Bible Discussion Thread

Charles Peek: In light of the fact that Jesus told His Disciples not to go to the Gentiles in Matthew Chapter 10; and then later on sent Paul to the Gentiles; why is Paul's Gospel ( 1st Corinthians 15: verses 3 and 4) not in your plan of Salvation instead of Acts 2;38?

To continue, Charles, Jesus instruction NOT to go to the Gentiles was because His message initially was to the Jews ONLY. He was the Jewish Messiah, promised to Abraham, Moses and David to name the major names by many of the prophets. In fact Jesus told His disciples "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Mat 10:5-6

In Mat 15:21-28 Jesus has a strange conversation with a Gentile woman and repeats that "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Later in His ministry he sends out 70 in Luk 10:1-24. No mention here of Jews only.

Almost His entire ministry Jesus is focused on the Jews.

The reason, I believe, that Paul was the missionary to the Gentiles, is that as a Pharisee, he had studied the Old Testament prophecies about The Gentile nations. But The Gospel was no different: saving faith in Jesus Christ through His death and resurrection.

Charles,

This is related to your question regarding the Gospel Creed in 1 Corinthians 15. I won't repeat the things I stated there other than to reiterate that that creed was delivered from Peter to Paul when Paul visited Peter 3 years after his Damascus Road conversion.

Keep in mind that Peter's sermon in Acts 2 was on The Day of Pentecost. It was addressed to Jewish people who were in Jerusalem from all over the world. Hence, the fact that they ALL understood Peter in their own tongue. The apostles believed, at this time, that The Gospel was ONLY for the Jews. In Acts 1 they asked Jesus, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" In spite of the words that Jesus told them that, "ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth," it took a persecution before The Gospel was preached in Samaria. And Peter had to have a special revelation before he was moved to go to preach to a Gentile Roman officer.

Bottom line, though is that Peter's gospel and Paul's gospel were not different in any way. Remember what Paul write the churches in Galatia.

Paul speaks of his first meeting Peter:

"Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days." Gal 1:18

14 years later he gies back to meet with Peter, James and John:

"Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also." Gal 2:1

Paul tells them what he has been preaching and find that they are all in synch:

"But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed to be somewhat in conference added nothing to me:" Gal 2:6

They all believe that Peter has been called to preach to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles:

"(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)" Gal 2:8

Peter never preach that Christ died for our sins, His Gospel is different from Paul's Gospel to the Gentiles. In Matthew chapter tem Jesus commanded his disciples not to go to the Gentiles; the only exception is Peter was given the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and preached to one Gentile in Acts 10. The Apostle John's Gospel to the Jews is John 20:31 "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." Plainly the Gospel, but different. Plus the kingdom of God was taken from the Jews in Matthew 21:43 "Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Paul had to explain his Gospel to the disciples about 18 years or so later. When Paul preach to 12 Jews in Acts 19, he preached almost the same gospel as Act 2:38. The Gospel for the Jews, and the Gospel for the Gentiles are plainly different.

"Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." 1Pe 1:10-12

"Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God." 1Pe 1:20-21

Charles,

Thank you for your response. I do agree with you that Jesus' mission through most of His ministry was to the Jewish nation and not to the Gentiles. But the Nation rejected Him although many individual Jews believed. The very first converts on The Day of Pentecost were Jews from all over the world, who went back to their homelands with The Gospel. Peter's message had the death, burial and resurrection, but Peter was thinking of the revival of the Jewish nation. They even asked Jesus just before The Ascension, about that. Peter and those who were with them were astounded that Gentiles, a Roman soldier at that, could receive The Holy Spirit. They were not expecting that!

Paul met the "pillars" of the church and they compared his teaching with theirs and concluded that they had nothing to add to Paul's preaching. Their Gospel was Paul's Gospel: The Gospel.

I Cor 15:3-7 was a creed that Paul "received" from Peter & James most likely when he visited them 3 years after his conversion: a creed that originated within months of The Resurrection.

Oddly enough, the Apostle to the Gentiles writes Romans 9-11.

Charles,

I had no part in the preparation of this site, however, I want to try and answer your question from an unbiased stance.

First of all I do not see your perspective of "in light of" to have any bearing on the choice of passages used, rather, the two verses you bring to the question differ in their perspective. While both are excellent choices for someone who knows little or nothing of the Bible, the passage in Acts meets the "response" portion of the section header more clearly. About the only difference I can see is the understanding of the Lord's resurrection being important to the entire thought of what a person is to believe/trust about Jesus, as stated in 1Corinthians. Now that you mention the plan, I see it as regretful that it is slightly hidden in the index of the site, but I do understand that the site is all about the KJV and not the plan of salvation in particular. I have seen that the discussion section of the site is not without discussion about what salvation is and is not.