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GOSPEL BASICS -THE GOSPEL IN THE BIBLE (Page 2 of 2)

So Who is The Gospel All About?

On the Gospel Basics 1 page the verses show that Peter preached ALL ABOUT JESUS.

Paul’s gospel was also ALL ABOUT JESUS. Paul said:"We preach Christ crucified....the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Corinthians 1:23-24). Consequently the gospel is not about man, nor how God feels about man. It is all about Jesus, from start to finish. Jesus is the gospel. John Calvin said:"the whole Gospel is contained in Christ".

TO SUM UP: According to the gospel, Jesus' coming was foretold by prophets, in accordance with God's perfect plan. Jesus willingly came from Heaven to save us, died for our sins in our place, was raised from death and was seen by many after his resurrection. He now sits at the right hand of God who has given him all power and authority, including the right to act as judge of all mankind. Since there is a judgment to come, the Gospel can also be described as "a rescue operation from the wrath of God".

In his book "What Is The Gospel?", Greg Gilbert says: "Whatever else [the apostles] might say, these are the issues that seem to lie at the heart of their presentation of the gospel. Contexts change, angles change, words change, and approaches change, but somehow and in some way the earliest Christians always seem to get at these four issues: We are accountable to the God who created us. We have sinned against that God and will be judged. But God has acted in Jesus Christ to save us, and we take hold of that salvation by repentance from sin and faith in Jesus." (p.32)

Paul The Apostle Preached The Gospel To The Gentiles

He explains the Gospel in the Book of Romans and in 1 Corinthians:

Romans 1 verses 1 to 4:

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God – the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the son of God, by his resurrection from the dead; Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 1 verses 16 and 17:

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous shall live by faith.”

1 Corinthians Chapter 15 verses 1 to 5:

blood of jesus image“Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance; that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve.”

Peter Preached The Gospel Message To The Jewsstar of david image

See In Acts Chapter 2 verses 22 to 40 Peter preached the Gospel on the Day of Pentecost. Link to Peter preaching the Gospel. Comparing Peter and Paul's messages we can see that both gave the same gospel message. Both refer to the Old Testament prophetic message and the recent death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, all done according to God’s plan.

FF Bruce says: "Only one saving message is attested by the NT. The “gospel to the circumcision” preached by Peter and his colleagues did not differ in content from the “gospel to the uncircumcised” entrusted to Paul (Gal. 2:7), though the form of presentation might vary according to the audience. Paul’s testimony is, “Whether therefore it was I or they [Peter and his colleagues], so we preach, and so you believed” (1 Cor. 15:11).

The basic elements in the message were these: 1. the prophecies have been fulfilled and the new age inaugurated by the coming of Christ; 2. he was born into the family of David; 3. he died according to the Scriptures, to deliver his people from this evil age; 4. he was buried, and raised again the third day, according to the Scriptures; 5. he is exalted at God’s right hand as Son of God, Lord of living and dead; 6. he will come again, to judge the world and consummate his saving work."

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