Some false teachers (mostly hyper-dispensationalists) teach that Paul and Peter taught 2 different Gospels citing Galatians 2:6 as “proof.”
“But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter.”
But this verse is not saying that Paul and Peter preached different Gospels for we know that there is and always will be One Gospel (The Eternal Gospel) explicitly outlined in 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 (that Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again on the 3rd Day according to the Scriptures for our justification and that by believing in His finished redemptive work on The Cross ALONE we receive eternal life!)
The Gospel (i.e., The Good News) has always been and will always be the Person of Jesus The Messiah (Christ)! He has always been and will always be The Good News! The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world!
Those who lived before His incarnation were saved by believing in The “Promised Seed” (The “Coming Messiah”) first announced in Genesis chapter 3 (which many theologians refer to as the “proto-evangelium” or “First Gospel.”) (Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, David etc…)
Those who lived while Jesus The Messiah lived and walked this earth were saved by believing in Him as The Messiah. (The Thief on The Cross)
And those who lived after Jesus now in The Church Age dispensation are saved by trusting in Christ alone as savior (placing our faith in His death, burial and ressurection) for the remission of all our sins and eternal life.
But the one constant has always been justification (salvation) by faith alone in Messiah (Jesus) alone!!!
Galatians 2:6 is merely stating that Paul (a Jew Himself) was primarily entrusted with preaching The Gospel to the Gentiles (the “uncircumcision”) and Peter (also a Jew) primarily to the Jews (the “circumcision”).
Two Jews who were saved by believing THE SAME Gospel preaching that same Gospel to two different audiences!
Same Gospel.
Different primary audiences which required a different approach.
Whenever Paul entered any town or city, the Bible makes it clear that even though he was primarily entrusted with preaching The Gospel to the Gentiles, he always went to the synagogue first and shared THE Gospel (singular) with his Jewish bretheren.
“And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.” (Acts 14:1, KJV)
This verse makes it clear that Paul preached THE SAME Gospel in the SAME SYNAGOGUE to both Jews and Gentiles (Greeks) and that a “multitude” of both groups “believed” The Gospel (singular) and were saved!
Same Gospel.
Same synagogue.
Different groups saved by believing the SAME GOSPEL!
I happen to have a Jewish heritage so I can relate. I heard The Gospel in 2001 in a mostly Gentile church in North Carolina and got saved. I was saved by believing the exact same Gospel that gentiles in the same church believed!
In Romans Paul states:
“I am not ashamed of The Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God for salvation to EVERYONE who BELIEVES —to the Jew first and also to the Greek.” (Romans 1:16, KJV)
Paul is clearly saying that The Gospel (singular) is the power for salvation for ANYONE (Jew or Gentile) who BELIEVES! He is clearly stating that Jews and Gentiles are saved if they BELIEVE The Gospel (singular).
Paul writes to the congregation at Ephesus,
“Try hard to keep the unity of the Spirit in the peace that binds you together. There is ONE body and ONE Spirit, as you also were called in ONE hope at your calling. There is ONE Lord, ONE FAITH, ONE immersion, ONE God and Father of all…” (Ephesians 4:3-6, KJV)
Again, Paul is clearly communicating that there is only ONE FAITH!
Paul would not be able to say this if Jews had a different path to salvation (faith) than the Gentiles had. The ONE faith spoken of by Paul came from The Gospel of Christ, not two different gospels or versions of the same gospel. Just the ONE Gospel!!!! So,
“There is neither Jew nor Greek …for you are all ONE in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, KJV).
It’s important to also remember that Paul and Peter were both Jews. If Jews had a different Gospel (faith plus works), as some false teachers assert, then that would make both Paul and Peter false teachers since both taught justification BY FAITH ALONE to both Jews and Gentiles. If Paul and Peter were saved by a “faith plus works” “Jewish Gospel” then why would they be teaching a different gospel (grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone) to both Jews and Gentiles?
The answer is that they WOULDN’T and they DIDN’T!
“Knowing that a man is NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, but by THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the FAITH OF CHRIST, and NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW: for by the works of the law shall NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED.” (Galatians 2:16, KJV)
Paul is explicitly stating that NO FLESH (Jew or Gentile) shall be justified by the works of The Law!
Therefore, we can know with 100% CERTAINTY that justification has always been and will always be by faith alone and that neither Paul or Peter preached a “faith plus works gospel” for the Jews and a “faith only gospel” to the Gentiles.
Paul makes it UNAMBIGUOUSLY clear!
NO FLESH will be justified by the works of the law!!!!
NO Flesh!
Peter taught the same Gospel Paul taught (justification by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone!)
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; BUT WITH THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF CHRIST, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. (1st Peter 1:18-18, KJV)
Paul and Peter preached the exact SAME One True Gospel of Jesus Christ to both Jews and Gentiles!
