15
all agree that Matthew 16 must come after Matthew 10, and that a subject revealed in Matthew 16 for the first time
could not possibly have formed a part of the gospel preached earlier. Now in Matthew 16 we read:
"From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer
many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matt.
16:21).
When Peter heard these words he gives added proof that they were heard for the first time. There is but one
conclusion, and that is that the gospel of the kingdom must be kept distinct from the gospel of the grace of God as
preached by Paul to the Gentiles.
2. THE APOSTLES.- We read in Galatians 2 that after the apostle Paul had been preaching the gospel without
reference to Jerusalem for fourteen years, he went up by revelation and communicated to them that gospel which he
preached to the Gentiles:
"When they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision
was unto Peter; (for He that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was
mighty in me toward the Gentiles)" (Gal. 2:7,8).
Here there is a difference acknowledged not only in gospel, but in apostleship. Not only is a distinction
observable between the apostleship of Peter and Paul, but this distinction is definitely stated as between the earthly
ministry of Christ, and His heavenly ministry through His servant Paul:
"Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises
made unto the fathers: and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy ... That I should be the minister of
Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God" (Rom. 15:8,9,16).
That the apostle Paul must be distinguished from the twelve, his own words in 1 Corinthians 15:5 and 8, "of the
twelve", "of me also", are evidence. The most conclusive proof however of a different order of apostles to those of
Matthew 10 is found in Ephesians 4:8-11, "When He ascended up on high ... He gave gifts unto men ... and He gave
some, apostles". Here is an order of apostles, the gift of Christ, "when He ascended on high", which cannot possibly
refer to those appointed before He had even revealed his death and resurrection.
3. THE GENTILES.- Both in Galatians 2:7,8, and in Romans 15:16, also in Ephesians 4, the gospel and the
apostleship of Paul is most definitely directed to the Gentiles. In Matthew 10 the way of the Gentiles was forbidden,
and, moreover, the Lord declared that He had been sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. This limitation
to Israel is not confined to Matthew 10. We find it repeated in Matthew 15: 21-28, also at Pentecost and after.
Some reader may be under the impression that Pentecost altered all this exclusiveness, so we must turn to the
passage to see. Pentecost was a feast of the Jews. No Gentile, unless a proselyte, had either the right or necessity to
travel great distances from home to keep the feast. Although the assembled multitude were astonished to hear men
speak in their own tongues, they were not Gentiles, but Jews who had been born in or migrated to these other lands.
"Jews, devout men, out of every nation" (Acts 2:5) is their title, and Peter addresses them as "Men of Judaea" and
"Israel" (Acts 2:14,22,36). See also Acts 3:13 and 25 in this connection. Peter"s attitude toward Cornelius in Acts
10:28, and the parallel attitude of "the apostles" and church at Jerusalem (Acts 11:1,2), completely dispel the idea
that under Peter"s ministry and at the day of Pentecost Gentiles equally with Jews were "added to the church".
God, by the hand of Paul, opened the door of faith to the Gentiles (14:27), and it is Paul who was commissioned
to show that the believing Gentile, being "Christ"s", was "Abraham"s seed" as much as was the believing Jew (Gal.
3:29). Later, Paul received the dispensation of the grace of God to the Gentiles (Eph. 3:1,2), and then both Jew and
Gentile pass away in the creation of a new man (Eph. 2:11-22).