One Gospel

"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15); "The gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister" (Colossians 1:23); "He which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed" (Galatians 1:23); "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8-9).

"For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28); "hath made us able ministers of the new testament" (2 Corinthians 3:6); "Whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins" (Acts 10:43); "the remission of their sins" (Luke 1:77); "through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins" (Romans 3:25).

"And [Jesus] said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:46-47); "I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23); "I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4); "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21).

"It is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith" (Romans 3:30); "the just shall live by faith" (Hebrews 10:38); "the just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17); "the righteousness which is by faith" (Hebrews 11:7); "the righteousness of God which is by faith" (Romans 3:22).

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Rightly Dividing

Doesn't 2 Timothy 2:15 refer only to rightly dividing between the words of the original scriptures, which were written all together without any spaces between them, and without any capitals or punctuation marks, so that if we wrote out our Bible today in the style of the original scriptures it would look like this: "andgodsaidlettherebeafirmamentinthemidstofthewatersandletitdividethewatersfromthewaters" (Genesis 1:6)? If we don't divide this up right couldn't we wrongly get the idea that "sand" was what divided the water: "a firmament in the midst of the water: sand, let it divide the waters," and go on to wrongly teach that Genesis 1:6 is referring to sand bars?

Would any dividing up of the words of the scriptures ever cause us to arrive at the idea that there is any division between believers in Christ? Doesn't it say "there should be no schism in the body" (1 Corinthians 12:25), "for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13); "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all" (Ephesians 4:4-6)?

Doesn't true, Biblical dispensationalism not divide, but unite? "In the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ" (Ephesians 1:10); "Ye have heard of the dispensation... That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body" (Ephesians 3:2, 6). Fellowheirs with who? Of the same body as who?

Who are the two parties Paul refers to when he says: "Hath made both one... to make in himself of twain one new man" (Ephesians 2:14-15)?

"Ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel... ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints" (Ephesians 2:12, 19).

"Some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree" (Romans 11:17).

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Same Gospel As Promised In OT

Note that there has always been only one gospel, "the gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures" (Romans 1:2); "God... preached before the gospel unto Abraham" (Galatians 3:8); "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad" (John 8:56); "For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto [Israel in the wilderness]: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it... Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief" (Hebrews 4:2, 6).

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation" (Isaiah 52:7); "as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things" (Romans 10:15).

"And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God, unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews" (Acts 26:6-7).

"He will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old" (Micah 7:19-20); "To perform the mercy promised to our fathers" (Luke 1:72).

"He believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6); "The just shall live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4); "the just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17); "the just shall live by faith" (Hebrews 10:38).

"Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity" (Psalm 32:1-2); "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness... Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:7-9, 23-25).

"I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin" (Psalm 32:5); "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9).

"In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee" (Isaiah 49:8); "Receive not the grace of God in vain. For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee" (2 Corinthians 6:1-2).

"The meek shall inherit the earth" (Psalm 37:11); "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5).

"I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people" (Leviticus 26:12); "Depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing" (Isaiah 52:11); "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. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing" (2 Corinthians 6:16-18).

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Gentiles Always Included

Hasn't the gospel always included the Gentiles?

"In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 22:18, 26:4); "and the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed" (Galatians 3:8).

"And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6); "for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles" (Luke 2:30-32); "and in his name shall the Gentiles trust" (Matthew 12:21).

"Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad" (John 11:52); "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), "one body, and... one Lord" (Ephesians 4:4-5).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10:34-35); "And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God... When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:1, 18); "And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch" (Acts 11:20-22).

"Simeon [Peter] hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things" (Acts 15:14-17).

"I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation" (Deuteronomy 32:21); "I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you" (Romans 10:19); "as he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God" (Romans 9:25-26).

"I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh" (Joel 2:28); "I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh" (Acts 2:17).

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The Gospels Are For The Church

Note that while Jesus described his coming and the rapture and resurrection of believers in John 14:3, Matthew 24:29-31, and John 6:40, before the church had been formed, this in no way requires that the events he described won't happen to the church which now exists, just as his describing of salvation in John 3:16 before the church had been formed in no way requires that the salvation he described doesn't now happen to the church.

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The Gospels Refer to Christians

The gospels must be referring to Christians because non-Christians will not be "hated" for Christ's name's sake (Matthew 24:9), just as non-Christians will not "brought before kings and rulers" for Christ's name's sake (Luke 21:12), "but all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me" (John 15:21); non-Christians do not belong to Christ: "For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward" (Mark 9:41).

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The Gospel Of The Kingdom

Didn't Paul preach the gospel of the kingdom, just as Jesus did?

"I have gone preaching the kingdom of God" (Acts 20:25).

"Paul... received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God" (Acts 28:30-31).

"He expounded and testified the kingdom of God" (Acts 28:23).

"Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" (Galatians 1:8).

"We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

"That ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God" (2 Thessalonians 1:5).

"That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom" (1 Thessalonians 2:12).

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom" (Colossians 1:13).

"The unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9).

"They which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians 5:21).

"The kingdom of God is... righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Romans 14:17).

"My fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God" (Colossians 4:11).

"The kingdom of God is not in word, but in power" (1 Corinthians 4:20).

"Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 15:50).

Jesus: "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3).

Jesus: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33).

And isn't the gospel of the kingdom also for the Gentiles? "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" (Matthew 24:14); "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15); "The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof" (Matthew 21:43); "I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you" (Romans 10:19); "Through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy" (Romans 11:11).

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The Gospel Of Grace

Isn't the gospel of grace the only gospel of Christ? "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:6-7).

Didn't Peter preach the gospel of grace? "Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe... We believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts 15:7, 11); "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come" (1 Peter 1:10); "This is the true grace of God wherein ye stand" (1 Peter 5:12); "Through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied" (1 Peter 1:2); "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (1 Peter 4:10); "The God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus" (1 Peter 5:10).

Didn't the Apostle John preach the gospel of grace? "Of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:16-17); "Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love" (2 John 1:3); "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (Revelation 22:21).

Didn't Jude preach the gospel of grace? "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 1:4).

Didn't the writer to the Hebrews preach the gospel of grace? "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16); "For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace" (Hebrews 13:9).

Didn't James preach the gospel of grace? "He giveth more grace" (James 4:6).

Indeed weren't all of the apostles under great grace? "With great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all" (Acts 4:33).

Hasn't God always given grace? "Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (Genesis 6:8); "The LORD said unto Moses... thou hast found grace in my sight" (Exodus 33:17); "Found grace in the wilderness; even Israel" (Jeremiah 31:2); "Grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God" (Ezra 9:8); "He giveth grace" (Proverbs 3:34).

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The Everlasting Gospel

Note that the angel in Revelation will preach the same gospel that Paul preached: "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters" (Revelation 14:6-7); "We... preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein" (Acts 14:15).

Note that faith and fear are not mutually exclusive:

"Thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off" (Romans 11:20-22).

Note that, just as with the "Fear God" spoken by the angel in Revelation 14:7, so we find elsewhere the command to fear God:

"Fear God" (1 Peter 2:17).

"Perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1).

"Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God" (Ephesians 5:21).

"Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear" (1 Peter 1:17).

"Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him" (Luke 12:5).

I believe that 1 John 4:18 refers only to that situation where a believer is in fear to the point where they are in emotional "torment" or to where they believe they are headed for "torment", for elsewhere it says that we in the church can walk in the fear of God and in his comfort at the same time:

"Walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 9:31).

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Repentance

Note that Paul preached repentance: "[God] now commandeth all men every where to repent" (Acts 17:30); "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God" (Acts 20:21); "They should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance" (Acts 26:20); "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance" (2 Timothy 2:25); "The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance" (Romans 2:4); "Godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation" (2 Corinthians 7:10); "Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance" (2 Corinthians 7:9); "I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented" (2 Corinthians 12:21).

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Jesus As The Christ

Note that the apostles preached belief in Jesus as the Christ:

Jesus: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent" (John 17:3); "Whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 16:15-17); "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ" (John 11:26-27).

John: "These are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ" (John 20:31); "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God" (1 John 5:1).

Peter: "Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?" (Acts 11:17).

Paul: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31); "The righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe" (Romans 3:22).

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Baptism

Note that the apostles had new believers baptized:

Jesus: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19).

Peter: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38); "Baptism doth also now save us" (1 Peter 3:21); "Can any man forbid water, that these [Gentiles] should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?" (Acts 10:47).

Paul: "One Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5); "We are buried with him by baptism" (Romans 6:4); "Buried with him in baptism" (Colossians 2:12); "As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27); "And many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized" (Acts 18:8); "When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (Acts 19:5); "And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway" (Acts 16:33); "And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there" (Acts 16:15); "I baptized also the household of Stephanas" (1 Corinthians 1:16).

Note that when we are baptized in water in the name of the Lord, this is not the same baptism as the baptism of John the Baptist, nor does baptism in the Holy Spirit take the place of water baptism in the name of the Lord, for when Paul came to some Ephesians and found they had been baptized only in the baptism of John the Baptist, he had them baptized in water in the name of the Lord, and then he subsequently laid his hands upon them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:3-6).

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The Cross & Resurrection

Note that the apostles preached the cross and the resurrection:

Jesus: "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matthew 26:28); "And [Jesus] said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:46-47).

John: "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7); "Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1:5); "For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Revelation 5:9); "Washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 7:14); "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb" (Revelation 12:11).

Peter: "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole... Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:10, 12); "Through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ... his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:2-3); "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" (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Paul: "I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

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One Body Always Taught

Note that the apostles and prophets have always preached the joining together and unity of all believers:

"Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee" (Zechariah 2:11).

"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), "one body, and... one Lord" (Ephesians 4:4-5).

"Jesus should die for that nation; And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad" (John 11:52).

"Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10:34-35); "God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them" (Acts 15:7-9).

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"The Church" Body Taught Before Paul

Didn't Jesus teach the concept of "the church" in Matthew, and didn't "the church" begin at Pentecost, before Paul was even saved? "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18); "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican" (Matthew 18:17); "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47); "And great fear came upon all the church" (Acts 5:11); "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem" (Acts 8:1); "As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison" (Acts 8:3).

And didn't "the church" exist before Paul even began preaching to the Gentiles, and then even before Acts 15? "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria" (Acts 9:31); "Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch" (Acts 11:22); "Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church" (Acts 12:1); "Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him" (Acts 12:5).

So how was "the church, which is his body" (Ephesians 1:22-23) not taught before Paul?

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No "Gospel Of The Circumcision"

Note that there is only one gospel, "the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16), in which "there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision" (Colossians 3:11), "for there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him" (Romans 10:12), in which "neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision" (Galatians 5:6, Galatians 6:15), in which "circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing" (1 Corinthians 7:19).

Note that Paul even expressly reminds Peter that there was only one gospel: "When I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified" (Galatians 2:14-16).

Note that Peter himself taught that no one could bear the law, but that all are saved by grace: "Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they" (Acts 15:7-11).

Note that in the verse which says "the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter" (Galatians 2:7), in the original Greek there is no "the gospel of" before "the circumcision." The verse simply means that Paul's primary ministry would be to take "the" gospel (Galatians 2:5) of which there is "not another" (Galatians 1:7) to the uncircumcised while Peter's primary ministry would be to take it to the circumcised. But Peter's ministry of the gospel was not solely to the circumcised (Acts 15:7-11) just as Paul's ministry of the gospel was not solely to the uncircumcised (Acts 9:15).

Peter not only preached the gospel also to the uncircumcised, he was the first one to preach it to them: "Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe" (Acts 15:7).

Note that Paul preached the gospel also to the circumcised throughout his ministry, both before and after Acts 15 (Acts 13:16-39; Acts 14:1; Acts 17:1-4; Acts 17:10-12; Acts 17:17; Acts 18:4-8; Acts 18:19), as was ordained by Christ from the beginning of his ministry: "He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel" (Acts 9:15).

"Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience" (Acts 13:16); "Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent" (Acts 13:26); "Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses" (Acts 13:38-39).

"And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed" (Acts 14:1).

"They came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed" (Acts 17:1-4).

"And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Therefore many of them believed" (Acts 17:10-12).

"Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews" (Acts 17:17).

"He reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ... And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house" (Acts 18:4-5, 8).

"And he came to Ephesus, and... entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews" (Acts 18:19).

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The Revelation Of The Mystery

While Jesus directly revealed the gospel to Paul (Galatians 1:11-12), does Paul's use of "mystery" require that he was the only person to whom Jesus directly revealed "the mystery of the gospel" (Ephesians 6:19) regarding the salvation of the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:3-6)? Didn't Jesus directly reveal this also to Peter? "God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean" (Acts 10:28); "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" (Acts 10:34-35).

Didn't the Gentiles first receive the gospel and the Holy Spirit through Peter, not Paul? "Through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord" (Acts 10:43-48).

And didn't the leaders of the church in Jerusalem first understand the salvation of the Gentiles through Peter's revelation: "And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God... When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life" (Acts 11:1, 18), so that the gospel began to be preached to the Gentiles while Paul was still in Tarsus? "And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul" (Acts 11:20-25).

Isn't this why James refers to Simon Peter's prior experience and to the prophecies of the OT in validation of Paul's preaching to the Gentiles? "Simeon [Peter] hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things" (Acts 15:14-17); and isn't this why Paul could say: "It is now revealed unto his holy apostles [plural] and prophets by the Spirit. That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel" (Ephesians 3:5-6); "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1 Corinthians 12:13)?

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Kept Secret Since The World Began

Isn't it true that Paul's saying "the" gospel (Galatians 2:5) of which there is "not another" (Galatians 1:7) was "kept secret since the world began" (Romans 16:25) didn't require that the gospel had not been contained in the Old Testament scriptures, for the mystery "now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets" (Romans 16:25-26), only that it had not been understood until Jesus came to reveal the scriptures to the apostles?

"Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, and he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:45-47); "I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles" (Acts 26:22-23); "I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

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"My" Knowledge

Does Paul's referring to "my knowledge" in Ephesians 3:4 require that it was his alone? How do you understand the plurality of "holy apostles and prophets" in Ephesians 3:5?

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"My" Gospel

Isn't it true that Paul's referring to "the" gospel (Galatians 2:5) of which there is "not another" (Galatians 1:7) as "my" gospel (Galatians 2:5) didn't require that the gospel was his only, just as his referring to "the" Lord (Romans 1:7) of which there is only "one" (1 Corinthians 8:6) as "my" Lord (Philippians 3:8) didn't require that the Lord was his only?

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Fear And The Gospel

See "The Everlasting Gospel" section above.

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