Our apostle Paul mentions his desire that we might be “rooted and grounded in love” in one of the most informative chapters in all of scripture. Chapter 3 of Ephesians is so full of vitally important doctrine for the body of Christ it cannot be over emphasized although dispensationalists are criticized for doing just that. Paul gives us the key to comprehend “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” and to know the love of Christ in this chapter. The first 19 verses of Ephesians chapter 3 are filled with Pauline doctrine unknown to many Christians today. In verse 16, we read about a strength that comes from knowing the knowledge shared in Paul’s epistles. Jesus sent Paul to you, but you hear less preaching of Pauline doctrine in churches today than just about anything else. In verse 12, we read about a boldness that comes with the confidence gained by knowing the eternal purpose verse 11 mentions. Christians today don’t know the great purposes found in scripture. Christians today can’t articulate the difference between God’s earthly purposes for his earthly people contrasted with the heavenly purpose for his heavenly people because modern Christianity blends God’s purposes together, so they both lose their true meaning. Verse 10 tells us God has an intent for the mystery revealed by Paul that all of creation would know the manifold wisdom of God. You CANNOT understand the manifold wisdom of God revealed in scripture without understanding the mystery revealed by Christ and ministered to us through Paul. This mystery so clearly revealed in verse 9 but never preached by modern Christianity. This mystery was “hid in God” and revealed by Paul and then is utterly rejected by Preachers today in favor of denominational tradition and proof texting. Verses 7-8 clearly tell us Paul is the minister of this mystery, and these riches are “unsearchable” prior to Paul revealing them to those who had no hope prior because Jesus had NO ministry to Gentiles. Verses 5-6 reveal what is “now” revealed that in Christ we are a new creature, and a new body made up of Jew and Gentile which was NEVER revealed on the OT or the Gospels. In verses 3-4 Paul makes it very clear that the mystery was his to reveal, and his revelation came directly from the risen Christ. This knowledge was revealed to Paul for us and was not known or preached by ANYONE prior to Christ revealing it to Paul according to verses 2-3. Why? Verse 1 tells you: Paul was the prisoner of Jesus Christ for the Gentiles. The exact same people John the Baptist, Jesus, and Peter DID NOT minister to. Why don’t you hear these verses taught and preached from the pulpit at your church? Because these verses don’t fit the tradition your denomination is married to. You are taught scripture through the filter of your chosen agenda. Scripture is explained to you week after week, so it fits your religion and chosen denominational tradition. Why does Paul over and over call his message in his 13 epistles a mystery that was NOT made known before him, and your preacher tells you that Paul just continued what Jesus started? Don’t you realize one of the two is wrong? Either Paul is wrong, or what you hear week after week is wrong. There is a reason Paul’s books are doctrine from cover to cover. This is because today’s Christians need doctrine more than ever, so I beg you to learn the doctrine passed down to you from your Apostle Paul and ignore the modern preachers of today that tell you that doctrine just causes division and stirs up confusion. I am acutely aware of the fact that I’m in the minority by asking you to believe scripture AS WRITTEN, TO WHOM it was written to, but I still beg of you to just trust God that he was able to write scripture exactly as it needed to be written so when Jesus says he was not sent to the Gentiles you MUST believe it to understand scripture properly. When Jesus says he was here to fulfill the promises made to ISRAEL, you need to believe it because you will never understand God’s purposes until you believe the Bible AS WRITTEN. I have become keenly aware of the fact that Christians today for the most part refuse to believe the Bible literally when confronted with it. The main thing rooted and grounded in churches today is TRADITION.

Easter will soon be evident with dresses, decorations, cantatas, and sunrise services on most church calendars. No doubt many references to Mark 11:9 will be sung or preached on this most revered Christian holiday. I have sung “Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord” several times in Easter cantatas myself. Even the “once a year” church attenders can recite this phrase with little coaching. As with so much of Christianity today, the context of this phrase is never quoted, preached, or sung about because verse 10 does not support the narrative. Here are both verses for your contemplation.

Mar 11:9  And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:
Mar 11:10  Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
 
Why does verse 9 ring true to most every Christian? We have heard it sung and preached scores of times during our Christian life. Why have we never heard verse 10 mentioned in the context, sung about or preached? Verse 10 positively links Jesus and his ministry to the earthly kingdom that was promised to King David and Israel. This kingdom was an earthly kingdom and NOT heaven like your church probably teaches every Sunday. Following Christian tradition forces you to preach certain verses over and over and to ignore other verses. Why? Because tradition is followed instead of the Bible in most churches today. Verse 10 is definition for verse 9. Verse 9 is Christ coming. Verse 10 is exactly what Christ was coming for, the earthly kingdom promised to David in II Samuel 7:12-16. Why do you think Matthew 1:1 starts out the way it does?
Mat 1:1  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
 
Why do you think the people following Jesus during his early ministry were asking the following question?
 
Mat 12:23  And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
 
Why do you think Jesus did not have to explain his ministry to the Jews? His ministry needed no explanation because every Jew knew exactly what kingdom Jesus was preaching about. The Davidic kingdom promised to Israel and not to you as a Gentile. The Jews knew nothing of going to Heaven as you are probably taught week after week. All John the Baptist had to say was the kingdom of Heaven was at hand and every Jew knew exactly what he was talking about. The kingdom and the throne promised to Israel in hundreds of verses in the OT. You have never heard verse 10 of Mark 11 preached because it does not fit the traditional narrative that Jesus was really offering a “spiritual” kingdom. You are free of course to believe this but just remember that the words in the Bible itself do not teach this. Hundreds of prophecies in the Bible must be ignored and conveniently never taught for you to take from Israel what God gave to Israel. The words in the Bible itself teach the kingdom Jesus offered was earthly and was offered to Israel alone. You are taught week after week that we are building a kingdom now and Jesus is supposedly ruling in our hearts. This is church tradition handed down in seminaries and Bible colleges and is not supported by scripture unless you force the verses to say things they don’t. Christians today will eagerly stand up and fight for their tradition when challenged with the truth of scripture. How about you?