By Douglas Dodd

"Be ye followers of me, even as I am of Christ." 1 Cor.11:1

Recently I read a book entitled "Why You Say It." It tells the origin of a lot of phrases we daily use. The phrase, "robbing Peter to pay Paul," wasn't in the book, but it is one that I have been hearing more and morelately, along with other phrases about our apostle like "Paul the renegade" and "Paul the trouble-maker."

As we head into the next millennium we can expect to hear more of these kinds of phrases as "grace churches" continue to press the issue of Pauline authority. C.I. Scofield was right when he said it is in the Pauline epistles alone that you find the doctrine, duty, and destiny of the church, the body of Christ.

For too long the body of Christ has languished in the shadow of the Dark Ages. Those ages denied the truth of the "one body, the pre-tribulational catching away of the church, and salvation by grace through faith" to the masses of people. For too long the works of the law have dominated through the preaching of denominations. It is high time for grace believers to become grace soldiers. It is time to make some waves that will rock the boat.

Are we robbing Peter to pay Paul? No, not if you ask Peter. He understood that the nation of Israel was being set aside. Peter understood that the body of Christ was not spiritual Israel, but rather God's new agency through which he would work during the present "dispensation of grace" (Eph. 3). Peter realized that Paul was writing inspired scripture. "and account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction " 2 Peter 3:15-16 Peter knew the difference between the "gospel of the circumcision" committed unto him and the "gospel of the uncircumcision " committed to Paul (Gal 2:7).

Are we robbing Peter to pay Paul? No, not if you ask Jesus Christ. For it was the risen Lord that gave Paul the revelation of the mystery apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead; " Gal 1:1, and again he emphasizes the fact in verses 11-12, "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." Paul also states it in Eph.3 and Rom.16. Without a doubt, it was the risen Lord Jesus Christ that gave Paul his authority. If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. 1 Cor 14:37

Are we robbing Peter to pay Paul? No, not if you ask Paul. He had more reason than anyone to trust in the flesh, but he counted those things LOSS for Christ and even called them dung in Phil.3:4-8. The ONLY way Paul would glory was in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ in Gal.6:14. Paul calls himself the chief of sinners in I Tim.1:15. He says he is less than the least of all saints in Eph.3:8.

Are we robbing Peter to pay Paul? No, it has been the other way around for a long time. The religious system has been robbing Paul of his God-given authority. Paul said that in HIM FIRST Christ would show forth all longsuffering for a PATTERN to believers in I Tim.1:16. Paul, as a wise masterbuilder, laid the foundation on which we are all to build in I Cor 3:10. He begged the Corinthians to follow him in I Cor 4:16, and in I Cor 11:1, The saints at Philippi were told to be followers together of Paul in Phil. 3:17. For too long; religion, tradition, and denominational teaching has been robbing Paul. It is high time to get things back in biblical order.

If you are going to be a part of what God is doing today, you will have to follow the scriptural pattern. The pattern God has given us to follow is Paul. He is the apostle to the Gentiles (Rom.11:13), the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles (Rom.15:16), in the dispensation of the gospel of the grace of God (Eph.3:1-2; Acts 20:24).

Mr. Dodd lives in Florida where he pastors Berean Bible Church, "The Church that Preaches What the Bible Teaches!"