Intro to 1 Corinthians 15 Hymenaeus and Philetus No 9

Good morning, Israel and Tiffany and any others who have joined us. We appreciate you very much. All right. Well, this morning we're going to talk about another objection. These kind of came up in the discussion of 1 Corinthians 15 because, you know, there are people who, you know, just want to, I guess, throw a kink in the chain and see if they can derail us in terms of what we're saying. So they bring up these objections that have been answered time and time again. It amazes me that they keep bringing up this particular one that we're going to talk about today, and that is the doctrine of Hymenaeus and Philetus, who the Bible says taught that the resurrection was passed already. And, you know, even when I was studying and learning these things, you know, that was one of the verses I had to deal with. I had to look at it and say, well, you know, how does this align with the teaching that the resurrection occurred in connection with the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD? And of course, you know, once I read the text, I said, oh, there it is. It's sitting right on the face of the text. And, you know, there's no question about how it applied, but apparently not everyone sees that or pays attention to it. And so thus, we are going to take a little time to talk about it. So let's go ahead and get into that study this morning from 2 Timothy chapter 2 verses 18 and 19. And it's actually a little longer context than that, but those are the two verses that are read, or maybe 17 through 19, where the text says, and their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort who have strayed concerning the truth saying that the resurrection is already passed and they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands having this seal, the Lord knows those who are his and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. All right. Well, there's our context. And actually it extends beyond that. You can read, you know, just another verse or so, but in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor sanctified and useful for the master prepared for every good work. I think that's the entire context of the verse, but because we have a tendency to go and just isolate the passages from their context, we don't really see the connection of the other verses that surround it and how they have an impact on the interpretation of the context. So let's talk about it a little bit now. It is, as I said, a favorite text to be used particularly by the futurists who view 1 Corinthians 15 as referring to physical bodies rising from the tomb at some alleged future return of Christ. They read that believing that this is, you know, I guess one of the major weapons in their arsenal against the view of fulfillment of Bible prophecy in the first century, because it says that, you know, here's the people that believe the resurrection has occurred. And they will read this verse and say, you know, those who say that are following the doctrine of Hymenaeus and because they believe that the resurrection is already passed. And when they make that objection, you know, it ought to make your skin just crawl because it just shows how they take just a surface reading of the text and then try to build a doctrine on it. And so hopefully some of them are listening this morning and we'll see how we interpret the passage and how we allow the Bible to interpret it, I should say, from that perspective. But at least we hope that they will see that the text can be read in a different light. And once you do it, you know, just dissolves as an objection and is no longer able to be used by those who are informed. Now, if you continue to do it after that, then I think that's more of an attitude and a heart problem than it is a problem with the word of God and with the teaching of scripture. Now, as I said, context is one of the most important things in understanding the Bible. And that is making sure that we understand what's being said in the context and both in the immediate context as well as the remote context. And when we do that, then we have a better opportunity to arrive at what the scripture actually says. And so our purpose is to address the text in context to exegete or interpret it according to that context. Now, I want you to notice that there are a couple of resurrection passages in 2 Timothy before we even arrive at chapter 2 verses 18 and 19. And if we're paying attention, we will see those passages in the first chapter of Timothy, and they do have a bearing on the meaning of this text. In other words, if we're going to talk about resurrection and particularly talk about it from the perspective of Hymenaeus and then let's see what the apostles taught about it. Let's see what they have to say about the text. And when we do, that means that we are not just pulling a passage out of context, but that we have a more comprehensive view of the text and the setting in which it is found. Now, when we turn to 2 Timothy chapter 1, we look at verse 1, where the Bible says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the premise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. So here is what I would say, our first resurrection passage in 2 Timothy. It's right there in the first verse. And what does it speak about? It says nothing about bodies, but it does talk about life that is in Christ. And the life that is in Christ is life from the dead. The Bible says in him was life and the life was the light of men, John chapter 1 and the verse is 4. I've mentioned several times during these studies that light was a euphemism for resurrection. And that's found in many passages, whether we're talking Romans chapter 13, verses 11 and 12, because he contrasts the darkness there with the day. And that would be daylight, if you please. If you talk about Ephesians chapter 5, you have another example of light and darkness. You have Acts chapter 26, another example of light and darkness passages that we have already occurred or rather discussed and that we did. So in the past studies, let's look at Acts chapter 26 for just a quick example. In Acts 26, beginning in verse 16, as Ananias is speaking to Paul, he says, but rise and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness, both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you. Now watch what he says. Verse 18, and of course, he's not talking about physically opening their eyes. They could already see, they could already open their eyes, but to open their eyes. So this is a spiritual way of speaking of coming to an awareness, being informed and given the knowledge of the will of God. He says to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light. Now they weren't all living in darkness in terms of the night, as opposed to day, but they were in darkness in terms of their status before God. And so that is a state of sin. It is a state of death. And so he says to turn them from darkness to light. Well, that means to raise them from the dead. So there's some of that figurative language that we talked about, some of the metaphorical language that's used in the scripture. And so to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Now, what power did Satan have? He had the power of death, Hebrews chapter two, verses 14 and 15. And then he says that they may receive the forgiveness of sin. So that tells you what the light is. It is the forgiveness of sins. And that would be redemption and salvation in Christ and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me. So there is one example of the teaching of the scriptures concerning light and darkness. But when you see those concepts in the scripture, this is what we should be thinking. And of course, even Jesus made the statement, I am the light of the world. Well, that statement, I am the light of the world is in direct correlation with his statement that he is the resurrection. So that just means if you understand logic and you put those two together, that being the resurrection is the same thing as being the light. And no one would understand Jesus saying that he is, you know, physical light, but they would understand that from a moral and a spiritual point of view. And that's the meaning of it. I am the light. I am the resurrection. As a matter of fact, all of those things in John, and I do intend to cover some of them because they would be applicable to our study of resurrection and particularly to the study of first Corinthians 15, but we need to go through them and examine them. But there it is, once again, speaking of the light, then you find in Ephesians chapter five and verse 12, the Bible says for the shameful thing to speak of those things, which are done by them in secret, but all things that are exposed are manifest by the light for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore, he says to you, awake, you who sleep arise from the dead and Christ will give you light. So what does he mean when he says arise from the dead and Christ will give you light? Why is it light and not light? Why it's because life or light rather is a euphemism for light. Just as the Bible says in him was life and the light was the light of men. So that's what that is all about when we talk about it. So we mentioned, uh, in first Timothy chapter one, and the verse is one where Paul says that, uh, he was an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus. Well, that's talking about the life that we find in Christ that is received as a result of believing in him. As he said in John chapter 11, verse 25 and 26, when he says, I am the resurrection and the life he who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And he lives and believes in me shall never die. So this is life that is in Christ. So we need to think about that as we are approaching the subject of resurrection and this, uh, teaching of Hymenaeus and Philetus in, um, second Timothy chapter two, verses 18 and 19. We should not omit a text like that because it's very, very impactful and powerful, uh, in terms of understanding the scripture. The next text that we want to look at in the first chapter is found in verse 10, uh, verse 10. So I'll read verses nine and 10 together so that you can see a connection between, uh, the gospel of Christ and the, um, remedy of death or the remedy for death. As the Bible says in verse nine, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our savior, Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the gospel. Now, this is a very, very, uh, powerful text. And just think about the people who approach the Bible with such a physical and materialistic, uh, views. What would they do with the text like this one in second Timothy one and verse 10, that says that he has abolished death, that Jesus Christ has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Uh, when we see this, uh, we should understand that he's talking about the, uh, rendering of death powerless. And yet we find that everyone today continues to experience physical death. Uh, those who have already passed on and those of us who are remaining here on earth, our time, uh, is ahead of us, but all of us will face physical death. But here's the text that says that he has abolished death. Now, Jesus spoke a couple of times and I just gave you one scripture, um, earlier where he talked and talked about for those who believed in him for those who, uh, kept his word and who keep his word, he said that they would never see death. And so, uh, we have in John eight and birth verse 51, when he was speaking to the Pharisees, he says, if a man keeps my word, he shall never see death. And you know, uh, what's interesting in that context is how quickly those who were in the audience appealed to physical things. They immediately thought about physical death. And so they raised that as an objection to Christ. And I'm saying this because this is precisely, uh, what people will do when we talk about, uh, Hymenaeus and Philetus. So, and I hope you're, you're being patient as I, uh, as I try to build a foundation to look at this text, but I think these passages are very, very important. And so in, um, John eight and verse 52, the Bible says, then the Jews said to him, now we know that you have a demon, Abraham is dead and the prophets. And you say, if anyone keeps my word, he shall never see death. Now I want you to look at their objection to what Jesus said, as if they thought that he was maybe, you know, just totally off his rocker to say that if a man kept this word, that he would never see death, that he was not aware that Abraham was dead, that all of the prophets and everyone who had, you know, gone before, uh, that died, that Jesus was totally unaware of that when he made the statement. No, he was fully aware. He was fully conscious of that when he made that statement and the statement that he made was absolutely correct. It was true, but because they were on a different train of thought because they were focused only on material things and on natural things, they couldn't see what he was saying to them. And so they did what people do today. When we tell them that first Corinthians 15 is not about physical bodies coming out of the ground, as far as the general resurrection is concerned. Uh, when we tell them that these passages, even in second Timothy two in verse 18, uh, are not focused on a physical death, uh, they simply cannot fathom that they cannot wrap their minds around it. And so they take a fair circle approach to the meaning of death as it is presented in the scriptures regarding the resurrection. This is what they become. They become Pharisees. They make arguments that the Pharisees made in order to try and refute the words of Christ. And on the other hand, they make the arguments that the Sadducees make. So either way it goes, they become Pharisees or Sadducees in their argumentation. Um, the Bible says in verse 52, uh, that the Pharisees charged Jesus by saying that he had a demon. And this is what they say of us. They claim that we have a because of what we're teaching, but we're simply saying what the Lord said. Uh, they said Abraham is dead and the prophets. And you say, if anyone keeps my word, he shall never see death. Are you greater than our father Abraham, who is dead and the prophets are dead? Who do you make yourself out to be? So they didn't grasp the meaning of what he was talking about. They attributed it to physical death. And this is why they couldn't understand the teaching of Christ. He never affirmed that anyone who kept his saying would not die physically. He even stated in John 11, the text that we mentioned before, he said, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he were dead yet, Shelley live. And he who lives and believes in me shall never die. And when we understand that text, we're looking at the fact that Jesus is pointing out that those who believe in him would have life in him, not an eternal physical life, but that they would live with him the life that is in Christ. And that is the very life that Paul talked about in verse one of first Timothy life that is in Christ Jesus. Um, we've given you the text in Colossians three before Colossians three, where Jesus, excuse me, where Paul told the Colossians, he says, well, and we're going to see that in this context as well, where over and over again, Paul writes to people who are living and breathing members of the body of Christ and tell them that they have died. But he certainly didn't mean that they had died physically. And if we're going to understand the scriptures, we've got to take that into consideration. He told the Colossians you die and your life is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ who is our life appears, then shall you appear with him in glory. So it is a matter of the revealing of life, a life that they had begun to receive when they died with Christ, but they didn't die physically. They died with Christ by dying with him in baptism. And that's what Colossians two, 11 and 12 teaches and also verse 20, and they're dying from the rudiments of the world. But nevertheless, this is what we should be focused on. So when he says that he has abolished death, and when we look at this, we also need to understand that this is an already, but not yet text that mentions that he has abolished death, but he brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Now notice it didn't just say that he brought life, but it says that he brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And so what we're talking about is life. We're talking about immortality that's involved in this life that is in Christ Jesus. And so we need to make sure that we are focused on that aspect as well, because there are so many people who just want to ascribe and assign the concept of immortality to the physical body. And there is no scripture in the Bible that ever uses the concept of immortality to refer to physical, biological substance, the immortality, as I've said before, and you can study this by, you know, from some of the scholars that immortality from a physical point of view had to do with procreation. That is how the Bible and the Hebraic mind viewed physical immortality. It was through their descendants. In other words, if they had children, then that is how they perpetuated themselves indefinitely. And this is why not having a child was so critical for them in that particular time. And even today with some, it is still one, still very, very important. But that is how we view, or at least the Bible regarded, if we want to use the term physical immortality came through procreation, not through the salvation that is in Christ Jesus. When we talk about that, then we're dealing with immortality on a different level. And this is what is really, really hard to see. But since I'm on that point, let me go ahead and make this statement very quickly. You know, the Bible says in 1 Peter chapter one and verses 22 and 23, seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart, fervently being born again, not of corruptible seed, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible by the word of God, which lives and abides forever. Now, I don't think anybody has a problem with the word of God living and abiding forever. Well, then why does it not produce sons who live and abide forever? That's what 1 John 2 and verse 17 says, along with some other passages. But now back to the context of 2 Timothy. So we've seen how the Bible addresses life and death, saying that death had been abolished. Could not have been talking about physical death in that context because people continue to die physically. There is a realm in which people do not die. And that is if they are believers in Christ, if they have obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ, if they are faithful to God, and that's what he means when he says, whoever believes that's the present tense, that's ongoing. That means he doesn't abandon his faith. The Bible says that he has eternal life. It says that he will never die. And this is what we are stating as far as the text is concerned. So it's very, very important to understand that correlation. Now, in order to connect the dots in terms of 2 Timothy with resurrection, particularly as we look at 2 Timothy 2, 18 and 19, it's also important that we understand the geographical location, the geographical setting of 2 Timothy, because once we do, Paul is going to tell us something in the chapter that helps us to align this teaching with things that he had taught before. So he left Timothy in Ephesus when he went into Macedonia. So let's take a look at that in the first epistle of Timothy. And once again, that's a part of the overall context. When we study the scripture, we need to see what he has said, even in the first epistle. Now notice, because this gives us a bit more information on Hymenaeus and Philetus, because a lot of people want to talk about Hymenaeus and Philetus being Gnostics, but there are scholars who will tell you that Gnosticism had not even developed to such a degree at this particular time. But whether you believe that or not, when we study the scripture, we get an understanding into the background of Hymenaeus and Philetus. And this is important if we're going to know who they are and what their teaching was all about. But let's notice in 1 Timothy chapter 1, and the verse is three and following. The Bible says, as I urged you, when I went into Macedonia, remain in Ephesus. So he tells Timothy to remain in Ephesus, that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine. So Paul was very insistent upon Timothy remaining in Ephesus. And the purpose for which he wanted him there was to make sure that he kept people in the straight and narrow as far as the doctrine was concerned. He says, you charge them that they teach no other doctrine. Now, in other words, what Paul is saying is that the things that I've taught in Ephesus, I want you to remain there and continue to teach those things and charge those who are there that they teach no other doctrine. Very, very important. But look at what he says when he says that they teach no other doctrine. He says, nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification, which is in faith. Now, the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience and from sincere faith, from which some having strayed have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be what? Teachers of Gnosticism. No, that's not what he said. He said they were desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. So here is Paul telling Timothy to remain at Ephesus, to charge some that they teach no other doctrine. What did that doctrine consist of? It consisted of giving heed to fables and endless genealogies that cause disputes rather than godly edifying that referred to people who were teaching the law. So these were Judaizers that Timothy was to focus on because they were there trying to subvert the souls of the believers and cause them to turn back into Judaism. The issue was not Gnosticism. It was Judaism. These were the Judaizing teachers who were saying things that were contrary to Paul. Now, the Judaizers believed in the Messiah. They believed that Jesus had come. But what they believed was that you can continue in the law as well as with Christ. They believed that the law was perpetual, that it was not going to end. And it's very, very important that we see that. I'm looking at a statement by Stephen George, and he says that's an interesting point I've picked up on lately. Immortality comes in Christ, not in simply being physically born. That is absolutely the case. It's interesting, Stephen, that there are those who would actually say that to be born means to be sown in corruption. So how in the world could being born refer to immortality? That just doesn't work. So it's important that we see that. But thanks for highlighting that point. It's one that I make all the time. As a matter of fact, it's one that's made in 1 Timothy, which is another text that we can look at. I'll point that out here. But this is a text that we should keep in front of us as well when we're talking about immortality and when we're talking about hymeneus and felidus as well. But when you turn to 1 Timothy, chapter 6, the verses are 14 through 16. He says that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless, until our Lord Jesus Christ appearing. All right. So here's something within view of the parousia, the coming of the Lord. And he says, which he will manifest in his own time. And those are references to the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, which he will manifest in his own time. He who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That's a reference to the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light, who no man has seen or can see to whom the honor and everlasting power. Amen. As a matter of fact, we consulted with the great Greek scholar and friend of ours, Dr. Dallas Burdette, and placed that scripture before him. And of course, he confirmed that the, from a linguistic point of view and looking at the Greek text that these were references to Christ. Of course, you can read them that way in the English, if you're not biased, but he says in him alone was immortality. And therefore, that's the way we should see it. You're not going to have immortality outside of Christ. And you're certainly not going to have it even by raising a physical body from the ground. That's not how it is received. It is only received in Christ. And that's why Paul said the promise of life that is in Christ. But nevertheless, let's, let's revert back to what we were saying. So we're talking about Judaizers, ladies and gentlemen, that Timothy was to be concerned with. These were the ones who were turning them from the faith. And these Judaizers believe that you have to keep the law of Moses. They believe that you have to continue to circumcise your children and that all of these things were necessary in order to be saved. And so this is what they were pushing. And my point is, when you understand who Hymenaeus and Philetus was, these were Hellenistic Jews. If you understand who they were, then that should give you some background into the teaching that they were doing and why they were teaching it. Because if they were Judaizers, what they were trying to do was to uphold the law of Moses. They were trying to give credence to the law of Moses and to separate. This is very, very important. They were trying to separate the resurrection from the parrhesia, from the destruction of the temple, from the change of the priesthood. But you see, that's ignored. And that's one of the reasons why in that context, certain statements are made because they revert back to a subject regarding priesthood. They revert back to a subject regarding imminent destruction. And all of this was contrary to the doctrine of Hymenaeus and Philetus. But the only thing people see sometimes, those who object to us when they read the text because they don't understand or take consideration of the context, is it just says the resurrection has passed already. And they want to view that without any consideration of the context. And the context is vital and very important to understanding this point. These were teachers of the law, but they did not understand their own law as Paul wrote to them. He says, they don't understand it, neither know what they affirm. And he said, the law is good if a person uses it lawfully. The law was good to guide them, to check them from sin and to lead them to Christ, etc. There was no problem with the law from that perspective. It just couldn't justify anyone. It could even condemn them for sin, but it could not justify them. And that's why Paul taught them in Galatians when he said, if there are any of you who seek to be justified by the law, you are fallen from grace. He didn't say if they follow the law, he said, if they sought to be justified by it, because in the 21st chapter of the book of Acts, Paul himself confirmed that he followed the law when they charged him with teaching things that were contrary to Moses. We've already covered that when he said, wait a minute, my doctrine of the resurrection is according to Moses. He says, I teach no other things than those found in the law and in the prophets. He says, but according to the way, which they call the set. So I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets that there is about to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. Acts 26, uh, acts 24 and verse 15, uh, 14 and 15, and also, uh, acts 26. But, uh, from that perspective in acts 21, when, uh, they said, you know, and this was James who came to report this to Paul, he says, look in verse 20. And when you, when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and they said to him, you see brother, how many myriads? Well, I'm told that a myriad is about 20,000. And here's James saying how many myriads? So I have no idea how many that could have been, but he says, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed and they, who they, these Jews who believe, believe, what believe the gospel are all zealous for the law. I tell you, if you want to see a tap dance, present this text to those who believe that the law was done away at the cross and watch the tap tap dance, they'll be on their toes like a ballet dancer, but they have been informed about you that you teach all the notice now Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. Now that's the charge that James said was being made against Paul, that he was teaching the Jews who were among the Gentiles not to circumcise their children or to walk in the customs according to Moses. Now watch what he says, what then the assembly must certainly meet for. They will hear that you have come. Therefore do what we tell you. We have four who have taken a vow, take them and be purified with them and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads. And they all may know that those things which they were informed concerning you are nothing. James says, look, you go do this. So they will know that there is no truth whatsoever to the charge that you are teaching Jews to forsake Moses and not to circumcise their children. Well, you know what that means? Ladies and gentlemen, that means that Paul was teaching them. That is the Jews to circumcise their children and to keep the law of Moses. And he says, and that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. Now, why would James tell Paul to do that? If James were not doing it himself and the rest of the apostles and other Jewish believers, why would he tell him that? You see, they were keeping the law because they understood that the law was good if it were used lawfully, but not a single one of them were trying to be justified by the law. Only the Judaizers were seeking to justify people by the law. And that is the crowd that Hibernius and Philetus was hanging out with. Now, the doctrinal problem, therefore, that Paul was dealing with in second Timothy two, 17 through 19 was rooted in Judaism, in Jewish fables, in genealogies, which caused disputes rather than godly edification. Paul said that he had once belonged to that group, evident from his statements in Galatians chapter one, verses 13 and 14. Remember when he said that he advanced far above all those who were in Judaism? Verse 13, for you have heard of my former conduct, my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God who separated me from a mother's womb and called me through his grace, that is the gospel, to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood. But see, they were hearing that the one who had formerly preached or persecuted them was now preaching the faith, which he had once tried to destroy. So Paul was a part of that. And that's why he said in Philippians chapter three and verse five, that touching the righteousness, which was in the law, he says, I was a Pharisee, but those things he had given up for Christ in terms of trying or seeking to be justified by the law and trying to compel others to do the same. Now we have to ask the question, remember, as I began with this point where Paul left Timothy in Ephesus to charge some that they teach no other doctrine. So that should tell us that we ought to at least look at Ephesians to see what Paul had to say about death and resurrection, because whatever he had to say about it is what he charged Timothy to teach in first Timothy. And it's going to give insights on the meaning of death and resurrection as it relates to this objection by Hymenaeus and Philetus. So now when we go to Ephesians chapter two, and the verse is one Ephesians chapter two, and the verse is one. Let's look at what Paul said about death and resurrection. He says, and you, he made alive who were dead in the tombs, who were covered with six feet of dirt, who no longer breathed and walked around on the earth. No, that's not what he says, is it? What Paul said was, and you, he made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins. So there's the death that Paul talked about in Ephesians. He says they were dead in trespasses and sins, but not only did he talk about the death, he talked about their being made alive. So let's read another couple of verses that focus on that aspect. Notice in verse five, he says, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace, you have been saved. Now, wait a minute. Isn't that the very same concept that Paul introduced in second Timothy chapter one, verses nine and 10. Let me put that passage before you once again, who has saved us and called us with the holy calling, not according to our works. In other words, when he says our works, those are meritorious works of the law. That's what our works is referring to. These are works of the law. He says not according to our works. And you'll see that in Ephesians two in just a moment, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our savior who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the gospel. That is precisely what the text is saying in Ephesians chapter two and verse five and six, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ by grace, you have been saved and raised us up together. Here's the resurrection with Christ and raised us up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies or heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Now, where's all this taking place? It is taking place in Christ. It is taking place where the premise of life was. This is where death is being abolished in Christ. And it has been abolished now since 70 AD, but he says they've been raised up together and made to sit together in the heavenlies in Christ. There's resurrection, ladies and gentlemen, for by grace, you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. See, there's the same language of second Timothy one verses nine and 10. And that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. There's the contrast. It's a contrast between justification by the law, which they could not receive because of their own weakness in the flesh and the gift of God, which was salvation given to them for their faith in Christ Jesus. That's the contrast between the law and the gospel for we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus. This is a whole new creation for good works, which God has prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. So if we're going to talk about the death that is taught in Ephesians, it's the death that occurs when one dies with Christ and received the forgiveness of sin. And if Paul left Timothy at Ephesus to charge some that they teach no other doctrine, what do you think Timothy would be teaching? And what is it that would be contrary to that teaching? I suggest to you something that Hymenaeus and Philetus was teaching, but we need to examine that even further. We're out of time, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to cover it. We'll be back with you on next week for another edition of All Things Fulfill. I'm William Bell. May God bless you and keep you.