Question asked in Amazon and my response.

James Augustus said:

Quoting Christine:"The 12 were sent to proclaim Gods PROPHESIED PROGRAM which was salvation to the Gentiles through Israels RISE (Acts 3:24-26)"

How does that contrast with "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38)."?

My response:

There is no contrast. It is the same program. Acts 1-7 is God dealing with the Nation of Israel under the Kingdom program. Acts is a transitional book which shows Peters leadership at the beginning and phases into Pauls leadership at the end. It is a book that shows THE FALL of Israel and a changing of the guard, from ISRAEL to the church which is His Body.

Israels gospel WAS indeed to repent (change their mind about who their long awaited and promised MESSIAH was) and to be water baptized ( a REQUIREMENT under their program with God as a demonstration of their faith) THEY were a Nation of PRIESTS that were supposed to lead all other nations to God, and were required to be cleansed in the water ritual assigned to PRIESTS.

Acts 2 is still a very JEWISH church in full swing. The gift of the Holy Spirit was for power to endure the next thing on their timetable, which was the GREAT TRIBULATION. This was again, the Holy Spirit coming UPON them, as the INDWELLING of the HOLY SPIRIT was still a SECRET, HID IN GOD and not yet revealed. (Acts 9 is where the indwelling begins with the creating of the church which is His BODY, Paul being the first member)

I will answer your second question here as well:

I stated:

The Twelve Apostles:

Called by Christ on EARTH. (Luke 6:13)

Paul:

Called by Christ in HEAVEN. (Acts 9:3-5)

These two statements were intended to show the TWO realms which God created. Heaven AND the earth. Israels role is to be Gods EARTHLY people as they were given REAL ESTATE and promised a LITERAL earthly KINGDOM with 12 thrones for 12 apostles to rule 12 tribes of ISRAEL.

Paul represents Gods plan for restoring His rule and reign in HEAVEN, of which WE, the church which is His body are a part.

You then asked the question about Stephen, which had nothing to do with the statements I made, other than that Stephen was clearly still a part of the Kingdom gospel. The point of Stephens seeing Christ in heaven was important due to the fact that Christ was STANDING< and not SITTING at the right hand of God the father. Christ standing shows His readiness to come and JUDGE, and Israel KNEW that the next event in THEIR TIMETABLE was the GREAT TRIBULATION (see Lev. 26 for the five courses of curses that Israel earned for herself under the covenant agreement she had with God.) FOUR of those curses have already taken place in history, and ONE REMAINS. She (Israel) was fully aware of this and was EXPECTING the next event to take place.

With the stoning of Stephen, Christ now STOOD to execute that last course of curses upon ISRAEL, and God INTERRUPTED that event with something NOT prophesied in their existing scripture, but which the Scripture tells us "was KEPT SECRET since the world began."

Acts 7 obviously precedes Acts 9 where Paul was saved on the road to Damascus and the whole situation of God no longer dealing with the Nation of Israel as His channel of blessing CHANGES. So, Stephen was still under Israels calling. Israel rejected God the Father, God the Son , and finally God the Holy Spirit with Stephen. The stoning of Stephen and Christ STANDING was the clue to Israel that God had indeed HAD ENOUGH of their rebellion and rejection and was getting ready to JUDGE THEM.

This is why it is important to know the whys and wherefores of Gods dealings with Israel, in order to see the wonderful plan that God had kept SECRET. God wasn't about to let the stubborness of Israel keep the rest of the world from being saved by Him...so He had a SECRET, which is NOW revealed, which , unfortunately, most of Christendom still doesn't acknowledge.

We have an enemy that hates this message and who wishes it would stay secret and that men would remain "religious" instead of INFORMED of what God is really doing today.

I hope this helps. Please take the time to study it out, and if you need study material that already has all the scriptures and time lines written out for you to SEE, please let me know as I have it and send it out FREE to any who request it.