I agree.
Acts 2:
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
The above about shuts the door on this debate, IMO. So does 1 Corinthians 15. Paul made it clear the same gospel he preached was preached by Cephas and the 11.
Indeed. They have to be preaching the same message, as it comes from the same source. Paul is an astounding author, rich in doctrine. But his writings are also the only ones we are specifically warned about (by Peter) - that it is easy to twist his words - because his thought process is so incredibly intricate, and his knowledge is so much more profound. Coming from a quintessentially legalistic background, it is no surprise that his emphasis is as it is - Even so, necessarily, Paul must be in synthesis with Peter and James and John. IMHO, if that synthesis is not there, you're reading it wrong.
The key is in the interpretation - and the filters to narrow interpretation are two:
Yeshua cannot have broken Torah, and Paul cannot gainsay his Master. Then there is alignment not only between Paul and Peter, James, and John, but also with assurance that Yeshua's own words, and Torah remain unbroken.
JMO.
Indeed, as the Holy Spirit made it clear the same gospel Paul preached was preached by Cephas and the 11, though Paul mainly provided the theology behind it, and interpretive of the gospels.
But we have been thru the Paul vs. Peter thing before, someplace.
Here is a quick chart written today, praise God.
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The gospel of Paul |
The gospel of Peter |
Comments |
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• Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 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 Corinthians 15:1-4) • For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the unGodly. (Romans 5:6) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31) (Acts 26:8) |
• Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. (Acts 2:23-24) • And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; (Acts 10:39-40) • For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: (1 Peter 3:18) |
Both Peter and Paul preached the atoning death of the Lord Jesus.Christ, and His burial and resurrection. |
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• Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21) • Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision: But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judæa, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. (Acts 26:19-20) • And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: (Acts 14:15) • That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) • In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14) |
• Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. (Acts 3:26) • Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38 • To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43) • |
Both Peter and Paul preach repentance and faith for the forgiveness of sins. Note that there is not real difference between confessing the Lord Jesus by moving one's tongue versus moving one's legs to be baptized, and in neither case is there any credit for man. For God both enables and motivates man to believe, drawing and convicting the soul, (Jn. 6:44; 12:32; 16:9) opening the heart (Acts 16:14) and granting repentant faith. (Acts 11:18; Eph. 2:8,9) |
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• For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9) • Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5) • In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13) |
• And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. (Acts 15:7-11) • Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:18-19) |
Both Peter and Paul preached the washing of regeneration by faith, in contrast to the Law. |
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• ...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:)...they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. (Galatians 2:7-8,9b) • For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26-28) |
• For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:38-39) • And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean. (Acts 10:28) • Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? (Acts 10:47) |
Both Peter and Paul preached one gospel toward both Jews and Gentiles, and baptized them accordingly. |
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• Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. (Titus 2:14) • Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4) |
• Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24) |
Both Peter and Paul preached the atoning death as purposed to bring about practical holiness. |
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Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31) |
And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. (Acts 10:42) |
Both Peter and Paul preached that the Lord Jesus would come to be judge of living and dead. |