The Gospels and their Raptures (God - Part 9)
Message (continued...)
The church of God had grown in great numbers in the early part of Acts. The 12-apostles were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit accompanying their message of the gospel of God with remarkable miracles, to the point that they were reverently feared,
Acts 2:43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 5:5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Acts 5:11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Notable Fact: In Acts 9:31, it says that the church of God, (those churches throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria), had rest. What rest is it referring to? Well, take a look at the chapter number. Who got converted in the beginning of Acts 9? —Yep! Saul.
The rest that the churches had was from the persecutions of Saul. Since the stoning of Stephen, Saul had been on a rampage, starting in Jerusalem and fanning out ever wider, causing the followers of Jesus to flee towards the north into Samaria and Galilee. Since Saul was going to Damascus, we know that the persecutions had driven the church also to this city and even into towns and cities in the Syro-Phoenicia provinces, Acts 11:19.
It is after the miraculous conversion of Saul that the churches finally had some rest. Saul had escaped Damascus and had gone into Arabia for three years. It is at this time that the tyranny and torment they suffered would dramatically die down. It is also at this time that Saul returned to Jerusalem to meet the disciples, learn about the life of Jesus and start to preach. But with his life in jeopardy, Saul was brought down to Caesarea and sent on to Tarsus.
While the 12-apostles continued serving the churches inside the borders of Israel with the gospel of God; preaching the resurrection of the Messiah, repentance, water baptism and the Holy Spirit, it is in Acts 13 that we pick up on the message that Paul was preaching outside of Israel. As we continue in this study, we will see an important difference in how, and what, Paul taught his audiences.
The Gospel of God; How did Paul teach it?
So, we come to the point that we have to ask, "What was Paul teaching his audiences?" Consider this. We know that at this time there was relative rest for the churches of God in Israel. Although they were preaching Jesus as Messiah, a contentious issue, especially in Jerusalem where things were a bit more challenging, a subduing factor was that they were still promoting observance of the law and they kept Jewish observances and feasts. But Paul on the other hand was being persecuted in literally every city he entered! There must have been something different in Paul's message? Let's find out by studying the first fully documented preaching of Paul in the city of Antioch in Pisidia,
Commentary on Acts 13:14-52 (Paul's preaching in Antioch in Pisidia,)
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.
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. 16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
We are in a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. Naturally, the "men of Israel" are Jews attending the meeting. But, who are the "ye that fear God"? When you study the journeys of Paul and connect scriptures, you will learn that these are devout Gentiles, probably of Greek origin who had adopted the Jewish religion and were following its laws. (See verse 42 further down in the lesson.)
17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. 20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. 23 Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:
24 When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
This is of course in reference to the gospel of the Kingdom that John (and Jesus) preached.
26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
"Children of the stock of Abraham". Jews. Right?
"Whosoever among you feareth God". Gentiles, probably of Greek origin. Right?
Just pointing out these things to ensure that you don't miss the details between the lines. These things, as insignificant as they appear, are of valued importance if we are to continue understanding the transition of the 'gospels' in this study.
27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. 28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him from the dead: 31 And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. 32 And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. 35 Wherefore he saith also in another psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption: 37 But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
Well, guess what we are seeing here? Is this not the 'pure' gospel of God? Absolutely. The primary context of the gospel of God is the resurrection of Jesus. The fact that Jesus rose up and is alive means that the Kingdom could come. There was hope and an expectation. —Can I point out that up until this point there is basically NO difference in Paul's ministry and that of the 12. We could have substituted Peter, or James, or John, in the place of Paul and we'd have zero difference in the message being preached or the context of the situation. Isn't this interesting? But let's move into the next few verses. Now you are going to see something new.....!!
38 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
OK!! Do you spot the difference? In the message preached by the 12-apostles, we would at this point hear, "Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus so that you can receive the Holy Spirit." But look what Paul is saying? He is telling his Jewish and Greek listeners that through Jesus is the forgiveness of sins, not later, but NOW (based on the context of the next verse). This is different. This is not the traditional gospel of God. This is veering off into something new!
By the way, can I just give you an interesting fact here. When Peter preached the gospel of God in Acts 2, he said the following regarding the forgiveness of sins,
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
The forgiveness in the context of the gospel of God is not a "now" forgiveness. It is a "future" forgiveness. Those who believe and respond to the gospel of God are saved, but their sins are only forgiven when they are resurrected. The promise of forgiveness is connected to the New Covenant of which the timing condition of forgiveness is clearly specified,
Jer.31:33 But this shall be the [new] covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days [after the tribulation], saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
It is only after these converts are resurrected that they are officially pardoned. But Paul is telling his listeners that through Jesus they have forgiveness of sins right now. Lets look at the next verse,
39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Not "will be" or "at a later time". No. "They that believe ARE justified". This cannot be clearer and this is very must different to what the 12 were preaching.
40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you. 42 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.
Based on my previous point above concerning Gentiles/Greeks attending the synagogue meetings, here is additional proof. Gentiles besought him. Religious proselytes followed him. The synagogues at this time were a mix of culture, albeit that these non-Jews humbled themselves under the Jewish system.
44 And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God. 45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. 46 Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Let me start to end this post with a question I raised at the beginning of it. "What was Paul teaching his audiences?" My point is that if he was teaching the same message as the 12-apostles, he would not have had such opposition and backlash. What were these Jews accusing him of? Were their accusations about him preaching the name of Jesus, or might it have been the difference in his message compared to the 12, —the fact that Paul was saying that Gentiles could be justified outside of the law of Moses? Paul was preaching something new, something that was not typical of the gospel of God.
47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.
We will need to wait until we get to the next gospel, the gospel of Christ, before we can take this point of Paul's preaching further. But for now, in this "message" section of the gospel of God, we need to recognize two things. One: Paul most certainly was preaching the gospel of God. Two: Paul was doing something different with it that infuriated the traditional Jews and encourages the Greeks.
There is still a bit to say (and wrap up) about the 'message' of Paul, so I will need to continue this section again into the next post. Things are getting interesting now, so I encourage you to stay with me on this journey. If you have questions, or comments, or words of encouragement, please be sure to leave them in the comments section below. I would love to hear from you and find out if this study if helping you understand the gospel transitions, or at least confirming things you understood already.
Part 10 will continue with Paul's strategy of the 'message' of the Gospel of God.
God bless.
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