Paul's Two Ministries: Chronological Order of Epistles and to Whom He Wrote Them

Paul's Two Ministries: Chronological Order of Epistles and to Whom He Wrote Them

Paul did not write anything until after he began his second missionary journey in which he was preaching the gospel of God in the synagogues and separating out those who believed it, into houses and schools, to establish them in the Gospel of Christ. His audience was a mix of Jews and Greeks (Gentiles) and during this time he was still water baptizing and doing miracles and signs for the Jews to believe his message. The gospel of God was about the resurrection of Christ and that this proved He was the Son of God. The gospel of Christ was about how Christ died for their sins, releasing them from the laws of Moses (yet maintaining some basic laws to keep the peace between the mixed cultures). Both these gospels that were preached to those who believed could be proved from the scriptures and the prophets. Those established in the gospel of Christ became members of the fledgling yet expanding Body of Christ.

Gospels and Raptures (God - Part 13): Destination

The Gospels and their Raptures (God - Part 13)

Destination

To quickly recap on my views regarding salvation in the Kingdom gospel, I believe that when saved into this gospel and one passed away, their inheritance and destination would be similar to the Old Testament saints who died in faith according to the good news God had made known in their day. Since these Kingdom believers, just like all Old Testament believers before them, placed their faith in a coming Redeemer and Messiah, they all, at death, would be asleep in Christ, and would experience resurrection at the sound of the trumpet* during the last stage of Christ's second advent. This means that they will awake in resurrection just before the Millennial Kingdom which they will inherit. 

What are all the resurrections of the end times?

The Bible speaks of two types of resurrections: (1) The Resurrections of the Righteous and (2) the resurrection of the Unrighteous. Jesus and Paul plainly declared two basic resurrections:

John 5:28 "for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned."

Acts 24:15 having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, that there is about to be a rising again of the dead, both of righteous and unrighteous; (Also see: Daniel 12:2)

Gospels and Raptures (God - Part 12): Participants

The Gospels and their Raptures (God - Part 12)

Participants

At Pentecost and during the early Acts period, the gospel of God was still predominantly Jewish. It was not actively being preached to Gentile's barring those who were in the synagogues, namely, the Greeks who were allies of the Jews and responsive to their religion! On the day of Pentecost, Peter specifically addressed Jews. Notice the following designations, "men of Judea" (Acts 2:14), "men of Israel" (Acts 2:22), and the "house of Israel" (Acts 2:36). 

Gospels and Raptures (God - Part 11): Conditions

The Gospels and their Raptures (God - Part 11)

Conditions

As with the gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of God had works-based conditions that went apart with faith. We can get a good context of the conditions of this gospel by the preaching of Peter in Acts chapters 2 and 3. As already mentioned, the gospel of God is the gospel of the Kingdom with two added element, the resurrection of Jesus, their Messiah and the requirement of Holy Spirit baptism. So, we see in Peter's first message after Pentecost how he lays out the conditions,

Acts 2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. ... 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. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Repentance was needed. They had to turn their mindset around 180 degrees and repent for their unbelief and in killing their Messiah. They had to confess His name and get baptized in water for the remission of their sins. This was necessary as acts of preparation for receiving the Kingdom. In addition, we find the baptism of the Holy Spirit which in the context of priesthood (Israel's covenant role in the Millennium), is the anointing oil for their office (Exodus 29:4; Leviticus 8:6), and the empowerment of signs to prove to the rest of Israel that their message was indeed ordained by God.

We clearly see evidence, just like in the Kingdom gospel, of additional acts, or works, to prove their faith in the message. The early church members sold all they had and brought the money to the apostles. They continued in breaking of bread and prayer, they continued in temple worship and sacrifices, and they obeyed the law.

Part 12 will continue with the 'participants' of the gospel of God. 

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Parts 10 - 12)

Notification of New and Updated Content

I have finished revising the last three parts
of the lesson series called

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return

The updated lessons can be found here...

Part 10 is now published

Part 11 is now published

Part 12 is now published

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?