Kingdom Gospel vs Gospel of Grace
- dispensationofgrac
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
Topic | Kingdom Program (Peter/James) | Mystery Program (Paul) |
Gospel | Jesus is Messiah, King of Israel | Christ died for sins, buried, rose (1 Cor. 15) |
Entry for Gentiles | Through Israel, with circumcision expected | Directly to Christ by grace through faith |
Circumcision | Assumed or insisted on (Acts 15:1, Gal 2:3-5) | Rejected (Galatians 5:2, 6:15) |
Law observance | Continued (Acts 21:20) | Not under the law (Romans 6:14) |
Status of Gentiles | Secondary — blessed through Israel | Equal — one new man (Ephesians 2:15) |
Hope | Earthly kingdom reign | Heavenly position in Christ |
Beginning | At Pentecost (Acts 2) | With Paul’s calling (Acts 9–13) |
Audience | Israel only (Matthew 15:24; 10:5-6) | Jew & Gentile, no distinction (Romans 10:12; Galatians 3:28) |
Message | Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 4:23; Luke 9:2) | Gospel of the Grace of God (Acts 20:24; Ephesians 2:8-9) |
Basis of Salvation | Faith + works (obedience, righteousness) (Matthew 5:20; 19:17; 24:13) | Faith alone apart from works (Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-9) |
Requirement for Entry | Righteousness, obedience, endurance (Matthew 7:21; 25:31-46) | Trust in Christ’s finished work (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Titus 3:5) |
Baptism | Required for remission of sins (Mark 1:4; Luke 7:30) | Not required; replaced by Spirit baptism (1 Corinthians 1:17; 12:13) |
Content of Gospel | Kingdom at hand, Messiah as King (Matthew 10:7; John 1:49) | Christ died, was buried, and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) |
Jesus’ Role Emphasized | Earthly King fulfilling prophecy (Luke 1:32-33) | Risen Head of the Body, seated in heaven (Ephesians 1:20-23) |
Timing of Revelation | Spoken since the world began (Luke 1:70; Acts 3:21) | Kept secret since the world began (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:5, 9) |
Apostolic Leadership | The Twelve apostles (Matthew 19:28) | Paul, apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13; Galatians 2:7-9) |
Church Identity | Believing remnant of Israel (Luke 12:32; Acts 1:6) | The Body of Christ, a new creature (1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17) |
Law's Role | Still in effect—keep the commandments (Matthew 5:18-19) | Not under the law, but under grace (Romans 6:14; Galatians 5:4) |
Hope/Focus | Earthly kingdom, Messiah reigning in Jerusalem (Matthew 6:10) | Heavenly position in Christ, seated above (Ephesians 2:6; Colossians 3:1-4) |
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