Acts 26:16-23

Rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me. So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision, but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.

*
Before Paul met Jesus, he thought he was being faithful to God. He regarded those who believed in Jesus as heretics, put them in prison, killed them, and severely persecuted them. He had been working thoroughly as a servant of Satan. The traditions of the elders that he followed were doctrines made by men and were opposed to the word of God.

When human thoughts are added to the word of the Bible, it becomes human doctrine. This becomes a tool of Satan that hinders the kingdom of God.

Human doctrines also use words such as “God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, salvation, heaven, and hell.” However, they distort God’s will and live a false life of faith, eventually leading to destruction.

Even Paul before meeting Jesus called on the name of God while extremely persecuting those who believed in Jesus.

Even today, various cults appear, calling on the names of God and Jesus, performing signs and wonders, and deceiving God’s people, leading them toward hell.

God rescued Saul, who had been loyal to Satan, and made him Paul who was loyal to God.

Through the saved Paul, God set countless people free from the power of Satan and brought them back into God’s embrace. This means rescuing them from sin and death and giving them life, and saving those who were on the way to hell and leading them onto the path to heaven.

God made the apostle Paul preach only Jesus, because the blood of Jesus Christ forgives all sins and saves sinners.

Those who believe in Jesus must repent. Those who only attend church but do not repent cannot receive forgiveness of sins.

For both Jews and Gentiles, there is only one way to be saved: to believe in Jesus, repent, and obey the Lord’s word.

To obey the word of Jesus means to forgive the faults of neighbors, do good to one another, and pursue harmony. Striving like this is to accomplish God’s kingdom and righteousness on this earth.

Those who strive, practice, and train to accomplish God’s kingdom and righteousness while living in this world become God’s true children and inherit heaven.

All believers must turn away from the power of evil and return to the word of God. This means bearing fruit worthy of repentance in our daily lives—abandoning lies and evil thoughts, and loving and serving God and neighbors with sincere hearts and humility.

Those who do not bear fruit worthy of repentance but only create countless theological theories have false faith.

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Acts 26:21-23

For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death. But having obtained the help that comes from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place: that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.

*
The gospel that the apostle Paul preached was only Jesus Christ. And the Bible reveals that what Moses and the other prophets preached in the Old Testament was also only Jesus Christ.

Let us look in the Scriptures at how Moses and the other prophets of the Old Testament spoke about Jesus Christ.

Deuteronomy 18:15
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to him.

God will raise up a special prophet from among the people of Israel. Listen to his words. Those who do not listen to his words will be punished.
This means that those who listen to the words of Jesus Christ will be saved, and those who do not will be punished.

Genesis 3:15
He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.

Jesus Christ will be born as the offspring of a woman. This means that Jesus would be born into the world through the virgin Mary.
All humans are born through the seed of a man, but Jesus was born into the world in human flesh through Mary by God Himself.
Because Jesus was not born through a man, He is called the offspring of a woman.

Isaiah 53:5
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

Through the prophet Isaiah it was foretold that Jesus would come into the world, bear the sins of humanity, and die on the cross.

Psalm 22:16-18
Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet. All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.

Through David it was foretold that evil men would nail Jesus’ hands and feet to the cross and cast lots for His clothes. David was both a king and a prophet.

Psalm 16:10
Because You will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will You let Your holy one see decay.

This means that Jesus would die and rise from the tomb after three days.

Isaiah 53:11
After He has suffered, He will see the light of life and be satisfied; by His knowledge My righteous servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities.

Jesus suffered the pain of death to bear the sins of humanity. As a result, countless sinners receive salvation. Seeing this, the Lord is satisfied with the suffering He endured.

The apostle Paul preached these Scriptures and urged people to repent. We also must preach only this word. Preaching human doctrines or personal thoughts is not the gospel.

Only the gospel of Jesus gives life to the soul. The true gospel is to believe only Jesus as Savior, obey only His word, and repent of disobedience.

The children of God must follow the words of Jesus, forgive one another, abandon lies, greed, and evil speech and behavior, do good, and always strive to pursue peace.

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Acts 28:1-6

After we were brought safely through, we then learned that the island was called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.” But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

*
The ship Paul was on was heading toward Rome, but during the voyage it was wrecked on the island of Malta.

It was cold weather. The islanders came out and made a fire for Paul and those with him. At that time, as Paul tried to throw a bundle of sticks into the fire, a viper inside it bit his hand.

When bitten by a viper, a person’s body usually swells and he dies. Seeing Paul bitten by the snake, the islanders said, “That man must be a murderer. Though he was saved from the sea, he will die from the snakebite.”

The Bible speaks of two kinds of salvation: the salvation of the body and the salvation of the soul.

Being healed from disease or rescued from the sea belongs to the salvation of the body.
But entering heaven after finishing life on this earth is the salvation of the soul.

Through physical salvation we can realize that God is alive and working. Those who experience physical salvation should use it as an opportunity to realize God, repent, and achieve the salvation of their souls.

Those who realize God’s existence must live according to His word, repent of their sins, and enter heaven.

Many Christians experience physical salvation in various ways.
However, most of them perish because they do not repent and thus do not receive the salvation of their souls.

Why did Paul not die even after being bitten by a viper?
This happened because God wanted the islanders to realize His existence and omnipotence so that they might receive salvation.

Acts 28:7-10

There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.

God performed another miracle. The father of Publius, the most prominent man on the island, was sick with fever, and when Paul prayed he was healed.
And the patients who came after seeing this were all healed.

Through this grace and work of God, the people living on the island came to believe in God. As a result, they provided abundant food for Paul and those with him.
And later they also provided everything Paul needed for his voyage.
God’s work and grace are so great—they make the impossible possible.

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Acts 28:24-28

Some were convinced by what he said, but others would not believe. They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your ancestors when He said through Isaiah the prophet: ‘Go to this people and say, You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ Therefore I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

*
When Paul preached the gospel, some Jews accepted it while others did not.

Isaiah explained the reason why those who did not accept the gospel rejected it.
They could not understand the gospel of life because their hearts were very hardened.

The gospel of Jesus that Paul preached was simple and clear.
The Old Testament era has ended. Now abandon the complicated sacrificial system and the law. Believe that Jesus is God. Follow Jesus’ words, forgive and love one another. And whenever you fall short, repent and wash your sins with the blood of Jesus.

A hardened heart means being stubborn, filled with pride and greed, thinking only of one’s own benefit, and not trying at all to understand others.

Such people cause conflict wherever they go and destroy peace. Such people cannot accomplish God’s kingdom and righteousness. They have lost the purpose of believing in Jesus. All Jews are God’s people, but those with hardened hearts do not believe God’s word and perish.

When a person confesses and believes Jesus as Savior, from that time he becomes a church member and begins a life of faith. From then on he must train himself to resemble the heart of Jesus.

The training of faith is to understand others, forgive them, pursue a good life, and strive for harmony.

All Christians must glorify God through good lives.
They must abandon proud thoughts and be transformed into hearts that serve God and neighbors.
This is bearing the fruit of love in the Lord.

Those who have believed in Jesus for a long time but still do not continue to bear the fruit of love will eventually be rejected by the Lord.

Human doctrines do not teach repentance and obedience. Because of this, countless Christians fall away, fail to bear the fruit of love, and are thrown into hell.

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Romans 1:1-5

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God—the gospel He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding His Son, who as to His earthly life was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through Him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for His name’s sake.

*
The apostle Paul was a servant of Jesus who preached only Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ Himself is the gospel. The gospel is the news that God came into the world in human flesh, died on the cross in place of human sins, and redeemed humanity from sin and destruction.

Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse the sins of humanity.

God the Creator created humans clean. But humans became defiled by committing sins through their free will and greed; this was because they fell into Satan’s temptation.

Humans cannot solve their own sins; only God who created humans can solve their sins.

In order to save humanity that had fallen into the destruction of sin, God Himself had to bear human sins and die. This was not an easy task even for the Lord.

God could have abandoned Adam and Eve who sinned and created other humans again.
But God, who loves humanity, did not do that.

Because He loved humanity so much, God Himself gave His life and redeemed humanity from sin.
This is the absolute grace of God’s redemption.

Before humans even wanted it, God first loved humanity and chose this path Himself.
This is God’s great agape love. Agape love gives unconditionally without expecting anything in return.

God has opened wide the way for all humanity to be forgiven and saved without cost.
Now humans must walk the path of salvation that the Lord has opened.

Walking the path of salvation means living a life of repentance and obedience. This is loving God and loving neighbors according to the Lord’s word.
This is the fruit of love. Because the Holy Spirit leads us this way, it is called the fruit of the Spirit. But since all humans are imperfect, we must always repent.

Paul preached this gospel.
Hearing this gospel and repenting and obeying is truly believing in Jesus.

Simply calling the name of Jesus Christ with the mouth and attending church is not truly believing in Jesus.
That is why many church members attend church all their lives and still go to hell.

Christians today must not distort the gospel that the apostle Paul preached.

We must clearly understand the difference between being redeemed from sin and the salvation of the soul.
Only then can those who believe in Jesus live lives of repentance and obedience.

The conclusion of the gospel Paul preached is to believe in Jesus and obey Him. Only those who obey become citizens of heaven.

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Romans 1:16-20

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.' The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse."

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The Core Message of the Gospel

The gospel is the power of God that grants salvation to all who believe. God came to this world as Jesus and died on the cross; thus, anyone who believes in Jesus and repents will receive forgiveness and be saved. This is the core of the gospel.

Every human being is a sinner. However, by believing in Jesus and repenting, anyone can become a child of God. There is no exception for either Gentiles or Jews, because the way of salvation is unique and one.

For a long time, the Jews observed the sacrificial laws of the Old Testament and received forgiveness of sins through the blood of animals. However, the era has now come where they, too, can be forgiven and saved only through the blood of Jesus.

There is only one way for sinners to be made righteous. When we repent, the blood of Jesus cleanses all the sins of humanity.

Being cleansed once through repentance does not mean one remains clean forever. When we commit sin, we become defiled again. At every such moment, we must repent again and receive cleansing once more. By doing this, one becomes a person who preserves their righteousness until the end.

Those who have been made righteous by the blood of Jesus must continue to live a life of repentance to maintain that "righteousness." This principle is what is meant by "The righteous shall live by faith." If one ceases to repent, they lose the path to becoming righteous.

The greatest sin is to hinder this truth of salvation and block the salvation of people. Human doctrines interfere with the path of salvation that Jesus created by laying down His life. Those who do this lead their own souls and the souls of others to the path of destruction; they will not escape the fearsome wrath of God.

The power and divine nature of God are clearly displayed in all creation. As you watch all things move in an orderly fashion, acknowledge God's living presence and His works. Furthermore, you must walk the only path of salvation that the Lord has prepared. The unique way of salvation is to believe in Jesus as the Savior, repent of your sins, and obey the words of Jesus.