Did Paul ever teach the Kingdom Gospel?

Did Paul ever teach the Kingdom Gospel?

Yes! But only for a very short period of time.

Paul, blinded by the glory of Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road, was led into Damascus by his companions after his encounter. He spent 3 days without sight and sustenance. Then Ananias prayer for Saul’s sight and Saul was strengthened with food. Straightway after he gained his strength, Saul went to the Jewish synagogue and started to preach that Jesus is the Son of God. See Acts 9:19 in the image.

This is the only time when Paul preached the Kingdom gospel.

How do we know it was the Kingdom gospel? In verse 19 it says that Saul preached that Jesus is the Son of God. This was the key faith condition (and confession) for receiving salvation as per this gospel. A person had to believe that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah and confess Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.

For confirmation of this, have a look at these examples of people being saved under the Kingdom gospel.

A conversation with a non-Dispensationalist, initiated by this post which asked if Paul taught about fasting.

A conversation with a non-Dispensationalist, initiated by this post which asked if Paul taught about fasting. I post it here because I believe it contains valuable information for people who are learning to study the Word and who are seeing the need to rightly dividing the scriptures.

REACTION:

This is part of the problem with Dispensationalism — we have the clear teaching from Jesus Himself that fasting is an essential part of spiritual life (not to mention unambiguous historical records of periodic fasting being normative going back to the very earliest days of Christianity), and then Dispensationalists come up with excuses to disregard it all.

RESPONSE:

My post does not forbode fasting. It simply informs that it is not an obligation, nor a necessity, nor a means, under grace.

We have the clear teaching from Jesus Himself that fasting is an essential part of spiritual life

We have the clear teaching from Jesus Himself that fasting is an essential part of spiritual life

The following is a reactional comment from this post concerning fasting, and if it is observed in the grace dispensation.

STATEMENT:

This is part of the problem with Dispensationalism — we have the clear teaching from Jesus Himself that fasting is an essential part of spiritual life (not to mention unambiguous historical records of periodic fasting being normative going back to the very earliest days of Christianity), and then Dispensationalists come up with excuses to disregard it all.

REPLY:

My post does not forbode fasting. It simply informs that it is not an obligation, nor a necessity, nor a means, under grace.

Benching dispensationalism, I do want to bring attention to how you suggest that what Jesus taught applies to us. It is important to know that the Bible tells us clearly that Jesus taught under the law (Gal.4:4; Rom.15:8) and that his earthly ministry and teachings were addressed to Jews only (Matt.10:5-6; Matt.15:24). When Jesus called men to follow him, it was a call for Jews to follow his example and pattern of living. It was an example of living under the kingdom he was about to set up (Matt.4:17). This is not the example we follow today because we do not belong to that earthly kingdom. We belong to the heavenly kingdom (Eph.2:6; 2Tm.4:18), a different part of God’s whole redemption plan (Eph.1:10; Col.1:20).

Common disputes about grace salvation that believers have if they fail to rightly divide

Common disputes about grace salvation that believers have if they fail to rightly divide

The following is a reply to clarify the common disputes that believers have if they fail to rightly divide the scriptures. This is a classic argument of a person that mixes, or blends, all the conditions of both the Kingdom and the Grace gospels into one, confusing the matter and creating contradictions concerning salvation. Some of the objections they raise concerning my article are as follows:

• The road to salvation has ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME .
• We must OBEY Christ’s commands since He came.
• Those who repent will be saved. Those who do not repent will perish.
• The idea of being saved merely by belief in God is refuted by James.
• Hebrews, and elsewhere, warns of falling away.
• You HAVE TO BEAR FRUIT, You HAVE TO STAY CLOSE to God/on the vine. Or you will not be saved.
• Revelation 3 warns that "Those who endure to the end will be saved."
• Once saved, always saved is a heresy.
• Not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father.

I encourage you to read the article in full to remain sharp on what arguments and disputes people raise when they do not rightly divide and become familiar with how one can inform these people with contextually correct answers.

This translation knocked the wind out my sails

This translation knocked the wind out my sails

Browsing YouTube recently, I saw this video in my feed. (See image above). I immediately noticed the caption showing 2Corinthians 5:14-17, one of my original 'go to' verse references for teaching and encouraging the study of the Bible rightly divided. I thought, WOW!!! I have never seen or heard of many preachers who teach this passage, because it is very controversial. I wanted to know what this preacher was going to say about it, and how he was going to teach it. Without even reading the actual verse onscreen, I clicked the video and found the location of the sermon where the preacher started with this verse.

Then, as he started to read the verse to the congregation, all my excitement and anticipation came crashing down. My first thought was, what is he reading? I don't recognize anything that was coming out of his mouth. Then I read the caption on the screen and thought, "what philosophy book did this come from?" That passage is not even CLOSE to the verses I am familiar with in my King James Bible. Not even the message, or meaning, of these verses' lines up with what my KJV says. I am aware that modern Bible translations are corrupt, but this translation knocked the wind out my sails. I was shocked!!! 

What is the role of good works in salvation according to the New Testament?

What is the role of good works in salvation according to the New Testament?

This is a great question! There are many who are so confused regarding good works and salvation in the New Testament. Let’s get into the Bible and find out exactly how good works and salvation should work together.

We must first start by recognizing that there are two dispensations in the New Testament. Simply read the book of Acts, where the apostle Luke leads us out of the Kingdom dispensation under Jesus and the 12-apostles and into the grace dispensation under the apostle Paul. I mention this because it is vitally important to understand that salvation and the context of good works both change between the two dispensations. 

GOOD WORKS IN THE KINGDOM DISPENSATION

In the Kingdom program, good works were necessary to prove one’s faith for salvation. Read James 2:17-26 to get an understanding that salvation depended upon the works that demonstrated one’s faith confession in the identity of Christ. Salvation began with a confession of Christ as in these examples,