The Uniqueness of Paul and His Epistles

By Xlibris US

For years, I believed the so-called New Testament, from the book of Matthew through the book of Revelations, was one united book containing one gospel edifying Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Perhaps as many of you, while in your youth as I, heard countless pastors, Bible teachers, ministers, and evangelists treating the so-called New Testament as one unit. One thing must be considered is where the New Testament truly begins. Th ere is much speculation that it does not begin with the book of Matthew but with Acts and possibly elsewhere. Th is subject will be addressed in later chapters. Also, I heard but never understood why some believers state they only read Pauls epistles. Th is puzzled me greatly but will be likewise addressed later.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499054675

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Copyright © 2014 by Mitchell A. Montgomery.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

King James Version-(KJV) of the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible by David H. Stern

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 08/05/2014

To contact the author: [e-mail]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Special Dedication And Acknowledgment

About The Author

Time Line Of Old Testament Prophets

Time Line Of Paul And Associates

Preface

The Kingdom Of God

The Purpose Of The Law

The Emergence Of Grace

A Comparison

The Plan of Salvation under Kingdom Principle

The Plan of Salvation under Grace

The concept of Faith under Kingdom Principle

The Concept of Faith under the Kingdom Principle

The Concept of Faith under Grace Principles

The Concept of Meats under the Law

The Concept of Meats under Grace

Paul’s Uniqueness

The Beginning Of The New Testament

Tithing And The Gospel Of Grace

SPECIAL DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

T his book is dedicated to God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who imparted much information and greatly inspired me for this work to reach completion.

Also to my daughter, Michelle, and her family in Georgia, who are always an inspiration, and everyone who guided me along the right path in this life.

A special acknowledgment and thank you is extended to Mrs. Yvonne Thigpen, president of Evangelical Training Association, www.etaworld.org, in Wheaton, Illinois, who, on November 13, 2013, granted permission to use some of their copyright materials as illustrations in this book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I n August, 1939, I was born, raised, and educated in Chicago, Illinois. Principally, I grew up in Ida B. Wells Projects, Englewood, Washington Heights areas of the Windy City. Much later, I lived in Forest Park, Illinois. My three sisters and I attended parochial schools through high school, which truly began my encounter with the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I did not become born-again until my eighth grade in 1953 at St. Martin’s School. As those of you who have similar beginnings, parochial schools did not teach the bible but exposed us students to a catechism, which is primarily church doctrine. In those times, the bible was somewhat hidden from students as well as parishioners. I remember clearly, if one desired to know something from the bible, an appointment had to be made with a parish priest.

In 1981, I vividly remember having a deep craving for learning much more about Jesus Christ and the Bible. I contacted a priest I had known for decades. My mother and his mother would sometimes accompany each other to church, and a brother and sister of his were high school classmates about this craving and the whereabouts of a good Bible study program. In a sarcastic tone, he said to me, What do you want to do, become one of those Bible-quoting Christians?

Being immediately offended because that was precisely my personal goal, I took a step backwards and walked away from him and Catholicism.

I later attended the University of Illinois, Navy Pier, Chicago, with a major in aeronautical engineering and graduated from Roosevelt University, Chicago. Cost of my college education was earned through summer employments, part-time and some full-time employment opportunities. I must admit borrowing $25 from a parish priest to purchase a book my initial year at the Pier.

My biblical knowledge was acquired through constant reading and studying scripture and listening to certain media ministers. In 1982, I began conditioning myself to reading and studying certain numbers of Bible chapters weekly. To this day, the same commitment remains unchanged.

I am not opposed to Divinity Schools or Christian Colleges, but they were something I did not experience. I hope my grandson experiences a good Christian College, Divinity School, or Christian University where at least 90 percent of their faculty received their degrees from non-secular universities and 100 percent of them are truly born-again and hopefully spirit-filled Christians.

In Matthew 16:6, Jesus told his disciples the following:

"And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven (meaning yeast or something likened to a contaminant) of the Pharisees (meaning the religious elite), and of the leaven of Herod (meaning the government)".

In 1984–1985, I became a volunteer in a prison ministry at Cook County Jail, Chicago, under the late Mother York, chaplain.

In 1994, I again, through Midwest Christian Center in Tinley Park, Illinois, became a member of their outreach program, which ministered on alternating Sunday mornings at Lake County Community Corrections (LCCC) in Crown Point, Indiana. In April 1998, the church severed their relationship with LCCC, but I continued alone, providing the Word of God biweekly until December 2007.

In 1995 and again in 1999, LCCC selected me as volunteer of the year.

In September 2000, I was hired by Senior Pastor of Living Word Christian Center (LWCC) in Forest Park, Illinois, to teach eight-week biblical courses through their Bible Training Center.

Courses I was designated to teach were Old Testament Survey, New Testament Survey, Biblical End Time Prophesy, and Book of Revelations.

In 2001, LWCC again established a School of Ministry, which is primarily for graduates of their Bible Training Center, pastors, and those who have an interest in missions. I became a faculty member and continued teaching at LWCC until April 2010, when I began preparing to become a transplant to Florida.

In August 2002, the chaplain at Joliet Illinois Youth Center invited me to minister at their facility in Joliet, Illinois. Once approved, I began ministering on alternating Saturday mornings until June 2007. In April 2004, I was selected as their volunteer of the year.

In August 2001, I began writing my initial biblical manuscript entitled The End of the Matter in Door County, Wisconsin, in a cabin alongside Lake Michigan. In 2009, the second manuscript entitled The First Five Books of Moses was written in Forest Park, Illinois. In April 2013, I began writing this manuscript, The Uniqueness of Paul and His Epistles, in the Sunshine State of Florida.

The first two manuscripts are soon to be published. In Matthew 19:30v;, Jesus makes the following but quite prophetic statement:

"But many that are first will be last: and the last shall be first."

TIME LINE

OF

OLD TESTAMENT

PROPHETS APOSTLES

AND

DISCIPLES OF JESUS

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TIME LINE

OF PAUL AND ASSOCIATES

OF

NEW TESTAMENT

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PREFACE

F or years, I believed the so-called New Testament, from the book of Matthew through the book of Revelations, was one united book containing one gospel edifying Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Perhaps as many of you, while in your youth as I, heard countless pastors, Bible teachers, ministers, and evangelists treating the so-called New Testament as one unit. One thing must be considered is where the New Testament truly begins. There is much speculation that it does not begin with the book of Matthew but with Acts and possibly elsewhere. This subject will be addressed in later chapters. Also, I heard but never understood why some believers state they only read Paul’s epistles. This puzzled me greatly but will be likewise addressed later.

In 1984, I became a teacher of the Holy Bible and taught the New Testament as others as a single unit.

As I continued to study scripture, growing in the God kind of faith, receiving more of the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus and, lastly, the eyes of my understanding becoming more enlightened, I discerned the New Testament, as designated in the Bible (from: Matthew to Revelations), clearly and unequivocally contains two separate and very distinct gospels. Understand both gospels edify and glorify our Lord Jesus Christ and began in Him.

The purpose of this book is to clearly demonstrate the fact, the so-called New Testament (from the book of Matthew to Revelations) contains two separate but distinct gospels. One of these gospels simply is an extension of the Old Testament, which has transited well into the dispensation of time we now live. The appropriate title for this specific age is The Dispensation of Grace or the Church Age. Refer to both timelines on pages 12 and 13 in this text.

The second gospel built on the Principles of Grace is, in fact, the New Testament founded on far better promises than the first. In presenting these distinctions, I am in no way condemning or favoring one over the other but simply bringing them to light. Remember every word written in the Holy Bible is pure and profitable.

The