Hi Chris,
I see what you mean alright. I have read a good bit about the end of Acts beliefs Chris but havent really "studied" it that much.
From my studies I came to believe the Dispensation of the Grace of God had its infant beginnings in the salvation of Paul and grew to a point of full and accepted understanding years later at the Council of Jerusalem.
From studying I came to believe the Dispensation of God's Grace and the Body of Christ were underway in Acts 11 when Barnabas brought Paul to Antioch to minister to the Gentile believers. The Gentile believers were first called Christians during Paul's ministry in Antioch.
Paul refined his message during the following years, but it appears that the simple congregation of Gentiles in Antioch is where God's New Household came together. I understand the arguments of some who believe that is too early a time for the Grace Dispensation and the Body of Christ to begin, but it's my opinion based on careful study and consideration."
It appears Paul's role was to introduce a new Dispensation; one that God had kept secret from everyone until He revealed it to Paul.
Paul had a strong desire to see his people, the Jews, come to know Christ as their Lord and Savior. The Dispensation of Grace included Jews and Gentiles of course. Paul's ministry to Jews was part of God's new work. The difference was that it did not include Israel as a nation in its program. It did not include the Kingdom Throne of Messiah. It did not include the Law of Moses. Jews are included in the Dispensation of Grace, but it is not a Jewish dispensation. Even so, Paul carried a heavy burden in his heart for the Jews and for Israel. That's understandable when you study Paul's personal background.
I believe Paul's ministry was one of transition. God revealed more and more to him about the Dispensation of Grace through the years between Paul's conversion and his death. Reading Acts and Paul's letters shows that clearly.
The dating of Paul's prison letters could be from early '50s A.D. to early '60s A.D. He may have written the letters from his imprisonment in Caesarea (Acts 24) or Rome (Acts 28). Some who believe Paul wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon after Acts 28:28, say that everything Paul did, said and wrote prior to it was in the Kingdom Dispensation. That may be an easy way to deal with many difficult things, but it doesn't work. Paul's ministry during Acts was for the purpose of starting primarily Gentile churches. Jews were members of those churches, but the primary outreach was Gentile. That was never true of Peter and the Kingdom apostles. They remained in Jerusalem to wait for the return of Messiah Jesus.
God said that ministering to Gentiles would be Paul's primary mission (Acts 9:15). Paul would not allow Jewish believers to force Gentile believers to be circumcised and brought under the Law (Acts 15 and Galatians 2). That certainly doesn't fit into the Kingdom program. The debate about that issue was heated. Paul stood up to Peter and "opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong." Peter was the spokesman for the Kingdom Apostles, but Paul wasn't a part of the Kingdom Dispensation. Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles and opposed Peter when he withdrew and separated "himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy." Paul said that when he saw that Peter and the other Jews were not "acting in line with the truth of the gospel," he rebuked them to their face. Paul ended his rebuke by telling Peter, "I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law; Christ died for nothing!" Remember, this happened shortly after Acts 15.
Paul's later writings are consistent with his earlier writings in the theme of Grace. Galatians was probably Paul's first letter. He wrote it some time after Acts 15. Paul holds strongly to Grace and the Freedom Christians have from the Law. Stand Galatians next to Ephesians and Colossians and see.
Paul spent many years after his conversion studying God's Word and receiving revelations about Grace before he went to Antioch to begin his missionary journeys. He knew the basics and many specifics. God continued to reveal the specifics throughout Paul's journeys. Paul stopped baptizing as soon as God made that revelation clear. That was sometime after Acts 19 and before he wrote his first letter to the Corinthians. Paul was always growing and learning. He is such a wonderful example to us of how we need to study the Word to present ourselves to God "as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."
Jimmy
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