Please read Isaiah 53. All of it. I posted it fully. Here is the heart of the Gospel according to Isaiah:
Isaiah 53:5-7 NASB
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the L ord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth.
If Philip did not point out the shed Blood of Christ as the mercy for us, then I am at a loss for words. What scriptures did Paul use to convince the Bereans? What did they search diligently? An epistle from Paul?
You don’t have to be at a loss for words because he did point out the shed blood of Christ. It was that they focused on the actions of man to effectuate the benefits of that shed blood. If you study closely it was about 20 years after the cross that the focus was switched to faith alone.
It seems to me that we might be trying to split hairs here. I don’t think that it’s that the other apostles didn’t preach or at least mention the shed blood and grace but the focus definitely changed when Israel was set aside and the revelation was made that the Gentiles would be considered “joint heirs” as opposed to simply having to “join with” the Jews.
Up until Jesus ascension the offer was “still on the table” to the Jews to accept Jesus as their Messiah. Even Jesus said not to go to the Gentile nations but to the lost sheep of Israel.
“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near’ (Matt. 10:5-7)
Look at how harsh He was to the Canaanite woman.
Matt. 15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
It was about 20 years after Christ’s death and resurrection that we see a shift had taken place.
It was 20 years after the ascension of Christ that the first hint was given that a change had occurred and the first sign that Israel had been set aside for a period while God “took the Gentiles for a people for Himself” after which He would restore Israel as a nation.
Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
Then around 64AD Paul makes the definitive statement to the Ephesians.
Ephesians 3:3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
Once the fullness of the Gentiles is fulfilled God will take the church out of the world and once again for the final seven years the attention will be on Israel as a nation. It is during that last seven year period of Daniel’s prophesied 490 years that the laws will once again be in affect. We can see that by the command to rebuild the temple and re-institute the sacrifices. 7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.