Few Christians today realize that Jesus’ Twelve Apostles were ignorant of the scope and vital significance of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. Just consider all the verses referenced and the comments for each.

1. Matthew 16:21-22 – When Jesus first began to tell them of His death, Peter tried to prevent it.

2. Mark 8:31-32 – In another account Peter rebuked the Lord for speaking about His death.

3. Mark 9:31-32 – After hearing Jesus speak about His death and resurrection of Jesus the disciples “understood not and were afraid to ask him”

4. Luke 9:44-45 – “But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.”

5. John 2:21-22 – They did not understand the resurrection until after it happened.

They Disbelieved in the Resurrection:

7. Mark 16:5-14 – The ladies were afraid when they found the tomb empty. The disciples did not believe after two witnesses testified of the resurrection.

8. Luke 24:1-4 – The ladies were perplexed about what had happened to Jesus.

9. Luke 24:8-12 – The stories of Jesus’ “disappearance” were idle tales. Peter wondered what happened.

10. John 20:2 – Mary Magdalene thought someone had stolen Jesus after he had resurrected.

11. John 20:7-9 – The disciples after seeing the empty tomb believed Mary that someone had stolen Jesus. They did not know about or have confidence in the resurrection yet.

They Did Not Understand the Cross-work of Jesus Christ for our Salvation:

12. John 20:21-23 – Even after the resurrection, the disciples did not understand what it accomplished. Yet, here they are given the authority to remit sins.

13. Acts 3:14-15 – Peter presented the crucifixion as a murder indictment to Israel at Pentecost. And, the resurrection as a warning that he would return to seek vengeance.

14. Acts 5:28 – Instead of the blood being payment for sins it was presented as the evidence of guilty murderers.

15. Acts 7:52 – Stephen accuses the rulers of “betrayal and murder of the Just One.”

16. Acts 10:39 – According to Paul’s gospel Christ died willingly in the place of sinners. According to Peter Jesus died because he was slain by certain Jews. Obviously, Peter did not yet understand the mystery of the cross?

This list does not prove that “the Twelve” were disobedient to that gospel that Jesus presented to them. Contrarily, they were some of the first believers in “the gospel of the kingdom.” They were among the faithful “little flock” (Luke 12:32) remnant of Israel who trusted that “Jesus was the Son of God” and the Messiah.

However, these verses do show that the gospel they knew and trusted was not the “preaching of the cross” that the Apostle Paul taught. Whereas they knew Jesus Christ as Messiah to Israel, Paul would later teach the Gentiles that Jesus Christ on the cross is the all-sufficient sole payment for sins.

The “preaching of the cross” was first offered for salvation first through the Apostle Paul to whom the Lord revealed the meaning of the death, burial, and resurrection.

The Twelve apostles were absolutely ignorant of this message. It was many years later when Peter says He learned from Paul (2 Peter 3:15-16), recommending Paul’s epistles for Israel’s learning.

The First to Preach “the Gospel of the Grace of God”

If you are saved from your sin it is because you heard the gospel that Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 that Jesus died for your sins and resurrected according to the scriptures.

There’s no other way to be saved today except through the shed “blood of Christ” as payment our your sins. However, this was not the gospel taught by the twelve during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Notice in Matt. 10:5-6 that Jesus sends out His disciples to avoid the Gentiles and preach to Israel only. In verse seven this we see the gospel message “the Twelve” were preaching to Israel only: “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matt. 10:7 This was known as “the gospel of the kingdom” (Mark 1:14-15).

It wasn’t until later that Jesus first mentioned His death. “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes (the religious leaders of Israel), and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” (Matt.16:21)

To this Peter responded negatively rebuking Jesus, whom he just identified as “the Son of God” (Matt.16:22). It was clear that Peter did not want Christ to die and was ignorant of its meaning and purpose (Luke 18:34).

Peter was among the close circle of disciples selected by Jesus and is no doubt a member of Jesus’ faithful “little flock” (Luke 12:32) remnant of the genuine “Israel of God.” Yet we learn from these verses that Peter’s faith was neither in Jesus’ death for his sins nor in His resurrection for our justification.

To put it plainly the gospel that Peter believed unto salvation was not the gospel that Paul, “the Apostle to the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:23) would later present to “all men” for salvation.

We must also understand that though we understand now the glory that is found in “the preaching of the cross,” this was not the glory that was preached by the Twelve during the earthly ministry of Jesus. Instead they preached the glory of the coming kingdom and its King Jesus. Nowhere in this good news of the kingdom do we find “the preaching of the cross” because its meaning was at that time, still hid in God.

The “Mystery” of the cross was “kept secret since the foundation of the world.” This “mystery” was first revealed to Paul in what he calls “the revelation of the mystery” that had been “hid in God” (Rom. 16:25, Col 1:25-26).

“Gospel” Defines:

The word “gospel” means “good news,” something we don’t hear much of these days. Meanwhile, there are multiple times in the Bible when God’s messengers bear ‘good news,’ or “good tidings,” which is the Biblical phrase. Yet, the “good news” is not always the same.

The news is not always good in the same way for everyone, just for some. Not every gospel in the Bible is “the gospel of the grace of God” that is for today’s age of “the dispensation of the grace of God.”

John the Baptist and Jesus, in His earthly ministry to Israel (Matt. 15:24, Rom. 15:8), both taught “the gospel of the kingdom.” Their good news of the long-promised kingdom to come on earth for Israel was finally “at hand,” it was “nigh”.

“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Mark 1:14-15

A Gospel Without the Cross:

Salvation according to “the gospel of the kingdom” meant deliverance from the unrighteous rulers all over the world. God’s people, and the faithful nations, would be ruled by God’s Messiah in obedient Israel.

What is certain is that the gospel of the kingdom did not require knowledge of the cross of Christ, not to mention understanding what it meant.

In Luke 9:1-2 Jesus gave power to His disciples and sent them to preach “the gospel of the kingdom of God.” But, nine chapters later, Jesus tells the same disciples that He must die, and they remained clueless about it.

“And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.” Luke 18:34

The proper preaching of “the gospel of the kingdom” was without “the preaching of the cross.”

The Gospel of the Cross:

Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” does include the cross, moreover, it is “the preaching of the cross.”

“I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you…By which also ye are saved,… how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” 1 Cor 15:1-4

The disciples, as seen in the red letters New Testaments, were ignorant of the gospel of the cross. Yet “the preaching of the cross is the power of God unto salvation” for the church today (1 Cor 1:18).

“Rightly Dividing” the Gospels:

As a result of what we’ve seen, the fundamental thesis of mid-Acts Pauline right division is established.

• The gospel taught by Peter and the Lord in His earthly ministry was without redemption by the cross. As seen in the record of Matthew-John, nobody heard of it, thus they could not be saved by “the cross-work of Jesus.” Israel’s gospel is a different gospel.
• Today the “the preaching of the cross,” is the only gospel that brings salvation to all men who will believe it today. Preaching a gospel without the cross is impotent (1 Cor. 1:17-18). There’s another gospel in the Bible for Israel, which is without the cross. These two gospels need to be “rightly divided” in order to clearly see the only gospel that saves one into “the church...which is His body.”

God is not bringing anyone into His kingdom to Israel today, but he is ministering the good news of Christ crucified and resurrected for the sins of “all men.” A gospel without the cross is essentially no gospel for lost sinners. The only gospel that saves today requires “the cross” of Christ.

Jesus Did Not Preach the Cross for Salvation:

Paul explains the preaching of the cross as it was given to him by Christ:

“Christ sent me (Paul) not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect (in vain). For “the preaching of the cross” is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” 1 Cor 1:17-18

Although we now know that the redemptive work of Christ’s death and resurrection is the crux of our message of salvation for today, we must be careful not to read into Jesus’ ministry anything that is not there. You would search in vain for a clear presentation of the preaching of the cross in the ministry of Jesus and the disciples in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.

“Gospel of The Kingdom”: Jesus did not preach His redemptive work on the cross for salvation during His ministry on earth. Instead, Jesus taught the gospel of the coming kingdom (Mark 1:14-15).

This gospel consisted of repentance from sin, doing the commandments, and seeking first the kingdom (Matt.5:19, 6:33). Although these ideas are commonly recognized as good and Biblical ideas, none of them include faith in the redemptive work of Christ on the cross.

It was the to specific message of “the gospel of the kingdom” that Jesus limited His ministry: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.”  Matthew 4:23

Jesus even taught the disciples the same gospel of the kingdom and told them to tell others to prepare for its coming. As a sign of its imminence, he gave them power to heal the sick: “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:1-2

The First Mention of The Cross: When Peter revealed Jesus as the Christ, Jesus told how he would give him the keys of the kingdom. Having spent months teaching and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, Peter would be one of the most qualified for this leadership position.

However, it was not until that day that Jesus first spoke about His death, and it was a private teaching. “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.”  – Matthew 16:21

Even more interesting, the same Peter to whom God revealed that Jesus was the Christ was kept from knowing the meaning of the cross. Jesus reprimanded Peter for his rebuke with the famous exclamation, “Get thee behind me Satan” (Matthew 16:23).

It’s evident that if Christ did not first mention His death and resurrection until more than half-way through His ministry, and even then His chief disciples were ignorant about it, that Jesus was not preaching the redemptive work of the cross for salvation.

Eternal Life According to Jesus:

It is often assumed or supposed that although Jesus talked a lot about the kingdom, and that He still taught faith in death on the cross for justification unto life. However, again, the Scriptures show us otherwise. When asked ‘how to get eternal life,’ Jesus replied that commandment keeping would gain righteousness worthy of life eternal in the kingdom. This is conditional salvation based upon what one did or did not do.

“… but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” Matthew 9:17

In another instance John records Jesus’ words about attaining favor with God: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” – John 14:21

During His popularly quoted ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ Jesus taught a conditional forgiveness whereby men could receive God’s forgiveness. “if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” – Matthew 6:14-15

Instead of free justification based upon faith in the redemptive shed blood of Christ at the cross, Jesus seems is preaching a different message than what revealed to Paul for the Gentiles.

Jesus’ Exclusive Ministry: Instead of coming to preach the cross of Christ as Paul was sent to do (1 Cor 1:17), Paul says Jesus came for a specific purpose – to confirm the OT promises. “Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers” Rom. 15:8

Jesus came to a specific people, to preach a specific message, and to die a specific death. What cannot be found in His exclusive ministry is… salvation by “the preaching of the cross.”

Where Jesus sent His disciples preaching the kingdom and baptizing for admittance, Paul was sent not to baptize but to preach the cross (cf. John 4:1, Matt.28:19, 1 Cor 1:17). Where Jesus went to a specific people, the circumcision, Paul’s ministry included every man, despite their nationality or status with God.

Although we today have further information about the cross of Christ, and free justification through the blood of Jesus, we must be careful to not read our doctrine into Jesus earthly ministry that was not clearly revealed until later... to Paul for us. Even though Paul presents what he calls “the gospel of Christ” as “the power of God unto salvation,” we must remember that the gospel that Paul preached was given to Paul “by revelation of Jesus” from heaven, after Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Rom 1:16, Gal 1:11-12).

Peter’s Best and Worst Day:

It might have been just a casual day on the coasts Caesarea when Jesus asked His disciples, “Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matt.16:13). Yet, this day would be both Peter’s best and Peter’s worst day.

After many months of preaching the kingdom and the king to Israel, the people still did not have faith that Jesus was the promised “Son of David” (Matt.16:14). If they would only put their faith in the divine identity of Christ, then they could follow him … directly into the kingdom. Instead, they thought he was a great prophet and Rabbi (John 3), but they did not see Him for who he was in truth.

Peter’s Best Day: When the Lord asked the disciples who he was, Peter confessed with his mouth what was needed to identify Him as a disciple of the Lord: “Thou art the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God.” Matt.16:16. Now, if Israel had believed and confessed with their mouth the Lord Jesus (Rom 10:8-10), then they would have entered into their kingdom (Matt.10:32.)

Instead there was only a small remnant, “little flock” of believers following the Lord, and Peter declared the truth that the rulers and priests of Israel should have been celebrating. As a result, the Lord took the kingdom away from unbelieving Apostate Israel and blessed Peter with the authoritative keys of the kingdom. “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matt.16:19

What a tremendous power and position to have in the kingdom ministry. Later, these same fishermen and tax collectors would receive the charge of having dominion over the entire kingdom (Matt.19:28, Luke 12:32). This was Peter’s best day.

Peter’s Worst Day: It was at this high point for Peter and the Twelve that the Lord shut down His ministry of His name by telling them not to tell anyone what they had confessed (Matt.16:20).

From that point forward, Jesus was headed toward His baptism unto death (Matt.16:21, Luke 12:50). This was the first He had spoken of His death to the disciples and so they were naturally quite shocked at such hopeless talk from the Lord. No doubt, in an attempt to encourage the Lord to fight against such desperate thoughts, Peter responded: “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” Matt.16:22

Peter was unknowingly trying to prevent the death, burial, and resurrection! What appears so obviously stupid to us today, we who proudly proclaim “the preaching of the cross” was not so obvious for Peter.

This was the first time Jesus had mentioned His purpose… to be killed, and it wasn’t on the streets to the crowds, but in private. It was not spoken as a means to salvation, nor was it spoken as good news.

None of the disciples knew that Jesus had to die, not to mention that His death would be the key to the most glorious gospel hid in Christ since the world began. As a result, Peter receives the strongest rebuke from the very Lord that blessed him. “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” – Matt.16:23

Yet, on this same day Peter was called to be the masterbuilder of Christ’s earthly kingdom, he was called “Satan,” which means adversary.

What We Can Learn from This:

That day Peter learned never to question the Lord about His death again. In fact, the disciples were afraid to ask Him about it (cf. Mark 9:32). They remained ignorant about it (Luke 18:34, John 20:9).

We learn that “the gospel of the kingdom” did not include the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The disciples, ignorant about the cross, preached “the gospel of the kingdom” boldly from town to town all throughout their ministry with the Lord (Matt.10:5-6, Luke 9:1-2).

We learn that believing in the name of Jesus as “the Christ” (Messiah) is different than trusting His finished work on the cross on our behalf. The former, Peter knew on his best day, but the latter was unknown to Peter on the same day.

There are those who think believing in Jesus’ name, and believing what Jesus did for us on the cross are the same thing. Peter’s different responses to the Lord on that day show us that they are not the same thing. For knowing Jesus’ name Peter was blessed but for the rejection of His death Peter was called ‘Satan.’  

Since Peter on his best day in the Lord’s ministry did not know the preaching of the cross for salvation, then it would be a terrible idea for Christians today to pattern their ministry after Jesus’ as seen in Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.

Rather, we should begin where the gospel of the cross was first publicly preached as the freely given means of God’s grace to save all men: in Paul’s epistles, where “the mystery of Christ” was first revealed.

“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:

²⁷ To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles;

which is ‘Christ in you,’ the hope of glory: ²⁸ Whom (this is Jesus Christ) we preach… ” Colossians 1:26-28a

By Arthur J Licursi, as adapted from various other writers