This blog exposes the excuses of ‘mid-Acts-ers’ on the subject of different gospels. I have talked with several ‘mid-Acts pickers’ about their teaching that Peter preached a different gospel than Paul preached .... based on the word ‘of’ in Gal 2:7, which is not even in the original Greek language:
Gal 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that
the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me,
as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
I don’t have any issues with ‘of’ in the KJV verse .... but I do have a problem with ‘mid-Acts pickers’ building a doctrine on it, especially in light of the curse pronounced upon any man who preached another gospel, other than the gospel of Christ:
Gal 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.
To find out if you really believe the scripture actually says what it means .... then simply test it with the man Peter:
If Peter preached another gospel ---
then let him be accursed.
If Peter did not preach a different gospel ---
then he is safe.
But ‘mid-Acts-pickers’ wrest the verse .... by opting Peter out .... with the phrase "unto you." They say Gal 1:9 does not apply to Peter .... because they say Peter did not preach his ‘different’ gospel ‘unto you Galatians.’
Gal 1:9 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.
I show them where Peter DID write to people in Galatia:
1 Peter 1:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia (that is, the Galatians), Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
But ‘mid-Acts pickers’ dismiss the fact that Peter and Paul wrote to believers in the same city (Galatia). They say Peter and Paul wrote to 2 different groups of people in Galatia. By dividing Galatia into 2 different types of believers, they release Peter from the curse.
They say that
Peter wrote to the circumcision of Galatia
(which they call the ‘kingdom-church’ saints),
while they say
Paul wrote to the uncircumcision of Galatia
(which they call the ‘mystery-church’ saints)
.... without regard for Paul’s clear comments to the Galatians that circumcision made no difference anymore:
Gal 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
Gal 6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
Paul told the saints at Philippi with the bishops and deacons, "We are the circumcision." However, ‘mid-Acts pickers’ would pick that OUT because they see only ‘Israel’s kingdom-church’ as the circumcision:
Phil 3:1-3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Though Paul said he preached
"the gospel of Christ" to the Galatians (Gal 1:7) ....
he also said he preached
"the gospel of God" to the Thessalonians.
Acts 17:1-3 shows the information that Paul preached at Thessalonica (said in the following verses to be "the gospel of God") was the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Notice the phrase "unto you" is present in all 3 verses when Paul stated that he preached "the gospel of God" unto the Thessalonians:
1 Thess 2:2 But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.
8 So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
9 For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
Peter also mentioned "the gospel of God" in his 1st epistle (which went to Galatia):
1 Pet 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
So although Peter wrote of "the gospel of God" and Paul also wrote of "the gospel of God" .... according to ‘mid-Acts pickers’ .... Peter’s "gospel of God" would have to be "a different gospel of God" than Paul’s "gospel of God." To say otherwise, would have them preaching the same gospel, and ‘mid-Acts pickers’ can’t have that!
So they make a division between the gospels,
like they made a separation of the kinds of saints.
They use a pattern of warped reasoning. So, did Paul preach a different gospel to the Thessalonians, called "the gospel of God" than he preached to the Galatians, called "the gospel of Christ"?
‘Mid-Acts pickers’ just explain things away that they don’t want. According to them .... the curse on preaching different gospels did not effect Peter .... even though they say he preached a different gospel. They pick it out by saying Peter preached it to a different group of believers (called the circumcision) .... (this they do, regardless of verses that say circumcision or uncircumcision makes no difference .... and we are the circumcision). In the same way, the curse on preaching different gospels did not effect Paul either .... because he preached it in a different place (Thessalonica, not Galatia).
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ are caught picking, but their pride won’t let them admit it.
Notice how they pick ‘in’ what they want, and pick ‘out’ what they don’t want, concerning the phrase "unto you" in the very same context:
1 Thess 4:15-16 For this we say unto you (they want this "unto you") by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
This passage joins the day of the Lord (1 Thess 5:2) with the coming of the Lord (1 Thess 4:15). ‘Mid-Acts pickers’ do not want the Lord to come in His day. They want Him to come more than 7 years earlier so that they can escape suffering persecution during the evil day of great tribulation in the 70th week of Daniel:
1 Thess 5:1-2 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. (they don’t want this "unto you")
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
While ‘mid-Acts pickers’ are exempting scriptures with the "unto you" phrase, they might as well go ahead and get rid of Eph 6:13, since it shows Paul wrote to saints about standing in "the evil day" (which we understand to be in "the last days" like the context of Amos 6:3):
Eph 6:13 Wherefore take unto you (they don’t want this "unto you") the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ boldly preach that you not only have to divide Paul from the rest of the Bible, but, in some cases, you have to divide Paul from Paul. They have to ‘pick in’ or ‘pick out’ those "unto you" phrases, as the need arises on issues, they want or don’t want.
I’m sure they could identify Phil 1:29 as one such case to pick out, so they can excuse themselves from suffering for Christ’s sake, since Paul included "unto you" in this verse to the saints at Philippi:
Phil 1:29 For unto you (they don’t want this "unto you") it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;
Yet is is clear from Paul's epistle to Timothy .... that everyone who WILL live godly WILL suffer persecution. It will be especially bad during the last days when great tribulation is going on, and the man of sin is making war against the saints and Israel:
2 Tim 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Some ‘mid-Acts pickers’ pick in the "unto you" regarding the Lord’s supper (1 Cor 11:20) .... and others pick it out, saying it was the "passover" for Israel. Do you believe in the blood of the new testament, where by everyone who is saved got saved?
1 Cor 11:23-26 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:
24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
Paul delievered the Lord’s supper to the saints at Corinth, with the same wording he delivered the gospel of salvation (1 Cor 15:2) to them (4 chapters later) .... and with the same "unto you" phrase:
1 Cor 15:3-4 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
‘Mid-Acts-ers’ don’t rightly divide .... they pick and choose!
This is David Dowell, saying "unto you" .... "Think about it!"
