The gospel has always been the same. The gospel has never changed because God does not change.
- For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)
Yet we find that people, who have not had the truth revealed to them, will disregard what is written in Malachi, because it is found in the Old Testament and refers to sons of Jacob (not Abraham) and the Apostle wrote:
- When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power. (Ephesians 3:4–7)
However, what is overlooked is that this same Apostle Paul also wrote that the gospel was preached to Abraham.
- And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” (Galatians 3:8)
Those who mistakenly claim they have the truth—who adhere to those doctrines that were established upon a pretext, from a text out of context—have many assumptions that lead them astray from understanding that salvation comes through faith in Lord Jesus Christ. Not once has salvation ever came from any other gospel than that which was preached to Abraham. Salvation has always been available for those who have faith in the Son of God.
- Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad. (John 8:56)
Peter preached the gospel that brought salvation to the Gentiles.
- Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?”…. If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:1–3; 17–18)
The Apostle Paul took the gospel message of repentance and faith in Lord Jesus Christ—no mention of grace alone—to both Jews and Greeks.
- I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:20–21)
The gospel of grace alone is a false doctrine. The gospel is one of repentance and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Without repentance and faith there is no salvation. We see that Abraham repented when he turned away from the gods of his father and responded to the call of God.
- And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Your fathers lived of old beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.” (Joshua 24:2)
- For, “every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (Romans 10:13–14)
The call of God goes out throughout Creation, and also through the changed lives of those who become lights to the world within their community. This is the gospel message, because the light shines in the darkness. Everybody is called to share in the message of salvation and be transferred, from the power of Satan in the kingdom of darkness, by the power of God into the Kingdom of Light (Acts 26:18).
However, while Peter and Paul understood the basic gospel message of salvation, when it came to understanding the fullness of the message, they did not possess the same degree of illumination in the revelation. Peter suffered from a lack of sincerity for he was not as devoted as he ought to have been.
- But when Cephas came to Antioch I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. (Galatians 2:11)
Sin comes in many forms, but one thing it does is darken a person’s mind from seeing the truth. The Apostle Peter really ought to be given credit for the Peter Principle (where a person rises to his level of incompetence). Not only was Peter renowned for bringing condemnation upon himself (three crows of the cock—Mark 14:72), He also expressed the difficulty involved in understanding the revelations given to the Apostle Paul.
- Therefore, beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. (2 Peter 3:14-16)
One matter that cannot be disputed, Peter understood, as did Paul (Ephesians 5:27) the need to present oneself before the Lord without spot or blemish. Of course, this required the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish, and both of them were aware of this.
- And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
- And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:2–5)
Both Peter and Paul preached the same gospel of salvation that all men are called to repentance and faith towards God through the Son of God, Lord Jesus Christ, which Abraham understood. The outworking of this gospel in each person’s life was an individual matter; the extent of each person’s understanding of this gospel appears to have been different, even though the message does not change.
We can put the differences down to education: acculturation or indoctrination or experiential revelation in the Holy Spirit.
The Message Of Salvation Has Not Changed, But People Differ in Understanding
The gospel has always been the same. The gospel has never changed because God does not change.
However, while Peter and Paul understood the basic gospel message of salvation, when it came to understanding the fullness of the message, they did not possess the same degree of illumination in the revelation. Peter suffered from a lack of sincerity for he was not as devoted as he ought to have been.
We can put the differences down to education: acculturation or indoctrination or experiential revelation in the Holy Spirit.
The Message Of Salvation Has Not Changed, But People Differ in Understanding
- For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)
- When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace which was given me by the working of his power. (Ephesians 3:4–7)
- And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” (Galatians 3:8)
- Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad. (John 8:56)
- Now the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?”…. If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?” When they heard this they were silenced. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:1–3; 17–18)
- I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance to God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:20–21)
- And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Your fathers lived of old beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods.” (Joshua 24:2)
- For, “every one who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes by the preaching of Christ. But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (Romans 10:13–14)
However, while Peter and Paul understood the basic gospel message of salvation, when it came to understanding the fullness of the message, they did not possess the same degree of illumination in the revelation. Peter suffered from a lack of sincerity for he was not as devoted as he ought to have been.
- But when Cephas came to Antioch I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. (Galatians 2:11)
- Therefore, beloved, since you wait for these, be zealous to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the forbearance of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. (2 Peter 3:14-16)
- And Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)
- And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” And they said, “No, we have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” They said, “Into John’s baptism.” And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 19:2–5)
We can put the differences down to education: acculturation or indoctrination or experiential revelation in the Holy Spirit.
The Message Of Salvation Has Not Changed, But People Differ in Understanding
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