Page 216 - THE REVELATION OF THE THIRD HEAVEN and THE MEAT OF THE WORD

higher in God’s esteem or will receive a greater reward (Luke 12:48). No Christian
adheres to the full standards of being a Christian by his works, as he sins (Rom
7:18), but is rather righteous by faith, grace and the gift of God. All men, except
Christians, sin under and against the Law (Rom 2:1, 23), Christians sin only
against the two great commandments, whatever they do (Rom 7:18, 10:4).

Paul’s physical hardships were not directly necessary but only as Prime Principle
processes, that is secondary will enactments (Acts 18:10, 26:17). Much of his
suffering was inflicted by the Jews and only in this, secondary will, sense did Paul
go to the Jewish people (Acts 26:17) being called to the contrary not to go to them
(Acts 26:17). Paul suffered in part at least because he insisted in going to
Jerusalem which was disobedience to the Spirit (Acts 20:22-23, 21:4, 9, 11-12, 14)
as a secondary will of God (Acts 21:14). Paul’s ministry was obviously going to
reach out to the Jews indirectly but directly he was not sent to them, his pro-active
reaching out ministry was in God’s primary will for the Gentiles only (Acts 26:17,
Rom 11:13, 15:16, 2 Cor 11:26, Gal 2:7-8).

God knew that under a secondary will Paul would insist on reaching out directly to
the Jews, the children of Israel, and that this sinfully chosen (against the two great
commandments) secondary will would cause him suffering but turn out to the
glory of God, as does all Christian suffering under the Prime Principle (Acts 9:15-
16, Rom 8:28). His phrase ‘bound in the spirit’ (Acts 20:22) is his
misinterpretation of what the Holy Ghost was showing him, as is made clear in the
prophecy about how he would be bound if he went to Jerusalem (Acts 21:11) and
the clear witness of the Holy Ghost that he should not go there (Acts 21:4). The
Word attests that Paul was simply being disobedient in pride and over-zealousness,
trying to better God’s strategy (Acts 21:4).

Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7-10) was the evil impulse of his flesh to better
God’s strategy (Acts 9:15-16, 21:4). The sufferings caused were prime principle
appropriations (2 Cor 12:7, Phil 1:19, 28) and often caused by his focus on the
Jews wherever he went (Acts 20:19, 23). Paul had a real problem with not focusing
his attentions on Israel and not listening to God as a result (Acts 22:18-21). He
also still attempted to practise the Law on occasions (Acts 24:18) even though this
contradicted his own teachings under the Holy Ghost and in this aspect he could be
accused as having ‘lived a lie’ in the world’s parlance; except that this is
impossible for Christians to do because Christ is in us and we are not to keep or not
keep the Law (Rom 8:1-2, 10:4, Col 1:27). In short he did the very thing he
accused Peter of (Gal 2:11) and warned the Galations about (Gal 3:3) and in these
instances he was in error.