Did We Receive the Wrong Gospel?

Did We Receive the Wrong Gospel?

Exploring early Christianity’s differing gospels

After Jesus’ crucifixion, the early Christian movement essentially fell to three men’s control as the most influential forces in the movement, Peter (Cephas), James, and then Paul.

If we look at the letters that Paul wrote and compare them with the writings from the other two, or with the synoptic gospels, we can see the contradictions in theology.

In the earliest days of the church, it was Peter who was in leadership of the church, having been given this task by Jesus himself. Peter’s main focus was on relations between Jewish Christian converts and Jews in Jerusalem. This task was basically Peter just continuing what Jesus said about coming for the lost sheep of Israel.

Matthew 15:24-NASB

24

Once he stepped down he passed the reigns over to James, Jesus’ brother, who had also been instrumental in the early church, but now was in full leadership of the church. James’ major focus was on allowing gentiles into the church, and if they would be held to the same requirements as Jews.

Both of these apostles focused strictly on the church being based out of Jerusalem presumably due to its significance of being in close proximity to the birthplace of Jesus (Bethlehem-5 miles from Jerusalem), the location where he received the Holy Ghost during his baptism (the river Jordan-2/3 of a mile from Jerusalem), the location of Pentecost where the disciples received the Holy Spirit, his crucifixion and death, and subsequent resurrection.

So with all of these events taking place here they saw it as the perfect place to begin the church, and thought they had enough to tackle I guess with trying to make peace with the Jewish population as well.