There Are Two Gospels
Paul writes…
"…I have been entrusted with the evangel (gospel) of the Uncircumcision, according as Peter of the Circumcision (for He Who operates in Peter for the apostleship of the Circumcision operates in me also for the nations.)" (Galatians 2:7-8 CLNT)
There are two gospels (good news messages). Both centered in Jesus but not the same. One gospel “for the circumcision” and the other gospel “for the uncircumcision”.
Gospel Number One: The term "Circumcision" of course refers to Israel, God's chosen people, and the Circumcision Gospel was "entrusted" to the Apostle Peter. It tells them what Israel must do to participate in the earthly Kingdom promised to them. Following is a summary of that good news message:
1. They were instructed to repent, be baptized, obey the law of Moses and have faith that Jesus is the Messiah. While Jesus was on earth He preached this gospel message to Israel only. After His resurrection and ascension Peter and his companions preached this to Israel and Gentile proselytes during the period of the book of Acts.
"Thenceforth begins Jesus to be heralding and saying, "Repent! for near is the kingdom of the heavens!" ... "Now Peter is averring to them, Repent and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the pardon of your sins, and you shall be obtaining the gratuity of the holy spirit." (Matthew 4:17 CLNT; Acts 2:38 CLNT)
2. The destiny of ISRAEL, who are the "Circumcision", is to become a "royal priesthood" on the earth and will be "reigning" with Jesus during the two ages following this present age in which we live.
"Ye you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a procured people"..."The Lord God shall be illuminating them. And they shall be reigning for the eons of the eons." (1 Peter 2:9 CLNT; Revelation 22:5 CLNT)
3. Under the "gospel of the circumcision" faith alone, without works, is dead. A member of the circumcision assembly had to be in the direct lineage of Jacob, or be a Gentile who had become a proselyte to the Jewish faith. They must make a choice to follow Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and do the works of the law in order to "confirm" that "calling and choice".
”…faith, if it should not have works: it is dead by itself"..."Wherefore, rather, brethren, endeavor through ideal acts to confirm your calling and choice; for, doing these things you should under no circumstances be tripping at any time. For thus will be richly supplied to you the entrance into the eonian Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (James 2:17 CLNT; 2 Peter 2:10-11 CLNT)
4. The Circumcision followers of Jesus were commissioned to make disciples of Jesus the Messiah among all nations, and teach them to observe the law.
"Going then, disciple all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to be keeping all, whatever I direct you." (Mathew 28:19-20 CLNT)
5. At the close of the Acts period, only a few in Israel had become believers in the Messiah Jesus. Most Jews have became callous to the "gospel of the circumcision" and the promise of the Kingdom which remains to this day. There is still a "remnant" of "circumcision" believers today and are generally referred to as Messianic Jews.
"I am saying, then, Does not God thrust away His people? May it not be coming to that!...in the current era also, there has come to be a remnant according to the choice of grace" ..."callousness, in part, on Israel has come, until the complement of the nations may be entering. And thus all Israel shall be saved." (Romans 11:1-5;11:25 CLNT)
6. Jesus will return to set up the Millennial Kingdom of Israel on this earth, but the exact time is not revealed.
"Lord, art Thou at this time restoring the Kingdom to Israel? Yet He said to them, Not yours is it to know times or eras which the Father placed in His own jurisdiction...Jesus Who is being taken up from you into heaven shall come thus, in the manner in which you gaze at Him going into heaven." (Acts 1:6-7, 11 CLNT)
7. The details of the "gospel of the circumcision" and its related "Kingdom" is found in the Old Testament books of the Bible beginning with Genesis 12:1 and includes all of the remaining Old Testament books and the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Hebrews, James, 1st and 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd and 3rd John, Jude and Revelation. The other New Testament books are written to those "of the UNcircumcision", primarily Gentiles.
Gospel Number Two: The term "Uncircumcision" of course refers to everyone except the nation of Israel - "Gentiles". The Gospel of the Uncircumcision was "entrusted" to the Apostle Paul:
"I should be perfecting my career and the dispensation which I got from the Lord Jesus, to certify the evangel of the grace of God....through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens...the secret which has been concealed from the eons and from the generations, yet now was made manifest to His saints...For the saving grace of God made its advent to all humanity." (Colossians 1:20,26 CLNT; Titus 2:11)
4. People do not become part of the "body of Christ" by repentance, personal choice, or by doing the works of the law. We are "placed" there by God "because of Hi great love". The "faith" that allows us to believe it is a gift from God.
"God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love...vivifies us together in Christ (in grace you are saved)...in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this not out of you; it is God's approach present (gift), not of works..." (Ephesians 2:4-9 CLNT)
5. Our destiny is to be the manifestation of this "grace" to all mankind during this age, and "among the celestials" (created beings in heaven) during the two ages following this present age.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ, according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world...in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the Beloved…suffer evil with the evangel (gospel of the uncircumcision) in accord with the power of God, Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, NOT in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is GIVEN to us in Christ Jesus BEFORE times eonian…” (Ephesians 1:3-6 CLNT; 2 Timothy 1:8-9 CLNT)
6. If you are in the Body of Christ you know - because you believe. And when the final member is placed in the body of Christ, those "dead in Christ" will rise, and we who are alive "shall at the same time be snatched away to meet the Lord in the air". Our destiny is "among the celestials" (in the heavens} for the two ages following this present age.
"For the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven with a shout of command...and the dead in Christ shall be rising first, thereupon we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be snatched away together with Him in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 CLNT)
7. The details of this gospel of grace "for the uncircumcision" is found ONLY in the New Testament letters written by the Apostle Paul. They are as follows:
Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
Post Script: After the body of Christ has left this earth and gone into the heavens, the gospel of the circumcision and its Kingdom message will again be the message to the world during a time of great tribulation which will end with the return of Jesus to the earth to rule and reign on earth through the resurrected Jewish saints.
"And heralded shall be this evangel of the kingdom in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the consummation shall be arriving... then shall be great affliction, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world till now"... "I perceived heaven open, and lo! a white horse. And He Who is sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness is He judging and battling...And on His cloak and on His thigh He has a name written: "King of kings and Lord of lords...Happy and holy is he who is having part in the former resurrection! Over these the second death has no jurisdiction, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will be reigning with Him the thousand years." (Matthew 24:14, 21 CLNT; Revelation 19:11,16; 20:6 CLNT)
Unfortunately, the institutional Christian churches have mixed these two gospels to such an extent over the past 2000 years that their message has become "no gospel at all". And many of the resulting doctrines of Christianity are "myths".
"I am marveling that thus, swiftly, you are transferred from that which calls you in the grace of Christ, to a different evangel, which is not another...Oh foolish Galatians!. Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was graphically crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you get the spirit by works of the law or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:1-2 CLNT)
"…I have been entrusted with the evangel (gospel) of the Uncircumcision, according as Peter of the Circumcision (for He Who operates in Peter for the apostleship of the Circumcision operates in me also for the nations.)" (Galatians 2:7-8 CLNT)
There are two gospels (good news messages). Both centered in Jesus but not the same. One gospel “for the circumcision” and the other gospel “for the uncircumcision”.
Gospel Number One: The term "Circumcision" of course refers to Israel, God's chosen people, and the Circumcision Gospel was "entrusted" to the Apostle Peter. It tells them what Israel must do to participate in the earthly Kingdom promised to them. Following is a summary of that good news message:
1. They were instructed to repent, be baptized, obey the law of Moses and have faith that Jesus is the Messiah. While Jesus was on earth He preached this gospel message to Israel only. After His resurrection and ascension Peter and his companions preached this to Israel and Gentile proselytes during the period of the book of Acts.
"Thenceforth begins Jesus to be heralding and saying, "Repent! for near is the kingdom of the heavens!" ... "Now Peter is averring to them, Repent and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the pardon of your sins, and you shall be obtaining the gratuity of the holy spirit." (Matthew 4:17 CLNT; Acts 2:38 CLNT)
2. The destiny of ISRAEL, who are the "Circumcision", is to become a "royal priesthood" on the earth and will be "reigning" with Jesus during the two ages following this present age in which we live.
"Ye you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a procured people"..."The Lord God shall be illuminating them. And they shall be reigning for the eons of the eons." (1 Peter 2:9 CLNT; Revelation 22:5 CLNT)
3. Under the "gospel of the circumcision" faith alone, without works, is dead. A member of the circumcision assembly had to be in the direct lineage of Jacob, or be a Gentile who had become a proselyte to the Jewish faith. They must make a choice to follow Jesus as the Jewish Messiah and do the works of the law in order to "confirm" that "calling and choice".
”…faith, if it should not have works: it is dead by itself"..."Wherefore, rather, brethren, endeavor through ideal acts to confirm your calling and choice; for, doing these things you should under no circumstances be tripping at any time. For thus will be richly supplied to you the entrance into the eonian Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (James 2:17 CLNT; 2 Peter 2:10-11 CLNT)
4. The Circumcision followers of Jesus were commissioned to make disciples of Jesus the Messiah among all nations, and teach them to observe the law.
"Going then, disciple all nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to be keeping all, whatever I direct you." (Mathew 28:19-20 CLNT)
5. At the close of the Acts period, only a few in Israel had become believers in the Messiah Jesus. Most Jews have became callous to the "gospel of the circumcision" and the promise of the Kingdom which remains to this day. There is still a "remnant" of "circumcision" believers today and are generally referred to as Messianic Jews.
"I am saying, then, Does not God thrust away His people? May it not be coming to that!...in the current era also, there has come to be a remnant according to the choice of grace" ..."callousness, in part, on Israel has come, until the complement of the nations may be entering. And thus all Israel shall be saved." (Romans 11:1-5;11:25 CLNT)
6. Jesus will return to set up the Millennial Kingdom of Israel on this earth, but the exact time is not revealed.
"Lord, art Thou at this time restoring the Kingdom to Israel? Yet He said to them, Not yours is it to know times or eras which the Father placed in His own jurisdiction...Jesus Who is being taken up from you into heaven shall come thus, in the manner in which you gaze at Him going into heaven." (Acts 1:6-7, 11 CLNT)
7. The details of the "gospel of the circumcision" and its related "Kingdom" is found in the Old Testament books of the Bible beginning with Genesis 12:1 and includes all of the remaining Old Testament books and the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Hebrews, James, 1st and 2nd Peter, 1st, 2nd and 3rd John, Jude and Revelation. The other New Testament books are written to those "of the UNcircumcision", primarily Gentiles.
Gospel Number Two: The term "Uncircumcision" of course refers to everyone except the nation of Israel - "Gentiles". The Gospel of the Uncircumcision was "entrusted" to the Apostle Paul:
1. This good news tells everyone that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, that he was entombed, that he was raised from the dead. As a result, God is at peace with mankind, not counting people's sins against them. This gospel ("evangel") was entrusted to Paul to preach to the Gentiles.
"Now I am making known to you, brethren, the evangel which I bring to you...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He has been roused the third day...God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the conciliation." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4;2 Corinthians 5:19 CLNT)
2. Those who believe this gospel message do so only because they were chosen by God. He "chooses" them before the ages began and they are "placed" in the "body" of Christ as "He wills". They do not join a church, they ARE the church.
"...He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world"..."for we are members of His body"..."God placed the members, each one of them, in the body according as He wills." (Ephesians 1:4; 5:30 CLNT; 1 Corinthians 12:18 CLNT)
3. This "gospel of the uncircuscision" was a "secret" until revealed to the Apostle Paul. Part of the "secret" is that through the "Lord Jesus" God intends to reconcile "all" to Himself through the "blood of His cross". Mankind will eventually be saved by their resurrection because they are justified in Christ Jesus, and glorified with immortality - not for good works they do - but because of the unmerited love, mercy and "grace of God" . Therefore it is also called the Gospel of Grace.
"Now I am making known to you, brethren, the evangel which I bring to you...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was entombed, and that He has been roused the third day...God was in Christ, conciliating the world to Himself, not reckoning their offenses to them, and placing in us the word of the conciliation." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4;2 Corinthians 5:19 CLNT)
2. Those who believe this gospel message do so only because they were chosen by God. He "chooses" them before the ages began and they are "placed" in the "body" of Christ as "He wills". They do not join a church, they ARE the church.
"...He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world"..."for we are members of His body"..."God placed the members, each one of them, in the body according as He wills." (Ephesians 1:4; 5:30 CLNT; 1 Corinthians 12:18 CLNT)
3. This "gospel of the uncircuscision" was a "secret" until revealed to the Apostle Paul. Part of the "secret" is that through the "Lord Jesus" God intends to reconcile "all" to Himself through the "blood of His cross". Mankind will eventually be saved by their resurrection because they are justified in Christ Jesus, and glorified with immortality - not for good works they do - but because of the unmerited love, mercy and "grace of God" . Therefore it is also called the Gospel of Grace.
"I should be perfecting my career and the dispensation which I got from the Lord Jesus, to certify the evangel of the grace of God....through Him to reconcile all to Him (making peace through the blood of His cross), through Him, whether those on the earth or those in the heavens...the secret which has been concealed from the eons and from the generations, yet now was made manifest to His saints...For the saving grace of God made its advent to all humanity." (Colossians 1:20,26 CLNT; Titus 2:11)
4. People do not become part of the "body of Christ" by repentance, personal choice, or by doing the works of the law. We are "placed" there by God "because of Hi great love". The "faith" that allows us to believe it is a gift from God.
"God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love...vivifies us together in Christ (in grace you are saved)...in grace, through faith, are you saved, and this not out of you; it is God's approach present (gift), not of works..." (Ephesians 2:4-9 CLNT)
5. Our destiny is to be the manifestation of this "grace" to all mankind during this age, and "among the celestials" (created beings in heaven) during the two ages following this present age.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who blesses us with every spiritual blessing among the celestials, in Christ, according as He chooses us in Him before the disruption of the world...in love designating us beforehand for the place of a son for Him through Christ Jesus; in accord with the delight of His will, for the laud of the glory of His grace, which graces us in the Beloved…suffer evil with the evangel (gospel of the uncircumcision) in accord with the power of God, Who saves us and calls us with a holy calling, NOT in accord with our acts, but in accord with His own purpose and the grace which is GIVEN to us in Christ Jesus BEFORE times eonian…” (Ephesians 1:3-6 CLNT; 2 Timothy 1:8-9 CLNT)
6. If you are in the Body of Christ you know - because you believe. And when the final member is placed in the body of Christ, those "dead in Christ" will rise, and we who are alive "shall at the same time be snatched away to meet the Lord in the air". Our destiny is "among the celestials" (in the heavens} for the two ages following this present age.
"For the Lord Himself will be descending from heaven with a shout of command...and the dead in Christ shall be rising first, thereupon we, the living who are surviving, shall at the same time be snatched away together with Him in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 CLNT)
7. The details of this gospel of grace "for the uncircumcision" is found ONLY in the New Testament letters written by the Apostle Paul. They are as follows:
Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.
Post Script: After the body of Christ has left this earth and gone into the heavens, the gospel of the circumcision and its Kingdom message will again be the message to the world during a time of great tribulation which will end with the return of Jesus to the earth to rule and reign on earth through the resurrected Jewish saints.
"And heralded shall be this evangel of the kingdom in the whole inhabited earth for a testimony to all the nations, and then the consummation shall be arriving... then shall be great affliction, such as has not occurred from the beginning of the world till now"... "I perceived heaven open, and lo! a white horse. And He Who is sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness is He judging and battling...And on His cloak and on His thigh He has a name written: "King of kings and Lord of lords...Happy and holy is he who is having part in the former resurrection! Over these the second death has no jurisdiction, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will be reigning with Him the thousand years." (Matthew 24:14, 21 CLNT; Revelation 19:11,16; 20:6 CLNT)
Unfortunately, the institutional Christian churches have mixed these two gospels to such an extent over the past 2000 years that their message has become "no gospel at all". And many of the resulting doctrines of Christianity are "myths".
"I am marveling that thus, swiftly, you are transferred from that which calls you in the grace of Christ, to a different evangel, which is not another...Oh foolish Galatians!. Who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was graphically crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you get the spirit by works of the law or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:1-2 CLNT)