Rightly Dividing the Word of God: Understanding Two Programs

Rightly Dividing the Word of God is a chapter from my E-Book Buddhist Monk Saved by Jesus. You can download it for free on my Home page ⟶ Buddhist Monk Saved by Jesus

1. Why Rightly Dividing the Word of God Matters

Many sincere believers struggle because they read the whole Bible as if every page speaks directly to the Church today. They mix Israel’s promises with the Body of Christ’s promises, the Gospel of the Kingdom with the Gospel of Grace, and Jesus’ earthly ministry to Israel with Paul’s heavenly revelation for the Church. This creates confusion, contradictions, and unrealistic expectations — especially about miracles, healing, judgment passages, and the Christian walk.

Yet God gives us clear instruction:

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of God – truth.” — 2 Timothy 2:15

Rightly dividing the word of God is not dividing the Bible into “important” and “unimportant” parts. It means recognizing different programs, audiences, and purposes throughout Scripture. God’s character never changes, but His instructions to different groups at different times do change.

Just as Noah had a message, Abraham had a promise, Moses had a law, and the twelve apostles had the Gospel of the Kingdom — so Paul received a new, hidden revelation specifically for the Body of Christ.

Understanding these distinctions frees believers from confusion and places our faith on solid ground. It allows us to walk in the truth for today, without mixing covenants, commands, or promises that do not belong to this dispensation.

Rightly dividing reveals that God has two distinct programs:

The Prophetic Program — Israel, covenants, the Kingdom on earth.
The Mystery Program — the Body of Christ, heavenly places, grace, the revelation given to Paul.

2. Gospel of Grace vs. Gospel of the Kingdom

One of the clearest distinctions in Scripture is between the Gospel of the Kingdom and the Gospel of the Grace of God.

The Gospel of the Kingdom (Israel’s Prophetic Program)

Preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the 12 apostles (Matthew 3:2; Matthew 4:17).
Aimed at Israel, God’s covenant nation (Matthew 10:5–6).
Required repentance, water baptism, and obedience to commandments (Mark 16:16; Matthew 19:17).
Promised an earthly Kingdom, where Israel becomes a holy nation and royal priesthood (Exodus 19:5–6; Acts 1:6).
Gentiles could only be blessed through Israel (Zechariah 8:23; John 4:22).
Jesus was “a minister of the circumcision” (Romans 15:8), sent only to Israel (Matthew 15:28).
During His ministry, Gentiles were “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel” (Ephesians 2:12).
The Great Commission was given to the 12 to disciples the nations after Israel’s restoration, not during their fall (Matthew 28:18–20).

This message belongs to the earthly, prophetic Kingdom program. NOT to our Church Body of Christ

The Gospel of the Grace of God (Body of Christ Program)

Revealed only to Paul after Israel rejected the Kingdom and fell (Acts 7; Romans 11:11–12).
It was a mystery kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:1–9).

Key truths of this gospel include:

Christ’s finished cross-work provides salvation to all by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9).
Believers are united into one Body, not a nation (1 Corinthians 12:13).
We have every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, not earthly promises (Ephesians 1:3).
We are not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14).
Our hope is heavenly, not the earthly Kingdom (Philippians 3:20).

Paul makes it clear that we no longer know Christ “after the flesh” (2 Corinthians 5:16) — meaning His earthly, Kingdom ministry to Israel is not the program for the Church today.

3. Israel: The Holy Nation vs. The Church: The Body of Christ

One of the most important distinctions in all of Scripture is between Israel, God’s covenant nation, and the Body of Christ, God’s new creation revealed through the apostle Paul. These two groups have different identities, promises, purposes, and destinies.

Israel — God’s Earthly Covenant People

From Abraham onward, Israel was chosen to be:

A holy nation (Exodus 19:6)
A kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6)
A light to the Gentiles (Isaiah 60:1–3)

Israel’s promises are earthly:

A land inheritance forever (Genesis 15:18)
A restored Kingdom under the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12–16)
Blessings of health, prosperity, and physical protection (Deuteronomy 28:1–14)

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He confirmed these promises:

He came only to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24)
He sent His apostles not to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5–6)
He preached the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23)

Even after His resurrection, the apostles asked:
“Lord, will you at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?”— Acts 1:6

This was the expectation, because the Nation and the Kingdom belonged to them.

The Church — The Body of Christ

Revealed through Paul, the Body of Christ is a brand-new creation:

Neither Jew nor Gentile (Galatians 3:27–28)
One new man in Christ (Ephesians 2:15)
A heavenly people, not an earthly nation (Philippians 3:20)

Our promises are spiritual and heavenly, not land or earthly prosperity (Ephesians 1:3).
Our mission is not Kingdom priesthood, but being ambassadors of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18–20).

Israel = Covenant, Law, Promises, Earthly Kingdom
Body of Christ = Grace, Mystery, No Law, Heavenly Position

Key Points About the Body of Christ

1. Paul as the First Pattern of the Body of Christ

Paul says he was shown mercy first, as the pattern for all who would believe after him (1 Timothy 1:15–16).
God began the new Church — the Body of Christ — with Paul, and entrusted him with the Gospel of Grace for this new dispensation (Ephesians 3:1–9).
This is not a continuation of Israel’s kingdom church.

2. Paul Preached Where Christ Was Not Named

Paul’s ministry intentionally avoided the territory of the twelve apostles: “Not where Christ was named… lest I should build upon another man’s foundation.” (Romans 15:20)

This shows two foundations:

Israel’s foundation with the twelve apostles
The Body of Christ foundation laid through Paul

3. Two Distinct Gospels – Galatians 2

Galatians 2:7–9 explains that:

Paul received the Gospel of the uncircumcision
Peter received the Gospel of the circumcision

James, Peter, and John recognized this and agreed that Paul would go to the Gentiles, while they continued with Israel.
This is not contradiction — it is God’s design for two different ministries.

4. Paul Shared Only the Fundamentals With the Twelve

Paul went to Jerusalem “by revelation” and personally communicated the gospel that had been given to him to the apostles (Galatians 2:2).
He did not reveal the full Mystery, because it was not given to them (Ephesians 3:2–5).
Since some from Jerusalem were following him and trying to bring Gentile believers under the Law and circumcision, Paul communicated the fundamental differences of his gospel to the pillars of faith — so that his work would not be in vain (Acts 15; Galatians 5:1–4).

5. Peter Confirms Paul’s Gospel Was Different and Hard to Understand

Peter admits that Paul’s letters contain things “hard to be understood” (2 Peter 3:15–16).
Why? Because Paul’s revelation — Jew and Gentile in one new Body, no Law, heavenly calling — was not given to the twelve apostles.

6. Earthly Israel vs. Heavenly Body of Christ

In Revelation 21:12–14, the New Jerusalem has twelve gates and twelve foundations, named after the twelve apostles of the Lamb — the leaders of Israel’s kingdom program.
Paul is not included because his ministry is heavenly, not earthly.
The Body of Christ is seated in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6), blessed with spiritual blessings in heavenly places (Ephesians 1:3).

Summary: The Body of Christ is a new creation begun with Paul, revealed through the Gospel of Grace.
It is not Israel, not a replacement, not a continuation — it is a heavenly people with a heavenly calling.
Rightly dividing these truths protects believers from confusion and keeps the Gospel of Grace clear, pure, and powerful.

4. The Prophetic Program vs. The Mystery Program

The Bible becomes clear and consistent once you recognize God’s two programs:

The Prophetic Program (Israel / Earth / Known Since the World Began)

This program was revealed through the prophets, spoken about since the world began (Acts 3:21).
Its key features include:

God’s plan to bless the world through Israel (Genesis 12:3).
A coming Messiah to sit on David’s throne (Isaiah 9:6–7).
A restored earthly Kingdom, centered in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:9).
Israel as a priestly nation teaching the nations (Isaiah 2:2–3).

Jesus’ earthly ministry fits this program perfectly:
He was born under the Law (Galatians 4:4),
lived among Israel,
confirmed the promises made to the fathers (Romans 15:8),
and preached the Kingdom that was prepared “from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).

Everything in prophecy concerns earth, Israel, and the Kingdom.

The Mystery Program (Body of Christ / Heaven / Hidden Before the World Began)

This program was never revealed to any prophet, never spoken, never hinted — it was kept secret until Christ revealed it to Paul:

“Kept secret since the world began.” — Romans 16:25
“Hidden from ages and from generations.” — Colossians 1:26
“By revelation He made known unto me the mystery.” — Ephesians 3:3

Key features of the Mystery program:

Jews and Gentiles made one new Body (Ephesians 3:6)
Salvation by grace through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8–9)
No Law, no covenants, no rituals (Romans 6:14)
Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)
A heavenly inheritance, a heavenly calling (Colossians 3:1–4)
A rapture before the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13–18)

Prophecy = revealed since the world began.
Mystery = hidden since the world began.
They cannot be the same program.

This truth alone removes 90% of doctrinal confusion.

5. 12 Apostles for 12 Tribes vs Paul for the Body of Christ

The New Testament reveals two distinct apostleship assignments that are often confused: the ministry of the twelve (and the prophetic/apostolic program connected to Israel) and the unique apostleship of Paul (the founder of the Body of Christ program). Recognizing the difference is essential to knowing which instructions and promises apply to us today.

The Twelve: Apostles to Israel

Jesus’ earthly ministry was rooted in prophecy and covenant fulfillment. He sent the twelve disciples to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 10:5–6). Their message centered on the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matt. 4:17; 10:7). The signs, the public proclamations, the teaching about the coming restoration and Davidic throne — all these fit within Israel’s prophetic program. After the resurrection the Twelve still expected a restoration of the Kingdom for Israel (Acts 1:6). Their ministry continued the prophetic stream that began with the prophets and culminated in Christ’s first coming.

Paul: Apostle to the Gentiles and the Body of Christ

Paul’s calling is entirely different in character and content. Jesus revealed to Paul a previously hidden truth — the mystery of the Body of Christ (Ephesians 3:3–6; Romans 16:25–26). Paul was commissioned as “the apostle of the Gentiles” with a gospel not simply a continuation of the Kingdom message, but a revelation of grace and heavenly blessings (Gal. 2:7–9; Ephesians 3:1–2). Key features of Paul’s ministry include: union with Christ by one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13), salvation by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9), and the church as a one new man in Christ (Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18).

Why the distinction matters

Applying the Twelve’s Kingdom commands and rituals wholesale to the Church today creates doctrinal error: it leads to confusion over baptism, law, signs, and the nature of the Christian hope. Paul repeatedly warns that his message was revealed for this present dispensation of grace. The Church’s identity, calling, and blessings are disclosed in Paul’s epistles — not in the Great commission and 12 apostles to Israel. To follow Paul’s revelation for the Body is to obey God’s plan for the Church today. Follow me as I follow Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1)

6. Importance of Rightly Dividing

Right division is necessary to protect God’s truth, keep faith strong, and guide our spiritual walk. Paul told Timothy to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15) because God gives different instructions for different times and people. Ignoring this leads to preaching the wrong gospel, teaching false salvation, misusing baptism and signs, expecting earthly promises, and not knowing God’s will or His instructions for us today. Right division protects believers from these errors and keeps the Gospel of Grace pure and effective.

Rightly dividing the word of God is thus an act of love for truth and for God’s people. It frees us to live properly in our calling — not trying to be Israel or to force Israel’s program onto the Church, but embracing what God has given the Church through Paul’s revelation.

7. The Cost of Ignoring God’s Command to Rightly Divide

Rightly dividing the Word of God is not simply a Bible-study preference. It is a command of God—and ignoring it always always leads to confusion. When believers refuse to acknowledge the distinction between Israel’s prophetic program and the Body of Christ’s mystery program, they do not merely “miss some details.” They fall into deception, they mistake God’s instructions, and they go against the truth.

Most of the confusion in churches today—tongues, water-baptism requirements, losing salvation, signs and wonders, tithing laws, Sabbath keeping, binding and loosing, anointings, altars, prayer cloths, generational curses, the kingdom gospel, claiming Israel’s promises—believers take instructions for Israel and use them as if they were for us. Christ did not send Paul to continue the kingdom message but to reveal something completely new that had been “kept secret since the world began” (Romans 16:25). The Church which is His Body did not begin in the four Gospels or at Pentecost; it began when Christ from heaven saved Paul and revealed the dispensation of grace (Ephesians 3:1–9; Colossians 1:25–27; 1 Timothy 1:11–16).

This also exposes the error of modern “apostles,” “prophets,” and self-appointed spiritual authorities. God gave apostles and prophets only until the revelation was completed (Ephesians 2:20; 3:5). When the mystery was fully revealed to Paul and the Word of God finished (Colossians 1:25), the foundational gifts ceased. All who now claim apostolic authority or prophetic revelation stand outside Scripture and are false teachers, no matter how sincere they appear (2 Corinthians 11:13–15).

The Roman Catholic claim that Peter was the first pope is also a complete contradiction of Scripture. Peter was an apostle to Israel, not to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:7–8). The papal system continues Israel’s prophetic program and man-made traditions, not the doctrine of Christ for the Body of Christ delivered through Paul. Many churches today unknowingly follow these same traditions—mixing law and grace, Israel and the Body, the kingdom gospel and the gospel of the grace of God. Because they do not rightly divide, they sincerely preach a message that God did not give them, and in doing so they deceive others while being deceived themselves (2 Timothy 3:13).

People who refuse to rightly divide cannot serve Christ, because they are preaching things Christ did not give to the Church today. They end up preaching another gospel, following another program, and creating another Jesus—a Jesus in the flesh, not the risen Christ revealed from heaven through Paul.

Therefore Paul warns with authority from Christ:
“Mark those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them.” (Rom 16:17)
Those who preach Israel’s program to the Church are the ones causing the divisions. Not the ones who rightly divide, but the ones who refuse to.

And concerning the gospel itself, Paul is even stronger:
“I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away … to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” (Gal. 1:6–7)
When believers mix prophecy and mystery, law and grace, Israel and the Church, they inevitably pervert the gospel—turning grace into law, faith into works, and hope into confusion.

So the Holy Spirit speaks the strongest warning in Scripture:
“Even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel … let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:8–9)
This shows the consequences of rejecting the gospel revealed to Paul. Anyone who preaches a message from the earthly ministry of Christ as the gospel for today stands condemned by God’s own Word.

Right division protects the Church from error. It preserves the purity of the gospel. It guards believers from shame and unapproved ministry. It upholds Christ’s will for His Body in this dispensation.

Stand therefore in the doctrine revealed from heaven through Paul.
Become a steward of the mysteries of God.
And let the truth of God’s Word, rightly divided, work effectually in those who believe it.

I encourage you now:

– Study the Scriptures with the foundation of right division.
– Explore the connected posts about our identity in Christ, the new man, and walking in the Spirit.
– Stand fast in the liberty and grace revealed through Paul for you today.

This is how the Word of God works effectually in those who believe—rightly divided, clearly understood, and trusted with a joyful heart. Romans 2:16: In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel… Romans 16:25 Now to him-God that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel…