The Apostle Paul's Gospel - Fully Explained
This is the ONLY Gospel that can save a soul from spending eternity in Hell.
After studying and searching the scriptures for over 30-years, I have discovered that to be “Saved” (from spending eternity in Hell), Christians MUST become members of the “Body of Christ”—in the spiritual sense, AND “…do the will of God the Father in Heaven” (Matthew 12:50).
As Christ often healed people (Matthew 4:24) and as He performed miracles such as raising up Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43-44), so He expects those who believe upon Him and His atoning sacrifice to not only do the same “WORKS” as He did—but “GREATER WORKS” than these:
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth [in FAITH] on me [Jesus], THE WORKS THAT I DO SHALL HE DO ALSO; and GREATER WORKS THAN THESE SHALL HE DO; because I go unto my Father.” (John 14:12)
This article will describe what all of this means in greater detail.
Christ’s prayer for “UNITY” in His Body of Believers
Firstly, Jesus prayed this prayer to His Father in Heaven—pleading for UNITY amongst those members of “the Body of Christ” illustrated above:
"And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them [every disciple of Mine throughout the ages]; that THEY MAY BE ONE, EVEN AS WE ARE ONE [or, in total UNITY with each other and with Christ and God]:" (John 17:22)
Although the disciples often asked (apparently) silly questions (Matthew 16:6-8) while in Christ's presence (because they were not yet 'born-again'), it was only AFTER Christ's resurrection and ascension into Heaven that they received the Holy Spirit (John 20:22). It was this event that brought them into UNITY with God, as Jesus prayed they would in John 17:22 above.
Therefore, Christ’s original disciples (except for Judas Iscariot) were NOT DIVIDED IN THEIR BELIEFS as some falsely claim, but they were unified under the influence and direction of the Holy Spirit and of God (John 6:45).
Paul — the Apostle to the Gentiles
The scriptures reveal that Christ had marked the Apostle Paul out to be His Disciple to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). So it was through Paul's many "revelations" he received from Christ that he was given the ONLY GOSPEL that is able to save sinners from spending eternity in Hell.
"As also in all his [Paul's] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are SOME THINGS HARD TO BE UNDERSTOOD, which THEY [the 'carnally-minded', religious Christians—Romans 8:1] that are UNLEARNED and UNSTABLE wrest[le with], as they do also the other scriptures, UNTO THEIR OWN DESTRUCTION." (2 Peter 3:16)
In this, the Apostle Peter was confirming what God had revealed to Paul as "My Gospel", and it appears the other apostles adopted it also as the ONE TRUE GOSPEL.
"In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to MY GOSPEL." (Romans 2:16)
"Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to MY GOSPEL, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to THE REVELATION OF THE MYSTERY, which was kept secret since the world began," (Romans 16:25)
"Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to MY GOSPEL:" (2 Timothy 2:8)
Therefore, if we accept that Jesus Christ is one day going to judge the secrets of Christian men and women's hearts according to the standard stated in "MY GOSPEL", I believe it is vitally important for every Christian to understand "THE MYSTERY" (Romans 16:25 above) associated with the Apostle Paul's Gospel and to then OBEY what is says:
“But they [today’s Christians] HAVE NOT ALL OBEYED THE [ONE TRUE] GOSPEL. For Esaias [Isaiah] saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?” (Romans 10:16)
The Apostle Paul’s Gospel
Today’s gospel messages often quote the verses below (and others too) to present a simple, non-confrontational message that Jesus loves the sinner and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for their sins that no human can pay. Of course, there is nothing mentioned that “THE GOSPEL MUST be OBEYED”.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Although the above ‘basic’ forms of the ‘gospel’ being preached today are accepted within the structure of Paul’s Gospel, “My Gospel” involves much more than simply “…believing in faith (alone)…NOT of "WORKS” lest any man should boast”.
The Structure of Paul’s Gospel
Firstly, I have renamed the term “My Gospel” to be the “Gospel of Initial and Final Salvation”, as this name indicates it is comprised of two different parts.
1. INITIAL Salvation requires FAITH ALONE by GRACE ALONE (Ephesians 2:8-9) - which is preached in multitudes of churches today - as it has been for probably the past two or three centuries.
2. If Christians remain at this low level of FAITH and GRACE ALONE for much of their remaining life on Earth, this is an insufficient level of faith for them to obtain eternal life with Christ. Such a level of faith equates to the one-talent Christian who failed to share his faith with non-believers:
“Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents...30 AND CAST YE THE UNPROFITABLE SERVANT INTO OUTER DARKNESS: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:24-30)
This is because Jesus said every Christian MUST:
"STRIVE TO ENTER IN[to Heaven] at the STRAIT GATE: for MANY [Christians], I say unto you, will seek to enter in [at the Rapture], AND SHALL NOT BE ABLE." (Luke 13:24)
I see this "STRIVING" to represent "…studying to show oneself APPROVED unto God":
"STUDY [the scriptures using God the Father as your instructor - John 6:45] to shew thyself APPROVED UNTO GOD, a WORKMAN [one who performs "WORK"] that needeth not to be ashamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING THE WORD OF TRUTH." (2 Timothy 2:15)
3. When God can see these two requirements being met in a passionate way by the new Christian, He arranges the New Birth to occur - which is an actual EXPERIENCE, just as a natural birth is an actual EXPERIENCE.
The ‘New Birth’ also affects (or awakens) the person’s spirit. This transformation awakens their spirit to God's spirit! It is also the time when God places a NEW HEART inside His child, as stated below:
“A NEW HEART ALSO WILL I GIVE YOU, and A NEW SPIRIT WILL I PUT WITHIN YOU...” (Ezekiel 36:26)
4. It is at this point that the spiritual awakening of God’s child occurs—who has (spiritually) entered into God's kingdom. With me, it appeared as though I was "...looking through a glass darkly" and “SEEING” what God the Father wanted to show me in His kingdom:
“FOR NOW [at the New Birth, in the same manner as Christ’s disciples did] WE SEE THROUGH A GLASS, DARKLY; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know [my Father in Heaven] even as also I am known [of Him and of Jesus here on Earth].” (1 Corinthians 13:12)
“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, HE CANNOT SEE THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” (John 3:3)
5. Once entered into the kingdom of God through the New-Birth, this new-born "babe in Christ" must then mature spiritually through the following stages to become a “good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25;21) to both God and Christ as being one of His "sons or daughters" on Earth (2 Corinthians 6:18).
This happens by partaking of both the “milk of the word” (the intricacies of the Gospel message) and progressing onward to consume the “meat of the word” that represents “SOUND DOCTRINE” that cannot be condemned (1 Peter 2:2 and Hebrews 5:14 and Titus 1:9 and 2:1). The spiritual maturing stages are:
Stage 1: Babe in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1)
Stage 2: Little child (1 John 2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28, etc.)
Stage 3: Strong young man (1 John 2:14)
Stage 4: Father – one who produces more “children” through Paul's Gospel (1 John 2:14)
Stage 5: Good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim 2:3)
6. The last stage of this spiritual growth is 'FINAL Salvation’.
This requires every truly "born-again" Christian to UNITE with other like-minded Christians (in LOVE - John 13:34-35) so as to collectively undertake the same "GOOD WORKS" (and even GREATER WORKS) than Christ did (Matthew 11:4-6 and John 14:12).
The purpose of this is to produce spiritual "FRUIT UNTO GOD" in abundance. This "FRUIT" represents the lost souls won out of Satan's kingdom into God's kingdom.
In this, Jesus said that:
"...Except ye be converted [through the New Birth and having a New Heart inside you], and become AS LITTLE CHILDREN [mentioned above], YE SHALL NOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN." (Matthew 18:3)
This requirement replicates in much the same way as a plant matures from a “SEED” sown in ‘GOOD SOIL” that brings forth both an abundance of “FRUIT” [for others to be nourished by] and “SEED” (to reproduce itself) as stated in the verse of the parable below:
"But he that received SEED into the good ground [of his heart] is he that HEARETH THE WORD, and UNDERSTANDETH IT; which also BEARETH FRUIT, and bringeth forth, some an HUNDREDFOLD [meaning 100 souls won out of Satan's kingdom through personal evangelism], some SIXTY [fold], some THIRTY [fold]." (Matthew 13:23)
"For we are his workmanship, CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS [the SAME and GREATER WORKS that Christ performed when He was on the Earth - John 14:12], which God hath before ordained that WE [meaning EVERY true ‘born-again’ Christian ] SHOULD WALK IN THEM." (Ephesians 2:10)
"I [Jesus] am the TRUE VINE, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 EVERY BRANCH [or Christian grafted] in me [at Salvation] THAT BEARETH NOT FRUIT [after the New Birth], he [God the Father] taketh away [from Christ by pruning]: and EVERY BRANCH THAT BEARETH FRUIT, he [God the Father] purgeth [or prunes] it [back], that it MAY BRING FORTH MORE FRUIT..." (John 15:1-2)
"If a man abide not in me [because he prefers to believe a FALSE ‘religious’ GOSPEL], he is CAST FORTH AS A BRANCH [that was initially grafted into Jesus], and is [since become spiritually] WITHERED [i.e. no spiritual 'moisture' within him]; and men [meaning angels later] gather them, and CAST THEM [these withered branches] INTO THE [Lake of] FIRE, and THEY ARE BURNED [throughout eternity - Isaiah 66:23-24]." (John 15:6)
The Apostle Paul’s “Mystery” Revealed
I believe the “mystery” of Paul’s Gospel is that ALL true “disciples of Jesus Christ” throughout the generations are to become:
an active member of Christ’s “body of believers” such as an eye, foot, ear, nose, mouth, etc. (1 Corinthians 12:13-21)
able to exercise the various “gifts of the Spirit” that have been allocated by the Holy Spirit for that specific ministry — i.e. an ear ministry, an eye ministry, etc. (1 Corinthians 12:7-11).
united together in LOVE—one for another (John 13:34-35)
“And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)
Where Christ Jesus walked upon the Earth as a God-Man who had the POWER to perform all sorts of miracles AND to “convince the gainsayers” when needed—so He requires His disciples throughout successive generations to join together IN UNITY as individual members of His body going forth in this world to spoil Satan and those in his kingdom with the TRUTH and with POWER:
“Behold, I GIVE UNTO YOU POWER to tread on SERPENTS and SCORPIONS, and OVER ALL THE POWER OF THE ENEMY: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
“Or else how can one [meaning Christ’s Body of Believers] enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man [Satan, using Christ’s “body”]? and then he will spoil his house.” (Matthew 12:29)
Do you meet the above requirements?
If you would like to pursue this topic further, please visit my website at https://mygospel.info/my-gospel-blog/ to read more articles about this.
Also consider visiting my YouTube channel to view some Bible study videos I have produced on this and other topics.
Blessings, Alan
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