Dolly Parton Believed in God, but Was It the God of the Bible?

[PeterAndroz]

That is simply false, and you are forcing a doctrine onto passages that do not say what you claim.

Galatians 2:2 does NOT say Paul “had to teach John the Gospel.” Paul says, “I communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles.” Then just a few verses later Paul says James, Cephas, and John “perceived the grace that was given unto me” and “gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship” ~Galatians 2:9. They recognized his ministry. The text does not say John had been preaching a false gospel and Paul corrected him.

Nor does Galatians 2 teach two different ways of salvation. Paul destroys that idea himself:

“Whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.” ~1 Corinthians 15:11

Read that again. Paul did not say, “I preach one saving gospel and the other apostles preach another.” He said, “SO WE PREACH.”

And your attempt to throw John out because Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles is just as bad. John explicitly tells us why he wrote his Gospel:

“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.” ~John 20:31

According to you, we should ignore John when discussing how a person receives life because Paul is “our Apostle.” John says the exact opposite. He wrote so people would believe and have life through Christ.

Peter also preached the gospel to Gentiles in Acts 10. What did he tell Cornelius?

“To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” ~Acts 10:43

Then the Holy Ghost fell upon those Gentiles while Peter was speaking. That happened without your supposed separate Pauline formula.

Acts 15 makes it even worse for your argument. Peter said of the Gentiles:

“But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” ~Acts 15:11

One Lord. One grace. One salvation.

Yes, Paul was specially commissioned to the Gentiles. Romans 11:13 says exactly that. But a difference in ministry assignment does not create two gospels, two ways of salvation, or give you permission to dismiss the words of Christ recorded by John.

And Acts 9:15 does not say, “Paul is your Apostle.” Jesus said Paul was “a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.” You are putting words into the text again.

Paul himself warned what happens when someone brings another gospel:

“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.” ~Galatians 1:8

Stop chopping the Bible into competing salvation messages. Scripture does not teach it. Paul did not teach it. Peter did not teach it. John did not teach it.

There is one gospel of Jesus Christ, and sinners are saved by grace through faith in Him.

""That is simply false, and you are forcing a doctrine onto passages that do not say what you claim.""
Gal2:2
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.
If the 12 ALREADY KNEW THAT GOSPEL that Paul was teaching then there was no need for Paul to go there & explain it to them
And since you KNOW IT ALL - list the verses that is THAT GOSPEL that Paul communicate to them

 

[bdavidc]

""That is simply false, and you are forcing a doctrine onto passages that do not say what you claim.""
Gal2:2
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.
If the 12 ALREADY KNEW THAT GOSPEL that Paul was teaching then there was no need for Paul to go there & explain it to them
And since you KNOW IT ALL - list the verses that is THAT GOSPEL that Paul communicate to them

That argument still does not work. Galatians 2:2 says Paul communicated the gospel he preached among the Gentiles. It does not say the apostles had never heard it, did not know it, or were preaching a different way of salvation. You are reading all of that into the verse.

Paul tells us exactly what his gospel was: “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). Then he immediately says, “Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed” (1 Corinthians 15:11). That destroys the idea that Paul and the other apostles had competing saving gospels.

Paul preached justification by faith: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). Peter preached the same salvation: “whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). Then Peter said, “through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11).

So here is “that gospel” Paul preached: Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and sinners are justified by faith in Him apart from works. The other apostles preached that same Christ and that same salvation.

Your entire argument depends on turning “Paul explained his gospel to them” into “they did not know that gospel.” The text never says that. In fact, Galatians 2:9 says James, Cephas, and John recognized the grace given to Paul and gave him “the right hands of fellowship.”

You are trying to manufacture two saving gospels where Paul explicitly says, “whether it were I or they, so we preach.” Scripture could hardly make the answer clearer.

 

[PeterAndroz]

That argument still does not work. Galatians 2:2 says Paul communicated the gospel he preached among the Gentiles. It does not say the apostles had never heard it, did not know it, or were preaching a different way of salvation. You are reading all of that into the verse.

Paul tells us exactly what his gospel was: “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). Then he immediately says, “Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed” (1 Corinthians 15:11). That destroys the idea that Paul and the other apostles had competing saving gospels.

Paul preached justification by faith: “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law” (Romans 3:28). Peter preached the same salvation: “whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). Then Peter said, “through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11).

So here is “that gospel” Paul preached: Christ died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and sinners are justified by faith in Him apart from works. The other apostles preached that same Christ and that same salvation.

Your entire argument depends on turning “Paul explained his gospel to them” into “they did not know that gospel.” The text never says that. In fact, Galatians 2:9 says James, Cephas, and John recognized the grace given to Paul and gave him “the right hands of fellowship.”

You are trying to manufacture two saving gospels where Paul explicitly says, “whether it were I or they, so we preach.” Scripture could hardly make the answer clearer.

"" It does not say the apostles had never heard i""
Somebody forgot to tell them !!!!!!!!!!
Matt 16:21-22
21From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
22Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.

 

[quietthinker]

The fork illustration sounds clever, but it still does not answer the question I asked you. Where does Scripture say that God has already forgiven every unbelieving, unrepentant sinner?

For God SO loved the WORLD he GAVE his only Son.....John 3:16
It is the world that was given the gift....and those who want it take it, those who don't want it don't take it.