The Gospel

[Jerrysch]

How many (true and distinct) Gospels are there?

If you suggest that there is more than one how do they differ?

 

[eph3Nine]

How many (true and distinct) Gospels are there?

If you suggest that there is more than one how do they differ?

PROBLEM NO. 1--THAT THERE IS ONLY 'ONE GOSPEL' IN THE BIBLE

The Scofield Bible is a good example of the Acts 2 position concerning the gospel.' On page 1343 of the old Scofield Bible (the 1909 edition) it states in its note on 'Gospel:' "Four forms of the Gospel are to be distinguished." It mentions the Gospel of the Kingdom, the Gospel of the grace of God, the Everlasting Gospel, and Paul's 'My Gospel.' Then at the bottom of the note it refers to 'another Gospel' that is mentioned in Gal. 1:6, inferring that it is a false gospel. This note uses the word 'gospel' in the singular.

A very common argument that is used to show that there is only 'one gospel' in the Bible has to do with the doctrine of justification by faith. It is taught that since Abraham and David were justified by faith (Ran. 4:1-8) and lived in the Old Testament, and that we today are also justified by faith (Rom. 5:1), then the same gospel must be preached in both Testaments.

Another common argument is that there is only one purpose of God in the Bible, consequently, one gospel. While this is basic to Reformed Theology, Acts 2 Dispensationalists go along with it because it seems to give some credence to the 'one gospel' theory.

They also use Romans 1:1-2 to show that the Gospel is found in the Old Testament.



THE TRUTH

The Bible does not teach the 'one gospel' theory. only theologians teach it. The Bible does not use the phrase 'one gospel.' only theologians use it. The Bible does not teach that God has revealed the same gospel message for all the dispensations of time. Rather, it is just the reverse. God has revealed different messages of 'good news' to mankind during certain periods of time, as He has willed. These messages are not to be mixed up or to be constituted as parts of one gospel. They were taken at face value at the time they were revealed.

The Scofield note on page 1343 could have been made much clearer and easier to understand. It is too general in its language. But it still reflects the teaching that there is only one gospel, one way of salvation, and that it is by grace through faith in all dispensations.
Those who believe this way really preach an homogenized gospel that is made up of some truth from the Kingdom Gospel and some truth from the Grace Gospel of the Apostle Paul. This mixing of two gospels also leaves out some vital truth related to each gospel. This is not good Bible teaching.

As to the doctrine of justification by faith, it sounds right but further examination proves that the conclusion is false. First, the doctrine of justification by faith is NOT the gospel message. It is a RESULT of the gospel or good news being believed by the individual as it is revealed by God. Justification is one of the works of God that takes place at the time of salvation. We don't tell people to be justified; we tell them that they must be saved.

Second, faith is taking God at His Word, by believing what God has said. In the case of Abraham, Paul went back to Genesis 15:5-6, which says: "And He brought him forth abroad and said, Look now toward heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be. [6) And he believed in the LORD; and He counted it to him for righteousness." Verse 6 is unique because three words - 'believed' 'righteousness,' and 'counted' - are used here for the first time in the Old Testament. Abram believed (exercised faith) in what God told him, which is the contents of verse 5. Verse 5 does not contain the Gospel of the grace of God nor does it contain the Gospel of the Kingdom. Verse 5 is related to the Abrahamic Covenant which Paul called in Gal. 3:8, 'the gospel unto Abraham.'

In Galatians 1:6 there is 'another gospel,' a HETEROS gospel which is a gospel of a different kind. The Gospel of the Kingdom is what the Judaizers preached to the Galatian believers, not a 'false gospel' that Acts 2 people use to identify 'another gospel.' The Gospel of the Kingdom is a gospel of a different kind.

In Galatians 1:7 you have 'the gospel of Christ,' which is another name for the Gospel of the grace of God; and in Gal. 3:8 the 'gospel preached unto Abraham' is what Jehovah God told him in Genesis 12:3; 15:5-6. Besides these three gospels in Galatians, there is 'the Everlasting Gospel' of Rev. 14:6.

So there are at least four Gospels which are clearly mentioned in the Bible. It doesn't take a whole lot of study to see that they are different from one another. But it does take a lot of human ingenuity to make them all the same.

The theory of 'one gospel' needs to be seen as a major problem because so much hinges on it. Are we saved today by the gospel revealed to Paul, or are we saved by the Gospel preached by Peter? We can't be saved by both of them together. The Gospel of the Kingdom will make you religious today, but the Gospel of the grace of God alone will prepare you for heaven in God's spiritual realm of the Fourth Dimension.

When one reads Romans 1:1-2, it sounds like there is only 'one gospel' in the Bible: "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God [21 which He had promised afore by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures."

The key word here is the first word in verse 2 - which. It is the Greek pronoun HOS. It can mean 'who' or 'whom' when referring to persons; 'what' when referring to objects; 'which' when referring to things.

Now the question is this: "What is the 'gospel' mentioned in verse 1? Is it a message (like 1 Cor. 15:1-4) or could it be a person?" It would help us to know an important fact - that 'which' modifies 'gospel' of verse 1.

Well, what did the old Testament prophets write about? Did they write about a I message' or did they write about a 'person'? The overwhelming evidence indicates that they wrote about a Person. All you have to do is go to Psalm 22, Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 11:1-5; Isaiah 53; Jer. 23:6; Zechariah 12:10, and to many other passages. They wrote about a coming Messiah for the Nation of Israel. They did not know the name of Jesus, like we do, but they knew One was coming. Furthermore, Romans 1:1-2 is a repeat of Gal. 1:16, where Paul stated that he preached Christ Jesus as the gospel (Greek). So the right meaning of HOS in verse 2 is the word 'Whom' when it- refers to a Person. The Gospel of the grace of God is not found in the Old Testament.

By Robert C. Brock

 

[JContinuum]

The Gospel is 1Corinthans 1:23 "We preach Christ Crucified"

What is Christ Crucified?

Daily faith in............

[font=Arial, sans-serif]Romans 6:1-6 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin (The Sin Nature), that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to [/font][font=Arial, sans-serif] sin (The Sin Nature),[/font][font=Arial, sans-serif] live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of [/font][font=Arial, sans-serif] sin (The Sin Nature),[/font][font=Arial, sans-serif] might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve [/font][font=Arial, sans-serif] sin (The Sin Nature)[/font]

 

[eph3Nine]

Christ crucified has to do with His DEATH. The gospel of OUR salvation today is Christ death, burial AND resurrection found in 1 Cor 15:1-4

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;

1 Corinthians 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

1 Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Christ dying was only PART of the picture. Yes, He died for the sins of the World, but did God actually DO anything with those sins He died for? YES...burial signified the putting away of something from Gods eyes, and resurrection signified that the payment for ALL sins was accepted by God the Father. If ONE sin had been left out , He would NOT have RISEN from the grave.

 

[JContinuum]

Christ crucified has to do with His DEATH. The gospel of OUR salvation today is Christ death, burial AND resurrection found in 1 Cor 15:1-4

Crhrist Crucified ! is daily faith in Romans 6:1-13. Which is his death, burial, resurrection, and ascention!!! Paul states that Salvation begins with faith in Christ Crucified!

Why he preach Christ Crucified to the saved and unsaved.

1Corinthians 1:23, 24

1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;[/quote

Amen!

1 Corinthians 15:2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

Praise the Lord!

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

Glory to God!

1 Corinthians 15:4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

Than you Jesus!

Christ dying was only PART of the picture. Yes, He died for the sins of the World, but did God actually DO anything with those sins He died for? YES...burial signified the putting away of something from Gods eyes, and resurrection signified that the payment for ALL sins was accepted by God the Father. If ONE sin had been left out , He would NOT have RISEN from the grave.

Romans 6:1-13

Some Def Article Study

The definitive article is used some 17 times in tthe Greeek in Romans 6 on the word "SIN" (as in The Sin) since the word "SIN" is a noun and not a verb as in acts of sins such as lust, stealing, lying, adultery, etc. Paul is calling the word "SIN" either a person , place, or thing then we must use deductive reasoning!

Sin is not a person, or a place but it has to be a thing. After much Study in the word I have concluded that "SIN" used in Paul's context is "The Sin Nature" The sin nature causes the sins or it is what causes a person to lust, steal, lie, adultery, and the list goes on.............

Read Romans 6:1-13

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin (The Sin Nature), that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin (The Sin Nature) , live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin (The Sin Nature) might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin (The Sin Nature). 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin (The Sin Nature). 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin (The Sin Nature) once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin (The Sin Nature), but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin (The Sin Nature) therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sinThe Sin Nature) but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members ( 5 senses) as instruments of righteousness unto God.


The sin nature has been crucified with Christ by faith in his Cross. There is Justification by faith, I also now see Sanctification, the process of Sanctification is by faith in the Cross. If we put faith in anything other thing then his cross then I believe we will commit spiritual adultery. If I put my faith in my spiritual works such as praying, reading the Bible, or church activities without going through the Cross then it will rejected. It will be rejected just like God rejected Cain's groceries. But if my faith is in his Cross (Roman's 6:3-5) for Justification, Sanctification, and the process of Sanctification then I believe God does a legal work and cancels our debts and nails it to his Cross. Ever hear of doubling the fold? It was a Jewish Tradition in the Old Tetstament! Jesus nailed our sin nature to his Cross and said "Paid in Full" Then God puts us IN CHRIST. and the process of Justification, Sanctification, and process of Sanctification begins. Christ not only took our punishment for the sins we comitted. He also nailed our sin nature to his cross because the sin nature is what makes us to committ sins. It is called the law of sin and death.

The scripture for me now comes alive. Read Romans 8:1,2

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are IN CHRIST JESUS, who do not walk according to the flesh,(evil works, good works and spiritual good works) but according to the Spirit.(which is faith in his Cross)

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus (which is faith in his Cross 1Cor 1:23.24 Christ Crucified) has made me free from the law of sin and death (Sin Nature)


That life in the Spirit is explained in Romans 8:10-15
10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead (powerless) because of sin (The Sin Nature); but the Holy Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead (Grave) shall also *QUICKEN* or in other words (MAKE ALIVE...HENCE ROMANS 8:2 ) your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. 12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh (evil works, good works and spiritual good works) , to live after the flesh (evil works, good works and spiritual good works)13 For if ye live after the flesh (evil works, good works and spiritual good works) ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God