Peter and Paul taugh the same gospel
Peter and Paul never taught the same gospel. When Peter taught the kingdom gospel at Pentecost, Saul was rejecting the Messiah.
When Paul preached the gospel of the grace of God, Peter’s gospel of the kingdom to Israel was limited to the circumcision.
Below are the six major issues of distinction between what Peter taught and what Paul taught. The main similarity between the two messages exists in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10).
The Difference between Peter and Paul’s Message
Peter and Paul never taught the same gospel. When Peter taught the kingdom gospel at
Pentecost Saul was rejecting the Messiah. When Paul preached the gospel of the grace of
God Peter’s gospel of the kingdom to Israel was limited to the circumcision.
Below are the six major issues of distinction between what Peter taught and what Paul
taught. The main similarity between the two messages exists in the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ (Eph 1:10).
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Peter* taught: Paul taught:
1. Israel and Prophecy
Israel is still standing and
prophecy is being fulfilled.
(Acts 2:16-17; 3:21,24-26)
Israel is fallen and
the prophecies are postponed.
(Rom 3:10,19;11:11,25; 16:25)
2. Apostolic responsibility
Salvation is of the Jews led by the
twelve apostles.
(John 4:22; Mat 19:28; 1 Pet 1:10; Rev 21:14)
Salvation sent to Gentiles through Paul,
the Apostle of the Gentiles.
(Rom 11:13; Col 1:25; 2 Tim 1:11; 1 Cor 3:10)
3. Justification
Salvation and the law; justification by
faith in Jesus as the Messiah
accompanied by necessary works.
(Jam 2:24; 1 John 2:5; Mat 19:27; Heb 10:26)
Salvation apart from the law;
justification by grace through faith in
the cross work of Jesus Christ.
(Rom 4:5; Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5; 1 Cor 15:1-4)
4. The Church**
Separation between the Jew and
Gentile; Israel is God’s chosen people.
Gentiles blessed through Israel.
(Mat 10:5; Luke 24:49; Acts 11:19)
No longer Jew nor Gentile
but all are part of a new creature in
Christ called his Body.
(Gal 3:28; Col 3:11; Eph 2:15; 1 Cor 12:13)
5. God’s representation
God’s holy nation, the little flock of
Israel, is His earthly representation
from among the world.
(Isa 61:6; Rev 7:1-8; 1 Pet 2:5,9)
Gentile Ambassadors are
His representation to a world
in total rebellion.
(2 Cor 5:20; 1 Cor 12:20; 2 Tim 2:2)
Find more free resources online at
www.graceambassadors.com
6. Destiny***
Promised to receive an earthly
inheritance in the kingdom.
(1 Pet 1:4; Mat 6:10; Heb 13:14; Rev 21:2)
Promise of an heavenly position in
God’s universal dominion.
(Phil 3:20; Eph 2:6; 1 Thess 4:17)
* Peter is used as representative of the twelve apostles during their kingdom and
Pentecostal ministry.
** There are three churches mentioned by name in the Bible; listed are two.
*** In the dispensation of the fullness of times both of these things will be brought
together in Christ (Eph 1:10).
In light of these Scriptures-did Peter teach the same gospel as Paul? At a glance the answer must be emphatically yes-but did they?
In I Corinthians 4:1 to 3 we learn that the servants of Christ are instructed to be faithful
stewards of the mysteries of God. In I Corinthians 1:10 these servants are told to speak the same
thing, to be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment; not to be
divided.
The Lord's stewards are not perfectly joined together in the same mind concerning the
meaning of Paul's statement in Galatians 2:7; and they certainly do not speak the same thing in
explaining the meaning of this verse.
On the contrary, some of the Lord's servants not only differ
with other stewards of the mysteries of God concerning the meaning of Paul's statement in
Galatians 2:7, but they are very ungracious in their attitude toward those who disagree with
them. They permit themselves to be stirred to indignation and disgust, if not contempt and
hatred, against those who do not accept their exegesis.
If any intelligent Christian should read Galatians 2:7, and some theologian should not
interfere with his thinking, what would that Christian decide after reading,—
“But contrariwise,
when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me (Paul), as the
gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter?”
That Christian would surely decide Paul wrote to
the Galatians that the Lord had committed unto him (Paul) “the gospel of the uncircumcision,”
and unto Peter, “the gospel of the circumcision.”
If there is any meaning to language, that
Christian would decide that “the gospel of the uncircumcision” and “the gospel of the
circumcision” are not one and the same gospel.
In the Greek the genitive is used. The word is
“of” and not “to”. The gospel “of” the uncircumcision. The gospel “of” the circumcision.
The servants of the Lord, who insist that Paul meant to say that the same gospel that the
risen Christ authorized him to preach to the Gentiles He gave to Peter for the Jews, are the very
same men who insist that Peter and his associates, who were Christ's apostles before Paul was
converted, went all over Asia and Europe preaching to Gentiles, after Paul was converted. In
Galatians 2:9 they agreed to go to the Jews. If they agreed to go to the Jews and went to the
Gentiles, they did not do what they agreed to do.
These Christians acknowledge that they get
their ideas as to the evangelization of Gentiles by the twelve apostles from church history, and
not from the Bible.
Moreover, it is a fact that the same Bible teachers, who teach that Paul and the twelve
apostles preached the same gospel, (Paul to the Gentiles and the other apostles to the Jews),
teach that Peter and James set forth God's program for this age when they uttered the truth of
Acts 15:14: “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them
a people for His name.”
Is this God's program for this age? This program was publicly stated by
Peter and James in the city of Jerusalem about the very same time these two men and Paul
agreed on their different ministries, as recorded in Galatians 2:9—”And when James, Peter 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.”
Now let God's people permit the Holy Spirit to lead them and to help them use a little
common sense in answering this question: “If God's program, as described by Peter and James,
was to visit the Gentiles and take out of them a people for His name, did Peter and James have a
part in God's program when they agreed to go to the Jews?”
Remember, it was Peter and James
who agreed to go to the Jews at the time they declared that God's program was to visit the
Gentiles and take out of them a people for His name. Peter and James, by going to Jews, could
not help God to take out from the Gentiles a people for His name. Compare Acts 15:14 and
Galatians 2:9. Also Acts 15:14 with Ephesians 2:15 to 18.
But to show you I am not dogmatic-I will leave you with this.
Gospel -- Not two gospels here, but the same to two different people. (cf. Gal_1:6-9)
In the Greek the word ‘Gospel’ is not repeated, but has been supplied (in Italics) in both A.V. and R.V. A more exact rendering would be, “I have been entrusted with the Gospel for the Gentiles, even as Peter was for the Jews”. - CBSC
The apostles in Jerusalem saw that Paul and Peter had different scopes of ministry (for Peter’s, see Acts 1–5; 9–10; for Paul’s, see Acts 13–28), but they both preached the same gospel. - NLTSB
Later brother.
Johann