What is the gospel?

[justaname]

Due to recent discussions I want to gather an idea of what the community believes the gospel is.

From the Greek we know the word usually translated gospel means good news, yet there is a specific gospel message that if believed brings about salvation. What is that gospel? What is the gospel as preached by the apostles? What is the complete gospel? Are these all one and the same?

Let's discuss everything gospel related!

In the Love of Christ,
justaname

 

[FHII]

Due to recent discussions I want to gather an idea of what the community believes the gospel is.

From the Greek we know the word usually translated gospel means good news, yet there is a specific gospel message that if believed brings about salvation. What is that gospel? What is the gospel as preached by the apostles? What is the complete gospel? Are these all one and the same?

Let's discuss everything gospel related!

In the Love of Christ,
justaname

The word Gospel is pretty close to "gossip". One's bad, one's good. But both involve an account or story of something.

The Gospel is the account of Jesus. Of course, its the "news" of what he accomplished.

That all seems pretty simple. But we shouldn't lose focus on that.

 

[kerwin]

Due to recent discussions I want to gather an idea of what the community believes the gospel is.

From the Greek we know the word usually translated gospel means good news, yet there is a specific gospel message that if believed brings about salvation. What is that gospel? What is the gospel as preached by the apostles? What is the complete gospel? Are these all one and the same?

Let's discuss everything gospel related!

In the Love of Christ,
justaname

It fulfills each and every one of the b-attitude promises.

It is good news the the type of people the type of of people those promises are for but bad news to anyone else.

 

[Mungo]

Paul's basic proclamation of the gospel.
[SIZE=11pt]Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. (1Cor 15:1-4). [/SIZE]

 

[kerwin]

Paul's basic proclamation of the gospel.
[SIZE=11pt]Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. (1Cor 15:1-4). [/SIZE]

He preached more than that.

 

[Mungo]

He preached more than that.

Sure he did but note he says [SIZE=11pt]Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Then goes on to say For I handed on to you as of first importance[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt].......[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]So it would be safe to assume that anything else is not of first importance would it not?[/SIZE]

 

[H. Richard]

The word Gospel is pretty close to "gossip". One's bad, one's good. But both involve an account or story of something.

The Gospel is the account of Jesus. Of course, its the "news" of what he accomplished.

That all seems pretty simple. But we shouldn't lose focus on that.

I disagee with the idea that THE gospel is the account of Jesus' life. The account of Jesus' life is why we believe He is our savior.

The gospel is what Jesus did on the cross, on our behalf, to pay for our sins of the flesh. No one can be saved until they place their faith in Jesus' work on the cross.

 

[H. Richard]

It fulfills each and every one of the b-attitude promises.

It is good news the the type of people the type of of people those promises are for but bad news to anyone else.

The b-attitudes were directed the the Jews. Jesus never gave His message to the Gentiles.

The b-attitudes will come true fot the Jews during the 1000 year reign of Jesus.

 

[H. Richard]

Paul's basic proclamation of the gospel.
[SIZE=11pt]Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. (1Cor 15:1-4). [/SIZE]

***
If a person does not believe Jesus died and shed His blood on a cross to pay for our sins of the flesh and then raised from the dead then that person is servicing religion in vain.

 

[Mungo]

***
If a person does not believe Jesus died and shed His blood on a cross to pay for our sins of the flesh and then raised from the dead then that person is servicing religion in vain.

What do you mean by "pay for our sins"?

 

[H. Richard]

What do you mean by "pay for our sins"?

Don't you know that it was the shedding of Jesus' blood that paid for the sins of the whole world.


1 John 2:2
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
NKJV



Rom 3:24-25
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
NKJV

Rom 5:8-9
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
NKJV

Eph 1:7
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
NKJV

Eph 2:13
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
NKJV

Col 1:14
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
NKJV

Col 1:19-20
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
NKJV

 

[kerwin]

Sure he did but note he says [SIZE=11pt]Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Then goes on to say For I handed on to you as of first importance[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt].......[/SIZE][SIZE=11pt]that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]So it would be safe to assume that anything else is not of first importance would it not?[/SIZE]

You can say that since without that the rest would be useless.

 

[kerwin]

The b-attitudes were directed the the Jews. Jesus never gave His message to the Gentiles.

The b-attitudes will come true fot the Jews during the 1000 year reign of Jesus.

I know of one of them that is fulfilled by putting on the new man created like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24

Others have to be fulfilled before that and others are fulfilled because a person believes and follows Jesus.

 

[justaname]

I know of one of them that is fulfilled by putting on the new man created like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:24

Others have to be fulfilled before that and others are fulfilled because a person believes and follows Jesus.

So if you shared the gospel with an unbeliever what would it be?

 

[Mungo]

Don't you know that it was the shedding of Jesus' blood that paid for the sins of the whole world.


1 John 2:2
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
NKJV



Rom 3:24-25
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
NKJV

Rom 5:8-9
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
NKJV

Eph 1:7
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
NKJV

Eph 2:13
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
NKJV

Col 1:14
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
NKJV

Col 1:19-20
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,
20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
NKJV

You still haven't explained what you mean by "PAY for our sins".

Not one of the quotes you gave mentions PAYMENT.

 

[justaname]

The word Gospel is pretty close to "gossip". One's bad, one's good. But both involve an account or story of something.

The Gospel is the account of Jesus. Of course, its the "news" of what he accomplished.

That all seems pretty simple. But we shouldn't lose focus on that.

So if you were to explain this to someone who did not know the story of the Christ, how would you go about giving the story or account, let's say if you did not have a Bible available.

As an example, in Japan only about 2% of the population know about Christ. So it is not uncommon for someone to have no reference point when it comes to Jesus. What do you say to a person like that? Where do you start and what do you make sure to include?

 

[skypair]

Due to recent discussions I want to gather an idea of what the community believes the gospel is.

From the Greek we know the word usually translated gospel means good news, yet there is a specific gospel message that if believed brings about salvation. What is that gospel? What is the gospel as preached by the apostles? What is the complete gospel? Are these all one and the same?

There are actually 3 gospels: 1) everlasting gospel (Ro 1:18-20, Rev 14:6 for those who haven't heard), 2) gospel of the kingdom for the OT which was the good news of Messiah's coming to forgive sins, and 3) the gospel of Jesus Christ -- the good news that He has come already seek and to save that which was lost.

So one gospel .. but there is a commonality to all three -- Repentance turning to God. While we find that in many places (Isa 55:7-8, Lk 18:13, Acts 2:38, 3:19, 17:20, 26:20, etc.), the most specific is Job 33:36-28 -- "{Man] shall pray to God and He will favor him ... And if he shall say, 'I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited my not,' He shall keep his SOUL from going into the pit and his life shall see the light." You can't get any more plain than that, can you! This is clearly a man sick of his sin and desiring a new life!

And when Job did pray that in his own words ("I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes" -- Job 42:5-6), God did forgive and give him a new life, 42:10!

This is how we are "reconciled" to God in Christ, 2Cor 5:20. This is how God saves our souls (Jas 1:21, 5:20, Heb 10:38-39). Yes, the gospel is good news to those who will repent trusting Christ as Savior and Lord.

skypair

 

[skypair]

Paul's basic proclamation of the gospel.
[SIZE=11pt]Now I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand. Through it you are also being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures. (1Cor 15:1-4). [/SIZE]

Do you know, however, that those he was addressing there believed the gospel "in vain?" (15:2, 14, 17) So they heard the good news but they had not "put off the old man"-- "Fool, that which you sow is not quickened [saved] except it die first?" (15:38)

Die first? Jesus showed us how to do this on the cross. Bearing our sins in His flesh, He lifted His head to heaven and exclaimed, "'Into Thy hands, Father, I commend my spirit" and He gave up the ghost [died, right?]." Likewise, when we come to be forgiven our sins, we pray to God commending/committing our souls and spirits God in the name of Jesus Christ and repent, dying to self. Then, like Jesus, God will regenerate our souls and quicken our mortal bodies into bodies of "terrestrial glory" (1Cor 15:38-40). Terrestrial glory means a body like Jesus -- indwelt by the Spirit but in human flesh (rather than spiritual flesh which is to come. That is called "celestial glory" - ibid.).

There are very few places where the gospel is given in the epistles and some theologies have erred in their understanding of salvation because of it. One of the most clear presentations of the gospel is Acts 17:23-31 -- Paul speaking on Mars Hill to the Greeks. In it, Paul busts some of the false notions like total depravity (we are ALL God's spiritual "offspring") .. no one seeks God (God has made of one blood all men to seek God if haply they may find Him) .. all one needs to do is believe the gospel ("But now [God] commands all men every where to repent." 17:30).

skypair

 

[justaname]

Skypair,

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead." - Acts 17:30-31

Context here points to repentance from ignorance. This is qualified with verse 31 where Jesus is presented as the person who they were to look to to no longer be ignorant.

that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, - Acts 17:27

This verse says that they (men) should or ought to seek God, not that they actually do.

But I do want to speak of repentance. If the context of repentance is examined when it is correlated with what is expected for salvation, it is always concerning the person of Jesus Christ. People need to understand who Jesus is and what He did on their behalf. This also has every thing to do with who we are and our current standing before God.

People must first understand they are a sinner condemned before God without hope for any absolution by their own merit because only one has lived a life free from sin. Then they must realize that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for sin and His resurrection is proof that He is now the man appointed to judge the world. Only faith in the person and work of this man, Jesus Christ, will cover their sin before God.

This is repentance in the context of the gospel.

 

[H. Richard]

You still haven't explained what you mean by "PAY for our sins".

Not one of the quotes you gave mentions PAYMENT.

***
Eph 1:14
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
NKJV

I have two questions for you?

Who paid for your sins?

Do you believe that the shed blood of Jesus on the cross has paid for your sins and the sins of the whole world?

1 John 2:2
2 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.
NKJV

Perhaps you do not know what the word "propitiation" and "purchased" means. Look them up. While you are at it look up these words, "justified", "redemption". If you don't know what these words mean then I am at a loss as to how you read the scriptures.


Rom 3:25-26
25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,
26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
NKJV

Rom 5:8-10
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
NKJV

Eph 1:6-7
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
NKJV

Eph 2:12-13
12 that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
NKJV

Col 1:13-14
13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,
14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
NKJV