Reading the Bible Literally and In Context will Show God Had No Plan of Salvation to Gentiles Until the Apostle Paul
Most Christians will say “Yeah I read the Bible literally”. But how can that be? When most Christians don’t understand that God had NO plan of salvation until the apostle Paul!
Understanding there was no direct revelation from God to the Gentile world, no message of salvation to Gentiles, no set of instructions directed to Gentiles for how to live their daily lives until the apostle Paul is crucial to truly understand the Bible.
That’s correct! There is no Scripture support for a message of salvation to Gentiles prior to the revelations given to the apostle Paul. By the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11,12) Eleven years after Pentecost around 37- 40 AD.
No matter how hard you look for a message from God to the Gentile world prior to Paul, you will not find it. Even if you did find a verse or two and tried to force it into Gentile-ground you’d be twisting Scripture. (2 Peter 3:16)
‘and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, ‘
II Peter 3:15
‘as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.’
II Peter 3:16
Don’t twist the Scriptures and force the gospel of grace and the doctrine for the Body of Christ into anything before it was revealed.
YOU CAN’T MIX LAW AND GRACE
Peter Warns Not to Twist Scripture
With his very last Holy Spirit inspired words the apostle Peter would pen before his martyrdom. He admonishes his readers to go to Paul’s epistles for the things regarding salvation. Peter also warns that because what was revealed to Paul is sometimes hard to understand they are not to TWIST THE REVELATIONS GIVEN TO HIM. Or face destruction!
Peter doesn’t say to go back to what John the Baptist said or the sermon on the Mount. This is 30 years after Pentecost, Peter was the leader of the 12 during Christ earthly ministry. Peter preached his heart out to his kinsman and will be on one of the thrones ruling on earth as Jesus promised him. But at the very end of his amazing ministry and with the last Holy Spirit inspired words that he would write. Peter tells his readers to go to what the risen Lord Jesus revealed to Paul. Let that sink in…
*(for anyone that reads into this that we are not to study, know everything about the Sermon on the Mount or anything Christ did during His earthly ministry is delusional. We can’t know what we know now about the gospel of grace without studying every verse, word everything the Lord said because the ENTIRE BIBLE is all about Him, Jesus Christ. So don’t be ignorant.)
Paul Alone Was Given the Doctrines of Grace
God made it so clear in Galatians 1:11,12 and Ephesians 3:1-13 that the gospel Paul preached was not given to him by Peter or any of the other apostles. Paul wasn’t taught the gospel of grace by any man. Paul received the gospel of grace and the doctrine for the Church today from the risen and glorified Lord Jesus Christ eleven years after Pentecost!
It is so clear if you read the Scriptures literally and in its context, and as they unfold, you can’t miss it!
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.
II Corinthians 5:16
What is Paul saying? Yes, we know the Son of God was here on earth in the flesh. (and we are to study and understand everything Christ did during His earthly ministry)
But, we Gentiles and Jews are to know Him no more in the flesh! Why????? Because Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose from the dead victorious over Satan, sin, the law, and death itself!
Now, because of what Christ did on the cross, salvation is available to ALL mankind, Jew or Gentile apart from the law. By believing in the finished work of the cross by faith alone a person is saved. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 3:21)
Glory to God.
Christ Crucified, Buried, Risen Only!
Everything on this side of the cross is about Christ and His finished work on the cross. That’s it. Christ crucified, buried and risen is what our lives are about! Sound too simple, oh well…
This glorious message of grace was not revealed to ANYONE until the risen Lord Jesus revealed it to Paul. The gospel of grace was hidden in God from eternity past. Until the risen Lord Jesus Christ chose Saul who we now know as the apostle Paul, and revealed to him the gospel of grace. (
But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Acts 20:24
But I make known to you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man.
Galatians 1:11
‘For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.
Galatians 1:12
For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places,
Ephesians 3:1-10
Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—
Ephesians 2:11
that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
Ephesians 2:12
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
Romans 3:21
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—
Romans 16:25-26
Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them, God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:25-27
The Bible is a Progressive Revelation
The first 2000 years of human history are described in the first 11 Chapters of the Bible. God dealt directly with all mankind and all mankind spoke one language. After the tower of Babel, the whole world is steeped in pagan worship and had no time for the One True God. So God does something completely different and chooses one man.
The Call of Abraham
From the call of Abraham around 2000 BC until Moses around 1500 BC, God deals directly with Abraham and his son’s Isaac and Jacob (Israel). Everything God revealed to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was directed to Abraham and his descendants only. There is no message to the Gentile world at all. The time period between Abraham and Moses and the law is around 500 years and is found in Genesis 12 through Exodus 19.
Moses and the Law
From the time God gave Moses the Law on Mt. Sinai around 1500 BC. Where all the people of Israel promised that they would do what God commanded.
Then all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord.
Exodus 19:8
THE LAW WAS GIVEN TO “ISRAEL”. NOWHERE IN SCRIPTURE IS THERE SUPPORT FOR GOD TELLING MOSES, ARON, DAVID, ISAIAH, DANIEL OR ANY OF THE JEWISH PROFITS TO PREACH THE LAW TO THE GENTILE WORLD!
WHAT GOD COMMANDED HIS CHOSEN PEOPLE “THE JEWS” IN EXODUS TO DO “THE LAW” AND WHAT ISRAEL AS A NATION PROMISED GOD IN EXODUS 19:8 WAS THE ONLY MESSAGE OF SALVATION TO THE WORLD AND IT WAS TO ISRAEL ONLY…
…Until God calls the apostle Paul to be …” a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name’s sake.” In Acts 9:15,16 between 37-40 AD…
…There was no message of salvation apart from the Mosaic Law! There was no salvation to the Gentile world period. The law faded off the scene when God called Paul in 37 AD and ended in 70 AD.
The law and Temple worship will continue for short time during the seven years of Jacobs trouble.
The book of Acts clearly delineates the transition from Law to Grace. It is impossible to miss the transition when keeping track of the time element, context and maintaining a literal interpretation.
Zacharias Knew “Israel’s King Is Coming”
After 400 years of silence we come to Zacharias and his Holy Spirit inspired words in Luke 1:67-75, he knew what was happening, he knew the prophecy was being fulfilled!
Read the verses below. Study them. It’s the same in your Bible as it is in mine. Zacharias knew nothing of the gospel of the grace of God. It was hidden in God. But what he does know is that God promised Israel a King and He was coming on the scene now!
The Messiah promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was coming! The promises God made to King David were being fulfilled. (2 Samuel 7:12-17; Luke 1:29-33) The promised King that would destroy Israel’s enemies and rule forever sitting on David’s throne in Jerusalem was coming! Zacharias knew and Glorified God.
And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant; The oath which he sware to our father Abraham, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. ‘
Luke 1:67-75
Israel’s Glorious Prospect
Through the Abrahamic, Mosaic, and Davidic Covenants and Jewish prophets, God revealed His prophetic plan to His chosen people. God promised King David, that one day in Israel’s future their Messiah would come on the scene, born of a woman, under the Law, from the lineage of David. He will crush Israel’s enemies and rule all nations of the world from His father’s throne in Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 7:12-16)
He will be King of kings and Lord of lords and all Gentile nations will recognize Israel’s God as the one true God. The Gentiles will seek to worship Israel’s God and they will be blessed. God always had Gentiles in mind but their divine blessing and salvation would have to come through Israel. (Zechariah 8:20-23; Isaiah 45:14; Isaiah 60:1-3; Isaiah 49:5,6; Luke 2:29-32)
Israel Drop the Ball
The nation of Israel had such a glorious prospect. But Israel rejected the King and the kingdom. Together with the Romans, they crucified the Prince of Life. (Psalms 2:1-3; Acts 3:15)
But God…had hidden within in Him a secret μυστήριον “mystery”.
For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery (SECRET), lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Romans 11:25
Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery (SECRET) kept secret since the world began.
Romans 16:25
Conclusion
If a person truly reads the Bible literally and in its context, you can’t miss it.
Thank you for reading.
If you have any questions or would like to respond to this post please do so below.
Mesa Bible Study
Jamie Pantastico
Faith, Sine Qua Non
