Did Paul Have His Own Evangel?

30/12/2009, Updated 3 March 2010

By Mark Farquharson

Did Paul have his own evangel that was separate to the one that was for the Jews? Those who believe in two evangels, say that there is one evangel for the circumcision and one evangel for the uncircumcision. That is there is one evangel for the people of Israel and there is one for the nations. The evangel for the nations is often called “Paul’s Evangel”. This is because they believe that Paul got an evangel that was different to the one that the apostles had at the time.

Was the evangel that Paul got different to the one that the apostles had? Clearly Paul was chosen by God, and called by Christ, but did Christ give him a different evangel? No Paul was NOT given a different evangel, there was no need, there only needed to be one evangel and there was only one.

The ones who believe there are two evangels also believe in two groups of believers and a special future roll for Israel in a future millennium. They believe that there will be one body of believers in the future. There is only one body of believers, there is not two, and that is true now, and it was true back then in the past as well. Israel does not have some special roll in some coming future millennium.

Paul’s roll was not to give out a different evangel by which the nations could be saved, that was not it at all. Instead He, Paul was stating that the evangel that had gone only to Israel and the descendants of Israel, was for the NATIONS AS WELL. That is the same evangel was for the nations and for those of Israel. There was not two, there was only one, but it was for everybody, not just for those of the circumcision.

Romans 15:15-16 Yet more daringly do I write to you, in part, as prompting you, because of the grace being given to me from God, for me to be the minister of Christ Jesus for the nations, acting as a priest of the evangel of God, that the approach present of the nations may be becoming well received, having been hallowed by holy spirit."

Paul was the minister of Christ Jesus for the nations, acting as a priest of the evangel of God. It was not that this evangel was a different evangel, it was that Paul was to take it to the nations. Before Paul came along it had not been going out to the nations. However that does not mean it had to change, to go out to the nations. There was no change, it was still the same evangel.

By saying it is Paul’s evangel, they give the impression that Paul came up with it on his own. That one day when he had nothing better to do, he thought up an evangel all on his own. He did this because he realised that there was no way he could be saved by the evangel of the circumcision, so to get himself out of being dead forever, he came up with his own, all on his own. This of course is not the case at all. Now I know they don’t believe that Paul came up with it, but by naming it Paul’s Evangel, it gives that impression. Paul’s Evangel, it does sound like something Paul thought up.

Paul did not have ownership of it, he did not create it, and you can not be saved by Paul.

By saying it is Paul’s evangel, they give the impression that Paul’s evangel was different to the one that the apostles had at the time. That it was different to the one that was for Israel. It was not different it was the same evangel. Paul did not have his own separate evangel that was just for the nations, his evangel was the same as the one the apostles had at the time. It was the same one that was for Israel.

While he did have an evangel that he refer to as “my evangel” it was the same evangel as the others had.

There is only one evangel, offend called:

Romans 1:1 Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, severed for the evangel of God

2Corinthians 2:12 Now, on coming to Troas for the evangel of Christ

For more info go to this article: One Evangel

Copyright © Mark J Farquharson 2009 Updated 3 march 2010

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