"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation – as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the scriptures"  (II Pet. 3:15-16).

The Lord Jesus Christ specifically called Paul (then called Saul) on the Road to Damascus, as he was going with threats of murder to Christians (Acts 9:1).  Why would the Lord chose such a man to be an apostle?  Christians were still mixing law and grace in the teaching and traditions.  No matter how much good was being done and how many people were being saved, there was not the true gospel of just 100% Christ and Him crucified yet being declared by the church.  Let's face the fact, the first century church is not a complete model, it was steeped in tradition and religion. Remember, it was the Lord Jesus Christ who called the apostle Paul to make this marked distinction and divine correction to the teaching of the gospel to the Church and to the world.  This was several years after the beginning of the Church at Pentecost.  The first thing that the Lord had Ananias tell Paul, was that he was a chosen vessel of His and would bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel, and that Paul would suffer for His name's sake (Acts 9:15-16).  I am so glad that the Lord Jesus told Paul to include the Gentiles.

Our heavenly Father sent the Holy Spirit to Paul to fully teach and reveal Christ in him for nearly three (3) years in the deserts of Arabia (Gal. 1:17-18).  The Father had revealed Christ, His Son actually lived in him and to preach Him among the Gentiles (Gal. 1:16). Paul declared, "that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:11-12).  Paul didn't go to some seminary somewhere to get this revealed message of Christ in him, the liberating gospel of divine correction.  I don't know how many seminaries today are providing preachers and pastors this revealed message of Christ in us, the liberating gospel of divine correction to the Church.

Brothers and sisters, you have to rightly divide the word of truth (II Tim. 2:15).  You have to divide out all Law and see that the church is being built and established according to Paul's gospel of Christ in us "and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began" (Rom. 16:25). You can mix law and grace scriptures together.  You can't mix promises to Israel and make it promises to the Church.  You can't mix the kingdom message, which is for restored Israel in the Millennium reign of Christ, with Paul's in Christ message.  You can't really mix and teach the things of Jesus of Nazareth to be revealed to Israel (John 1:31), with Jesus Christ and Him crucified (I Cor. 2:2). Otherwise, we we will be twisting scripture to the destruction of ourselves and others! V