Paul wrote of the grace gospel message that he was called to minister as
being God’s “last gospel.” Paul’s “mystery” gospel is in contrast to “any
other gospel.”
Col 1:25-27 Whereof I (Paul) am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is
given to me for you, to fulfil (Greek, pleroo, “to complete” or “to finalize”) the word of God; 26Even (that is) 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 is the last “gospel” presented in the Bible. Many
evangelical theologians have erroneously maintained that there is only one gospel in the entire Bible or only one gospel from Pentecost onward.
These are most serious errors of hermeneutics that hinders one from receiving
revelation of “the truth of the
gospel” that Paul received from Christ, and defended. Deceived believers
miss out on enjoying the riches of” the
dispensation of the grace of God.” They miss out on the benefits of the
riches of the deposit of the very “Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus” who now indwells their individual human spirit now
as their all. Ignorant of His indwelling as
their new life, they then set about to imitate Jesus of Nazareth (WWJD), missing
the mark for a “lack of
knowledge.”
“Now consider
this. A friend asks: “Have you heard the good news?” and you reply: “What good
news?” Naturally! All good news is not the same. Yet few people follow this
procedure when they read in the Bible the phrase “the gospel” -- which simply
means “the good news.” They have been taught that “the gospel is the gospel” and
“there is only one gospel,” but this is simply not so in the light of the Bible
itself.
God has not proclaimed only one gospel, one item of good news,
down through the ages, but many. He has qualified the word "gospel" by
distinctive titles. The “gospel of the kingdom” and the “gospel of the grace of God” are not
the same, and certainly the “gospel of the circumcision,” which is
eternal, and the “gospel of the uncircumcision,”
which is also the “everlasting gospel” (Rev 14:6) are not the same.”*
Not really seeing Paul’s gospel, and therefore not able to trust in the
reality of the gospel of the indwelling
Christ (Col 1:27), limits the believer to
an objective or arms length relationship with a Jesus who is outside of them.
They may say “Yes, Praise God, Jesus died
for my sins,” and He did, but they don’t really see and know the sufficiency
of His indwelling life as their new and overcoming life that is within them.
You see, Paul wrote that there is “much more” than the reconciliation
we enjoy in Christ – there is a practical daily salvation to be gained by the
outflowing resource we have by His indwelling life. Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the
death of his Son, much
more, being reconciled
(already), we shall be (continually be) saved (sozo, completed) by his life (Zoë, spirit life).
The errors of a “one gospel” or “Pentecost gospel”
leaven, corrupt, pervert, and confuse the truth of Paul’s mystery gospel. This has kept
genuine believers unaware that Christ literally lives within them as their all.
The deposit or dispensing of Christ’s “Spirit of life” into each believer’s
human spirit is the believer’s new, essential, core “life” (Zoë, Spirit life). Galatians 2:20 I am
crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now
live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God…
Ignoring Paul and maintaining “any other gospel” is a serious
error. Consider what Paul wrote to the Galatians who were being subjected to the
men “from James” and “Jerusalem” trying to bring them back
under the works of the Law, and which was continued by Jesus of Nazareth (Matt
5:18) for the Jews only.
Galatians 1:6-9
I marvel that ye are so soon removed
from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that
trouble you, and would pervert
the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed. 9 As we said
before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you
than that ye have received, let him
be accursed (anathema, banned).
Paul here
is saying his gospel of the grace of God is the only gospel message
for “the body of Christ” today. “The Law” is of
another gospel, for another people (Israel), and the basis of
another dispensation. Paul
says those who persist, even today, in preaching such error are to be accursed
(Gk. Anathema,
banned).
The Law
was given to Israel as the “church
in the wilderness (Egypt).” It continued in “the
Messianic communal Jewish church that formed on the day of Pentecost (Note:
Death of Ananias and Sapphira). But Paul says “the body of Christ” today is “not under the law, but under grace.” (Rom 6:14) The
Law was in effect for the “little flock” of Messianic Jewish
believers we see in Jesus in the Gospels and then during the early Acts period,
before Paul is given the
dispensation of the grace of God. E.g., At Pentecost Peter preached “believe and be baptized for the
remission of sins” (Acts 10:43). This is not for the body of Christ, since Paul says we have “remission of sins by faith in the
blood of Christ” (Rom
3:25).
*Cornelius
Stam