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The Grapevine
June 14, 2002

Is This Addressed to You?
by Jack Northart

Imagine for a minute that you come home at the end of your day, stop at the mailbox to find it empty, then go inside to see all of your mail opened and read by a total stranger? Wouldn't you be outraged? I believe there are federal laws that impose serious fines on individuals who steal mail in this manner. Your mail is your business. If it is addressed to you, then no one else has the right to read it unless you give them permission. The same holds true if you were to read someone else's mail without their permission.

This brings up an interesting point when it comes to Keys to Understanding the Bible, that is understanding TO WHOM a passage of scripture is addressed. Most Christians believe that the entire Bible - from Genesis to Revelation, is written directly to them. This is not the case. Grave misunderstandings have arisen over the centuries from this one simple principle not being adhered to properly.

Dr. E.W. Bullinger's work entitled: How to Enjoy the Bible, states: "While the Word of God is written FOR all persons, and FOR all time, yet it is as true that not every part of it is addressed TO all persons or ABOUT all persons IN all time."
[p.65 par 8.]

So the question is, who is the Bible specifically addressed to? For our answer, we go to the Word of God and let it speak for itself.

1Corinthians 10:32
   Give none offence, neither to the Jews
   [Judeans], nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church
   of God.

God's classification of people is not based on social status, economic status, nor denominational status. He separates people into one of these three. Jew [Judean], Gentile or Church of God. Jews, better translated Judeans, are the people who were of Judean background. They were the children of Jacob [Israel]. Abraham was chosen by God to be the father of God's adopted people. Abraham had a son named Isaac, who had a son named Jacob. In the Book of Acts, the martyr Stephen recounts the history of the Judean people.(See Acts 7:2-4,8)

The second classification of people by God is Gentiles. The Gentiles are also referred to in the Bible as "Greeks", "heathens" or "the nations." They are all the rest of the people who make up the nations except the descendants of Israel.

The third group of people listed in 1Corinthians is "The Church of God," also referred to as "saints."
Look at the opening salutation of this same book.

   1 Corinthians 1:2
   Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to
   them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called
   to be saints, with all that in every place call
   upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both
   theirs and ours.

Since Jesus Christ's complete redeeming work, Christians are neither Judeans nor Gentiles, but rather they are called saints, and/or the Church of God.

   Galatians 3:28
   There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither
   bond nor free, there is neither male nor female:
   for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

This verse informs us that a person is either a Jew [Judean] or a Gentile until he becomes born again of God's Spirit, at which time he belongs to the Church of God.

The entire Bible is addressed to one or another of these three groups. We need to understand this key of TO WHOM God is addressing directly, either with certain scriptures or specific books of the Bible. This will help us be fully aware of what is addressed directly to us today. Sometimes what is true at one time or of one group or individual may not be true at another time or for another group or individual.

   Romans 15:4
   For whatsoever things were written afortime
   [before the day of Pentecost] were written for
   our learning, that we through patience and
   comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Romans was written after Pentecost, the day in which The Church of God was founded. Those things written before Pentecost are not addressed TO us but are FOR our learning.

Understanding this basic key will unlock so much of the Word of God for an individual and clarifies apparent contradictions. As an example, in the Book of Leviticus in the Old Testament, God instructs Israel that they are not to eat certain types of food, (See Leviticus 11:1-11). But in the epistles, addressed to the saints, the Church of God, it says just the opposite:

   Colossians 2:16
   Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in
   drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new
   moon, or of the sabbath days.

This verse appears to contradict the record in the Old Testament, but not when we understand TO WHOM it is addressed. Colossians 1:2 says: "To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ…" This is addressed directly to us, whereas Leviticus is addressed to the children of Israel. Can we learn something from the record in Leviticus? Absolutely. But to take it as something that is addressed to us is incorrect and will cause endless confusion and error. As stated in Romans, it is for our learning.

We must be extremely aware of the part of the Word of God that is written for our learning, to separate it from that part which is written directly to us. These two prepositions, TO and FOR make a critical difference between truth and error when it comes to the right dividing of the Word of God.

We must get our thinking realigned with what God's Word tells us rather than just following our old traditions. When we understand TO WHOM the Word of God is addressed, new light will fill our understanding and bless our lives.

In addition to understanding TO WHOM the Bible is addressed in light of Judean, Gentile or Church of God, there is one more aspect of this key. In our next issue of the Grapevine, we will look at what the Bible calls, Administrations.

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