Here Pastor Paul Sadler speaks of Israel's salvation as being "two dimensional," one aspect being "physical" and the other "spiritual":

"The salvation of Israel is two dimensional. The physical side of her deliverance was always paramount in the minds of most Jews, especially those of the dispersion....As we know, Peter was charged with the spiritual side of things, calling upon his hearers shortly after Pentecost to 'repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.' (Acts 3:19)" (Sadler, "The Life and Epistles of the Apostle Peter; Part 4," The Berean Searchlight, May, 2000, p.7).

He also says that both of these elements remain in the future, and he quotes several verses which he calls "time phrases" in order to attempt to prove his assertion:

"Both of these elements of Israel's salvation are future, which helps to explain Peter's 'time phrases' in his epistles, such as, 'ready to be revealed in the last time,' 'receiving the end of your faith,' 'hope to the end,' etc. (I Pet. 1:5,9,13). The 'last time” and 'the end' Peter speaks of here are the last days of prophecy that have been temporarily interrupted by the present age of grace. Consequently, the Hebrew race, including every detail of their redemption, is being preserved by the power of God until Christ returns in glory to establish His millennial kingdom" (Ibid.).

According to Pastor Sadler every detail of the "redemption" that is in regard to the Hebrew race is being preserved until the Lord Jesus returns to set up His millennial kingdom. However, the Apostle Peter tells the Jewish Christian that they have already been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus:

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet.1:18-19).

It is also a fact that the author of the book of Hebrews tells the Jewish believers that the Lord has already obtained eternal redemption for them:

"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us" (Heb.9:12).

Pastor Sadler said that "Both of these elements of Israel's salvation are future, which helps to explain Peter's 'time phrases' in his epistles, such as...'receiving the end of your faith.'" Let us look at this verse:

"Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls" (1 Pet.1:9).

Peter is certainly not telling these Jewish believers that the salvation of their souls remain in the future. First of all, the Greek word telos is translated "end," and that word can mean "the aim, purpose" (Thayer's Greek English Lexicon). Therefore, Peter's words can mean "receiving the purpose of your faith, the salvation of your souls." Here is another translation of the same verse:

"...obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls" (1 Pet.1:9; NASB).

Secondly, the Greek word komizo is translated "receiving," and it is in the present tense. If the salvation of which Peter spoke of in this verse remains in the future then Peter would not have used the word in the "present" tense but instead would have used it in the "future" tense. He would have said, "You will receive the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." But that is not what he said.

Those who received the Jewish epistles were already redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus and they had already received the salvation of their soul. Despite these clear facts Pastor Sadler says the following:

"Observing the grace of God among the Gentiles, Peter was beginning to have a fuller appreciation of the prophesied grace that would come unto them. In fact, the Spirit had directed him to declare at the Jerusalem Council, 'we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.' You see, the prophets had prophesied about the sufferings of Christ and the glory that would follow shortly thereafter in the kingdom" (Sadler, "The Life and Letters of the Apostle Peter; Part III," The Berean Searchlight, April 2000, p.9-10).

Here again Pastor Sadler is attempting to prove that the salvation of the Jewish believers remained in the future--"we shall be saved." However, the Greek word translated "shall be saved" is sozo and at Acts 15:11 Peter used that word in the "aorist" tense. According the The Blue Letter Bible the aorist tense "is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time."

Therefore it is not surprising to see the following translation:

"We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are" (Acts 15:11; NIV).

As already shown, the words of Peter at 1 Peter 1:9 demonstrate that the salvation of the soul was a present possession of the ewish believers. Therefore we can understand that the Jewish believers were already saved by grace and that the "grace" in regard to salvation did not remain in the future. That brings us to the following:

"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet.1:13).

Here Peter is not speaking of a salvation by grace that will come to these believers at the "revelation of Jesus Christ." Instead, Peter is speaking of the glorious body which the Christian will receive at the rapture, when the Lord Jesus is revealed to him. Peter uses the word "grace" to refer to the new glorious body because that body will indeed be a "gift."

"To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time" (1 Pet.1:4-5).

In verse four Peter is referring to the glorious body which the Christian will put on at the rapture (see pages 3-4). In verse five Peter uses the word "salvation" to refer to refer to the "deliverance" from a body of corruption unto an incorruptible body (1 Cor.15:54). Paul also uses the word "salvation" in the future tense to refer to the same thing:

"For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life" (Ro.5:9).

After a close inspection of all of the verses which Pastor Sadler refers to as "time phrases" it is evident that none of these phrases are teaching that the salvation of the Jewish believers remained in the future. The fact is that the original Jewish audience who received the Jewish epistles were members of the Body of Christ and they were saved when they believed the gospel.

Next