WHAT WAS PAUL’S “GOSPEL?”

What was Paul's "Gospel?"

Rom 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Why did Paul refer to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as "my gospel?"

Paul said this not once but on three separate occasions. What did he mean by calling the gospel "his?" Was the "gospel of Paul" different from the gospel of the other Apostles?

Answer: Yes and NO! Yes, in that it proclaimed the arrival of the Messiah to the Hebrew people i.e. the Jews. NO, it that Paul was called to take that same gospel to the Gentiles, the (non-Jews) in this regard Paul considered the gospel of Jesus Christ as his own specific and special commission to carry the truth to the Gentiles. The words "gospel and truth" are synonymous in scripture and cannot be separated.

This is all one statement as there was no punctuation in the original text.

Rom 16:25-27 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, [Paul's gospel was simply the preaching of Jesus] according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea.

In the above verse, Paul eluded to the "revelation of the mystery" in which he says was "kept secret since the world began".What did he mean and where can we find in scripture the record of this mystery? Paul was speaking of the now current in his day the "revelation" or fulfillment of that "mystery" he spoke of in the person of Jesus Christ.

When was that "mystery" first revealed? Many will say in the book of Genesis when God prophesied the "Enmity" in Genesis 3:15. Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. But this is NOT what Paul was speaking about. Paul was speaking about the "mystery" of the decree in heaven made by the FATHER in the "Council of Peace" where it was decided by the entire GODHEAD that Michael would leave heaven and be born upon the Earth as the "Only Begotten Son of God" as the Savior of the World. [THIS IS THE MYSTERY PAUL WAS SPEAKING OF] Zec 6:12,13 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. This is the "mystery" which was kept secret from Satan up to the time the Angels made this decree, Luk 2:10,11 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Then Satan became aware of the "mystery" called the Enmity in Genesis 3:15.

This is what Paul meant when he said: "to the revelation (or the revealing) of the mystery, [The decision made by the GODHEAD in the Council of Peace] which was kept secret since the world began." Yes, the prophets especially Isaiah both spoke of and recorded the coming of the Messiah, but Satan didn't understand just who that Messiah (actually) was. The devil knew that something would occur that would be a barrier between his agenda and that of God, but he DIDN'T HAVE any idea of just who that "enmity" might be. He had no idea that God Himself would visit humanity Himself as the "Only Begotten Son", he only suspected "the enmity" or the barrier pronounced in Genesis 3:15. The night the Angels made the herald above is when the "mystery" Paul spoke of materialized for both mankind and Satan. Paul's phrase "which was kept secret since the world began" can be spoken as "It [the decree made in the Council of Peace] was kept secret [from Satan] long before the world began, and was eluded to in Genesis 3:15 as the "enmity" to come that would stand between Satan and the people of God.

2Ti 2:8,9 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: Wherein I suffer trouble, [Blurred vision and persecution] as an evil doer, [a persecutor of the church of God] even unto bonds; [being bound in chains for the sake of the gospel] but the word of God is not bound.

Many of Paul's statements are "hard to grasp" unless you know the word of God. NOT, that I am fully versed in the same, but God answered my prayer of 38 years ago and for the next five years after that prayer extensively did He open my understanding as I had "made the request of Him" in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. God graciously begin to open my eyes to understanding and has continued to do so to this day some 38 years after the fact.

When God makes any decision to bless, He blesses for all eternity even if the one He blesses turns away from Him doesn't negate the blessing, it does, however, "hurt" Him tremendously and He does "cry"!

Friends, if you want to know God you must want it more than life itself, or you won't have a life of peace. This is what Paul meant when He said: 2Th 3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

The only way true peace can come to you is by having a "knowledge" of God and what He has spoken to humanity in His Word. Any other form of peace is a false peace!

The WATCHMAN !!!