The Gospel of Paul; What It Is; Why we should recognize it.

[JD731]

1. Romans 1:1
   Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,
   In Context | Full Chapter | Other Translations
2. Romans 15:16
   That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.
3. 2 Corinthians 11:7
   Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?
4. 1 Thessalonians 2:2
   But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention
5. So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us
6. 1 Thessalonians 2:9
   For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God
7. 1 Peter 4:17
   For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
   

Romans 2:16
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Romans 16:25
Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

2 Timothy 2:8
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel:

2 Corinthians 4:3
But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

1 Thessalonians 1:5
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

2 Thessalonians 2:14
Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, gospel means good news, glad tidings. What I have posted above is the good news, glad tidings of God. This good news , glad tidings of God has a paticular application that is somewhat different than other glad tidings, good news of the NT. It is, Paul said, my gospel. Paul, who was SEPARATED from the other apostles, the twelve, and with a different mission. He calls the gospel of God, "my gospel," and it was his. He had been especially called, equipped, and sent to accomplish it.

The gospel of God is the theme of Paul's preaching as one can see above, and it is the theme of this church age beginning with his calling. One can notice that he uses this term for the most part in his letters to churches in the West. Since no other apostles preached in the West, those times he used "our gospel" he is referring to those "elders" who travelled with him in his ministry.

So, seven times Paul calls this gospel "the gospel of God." Three times he calls it "my gospel." And three times he calls it "our gospel" for a total of thirteen times, which is significant, instructive, and doctrinal. God uses numbers to confirm his truths and we must learn them and pay attention to them.

I know something about the subject I have brought up because God has taught it to me. It is exciting study. It is this gospel that I believe all Reformed religious people reject and denies and is what takes them out of the categorie of fundamental, bible believing Christian faith.

The gospels of the NT is pointed and specific and is powerful but they have different applications. Can we talk about this gospel awhile, anyone?

 

[JD731]

1) During the first 7 years of the church era before his conversion Paul was a zealot for Judaism.
2) Testifying later he said he persecuted the church. (Php 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church)
3) He gained a reputation for his severity; (Ac 9:26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple).
4) He was converted on the Damascus Road in AD 37/38 in time to have Jesus reveal all the mysteries of this age to him. (Ga 1:16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood):
5) This took place in Arabia (Ga 1:17 Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus).
6) A long time later he did go to Jerusalem with all the apostles and Peter. (Ga 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
7) This meeting was precipitated by the controversy that arose over the preaching of Paul to gentiles in Acts 15 without adding constraints from the Law. (Ac 15:2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question).
8) The separation of Paul (Rom 1:1) from the 12 apostles unto the ministry to gentiles while they go to the circumcision is explained here. (Ga 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles) 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
9) At about the same time Paul who would preach the gospel of God as his occupation to gentiles was finishing his training by God, God through Peter in AD 40 opened the door of faith to gentiles. (Ac 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, 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).
10) With the open door for gentiles God explained to Peter that he had suspended the observance of the ceremonial laws of the Mosaic covenant and gentiles could come through the door without those constraints (Ac 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean).

11) The best definition of dispensation;

A) Exemption from a rule or usual requirement

B) A system of order, government,
or organization of a nation, community, etc., especially as existing at a
particular time

C) The Action of distributing or supplying something

Here is a description from Paul's own pen of his unique ministry among the apostles, standing alone in this calling.

1 ¶ For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, (the Ephesians were considered gentiles by God)
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward (gentile-ward):
Read definition #C above and know that grace is supplied to gentiles through the gospel of Christ. God ordained it so it is the gospel of God to the heathen. The door is opened to you.

See my #2 above in my list as you read V 3-4.
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;

The nutshell definition of the "mystery of Christ in one verse, verse 6.
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise (the Holy Spirit) in Christ by the gospel:

What these verses say will define what he later calls "the gospel of God."
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

Here is a word to the Reformed. Consider verse 6 where Paul shows that a sinner partakes of his gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (who is eternal life) in Christ, that is in his body, not by previous election that the scriptures knows nothing about, but by the gospel.

This is how Christians are chosen by God the Father. This is the reason I do not consider the Reformed as fundamentalist Christians. They do not believe and teach this.

Ephesians was written in 60 AD and was the 7th of Paul's 13 letters.

 

[JD731]

The gospel of God that was charged to the apostle Paul is not the good news and glad tidings that will save anyone from their sins by believing it. The gospel of Christ is the good news and glad tidings that Jesus Christ, that man who is the son of God, sinless in his whole life on earth, has willingly sacrificed himself to bear the guilt and penalty of suffering and death for his own people and nation and then has risen from the dead and that God has declared that they will be forgiven and given God's gift of eternal life, (his Spirit) and restored if and when they will believe this good news and glad tidings and obey God in his will for them.

Now, we can read the account that God has given to us through inspiration (so we will be sure to get his testimony right) and can understand that the charge of the apostles and elders in Mark 16:9-20 by Jesus Christ himself is not about a commission to the whole world to preach about the person and work of Jesus Christ and to be baptized in water to receive this salvation with the confirmation of the kingdom powers of miracles to show the authenticity of the preachers, but to the physical descendants of Abraham through his son Jacob only.

There is an order to God's unfolding plan of redemption. It is to the Jew first and then to the world, and Paul would later say this about the gospel of Christ. Understanding this will help to understand the gospel of God and why the gospel of God is such good news to gentiles.

Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of 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.

The word "also" is a word of "addition." If one were prone to add to the word of God, he could put the adverb "then" before the word also, and it would be one time the addition would not do violence to the text. Paul tells us when the good news of the gospel of God to gentiles takes place.

Back to the commission in Mark 16. The casual student of the Bible should be able to follow the actions of the apostles and elders who received these instructions from Jesus Christ and understand they followed them exactly. For the first seven years of church building, and after Pentecost, when the nation was immersed by the Spirit of God, they preached to only Jerusalem and Judah, the seat of government for this nation. The government gave a clear and unmistakable answer to the preaching of Jesus Christ after seven years by killing a preacher, Stephen, who called upon them in their temple to be saved.

It was then that the third phase of the descendants of Abraham became the target of God through the preachers, Samaria. These gave a token salute to the gospel of Christ but quickly fade away from the historical narrative. Now Paul, who had three years to preach before a gentile (at least one who was not a Jewish proselyte) was saved, would write a letter to the church in the province of Asia in Asia Minor in the year 60 AD from his Roman prison house, and say these words.

Col 1:23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel (the epistle to the Hebrews indicates they did move away), which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

I remind you what the apostolic commission is; And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mr 16:15.
These people in this region at this time are the people of the dispersed Northern nation of Israel, who were displaced by the Assyrians in BC 722, as well as many from Judah (Paul, a Benjamite was born in Cilicia). These are the people who, because of their grievous sins, were called "not my people" in Hosea and to whom he said he would show no mercy. He did show no national mercy but he shows mercy individually by the gospel of Christ and would receive any who would believe in Christ and forgive their sins. Paul claimed that every creature to whom the apostles were charged to preach the gospel had heard it. Mission accomplished, proving that God will not give anyone a job that cannot be accomplished. The Jewish Law Keepers here are the greatest and most violent opponents of the Christian gospel.

So far, Paul's preaching companion has been Barnabas through his fist missionary journey, but Paul alone has the commission as apostle to the gentiles. It is a sure thing that Barnabas was God's choice to fill the office of apostle left vacant by Judas. He is called an apostle by Luke in Acts 14:14 after receiving a commission with Paul in Acts 13:1-3 to be sent. The definition of apostle is "one who is sent." However, in the providence of God Barnabas was separated from Paul for the second missionary campaign, which, unknowing to Paul or Barnabas, will take the efforts to where the gentiles live, the West. Barnabas was not commissioned as apostle to them.

Ac 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 10 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.

Our understanding of God cannot be separated from his providential prosecution of his purpose on earth as it unfolds through history. It is he that has created the ages and dispensations for his purpose and has many times made adjustments for those purposes because there are physical and spiritual adversaries to his will. He has made promises and prophecies all through history and has written them down so we can know what his purpose is and by comparing his bible can see his great wisdom of bringing everything he has determined to pass in spite of the adversaries.

Next, the definition of the gospel of God from the scriptures.