Section 2
was not low or superficial. He suffered for the gospel in the sense that he was on earth for the carrying out of God's economy. In preaching the gospel according to God's economy, Paul re nounced religion, law, culture, ordinances, cus toms, habits, and every kind of "ism." The gospel Paul preached slaughtered everything that was apart from God's economy. It slaughtered religion, politics, and culture. In a sense, Paul's gospel slaughters even us. Because Paul preached such a gospel, he was regarded as a troublemaker, a pestilent fellow (Acts 24:5).
Even though his preaching of the gospel slaughtered everything contrary to God's econ omy, Paul referred to the gospel as the gospel of peace (Eph. 2:17; 6:15). In Ephesians 2:17 Paul points out that Christ, after His crucifixion and resurrection, came to the Gentiles preach ing the gospel of peace. Peace is possible only when everything contrary to the gospel has been slaughtered. In order for there to be peace between us and God and with one another, reli gion, politics, culture, ordinances, and the law had to be terminated. Because Paul preached a gospel that involves the slaughter of so many things, his preaching was not pleasing to men. He could please neither the Jews nor the Gentiles.