Greetings,

I have enjoyed reading your article on “Rightly Dividing the Word of God”. It has made my understanding clearer.

I have four questions:

(1) The “Breaking of Bread”: does this phrase used by Jesus mean the actual physical Wine and physical Bread that most Christians consume as communion? Or the study, meditating and teaching of HIS WORD, this do in remembrance of His death and resurrection?

(2) Are the paying of Tithes for today, or do we contribute as Christians to the work of God freely? Which may include not only money, but time, talents, other resources etc?

(3) Is there a Spiritual meaning as to the casting of lots and to the taking of pieces of HIS outer garments by the Roman soldiers? I understand that the seamless coat belongs to the Bride of Christ (we who believe).

(4) This is on my mind. Who can be said today as representing the Roman Soldiers, what Religions and what did they take i.e. did it include pieces of TRUTH? Or some of HIS gifts?

A believer, B____

Hi B____,

I am very grateful to hear the article on Rightly Dividing The Word has been edifying to you.

You have asked four questions which I will answer in order:

(1) The “Breaking of Bread”: does this phrase used by Jesus mean the actual physical Wine and physical Bread that most Christians consume as communion? Or the study, meditating and teaching of HIS WORD, this do in remembrance of His death and resurrection?

The answer is the latter. The spiritual meaning of ‘breaking bread’ is to share Christ and His Words with another person of the same mind. That is what Christ wants us to do “in remembrance of [Him]”. Christ certainly was not replacing one ritual with another ritual, but He was speaking in parables. He tells us that the bread represents Him and His body, which He explains as “the bread of life”:

Joh 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.
Joh 6:27 Labour not for the meat [the loaves, the bread] which perisheth, but for that meat [bread] which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

Exactly what does Christ mean by “that meat [bread] which endures unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you”? He tells us exactly what He means by “that meat [bread] which endures unto everlasting life:

Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.
Joh 6:33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.
Joh 6:34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
Joh 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

What exactly is this “bread of life”? Here it is. This is the ‘life’ of which Christ is speaking:

Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth [gives life]; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

The wine and the bread are “the body and the blood” of Christ, therefore they are one and the same, because a body cannot exist without the life-giving blood. Now look at what Christ told James and John and their mother:

Mar 10:39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

Again, this is what Christ Himself tells us His blood of typifies:

Mat 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body [“I am the bread of life” Joh 6:35].
Mat 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;
Mat 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

“The New Testament” is the true blood of Jesus “which is shed for many for the remission of sins”. So His body and His blood are Him, and He is “the Word” of God:

Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Applying “the dream is one” principle should help you to see that ‘the body’ and ‘the blood’ of Christ are nothing more than two separate symbols for the same thing, Christ and His Words, His doctrine.

Gen 41:26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

Your second question was:

(2) Is the paying of Tithes for today, or do we contribute as Christians to the work of God freely? Which may include not only money, but time, talents, other resources etc?

The Old Testament doctrine of tithing is not to be found in the New Testament doctrines of Christ. I well remember being taken in with the argument that Christ said “these you ought to have done…” speaking specifically about tithing.

Mat 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Christ also told the leper He healed to offer the offering Moses commanded. Is anyone going to argue that therefore we should still be offering blood offerings as Moses commanded?

Lev 14:4 Then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop:
Lev 14:5 And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water:
Lev 14:6 As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water:
Lev 14:7 And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean, and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

Christ’s ministry is called “the time of reformation”:

Heb 9:10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

Tithing, even when it was in effect, was only to be upon “the increase of the land [and] the tithe of the herd, or of the flock”.

Lev 27:30 And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.
Lev 27:31 And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof.
Lev 27:32 And concerning the tithe of the herd, or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

But under the reformation of the New Testament one tenth of the increase of the land is not enough to meet Christ’s New Testament standards, just like not committing physical adultery is not enough and not committing physical murder is not enough to meet Christ’s new standards. Under the New Testament we become guilty of adultery if we simply lust after a woman within our hearts. Under the New Testament standards of Christ, we are guilty of murder by simply hating our brother.

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

In the same way, paying a tithe of your financial income, which is not even required under the Old Testament, is no longer enough for the New Testament standards of Christ. This is the New Testament standard for what is now required of those who would follow in the footsteps of Christ:

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

The New Testament standard for what Christ now expects of us is to give to Him our entire life and even to “be… transformed by the renewing of your mind”.

So you are right when you say: “we contribute as Christians to the work of God freely? Which may include not only money, but time, talents, other resources etc?”

This is the New Testament doctrine as it is articulated by the holy spirit through the apostle Paul:

2Co 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
2Co 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
2Co 9:9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
2Co 9:10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
2Co 9:11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.

‘The Lord loves a cheerful giver.’ He is not pleased with a disgruntled or even a cheerful tither. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; ”

Your third question is:

(3) Is there a Spiritual meaning as to the casting of lots and to the taking of pieces of HIS outer garments by the Roman soldiers? I understand that the seamless coat belongs to the Bride of Christ (we who believe).

Yes, there is a spiritual meaning to the casting of lots for the Lord’s garments. This is especially so when you are given to understand the extent of the sovereignty of God. (Read: After The Counsel of His Own Will)

The fact is the Roman soldiers, the people of physical Israel, Herod and Pilate were one and all doing exactly what God’s hand and foreknowledge determined before to be done:

Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

Raiment, clothing, in scripture signifies “the righteousness of the saints”:

Rev 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
Rev 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

To take the righteousness of the saints and to kill those saints is to attempt to put their righteousness upon a great whore:

Rev 18:16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

This great harlot rules over the kings of the earth, and she is decked out with everything God has given to His saints to build a temple to Him upon the foundation of Christ:

1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Those who follow Christ are to be building a house for Him of “gold, silver, and precious stones”. But look where we find these very same building materials:

Rev 18:11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her [Babylon the great]; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
Rev 18:12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,

But what has Babylon done with the “gold, silver, and precious stones” of God’s elect building materials? This what they have done with them, and this is what they have done with the “fine linen” which is the raiment of the saints, signified by Christ’s raiment divided by the Roman soldiers at the base of His cross:

Eze 16:10 I clothed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with badgers’ skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.
Eze 16:11 I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck.
Eze 16:12 And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.
Eze 16:13 Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.
Eze 16:14 And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:15 But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was.
Eze 16:16 And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.
Eze 16:17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,
Eze 16:18 And tookest thy broidered garments, and coveredst them: and thou hast set mine oil and mine incense before them.

“You… took your broidered garments… I clothed thee… with… and covered [your idols].” That is the spiritual significance of the dividing up of the raiment of Christ.

“And of thy garments [I gave you] thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them,”

One of the principles to understanding the Word of God is to understand that “Man shall… live by every Word of God”, includes all men including you and me. It is we who have taken Christ’s raiment and His gold and His silver, and we have made to ourselves images of men”, meaning we have made our own “idols of the heart” by twisting and wresting His Words and His doctrines to say what we want them to say, and in doing so they have become a plague to us just as the ark of God became a plague to the Philistines who knew nothing about how to properly handle the ark of God (1Sa 6).

Parting Christ’s garments and casting lots for them signifies what this world does with the words of God to justify their abominations and immorality in the name of the love of Christ.

Your fourth question is:

(4) This is on my mind. Who can be said today as representing the Roman Soldiers, what Religions and what did they take i.e did it include pieces of TRUTH? Or some of HIS gifts?

When you understand the beast, that is the secular governments, is ruled by the religions of this world, then you understand why we are told:

Act 4:26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
Act 4:27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
Act 4:28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.

“The kings of the earth… and the people of Israel”, are all one when it comes to rising up “against the Lord, and against His Christ”. The significance of “what did they take”, I dealt with in answering your third question.

I hope you find this edifying and that you will continue to be blessed with what you read on Is Was and Will Be.

In Christ’s service,

Mike