But Peter came to realize that only preaching to Jews was not what God intended and Acts 4:10-12 sounds very much like The Gospel of Grace given to Paul by Jesus.
Also, Acts 2:38 does not seem that far off. Repentance is recognizing your error and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
I think the differences between Peter and Paul were not as great as we might think. The difference was to whom The Gospel of Grace was taken. Peter was focused on this as exclusively Jewish and did not have the full understanding that was given to Paul. Peter was looking for the imminent return of the warrior Messiah, but I think both were preaching Faith Alone in Jesus Christ Alone to be saved.
The commission of Matthew 28 was not a revelation to go to Gentiles.
The commission of Mark 16 was not a revelation to go to Gentiles.
The commission of Luke 24 was not a revealtion to go to Gentiles.
The commission of Acts 1:8 was not a revelation to go to Gentiles.
The “commission,” if you will, to Peter to go to Cornelius’ house was consistant with Old Testmanet prophesy that as Israel is blessed, the Gentiles too would be brought in under that blessing, but was not a revelation to go to Gentiles in general. Peter still later agreed with Paul to confine his ministry to the circumcision (Galatians 2).
Read verses10-12 very carefully. And look for the Gospel, that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose again the third day, in those verses. They won't appear until after Paul is saved. Because that message of the good news of the Cross was given to him.
Your post is typical of one who has religious blinders on. You have taken Paul’s doctrine and created a pot of MUD=mixed up doctrine. You have taken Paul’s scriptures and added the Gospel of the Kingdom to the pot (Mathew-John), then you spice it up with (Gen-Malachi), then to really make the stew hot you throw in Heb-Rev, then you serve it up to the lost as, a gospel, something good to eat, when in fact it is poison. The whole bible from (Gen-Rev) is literally true, but when you try to apply the whole bible to yourself you find seemingly contradictions, so those parts that seem to contradict, you spiritualize them, most often this manifests into so called christians believing they are spiritual Israel, and they look for the establishment of the kingdom...the only similarity those who mix up doctrine have with Israel is blindness. You fail to separate (rightly divide) prophecy from mystery.
If you have gotten this far in my post, you may be already intensely offended, in my experience most who have been mixing up doctrine are, as was I when I believed as you, that the differences between Peter and Paul were not that great. The differences between Peter and Paul are the difference between light and darkness as pertaining to salvation. 2Tim2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Now to address those things in your post.
You said:
“But Peter came to realize that only preaching to Jews was not what God intended and Acts 4:10-12 sounds very much like The Gospel of Grace given to Paul by Jesus.”
First of all the Gospel of Grace at this point, Acts ch4, didn’t even exist it had not yet been given to Paul. Paul and the Gospel of Grace given to him had not come on the scene until Acts Chap 9. If Paul (Saul)at this point, knew anything of the gospel preached by Peter, I was that those who followed this way must be destroyed.
Secondly there are no doctrines in the Book of Acts...it is an historical and transitional book.
Thirdly Peter did learn of the Gospel of Grace from Paul and not until Acts 15, this is further detail in Gal 2 specifically... Gal2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
Note: the gospel of the (uncircumcision) and the gospel of the (circumcision) are not the same gospel...things that are different are not the same. Peter never preached the gospel of the uncircumcision.
You said the gospel Peter preached and Paul preached are much the same...things that are much the same can be very different...a gardener snake is much the same as a rattlesnake, pick up the gardner in your right hand and the rattlesnake in your left...only the rattler in your left hand will poison you.
You said:
“Also, Acts 2:38 does not seem that far off. Repentance is recognizing your error and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.”
It may not seem that far off but it is. The Gospel of the Kingdom for Israel preached by Peter for salvation required repentance, baptism, keeping the law, and enduring the end.
Further more: you said “Repentance is recognizing your error and acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.”
Nowhere in the Word are we told to: accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, ask Jesus into your heart, give your heart to Jesus, confess your sins, ask for forgiveness and receive Jesus etc, if this is how one professes to be saved, then he is lost...These things are an obomination, mere clichés, an invention of the religious machine, designed by the satanic policy of evil to corrupt the Word of God and deceive people from knowing the truth. These clichés cannot be found anywhere the bible as pertains to salvation they are a perversion.
The Gospel of Grace message is... you believe: 1Cor15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: In this gospel you will find, no repentance, no keeping law, no enduring to the end, no confessing your sins.
When one believes the gospel he is baptized, not (with the Holy Spirit), but baptized (by) the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ...saved and sealed, one baptism this happens the moment when we believe. We are not told to be baptized by a man in any way.
Now Peter never preached Christ died for our sins... he did preach their sin would be taken away...but that would not happen until they died or until Christ returned to this earth to vanquish the enemies and establish his kingdom (this is what is meant by enduring to the end). Those who died believing the gospel of the kingdom, the apostles and disciples will have their sins taken away when Christ returns to the earth and the (resurrection)occurs. (not to be confused with the catching away of the body of Christ) which is an entirely different event. We have our sins taken away the moment we believe the gospel.
You said:
“I think the differences between Peter and Paul were not as great as we might think” Already address above.
You said:
“The difference was to whom The Gospel of Grace was taken.”
As noted the Gospel of Grace is different than the Gospel of the kingdom.
The Gospel of the kingdom was a gospel to Isreal and required Faith plus Works to receive grace.
Our Gospel of Grace today is for jew and gentile alike and can only be received by faith and faith alone.
You said:
“Peter was looking for the imminent return of the warrior Messiah,” TRUE
You said:
“but I think both were preaching Faith Alone in Jesus Christ Alone to be saved.” NOT TRUE... as noted above.
I know that without a the proper foundation these things are hard to understand, even Peter acknowledge this...2 Peter 3:16 As also in all his epistles(Paul’s epistles), speaking in them of these things; (in which are some things hard to be understood), which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
Paul said: 2Tim2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
Paul refered to the Gospel of Grace as MY GOSPEL three times...Ro2:16,Ro16:25,2Tim2:8 this was to emphasize there is only one gospel of salvation (the gospel given to Paul by Jesus)today, no other.
Paul wrote: Gal,1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Paul knew men would pervert, mix up. and forsake his doctrines as they were already doing in his time... 2Tim4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
As always check these things for your self, try not to go to some man to teach you, men will lead you astray. STUDY to shew THYSELF approved unto God.
I apologize for weak typing abilities, what would take a fair typist minutes takes me it seems hours...I wish to learn html so that I could highlight, italicize, underline, and bold print etc, so points here could be more clearly emphasized.
Paul is my pattern: 1 Timothy 1:16 Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
1Cor4:15 For though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
1Cor11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
The very people to whom Peter was preaching, through the entire first querter of the Acts of the Apostles, were the ones (that generation) who were guilty of the murder of Jesus Christ (Acts 3:13-15; etc.).
None of Peter's preaching in these chapters is to any kind of church as we have known New Testament churches since Acts 16.
Every sermon in these chapters is to a generation that had ultimately regected the preaching of John Baptist, Christ, and the Apostles---they were being told, in effect, that they must start over---hence, Acts 2:38, which was commanded to Israelites, not to Gentiles, and not to the Body of Christ.
When you believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ as your only remedy for sin (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and only hope of justification with God and eternal life, you received the Holy Ghost at that very moment, whi indwelt you, circumcized you and baptized you (Col2:11, 12), and sealed you until the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30; etc.).
If you have been baptized in water subsequent to being regenerated, the only affect it had upon you was to get you wet.
Those Jews in Acts 2, in effect having to return to John's baptism, and having to repent---REPENT OF THE MURDER OF THEIR KING---could in no way receive the gift of the Holy Ghost without being baptized in water as prescribed by Peter, for the reasons in the context itself.