Paul didn't say, "I stand in defense of the doctrine of predestination" Nor did Paul say, "I stand in defense of my religion".
The thrust of Paul's ministry was the preaching of the Gospel and the message of justification by faith apart from the works of the law. Paul spent over 20 years of his life and traveled over 10,000 miles by foot, donkey and ship, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Jews followed Paul everywhere that we went. He was beaten, whipped, stoned and one time he was left for dead. There are memorials to Paul in many of the towns that Paul visited along the upper coast of the Mediterranean Sea that can be seen today.
What was Paul's Gospel?
Paul received his Gospel directly from Jesus Christ, Galatians 1:11,12. It was the same Gospel that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, only in more detail. We know this to be true because when the Gospel is preached the Holy Spirit is there to magnify the work and the person of Jesus Christ and to convict people of their need for Christ.
The Gospel that Paul preached is not being preached in today's organized church. Organized religion and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are not compatible. Never have been, never will be. For one thing there is to much freedom in the Gospel for organized religion. Organized religion wants to keep its membership under the law so that they will give their money and support the ministry.
Paul taught that his Gospel justifies ungodly sinners. "But to him that does no works, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith (not his works) are counted for righteousness" Romans 4:5. Faith counts for righteousness, not works. This means that you don't have to tithe or go to church to be saved. Bad news for organized religion. Good news for ungodly sinners.
Paul also taught that those ungodly sinners have ALREADY been reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. This is why those ungodly sinners have been justified (MADE righteous by faith). Jesus Christ, as God's new Adam and humanities new representative has ALREADY victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil, Colossians 2:15 and is Lord, Acts 2:36.
Jesus, in our name and on our behalf Jesus has entered into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God as the "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" Revelation 19:16. Paul wrote... "And you are complete in him" Colossians 2:10. If this is true, then what good is your organized religion? If Jesus has fulfilled and has abolished God's holy law, Ephesians 2:15 and has atoned for your sins and the sins of the whole world, 1 John 4:14. Then what good is your religion or any religion?
If spiritually, we are in Christ and Christ is in heaven, Colossians 3:3, then what merit do you posses that God will acknowledge and save you? Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, didn't we..." Matthew 7:21-23. Here is a group of people that are religious. They are convinced that they have been predestinated to salvation because God saw some merit in them that he didn't see in those ungodly sinners. Or they believe that they have attained to some sort of righteousness that God will accept. The Bible makes it clear that we are only accepted in Jesus Christ and outside of Christ there is no acceptance.
The thrust of Paul's ministry was the preaching of the Gospel and the message of justification by faith apart from the works of the law. Paul spent over 20 years of his life and traveled over 10,000 miles by foot, donkey and ship, preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Jews followed Paul everywhere that we went. He was beaten, whipped, stoned and one time he was left for dead. There are memorials to Paul in many of the towns that Paul visited along the upper coast of the Mediterranean Sea that can be seen today.
What was Paul's Gospel?
Paul received his Gospel directly from Jesus Christ, Galatians 1:11,12. It was the same Gospel that Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, only in more detail. We know this to be true because when the Gospel is preached the Holy Spirit is there to magnify the work and the person of Jesus Christ and to convict people of their need for Christ.
The Gospel that Paul preached is not being preached in today's organized church. Organized religion and the Gospel of Jesus Christ are not compatible. Never have been, never will be. For one thing there is to much freedom in the Gospel for organized religion. Organized religion wants to keep its membership under the law so that they will give their money and support the ministry.
Paul taught that his Gospel justifies ungodly sinners. "But to him that does no works, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith (not his works) are counted for righteousness" Romans 4:5. Faith counts for righteousness, not works. This means that you don't have to tithe or go to church to be saved. Bad news for organized religion. Good news for ungodly sinners.
Paul also taught that those ungodly sinners have ALREADY been reconciled to God by Jesus Christ, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. This is why those ungodly sinners have been justified (MADE righteous by faith). Jesus Christ, as God's new Adam and humanities new representative has ALREADY victoriously defeated sin, death and the devil, Colossians 2:15 and is Lord, Acts 2:36.
Jesus, in our name and on our behalf Jesus has entered into heaven and now sits at the right hand of God as the "King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" Revelation 19:16. Paul wrote... "And you are complete in him" Colossians 2:10. If this is true, then what good is your organized religion? If Jesus has fulfilled and has abolished God's holy law, Ephesians 2:15 and has atoned for your sins and the sins of the whole world, 1 John 4:14. Then what good is your religion or any religion?
If spiritually, we are in Christ and Christ is in heaven, Colossians 3:3, then what merit do you posses that God will acknowledge and save you? Many will say to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, didn't we..." Matthew 7:21-23. Here is a group of people that are religious. They are convinced that they have been predestinated to salvation because God saw some merit in them that he didn't see in those ungodly sinners. Or they believe that they have attained to some sort of righteousness that God will accept. The Bible makes it clear that we are only accepted in Jesus Christ and outside of Christ there is no acceptance.