Following Paul 2

[soul man]

What was Paul to do after his conversion on the road to Damascus? Paul was traveling down the road, heading toward Damascus to kill Christians. And all the sudden a sound came out of heaven; Paul - the voice said! why are you persecuting me. The Lord had spoke to Paul, and would blind him and tell him what to do. Paul was to go see a man and that man would heal him. The lord then spoke to the man, Ananias, and told to tell Paul he was to suffer for him.. all the days of his life.

What was happening with Saul of Tarsus? God had chose him to carry in, to bring in a very particular message. A message that had never graced this world before. Nothing like anyone had ever heard, Saul, who would become Paul, was going to carry into this world the greatest message to ever be known to mankind. That message that had been in God..hid in God..kept secret in God..no man knew..from before the foundation of the world.

He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, - Ephesians 1:4.

That message would be: a gospel of grace to humanity, and Paul would tell humanity they we're created to contain the life of another.

I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. - Galatians 2:20.

Not only contain that life, but that life (Christ life) would be the only life acceptable to God. The life of Jesus Christ would be the life of the creature. By a birth the two would be one and live and express that life accordingly in this world. Grace as a message was finally in the world. Grace as we know it today started when Jesus first died on the cross. It was not known until Paul, even though Peter stood on the day of Pentecost and preached so eloquently and the church began. But it was not known until Paul that God was going to birth his own children by Christ in them before the foundation of the world. That had been kept a secret in God until it was revealed to Paul, Romans 16:25.

Now to Him who has the power to establish 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 - Romans 16:25.

What is the mystery? A mystery is; defined in the Hebrew language as a .. sacred secret.

To them God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. - Colossians 1:27.

God had revealed to Paul what had always been in him but could not be revealed..but in grace. The age of grace..the dispensation of grace..after the cross. That means a few things! First and biggest you can look at is; It means in the Old Testament days, there were no birthed children. Only a chosen people (Israel) that would represent God on the earth. Believers have to read their bibles with understanding to see and know what God has done and is still doing today. What is he doing today? he is still birthing his own children by Christ in them. No matter how far religion can take their theology; God births his own children without the help of anyone. That is hard on people who really feel they have a handle on all this God business and you really need to go through them to get to God. Does that sound familiar..it is familiar in religion. They set up their way of doing things to help everyone get to God..like God did not provide himself away for humanity to be redeemed back to himself. It gets almost comical if it was not such an evil placed on the minds of men and women to be something in themselves, and trust some form of godliness to get to God!

Trust the scripture; for in them you think you have external life!

 

[TEXBOW]

Ephesians 3:5 Paul tells us that the mystery was made known to him by revelation and the mystery was revealed to his Holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit. Paul received the mystery one way and the Apostles and Prophets received it by the Holy Spirit. We do not know for sure the timing. Did the Apostles receive it at the same time as Paul? Was it sometime afterwards? We cannot say for sure. I tend to think sometimes afterwards. Peter didn't seem to know until Cornelius. I really do not think it matters if Paul received it at the same time, minutes before or months before the other Apostles. I do not agree with those who say that the 12 Apostles didn't come to understand that Gentiles were saved by faith. The scripture clearly tells us that the Holy Spirit reveled it to them. We must also remember that the Apostles, Paul included were not deity. They were men of God, chosen by God to proclaim his Gospel. They had their faults, sins and challenges like all men do today. I suspect that the change to saved by faith rather than works was a tough truth to understand at first. I do not think that Paul and Peter were preaching two different Gospels or on different pages of understanding.

 

[soul man]

Paul received the mystery one way and the Apostles and Prophets received it by the Holy Spirit. We do not know for sure the timing. Did the Apostles receive it at the same time as Paul?

Thanks for commenting. We know Paul was caught up in the third heaven. And he would come to revelations. Important note on Paul is; his main revelation was of the indwelling Christ. And he would call 'the revelation of Jesus Christ' the certified gospel. Gal. 1:11-12.

I really do not think it matters if Paul received it at the same time, minutes before or months before the other Apostles.

What matters is it separates Paul and gives believers the understanding of a new and separate way of living by a new and separate gospel that had never been in existence before. Paul would refer to his gospel as; my gospel - which is not written anywhere else but Paul. You can see as God used many men in scripture to bring in a message. Abraham had a message Moses had a message and so on. God used Paul to bring in the message of grace, and that he had kept hid in him he would birth his own children, by Christ in them. Paul came to revelations.

I do not agree with those who say that the 12 Apostles didn't come to understand that Gentiles were saved by faith.

I've never heard that but would agree.

 

[soul man]

I do not think that Paul and Peter were preaching two different Gospels or on different pages of understanding.

And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. - Galatians 2:2.

but contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; - Galatians 2:7.

11 But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. - Galatians 2:7,11-12.

You can see in Peter a man that had been raised in nothing but law, as all of Israel at the time. Paul would confront him with this new truth of Christ. Not to say Peter didn't come to revelation, because when you read 1 - 2 Peter, you can see where he talked about the incorruptible seed, and being born again. He and Paul had there moments.

Peter talking about Paul and him being a hard man to take.

as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. - 2 Peter 3:16.

 

[TEXBOW]

What matters is it separates Paul and gives believers the understanding of a new and separate way of living by a new and separate gospel that had never been in existence before. Paul would refer to his gospel as; my gospel - which is not written anywhere else but Paul. You can see as God used many men in scripture to bring in a message. Abraham had a message Moses had a message and so on. God used Paul to bring in the message of grace, and that he had kept hid in him he would birth his own children, by Christ in them. Paul came to revelations.

Is the proper emphasis of Pauls ministry salvation for the Gentiles or is it salvation by faith alone? It's clear that Paul first went to the Jews in his missionary journeys but eventually targeted Gentiles primarily. Certainly salvation by faith alone was a drastic shift in doctrine to the Jew, a difficult new message that was hard for many Jews to believe (counter to decades of teaching). Even difficult for the 12 Apostles at first and even for some for the balance of their lives. The revelation that Gentiles could now become heirs to the Kingdom was certainly news worthy but Gentiles prior to the revelation could convert to Judaism become Proselytes to serve God under the law. The dispensation of Grace covered both Jew and Gentile. Some believers place a lot of emphasis on Pauls ministry to the Gentiles (obviously Gentiles do) but I question what was the real headlines of the day. Saved by Faith Alone or Gentiles can also be saved by Faith Alone?

I think the more earth shattering news was that All could be saved by faith alone. The change from following the law for salvation. To the Jew the fact that Gentiles could also be heirs was secondary to the news that THEY THEMSELVES no longer needed the law. I may be wrong but it seems to me that was the case. The Gospel to the Gentiles was new. There was no change from generations of teaching of the law to abandon. I'm sure some Gentiles had no knowledge of Jesus Christ until Paul preached to them. Gentiles had no law, never was promised a Messiah and had no knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures.

So was Pauls main mission all about the Gentiles or was his commission to preach the message of Saved by Faith Alone and that is why he went to the synagogues first?

 

[soul man]

The revelation that Gentiles could now become heirs to the Kingdom was certainly news worthy but Gentiles prior to the revelation could convert to Judaism become Proselytes to serve God under the law

We know the gospel is a 'whosoever will' message to humanity. I see the gospel of grace for this dispensation as a person - Christ in you the hope of glory! I see that gospel coming through Paul for our dispensation - there was no 'in Christ' message before Paul. They preached 'Christ in whom you crucified,' and the church was established..but no 'in Christ' as a message. Paul was choose to bring in (Jesus Christ gave to Paul according to his words) the gospel of grace, as was Moses for the law. I see Paul's revelation of the indwelling Christ - separate from his conversion on the road to Damascus, Gal. 1:15-16.

This is what I see as the certified gospel;

11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. - Galatians 1:11-12.

Paul had a revelation of the indwelling Christ - and that revelation is the gospel; according to Paul's words..and the gospel (salvation) is a person! Do you have anything on 'the revelation of Jesus Christ' ?

You mentioned a revelation of the kingdom, curious if you have anything on 'the revelation' Paul calls my gospel, thanks for commenting.

 

[TEXBOW]

You mentioned a revelation of the kingdom, curious if you have anything on 'the revelation' Paul calls my gospel, thanks for commenting.

Ephesian 3:5 Which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
Ephesians 3:6. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
Ephesians 3:3 That is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.

I understand that Paul is telling the Gentiles that they will be in the same body and partakers of his promise to mean that Gentiles will be a part of the Kingdom. The key part here is "partakers of his promise" and "of the same body". Same body I take to mean there is One Body. One might try to say that yes we are in one body but have different promises. I'm not smart enough to understand if that is true or not but I do know that when Paul tells us that if we do certain things we will not inherit the Kingdom of God I understand this to say that if we don't do those things we will inherit the Kingdom of God ( 1 Corinthians 6:9)

If we take Pauls teachings to be true and that we are in one body there are promises we enjoy by being in the One Body. Luke 12:32, 2 Peter 3:13, Daniel 7:27 and many others through out the scriptures. The mystery being reveled to God's Holy Apostles and prophets and not only Paul was certainly for a purpose. To be heirs is key also. That Gentiles saved by faith are heirs to something that existed beforehand. What existed beforehand? The promise of the Kingdom.

 

[soul man]

Ephesian 3:5 Which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets.
Ephesians 3:6. That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
Ephesians 3:3 That is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.

I understand that Paul is telling the Gentiles that they will be in the same body and partakers of his promise to mean that Gentiles will be a part of the Kingdom. The key part here is "partakers of his promise" and "of the same body". Same body I take to mean there is One Body. One might try to say that yes we are in one body but have different promises. I'm not smart enough to understand if that is true or not but I do know that when Paul tells us that if we do certain things we will not inherit the Kingdom of God I understand this to say that if we don't do those things we will inherit the Kingdom of God ( 1 Corinthians 6:9)

If we take Pauls teachings to be true and that we are in one body there are promises we enjoy by being in the One Body. Luke 12:32, 2 Peter 3:13, Daniel 7:27 and many others through out the scriptures. The mystery being reveled to God's Holy Apostles and prophets and not only Paul was certainly for a purpose. To be heirs is key also. That Gentiles saved by faith are heirs to something that existed beforehand. What existed beforehand? The promise of the Kingdom.

Thank you, good word!

 

[TEXBOW]

Thank you, good word!

Thank you Soul Man.