The Gospel

[Residential Bob]

Tradition tells us that the Gospel is a message of personal redemption, or better that the Gospel is Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (1 Cor 15:3-4). But what does that mean, exactly? I think before we quote St. Paul in defining the Gospel, we might first determine what the Gospel really is.

The Gospel is the kingdom (Mt 4:23, 24:14; Lk 16:16; Acts 8:12). That is explicitly what the Bible calls it. The Gospel is also peace (Acts 10:36; Eph 6:15) and our salvation (Eph 1:13). The Gospel of Jesus Christ (Mk 1:1) is the Gospel of his glory (2 Cor 4:4). The glory of Christ is the kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of heaven is the message of Christ's ministry. Not that when we die we escape the earth but rather that the kingdom is on the earth.

The Gospel is all these things, but first, it’s the kingdom.

Why the kingdom? Because through the kingdom, all these other things are manifest. The kingdom is the very reason for the New Testament. It was Christ’s very ministry.

Christ's parables are about the Kingdom. Let’s look at the Gospel according to Matthew and see that the subject of every parable is the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom may be compared to a man who sowed good seed (13:24) or to a mustard seed (13:31) or to leaven (13:33) or to a hidden treasure (13:44) or to a merchant in the market for pearls (13:45) or to a fishing net (13:47). The kingdom is like a king who wishes to settle his accounts (18:23) or a landowner in search of labor (20:1). It is like ten virgins (25:1) or a man on a journey (25:14). You get the idea. The kingdom is the single, common thread in the parables. When Jesus tells parables, in fact, he shares secrets of the kingdom (Mt 13:11; Lk 8:10).

So the parables are about the kingdom. That doesn’t mean his entire ministry was about the kingdom, does it?

On the contrary, the kingdom was, indeed, his ministry.

Note what Jesus commissions his apostles to do when he sends them into Israel to preach the Gospel (Mt 10). He instructs them to preach the kingdom (Mt 10:7).

And note what Jesus does after he is baptized and tempted, when he begins his ministry (Mt 4:17; Mk 1:14). He begins his ministry preaching the kingdom.

Jesus begins his ministry preaching the kingdom. He instructs his own to preach the kingdom. His parables are about the kingdom.

Even after his resurrection, he preaches the kingdom. “He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3)

The Gospel is the kingdom, and the kingdom is integral to New Testament theology, and even hinted at in the Old Testament. And what effected the kingdom? Sure, we can say that Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection did that. Sadly, though, that’s all we ever call the Gospel. Ask a random believer what the Gospel is. Will he call it the kingdom? Highly unlikely.

But that’s exactly what it is. So, shouldn’t we know what the kingdom is? I say we don’t really know what it is, mostly because we don’t really think about it. But we should. We preach to each other all the time, yet seldom ever the kingdom.

That is a shame.

So, what is the Gospel? That is, what is the kingdom?

 

[Tree of Life]

The Kingdom of God is not of itself good news for sinners. It's actually bad news. That God's Kingdom has come or is coming means that sinners will be destroyed.

 

[Residential Bob]

The Kingdom of God is not of itself good news for sinners. It's actually bad news. That God's Kingdom has come or is coming meaning that sinners will be destroyed.

It was indeed good news for sinners. It was their redemption.

 

[Danthemailman]

The word "gospel" simply means "good news." Jesus was preaching the gospel of the kingdom to Israel. John the Baptist preached the gospel of the kingdom, which was, "..Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). If the gospel of the kingdom, prior to the cross has the exact same content as gospel that Paul preached, then Matthew 10:5-7; 16:21-22; Mark 16:14; Luke 18:31-34; 24:19-24, 44-47, along with Ephesians 3:1-9 is superfluous. Before the cross, the gospel that Paul taught and came to him through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12) was still a mystery.

Ephesians 3:1 - For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— 2 if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, 3 how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), 5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: 6 that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, 7 of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. 8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 11 according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him.

That was not part of the gospel which the twelve, John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ were preaching. Yet, they were still preaching the gospel of the kingdom to Israel. Jesus Christ sent the twelve to preach only to Israel. Matthew 10:5 - These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ The disciples were specifically told to go only to the people of Israel, and they were not preaching anything about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

In Matthew 16:15, Jesus Christ asked His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Now apparently, Peter was clueless that Jesus Christ would be crucified and resurrected, although he did believe that Jesus was the Messiah. This is obvious when only moments later, Peter rebukes Jesus Christ for saying he will be killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matthew 16:21). In verse 22, "..Peter took him and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

Before his death, Jesus told the twelve that he had to die and that he would rise on the third day. Yet it seems to be unquestionable that the disciples were ignorant of its meaning. “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem,…And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. – Luke 18:31-34. hmm... that's strange if the gospel that came through a revelation of Jesus Christ to Paul and was a mystery prior to that has the same content as the gospel of the kingdom. *This is where we need to RIGHTLY DIVIDE THE WORD OF TRUTH.

After the crucifixion of Jesus, instead of waiting for Him to be resurrected, the apostles were still ignorant, disheartened at the death of their Savior, and did not even at first believe the testimony of his resurrection (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:19-24). It was not until after his resurrection that Jesus appeared to the apostles and opened their understanding (Luke 24:44-47).

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, we see that the gospel is the "good news" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that BELIEVES.. (Romans 1:16) To "believe" the gospel is to trust in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ as the ALL-sufficient means of our salvation.

In this dispensation, there is a distinctive element to the content of the gospel which is called "the mystery of the gospel" (see Ephesians 6:19 and compare with Colossians 1:26-27; 4:3). This new revelation is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body of Christ, and fellow partakers of the promise (Ephesians 3:6). Jew and Gentile united together in one body was previously unknown. The distinctive message is that Jew and Gentile alike may believe the gospel and be united together into ONE BODY (Ephesians 1:13; 1 Corinthians 12:13).

 

[Tree of Life]

It was indeed good news for sinners. It was their redemption.

When God fully and finally establishes his kingdom he will judge and remove sin and vindicate the righteous. This may be good news for the righteous, but how is this good news for sinners?

 

[Residential Bob]

When God fully and finally establishes his kingdom he will judge and remove sin and vindicate the righteous. This may be good news for the righteous, but how is this good news for sinners?

First, what is the kingdom?

 

[Tree of Life]

First, what is the kingdom?

God's rule.

 

[Residential Bob]

God's rule.

We've been under God's rule since the first century, then correct?

 

[Tree of Life]

We've been under God's rule since the first century, then correct?

In a sense. There are many ways to talk about the kingdom. In one sense God has always ruled over everything and has always been the sovereign king. In another sense, the kingdom of God was established on earth in the coming of Christ and the renewal of his church. In the fullest sense, the kingdom will not be completely here until every enemy is defeated, including death itself and God becomes all in all.

 

[Residential Bob]

In a sense. There are many ways to talk about the kingdom. In one sense God has always ruled over everything and has always been the sovereign king.

If the kingdom is God's rule, and God has always ruled, then what did Jesus bring to the table?

In another sense, the kingdom of God was established on earth in the coming of Christ and the renewal of his church.

Christ renewed his church when he came? He hadn't built it yet (Mt 16:18).

In the fullest sense, the kingdom will not be completely here until every enemy is defeated, including death itself and God becomes all in all.

To say that the kingdom is here, then not really here, then it's that, then the other thing and so on and on is to not really know what it is.

I don't think traditional Christianity really teaches the Gospel.

 

[Tree of Life]

If the kingdom is God's rule, and God has always ruled, then what did Jesus bring to the table?

An entrance into peace with God through the cross and a bringing of God's rule into the hearts of men from all nations.

Christ renewed his church when he came? He hadn't built it yet (Mt 16:18).

This is a subject for another thread, but I don't believe that Jesus meant to say he was building his church from scratch. Rather, he was rebuilding it in its eschatological form. The church began at least with Abraham.

To say that the kingdom is here, then not really here, then it's that, then the other thing and so on and on is to not really know what it is.

Read some Ridderbos. The Kingdom is "already and not yet". It is already here in the life of the church. But it's not yet fully here. If it were, there would be no more sin, sickness, death, etc... Look up "over-realized eschatology".

I don't think traditional Christianity really teaches the Gospel.

I think you're misled concerning the nature of the gospel.

 

[redleghunter]

m

But that’s exactly what it is. So, shouldn’t we know what the kingdom is? I say we don’t really know what it is, mostly because we don’t really think about it. But we should. We preach to each other all the time, yet seldom ever the kingdom.

I'm surprised you did not quote from Matthew chapter 5. In that chapter Jesus clearly lays out what it means to be a Kingdom citizen. That's the purpose really. Yes it's about the Kingdom, but how do we enter the Kingdom of God to live forever with the King?

Jesus shows us in Matthew chapter 5. What's interesting is how Jesus ends that portion of the Sermon on the Mount. He defines entry into the Kingdom as Perfection.

Matthew 5: NASB
48“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Entry is perfection. Now I'm sure that it is Good News that as fallen men and women Jesus Who was and is perfect secured our entry into the Kingdom by His own precious shed Blood.

 

[Residential Bob]

An entrance into peace with God through the cross and a bringing of God's rule into the hearts of men from all nations.



This is a subject for another thread, but I don't believe that Jesus meant to say he was building his church from scratch. Rather, he was rebuilding it in its eschatological form. The church began at least with Abraham.



Read some Ridderbos. The Kingdom is "already and not yet". It is already here in the life of the church. But it's not yet fully here. If it were, there would be no more sin, sickness, death, etc... Look up "over-realized eschatology".


I think you're misled concerning the nature of the gospel.

You seem to read a lot into the Scriptures, much of it fuzzy. Cases in point: Jesus said, "I will build my church." Also, the kingdom is here. Not partially here, but here.

Paul proclaims citizenship in the kingdom for himself and his contemporaries (Col 1:13). The letter to the Hebrews exhorts believers to be grateful for the kingdom they had received (Heb 12:28). And of course John the Revelator declares himself a partner in the kingdom with his brethren (Rv 1:9). The kingdom had arrived in the first century. We may not know the day or the hour of its arrival, but we know it arrived.

 

[Tree of Life]

You seem to read a lot into the Scriptures, much of it fuzzy. Cases in point: Jesus said, "I will build my church." Also, the kingdom is here. Not partially here, but here.

Should we no longer pray "Thy kingdom come"?

 

[Residential Bob]

Should we no longer pray "Thy kingdom come"?

You can; it's your prerogative.

 

[Tree of Life]

You can; it's your prerogative.

I think we should because while the Kingdom of God is certainly here, it is not yet here in its fullness. It will continue to grow and expand in the hearts of men and among the nations until Jesus returns and brings the Kingdom in its absolute fullness - a New Heavens and a New Earth.

 

[Residential Bob]

I think we should because while the Kingdom of God is certainly here, it is not yet here in its fullness. It will continue to grow and expand in the hearts of men and among the nations until Jesus returns and brings the Kingdom in its absolute fullness - a New Heavens and a New Earth.

Feel free, then. Don't speak for me, though.

The Lord's Prayer is meaningful to me in a much different way than it is to you.

 

[Tree of Life]

Feel free, then. Don't speak for me, though.

The Lord's Prayer is meaningful to me in a much different way than it is to you.

Could you offer your explanation of this petition of the Lord's Prayer for the peanut gallery?

 

[mkgal1]

In a sense. There are many ways to talk about the kingdom. In one sense God has always ruled over everything and has always been the sovereign king. In another sense, the kingdom of God was established on earth in the coming of Christ and the renewal of his church. In the fullest sense, the kingdom will not be completely here until every enemy is defeated, including death itself and God becomes all in all.

"Christ has risen from the dead! And because He lives, we who know Him shall live also. In the resurrection, Jesus Christ conquered sin and death and is alive forevermore. All over the world, churches are filled with worshipers because there is an empty tomb in Jerusalem". - Billy Graham Christ Has Conquered Death​

 

[redleghunter]

You seem to read a lot into the Scriptures, much of it fuzzy. Cases in point: Jesus said, "I will build my church." Also, the kingdom is here. Not partially here, but here.

Paul proclaims citizenship in the kingdom for himself and his contemporaries (Col 1:13). The letter to the Hebrews exhorts believers to be grateful for the kingdom they had received (Heb 12:28). And of course John the Revelator declares himself a partner in the kingdom with his brethren (Rv 1:9). The kingdom had arrived in the first century. We may not know the day or the hour of its arrival, but we know it arrived.

Where is the King now seated?

Where are we?

Yes we are Kingdom citizens but pilgrims and sojourners in an 'unholy land.' That is why Jesus said to Pilate "My Kingdom is not of this world." Yet.