This list is taken from my Things that differ article. For even more proofs that there are multiple Gospels taught in the Bible, please read that article in full. This page is simply here for quick reference to the list of differences from that article. For a printable version of this list, please click here for a PDF version.
| The Israel of God/The Gospel of the Circumcision | The body of Christ/The Gospel of the Uncircumcision |
|---|---|
| Will keep the law perfectly when the New Covenant finally comes fully into effect and replaces the Old Covenant completely (Jeremiah 31:31–34, Ezekiel 36:26–27, Micah 4:2, Hebrews 8:8–12). | Not only are we not under the law at all, and in fact should not try to keep any of it (Romans 6:14, Galatians 5:3), Gentiles were never under the Old Covenant — which was about Israelites keeping the Mosaic law — to begin with, so we don’t have an Old Covenant to be replaced with by a New Covenant the way Israel does anyway (Exodus 12:43–49, Exodus 19:3–6, Leviticus 26:46, Deuteronomy 4:8, Deuteronomy 28, Nehemiah 9:13–14, Psalm 147:19–20, Malachi 4:4 Romans 2:14–15, Romans 9:3–5, Ephesians 2:12). |
| Jewish believers within this church were still zealous of the law, even after the Council of Jerusalem, and they were upset that Paul was teaching Jewish members of the body of Christ to avoid practicing the Mosaic law, including circumcising (Acts 21:17–26). | Not only did Paul teach against circumcising — or any law-keeping — for Gentiles in the body of Christ, he taught against it for anyone in the body of Christ, including Jewish members, and if Paul was teaching the same thing that Peter and James and the rest of the Jewish church were, the members of their church in Jerusalem wouldn’t have been so upset at Paul for teaching against circumcising and law-keeping for Jewish members of his church when he visited them later (Acts 15:1–21, Galatians 2:1–3, Acts 21:17–26). |
| Spoken of by the prophets since the world began (Acts 3:21–25). | A secret until Paul (Romans 16:25, Ephesians 3:8–10). |
| Only 12 apostles for this church — a number with much spiritual significance to Israelites — and they were all called inside of Israel (Matthew 4:18–22, Matthew 10:2–4). Even though Judas was replaced by Matthias after being disqualified (Acts 1:12–26), no others out of the 12 were ever replaced because there will only be 12 thrones for them to sit on in the kingdom of heaven, and only 12 foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem to be named after them on the New Earth (Matthew 19:28, Revelation 21:14). | The first apostle of our church — who is not one of the 12 apostles of the Israel of God — was called outside of Israel (Acts 9:3). This is spiritually significant because Paul was the apostle of the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). |
| Are supposed to eventually teach all the nations to obey everything Jesus commanded, and to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:16–20), although — outside of Peter’s visit to Cornelius — Scripture tells us this hasn’t happened yet (Acts 11:19, Galatians 2:8–9). | The fact that Paul is called the apostle of the Gentiles, and that a whole new set of apostles were in fact sent to the Gentiles, is significant because it means the 12 apostles of the Israel of God were not the apostles of (or to) the Gentiles (Romans 11:13, Acts 14:14, 1 Corinthians 4:6–9, Ephesians 4:11), nor were the rest of the members of that church preaching to the Gentiles yet either, since the pillars of their church had agreed to leave the preaching to the Gentiles to Paul and to those with him, for the time being, which means Israel hasn’t even really begun her so-called “Great Commission,” as it’s often referred to, yet (Galatians 2:8–9, Acts 13:2). |
| Proclaimed among Israelites (James 1:1, 1 Peter 1:1). | Proclaimed among the Gentiles (Ephesians 3:8). |
| Called the little flock, and as future citizens of the New Jerusalem, which is referred to as the bride of the lamb itself after it descends to the New Earth, the saints of this church who will inhabit this city can figuratively (albeit only proleptically) also be referred to as the bride of the lamb (Luke 12:32, John 3:29, Revelation 21:9), and are also referred to as the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). | The saints of this church are referred to as the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27, Ephesians 5:30). |
| Racial distinctions important (Matthew 15:26, Matthew 19:28, Revelation 21:12, Zechariah 8:22-23). | Racial distinctions irrelevant (1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:28). |
| Believers known from the foundation of the world (Revelation 17:8). | Believers known before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4). |
| Believers called first, then chosen (Matthew 22:14). | Believers chosen first, then called (Romans 8:30). |
| Water baptism required (Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38). | Water baptism not required (1 Corinthians 1:17, 1 Corinthians 12:13). |
| Many types of baptism/immersion: John’s baptism in water unto repentance, the Lord’s baptism in water — obviously not a baptism unto repentance — water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ/the name of the Lord, baptism in the Holy Spirit, and in fire, baptism into Moses, and baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11, 13–17, Acts 1:4–5, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:48, 1 Corinthians 10:2, Matthew 28:19). | Only one baptism/immersion: not in the Holy Spirit (or in water either), but rather by the Holy Spirit, into the body of Christ, including into what He experienced in His body, such as His death (Ephesians 4:5, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Romans 6:3–4). |
| Must have circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 10:16, Acts 7:51, Romans 2:29). | Circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ (Colossians 2:11). |
| Must have works, if possible between conversion and death, since faith without works is dead for them (James 2:20). | Even if we don’t have works, but only have faith, we are still justified, which means faith without works is not dead for us (Romans 4:5). |
| Must keep His commandments, and live as Jesus did (1 John 2:3–6). | God’s grace motivates us to live well, not the threat of losing our salvation if we don’t, as is the case for Israel (2 Corinthians 5:14–15). |
| Must forgive others or God will not forgive them (Matthew 6:12-15). | Should forgive one another as God has already forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32) — but even without works, we’re still justified, so we aren’t required to forgive others in order to be saved, even if it’s still good for us to do so (Romans 4:5). |
| Must not eat things sacrificed to idols (Revelation 2:14, 20). | Are permitted to eat things sacrificed to idols as long as conscience permits it (Romans 14:14, 1 Corinthians 8:4). |
| Must be an overcomer to avoid second death (Revelation 2:11). | Saved from second death by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8–9). |
| Hoping for grace, which will be brought to them when Jesus returns to the earth (1 Peter 1:13). | Already standing in grace (Romans 5:2). |
| Must be waking and watching, not sleeping (Matthew 25:1–13, Luke 12:37, Hebrews 9:28). | Whether waking or sleeping (1 Thessalonians 5:10). |
| Must be wise, not foolish, or will not be chosen (Matthew 25:1–13). | Few who are wise are chosen, and most who are chosen are foolish (1 Corinthians 1:26–29). |
| Can be put to shame at His presence if not careful (1 John 2:28). | Will all be changed for the better — meaning given glorified, immortal bodies — at His presence, which is the blessed hope all of us in this church should be looking forward to (1 Thessalonians 4:15–17, 1 Corinthians 15:52, Titus 2:13). |
| Will go through day of wrath (Revelation 6:1–17). | Not appointed to wrath (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 5:9). |
| Will meet Christ on earth (Acts 1:11–12, Zechariah 14:4). | Will meet Christ in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). |
| The resurrection of the just, also known as Israel’s “first resurrection” (Luke 14:14, Revelation 20:1–6), occurs 75 days after Jesus steps foot on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4–7, Acts 1:9–12, and compare the numbers in Daniel 12:11–13 to the numbers in Revelation 13:5 to understand the 75 day difference between these two events). | The dead in the body of Christ are first resurrected, then those who are still living will rise with them to meet Christ in the air together when He comes for our church, before He ever even gets close to the Mount of Olives (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17). |
| Will reign on the earth as a kingdom of priests over the nations (Exodus 19:6, Isaiah 61:6, 1 Peter 2:5–9, Revelation 2:26–27, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 20:6). | Will reign in the heavens (Ephesians 2:6–7, 2 Timothy 2:12). |
| Will fill earth with knowledge of God’s glory by being a light to the Gentiles and salvation to the ends of the earth (Habakkuk 2:14, Isaiah 49:6). | Will display God’s wisdom among the principalities and powers in the heavens (Ephesians 3:10–11). |
| The meek shall inherit the earth, and will live in the land God gave the patriarchs, which is the land of Israel (Matthew 5:5, Ezekiel 36:28). | Our citizenship is in the heavens (Philippians 3:20). |
| There will still be mortal “flesh and blood” humans living in the part of the kingdom of God that is on the earth, and they will even continue to reproduce, both in the thousand-year kingdom of heaven in Israel, as well as on the New Earth for a time (Zechariah 8:3–4, Isaiah 65:17–25). | Mortal “flesh and blood” is not able to inherit the part of the kingdom of God that is in the heavens (1 Corinthians 15:50–54). |
| The 12 apostles will judge the 12 tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). | Paul, not one of the 12 apostles of the church known as the Israel of God, but rather the first apostle of the church known as the body of Christ, will, along with the rest of the body, judge the whole world, as well as judge angels (1 Corinthians 6:2–3). |
| The cross was only bad news to those hearing the Gospel of the Circumcision — at least in the sermons recorded in Acts — and a shameful thing which needed to be repented of in order to be saved (Acts 2:22–38, Acts 3:13–15, Acts 7:52). | The cross is only good news for those hearing Paul’s Gospel, and is even something to glory in because it’s how we are saved (1 Corinthians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 15:1–4, Galatians 6:14). |
| As far as their Gospel is concerned, Jesus gave His life as a ransom only for “many” — meaning only for those who obey this Gospel (Matthew 20:28). | As far as our Gospel is concerned, Jesus gave His life as a ransom for all — meaning all humanity (1 Timothy 2:6). |
| Exhorted to remain in Him, and seem to be able to fall away and not be able to be renewed to repentance, so appear to be able to lose their sort of salvation (1 John 2:28, Hebrews 6:4–6, Hebrews 10:26–27), although since this is not the same sort of salvation that Paul primarily taught about, anyone who doesn’t experience this sort of salvation will still experience the general salvation of Paul’s Gospel (even if not the special salvation connected with his Gospel). | If we died with Christ — and if we did, we can’t un-die — we will live with Him, since He cannot disown His own body. Yes, we can “fall from grace,” so to speak — which basically just means placing oneself under the bondage of religion and rules, such as the law, and, because of doing so, missing out on enjoying the freedom Christ gave us — and it might be that we can also lose out on reigning with Him by denying Him in order to avoid suffering, but either way, we still remain His body, and He won’t amputate and disown His own body parts, and body parts can’t amputate themselves either (Galatians 5:1–4, 2 Timothy 2:11–13). Besides, Paul said that if we’re called, we will be justified and glorified, and didn’t include any qualifications in that verse, so any passages in Paul’s epistles which seem to teach otherwise must be talking about something else (Romans 8:30). |
| Abraham being justified by works given as an example (James 2:21–23). | Abraham being justified by faith rather than by works given as an example (Romans 4:2–3). |
| Gentiles will be blessed by Israel’s rise in the future (Isaiah 49:6, Zechariah 8:22-23, Acts 3:25). | Gentiles are currently blessed by Israel’s “fall” (Romans 11:11). |
For a fuller explanation of the two Gospels, again, please read my Things that differ article, or even my larger Rejecting Rome study, which also covers these details.