He exhorted the anxious enquirer to repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins (38), a feature of Peter's

gospel entirely foreign to that of Paul's, for said Paul, `Christ sent me NOT to baptize BUT to preach the

gospel' (1 Cor. 1:17), words that Peter could never truthfully utter.

In the third chapter of Acts we learn more of the nature of Peter's message, when he called upon Israel to repent

and be converted, linking their conversion with the second coming of Christ, and the time of the restitution of all

things spoken of by the prophets. Peter, equally with Paul, preached `Jesus and the resurrection', but each with a

somewhat different object. According to Peter, Christ was raised from the dead and exalted at the right hand of

`To be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins' (Acts 5:31).

Even when Peter had commission from the Lord to go to the house of Cornelius, we find his attitude and his

message very different from that of Paul.

Peter's attitude. - `Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come

unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean'

(Acts 10:28).

Peter's message. - `The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (He is

Lord of all)' (Acts 10:36).

There is nothing like this in the whole record of Paul's ministry. In the thirteenth chapter of Acts, Paul gives

much the same place to the history of Israel as does Peter in the second chapter. He quotes the same Psalms and

refers to the same fulfilment in the fact of the resurrection of the Lord. The great difference between Peter's

opening sermon and that of Paul, is expressed in Acts 13:38,39.

Paul's message. - `Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you

the forgiveness of sins: and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be

justified by the law of Moses'.

Here, for the first time, is announced that glorious foundation of Paul's gospel, `justification by faith without

works of law'. Paul's attitude also is different from that of Peter. While he too addresses Israel, he includes the

Gentile as well.

Paul's attitude.- `Men of Israel, and ye that fear God' (13:16).

`Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, TO YOU is the

Word of this salvation sent' (13:26, compare 10:36 quoted above).

We cannot attempt an exhaustive analysis of the gospel as preached by Peter, but the reader would find it

profitable and enlightening to take such great doctrinal terms as `Justification' and `Reconciliation', without which

Paul's gospel would be emptied of all meaning, and observe the use (or non-use) of such terms in the epistles of

Peter, James and John. The oft repeated expressions `the salvation of souls' and `soul winners' find no place in the

gospel preached by Paul. Peter speaks of the soul (1 Pet. 1:9,22; 3:20; 4:19) and his usage is comparable with Paul's

use of the term in the epistle addressed to the `Hebrews' (Heb. 4:12; 6:19; 10:38,39; 13:17) for to the Jew he spake

as a Jew.

Right division robs us of no essential element, preserves to us such fundamentals as Justification by Faith,

prevents us from preaching baptism for the forgiveness of sins, and gives us a gospel that opens the way without

reserve for the revelation of the mystery when the announcement of that great truth fell due.

`Of God'; `Of Christ'; and `My gospel'.

We have seen that Peter's gospel differs in some essentials from that entrusted to Paul, we must now turn our

attention to the good tidings that were preached by the apostle of the Gentiles.