The usage of "according to my gospel" in Paul's writings

Question

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Rom. 2:16, KJV)

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. (2nd Tim. 2:8, KJV)

I am a bit puzzled by the usage of "according to my gospel" in these verses. It sounds as if God were going to judge the secrets of men in the future because apostle Paul is preaching so, and as if Jesus was raised in the past solely because Paul had preached so -- as if the apostle were placing his gospel above the God's deeds that took place in the past and that are to take place in the future.

Of course, if we take into consideration Paul's attitude throughout all his epistles, we'll see that this is not the case. But then why not say something more humble like "which is what my gospel is about" or "which my gospel corresponds to"?

Answer 1

Good question. Good comment:

Of course, if we take into consideration Paul's attitude throughout all his epistles, we'll see that this is not the case. But then why not say something more humble like "which is what my gospel is about" or "which my gospel corresponds to"?

In fact, this is how I interpret it: "according to my gospel" is a short-hand to mean "which my gospel corresponds to". It is less wordy.

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Rom. 2:16, KJV)

The emphasis here is on "Jesus Christ" not "according to my gospel".

Here is my paraphrased version:

In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ because that's what Jesus has told me.

Pulpit Commentary

My gospel means "the gospel committed unto me to preach"

Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. (2nd Tim. 2:8, KJV)

Same thing here, the emphasis here is on "Jesus Christ" not "according to my gospel".

The Greek preposition is κατά. I think the English translation "according to" is a bit too strong and misleading.

English Standard Version

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel,

Answer 2

You might be over-thinking this one.

Paul uses the word my to emphasize the difference between his calling to preach the gospel to the uncircumcised and (say) the apostle Peter's calling to preach the gospel to the circumcised.

Paul was destined from birth to be the first apostle to be called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. That was the ministry God entrusted to him. The content of the gospel, whether to Jews or Gentiles, was the same for both audiences. Generally speaking, however, the Jews who became followers of Jesus Christ did not imagine non-Jews as even being worthy of the gospel, as Peter demonstrated so well in Acts Chapter 10.

So entrenched was Peter in believing Gentiles were "unclean," God had to give him the same vision three times! He finally got the message, and he received the attitude adjustment he so desperately needed. He went from saying "Not so, Lord," to "I should not call anyone impure or unclean."

In short, then, "Paul's gospel" did not belong to him; it was part and parcel of his ministry to his primary audience, the Gentiles. Furthermore, until the believing Jews, including Peter, caught up with God, so to speak, and were on the same page as God regarding the Gentiles, Paul would find himself defending his ministry and its message--the gospel--that in Christ

there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise (Galatians 3:28-29 NIV).

In conclusion, "Paul's gospel" was not the only extant gospel to be found in the province of Galatia. There were other gospels making the rounds. Paul needed to make very clear to the Galatian believers that the gospel he was preaching--his gospel--was the genuine article, prompting him to say,

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! (1:6-9 NIV, my emphasis).

Answer 3

Do you think it might mean the Gospel story that Paul told and is included in what Luke wrote? In Luke 1: 1-4, Luke refers to "us" in the writing of it, and Luke certainly was a companion of Paul.