The Gospels and the Mystery

Once more, you question the Bible. Isn't it somewhat strange to you that you do so?
And, no, the gospel will NOT have been fully preached until those whom God had chosen to salvation are born, hear it, take it to heart, and believe it. Known to God alone is who those are and when it will occur.

Adding to the word of God is not good brother...

Adding to the word of God is not good brother...

Even though you opted not to support your drive-by post with evidence, I will nevertheless attempt to infer its meaning. While I won't engage with you in an extended dialogue on this topic at this time (as I believe it would be fruitless given your current lack of spiritual understanding), I will share these verses since they are quite straightforward, easy to understand, and go directly to your intent as I assume it to be. When you can understand and accept what they say, feel free to respond and we can discuss. Until then, no need to reply.

As I didn't feel like typing essentially the same post twice, it is also applicable to @Musicmaster.

[Eph 1:4-5 KJV]
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

[Eph 1:11 KJV]
11 In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

The Lord was never in the business of making covenants with Gentiles

Gentiles were never part of any covenant, only the house of Israel.

Not another RCC Calvin debate. You miss the entire context of the passage. The context is not "us" but what was chosen to be in him from the foundation of the world. The word "according" takes the context back to verse 3 which you left out. And yes, in Christ we have obtained an inheritance. Keep reading and the word explains how someone gets into Christ. Not one person was placed in Christ before the foundation of the world.

When we look at the Gospel as preached by the twelve, and the Gospel given to Paul to be preached to Gentiles and Jews alike, it becomes quite clear, apart from over-spiritualizing everything one reads, that the two messages are not one and the same:

The Kingdom Gospel preached by Christ and the twelve:

Proclaimed repentance and water baptism for salvation (Acts 2:38)
Proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom ([URL='Matthew 4:17, Acts 3.19)
Saved and commissioned within Israel’s borders (Matthew 16:13, 16-17)
Taught in Christ’s earthly ministry
Ministered to Jews only (Matthew 10:5, Galatians 2:7-9)

The Gospel of Grace received and taught by Paul:

Proclaimed “believe” alone for salvation (Romans 4:5-6, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
Proclaimed the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24)
Saved and commissioned outside Israel’s borders (Acts 9:3)
Was taught in Christ’s heavenly ministry (Galatians 1:1, 11-12)
Ministered primarily to Gentiles because of Jewish rejection (Romans 11:13, Galatians 2:7-9)

Paul was not taught by the twelve:

1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received [it] not [as] the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

So, Paul was instructed by Christ Jesus, not other men in the mystery, which is the body of Christ, that was hidden in God, not the scriptures or the prophets:

1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

Ephesians 3:2-7
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

Not given to the twelve, but only to Paul, who then preached it to all others from that point onward. Paul already knew that the eleven were preaching, but THAT is the reason he persecuted them, and killed them. If Paul was only preaching what the others had already been preaching, then all the scriptures stating otherwise make no sense.

1 Corinthians 2:7-9
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, [even] the hidden [wisdom], which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known [it], they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

See that? Not even Satan and his demons knew of the Gospel of Grace that would be extended to the Gentiles until after it was revealed to, and preached by Paul. They would not have pushed for the crucifixion of Christ had they known that the kingdom of the Gentiles would be greatly diminished from their clutches through Paul's Gospel. They knew of the Kingdom Gospel, but they did NOT know of the Gospel of Grace and its impact until after it was too late.

Thoughts?

MM

I am a little late with this, but I would begin sharing my thoughts by noting that Paul worked closely with Mark and Luke, who wrote two of the NT gospels, so his epistles assumed the teachings in those scriptures as well as Messianic prophecies in the OT.

Humanly speaking, we might not even have knowledge of Jesus in the gospels if Paul had not served God by spreading it beyond the borders of Judea, so we must assume God blessed Paul's ministry.

Even though Paul said the mystery was revealed to him (perhaps during the Damascus Road episode?), he does mention that it is revealed to other apostles (EPH 3:5). Paul persecuted Stephen before he converted to believing Stephen's "blasphemy against Moses".
(ACTS 6:11, 7:51-58)

Completely incorrect. It is the "us" that he is addressing, not the what - verse 3 included - the individual saints, the faithful. Someone can only "gets into Christ" by being a beneficiary. An inheritance can only be an inheritance as being that which is given by a testator to his chosen, included, individual, beneficiaries, otherwise, it isn't an inheritance: it cannot be not apprehended nor taken by someone to in order to make themselves a beneficiary. Like I said, come back when you can understand those verses. I'm done.

[Eph 1:3-4 KJV]
3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly [places] in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

[1Pe 1:4 KJV]
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

[Heb 9:15 KJV]
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions [that were] under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

Figures, Calvinists always make scripture about them.

Figures, Calvinists always make scripture about them.

It would help if you identified to whom you are speaking.

MM

He quoted rogerg. If you have him on ignore that explains why you would be unaware of that fact.

Ah, ok. That answers that because it shows no quote to me. Thanks.

MM

You are welcome. Also, in case you are unaware, at the bottom of each page, right under the last post,
there is a link that says, Show ignored content. If you can see that, it means some posts are hidden to
you because of the ignore feature, and if you hover over that link with your cursor, it will show who the
people are posting that you cannot see, although if you want to see the actual posts, you must click
that link, and then they will all be shown to you.

Thanks for the heads-up. I had seen that feature before, but forgot about it. I generally place troublemakers on ignore who resort to ad hominem retorts and are mostly just antagonists moreso than those seeking to have a discussion. Other threads where they stomp around causing trouble are how I measure them for what they are instead of just my own threads. The lack of graciousness is rampant among some.

Blessings to you and yours.

MM

There is within our flesh these deep-seated desires to try and do works on our part, which is a good thing. The problem that rises to the surface of the cesspool of our own righteousness is the belief that we can somehow make ourselves worthy of God's grace (UNmerited favor), or that we can "activate" God's favor toward us through good works.

What seems to be missing in that warped belief system is the understanding that salvation through faith alone is what brings one into the saving grace of the Lord in that instant of faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ Jesus, with good works being the outflow from a salvation already bestowed through faith alone. The fixation upon the "necessity" for good works is a moot argument, and tends to drive more and more people into the side of works-based salvation, which is a doctrine of demons. Under the Gospel of Grace, salvation is instantaneous without the need to earn it or to supplement it with good works to solidify that saving point at some future time.

Salvation as a future thing is a defining feature of the Kingdom Gospel since they must endure unto the end of their lives to be saved. That is not a defining feature of the Gospel of Grace. Some may ask , "Why would the Lord do that to them from before the cross and not to us all the way to this very day? That doesn't seem fair."

Well, that's questioning God's Sovereignty, which is evidenced in the precision of the language already revealed...meaning that this is just the way it is, and the lump of clay asking why the Lord has made all of mankind thus, it's just foolishness to question the Lord about His ways.

Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Romans 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath [whereof] to glory; but not before God.

Romans 9:32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

Galatians 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Works are works, be they good works or works of the Law, works are works. The Law commanded good works, both in service unto the Lord and toward each other. Those who do not know the Law will argue against this, which is to be expected. Having been raised in the Law as an Israelite, one becomes well acquainted with the Law to a far greater degree than all the arm chair experts out there who think much too highly of themselves than is worth considering, even in this fallen state of ours.

MM