Chapter
II
The
Word or the Term Gospel in the New Testament
The
contradictions, discrepancies and differences between the principles and
concepts of the Gospels and the principles and concepts of the Old Testament,
as is shown in the previous chapter, are insufficient and not enough alone to
prove that it's a new religion, unrelated with the religion of the prophets of
the children of Israel, and were not written by the revelation or inspiration
of the Holy Spirit, from the point of view of the churches. The Gospels authors
and the rest of the New Testament authors, especially Paul, who was fully aware
these contradictions, discrepancies and differences, or more precisely, he who
has founded them, for this he sought in his letters to justify these contradictions, discrepancies
and differences, as shown previously, and considered that this issue is not
because of difference sources, but the principles and the concepts of his
beliefs have been hidden from all of the former prophets, and has been revealed
to him and his followers! As in the following texts:
1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God
was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached
among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
1 Corinthians
2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden
wisdom which God ordained
before the ages for our glory,
1 Corinthians
2:8 which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they
known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
1 Corinthians
2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for
those who love Him."
Ephesians 3:1 For this
reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for
you Gentiles —
Ephesians 3:2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the
grace of God which was given to me for you,
Ephesians 3:3 how that by revelation He made known to me the
mystery (as I have briefly written already,
Ephesians 3:4 by which, when you read, you may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
Ephesians 3:5 which in other ages was not made known to the
sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His
holy apostles and prophets:
Ephesians 3:6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the
same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel,
Ephesians 3:7 of which I became a minister according
to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working
of His power.
Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the
saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Ephesians 3:9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the
beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through
Jesus Christ;
Ephesians 3:10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God
might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the
heavenly places,
Ephesians 3:11 according to the eternal purpose which He
accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Romans 16:25 Now to Him
who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery
kept secret since the world began
Romans 16:26 but now has been made manifest, and by
the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations, according
to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith —
In
these texts Paul says that the principles and concepts which based on
worshiping three gods, who incarnated in the flesh, or at least one of them,
according to the faith of every church of the various churches, and they had
been flogged, and mocked and spat on them, and crucified and died; was a secret
hidden from all Prophets, and that this mystery has not been revealed to anyone
else, but only to him and the saints!
This
is true in this sense only, because there is no one of the former prophets had
spoken about such as this perception about the LORD the Creator of the heavens
and the earth, but what is the reality of this mystery which Paul had spoken
about?
The
reality of this mystery can be recognized by comparing it with the other
mysteries which Paul had told to his followers, as in the following text:
1 Corinthians
15:51 Behold, I tell you a
mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all
be changed —
In
this text Paul reveals another mystery, which was not known by anyone else
before him, and has not been seen by anyone else after him, which is that he
and his followers would not pass away until the next coming of Jesus, which is
what he says more clearly in the following text:
1 Thessalonians
4:13 But I do not want you to
be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest
you sorrow as others who have no hope.
1 Thessalonians
4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will
bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
1 Thessalonians
4:15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we
who are alive and remain until the
coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
1 Thessalonians
4:16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead
in Christ will rise first.
1 Thessalonians
4:17 Then we who are alive and
remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in
the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Thessalonians
4:18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
Yet,
unfortunately, the history has shown that this mystery was not true, and he and
his followers had fallen asleep, and after them dozens of generations, thus, the
failure to achieve this mystery shows that the first mystery is not true, and
is not from the Revelation or by the Word of the Lord, because if it was from
the Revelation or by the Word of the Lord; it should not contradicts the texts
of the revelation in the Old Testament that confirms the greatest fact in the
cosmos; which is the Oneness of the LORD the Creator, and worship Him alone,
and the lack of the true gods with Him or beside Him, and with the clarity of
this fact, but I will mention text from the Old Testament refutes all the words
of Paul and the others that the Lord the Creator of the heavens and the earth
hid some secrets from the former prophets, which is as follows:
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless
He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
The
Lord the Creator does not say any word unless it is a clear; and reveals His
secret to the prophets, especially His Oneness, and the lack of the true gods
with Him or beside Him, who participated with Him in creating the heavens and
earth, or deserve to be worshiped with Him or beside Him, thus, this text
invalidates all the words of Paul and the others about hiding the mystery of
the Trinity.
The
insistence of the New Testament authors and the churches considering that the
New Testament and their beliefs are an extension of the Old Testament and its
principles and concepts, requires us to examine the Gospels in the New Testament
objectively and subjectively, i.e., study the meaning of the word Gospel, and
the places mentioned therein, and the purpose of writing the Gospels, and the
methods and ways of writing, and the lost Gospels which are mentioned in the
Letters of the New Testament. As well as study the texts of the Gospels which
were quoted from the Old Testament. This will give us a clear idea of the
reality of the Gospels, and if they had been written by the revelation or the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit or not, and the sources that were relied on to
write the Gospels.
The
Word or the Term "Gospel" in the Letters of the New Testament
The
Letters of the New Testament are a collection of letters talking about the
disciples after Jesus ascension into heaven, whether by talking about their
lives and their activities as the letter Acts of the Apostles and some of
Paul's letters, or by trying to resolve the practical and theological problems which they have faced at that time, such as a warning of the differences
that were taking place among the disciples and the followers, or to prove that
Jesus is the Christ, and he who was intended in the prophecies of the Old
Testament, or to prove that the Law no longer binding them, not only the circumcision,
or the Sabbath but even the rest of the laws, and other issues that summoned
the research and debate at that time, and the last letter is the book of
Revelation, which is talking about the signs of the End of Time, and the end of
life on Earth.
These
letters will be significantly helpful in our search for the true meaning of
word "gospel", because they talk about how the disciples' preaching
was, and the sources which they had relied upon.
The
Word or the Term "Gospel" in the Letters of Paul
Paul
the Apostle is the most important figure in the Christianity faith, he who
established its principles and concepts, and defended it, as it appears in the
Acts of the Apostles and his letters, which are considered part of the New
Testament, which are fourteen letters, so, how did Paul preach?
Did
he preach through the four Gospels or through his own gospel?
And
if he had preached through his own Gospel; what are the sources of this Gospel?
And
if he has his own Gospel, what is his position on it, and what is the position
of the churches on his Gospel?
Finally,
are there other Gospels except the four Gospels and the Gospel of Paul, and
what is his position on them?
These
questions and others will be answered through studying the word
"gospel" in Paul's Letters, and due to its importance and numerous
texts, will be divided into several sections, the first is the texts that talk
about the Gospel of God, the second is the texts that talk about the Gospel of
Christ, the third is the texts that talk about the Gospel of Paul himself, the
fourth is the Position of Paul on his Gospel, the Position of Paul on those who
have hid his Gospel, the Position of the Churches on the Gospel of Paul and the
Lost Gospels in Paul's Letters, the fifth is Paul and the Word of the Lord,
Paul and the Holy Spirit, Paul and the Revelation, Paul and the Old
Testament, Paul and the words of Jesus, Paul and the Four Gospels
and Paul and his letters, below is a review to them.
Part
IV:
1
- The Position of Paul on his Gospel
2
- The Position of Paul on Those Who Have Hid his Gospel
3
- The Position of the Churches on the Gospel of Paul
4
- The Lost Gospels in Paul's Letters
The
Position of Paul on his Gospel
After
reviewing numerous texts in the letters of Paul that talked about the gospel of
God, the gospel of Christ and the gospel of Paul, which they are not exist! I
find it is the time to expand the search, and talking about the position of
Paul on this Gospel, and the sources that relied upon.
1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover,
brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you,
which also you received and in which you stand,
1 Corinthians 15:2 by which also you are saved, if you hold
fast that word which I preached to you — unless you believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you first of all that
which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again
the third day according to the Scriptures,
1 Corinthians 15:5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by
the twelve.
1 Corinthians 15:6 After that He was seen by over five
hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the
present, but some have fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:7 After that He was seen by James, then by all
the apostles.
1 Corinthians 15:8 Then last of all He was seen by me also,
as by one born out of due time.
1 Corinthians 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles, who am not
worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am,
and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly
than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
1 Corinthians 15:11 Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.
In
this text Paul declares (or to remind or make known, according to the various
versions) his gospel, so how he declared it?
Paul
says that his gospel which he preached is that Christ died for their sins
according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the
third day according to the scriptures. This saying shows two things. The first
is that the gospel is the declaration that Jesus is the Christ and that he died
and was buried, and rose again. The second is that the sources which were
relied upon by Paul in his gospel are the texts of the Old Testament, by saying
according to the Scriptures.
And
then begins talking about the appearance of Jesus to the disciples, saying and
that he was seen by Cephas (Peter), then by the twelve, after that he was seen
by over five hundred brethren at once, after that he was seen by James, then by
all the apostles, then last of all he was seen by him also, and this
contradicted with what is written in the four Gospels, as well as with what is
written in the Acts of the Apostles. Furthermore it contains a significant
error cannot be ignored!
The
significant error is the saying that Jesus has appeared to the Twelve, this
saying shows that Paul does not have any knowledge about the betrayal of Judas
Iscariot, for if we agreed that Jesus appeared to the disciples as it is
written in the four Gospels; this means that he has appeared to the Eleven, not
to the Twelve, because Judas died before the time of the appearance of Jesus to
the disciples in the story which is not without contradictions as will be shown
in the next chapter.
As
for the contradiction with the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles; he says
that Jesus has appeared to James, this story has not been mentioned in the four
Gospels, and most importantly of all this is the saying that Jesus appeared to
over five hundred brothers, this contrasts what was written by Luke in the Acts
of the Apostles, as he stated that the number of the followers at the time of
ascension of Jesus into heaven about one hundred and twenty men, so how they
became five hundred men according to the knowledge of Paul or his gospel?!
Act 1:15 And in those
days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (altogether the number of
names was about a hundred and twenty), and said,
Finally,
he says that Jesus had appeared to him personally, and this appearance was
written in the Acts of the Apostles and it was not a physical appearance but
was spiritually, that he has seen something in the sky and spoke to him, and
these visions and dreams does not make any hassle or controversies and disputes
with anyone, because anyone can say what he likes about his visions and dreams,
and no one tries to argue or to disagree with what he says, yet the dispute and
the controversy will happen if anyone wrote stories that inconsistent with what
is written in the Old Testament and what is written in the New Testament!
Then
he speaks about the grace of God which has been given to him by saying that he
labored more abundantly than they all, or worked harder than all of them, i.e.,
the Apostles, according to the various versions, and this indicates that the
relationship between them was not good, which will appear more clearly in the
following texts:
Galatians 1:11 But I make known to you, brethren, that
the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
Galatians 1:12 For I neither received it from man, nor
was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of
Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:13 For you
have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God
beyond measure and tried to destroy
it.
Galatians 1:14 And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my
contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the
traditions of my fathers.
Galatians 1:15 But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace,
Galatians 1:16 to reveal His Son in me, that I
might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with
flesh and blood,
Galatians 1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but
I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.
Galatians 1:18 Then after three years I went
up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days.
Galatians 1:19 But I saw none of the other apostles except
James, the Lord’s brother.
Galatians 1:20 (Now concerning
the things which I write to you, indeed, before God, I do not lie.)
Galatians 1:21 Afterward I went into the regions of Syria
and Cilicia.
Galatians 1:22 And I was unknown by face to the churches of Judea
which were in Christ.
Galatians 1:23 But they were hearing only, "He who formerly
persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once tried to destroy."
Galatians 1:24 And they glorified God in me.
New International Version
Galatians
1:11-24 I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not
something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man,
nor was I taught it; rather, I receive it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted
the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond
many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my
fathers. But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was
pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles,
I did nor consult any man, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who
were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and
later returned to Damascus. Then after three years, I went up to
Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter and stayed with him fifteen days.
I saw none of other apostles- only James, the Lord's brother.
I
assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. Later
I went to Syria and Cilicia. I was personally unknown to the churches
of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: ''The man who formerly
persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to
destroy,'' And they praised God because of me.
In
this text Paul makes known to us for the second time, that his Gospel which he
had preached is not according to man, or is not something that man made up, for
he neither received it from man, nor was he taught it, but it came through the
revelation of Jesus Christ, or he did not receive it from any man, nor was he
taught it; rather, he received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
Although
these words are clear and prove that he has received his gospel by the revelation,
and had not taught from, or received by, a man, he wrote in his letter to the Hebrews
words contradicts what he said here, as in the following text:
Hebrews 2:3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a
salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was
confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
Hebrews 2:4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders,
with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
In
this text Paul says that he has so great a salvation, which at the first began
to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to him by those who heard Jesus,
and this contradicted with the saying that he had not received his gospel by or
had taught from a man!
And
then begins talking about his Gospel, by saying that when God was pleased to
reveal his son in him to preach Jesus among the Gentiles. And emphasizes on
this matter by saying that after receiving this revelation; he did not go up to
Jerusalem to meet the apostles, but went into Arabia and then returned to
Damascus, and says he witnessed the god that he does not lie! As it is written.
And here we should take a pause with this information because it contradicts
what was written by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, for he said that Paul
after the appearance of Jesus to him during his journey to Damascus; stayed
there for some time and then he went up to Jerusalem to meet the apostles, so,
which one of them should we believe, Luke the Gospel writer, or Paul an apostle
of Jesus to the Gentiles, although the churches say that the Acts of the
Apostles and the letters of Paul had been written through the divine guidance
of the Holy Spirit?!
Hence,
we conclude from this text that Paul said that he had received the gospel
through the revelation of Jesus Christ, but what calls into question on the
truth of his saying that he has received it through revelation is the
contradiction with what is written in the four Gospels, and in the Acts of the
Apostles.
Galatians 2:1 Then after
fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas,
and also took Titus with me.
Galatians 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated
to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to
those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run, or had run, in
vain.
Galatians 2:3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
Galatians 2:4 And this
occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by
stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might
bring us into bondage),
Galatians 2:5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an
hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
Galatians 2:6 But from those who seemed to be something
— whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows
personal favoritism to no man — for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.
Galatians 2:7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the
gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as
the gospel for the
circumcised was to Peter
Galatians 2:8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the
apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the
Gentiles),
Galatians 2:9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed
to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave
me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they
to the circumcised.
Galatians 2:10 They
desired only that we should remember the poor, the very
thing which I also was eager to do.
Galatians 2:11 Now when
Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to
be blamed;
Galatians 2:12 for before certain men came from
James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he
withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the
circumcision.
Galatians 2:13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite
with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.
Galatians 2:14 But when I saw that they were not
straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a
Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel
Gentiles to live as Jews?
Galatians 2:15 "We who
are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Galatians 2:16 "knowing that a man is not justified by
the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have
believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and
not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh
shall be justified.
Galatians 2:17 "But if, while we seek to be justified by
Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not!
Galatians 2:18 "For if I build again those things which I
destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
Galatians 2:19 "For I through the law died to the law
that I might live to God.
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no
longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Galatians 2:21 "I do not set aside the grace of God; for
if righteousness comes through the
law, then Christ died in vain."
New International Version
Galatians
2:1-21 Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with
Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation
and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles.
But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for
fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. Yet not even Titus, who was
with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. This
matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our
ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. We
did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel
might remain with you.
As
for those who seemed to be important- whatever they were makes no
difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance- those men
added nothing to my message. On the contrary, they saw that I had been
entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles,
just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at
work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at
work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles, James, Peter
and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of
fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that
we should go to the Gentiles, and they to Jews. All they
asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was
eager to do.
When
Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he
was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used
to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and
separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged
to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy,
so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
When
I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel,
I said to Peter in front of them all, '' You are a Jew, yet you live like a
Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow
Jewish customs?
We
who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is not
justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we,
too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith
in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the
law no one will be justified.
If,
while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves
are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! If I
rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. For
through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been
crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I
live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave
himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness
could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!
In
this text, which is a continuation of the previous text, Paul says that he went
up to Jerusalem, after fourteen years by revelation, and set before the
Apostles the gospel that he preaches among the Gentiles, and then says concerning
the Apostles: "As for those who seemed to be important whatever they were
makes no difference to me"!
And
says they added nothing to him or added nothing to his message, but on the
contrary, when they saw that the gospel for the uncircumcised had been
committed to him, as the gospel for the circumcised was to Peter, or they saw
that he had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the
Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews, and here we must write down some
comments on these sayings. The first is what is the reality of the revelation,
which was received by Paul and the Apostles, or those who seemed to be
something or those who seemed to be important?
Because
if this revelation is the same revelation that was received by the Prophets of
Israel, it should tell the Apostles about the truth of the Gospel that preached
by Paul, and there was no need to inquire about it from Paul personally!
The
second is the Gospel which had been entrusted to Paul with the task of
preaching to the Gentiles; was it a certain book or a revelation, or it is his
own way of preaching, as well as the Gospel that has been entrusted to Peter?
If
it was a certain book, or a revelation that had been received from Jesus as he
mentioned in the previous text, why the churches did not keep it, and the
gospel of Peter as well?
But
if it was his way of preaching, it means that the word "gospel" means
the method or the way of preaching through interpreting the prophecies of the
Old Testament that talk about Jesus as a Christ and the son of God, and this requires
us to find the truth and the reality of these prophecies. Although Paul in this
text did not show the exact meaning of the Gospel, which was communicated to
the Apostles, or set before them, he has referred to it in the first text and
other texts which will be discussed later.
The
third is on his saying that Peter and the rest of the Apostles are apostles to
the Jews, this contradicts what is written by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles,
when he said that Peter from the beginning went to preach among the Gentiles,
and wrote the famous story about preaching Cornelius, a centurion in what was
known as the Italian Regiment, after his dream which he had seen in Joppa,
(Acts 10:1-48). Hence, his words about Peter and the other apostles, that they
should preach among the Jews is not true, or at least contradicts what is
written by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, so, which one of them should we believe,
Paul or Luke?
Then
he begins talking about his relationship with Peter and describes him as a
hypocrite, and Barnabas as well, and this indicates that the relationship among
the apostles and Paul was not good enough, and more importantly is that the
state of hypocrisy that was described by Paul to Peter and Barnabas and other
disciples does not refer to the state of the strong faith, including that they
had received the revelation, because the revelation is not given to the
hypocrites, unless it was not the same revelation that was given to the
Prophets of Israel!
In
the last paragraphs, Paul tries to prove that the Law is set aside, and it does
not justify anyone, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ
died in vain, or that Jesus died for nothing or to no purpose or was pointless
or needlessly or would be useless or unnecessarily or without cause, as it is
written in the various versions, and I had shown earlier the position of Paul
on the Law, but here we should ask a question which is if the Law does not
justify anyone, why the Lord gave it to Moses?!
Ephesians 3:1 For this
reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles —
Ephesians 3:2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the
grace of God which was given to me for you,
Ephesians 3:3 how that by revelation He made
known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already,
Ephesians 3:4 by which, when you read, you may understand my
knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
Ephesians 3:5 which in other ages was not made known
to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy
apostles and prophets:
Ephesians 3:6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs,
of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through
the gospel,
Ephesians 3:7 of which I became a minister according
to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective
working of His power.
Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of
all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the
Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,
Ephesians 3:9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery,
which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who
created all things through Jesus Christ;
New International Version
Ephesians
3:1-9 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you
Gentiles- Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that
was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by
revelation, as I have already written briefly. In
reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the
mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations
as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and
prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the
Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and
shares together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working of his power.
Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this
grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable
riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this
mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who
created all things.
In
this text Paul says that the God has made known to him the mystery of Christ by
revelation, which was not made known to men in other generations, as it has now
been revealed by the Spirit to the apostles and prophets, this mystery is that
the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and
sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, who he
became a servant of this gospel.
He
also says that he has already written to the Ephesians, for that they will be
able to understand his insight into the mystery of Christ, and the gift of
God's grace which was given to him, although he was less than the least of the
apostles, this grace was given to him to preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration
of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God!
Here,
I will not talk about the reality of the mystery that was given to Paul,
because the Paul's mysteries are many, and I have shown some of them earlier,
but what matters here is his saying that he became a servant of this gospel
which was given to him by revelation and it has been revealed by the Spirit, so
what is this gospel, and why the churches did not keep it, as they did with the
four Gospels, also he refers to a previous letter to the Ephesians, so why the
churches did not keep this letter as well?
Romans 16:25 Now to Him
who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery kept secret since the world began
Romans 16:26 but now has been made manifest, and by
the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all nations,
according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the
faith —
Romans 16:27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
New International Version
Romans
16:25-27 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and
the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and
made known through the prophetic writing by the command of the
eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him- to the only wise
God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
In
this text Paul tells about his gospel and his preaching, or proclamation, of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages
past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writing, or the
prophetic Scriptures, by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations
might believe and obey to the God through Jesus Christ, and this is repetition
to what he had said in the earlier text, but here he shows the source which he
has relied upon in his gospel and the preaching and the proclamation of Jesus
Christ by saying that they are revealed, and made known through the prophetic
writing, i.e., the texts of the Old Testament! And this indicates that the
gospel of Paul and his preaching is his interpretation of the texts of the Old
Testament, which appears clearly in his Letters, for this he quoted hundreds of
texts from the Old Testament, while he did not write about the life of Jesus as
it is written in the four Gospels except a few texts.
As
for his words about that he has received a revelation is just a kind of
propaganda and not a matter of fact, because if so, he should not contradict
with what is written in the four Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, as shown
previously.
Romans 10:13 For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall
be saved."
Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not
believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And
how shall they hear without a preacher?
Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those
who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good
things!"
Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel.
For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our report?"
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
New International Version
Romans
10:13-17 For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved." How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And
how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear
without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless
they are sent? As it written, '' How beautiful are the feet of those
who bring good news''. But not all the Israelites accepted the
good news. For Isaiah says, '' Lord, who has believed our message?
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is
heard through the word of Christ.
In
this text we find that Paul has quoted two texts from the Old Testament to say
that all Jews have not obeyed the gospel, and this method and approach
indicates to the meaning of the word "gospel" which is mentioned by
Paul, and the sources of the Gospels, which is quoting the texts from the Old
Testament to prove that Jesus is the Christ, for this he did not cite texts
from the four Gospels, or from the words which he has received by revelation or
Spirit as he claims, and this means that the meaning of the gospel is the
preaching by interpreting the texts of the Old Testament as it is written!
We
also note that Paul has distorted the text of the Old Testament, which is what
done quite often by the Gospels authors and the rest of the New Testament
authors, as will be shown in the next chapter, to serve what he believes,
because the text of the Old Testament talks about one man, not a group of
people, which is as follows:
Isaiah 52:7 How
beautiful upon the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news,
Who proclaims peace, Who brings glad tidings of good things, Who proclaims salvation, Who says to Zion, "Your God
reigns!"
This
alteration that done by Paul in the text indicates that he had written his
letters away from the Spirit and the Revelation which was received by the
Prophets of Israel, because if so, he will not distort the text as such, and so
that he at the beginning of this chapter had cited text from the Old Testament
and distorted the words of a paragraph, and deleted a paragraph that shows the
meaning of the text to serve what he believes, as in the following text:
Romans 10:4 For Christ is
the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
Romans 10:5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which
is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by
them."
Romans 10:6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in
this way, "Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven’?"
(that is, to bring Christ down from
above)
Romans 10:7 or," ‘Who will descend into the abyss’?"
(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).
Romans 10:8 But what does it say? "The word is
near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of
faith which we preach):
Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
New International Version
Romans
10:4-9 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be
righteousness for everyone who believes.
Moses
describes in this way the righteousness that is by law; "The man who
does these things will live by them". But the righteousness that
is by faith says; "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into
heaven?; " (that is, to bring Christ down) :or ; who
will descend into the deep?' "(that is, to bring Christ up from
the dead). But what does it say? :The word is near you; it is in
your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we
are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is
Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.
In
this text Paul says that Christ is the end of the law, for righteousness to
everyone who believes, and cited text from the Deuteronomy; saying that the verse
"Who will ascend into heaven" does not mean to bring Christ down from
above, and " Who will descend into the abyss" does not mean to bring
Christ up from the dead, but he said that the righteousness of faith speaks
"The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" that is, the
word of faith which they preached, that if anyone confesses with his mouth that
Jesus is the Lord and believe in his heart that God raised him from the dead,
he will be saved, this is what Paul understood from the text, or what he wants
from his followers to understand, so what is written in the Deuteronomy, and if
Paul's understanding was true or not?
Let's
read the following text:
Deuteronomy 30:10 "if you obey the voice of the LORD your
God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which
are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with
all your soul.
Deuteronomy 30:11 "For
this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off.
Deuteronomy 30:12 "It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will
ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we
may hear it and do it’?
Deuteronomy 30:13 "Nor is
it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over
the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear
it and do it’?
Deuteronomy 30:14 "But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in
your heart, that you may do it.
Deuteronomy 30:15 "See,
I have set before you today life and good, death and evil,
Deuteronomy 30:16 "in that I command you today to love the
LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His
commandments, His statutes, and His judgments,
that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless
you in the land which you go to possess.
Deuteronomy 30:17 "But if your heart turns away so that
you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and
serve them,
Deuteronomy 30:18 "I announce to you today that you
shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and
possess.
New International Version
Deuteronomy
30:10-18 If you obey the LORD your God and keep his commands and decrees
that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the LORD your God
with all your heart and with all your soul.
Now
what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond
your search. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to
ask, "Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so
we may obey it?" Nor is it beyond the sea, so that
you have to ask, ''Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us
so we may obey it?" No the word is very near you; it
is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
See.
I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I
command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and
to keep his commands, decrees and laws, then you will live and
increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to
possess.
But
if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn
away to bow down to other gods and worship them. I declare to you this
day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long
in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess.
Hebrew - English Bible
According to the Masoretic Text
and the JPS 1917 Edition
30:10 if thou shalt hearken to the
voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes
which are written in this book of the law; if thou turn unto the LORD
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. {S}
30:11
For
this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not too hard for
thee, neither is it far off.
30:12
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say: 'Who
shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, and
make us to hear it, that we may do it?'
30:13
Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say: 'Who
shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, and
make us to hear it, that we may do it?'
30:14
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy
mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. {S}
30:15
See,
I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil,
30:16
in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in
His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His
ordinances; then thou shalt live and multiply, and the LORD thy God
shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.
30:17
But
if thy heart turn away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt
be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
30:18 I declare unto you this
day, that ye shall surely perish; ye shall not prolong your days upon
the land, whither thou passest over the Jordan to go in to possess it.
The
first note that can be seen in the text is that it speaks about the Law,
commandments, statutes and judgments, and asked them to keep them and do them,
while Paul and the churches sought with all their strength to call for
non-compliance with the Law, as shown previously. Furthermore there is no any
reference about Christ, not from a nearby nor from afar.
The
second note is that Paul had written a paragraph "Who will descend into
the abyss" or "who will descend into the deep", while the text
of the Deuteronomy says "Who will go over the sea", or ''Who will
cross the sea".
Moreover,
Paul omitted the paragraph "For this commandment which I command you today
is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off" in which shows what the
text speaks about, and this was just an attempt to make talking about the
ascension of Jesus into heaven and resurrection from the dead logically!
Otherwise,
the whole text talks about the Law and how to keep it and do it, as we have
noted.
The
third note is on his saying that "word" which mentioned in the text
of the Deuteronomy means the word of faith which he preached that Jesus is
Lord, and God raised him from the dead, this is definitely wrong and distorting
to the Deuteronomy's text, because the text speaks about the Law and to keep it
and to do the commandments, while Paul did not do and keep them, and the most
important is that what's written in this text specifically, is a warning of
worshiping other gods with the LORD the Creator of the heavens and the earth or
beside Him, while he has not committed to this text which he cited it, because
he calls to worship three gods with the LORD the Creator of the heavens and the
earth!
Through
this review of Paul's text and the text of the Deuteronomy, we conclude that
Paul had quoted the texts of the Old Testament and interpreted them according
to his desires to prove what he believes in, and didn't feel embarrassed to add
some paragraphs, and omits others; to serve what he believes in, and this does
not indicate that he had received the Revelation or the Inspiration of the Holy
Spirit as is the case with the Prophets of Israel.
1 Corinthians 1:17 For
Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel,
not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made
of no effect.
1 Corinthians 1:18 For the message of the cross is
foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved
it is the power of God.
1 Corinthians 1:19 For it is written: "I will
destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent."
1 Corinthians 1:20 Where is
the wise? Where is the scribe? Where
is the disputer of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
1 Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God,
the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through
the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:22 For Jews request a sign, and
Greeks seek after wisdom;
1 Corinthians 1:23 but we preach Christ crucified,
to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
1 Corinthians 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and
Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:25 Because the foolishness of God is
wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger
than men.
New International Version
1 Corinthians
1:17-25 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel-not
with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
For
the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are
perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
For
it is written: ''I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the
intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate'.
Where
is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For
since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him,
God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to
save those who believe.
Jews
demand miraculous signs and Greek look for wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified; a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but
to those whom God has called both Jews and Greek , Christ the power of God and
the wisdom of God.
For
the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness
of God is stronger than man's strength.
In
this text Paul says that Jesus sent him to preach the gospel, but not with
words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power, and to
prove his way of preaching; he has quoted text from the Old Testament! And here
also, he did not quote text from the four Gospels or of the words of Jesus,
which he had received directly or through revelation as was the case with the
Prophets of Israel, whom had received the word of the Lord the Creator of the
heavens and the earth, like Moses directly or through a revelation like the
rest of the prophets.
Paul,
as usual also, has distorted the text of the Old Testament to prove that the
preaching of the crucifixion of Christ was based on the Old Testament texts,
not on the signs that are requested by the Jews or the wisdom that are sought
by the Greeks! And the text which is cited by him is as follows:
Isaiah 29:13 Therefore the Lord said: "Inasmuch as
these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips,
But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear
toward Me is taught by the commandment of men,
Isaiah 29:14 Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous
work Among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; For the
wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."
Isaiah 29:15 Woe to those who seek deep to hide their
counsel far from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say,
"Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?"
Isaiah 29:16 Surely you have things turned around! Shall
the potter be esteemed as the clay; For shall the thing made say
of him who made it, "He did not make me"? Or shall the
thing formed say of him who formed it, "He has no
understanding"?
In
this text the Lord God the Creator of the heavens and the earth says that some
people came near to Him with their mouths and honor Him with their lips, but
have removed their hearts far from Him, therefore, their wisdom will be perished,
and their understanding will be vanished, and their knowledge of the Old
Testament become a way to distort it and keep people away from Him to worship
other gods with Him or beside Him; hence, the LORD said to them "surely
you have things turned around", or "turning of things upside
down"!
Surely
you have things turned around! Do you believe that the clay will be like the
potter?
Surely
you turn things upside down, do you believe that Jesus who born of a woman will
be like the LORD the Creator of the heavens and the earth?!
Surely
you turn things upside down, how can you think or imagine that a handful of
people have crucified the Lord the Creator of the heavens and the earth?!
Surely
you turn things upside down!
These
attempts by Paul to prove what he believes from the Old Testament, and
distorting its texts indicate to two things. The first is that he didn't have
the Revelation or the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as was the case with the
Prophets of Israel. The second is that his Gospel or his way of preaching is
his understanding and his interpreting the texts of the Old Testament to say
that these texts had prophesied and talked about Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel did not come to
you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and
in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your
sake.
New International Version
1Thessalonians
1:5 Because our gospel came to you not simply with word, but also
with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You
know how we lived among you for your sake.
In
this text Paul says that his gospel did not come to his followers in word only,
but also in the Holy Spirit, and this means that his Gospel, if he was talking
about a certain book, had been received through the Holy Spirit and came to his
followers with the Holy Spirit, however, the churches did not keep it, as they
did with the gospel of Luke, who said that he had written an account, and the
other Gospels as well, which their authors did not mention that they wrote it
or received it by the Revelation or the Inspiration of the Holy Spirit!
The
Position of Paul on Those Who Have Hid his Gospel
Paul
considered that his gospel is the basis of the Christian faith, so, he has
taken a solid stand of those who do not abide to it, as in the following text:
2Corinthians 4:1 Therefore,
since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart.
2Corinthians 4:2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame,
not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully,
but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s
conscience in the sight of God.
2Corinthians 4:3 But even if our gospel is veiled,
it is veiled to those who are perishing,
2Corinthians 4:4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who
do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.
New International Version
2 Corinthians
4:1-4 Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not
lose heart.
Rather,
we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception,
nor do we distort the word of God.
On
the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every
man's conscience in the sight of God.
And
even if our gospel is veiled, it
is veiled to those who are perishing.
The
god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers,
so
that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ,
who is the image of God.
In
this text Paul says that his gospel will not be veiled or hidden, but will be
veiled or be hidden to those who are perishing!
So,
do these words apply to the churches, since they hid the gospel of Paul?
With
regard to his saying that he did not distort the word of God, what we have read
previously proves that this is not true.
The
Position of the Churches on the Gospel of Paul
The
position of the churches on gospel of Paul is that they did not veil it, or hid
it only, but also the Early Church, i.e., the churches of the Disciples, was
not acting in the line with the truth of the gospel, as Paul himself said, as
in the following text:
Galatians 2:14 But when I saw that they were not
straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, "If you, being a Jew, live
in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to
live as Jews?
In
this text Paul says that Peter and the other disciples were not straightforward
about the truth of the gospel, or they were not acting in the line with the truth
of the gospel, according to the New International Version, and he said these
words after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to the Disciples, as
Luke wrote in the Acts of the Apostles, which implies one of two things, either
that the Holy Spirit who came to the disciples has considered that the Gospel
of Paul is not a revelation and should not be obedient to it, or that the
Spirit who was with Paul considered that Peter and the rest of the disciples
were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, and applies to them the
words of Paul that they are perishing, for they have veiled and hid his Gospel,
so that no one knows what is the Gospel of Paul!
Philippians 4:15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning
of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared
with me concerning giving and receiving but you only.
New International Version
Philippians
4:15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your
acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out Macedonia, not one
church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except
you only.
In
this text Paul says that no church shared with him concerning giving and
receiving, except the church of the Philippians, so, was the refusing of the
churches to share with him, and then hid his gospel; due to the perishing of
those churches, or they believe that Paul was preaching for things contrary to
the faith which they believe in?!
Here
Paul did not talk about the churches of heretics or the Gnostics, but about the
churches of the Apostles and Disciples, including the church of Peter, who John
also said in his Gospel that Jesus asked Peter to take care of the disciples,
"Take care of my sheep" (John 21:16) and "Feed my sheep"
(John 21:18), thus the shepherd of the disciples and the disciples themselves
had refused to commit to the gospel of Paul, and eventually succeeded to hide
his Gospel!
The
Lost Gospels in Paul's Letters
We
have read previously about some of the lost gospels that mentioned by Paul in
his letters, and I'd like to mention them again, which are as follows:
Galatians 2:1 Then
after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took
Titus with me.
Galatians 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and
communicated to them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles,
but privately to those who were of reputation, lest by any means I might run,
or had run, in vain.
Galatians 2:3 Yet not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.
Galatians 2:4 And this occurred
because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by
stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might
bring us into bondage),
Galatians 2:5 to whom we did not yield submission even for an
hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
Galatians 2:6 But from those who seemed to be something
— whatever they were, it makes no difference to me; God shows
personal favoritism to no man — for those who seemed to be something added nothing to me.
Galatians 2:7 But on the contrary, when they saw that the
gospel for the uncircumcised had been committed to me, as the gospel for the circumcised
was to Peter
Gal 2:8 (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the
apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the
Gentiles),
Galatians 2:9 and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be
pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and
Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.
In
this text Paul talks about two gospels which are lost, which is called the
gospel for the uncircumcised, and the gospel for the circumcised. Here I wonder
why the churches did not keep them, specially they are not the gospels of heretics
or Gnostics but the gospels of Paul and Peter which are mentioned by Paul
himself?!
Then
we read his words about the gospel which he has rejected, and did not accept
it, as in the following text:
Galatians 1:6 I marvel
that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of
Christ, to a different gospel,
Galatians 1:7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble
you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be
accursed.
In
this text Paul talks about a gospel which is not the Gospel of Christ, so what
is this gospel that has made trouble to his followers?!
As
well as this text proves that the Gospels, which the churches say that they are
gospels of heretics or Gnostics, or some of them at least, had been written at
the time of Paul, and even before the four Gospels, not as the churches say
that they had been written in the second century and the third and fourth A.D!
No comments:
Post a Comment