Did Paul Preach Messiah?

Indisputably, Paul preached the good news of Christ:

Rom 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. (also see Rom 15:29; 1 Cor 9:12, 18; 2 Cor 4:4, 9:13, 10:14; Gal 1:6-7; Phil 1:27; 1 Thess 3:2)

Common sense would tell you that the gospel of Christ is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Would any ‘mid-Acts-er’ contest this?

2 Thess 1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Interestingly, could the gospel of Christ and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ be the same as the gospel of Jesus Christ? Of course, it is .... unless you’re a ‘mid-Acts-er’ .... then it can’t be, because they must maintain their paradigm .... even to the point of not being rational!

But surely, Christ is Jesus the Christ .... is Jesus Christ .... is the Lord Jesus Christ .... is Jesus Christ our Lord.

Not only is the gospel of Jesus Christ in Paul’s writings, and in the beginning of Mark, but gospel of Jesus Christ is also written in the OLD testament prophets:

Mark 1:1-2 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

John penned his gospel message so that people who read it would believe that Jesus is the Christ and be saved:

John 20:30-31 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
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.

Peter testified that the same Jesus who Israel crucified was their Christ:

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Paul himself proved from the prophetic scriptures that Jesus is Christ:

Acts 17:2-3 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

Here is the kicker for the ‘mid-Acts-ers’ .... ‘Messias’ is of Hebrew origin for the Greek word meaning ‘Christ’. The words, Messias (or Messiah) and Christ, are in different languages, Hebrew and Greek, with the same meaning ‘the Annointed’:

John 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

John 4:25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.

Paul had persecuted ‘this way’ unto the death (Acts 22:4, 26:11). He persecuted Jesus (Acts 22:8), not individually, but by persecuting His church (1 Cor 15:9, Gal 1:13). After Paul personally encountered Jesus (Acts 9), he preached in the Hebrew tongue (Acts 21:40, 22:2) .... the very same faith (Eph 4:5) that he had once destroyed (Gal 1:23):

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Thus, Paul preached Jesus, the Christ, the Messias.
He was not embarrassed of it, and neither am I, and neither should you be.

I am standing on the Word of God .... not just with Paul.
Will you even stand .... and if so, where?

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Different Gospels?

The gospel of Christ is the good news of grace:

Gal 1:6-9 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into
the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ.
8 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.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

Just because Peter and Paul went different directions (Peter to the Jews and Paul to the Gentiles) .... does NOT mean that they took a different message:

Gal 2:7-9 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of (no Greek word here for the preposition 'of') the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of (no Greek word here for the preposition 'of') the circumcision was unto Peter;
8 (For he that
wrought effectually in Peter to (Greek: [eis]) the apostleship of the circumcision,
the same was mighty in me toward (Greek: [eis]) the Gentiles:)
9 And when James, Cephas, 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 (Greek: [eis]) the heathen,
and they unto (Greek: [eis]) the circumcision.

In the same letter, Paul emphasized that it made no difference between circumcision and uncircumcision:

Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

They certainly would not have had different gospels for them, when it did not matter:

Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

When Peter went to the first group of Gentiles (at Cornelius’ house), he knew that everyone - regardless of whether they were Jew or Gentile - would be saved by the grace of Christ:

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

When God said, over and over, it makes ‘no difference’ ....
then ‘mid-Acts-ers’ should stop making a difference!

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Peter’s Further Revelation from the Risen, Glorified Lord

Scripture details Peter’s vision with the Lord, after He was ‘risen’ and ‘glorified’ .... but ‘mid-Acts-ers’ don’t like to mention it because it messes up their ‘Pauline’ paradigm:

Acts 10:9-20 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour:
10 And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance,
11 And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth:
12 Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air.
Like Saul in Acts 9:4, Peter heard a voice, but saw no man:
13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat.
Like Saul in Acts 9:5, Peter called the voice he heard, “Lord”:
14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean.
15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
Like Paul in Acts 26:19, Peter described his experience as a ‘vision’ -- also from ‘heaven’ as was Paul's (Acts 10:11):
17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,
18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there.
19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee.
20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing:
for I (the Spirit) have sent them.

Peter testified that it was God that showed him the equality of the Gentiles:

Acts 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

Peter knew that God specifically picked him out to take the gospel to the Gentiles:

Acts 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us,
that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Peter understood the ‘no difference’ issue back in Acts 10, and he told the council at Jerusalem about it later:

Acts 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

Peter preached the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles:

Acts 11:11-14 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house:
13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

What gospel did Peter take? According to the Bible (and NOT the 'mid-Acts-ers'), it was the same gospel the 12 took, the same gospel Paul took:

1 Cor 15:3-5, 11 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas (that is, Peter),
then of the twelve:
11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach (that is, Paul or them), and so ye believed.

Paul was not the only apostle to get ‘further revelation’ .... Peter got it, too!

The Bible disrupts ‘mid-Acts’ doctrine, so they follow a man with a chart instead. How sad!

This is David Dowell saying, “Think about it!”

The Gospel of God or the Gospel of Christ?

We will just consider 1 of Paul’s 13 epistles for this topic .... his letter to the saints at Rome (Rom 1:7).

Paul wrote that he was separated unto the gospel of God:

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Then Paul wrote that the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation:

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Paul wrote that he ministered the gospel of God:

Rom 15:16 That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

Paul wrote that he preached the gospel of Christ:

Rom 15:19 Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Paul wrote that he will go to Rome with the gospel of Christ:

Rom 15:29 And I am sure that, when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Was Paul confused? Back and forth, back and forth .... the gospel of God .... the gospel of Christ .... Could Paul not make up his mind WHICH gospel he had? .... But the HOLY SPIRIT inspired his words .... so they MUST be RIGHT.

The Cunning (Eph 4:14) Royal Jester and his Jokers commonly refer to the gospel Paul preached as the gospel of Christ. They do NOT call attention to the fact that PAUL preached the gospel of God. They’re afraid some of their ‘mid-Acts-ers’ followers may venture ‘outside of Paul’ sometime and see that PETER also wrote about the gospel of God .... and that does not fit their wrested (2 Peter 3:16) paradigm:

1 Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ believe that even though Paul and Peter wrote the SAME words and phrases .... they were talking about DIFFERENT things .... like, the gospel of God, for example.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Turning the Grace of God Unawares?

Paul warned the churches of imposters, who pretended to be fellowcitizens with the saints (Eph 2:19), entering in among them (also see Acts 20:29-30; Matt 7:15, 10:16; Luke 10:3) .... that would draw them away from the grace of Christ (John 1:17b) and put them under the law (John 1:17a):

Gal 2:4-5 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

The contrast IN THE BIBLE is between grace and law ....
not between Peter and Paul.

From what were the saints being pulled away?

Gal 1:6-7 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Spiritual perverts?! Turning the grace of God?!

Jude 1:3-4 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of
the common salvation, (also see ‘the common faith’ in Titus 1:4)
it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.
(There is only ONE faith - Eph 4:5.
Paul preached ‘the faith’ that he once destroyed - Gal 1:23.)
4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke recorded Peter’s words before the apostles and elders (Acts 15:6), telling about God chosing HIM to take the gospel of salvation to a group of Gentiles gathered at Cornelius’ house (Acts 10:1,24):

Acts 11:14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved.

Acts 15:10-11 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

Are ‘Mid-Acts-ers’ turning the grace of God unawares? They are not trying to put saints under the law. But what they are doing, is accusing Peter and the rest of the apostles of it .... even though the SCRIPTURES teach otherwise.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ deny that Peter and the other apostles taught salvation by grace through Christ, like Paul did.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

ABC's from the CRJ - Going Back to Basics

If I had not recognized the SBC pulpit this evening, I would have figured the Cunning Royal Jester (Eph 4:14) was speaking to an audience that had never heard his ‘mid-Acts’ doctrine before! Oh, no! Could a passage in Hebrews apply?

Heb 5:12-14 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Evidently the Cunning Royal Jester thought the 'Wednesday night faithful' needed a refresher of his paradigm .... or maybe his false foundation is crumbling beneath him as we chisel it away! He drew his infamous chart, with a circle around Paul’s epistles. He pointed that, inside the circle, there is ‘no difference’, indicating that there was a difference outside the circle. One problem with that teaching is Peter’s testimony of ‘now, no difference’ (Acts 15:9) .... when God chose him (Acts 15:7) to take the gospel (Acts 15:7) of salvation (Acts 11:14) to Cornelius and his kinsmen and near friends (Acts 10:24) who were Gentiles (Acts 10:1):

Acts 15:7-9 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them,
purifying their hearts by faith.

God sent Peter to leave from Joppa and go to Caesarea (Acts 9:36-43, 10:1-48) to preach to the Gentiles, directly after God’s announcement to Peter that He had cleansed the Gentiles (Acts 10:9-33, 11:4-14).

Here is a thought: If Saul (Paul - Acts 13:9) was the ‘first member’ of a ‘new’ church, called the ‘body of Christ’, made up of Jew and Gentile with ‘no difference’ .... then WHY did God not send him, instead of Peter?
Well now, that throws a wrench in ‘mid-Acts’ heresy, huh?

Let’s continue on in the scripture passage:

Acts 15:10-11 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

There is Peter, before Paul, taking salvation by grace to the Gentiles!

Matt 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind.
And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

Woops! The Cunning Royal Jester and his jokers are in the ditch!

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"

Peter Paved the Way

Saul of Tarsus was saved in Acts 9. He immediately preached to Jews at Damascus that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God:

Acts 9:19-22 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.

Then Saul went to Jerusalem.
From there he went to Caesarea .... interestingly BY-PASSING Cornelius ....
and then into Tarsus, his hometown:

Acts 9:26-30 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
30 Which when the brethren knew,
they brought him down to Caesarea,
and sent him forth to Tarsus.

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ use Gal 2:7 to say that Paul and Peter preached 2 different gospels:

Gal 2:7 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;

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ ignore the verse in the chapter before, that shows that ‘if they did preach 2 different gospels, then Peter would be accursed’:

Gal 1:9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

But .... for the sake of argument .... let’s see how absurd the ‘mid-Acts 2 different gospels’ doctrine works in the case of Cornelius and his kinsmen and near friends (Acts 10:24), who were the first Gentiles to receive the gospel after God declared them clean (Acts 10:15).

‘Mid-Acts-ers’ teach that God started a new church .... with Paul (the apostle of the Gentiles) in Acts 9 .... called ‘the body of Christ’. But they cannot give an answer why God picked PETER - NOT PAUL - in Acts 10 to go to the Gentiles .... just after Saul/Paul was saved.

Peter testified that God specifically chose him to take the gospel to these Gentiles .... which he did in Acts 10 .... just after Paul went right through the same area (Caesarea):

Acts 15:7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago
God made choice among us,
that the Gentiles by my (Peter’s) mouth
should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

Here are some questions for ‘mid-Acts-ers’.

Did Peter take the gospel OF the circumcision .... TO the UNcircumcised .... since that was the gospel that was committed to him?

(In other words, did Peter give the gospel OF the Jews .... TO the Gentiles .... since that was the only gospel he had?)

- OR -

Did Peter take the gospel OF the UNcircumcision .... TO the UNcircumcised .... since they were UNcircumcisied?

(In other words, did Peter give the gospel OF the Gentiles .... TO the Gentiles .... since that was the gospel that belonged to them, being Gentiles?)

If God had begun a new entity with Saul/Paul in Acts 9 .... Peter would not have been the one God sent to the Gentiles in Acts 10.

Don’t forget that Peter also testified that the Jews would be saved through grace, the same as the Gentiles:

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

Does that sound like a different gospel to you?
Not to me!

Peter paved the way to the Gentiles .... before Paul.

This is David Dowell saying, "Think about it!"