Part 1 of 17

"The Last Gospel"

Introduction

Most Christians do not recognize that the gospel that the Apostle Paul preached is absolutely unique and that his distinctive gospel is the last or "final gospel," actually completing the word of God. 

Most Christians and Pastor/teachers in evangelical and fundamental circles fail to acknowledge and heed Paul as the unique “Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom 11:13), and the “the mystery” gospel that he preached. This failure is the primary cause of the confusion and divisions we see among an admittedly widely divided Christianity. Their reluctance, if not intransigence, toward seeing Paul’s ministry and message as being different from the ministry of “Jesus of Nazareth ” and “the twelve” is what causes a perception of "seeming" contradictions in the Bible. These contradictions disappear when we see Paul and his mystery gospel as unique.

When the Bible is studied properly and seen correctly, as being “dispensational,” we will see that there are no contradictions in the Bible. We must view the Bible dispensationally if we are to see what God has had as His eternal plan and purpose since “before the world began.” 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:

The Bible reveals Two Gospels. - One for Believing Israel  and, - One for the Gentile “Body of Christ”

Peter's “gospel of the Kingdom," as given to “the twelve,” was preached to "the circumcision," to the Jews ONLY, NOT the Gentiles, per Jesus' instructions seen here. Matthew 10:5-7 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel . ⁷ And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Thus, Peter's gospel concerns "The Messianic Kingdom" to come to earth, as was long promised to Abraham's seed. Jesus continued to reinforce the distinction between Jew and Gentile (Matt 15:24).

The Bible is mostly filled with that which concerns this gospel of The Kingdom, for Israel . Now note below the sequence and continuity of Biblical happenings as they relate to this Kingdom gospel for Israel .

1) The Kingdom Gospel... was promised to Abraham's seed, for them to bless the nations.

Genesis 17:7-8 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. ⁸ And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan , for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

Genesis 18:18 Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?
Genesis 22:18 …in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

2) The Kingdom Gospel was announced to Israel as then being "at hand" by John the Baptist and Jesus. Then Jesus expanded upon and explained the Kingdom after His resurrection for 40 days.

Matthew 10:5-7 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: ⁶ But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel . ⁷ And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of (from) heaven is at hand.
Acts 1:3 To whom also he (Jesus) shewed himself alive after his passion (after His resurrection) …seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God :

Acts 1:6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel ?

3) The Kingdom was offered after Pentecost to “Ye men of Israel ” (Acts 2:14, 22, 3:22) by Peter, and then the twelve disciples of Jesus (See Acts 2-3, 8:12).

4) The Kingdom was placed in abeyance after the Jews made a final rejection of the salvation of God and the Messiah by stoning Stephen to death (See Romans 11:25, Act 28:28).

5) The Kingdom will be fulfilled in the Millennium and then as an everlasting Kingdom on the new earth. (See James to Revelation)

Note that the forgoing progression of events all concern the Kingdom promised to Israel . From this we may also note that most of the Bible speaks of God's promised literal, physical, Kingdom on earth for Israel . This Kingdom was prophesied, written of, and preached by the twelve disciples before Paul was even converted, some several years after the cross. The Kingdom Gospel will be fulfilled after the rapture of "the body of Christ" (written of only by Paul). The Bible’s Canon, by its order of books, reveals that the books appearing both before and after Paul's writings, principally concern Israel and the promised Messianic Kingdom to come to earth.

Now by contrast, Paul's calling, experience, and gospel message is seemingly inserted into the Bible Canon as something different and new, as a parenthesis that interrupts God's plan for Israel and the coming Kingdom on earth. 

Paul says his gospel message is the last or final gospel. 

Colossians 1:25-27 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil (Greek, pleroo, complete or finalize) the word of God; ²⁶ Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: ²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:

Paul's gospel is the last distinctive gospel message to be inserted into the Bible, in the midst of the all-pervasive gospel that concerns the Kingdom promised to Israel; Paul’s comes after the books that record the promises and prophesy concerning the Kingdom, and Paul's epistles appear before the fulfillment of the already then existing prophecies concerning that same gospel of the Kingdom on earth for Israel. This “last Gospel” was given to Paul, for the Gentiles. This “last gospel, which was revealed by the ascended Christ to Paul, was a totally new gospel, being based upon the 100% pure “grace of God.” It is based upon the grace that flows from the cross of Christ, and yet it is entirely unrelated to Israel 's Messianic Kingdom coming to earth. 

I trust that this study series may help put the whole Bible in better perspective and help you in your studies of the word of God "rightly divided" (Tim 2:15). Such study adds to our appreciation of the riches that are unique to the plan of God that had been "kept secret since before the world began" (Rom 16:25), which was revealed to Paul for us to enjoy in this day of “the dispensation of the grace of God” (Eph 3:2).