Professional Documents
Culture Documents
• For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17).
Simply because:
• By grace are ye saved through faith (Eph. 2:8).
Neither the 'grace' or the 'faith of Jesus Christ' (Rom.3:22), were available to Israel before the
coming of their Messiah. Neither the fulness of the 'truth' (Christ) nor 'the 'spirit of Christ' were
present to mature these carnal Israelites. They 'were yet babes;' they 'were yet carnal.' They are
"the son of the bondwoman" and "shall not be made heir with [us] the son of the freewoman"
(Gal. 4:30-31).
Carnal Christians?
This is a truth completely foreign to the minds of most Christians. How can we possibly be 'in
Christ' and still be called 'carnal?' The answer to this dilemma is given to us in the example of
Christ and His twelve 'chosen' apostles and their relationship to Christ while He was still on this
earth in the flesh, including the time He spent with them after His resurrection appearing to them
as "flesh and bone" up until the day of Pentecost.
So what kind of a relationship did Christ have with His chosen twelve while He was 'in the
flesh?' Well, since Christ had not yet died, and had not yet been resurrected, He could not
possibly have given the Holy Spirit to anyone: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; IT IS
EXPEDIENT FOR YOU THAT I GO AWAY: FOR IF I GO NOT AWAY, THE COMFORTER
WILL NOT COME UNTO YOU; BUT IF I DEPART, I WILL SEND HIM UNTO YOU (Joh
16:7). Consequently, the twelve chosen apostles were as carnal as the Corinthians the whole time
they knew Christ after the flesh (2Co 5:16). Let us take note of a few examples of just how
carnal the apostles were before they were "filled with the spirit" while they yet "knew Christ
after the Flesh."
Peter is probably the best known of the apostles. He was always the first to answer any questions
posed by our Lord. Whom do ye say that I, the Son of Man am, Christ asks. Thou art the Christ,
the son of the living God, Peter replies. To which answer Jesus responds: Blessed art thou, Simon
Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven
(Mat 16:13-17).
So it was the Father who had revealed this to Peter. Does this now mean that Peter was no longer
carnal, now that he had begun to see some spiritual truth? Absolutely not! But Peter had simply,
begun in the spirit (Gal. 3:3). Christ goes on to tell Peter that he is giving him the keys to the
kingdom of heaven (vs. 19). Does Peter now have the mind of Christ, now that he has 'the keys
of the kingdom? It is only two verses later that Christ is compelled to rebuke Peter for his carnal
ways: But he turned and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me Satan: thou savourest not the things
that be of God, but those that be of men (vs. 23). Mark adds an interesting detail: But when he
had turned about and LOOKED ON HIS DISCIPLES ALSO, he rebuked Peter, saying... (Mark
8:33). Why does Christ "look on His disciples also?" Simply because, as with all scripture, so
with all prophecy, Christ knew that what He was saying was not just for Peter's benefit, but for
the benefit of all of His disciples for all time.
Now what was it that Peter had said that had led Christ to call Peter 'Satan?' From that time forth
began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many
things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from thee Lord: this shall not be
unto thee (vs. 21-22). This is the immature 'Corinthian Christian' attitude, "Be it far from thee. .
.this shall not be unto thee." When Christ called Peter 'Satan,' he was not using a figure of
speech. At that moment, Peter was nothing less than a messenger of Satan. Yet he, like so many
carnal Christians, acknowledged Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God." Poor, 'yet
carnal' Peter simply could not yet receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they [were]
foolishness unto him (1Co 2:14). Peter, at this point, only knew Christ "after the flesh."
Not long after this incident, Christ again corrects Peter. Peter, still filled with carnal self-
confidence, is again withstanding Christ. Our Lord has just declared that before the night is over,
all of His disciples will forsake Him: Peter answered and said unto Him, though all men shall be
offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended. Jesus said unto him, verily I say unto
thee, that this night before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice (Mat 26:33-34). Peter still
knew Christ only "after the flesh."
That very night Christ is betrayed into the hands of the chief priests and elders. Once again,
Peter, filled with an immature spirit of "strong delusion" believes that he, by his own efforts, his
own works, can change, or at least forestall, the things that Christ had just said must occur: And,
behold...[Peter] stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high
priests, and smote off his ear (Mat 26:51). How typical Peter is at this point of all the immature
leaders of Christendom today who tell their immature followers to physically take up arms for
God and country.
Peter saw things just as those he typifies at this stage of his development. What greater cause
could anyone fight for than "the Christ, the Son of the living God?" Peter yet knew Christ only
'after the flesh.'
What were Christ's words to Peter and to all who yet know Him only 'after the flesh?' Can any
today receive His words?:
Mat 26:52 then said Jesus unto him, put up again thy sword into his place: FOR ALL THEY
THAT TAKE THE SWORD SHALL PERISH WITH THE SWORD.
Peter, of course, did just as Christ had predicted he would and denied his Lord three times before
the cock crowed. Christ was crucified and rose the third day as He had said he would. He shows
Himself to His disciples numerous times. Sometimes He would appear in their midst when they
were behind locked doors. Now His disciples know the resurrected Christ. Are they now no
longer carnally minded because they have now met the resurrected Christ? No, even after
Christ's resurrection, they wanted to "go back" to fishing for fish. And Peter was still comparing
himself to John (Joh 21). They still did not understand "a corn of wheat falling into the ground
and dying."