problem. And that’s why you hired them, because they’re going to solve a problem. Many Bible teachers or preachers believe that the only books in the Bible written exclusively for the church are only those written by the Apostle Paul. It is believed that the church started with Paul, which means that the Great Commission in water baptism in Matthew does not belong in the church age.

I would not think that was a big issue, but it is a big issue, especially with me. I have never found yet in the Bible where God annulled the Great Commission or annulled going into all the world and preaching the gospel and baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I’ve never found a verse where He annulled it. Now I studied the Bible. I got to study all of it. So I wanted to give you the position that we have here.

Look at the first statement. Church started on the day of Pentecost before Paul ever knew the Lord. Now, I wanna show you a few things and try to bring you along so that you see it and understand. I last thing I needed for somebody said, well, you just don’t know of the real position. Yes, I do. I’m always having people trying to straighten me out as though they have got a additional illumination or an inspiration from the Holy Spirit that teaches contrary to what the book teaches.

I don’t know anybody, and I’m just being honest with, that studies this book more than I study this book. I want to know the Bible. I want to know what it really says, and I want to teach it according to what it really says. I study, yes, I’ve seen other people’s views on a lot of different things. I had people trying to straighten me out, Yankee, don’t you know? No, he’s good on the gospel. Grace, he’s awesome, but he’s really messed up on the rapture of the church.

He doesn’t know when it gonna happen. Not talking about the date. Everybody knows the rapture takes place at the end of the tribulation period. No, it doesn’t. You just believe that because of Scofield reference Bible, I’ve been raked over the call because I use this go through a reference Bible. It doesn’t matter what it is. There’s somebody that’s always going to try to correct you and think that you just don’t know. Yes, I do know. I know what I believe and I know why I believe what I believe.

I wouldn’t teach this book if I didn’t think I was right. And I think I am. And I double-dog dare anybody. You prove me wrong with scripture. Not opinion, not books to somebody wrote just the book. I believe I’m right on the gospel. I really do. I believe I really understand the Christian life. I really do. And if I didn’t, I ought not be up here and not not preach. But now that I’ve got my introductory remarks out of the way, I want you to take your Bible looking.

First Corinthians in chapter 10. First Corinthians in chapter 10. We’ve got a lot of verses to cover, so do not take all day getting to those scriptures. First Corinthians in chapter 10. And you’ll notice there in verse 32. Verse 32. Only three groups that are mentioned. In verse 32, you give none offense neither to the Jews nor the Gentiles nor the church of God. Now the church of God is a combination of believing Jews and Gentiles. Now there’s Gentiles in the world and there’s Jews in the world and the church of God is made up of Jews and Gentiles, but in Christ, there is no Jewards in tile.

There’s no male or female. You’re all one in Christ. Now explaining all of that, there’s time for another sermon, but not today. First Corinthians in chapter 12, chapter 12, just turn a page or two and look in chapter 12 and look in verse 12. 12. And verse 12, he says, as the body is one and half many members, all the members of that one body, being many are one body, so also with Christ. One body, this is the church.

This body is the church. And he says in verse 13, for by one spirit, or we all baptized into one body. Whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we bond or free, and they’ve been all made to drink into one spirit. So there is this baptism by the Holy Spirit that takes place. Every time someone trusts Christ as Savior, they are baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. So from Pentecost when the church starts and to the rapture when the church ends, this period of time has lasted almost 2,000 years.

This is the body of Christ. It’s the church age. It’s called the grace age or the body age. It’s this period of time that you and I are parts of. And so the Bible says that Jews and Gentiles make up this body and they were all baptized by the Holy Spirit. So to find out when… The church began simply when did the first baptism of the Holy Spirit take place. Now I want you to take your Bible and look at Acts chapter 1.

The book of Acts and chapter 1. In Acts chapter 1, I want you to look there in chapter 1 and verse 5. He had already told them that he had talked to the Father and he’d asked the Father that he would send the comforter, which is the Holy Spirit. So the Holy Spirit came and they were going to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. Doing Christ days upon the earth, there was no baptism of the Holy Spirit. Remember, it says in chapter 7 of the book of John, he says, on that great day of the feast Jesus stood in Christ and if any man thirst, let him come in to me and drink and as the scripture hath set out of his belly, shall flow rivers of living water.

This spake of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive, for as yet Christ had not yet been glorified, so nobody had been baptized by the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, the confident confident has not come yet. So here in between the resurrection of Christ and the day of Pentecost, there’s 50 days called, Pentecost, 50 days. So he makes a statement in verse four, and being assembled together with them, commended them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which said that you have heard of me, for John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, not many days in.

So he’s talking to Jewish people and he’s talking about them being baptized by the Holy Spirit. So you look there in chapter two, chapter two and look in verse 32. And verse 32 says, this Jesus hath God raised up where we are all witnesses, therefore being by the right hand of God exalted and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost. Now in chapter one, it was future. Chapter two here, it’s past. So something happened in between these verses that talks about the first time that the baptism of the Holy Ghost took place.

Well, lo and behold, looking verse one of chapter two. The day of Pentecost fully come. The Holy Spirit came. And you notice down in verse five, and there were dwelling at Jerusalem, what? Jews. Jews, devout men out of every nation unto heaven. And so here’s the Jews and they received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the very day. Now this is when it happens for the Jews and this was the first time this was the beginning. Now take your Bible and turn over there to the book of Acts in chapter 10.

In Acts chapter 10 you have the story of a Gentile and the apostle Peter is preaching the gospel. He’s telling these Gentiles how to be saved. But the Jews had a problem with Gentiles and they didn’t eat with them, they didn’t fellowship with them, they want nothing to do with them. But God had to work on the apostle Peter and so he wound up going to the household Cornelius and he was the leader of an Italian band. It was a rock and roll group.

Anyway, he was out of a time-man. And he had some people that needed to hear the gospel. So Peter went and he took some Jewish people with him. And so he explained the gospel to him here in the book of Acts, looked there in verse 43. And as he’s talking to Cornelius and those that were in the house, he says to him, give all the prophets witness that through his name, whosoever, Believe it in him shall receive what? Remission of sin.

All the prophets in the Old Testament had the same message. Man has always been saved the same way. All the prophets taught you got to believe in Jesus for the remission of sins. The heavy turned to life. Salvation is not any other way. Nobody’s ever been saved by the law. The law was only given to show us you can’t save yourself by your works. But now when he said this in verse 44, while Peter yet spake these words, the holy goes fell on them which heard his word, the Gentiles.

And the same thing happened to them. You say, how do you know the same thing happened to them that happened to the Jews on the day of Pentecost? Glad you asked. Look what he says there in Acts chapter 11 and verse 14. And Peter is rehearsing what took place at the household of canelias, who shall tell the words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. You can be saved by hearing the right words. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the what?

At the beginning, when’s the first time this ever took place? On the day of Pentecost, that’s when it happened. Jews baptized by the Holy Spirit, Gentiles baptized by the Holy Spirit, and by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body? That’s the church. The church started on the day of Pentecost. You can’t cut it any other way. It’s because they want to, it does away with the great commission. You see, the great commission, Matthew chapter 28, when Jesus says, all power is given unto me.

And then he says, he commanded them to go into all the world and preach the gospel. They said that was just to the Jews. And that’s not to the church. So therefore, that’s not to the church and baptism is not for the church then. So they can eliminate that. I believe it mutilates the gospel and the purpose of why we’re to do what we do. And I’ll show you that in just a minute. And I know that any doctrine that goes contrary to what true doctrine is, it affects the church in some way.

It will teach air and it leads to air. I believe all this is important because that’s what I believe the Bible teaches. Now look at the second thing in your notes there, the foundation of the church before Paul. Paul did not start the church. Do I believe Paul’s writings are important? Well, of course it’s in the Bible. But I don’t believe his words are superior to any other books. I don’t believe one book is superior to another book. I believe they’re all the Word of God.

And you look at it, this is a Bible and it’s total. And I believe there’s certain things that you say, all scripture is not to us, but it can be all for us. But I believe that all the Word of God that’s for me was to me. to me because I got scripture that says though and I’ll show you that. Now therefore ye are no more strangers than foreigners because he’s talking to Gentiles and how they’re part of the body of Christ with the Jews.

He says, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, Gentiles are one with the Jews. Where God takes believing Jews and believing Gentiles and putting together and there is the body of Christ. It happened first of all to the Jews on the appendix and next to the household of Cornelius, the Gentiles, and they are part of the same body. Jews and Gentiles all together. Now, that’s what I believe. Now, look at the next statement. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.

Paul said this in the book of Ephesians. So the church, this body is built upon that foundation. Paul was not the one who laid the foundation. It was already laid. There’s great truth that Paul had brought to us. And I’ll get to that in just a little bit. But now look at the next statement. Praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. The church consisted only of believers and had already begun.

The Lord only adds believers to the church. If you have never trusted Christ as your Savior, you have not been baptized by the Holy Spirit, you’re not in the body of Christ, you’re not a part of the church, and you do not get to go to heaven until you do. If you had trusted Christ as your Savior, if you have never joined a church, you’re still part of the body of Christ. And that is the true church. And you will go to heaven because you’ve trusted Christ as Savior, and you didn’t even know it, but you have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ.

That’s not a baptism that you do. That’s why there’s no commands in the Bible to be baptized by the Holy Spirit. It’s automatic when you trust Christ the Savior. There is a command to be filled with the Spirit, and there’s a command that we ought to obey the Spirit and serve the Lord and all those things, because you are indw up by the Spirit and you’re sealed by the Spirit, and you’re baptized by the Spirit. But God does command us to be filled with the Spirit.

That means to be controlled by Him. Now, look at the next statement. Remember what we just read there, was in chapter two of the book of Acts. And the church added to the church daily. So if this is in chapter two, then the church had to be in existence in chapter two. There’s not two churches. Some of you, that was a separate church than the one that Paul started. No, it’s not. That’s air in teaching. People can believe whatever they wanna believe and they can use a verse here and air and pull it out of faith.

And then it says how pretty that is. Always beware of any teaching that eliminates your responsibility. Do you know when he commanded to go into all the world and preach the gospel? How powerful that statement is. Why would you want to take that out of the Bible because there’s some people who don’t want to go? And then you can take the rest of the books or even the apostle Paul. Yes, I know there’s a couple verses that seem like you know, but there’s no commands to go into all the world and preach the gospel you find in Matthew chapter 28.

But anyway, we’ll move right along. Look at the next segment. And great fear came upon all the church. So did the church exist before Paul was ever saved? See Paul didn’t get saved until chapter 9. These are verses before that. So Paul didn’t start the church. He was not the foundation of the church for next scripture. Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria and get this before Paul ever preached to first sermon before God ever gave him the mysteries of the church and the mystery of the godliness and the mystery of the rapture and the mystery concerning the resurrection.

Those things that yes God used and gave to the Apostle Paul and the understanding of the dispensation He gave him a lot of truth that’s not revealed in other places But Paul wasn’t the only one that knew it. Remember Paul preached the gospel just like the other apostles preached the gospel, but Paul didn’t get his message from the other apostles. Christ gave it to him one-on-one. And God also gave him the truth concerning the church. He didn’t get it from the other apostles, but it didn’t mean the other apostles didn’t know it.

what he says here. And before Paul ever came along, the church was edified, walking in the fear of God, the comfort of the Holy Ghost multiplied. So these churches existed before Paul. So there’s a lot of truth. Everybody will have, I don’t know what their doctrine of error might be, they will have truth, but then they take and just change it, just deliver, people can say Christ down the cross and pay for all the sins of the world. And all you got to do is believe and obey.

Join the church and turn from your sin. Then make Christ the Lord master of your life. Did I say something that was true? I said something that was true. I said something that was something that, man, he don’t go with it. Saved only believe. After you’re saved, yes, there’s a lot of things we ought to do. And that we should. Look at the next statement. statement. For ye have heard of my behavior, manner of life, conversation, and time passed in the Jews religion, how that beyond measure, I persecuted the church of God and wasted it.

You can’t persecute something that doesn’t exist. So the church already existed. Paul did not start the church. Unless they wanted to try to make it say, well, now Paul started another church for the Gentiles. And there was this church for the, no, it’s not true. The church was made up of Jews and Billy, And he says, what happened to us in Cornelius? He says, the same thing happened on us at the beginning. And that’s also found there in chapter 10 of the book of Acts.

Look down at the bottom of the page. Scripture used for the church before Paul. Remember, there was no New Testament scriptures yet written. When the church began, what New Testament book did they all study? They hadn’t been written yet. The? But the church started. So there’s scripture that they taught to the church. Even the Bereans searched the scriptures. That means Old Testament scriptures. They didn’t have any New Testament scriptures. They searched the scripture to see whether or not these things were true.

When Paul went to the synagogue, he taught the scriptures, that which was written, the Old Testament. So the church is still founded upon Christ, the foundation. and they were edified. And in chapter six of the book of Acts, they had deacons for the church. They had deacons. And they were supposed to be godly in the midst of whatever it was that they were teaching. They produced some good, godly, strong men that became good deacons in the church. Read chapter seven and talk about Stephen.

Look down to the bottom of the page. In Acts chapter eight, Philip, what book did he use when he led this person to the Lord, this Ethiopian union? Anybody got an idea what book he used? The book of Isaiah. So that means that you can use the Old Testament to win somebody to the Lord in the New Testament times. And he did. So there’s people that say, you don’t use those books. We don’t study that. We just studied the books by Paul.

Paul was a great man that God used in a wonderful way, gave some great revelations and I hate to have a Bible without them. But they fit with all the other truths that are in the Bible. You don’t take those out. Well, these are really special. These mean more than those other books. No, they don’t. All scripture is given by inspiration of God. All scripture. The next one, in Acts chapter 10, Peter referred to all the prophets. to Him give all the prophets witness.

That’s what He did, and that’s the verse He used, to win some Gentiles to the Lord. Peter used Old Testament. People believed they were part of the church, and if Peter can, why can’t I? Also those books don’t refer to the church. No, no, no, no, no, no. I can use any scripture in the Bible to accomplish God’s will. Page two. Look at the top of the page. While Peter yet spaked these words, the Holy Ghost fell on them that heard the word.

And he says the same thing that happened to us on the day of Pentecost happened to these Gentiles at the beginning. So that’s when it started. I’m just telling you what the book says. I don’t have an agenda. I’m not trying to build a special denomination or a religion. I’m just saying this is what the Bible teaches, and that’s what I take. Look at the next statement. They say, well Hebrews is not guaranteed to be written by the Apostle Paul.

It’s not to the church. Wouldn’t it? If it’s to the Hebrews and these Hebrews, you know, they believers. And when were they saved? Well, this is doing Paul’s time. during the church age. So if they are Jews and they are saved, are they part of the church? Are these Jews? Are they part of the church? Yes. Every believer after the day of Pentecost is a part of the body of Christ. So then the book of Hebrews, even though it’s written to Jewish believers, is talking about the Jewish believers that are in the body of Christ, that are the church.

So Hebrew has to be to the church. Look at the next statement. If Peter wrote to the Jewish tribes, then they were believers which would make them also part of the church. Then first and second Peter is also to the church. If it’s during this period of time in which we live and it’s to those Jewish believers, then they’re part of the church. So it’s still to the church. So the book of Peter is just as important to me as the writings of Paul, or the book of Matthew and Mark and Luke and John.

See I don’t have one book above the other book and whenever you begin to concentrate upon a certain section of books and at the demise of the other ones, although this is really important, you’d be surprised how much you’re losing and how much of the people in most churches are not getting fed the Word of God because they don’t believe the other part or as important as this. All of the Word of God is important. Look at the next statement.

If John wrote the book of Revelation, and he did, and he refers to the seven churches, I want you to take your Bible and look at this. Look in the book of Revelation chapter 2. Revelation chapter 2, because Paul did not write the book of Revelation. But look in chapter 2, in verse 1, onto the angel of the church of Ephesus, right. Is this written to the church? Looks like it to me. Look in verse 8, and onto the angel of the church in Smyrna, right looks like it’s written to the church there too, doesn’t it?

Oh, we’ll look in verse 12, and onto the angel of the church in Perikimos, Right. It’s just in the book of Revelation. It’s just written to the church. If this is written to the church, well, if this is not written to the church, what good is it? I mean, what’s the value of it? Why even put it in the Bible? You’re not supposed to read that because, you know, Paul wrote only to the church. And you’re so only thankful to church is what Paul wrote.

No. Don’t miss out on all the fun. Join Pastor Jesse and Kyla Martinez on Thursday nights Tonight’s from 7-9 p.m. for Tampa Youth Ranch and Calvary Community Church. Tampa Youth Ranch is a great mix of live music, games, Bible study, food and fun, where teens 13-18 get to know God and the Bible with their friends. Check it out online at tampayouth ranch.org and see the cool pictures from past activities and all the fun you’ve been missing. No right, no problem.

Call 813-334-4655 today for information on getting a ride to Tampa Youth Ranch. Thanks for joining us on Bible Eye. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now, a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believe in that the Lord is coming soon.

Just keep looking up.