Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
1 Cor 15:11
Does the above verse teach that the 12 apostles to Israel preached the same gospel as the 1 apostle sent to the Church, the Body of Christ (Rom 11:13)?
In attempting to answer that question, the first thing we need to do is to identify who the “they” is within this verse. That means context. Verse 5 (1 Cor 15:5) and verse 11 tell us that all “13” apostles are in view here within this part of the passage.
With that understood, the question that arises is: “the apostle Paul just got done defining for us what is referred to as the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) within verses 3 and 4 (1 Cor 15:3-4), and we know from Paul’s writings that he states that a dispensation of the gospel of was given to him specifically:
For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.
1 Cor 9:17
…so if the gospel that one has to believe during this current dispensation is the death, burial, and resurrection (DBR) of Jesus Christ, didn’t Peter and the 12 believe in the DBR … I mean, they were right there and they observed it all happen?”
The subject that is relevant within the context (1 Cor 15:3-8) is the resurrection. Our original question came from verse 11, and it is the next verse that summarizes for us what the context of this part of the passage is speaking to:
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
1 Cor 15:12
With this information, the student of the Bible needs to ask a number of questions of the text:
- Did Paul preach the resurrection of Christ? Yes
- Did Paul preach a gospel (a saving message, something that people had to put their faith in) that included the resurrection of Christ? Yes
- Did Peter preach the resurrection of Christ? Yes
- Was the resurrection of the Messiah a prophesied subject, found within the OT? Yes
- Did Peter preach a gospel that included the resurrection of Christ? No
A key passage that influences this discussion, but that most Christians have unfortunately been trained to overlook, comes from Galatians 2:
But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
Gal 2:7-9
Not only did Peter and Paul preach gospel messages that had different names and different audiences, but the content, the substance, of what they preached was different also. The content of Peter’s gospel focused upon the identity of Jesus Christ and the fact that the Messiah was on the scene ready to bring in the prophesied Kingdom. The following are examples of people BEFORE the calling of the apostle Paul (and his gospel), and their response to the gospel that was being preached to them:
[John 1:48-49] Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
[John 11:25-27] Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
[Matt 16:15-16] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
[Acts 8:35-37] Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
What is demonstrated within the examples above is faith in the identity of Jesus Christ. This is referred to within the four Gospels as believing in the name of Christ the Lord:
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
John 1:12
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
Mark 16:17
But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Acts 8:12
At the heart of this subject are the following critical questions:
- Did Nathaniel confess Christ crucified? No.
- Nathaniel offered His Name (Jn 1:49).
- Did Martha confess Christ crucified? No.
- Martha offered His Name (Jn 11:27).
- Did Peter confess Christ crucified? No.
- Peter offered His Name (Mt 16:16).
- Did Phillip offer the Eunuch Christ crucified? No.
- The Eunuch confessed His Name (Acts 8:37).
Contrasting these facts, we read that the content of Paul’s gospel (Rom 2:16, 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8) focused upon the finished work of Jesus Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection. Don’t lose sight, however, of what is found within Paul’s definition of his gospel:
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1 Cor 15:3-4
You’ll often see Christians, myself included, focusing upon DBR, DBR, DBR … but there are two additional extremely important subjects found within these two verse above:
1) CHRIST (v.3) – one has to properly understand and believe who Jesus Christ was and is. Yes, that speaks to his identity … we too need to properly understand who Jesus the Christ is in order to get saved.
2) SIN (v.3) – we need to understand and recognize that we are each sinners in need of a Saviour. We need to understand that our sins have separated us from a holy God and that we need reconciliation that only comes through belief in the gospel that saves today.
Conclusion
In order to summarize what I have represented to you above, I would state that the gospel that saves today, during the dispensation of the grace of God, includes:
Christ (His identity), Sin (the knowledge of), His death (for our sins), His burial, His resurrection (for our justification) – see Romans 4:25
That is what Paul preached, the finished work of Jesus Christ, and it is what we are required to believe and put our trust/faith in. Peter and the 12, though knowing and living every part of that truth, were not instructed to preach DBR as the saving message for those who would become members of the Little Flock (Lk 12:32). Peter’s gospel message focused upon the identity of the Messiah and the fact that He was there, ready to usher in the Kingdom if the nation of Israel accepted Him and believed that gospel message.
When the PreTrib Rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ, occurs, the dispensation of the grace of God will conclude and with it, our saving gospel message. At that time, God will turn His attention back to the nation Israel and His prophetic plan. After the Church is extracted, the gospel that saves will once again focus upon Christ’s identity and the fact that the prophesied Kingdom is on the near horizon:
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.
Matt 24:14
Maranatha!