The Word of God - A survey of the Bible - Part Eleven - J Oct 07, 2018 by: John Herbert | Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Audio Study Notes PDF https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T028_20181007.mp3 Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Acts 28:28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” We will today begin to look at Paul and his calling as the Apostle to the Gentiles. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday October 7th 2018 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Part 11J ‘Men and Brethren, What Shall We Do?’ 1). 1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. When Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy he drew attention to ‘a faithful saying’, a saying that is ‘worthy of all acceptance’, which is ‘that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’, of whom he considered himself to be the foremost. a). Then as we move into v16 Paul clearly states that God had granted him mercy not just for the purpose of saving him as a sinner, but for the purpose of showing in Paul first ‘all longsuffering’, providing the original type, the original example of what longsuffering looks like for all who will believe on the Lord for life in the age to come. The longsuffering we are to have and the longsuffering the Lord shows toward us. b). Through the life of Paul then we find the example of how we are to live if we are to ascend the throne with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom – 1 Cor 4:16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 1 Cor 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. The Lord Jesus is given as the foundational example that we are to follow – 1 Pe 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; Paul is given to us as the prototype for following in the Lord’s steps showing us what this looks like for those who are in pursuit of His Kingdom. And following the example that God has given to us through both Christ and Paul is not negotiable. The Lord said it for us this way in connection with the actions of the scribes and Pharisees in – Matthew 12:30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. And after a similar fashion in – Lu 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Mt 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 2). There are also other parallels we can draw with Paul that provide a context for our own race of the faith – one of which will take us back to the foundation in Genesis Chapter 1. a). With a view to rulership over the newly restored creation God created one Man, God created Adam – one man through whom His eternal purpose was to be accomplished. b). As that purpose continued to unfold God then chose one man, Abraham, through whom He would work towards His pre-determined end. c). God then worked through one man, Jacob, from whom would come His adopted firstborn son, Israel – and through this son God’s eternal purpose would continue to be worked out. d). Following Israel’s rejection of rulership with respect to the Kingdom of the Heavens, God chose one man, Paul, to take the offer of rulership with respect to the Kingdom of the Heavens to the Gentile nations. e). And from the Gentile nations and the remnant of Israel by the election of grace He has created one new man through whom God’s purpose with respect to the Kingdom of the Heavens will be realized. f). We are part of that one new man with whom God is now working. g). And just as Paul was taken into the third heaven to receive from the Lord the message of the Kingdom he was to bring to the Gentile nations and therefore to us, so that same message is now brought forth to us from above through the Word, OT and New, both spoken and written, and in the immediate context of our study we can think of the letters that Paul wrote to the Gentile churches. h). No doubt this is why Paul wrote the following to the Christians in Corinth – 1 Cor 4:15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. And just as in the beginning there was the command given in – Gen 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion……….. So, we are to be fruitful with respect to our own personal race of the faith, as it is only those who produce fruit for the Kingdom who will receive the Kingdom as their inheritance, and along with our fruitfulness we are to multiply – 2 Tim 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Faithful men then, men full of faith as Stephen and as Paul are to receive the message that Paul brought back from the third heaven and with the same singlemindedness as Stephen and Paul, ‘will be able to teach others also’. i). And singlemindedness in the lives of those who will be full of faith is so important because of what we read in – Ja 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Being double-minded results in instability ‘in all his ways’, being ‘like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind’, and such a one as this won’t receive ‘anything from the Lord’. 1 Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 3). Now, as Paul embarked on his ministry as the Apostle to the Gentiles we see that he first returned to Jerusalem – Ga 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) 21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. Paul having received the message he was to take to the Gentiles over a 3-year period then went to Jerusalem specifically to see Peter, with whom he stayed for 15 days. And the reason for this is that Peter had been given the ‘gospel’ to take to the circumcised, the Jews, that ‘gospel’ which we saw beginning on the Day of Pentecost which would continue throughout the time covered by the Book of Acts, and to Paul God had given the ‘gospel’ to be taken to the Gentiles. a). Both sets of ‘good news’ concerned the same thing, the Kingdom of the Heavens and rulership with Christ, but because of the difference between the 2 audiences, the messages themselves would be different. b). And we can see that wherever Paul went during the time covered by the Book of Acts, if there were Jews in that place he went to them first with the same message that Peter preached. God had ordained that the Kingdom of the Heavens would be re-offered to the nation of Israel by the Church and all the while that offer remained open Paul would not circumvent that which God had ordained – Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” And when the majority of Jews in whatever city Paul was rejected the offer of the Kingdom he would then turn to the Gentiles – Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” Acts 18:6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Acts 28:28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. 30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. There are 3 occasions recorded in the Book of Acts where we see Paul turning from the Jews to the Gentiles – 3 giving us the number of Divine perfection signifying that the last rejection in Acts 28:28 marks the end of the re-offer of the Kingdom to the Jews, with the Kingdom now being offered first and foremost to the Gentiles instead. The Kingdom taken from Israel to be given to a nation producing the fruits of it. c). And it is no coincidence that the closure of the offer of the Kingdom to Israel, an offer which will now go to the Gentiles, comes when Paul is in Rome, the capital city of Gentile world power at the time. 4). And so, as Paul went out to the Gentile nations he encountered people engaged in pagan worship who had no knowledge of God or His Son. a). And this being the case Paul had to begin with the simple message of the gospel of grace – Acts 16:30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. And here in the account of the Philippian jailor and his family we can see in microcosm the nature and focus of Paul’s ministry. b). When the Gentile jailor asked how he might be saved he was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to believe that Christ had died and shed His blood on the jailor’s behalf. c). And having given that ‘good news’ to the jailor and his household, who had believed it, ‘then they spoke the word of the Lord to them’, which was followed by the Philippian jailor and his family being baptized. d). And as we have seen from the ministry of John the Baptist onwards through the Book of Acts, baptism always followed belief that ‘Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God’ – the message concerning the King and His Kingdom – never the gospel of grace. e). The Philippian jailor and his family then were firstly given the ‘good news’ surrounding the Lord’s death and shed blood which by God’s grace through their faith led to their eternal salvation. Having received spiritual life they were then given the ‘good news’ surrounding the Christ and His Kingdom – the reason for their eternal salvation. And having received and believed this ‘good news’ of the Kingdom so the jailor and his family were baptized. f). That which we see with the Philippian jailor and his family with regards to one set of good news followed by another is the exact same pattern that Paul set out in his first letter to the Corinthians. g). Those Paul found in Corinth were unsaved Gentiles, and so, as with the Philippian jailor, he could only begin his ministry there at one place – 1 Cor 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Paul had to begin with ‘Jesus Christ and Him crucified’ as there was no other way he could begin – those devoid of spiritual life had to receive spiritual life before they could receive spiritual truth. h). And in the very next verse in 1 Corinthians 2 Paul went on to talk about the things the Corinthians had then received beyond the message of death and shed blood – 1 Cor 2:6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And this same pattern is outlined again in Chapter 15 – 1 Cor 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, Let’s remember that the word ‘gospel’ simply means good news and so the context in which we find it will tell us which good news is being referenced. And the context here is the good news in which the Corinthians stood, good news by which they were in the process of being saved, conditioned upon holding fast ‘that word’, the good news, that Paul had preached to them. i). And just by looking at these first 2 verses in Chapter v15 we can see the insurmountable problems that would exist if we tried to make this ‘gospel’ the gospel of grace. j). And then in the verses that follow Paul laid out the whole of the matter, For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures – Paul first of all delivered to them the good news of Christ’s death and shed blood, according to the scriptures – And then Paul delivered to them the good news concerning the Lord’s burial, and resurrection on the 3rd day, again according to the scriptures – things now pertaining to an inheritance and a salvation to be revealed in the last time – 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. And this has been our own experience – we all began with the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and when we had no hope and were without God in the world this was the best good news we could possibly receive. But beyond our eternal salvation we have now received the good news surrounding the Lord’s resurrection and the 3rd day, according to the scriptures. And for each of us who has passed from death to life this is the best good news we could possibly receive. 5). So, let’s keep in mind then that the use of the word ‘gospel’ is something we see in Paul’s writings far more than anywhere else and given the nature of the good news that God had entrusted to him it’s not surprising. a). In the Book of Romans alone Paul refers to this good news in a variety of ways – Ro 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God Rom 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, Ro 1:15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. And contextually none of these references to the ‘gospel’ can have anything to do with the gospel of grace because of what we see in – Ro 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. And as we can see from Romans 1:15 Paul was ready to preach this gospel to those whose faith was spoken of throughout the whole world, those who had already passed from death to life. b). Again, from the Book of Romans, Paul refers to the good news given to him this way – Ro 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began. c). In 2 Thessalonians he called it – 2 Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. d). And – 1 Ti 1:11 according to the glorious gospel [Lit. the gospel of the glory] of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. And so, throughout Paul’s ministry to the Gentile nations he would always begin with the simple message of the gospel of grace, but the thrust of his ministry and the focus of his teaching, both verbal and written, was always on the Kingdom taken from Israel and given to the Church. And because this new creation in Christ was to be the recipient of the Kingdom through faith to the saving of the soul there was need for instruction and warning to be given to that new creation with respect to that Kingdom – all of which would find its basis in the OT, especially through the types presented there. e). And what was true for Paul’s ministry was also true for the other writers God used to pen that portion of scriptures we have come to call the epistles from Romans through Revelation. 2 Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. But this will have to wait until next time – if the Lord is willing. The Word of God - A survey of the Bible - Part Eleven - J Oct 07, 2018 Speaker: John Herbert Series: The Word of God - A Survey of the Bible Category: Sunday Morning https://s3.amazonaws.com/cornerstonejax/sermonfiles/T028_20181007.mp3 Download Audio x
Refresh A Recap from the Sermon Acts 28:28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” We will today begin to look at Paul and his calling as the Apostle to the Gentiles. The full text of this message can be found by clicking the PDF button. Sunday October 7th 2018 The Word of God A Survey of the Bible – Part 11J ‘Men and Brethren, What Shall We Do?’ 1). 1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. When Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy he drew attention to ‘a faithful saying’, a saying that is ‘worthy of all acceptance’, which is ‘that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners’, of whom he considered himself to be the foremost. a). Then as we move into v16 Paul clearly states that God had granted him mercy not just for the purpose of saving him as a sinner, but for the purpose of showing in Paul first ‘all longsuffering’, providing the original type, the original example of what longsuffering looks like for all who will believe on the Lord for life in the age to come. The longsuffering we are to have and the longsuffering the Lord shows toward us. b). Through the life of Paul then we find the example of how we are to live if we are to ascend the throne with Christ in the Millennial Kingdom – 1 Cor 4:16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. 1 Cor 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. The Lord Jesus is given as the foundational example that we are to follow – 1 Pe 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. 21 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; Paul is given to us as the prototype for following in the Lord’s steps showing us what this looks like for those who are in pursuit of His Kingdom. And following the example that God has given to us through both Christ and Paul is not negotiable. The Lord said it for us this way in connection with the actions of the scribes and Pharisees in – Matthew 12:30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad. And after a similar fashion in – Lu 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Mt 10:38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. 2). There are also other parallels we can draw with Paul that provide a context for our own race of the faith – one of which will take us back to the foundation in Genesis Chapter 1. a). With a view to rulership over the newly restored creation God created one Man, God created Adam – one man through whom His eternal purpose was to be accomplished. b). As that purpose continued to unfold God then chose one man, Abraham, through whom He would work towards His pre-determined end. c). God then worked through one man, Jacob, from whom would come His adopted firstborn son, Israel – and through this son God’s eternal purpose would continue to be worked out. d). Following Israel’s rejection of rulership with respect to the Kingdom of the Heavens, God chose one man, Paul, to take the offer of rulership with respect to the Kingdom of the Heavens to the Gentile nations. e). And from the Gentile nations and the remnant of Israel by the election of grace He has created one new man through whom God’s purpose with respect to the Kingdom of the Heavens will be realized. f). We are part of that one new man with whom God is now working. g). And just as Paul was taken into the third heaven to receive from the Lord the message of the Kingdom he was to bring to the Gentile nations and therefore to us, so that same message is now brought forth to us from above through the Word, OT and New, both spoken and written, and in the immediate context of our study we can think of the letters that Paul wrote to the Gentile churches. h). No doubt this is why Paul wrote the following to the Christians in Corinth – 1 Cor 4:15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me. And just as in the beginning there was the command given in – Gen 1:27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion……….. So, we are to be fruitful with respect to our own personal race of the faith, as it is only those who produce fruit for the Kingdom who will receive the Kingdom as their inheritance, and along with our fruitfulness we are to multiply – 2 Tim 2:1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Faithful men then, men full of faith as Stephen and as Paul are to receive the message that Paul brought back from the third heaven and with the same singlemindedness as Stephen and Paul, ‘will be able to teach others also’. i). And singlemindedness in the lives of those who will be full of faith is so important because of what we read in – Ja 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. Being double-minded results in instability ‘in all his ways’, being ‘like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind’, and such a one as this won’t receive ‘anything from the Lord’. 1 Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 3). Now, as Paul embarked on his ministry as the Apostle to the Gentiles we see that he first returned to Jerusalem – Ga 1:15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, 17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. 19 But I saw none of the other apostles except James, the Lord's brother. 20 (Now concerning the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.) 21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. Paul having received the message he was to take to the Gentiles over a 3-year period then went to Jerusalem specifically to see Peter, with whom he stayed for 15 days. And the reason for this is that Peter had been given the ‘gospel’ to take to the circumcised, the Jews, that ‘gospel’ which we saw beginning on the Day of Pentecost which would continue throughout the time covered by the Book of Acts, and to Paul God had given the ‘gospel’ to be taken to the Gentiles. a). Both sets of ‘good news’ concerned the same thing, the Kingdom of the Heavens and rulership with Christ, but because of the difference between the 2 audiences, the messages themselves would be different. b). And we can see that wherever Paul went during the time covered by the Book of Acts, if there were Jews in that place he went to them first with the same message that Peter preached. God had ordained that the Kingdom of the Heavens would be re-offered to the nation of Israel by the Church and all the while that offer remained open Paul would not circumvent that which God had ordained – Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” And when the majority of Jews in whatever city Paul was rejected the offer of the Kingdom he would then turn to the Gentiles – Acts 13:46 Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” Acts 18:6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Acts 28:28 “Therefore let it be known to you that the salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will hear it!” 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves. 30 Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. There are 3 occasions recorded in the Book of Acts where we see Paul turning from the Jews to the Gentiles – 3 giving us the number of Divine perfection signifying that the last rejection in Acts 28:28 marks the end of the re-offer of the Kingdom to the Jews, with the Kingdom now being offered first and foremost to the Gentiles instead. The Kingdom taken from Israel to be given to a nation producing the fruits of it. c). And it is no coincidence that the closure of the offer of the Kingdom to Israel, an offer which will now go to the Gentiles, comes when Paul is in Rome, the capital city of Gentile world power at the time. 4). And so, as Paul went out to the Gentile nations he encountered people engaged in pagan worship who had no knowledge of God or His Son. a). And this being the case Paul had to begin with the simple message of the gospel of grace – Acts 16:30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized. And here in the account of the Philippian jailor and his family we can see in microcosm the nature and focus of Paul’s ministry. b). When the Gentile jailor asked how he might be saved he was told to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, to believe that Christ had died and shed His blood on the jailor’s behalf. c). And having given that ‘good news’ to the jailor and his household, who had believed it, ‘then they spoke the word of the Lord to them’, which was followed by the Philippian jailor and his family being baptized. d). And as we have seen from the ministry of John the Baptist onwards through the Book of Acts, baptism always followed belief that ‘Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God’ – the message concerning the King and His Kingdom – never the gospel of grace. e). The Philippian jailor and his family then were firstly given the ‘good news’ surrounding the Lord’s death and shed blood which by God’s grace through their faith led to their eternal salvation. Having received spiritual life they were then given the ‘good news’ surrounding the Christ and His Kingdom – the reason for their eternal salvation. And having received and believed this ‘good news’ of the Kingdom so the jailor and his family were baptized. f). That which we see with the Philippian jailor and his family with regards to one set of good news followed by another is the exact same pattern that Paul set out in his first letter to the Corinthians. g). Those Paul found in Corinth were unsaved Gentiles, and so, as with the Philippian jailor, he could only begin his ministry there at one place – 1 Cor 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Paul had to begin with ‘Jesus Christ and Him crucified’ as there was no other way he could begin – those devoid of spiritual life had to receive spiritual life before they could receive spiritual truth. h). And in the very next verse in 1 Corinthians 2 Paul went on to talk about the things the Corinthians had then received beyond the message of death and shed blood – 1 Cor 2:6 However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, 8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. 9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. And this same pattern is outlined again in Chapter 15 – 1 Cor 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, Let’s remember that the word ‘gospel’ simply means good news and so the context in which we find it will tell us which good news is being referenced. And the context here is the good news in which the Corinthians stood, good news by which they were in the process of being saved, conditioned upon holding fast ‘that word’, the good news, that Paul had preached to them. i). And just by looking at these first 2 verses in Chapter v15 we can see the insurmountable problems that would exist if we tried to make this ‘gospel’ the gospel of grace. j). And then in the verses that follow Paul laid out the whole of the matter, For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures – Paul first of all delivered to them the good news of Christ’s death and shed blood, according to the scriptures – And then Paul delivered to them the good news concerning the Lord’s burial, and resurrection on the 3rd day, again according to the scriptures – things now pertaining to an inheritance and a salvation to be revealed in the last time – 1 Pe 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. And this has been our own experience – we all began with the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and when we had no hope and were without God in the world this was the best good news we could possibly receive. But beyond our eternal salvation we have now received the good news surrounding the Lord’s resurrection and the 3rd day, according to the scriptures. And for each of us who has passed from death to life this is the best good news we could possibly receive. 5). So, let’s keep in mind then that the use of the word ‘gospel’ is something we see in Paul’s writings far more than anywhere else and given the nature of the good news that God had entrusted to him it’s not surprising. a). In the Book of Romans alone Paul refers to this good news in a variety of ways – Ro 1:1 Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God Rom 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, Ro 1:15 So, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. And contextually none of these references to the ‘gospel’ can have anything to do with the gospel of grace because of what we see in – Ro 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world. And as we can see from Romans 1:15 Paul was ready to preach this gospel to those whose faith was spoken of throughout the whole world, those who had already passed from death to life. b). Again, from the Book of Romans, Paul refers to the good news given to him this way – Ro 16:25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began. c). In 2 Thessalonians he called it – 2 Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth, 14 to which He called you by our gospel, for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. d). And – 1 Ti 1:11 according to the glorious gospel [Lit. the gospel of the glory] of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. And so, throughout Paul’s ministry to the Gentile nations he would always begin with the simple message of the gospel of grace, but the thrust of his ministry and the focus of his teaching, both verbal and written, was always on the Kingdom taken from Israel and given to the Church. And because this new creation in Christ was to be the recipient of the Kingdom through faith to the saving of the soul there was need for instruction and warning to be given to that new creation with respect to that Kingdom – all of which would find its basis in the OT, especially through the types presented there. e). And what was true for Paul’s ministry was also true for the other writers God used to pen that portion of scriptures we have come to call the epistles from Romans through Revelation. 2 Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. But this will have to wait until next time – if the Lord is willing.