THE PARTAKER DOCTRINE
by Walter Giddings
June 19, 2022
The Partaker Doctrine is not often preached. It is quite near non-existent in Churchianity! Would that make our children believe it is not in The Bible? The English translation “partakers” from the Koine Greek, appears 22 times; “partaker”, in the singular appears 8 times.
Ephesians 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
“Be not ye therefore partakers” with whom? Who are “them”? With whom should we not be “partakers”?
Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.
Do behaving children follow their father? Do misbehaving children run off? Do God’s children follow their Father? Do God’s children follow their Heavenly Father when they are behaving? How do God’s behaving children behave?
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour.
If we are God’s rescues, will we allow God to use us in the rescue of others? With whom do we avoid becoming “partakers”? With those who follow the small g god of this world? And the lusts of the god of this world they will do?
Ephesians 5:3-6
3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints.
4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.
Is this an impressive list of the sins of this world of iniquity? Verse 3. What is first on this list? Is this the sin that brought God’s Judgment upon the world in which Noah lived? Whom only did God spare? Noah’s family and the clean and unclean beasts that were kind after kind? What does fornication (v.3) mean?
Verse 4. With what should we replace filthiness, foolish talking, and jesting? Verse 5. Would the practice of any one of these sins in this world of iniquity disinherit us from “the kingdom of Christ and of God”?
Verse 6. What one thing could we do to show our earthly father and mother how much we love them? (Obedience). Should we show the same unto God our Heavenly Father and unto “Jerusalem which is above” who is “the mother of us all”? [Galatians 4:26].
With whom should we not be partakers? With “the children of disobedience” should we avoid being “partakers”?
What is partaking? What does partake mean?
Ephesians 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them.
“Partakers” translates G4830 summetochos, soom-met’-okh-os; [from 4862 sun, soon; a primary preposition denoting union; with or together, .. that is, by association, com- panionship, process, ..:- beside, with; and G3353 metochos, met’-okh-os; from G3348, metecho, met-ekh’-o; to share or participate; by implication belong to:- be partaker, pertain, take part, use.] a co-participant:- partaker. Paul uses G4830 summetochos, partaker, in Ephesians 3:6: (going from chapter 5 to chapter 3).
Ephesians 3:6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.
“Partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel”, meaning co-participants, or sharers of his promise in Christ by the gospel, the good news of the kingdom. Does this give us a basic idea of the English meaning of “partakers”, based upon the Greek words of the Koine Greek Text? Are the Gentiles “fellowheirs”?
“Partakers of his promise in Christ.” To whom does the possessive pronoun “his” refer? If you will do your due diligence,you will know of your own selves. Will we become as noble as the Berean congregation, to listen with a ready mind and to search the Scriptures daily whether those things are so? According to the context of Ephesians chapter 3, you will know “his” refers back to God in verse 2, in the phrase “the grace of God”. Do that on your own time. Did Paul write to his son in the Common Faith, “Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things”? [2 Timothy 2:7].
The most central and important point of this Lesson is the Divine Power partaking downloads from the Invisible Dimension into our Dimension.
Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might also destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.
Who “also himself likewise took part of” “flesh and blood”? Who did this? “Took part of” translates G3348 metecho, met-ekh’-o, to share or participate: - be partaker. Who is he that took on him the nature of the image of the earthy, flesh and blood? Who is he that took on him the same image, the image of the earthy, into which Adam and all his kind, or species, fell?! “In Adam’s fall we sinned all.” [The New England Primer, Boston 1777, “For the more eafy attaining the true reading of Englifh”].
Who is “he” of Verse 14?
Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
“That he by the grace of God should taste death ...” Why does the Holy Spirit add “for every man”? What is that all about? Is that for all who die in Christ? If Christ died for all who die in Him does that mean we become Partakers with Him? If Jesus partook of our flesh and blood, and partook of our death in it, does that mean we can become Partakers with Him?
Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus.
If we are “partakers” of the calling, and that calling is “the heavenly calling,” does that mean Adam came from the heavens, and was placed/put on the earth into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it? If someone asks you from where you come, can you say Heaven? Does being “partakers of the heavenly calling” mean God wants his Family back? Since Jesus partook of flesh and blood and partook of our death in that flesh, does this mean we can be partakers of Jesus?
Hebrews 3:14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end.
“We are made partakers of Christ.” Under what condition? Is there a conditional clause in Verse 14? What is that conditional clause? Does it say “if”? “If” what? “If we hold the beginning of our confidence”, or assurance, “stedfast unto the end”. Why does verse 14 say “if”?
Hebrews 3:12 Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.
Do The Scriptures urgently counsel us twice to “lay hold on eternal life” (1Timothy 6:12,19), and to “lay hold upon the hope set before us” (Hebrews 6:18)? How easy is it for there to be in any one of us “an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God”? Is this like unto having one foot waving for desperate purchase over the air to the hole of Hell while the other foot traps a gooey banana peel against the cliff edge of that Abyss? Does knowing it is possible for “any one of us” to fall into “an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” contribute anything to blessed assurance? Why does the Holy Spirit say “Take heed brethren”? Does knowing it is also possible to “take heed” contribute something definite to blessed assurance? In the Lesson Rebuke did we learn that we are to hold each other accountable? Do our associations show us what we are becoming? How encouraging is it to be “churched”? How wretched are we? Is our natural inclination to be wretched? How grateful are we for the Gift of the Holy Spirit? Can we say, we can do this? Is we the Holy Spirit and me ? I cite you-me’s as well as me-me!
Does the Partaker Doctrine teach us, that what we partake of, we become part of? We had a lesson not too long ago, in the Passover season, entitled Koinonia; the Greek word G2842, translated Communion and Fellowship. In that lesson, Koinonia, we learned that the emblems of The Lord’s Supper, the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, symbolizing our Saviour’s crushed flesh and shed blood, had no intrinsic Power of themselves, and were even meaningless to curb the serious hunger of a laboring man. We learned the Power was generated by our choice to show Christ’s Death till He come. We learned Christ’s flesh was meat indeed! We learned Christ’s blood was drink indeed. We learned if we partake of the Lord’s Supper we are tagged at The Resurrection for Eternal Life. We learned that if we do not eat his flesh nor drink his blood we have no life in us. Is there Power in Partaking? Do we become part of what we partake of?
Is there another witness to the Power in Partaking? Does our act of Partaking precipitate a download of Heavenly Power into us?
1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.
Have we seen from our witnesses in Hebrews and 1 Peter that Divine Power courses through Partaking of the Divine? (. The Apostle Peter gives us another witness in his 2nd Epistle :
2 Peter 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
There is a Big Uh-oh! If the Power of the Divine can be released in unto us when we become Partakers of Christ’s Divine Nature, can the Power of the Demonic be released in unto us when we become Partakers of Demonic Nature? Does the one for Good signal the possibility of the one for Evil? Is what we choose important? Is Eternal Damnation a joke? Is the Devil and all his unholy horde moving swiftly to foreclose on choice?
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, [I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.]
17 [Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate saith the LORD, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.] [Isaiah 51:12].
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
(Verse 14). “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?” What if we associate with the unrighteous? Do our associations tell us what we are becoming? “What communion hath light with darkness?” Communion is translated from G2842 koinonia, koy-nohn-ee’-ah. If we are partakers of darkness, do we become part of what we partake of?
(Verse 15). “And what concord hath Christ with Belial?” Who or what is Belial? Belial is of Hebrew origin; it is an epithet of Satan. Would we expect Be- lial to partake of Christ? Or should we expect Belial to impersonate Christ? Would we expect Christ to partake of Belial? Would we become part of what we partake of? Should believers partake with infidels?
(Verse 16). “What agreement hath the temple of God with idols?” Where do we find the Temple under the New Covenant? Does Verse 16 say, “Ye are the temple of the living God?”
(Verse 17). Are we willing, or unwilling, to own the Title of Christian separatist? Does the world understand this Scripture better than we do? Does the Yellow Race have the right to assemble by themselves? Does the Black Race have the right to assemble by themselves? Does the White Race have the right to assemble by themselves? Who said No?!… raise your hands. Put your hands down. All those who did not raise their hands, raise your hands. This is not sad; this is tragic. Is it time to put our “Thinking Caps” on? Is the Caucasian Race permitted to assemble by themselves without the presence of members of the Yellow Race, or members of the Black Race, or members of the White Race or members of the mixed multitude to monitor our business? Is the only Race subject to forced association laws the Caucasian Race? I am fearful of removing my “Thinking Cap” for dread of becoming witless like my fellow members of the Caucasian Race. The very first time I attempted to pur- chase an armament under a background check I was rejected for being a member of the criminal Caucasian Race! Is that the classic Case of Guilt by Association?! Read the 2nd Psalm ! It describes our predicament perfectly. You will love God’s Reaction!!
(Verse 18). Is God’s Family Business all about getting His Family back? Is the New Man within us the gift of The Holy Spirit by the New Birth, born again, born from above? Is every Christian undergoing gestation in the Womb of Eternal Life to the Birth of Resurrection Life so beautifully pictured by the 9 month Festival Cycle of Israel?! Is the Return of Sonship to Adam a Glorious Event?
Can we fail to partake of that Return to Sonship by choosing to partake of something else? Does the Power of Eternal Life abide in “partaking of the divine nature” when we choose to partake of Christ?
Does Heaven or Hell abide in our Choices?
1 Corinthians 10:15-18
15 I speak as to wise men: judge ye what I say.
16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? [Exodus 25:22].
17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
18 Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?
Does the Power of Eternal Life abide in partaking of the Lord’s Supper? Is there any Power in the emblems of Communion, the unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine? Of course not! They are mere physical symbols that picture something, something Powerful. Does the Power abide in the Partaking? Do we become part of what we partake of? Is what we choose to partake of important?!
What if we choose to partake in sacrificing to devils? Is that even possible?! Would demonic power abide in that partaking?
1 Corinthians 10:20 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
Does sacrificing to devils constitute having communion or fellowship with devils? Would communing or fellowshipping with demons give demons demonic power in our lives? If demons gain power in our lives on earth what would that cause us to do? Could we become entirely blinded to what we are doing? Would those demons influence us to practice the rituals of Halloween? Well, you know, like bobbing for apples, or costuming ourselves as somebody else (would that be way more hypocritical than being a Hollywood actor?), consulting a crystal ball gazer as a joke at a Halloween party, a Tarot card reader, Ouija board game, witchcraft coven chants, a joke?!
If we partake of the demonic, instead of, or in place of the Divine, would partaking download demonic power from the invisible dimension into the visible dimension? Would that minister to demons an entrance into our lives?
Is it ever wise to obey the commanded ritual of a demon?
1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord’s table, and of the table of devils.
If we are seated at one table, how can we be seated at the other? Does the God of our Fathers in Jesus Christ accept mixed worship?
Exodus 34:12-14
12 Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
13 But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves,
14 For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
“The LORD whose name is Jealous is a jealous God.” If God has a Table set for us and we choose to seat ourselves at the Table of Devils, how would we expect God to feel over his runaway Family? If God is Jealous how can it be anything other than a Godly Jealousy? How can His Jealousy be anything other than for our Good?
Can we see that God’s Jealousy arises because of Israel’s Idolatry?! Does transgressing “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” constitute Entry Level Sin? How upset is God with Americans and our rank idolatry?!
1 Corinthians 10:19 What say I then? that the idol is anything, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything?
What did Paul here ask Israel? If the idol is nothing (vanity), and the sacrifice to idols is nothing (vanity), then what is the ‘something’? What on earth is it that downloads demonic power from the invisible dimension into our lives in the visible dimension?
If the Idols and the sacrifice to idols is nothing, then why on God’s green earth does one of the Ten Commandments forbid Idols? And why does Paul write this to the Corinthians :
1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
By whom are the “dearly beloved” beloved? By Whom? God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord!! “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” Shall we go to the Ten Commandments?
Deuteronomy 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.
Classmates, you are my classmates in God’s Classroom. Tell me what you notice about Verse 9. Whenever we review the Ten Commandments, we see: 1. No other Gods, 2. No idolatry, 3. No taking the LORD’s Name in vain, 4. Keep the Sabbath day, 5. Honour thy father and thy mother (the 1st Commandment with promise), 6. No committing murder, 7. No committing adultery, 8. No stealing, 9. No bearing false witness, 10. No coveting.
Is the 2nd of the Ten Commandments like unto the 1st? What did we notice in Verse 9? Did we see bowing down and serving? Did we see a Jealous God? How Hot a Rage is Jealousy!! Are “bow down” and “serve” partaking?
Did we see “visiting”? What is “visitation”? It is the H6485 paqad, paw-kad translated elsewhere as “do judgment”? What do the children have to do to qualify for judgment in the 3rd and 4th generations? Does the verse say “of them that hate me”?
What if we want to love God? What happens then?
Deuteronomy 5:10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them, that love me and keep my commandments.
What does Jesus say in the 4th Gospel?
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Do we become part of what we partake of? Is “sacrifice to idols” partaking? Does Partaking download mercy or visitation from the invisible dimension in unto our visible dimension? Does the God of the Bible have every right to intervene in the affairs of His Family on Earth? Did the Serpent intervene with the woman with Adam absent?! Christ’s customs? Or the devil’s? With whom will we partake?
Bibliography
Ephesians 5:7, 1, 2
Ephesians 5:3-6.
[Galatians 4:26].
Back to Ephesians 5:7.
Ephesians 3:6.
[2 Timothy 2:7].
Hebrews 2:14
New England Primer, Boston, 1777.
Hebrews 2:9.
Hebrews 3:1, 14, 12.
1 Peter 5:1
2 Peter 1:4.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18.
Mark 1 Corinthians 10:15-18,20,21
Exodus 34:12-14.
1 Corinthians 10:19, 14.
Deuteronomy 5:9, 10.
John 14:15.