The Gospels and the Mystery

This is after the resurrection. I'm talking about the message the disciples were preaching before the cross, the "gospel of the kingdom."

You avoided my question. Why were the disciples told to only preach, "the kingdom of heaven is at hand", only to Jews and not the Samaritans or Gentiles? Why were there exclusions if it was for the whole world? Btw, no mention was ever given in this message of the death, burial, and resurrection for sin. This is what Paul's gospel was all about.

[Mat 4:23 KJV]
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
[Mat 9:35 KJV]
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

[Mat 24:14 KJV]
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
[Mar 1:14 KJV]
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Whether before the resurrection or after the resurrection doesn't matter, it is still all one gospel, they all preached the same thing.
Do you see the "the" in "the gospel of the kingdom - it is a singular gospel, not plural gospels.
Said another way it is "the kingdom's (singular) gospel".

[Mat 4:23 KJV]
23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
[Mat 9:35 KJV]
35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
[Mat 24:14 KJV]
14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
[Mar 1:14 KJV]
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,

Jesus was preparing them for what was to come. Once Christ had prepared the disciples he sent them out to complete what he started, He dwelt among us and now the Spirit dwells in us:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and k make disciples of all nations, baptizing them m in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them o to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt 28:18-20).

We see the disciples carrying out their commisssion to carry on the work of the kingdom that Jesus set them:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”" (Acts 1:8)


As Paul says, the good news is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes... To the Jew first (Rim 1:16). And Paul and his coworkers themselves carried on that work of the kingdom of God. Paul and his coworkers carried on that work of the kingdom of God along with all the apostles, disciples etc.

So the good news or gospel paul believed and taught is the work of the Kingdom of God.. Preaching and teaching the word etc.

Regarding samaritans, theres a whole chapter in John, where many Samaritans were saved, when Jesus stayed in their town, for two days and they believed His 'word'.

Many Samaritans w from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41And many more believed because of his word.

What was Jesus word, well quite simply. He being God (in the incarnation) took on flesh, he was as Paul says 'the Pascal lamb', who takes away the sin of the world as john tells us. He fulfilled the law, he prevailed were man failed. Because he so loves the world, he gave himself, to die on the cross, so that whoever would believe in him will have eternal life... Its all in the gospels, and Paul draws this out for us in how to apply this to our lives, as his letters deal with problems within the churches he planted.

Question: Has the end come? Why or why not?

What is your point?

Paul says his gospel has been preached unto all the world, to all nations, to every creature under heaven, and yet, the end has not come? Could they be different messages?

This did occur to me, which is why I launched out into a search for all the uses for the term "grace" in the Gospels and in the epistles of the apostles, and grace is never directly associated with the concept of salvation in any of those places other than Paul's declarations for salvation under the Gospel of Grace. Grace is a very specific and precise term used to describe the basis for our salvation in contrast to what was before the Gospel of Grace, and what follows after this Gospel is completed and removed from this earth.

So, if indeed it were merely a matter of semantics, that should be more apparent, but the text doesn't lead us in that direction dare we consider the distinctives of water baptism and repentance, with Paul only referencing water baptism in the early part of his ministry, but later not at all, and never with water baptism as a central feature for remission of sins.

That was a worthy question, however. Thanks.

MM

No. There is only one end which occurs when Christ delivers up the kingdom unto the Father.

[1Co 15:24 KJV] 24 Then [cometh] the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

This is the angle I wish you to view, the concept, not the exact term.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word often associated with the concept of “grace” is חֵן (chen), which is usually translated as “favor” or “grace.” Another related word is חֶסֶד (chesed), which carries a broader meaning, often translated as “loving-kindness,” “mercy,” or “steadfast love.” While chen reflects more of an unmerited favor or goodwill, chesed emphasizes loyalty and covenantal love, often in the context of God’s relationship with His people.

Though “grace” as we understand it in the New Testament is more fully developed in the Greek term charis, the concepts of chen and chesed capture aspects of God’s graciousness and mercy in the Old Testament.

"Then [eita] the end" in this 1Cor15:24 context, is speaking of the end of the Millennial Kingdom age.



--however, "then shall the end come" referred to in Matt24:14b speaks (distinctly) of "the end of the age [singular]" that addressed the disciples' question to Jesus in verse 3 (which question was BASED ON what Jesus had ALREADY spoken to them about in Matt13:24,30,39,49-50 re: "the end [singular] of the age [singular]" [when the angels WILL REAP]--that is, the END of the TRIBULATION period [7 yrs]--but which is FOLLOWED BY "the age [singular] to come" that He PREVIOUSLY spoke of in 12:32 [i.e. what we commonly call "the promised and prophesied earthly MK age [1000 yrs]"--His disciples correctly understood])






... so these two verses (passages) are not speaking of the *same* [point in time] "end". They are distinct.

I don't believe there will be a Millennial Kingdom age.

I would very much like to hear from the "single gospel" people why they are not healing the sick, casting out demons, speaking with new tongues, all as was promised by Jesus to those under the Kingdom Gospel.

Here's the reason why...the disciples preached the gospel of the kingdom. Signs and miracles accompanied the message because it was only to the Jews. It was concerning their promised literal, physical kingdom with their Messiah governing over them.

The gospel of the kingdom cannot be about the cross.

Generally speaking:

I would very much like to hear from the "single gospel" people why they are not healing the sick, casting out demons, speaking with new tongues, all as was promised by Jesus to those under the Kingdom Gospel.


Come on. Let's be honest here...just for once, ok?

MM

Do you mean like Paul did as well?

What's your take on Revelation 20:4-6 then?


4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

I don't believe there will be a Millennial Kingdom age.