Thoughts on Christian Living Book #2 by Dr. W. A. Dillard - HTML preview

SHEEP ROUNDUP

Hyper-evangelism and the great debates of a couple of generations ago have produced in some an encompassing point of spiritual incompletion. There is so much more for each of God’s children that the initial new birth. For the above reason, a host of scriptures that speak to the salvation of the mind-life are simply written off as applicable to the spiritual new birth which is thought to be the sum and substance of New Testament Christianity. Little thought is attributed to spiritual salvation by grace being 4,000 years old when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Such a mindset will produce error in rightly dividing and interpreting the scriptures. For example, it is assumed that 3000 people were spiritually saved on the day of Pentecost, Acts 2. The Bible says no such thing! What it says is that 3,000 were added to them (the church). Of course some may have been saved on that day, but doubtless most of them were saved Jews, and many of them came from the ministry of John, and those in the limited commission. At one time there was some controversy about that. John 4:1 records, When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,). It is evident that a great number of people were saved and baptized who did not have the privilege of accompanying Jesus and the apostles during His earthly ministry. Referencing those, Jesus said, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” John 10:16.

Inasmuch as Jesus’ prayer in John 17 was adamant in several expressions that His church body be one, even as He and the Father were one, it is reasonable to believe His statement in John 10:16 was referencing the many disciples who were to be coalesced into one fold prior to the great, initial outreach. The Pentecost experience, and the days following as in Acts 4:4 then would be, in a manner of thinking, a roundup of the sheep into one fold under one shepherd.

While this reasoning alone is not proof of the state of those added to the church on Pentecost, when coupled with the fact that the Bible pointedly does not say those 3000 did not all experience spiritual salvation on that day lends heavy credence to that being the case of their being already saved, disciples rejoicing over the New Testament message, and being brought into the one fold.

It is not good to build theology on an “assume and add to the

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