The gospel according to Paul

[AndThisGospel]

There are many gospels being presented within Christianity, but according to the Apostle Paul there's only one gospel. I state this with Gal 1:6-9 in mind:

6 I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; 7 which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we i.e., Paul and the Apostles) have preached to you, he is to be accursed! 9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

 

[JonC]

There was a only one gospel presented in Christianity (otherwise it wouldn't be Christianity. Since we are in the Cal/Arm section, I take it you are referring to how each understands this one gospel. And yes, understandings vary.

 

[AndThisGospel]

I think all Christians can agree that the gospel is "the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ". That, however, is a statement. The gospel is more than a statement. The gospel explains how Christ, as the Son of Man, legally saved the fallen Adamic race from under law to under grace.

 

[AndThisGospel]

The gospel that Christianity presents must be able to answer a basic question and that is how can God legally justify sinners on the basis of what Christ did and still maintain His integrity to His own law which condemns us to death?

 

[AndThisGospel]

The gospel that Christianity presents must be able to answer a basic question and that is how can God legally justify sinners on the basis of what Christ did and still maintain His integrity to His own law which condemns us to death?

According to the book of the law, no innocent person is allowed to be punished for the guilt of another [see Deut. 24:16; note also Ezk. 18:20.]

Since Christ committed no sin, the big question is: how could God punish Him on the cross for our sins? Is He not going against His own law?

This was the main issue fought over the doctrine of justification by faith, in the Counter Reformation. Roman Catholic scholars, like Osiender and Newman, accused the Reformers of legal fiction. If God can justify sinners without first making them righteous, they argued, than He Himself is guilty of breaking His own law. Today, the Muslim scholars are putting forth the same argument and accusing Christianity of being the most unethical religion in the world.

 

[JonC]

I think all Christians can agree that the gospel is "the birth, life, death and resurrection of Christ". That, however, is a statement. The gospel is more than a statement. The gospel explains how Christ, as the Son of Man, legally saved the fallen Adamic race from under law to under grace.

To believe one must believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. You believe this means one must not only believe"Christ crucified" but also a systematic explanation of the Fall and how we are considered "legally saved"?

Why? Paul's explanation of Justification was not evangelistic but to the church. Peter even wrestled with Paul's doctrine and he was saved. Be careful not to add to the gospel, brother.

 

[Yeshua1]

According to the book of the law, no innocent person is allowed to be punished for the guilt of another [see Deut. 24:16; note also Ezk. 18:20.]

Since Christ committed no sin, the big question is: how could God punish Him on the cross for our sins? Is He not going against His own law?

This was the main issue fought over the doctrine of justification by faith, in the Counter Reformation. Roman Catholic scholars, like Osiender and Newman, accused the Reformers of legal fiction. If God can justify sinners without first making them righteous, they argued, than He Himself is guilty of breaking His own law. Today, the Muslim scholars are putting forth the same argument and accusing Christianity of being the most unethical religion in the world.

There is NO WAY that a snnr can ever keep the Law of God well enough to merit salvation, nor can we change our sin natures, so the Cross is the glorious Plan of God that allows God to condemn my sin at the Cross, to be able to judge me as guilty in sint, but to have Jesusdi in my stead as sinless lamb of God in my place , so God is now free to credit me wit Grace of the Cross and not demand me to be perfect in myself, nor not bejudged for sin, as Jesus paid it all!

 

[JonC]

Since Christ committed no sin, the big question is: how could God punish Him on the cross for our sins? Is He not going against His own law?.

On a side note, Scripture told the Israelites that if they do not obey all of the law they are cursed. And it also subjects one hanging on a pole as being cursed. Isn't it at least a little interesting that when the Bible says Jesus became a curse for us it also notes the Old Testament Passage, that cursed is one who hangs on a tree.

 

[AndThisGospel]

Paul's explanation of Justification was not evangelistic but to the church.

You've got it backwards. Paul's letters were either to individual believers or the Christian churches. His evangelistic presentations of the gospel were not recorded, nevertheless the gospel can be found in his letters.

 

[AndThisGospel]

You've got it backwards. Paul's letters were either to individual believers or the Christian churches. His evangelistic presentations of the gospel were not recorded, nevertheless the gospel can be found in his letters.

For example let's look at Romans 7:4 NASB

"Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another...."

Who is Paul addressing? His fellow believers (i.e., brethren) in the church of Roman.

What happened to these believers in "the body of Christ" previous to their conversion?

They "were made to die to the law through the body of Christ"

Why did they have "to die to the law"?

Because God's law demands the death of the sinner. [See Romans 3:9-20, especially verse 19 KJV]

How were these believers put into Christ before they were converted? That is, how were they incorporated into the body of Christ so that when "the son of man" died, they died too*?

The answer is the gospel....

But before I establish the truth as it is "in Christ", i.e., the gospel, I must prove our sinfulness & mortality "in Adam". As Paul states "in Adam all die".....

* Rom 6:6

 

[JonC]

You've got it backwards. Paul's letters were either to individual believers or the Christian churches. His evangelistic presentations of the gospel were not recorded, nevertheless the gospel can be found in his letters.

So you are assuming that Paul sat down with those he encountered and walked them through something like Penal Substitution Atonement, explaining to these people theories that would not be articulated for centuries (you surpass what Paul stated in terms of the law of covenant).

Why do you think Paul departed from Jesus' command and the work of the other Apostles to add these explanations and theories to the gospel itself? Do you find it interesting that the gospel Scripture records Philip walking the Ethiopian through does not include these things?

 

[AndThisGospel]

It is Paul whom God set aside to explain the gospel. You cannot understand Paul’s theology or his wonderful truth of “righteousness by faith” that he explains in Galatians and Romans unless you have understood the “in Christ” motif.

 

[AndThisGospel]

But before I establish the truth as it is "in Christ", i.e., the gospel, I must prove our sinfulness & mortality "in Adam". As Paul states "in Adam all die".....

“through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (in Adam)” Rom 5:12

How did all mankind sin in one man, Adam? Because the human race was "in Adam" when he sinned just as Eve was in Adam before she was created. See Gen 2:22-23 The human race was implicated in Adam's sin because it was in him.

This conception of corporate-oneness can be seen in Heb 7:9 and Gen 25:23

"And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham. 10 For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him."

"The LORD said to her, 'Two nations are in your womb; And two peoples will be separated from your body; And one people shall be stronger than the other; And the older shall serve the younger."

 

[AndThisGospel]

“through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned (in Adam)” Rom 5:12

Romans 5:18 states the same:

"... through one transgression [Adam's transgression] there resulted condemnation to all men..."

Again, "all men" were condemned because they were implicated in Adam's sin. His sin condemned the human race within him the moment he transgressed.

Likewise "through one act of righteousness [Christ', "the last Adam"] there resulted justification of life to all men"

How did Christ, as the self-existing Son of God, unite Himself to our corporate fallen life in order to justify us in Himself before His Father's law? The answer is the gospel....This gospel places Calvin's gospel in the dust of the ground.

 

[Revmitchell]

Romans 5:18 states the same:

"... through one transgression [Adam's transgression] there resulted condemnation to all men..."

Again, "all men" were condemned because they were implicated in Adam's sin. His sin condemned the human race within him the moment he transgressed.

No you have misinterpreted that passage. Adam brought the curse of sin into the world. We are responsible for only our sin not Adam's sin. Our condemnation comes because of our own sin.

 

[AndThisGospel]

We are responsible for only our sin not Adam's sin. Our condemnation comes because of our own sin.

In other words you and I aren't responsible for eating the fruit of the tree of good and evil? Yes...I agree. So we aren't guilty of Adam's original sin.

The best thing is for us to look at the context of Roman chapter 5.

BTW, Paul is my favorite NT writer. Romans and Galatians are my favorite books of the Bible....

Rom 5:12 ... through one man (Adam) sin (singular) entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

verse 13 For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Legally speaking God's law cannot charge the sinner with transgression unless he knows the law, either directly or indirectly.

verse 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam...

Those between Adam and Moses (where the law was given) were not guilty of transgression! Why? The law had not been officially posted. Therefore "where there is no law neither is there any violation" Rom 4:15

So they weren't dying because they were transgressors, but because they were sinners.

We are sinners because we share in Adam's corporate life after the fall. We are, after all, the multiplication of his fallen life.

 

[Yeshua1]

So you are assuming that Paul sat down with those he encountered and walked them through something like Penal Substitution Atonement, explaining to these people theories that would not be articulated for centuries (you surpass what Paul stated in terms of the law of covenant).

Why do you think Paul departed from Jesus' command and the work of the other Apostles to add these explanations and theories to the gospel itself? Do you find it interesting that the gospel Scripture records Philip walking the Ethiopian through does not include these things?

Paul was given te"total Gospel: by a direct revelation from Jesus Christ, so His understanding of what it all entails was the most complete one. The other Apostles taugh the Gospel message , but Paul was given most complete understanding on it!

 

[Yeshua1]

No you have misinterpreted that passage. Adam brought the curse of sin into the world. We are responsible for only our sin not Adam's sin. Our condemnation comes because of our own sin.

God saw in Adam all to come after him, and Adam was our represtative for us before God, so when he failed andwas jusdged by God, God judged all to come afterhim as being guilty in Adam!

 

[Yeshua1]

Romans 5:18 states the same:

"... through one transgression [Adam's transgression] there resulted condemnation to all men..."

Again, "all men" were condemned because they were implicated in Adam's sin. His sin condemned the human race within him the moment he transgressed.

Likewise "through one act of righteousness [Christ', "the last Adam"] there resulted justification of life to all men"

How did Christ, as the self-existing Son of God, unite Himself to our corporate fallen life in order to justify us in Himself before His Father's law? The answer is the gospel....This gospel places Calvin's gospel in the dust of the ground.

Th gospel Calvin preached and taught is same one Paul wrote!

 

[Yeshua1]

It is Paul whom God set aside to explain the gospel. You cannot understand Paul’s theology or his wonderful truth of “righteousness by faith” that he explains in Galatians and Romans unless you have understood the “in Christ” motif.

Not all are in Christ, only the elect in Christ, correct?