WildB
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Paul refers to the gospel he preached as "my gospel" (Romans 16:25), "that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles" (Galatians 2:2), "the gospel of the uncircumcision" (Galatians 2:7), "the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:6-7), "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24), "the gospel of your salvation" (Ephesians 1:13), "the gospel of peace" (Ephesians 6:15), and "the gospel of God" (1 Thessalonians 2:2). I have frequently heard people refer to Paul's gospel as the "gospel of grace", but most often as simply "the gospel". Regardless of what it is called, it is the gospel that God revealed to Paul and it is different from the gospel of the kingdom which was preached before by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and the twelve.
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then the end shall come." Jesus Christ is saying that the gospel of the kingdom will be preached around the world prior to His second coming.
He is not saying that the gospel of grace will be preached around the world prior to the rapture.
There is a huge difference. Of course we should spread the gospel of grace as much as we can, but that is not what Jesus Christ was prophesying in Matthew 24.
He is referring to the gospel of the kingdom being preached during the tribulation. It will be preached by the two witnesses (Revelation 11:3-12) and the 144,000 (Revelation 7:1-8 and 14:1-5), after we Christians have been caught up in the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Yet so many well meaning preachers will say, "We have got to spread the gospel so Jesus can come back". Man does not control when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
It is true that we are supposed to spread the gospel, but there is absolutely nothing but a trumpet blast standing between us and our Lord Jesus Christ. The rapture has no prerequisite.
Are we preaching the gospel of the kingdom? We had better not be. Paul tells us in Galatians 1:9, "If any man preach any other gospel unto you that ye have not received, let him be accursed." Does that mean that Peter was accursed because he preached the gospel of the kingdom? Of course not. Peter preached to a different audience in a different dispensation of God's Word. But now, we are to preach the gospel that Paul preached, not the gospel of the kingdom or any other gospel.
But some Christians may ask, "Well, what about the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20?" First of all, the Bible never calls it the "great commission". Secondly, it was given to the eleven for the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the circumcision (Israel). Recall how that earlier in this article, in the sections on "The Old Testament Kingdom Program" and "The Early Acts Period", we saw that even from old testament times, it was already known that the Jews' ministry would eventually go to the Gentiles. But it will be very different from the ministry of the church today. It will be after the Messiah has returned to earth with all the people of Israel having become believers. It will be headquartered in Jerusalem, with Israel functioning as a nation of priests to the Gentile world. So Matthew 28:19-20 is not referring to Paul's gospel which had not yet been revealed.
Paul does however provide evangelistic instructions for believers in this present dispensation of the grace of God.
What many refer to as our great commission, is found in 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. "... if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
The gospel of grace for this "ministry of reconciliation" is: Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came in the flesh and was crucified. He willingly gave His life as the perfect sacrifice to pay for all of our sins. He was buried, and rose from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). We are cleansed from sin by his blood and have everlasting life, if we simply believe this gospel, the gospel of the grace of God, which Paul preached.
Israel's Kingdom Gospel and Our Grace Gospel
![[rapture]](graemlins/rapture.gif)
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That is all.....
Posts: 8775 | From: USA, MICHIGAN | Registered: Mar 2004
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