Oh, I see. So Paul gained new special revelations, not mentioned in Scripture, and gave these revelations in new books while he was under house arrest in Rome. Which is why Paul says the same things in Ephesians, Colossians, and Philippians as he does in Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, and Galatians.
I mean, after all, seeing as God turned away from Israel then we have no reason to believe that Jews and Gentiles are all united into the one and same Church would be mentioned in these letters as they were in, say, Romans. And we certainly shouldn't expect the Apostle to be advocating the importance of Holy Baptism any longer, after all Baptism was done away with right? Which is definitely why the Apostle doesn't mention the significance and importance of Baptism in Colossians 2 or Titus 3. I mean, the Apostle certainly wouldn't talk about how the dividing wall between Jews and Gentiles has been eradicated in Christ Jesus and that He would make of two peoples one as he does in Ephesians. And he absolutely would never, ever say the same thing in Colossians that he did in Galatians where he declare that there is neither Jew nor Greek, male nor female, for all are made one in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I mean, very obviously Paul preached a completely different and entirely new message in the seven letters you mention that can't be found in the rest of Paul's letters, or in the Acts, or in the four Gospels, or in the Catholic Epistles. I mean it's not like Peter says that the Gentiles who formerly were not a people are now a people in Christ.
I mean, how silly it must be to believe that from all eternity God has had one purpose for all of creation in Jesus Christ and that through Jesus Christ God would heal, save, and redeem the world; and that He began all of this by calling a certain man from Ur of the Chaldeans, and giving him the promise that there would come One promised and that through this One Abraham would become the father of many nations. And through the descendants of Abraham's grandson Jacob God would set the groundwork by calling together a people to a particular place, give them commandments, and send them Prophets all to point toward the coming of One who would be Savior of the world, of the line of David. And that this very One was, indeed, born of a Virgin in the City of David, even Christ the Lord, who would go to proclaim the coming of God's reign and turn every expectation of what God's power and authority looks like by not being a conqueror, but the Son of Man laying down His life. That the kingdom of God does not come with observation, but came manifest in a Galilean Carpenter preaching good news to the outcasts, the unwanted, and sinners that there is a God who this Jesus calls Father, who spoke through the patriarchs and prophets of old and by them proclaimed His coming. And that this God would desire to be Father to a rebellious creation who lifted a middle finger, but He nevertheless shows us His love that even though we are sinners, Christ died for us.
After all, that Christ would show us what the kingdom of God looks like by surrendering Himself in loving obedience to His Father--even to the point of the cross thereby emptying and pouring Himself out, not exploiting His own Godhead--and we behold that, indeed truly and really the greatest in God's kingdom is the least, for the least of the kingdom is indeed greater than John the Baptist. As He who is greatest is made least for our sakes. And that, indeed, we come entering into the kingdom by the grace of God, through new birth which we have received from a gracious and kind God who takes wretched sinners and declares them sons and daughters by clothing them with the righteousness of His Son. I mean--could you imagine how silly that would be if, indeed that were what the Bible taught?
Indeed, this is all quite silly. There clearly isn't a beautiful narrative of God's redemption showcased throughout the whole of the Biblical story that comes together and reaches climax in the coming of the Messiah; and Paul very obviously doesn't preach the same Gospel in one place and also the other. Very obviously there are many gospels, which is absolutely why in Galatians the Apostle says that if anyone, even if they or an angel declare a gospel other than the one they had heard from them already that such a one is anathema.
Which is definitely why we should receive another gospel other than the one Paul and the rest of the Apostles and which Christ our God Himself proclaimed in the flesh. I'm sure anathema is probably a good word and nothing at all to be concerned about.
-CryptoLutheran
Paul's Special Revelations from the Lord, mentioned in scripture. There is no record of anyone else getting these revelations. They started on the Damascus Road.
1Co 14:6
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by
revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
2Cor 12:1
It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and
revelations of the Lord.
2Cor 12:7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the
revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
Gal 1:2
For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the
revelation of Jesus Christ.
Gal 2:2
And I went up by
revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Eph 3:3
How that by
revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
These are just the revelations we know about. They started on the Damascus Road. The last one, Eph 3:3 pertains to The Mystery, which includes about everything new in Paul's last 7 books.
_________________________________________________________
The Mystery:
Col 1:25-27
25 Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;
26 Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The word fulfil in vs 25 means fill full, or complete. This 2000 year Dispensation that started in Ac 28:28 completed the Word of God to us Humans. We now have the complete scriptures. That's all we get. The Mystery had been hidden IN GOD forever, vs 26, until Paul made it known after Acts 28:28. In vs 27, our hope (resurrection) is in Glory, which is above the Heavens, according to Ps 8:1.
_________________________________________
Any doctrinal difference between Acts and After-Acts would prove that Paul's Acts epistles were for a dispensation than his post-Acts epistles. There are many, but this one is a huge one, the clincher, The word conversation means citizenship - see Strong's. No one during Acts
Phil 3:20
For our conversation (citizenship) is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Then compare Eph 1:20 with Eph 2:6, below. You'll see that We are raised up to where Christ was raised up and now sits at the right hand of God. The phrase, "heavenly places" means the super-heavens or far above all heavens - Note Eph 4:10 below
Eph 1:20
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
Eph 2:6
And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
Eph 4:10
He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.
_________________________________________________
In vs 4 below, the "Appearing", in vs 4 below, is our rapture.
Col 3:1-4
1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
__________________________________________________________
No one during Acts had a hope of Heaven. At best, they had a hope of the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven and attaches to the New Earth. The New Jerusalem is not Heaven and it certainly isn't Far above All Heavens, where I will will be when Christ, who is presently hid in God, makes His first appearance to His creation.
Also, the churches in Acts and After-Acts are different. The body of believers in Acts were all associated with Israel, in that all the Gentiles in the church were grafted into Israel. There hope is in the New Jerusalem, not Heaven. That church is the Bride. The church which isChrist's actual Body, Where Christ is the Head, make up the Bridegroom
Two things that are different are not the same.
__________________________________________________________
The Kingdom of Heaven will be an earthly Kingdom that Christ rules from Heaven. I believe it will be the next happening after this present Gentile dispensation ends which, as a pure guess, will be either 2063 or 2070. It is the one the Apostles asked about in Ac 1:6. Their question was a correct one in that this Kingdom would be restored to Israel. Christ didn't correct them, but essentially said that He couldn't tell them when it would be restored. After the K of H (say, 700 years long), I see the tribulation and then the Millennium, where Christ will be here ruling on earth. Since I am judicially part of His body, I will be with Him wherever He goes.
The Kingdom of God is more encompassing. It will encompass the entire universe when God is all in all. In the Bible, though, it sometimes is synonymous with the Kingdom of Heaven, sometimes as the Kingdom in Paul's last 7, and sometimes all-encompassing. I guess one could say the K of H is all K of G, but the K of G is not all K of H.