The Gospel (Good News) of Grace

When Israel rejected Jesus as their king,  God set them aside  and a new gospel was announced..  As you study the book of Acts you see when and how this took place.   The Apostle Paul was commissioned by God to  make known this new message.  In Acts 20:24 it says, “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…(There it is…the gospel of grace).

So under the gospel of the kingdom the Apostle Peter  was chosen to be the chief of the twelve apostles.  The Lord appointed him personally, face to face, in the flesh..the bible teaches  us this in Matthew 4:18-20  where it says….”Jesus walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren , Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers.  And He saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.  And they straightway left their nets and followed Him.

Peter and Jesus became close and Jesus trusted Peter with a great responsibilty  and Jesus says in Matthew 16:19,(a)  ”I (Christ) will give unto thee the keys to the kingdon of heaven:………..meaning He (Christ) was giving him the assignment to share the kingdom of heaven with  the nation of Israel..

Paul on the other hand, under the Gospel of the  Grace of God, was chosen to be the Lord’s chief representative .  Paul also met face to face with Jesus Christ, but not in the flesh.  Jesus taught Paul many things and revealed to hin the mystery of the church the body of Christ.

Over time (in the book of Acts) we see Peter and the 12 apostle’s ministry diminish and Pauls ministery flourished, there was a reason for this…it was God’s plan for this to happen in order that the Gentile nations would have a chance to be saved .  Discussing those reasons would be another deep lesson and I’m trying not to be as deep in my blogs, trying to keep it lighter.

Both of these men had quite a ministry to the world.  Peter and the 12 to the Jews and Paul to the world other than the Jews, which we call the Gentile world…