If Peter did not preach Paul's grace gospel, why does he speak of grace, the cross, and of faith and hope in his epistles?

If Peter did not preach Paul's grace gospel, why does he speak of grace, the cross, and of faith and hope in his epistles?

QUESTION:

Read 1 Peter 1:10-12, 14-21. Within the first chapter of Peter’s first letter, he speaks of the grace of God that would come to them. Not only did He speak of this, but He also spoke of faith and hope they would have by being in God. He also referred to the cross of Christ when he said his recipients were redeemed with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

It sounds to me that Peter is preaching the grace gospel since he spoke of the grace that would come to the Jews and the blood of the cross being shed for them which is what Paul preached day to day.

Peter was the apostle to the circumcised and Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, Galatians 2:8. This does not mean the gospels they preached were different, it only means their assignments were different.

Once again, these words were written by the apostle you said never preached the grace gospel of Paul. Please explain.

ANSWER:

Your questions are valid. I appreciate you asking. Let me take them one at a time and clarify with my perspective.

In Luke 20 you ask which gospel was Jesus' preaching.

The answer is that He was preaching the only gospel that existed at that time, the gospel of the kingdom that pertains to the Jews. Paul has not yet been saved, so God’s revelations concerning the grace gospel have not yet been made known.

Concerning Gal.2:8, you reference that Peter was the apostle to the circumcision and Paul to the Gentiles. Yes, these are the two people groups in question, but the verse immediately prior to this is verse 7, in which it clearly identifies the gospel of the uncircumcision (Paul) and the gospel of the circumcision (Peter). There are two gospels with two very different messages. Peter’s gospel placed focus on the identity of Jesus being the Messiah, the Son of God. This is why the Jews had to confess who Jesus was, as one of the conditions of the kingdom gospel. Paul’s gospel did not focus on the identity of Jesus but rather on the cross of Christ. For Peter, the cross was a point of embarrassment, saying to the Jews that they killed their Messiah, Acts 3:15. For Paul, the death (cross) of Christ, was something to glory (boast) in, Gal.6:14. The very message in these two gospels are contradictory.

Now let’s get to Peter’s epistle and what you highlight concerning aspects of grace in his writings. I commend you for seeing this. Not many people pick up on this change in Peter’s preaching. 

In order to understand why Peter writes about grace, and the blood of Christ, and faith and hope, we must first step back and take note of transitional facts that are taking place during this time. This is absolutely key to understanding not only why Peter’s epistles clash with the message in the four gospels, and sounds more like Paul’s grace message, but it also shed’s light on understanding changes in Paul’s ministry too, from his missionary ministry to his prison ministry.

Let’s take note of the period which we are dealing with. This is vitally important to identifying, and interpreting what is happening in the scriptures. Peter’s first epistle, from which you quote, was written about 62AD. Also, events in the book of Acts span about 30-years, from 30AD when Jesus ascended to heaven, all the way to 60AD when Paul is imprisoned in Rome and his efforts to convert his kinsmen and provoke the Jews to jealousy ends, meaning that his focus is now entirely on the Gentiles, (ie: Jews and Gentiles as one, without any wall of partition between them). Paul is eventually martyred in about 68AD. Another crucial event in the timeline is the Jerusalem council meeting in Acts 15, which took place in about 48AD. This meeting was a turning point in the Kingdom gospel and the ‘fate’ of the “Little Flock” (Luk 12:32) of believing Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah, who confessed His name, and who were faithful to His teachings under the law.

So, with these dates and events in mind, lets answer the questions concerning Peter’s doctrine. 

Before the Jerusalem council meeting, Peter taught the Kingdom doctrine as Jesus taught him. It was repent for the Kingdom is at hand. Repent and confess Jesus as Lord, being baptised in His name and receiving the Holy Spirit. Peter’s aim was to preach to ALL of Israel in the hopes that the nation would be saved, and it would usher in the Kingdom according to prophecy. However, on the other side of the scale, we have Paul who had been saved about 13-years before and who was sent out, as an apostle, by the church at Antioch, in 45AD, preaching a new gospel of grace which focused on the cross of Christ. Paul’s followers were not bound by the law, by circumcision, and by ordinances, and this was ‘provoking’ and clashing with the law-based Jews in Jerusalem. Contentions arose as James sent out Jews to spy on the grace churches and these men spoke against Paul’s message in the churches. It came to a point that the apostles needed to meet, to deal with the contentions and formulate a plan for peace between the Jewish converts who maintained the Mosaic law, and the Gentile converts who acted in MUCH more liberty. These differences give rise to the infamous writings in Acts 15:28-29; and of Paul in 1Cor.6; 1Cor.10; Gal.1; and Rom.14, which deal with how to handle this mixed church during this time of transition. It is the Jerusalem council meeting in AD48 that brought finality to the differences. What it also brought was a close of the Kingdom program for the ‘Little Flock’. What do I mean by this?

Look what Peter said in Acts 15:11, brought about by what he had learned through Cornelius’ conversion in 39AD (Acts 15:7), 9 years before this council meeting. Peter says,

Act 15:11  But we [Jews] believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they [Gentiles]. 

I cannot emphatically confirm if this was Peter ‘binding up’ the Kingdom program with the keys Jesus gave him in Matt 16:19, but whether this is the case or not, it is clear that Peter’s statement radically changed the pattern of salvation for Jews. The great commission, teaching the Kingdom doctrine, was officially closed and the Kingdom gospel, in essence, ended! From this point, Jews and Gentiles were now saved by Paul’s grace gospel. We do not hear anymore in scripture concerning the Jerusalem church and the Kingdom believing ‘Little Flock’. If we keep with the inerrancy and infallibility of scripture, then we must conclude that no more Kingdom gospel preaching took place anymore. The 12-apostles resigned their commission, thus the Little Flock, or believing Jewish Kingdom church stopped growing and eventually died out. This ‘Little Flock’ of believers is what Paul refers to as a short work in the earth,

Rom 9:28  For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.

Also, Paul writes and interesting statement concerning one’s original calling in 1Cor 7:17-20. If one is called in circumcision (under the Kingdom gospel), let him remain in that calling. If one is called in uncircumcision (the Grace gospel), let him not switch, but remain in that calling. The ‘Little Flock’ believers were to continue under the law as before, but the Jews that were saved under the grace gospel should not go back under the law but should serve God in the liberty of grace as the Gentiles.

This brings us to why Peter was writing in line with Paul’s grace message. His two epistles were addressed to and interesting designation,

1Pe 1:1-2  Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  (2)  Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

To the elect strangers in scattered areas? This is referring to both Jews and Gentiles who are enduring in the faith through the ‘last days’ tribulation. Paul's 13 epistles are written to the Body of Christ whose destiny and occupancy is the heavens. These epistles and its doctrine are relevant for us today and up until the snatching up of the Body of Christ on the day when the last of the Gentiles comes in. From the tribulation onwards, the Hebrew epistles (Hebrews to Revelation) become relevant to the believers who are going through the tribulation and whose final destiny and occupancy is not heaven, but the Millennial Kingdom on earth.  So, the passages of scripture in 1 Peter that you quote are addressed to believers who live in this next dispensation under tribulation. 

If you read these Hebrew epistles with the understanding that they are addressed to believers in the tribulation, the epistles will have the correct context and one will gain in revelation. Their content is based on Kingdom doctrine, but with the added revelation of the cross of Christ, His blood, and the grace of God that comes with that, which the Kingdom doctrine did not have before the cross. Consider just a few examples in context of what Peter writes to these believers,

1Pe 1:6-7  Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season [7-year tribulation], if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations [hardships of faith]:  (7)  That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire [tribulation], might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: [second coming of Christ]

1Pe 1:13  Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end [of the tribulation] for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ [at His second coming]; 

1Pe 1:17  And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons [Jews or Gentiles] judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear: [this is no longer the grace of God towards us through the work of Christ. That dispensation is finished!! This is God’s grace for salvation to those who endure in their faith of Christ and reject the Antichrist. This is a different dispensation with a change in doctrine.]

1Pe 2:9-10  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; [similar to Ex 19:5-6. The context of this tells us that we are adding these tribulation believers to membership of the ‘Little Flock’] that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:  (10)  Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

And so forth….

According to these scriptures, Peter is not preaching to the BODY OF CHRIST. He preaches to believers in the TRIBULATION. 

• These saints in the trib. are not saved by grace without works, they are saved by grace AND works.
• These saints in the trib. receive grace (salvation) at the resurrection, not immediately like us in the Body of Christ.
• These saints in the trib. are part of the Little Flock of Israel and are NOT added to the Body of Christ.

I trust that this provides a bit of context to your questions. It is important that when we read scripture, we do not only look at what the verses say, but of great importance is also to understand to whom the passages are written and at what time are the passages relevant and in context. We must account for dispensational, or transitional changes and the progression of revelation as we advance up God’s redemption plan. All this brings better clarity and context to scripture.

God bless.