Contrasting the Four Gospels with Jesus’ Gospel to Paul – the Fifth Gospel

What did Paul mean when he told Timothy to:

Study (be diligent, be eager) to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed worker, rightly dividing (dissecting) the word of truth, 2 Timothy 2:15. (Yes, the same Greek word has all three of these meanings.)

So how did Jesus instruct Paul on “dividing the Word correctly”? In 2 Corinthians 5:16 we read:

Therefore from now on we recognize no one by the flesh (physical appearance.) Even though we have known Christ by the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer.

Yes, you read that correctly. Obviously, Jesus told Paul not to focus on His earthly ministry but on something else about Him instead. So what could possibly be more important than the accounts of Jesus’ life and exploits described in the Four Gospels where Jesus chose to operate as a man “in the flesh?” What did Jesus reveal to Paul that inspired Paul to write that amazing statement?

Well the next five verses in that chapter present the revelation of what Jesus accomplished on Calvary for mankind in general – and for believers in particular. But we also find out what happened to Jesus that radically changed Him. See if you can rightly discern and grasp this monumental change described here in 2 Corinthians 5:21…

He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to become sin on our behalf – so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Did you see it? Jesus, the righteous One, became unrighteous – sin itself (the essence of mankind’s Adamic nature) – and was, therefore, justly rejected by His heavenly Father, Mark 15:34. Why? “For the wages of sin is death.” Jesus the Man was no longer who He was before Calvary and, consequently, He justly DIED in our place so that He could offer to each of us His former right-standing with God as a monumental Gift. Again: The Perfect One lost His righteous perfection so that He could freely give it to us who believe in Him. Calvary changed everything – even Jesus. That is one of the most important revelations and “divisions” in the Bible. It spelled the end of the Mosaic Covenant for Jews and the beginning of the New Covenant, cut with God by Jesus’ own Blood on our behalf.

But God did not reject Jesus forever – which is what we deserved, due to our in Adam nature. But God accepted His Bloody sacrifice as full payment for all of mankind’s sin as the perfect Lamb of God to whom our sin nature was transferred. Then God was pleased to raise Him (and spiritually, all believers with Him) out of the grave as the First of a new race of humans – spiritually and physically. This is a foreshadowing of our complete transformation when we die physically – just as He did on Good Friday. In other words, when we die physically, our perfect spirit-self in Christ will be joined to our then instantly sanctified outer man.

How did Paul know all this? He personally saw the Glorified Jesus on His way to Damascus – and then later in heaven, according to 2 Corinthians 12:1-6. That is why he could report that Jesus is no longer the same as He used to be – and the same goes for all of us who are reborn through Him. This event signals another great “division” in the Bible, when everyone who is an in Adam sinner (pre-Cross) can choose to become one of God’s own children. We are His New Creation saints by Grace through faith in Jesus and are now beneficiaries of all the blessings and privileges of the New Covenant that Father-God made with Jesus on our behalf. It is all wrapped up in the phrases “Jesus’ Finished Work” and His “Divine Exchange” with all reborn saints.

This new revelation and “division” can rightly be called the Fifth Gospel because it is so much better than what went on before the New Covenant was inaugurated. The Four Gospel are like a trailer to a movie, giving hints of what the main attraction is about. But typical of a really good movie, the outcome of Calvary was too good to be imaginable by anyone – even the prophets – until it happened. And the church, as a whole has yet to grasp its full impact and reality because much of the church is still focusing on the “trailer” (and on “combating sin”) rather than on Jesus’ Fifth Gospel revealed to Paul. Why? Because the trailer is “written in red” – spoken by Jesus Himself. Nothing could be greater than that, right?

Wrong! Paul spent his Christian life hearing and seeing and proclaiming the mysteries which had been kept hidden before Calvary but now disclosed to the saints, post-Cross, Colossians 1:26-27. If only the church as a whole would “repent” by believing Jesus’ revelations to Paul in the Fifth Gospel of total Grace. It would spark a Second Reformation. It is so different in tone and in revelation from the Four Gospels that some have written books accusing Paul of trying to replace “Jesus own words” in the pre-Cross, Four Gospels. They have the gall to dismiss what Jesus revealed to Paul as a counterfeit gospel when the exact opposite is true. Paul confronted that lie head-on in Galatians 1:8-9:

But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

Other Important Divisions in the Bible

And are there any other “divisions” in the Bible which are important to understand? Yes, the differences in the other four main covenants, which I described in the earlier Posts, are very important to understand and “dissect” too. They are written for our “learning” because they present the earlier parts of our “salvation History” that have types and shadows of the coming Messiah and His culminating Victory on Calvary – which is what the Bible was pointing to since Genesis. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen” says Hebrews1:1. Jesus Himself is the manifestation and evidence of the unseen God.

Peter acknowledged that Jesus’ Fifth Gospel through Paul is “difficult to understand” (2 Peter 3:15-16) because its focus is on the Unseen Realm that is the new home for every Christian. The improper dissection of the Bible by Law-minded teachers and clergy has kept believers fixated on the things of earth because that is what the Mosaic Law Covenant is largely about – improving the quality of life in the Seen Realm for the Israelites – or so it seemed. But the real reason for the Law covenant was to reveal mankind’s fallen condition in Adam that only the Last Adam – Jesus – could fix.

So once re-birth occurs, it is vital for every Christian to focus on Jesus’ Finished Work to renew our mind regarding our new position and condition in Christ, rather on Mr. Law, who the devil wants us to still focus on. Why? Because he wants you to focus on trying to fix what is already perfect (our New Creation spirit-selves) instead of focusing on Jesus, our Savior and new Husband. We are new beings in a new location – heaven – right now. A law focus keeps a Christian trying to acquire or keep what he or she already is and has in Christ. Agree with God that you are now spiritually perfect (Hebrews 10:14) as His beloved child and seated in the heavenlies (Ephesians 2:6), fully qualified, accepted and approved by God through faith in Jesus’ Finished Work on Calvary, now true for you and all reborn saints in Christ!

And, to help you to renew your mind by “hearing and studying to find out how accepted and approved you already are from God’s perspective,” you can click here to listen to this song OH! The Gospel From Lord Jesus and then study the Bible verses that pop-up next to the song on the Lyrics Page. It is all part of your legal inheritance in Christ Jesus.