Let's look at verses 21 and 24, for some context (all emphases are mine; this is supposedly Peter addressing the Jews at the Pentecost):
But Mat 7:21 contradicts this. It quotes Jesus as saying "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter."
Notice the emphasis on doing the will. It's what we do, our deeds, that determine it. Oh, no! Works-based salvation in the New testament!!!
Obviously, Jesus and God are two different entities according to Peter at this time, echoing Paul's (and indeed the entire Jewish) idea that the messiah is a man.
And what does he mean by "again?" How many times did God raise Jesus?
And verses 22-23:
It doesn't get much clearer than this that even at Pentecost Peter could not bring himself to say that Jesus is God, but a man. He didn't even call Jesus by His messianic (but human title) the "Son of God" (the term used for angles and kings).
The plain fact is that calling Jesus God would have resulted in Peter being crucified for blasphemy, and even calling Him a messiah, the Son of God, would have had the same consequence because Jesus didn't satisfy the seven Judaic requirements for a messiah (He satisfied only one—being Jewish!), so Peter would have been nailed to the cross for spreading untruth.
And what are we to make out of signs? Mat 12:39, Mark 18:12 and Luke 11:29 all say that could will not give sings. But Mark contradicts himself in 16:20, and besides Acts you mention, it is only John who says Jesus gave sings (John 3:2, and 20:30). Hello, Houston, we have a problem, bleep.
Excellent analysis.
The thing is that we are to utilize the whole of Scripture and not just snippets unrelated here and there.
I still think that Peter is giving the Jews notice that the Apostles are going to branch out.
Notice the emphasis on doing the will. It's what we do, our deeds, that determine it. Oh, no! Works-based salvation in the New testament!!!
Our deeds determine our salvation??? Then what was Christ for? Just a good example? A token? A reminder? A nudge?
Christians need to read the Bible in totality, because Scripture is the only infallible interpreter of Scripture.
"These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so." -- Acts 17:11
By reading Scripture we learn as comprehensively as possible about God's will and why we live and how we become righteous...
"For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." -- Phil. 2:13
Men's ability to live righteously comes from God. I realize you've dismissed Paul's writings as gnostic, but Paul is only repeating Christ's teaching...
"Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." -- John 6:65
All men who have been given true faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour will be saved. We have Christ's word on that fact. I believe Christ.
So did Paul.
Good works are the result of a true faith; not a requirement for it or else God would be indebted to men. And that's not how it works.
For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." -- Romans 4:2-5"For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
We are saved by grace through faith in Christ. And that's not of our own doing. It's a gift from God (Eph. 2.)