In First Corinthians 11:1 the Apostle Paul, whom the Lord chose to write much of the New Testament, tells us to FOLLOW HIM AS HE FOLLOWED CHRIST from whom He received the Gospel by revelation (Gal. 1:12) over a three year period while he was in the rural areas of Arabia (Gal. 1:18). Afterward, he left Arabia and searched out the Apostle Peter in order to compare the Gospel he (Paul) had received to what Peter had received from Jesus during the time he had spent with Him. Paul would later meet with the other apostles who had also been taught by Christ Himself so as to confirm that he and they were all preaching the same Gospel message (Heb. 2:3). With this information in mind, does it not stand to reason that what Paul he wrote to the churches is God’s Gospel? Therefore let us learn what God’s premiere apostle has to say about HIS ONE AND ONLY GOSPEL that is believed and obeyed by His ONE AND ONLY CHURCH. Paul speaks to the singularity of God’s Gospel and church in Ephesians 4:4,5 where he tells us, under the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit, that there is only ONE BODY OF CHRIST, ONE HOLY SPIRIT, ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE GOD AND FATHER OF ALL. The Apostle Peter describes that singular church body as God’s CHOSEN GENERATION, HIS ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, HIS HOLY NATION, HIS PECULIAR PEOPLE WHO BRING PRAISE TO HIM BY WALKING IN HIS LIGHT WHICH CONTRASTS TO THE DARKNESS OF THE WORLD AND ITS RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS.

Each church, denomination, faith, etc. has its own version of God’s Gospel, which makes those religious groups abominations in His eyes for they have “learned the ways of the heathen” and have embraced them. The home page of this website lists a number of such pagan ways that serve as foundation stones for the modern Laodicean Church (Rev. 3:14-18).

In the first six verses of Paul’s letter to the church at Rome, the Lord, speaking through him, tells us that the Christian “walk” (life-style–thoughts, words and actions) revolves around strict adherence to His rules that govern that walk. It is by these rules (commandments/Laws) that He governs His true saints. These rules are found in His Holy Bible, otherwise known as His GOSPEL–the good news about the soon-coming earthly Kingdom of God (Mk. 1:15). Read The Kingdom of God. Key word–Kingdom. That same Gospel was preached to Abraham and to the Old Testament Israelites (Gal. 3:8/Heb. 4:2/1 Cor. 10:11). Now we will turn to Romans chapter one beginning with verse one. Bear in mind that the Rome church is comprised primarily of biological Gentiles who have become spiritual Israelites by obeying the Law of the God of Israel. The entire church on earth was then and continues to be comprised of spiritual Israelites and was and still is known as “the Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16/Eph; 2:12).

In verse one Paul identifies himself as an apostle and servant of Jesus Christ who has been separated unto the Gospel of God. By using the Word “separated,” Paul lets us know that the preaching of the Gospel was the focus of his entire existence. In verses two and three Paul notes that the Gospel he (and all other apostles) preached was the same Gospel Jesus preached while He was on earth. God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). Therefore, His Gospel is the same. From Abraham until the fourth century A.D., the Gospel remained the same. Vast parts of it were then changed by the Catholic Church between 300 and 400 A.D. in order to satisfy her heathen converts who wanted church leaders to include their gods, beliefs and customs in the church’s doctrines. It is from this abominable practice that the Catholic/Protestant Religious System (“the church”) came to embrace such Satanic beliefs and practices as the Sunday Sabbath, Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, the Trinity, etc. Read Simon of Samaria: the Legacy. Key word–Simon.

In verse four Paul equates the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the act of baptism which symbolically washes away all past sins (justification) and allows the cleansed one to rise up to new life in which sin has no place in the believer’s life. This is made possible by the convert’s reception of the “Spirit of holiness” which empowers the TRUE CONVERT to resist Satan’s temptations to sin as did the man Jesus of Nazareth (Rev. 3:21), and to “walk as He walked” (2 Jn. 2:6), thereby qualifying the TRUE CONVERT to join Him on His throne in paradise. Becoming involved in the church’s sin-repent, sin-repent cycle following one’s supposed “salvation experience” proves that his/her conversion was false. Read False Conversion: The First Stumble …. Key word–Stumble. There are several series on true conversion.

In verse five Paul states that the apostles #1 goal is to obey God and set the example for their followers to practice “obedience to THE (ONE AND ONLY) FAITH.” Faith is taking God’s written Word at face value (Rom.10:19). In verse six Paul reminds the Rome church that God’s requirement of obedience applied to Gentiles the same as to Israelites. We must grow in faith and obedience until we “come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Only those who do so will rise to meet Him in the air upon His return, then accompany Him to Jerusalem where He will establish the Kingdom of God where He and His Very Elect saints will live forever. L.J.