Gospels and Raptures (God - Part 10): Message (continued 2)

The Gospels and their Raptures (God - Part 10)

Message (continued 2...)

In this final extension of the "message" section of the gospel of God, I'd like to draw attention to why it was "necessary" for Paul to go to the synagogues and teach this gospel, and what was the "strategy" for doing so.

The Necessity (to go to the synagogues)

If Paul was the Apostle to the Gentiles, with a God-given message to the Gentiles, why did he keep going to the synagogues with a majority Jewish attendance, and why was he not preaching the gospel of grace?

To answer questions like this, sometimes it helps to just place yourself mentally into the situation Paul faced, and just think through it logically. Consider how it would work out for Paul if he went to a pagan city and stood on the street corner proclaiming that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, had risen from the dead, and if one puts their faith in Him, one could be saved. Well, I will admit that for you and I today, this doesn't sound so far fetched, BUT, Paul was not preaching to you and I. He was in a pagan city.* Those in this city wouldn't know who Jesus was from a bar of soap. If you said to them He is the Son of God, they'd probably ask, "which god?" The statement, "But Jesus can save you from your sins", would probably get reactions of confusion or mockery. —Can you see that it would make NO sense whatsoever to do this. They'd simply think he was a madman and wouldn't give him a second of their attention.

* Eph.2:11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12  That at that time ye [pagans, heathen, Gentiles] were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

* Acts 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye [pagans, heathen, Gentiles] ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

So, what would make sense? What would be the most logical course of action for Paul, to gain the best results? It would be the opposite of the above example. It would be to go to a people that Paul knew well. A people who knew the God that he was preaching. A people who knew the scriptures from which Paul could prove his gospel. 

Act.9:20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

Act.13:5 And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: 

Act.13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and sat down.

Act.14:1 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

Act.17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where [there] was a synagogue of the Jews:

Act.18:19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there: but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

The Strategy (to prepare people for his mystery doctrine)

Remember, the gospel of God was not yet the mystery; it was not yet that body of doctrine that was unsearchable in scripture, (Eph.3:8)! The gospel of God was based on that which was prophesied, which was written in the scriptures, and could be proved from it, (Acts 18:28, Rom.16:26). 

Paul would enter a city and go to the synagogue. Here, he would use the prophetic scriptures to prove that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. He would show them that Jesus had to suffer and die on the cross. This was to fulfil prophecy. He would continue to show them that to fulfil prophecy, God would raise Jesus from the dead. Paul's first publicly documented message (referenced in 'part 9' confirmed this point, Acts 13:27-37).

In Acts 17, we have another example of Paul preaching the gospel of God,

Acts 17:1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 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. 4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

Another good example from Thessalonica further adds validity to this strategy,

1 Thessalonians 2:1 For yourselves, brethren, know our entrance in unto you, that it was not in vain: 2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. .... 13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:

The above passages clearly enlighten us to the fact that when Paul entered the synagogues of a certain area, he would first preach the gospel of God, and establish believers in that. This gospel had its groundings in the scriptures and Paul could prove to his listeners directly from scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, and that he had to suffer and die, and afterwards be resurrected.

The case of the Bereans further down in Acts 17 is another that supports this strategy of Paul. The passage below provides some wonderful details to digest,

Acts 17:10-12 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Two things to extract from this passages are, one: note that the gospel of God that Paul preached in the synagogue was able to be confirmed by the Bereans in scripture, and two: the audience Paul reached were not only Jews, but Greeks too; specifically women and men of note. 

OUR Gospel (a point of interest)

In his later epistles, Paul speaks about "my" gospel. The reason for personalizing the gospel is because it was a form of the gospel that Paul introduced and taught to the Gentiles. One example of this personalization (and something we will delve into later) is found in the book of Romans,

Rom.16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began

The reason for pointing this out is because it contrasts with the way he refers to the gospel of God. Have a look at the following examples to validate this point,

1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

2 Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

This is part of the gospel of God; the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ is in reference to their hope of resurrection, just like Jesus Himself was resurrected by God's power.

2 Corinthians 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:

Note that this is not in reference to the mystery doctrine which belongs to the Body of Christ. This is a reference to the fact that the gospel truth in general is hid to those who reject it. The gospel itself is hid from the lost (1 Cor.1:18). God divides people into two groups; those who believe in Christ and those who do not. God justifies one group and condemns the other (the "perishing").

The phrase, "our gospel" is used because it is not exclusively Paul's gospel, but rather, it's the gospel that both he, and the 12-apostles, were preaching. 

The strategy for using this gospel in the synagogues was to firstly connect with the audience and state the facts that was verifiable in the prophetic scriptures. It was, in a way, a strategy to harvest out those in the synagogues who could continue on in the message and eventually receive the gospel of Christ. Have a look at this scripture reference,

Acts 13:42-43 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath. 43 Now when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas: who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

A natural response to the gospel is that it would divide the audience into those who believe and those who do not, as mentioned above in 2 Cor.4:3. To those who believed the gospel of God, Paul would challenge them with an invite to go deeper and to learn more. It is only those who believed in the gospel of God; that Jesus, the Christ, was raised from [out of] the dead, who would have open hearts to believe that through His death and resurrection they could be forgiven and completely justified before God.

Those who were eager to hear more, Paul would meet with them some place away from the synagogue (see ex. Acts 18:1-8), and he would continue to present them with additional information regarding justification with God through the cross-work of Christ, effectively bringing them to a new gospel (which we will deal with later in this lesson series), and into the fledgling Body of Christ.

Part 11 will continue with the 'conditions' of the Gospel of God.