What are the basic elements of the "Gospel"?

Oneofhope

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The addition of us must having to be "born again", etc, yes, that is also important, etc...

Being Born Again IS the Spiritual Circumcision of Christ. They are the same "thing."
But it is, essentially, a "changed heart", or a great heart change, etc...

This heart will be patient and kind and gentle and loving with people and themselves, but will also hate the propensity toward evil everywhere, etc...

God Bless!

Beautiful! :)
 
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ViaCrucis

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This thread is inspired, in part, by Bible Highlighter's thread 'What is the Gospel?', so I have a question for you all:

What are the essential elements or theological points of the gospel in your view? Does it include predestination? Or hell? What are the essential points that constitute the gospel? I placed this in the controversial theology section for those whose views may not be mainstream.

Predestination? Yes, Hell? No.

All talk of hell properly is a matter of discussing the Law, not the Gospel.

The Law-Gospel Dialectic is an essential component of how Lutherans "do theology"; and it wouldn't make any sense to us to speak of the Gospel and condemnation in the same sentence except that we are no longer condemned because of grace; it would completely confuses Law and Gospel so that neither is being preached and all that's left is religious and theological confusion.

What is the Gospel? It's the Good News of God to this world of condemned sinners concerning all which God has done in and through Christ for us. That includes predestination for we read that God has predestined us in Christ, God chose us in Christ, God has loved us sinners in Christ since before the worlds began. And He has willed, through Christ, to save us, by His grace and overabundance of kindness.

So while, as guilty sinners under the condemnation of the Law, by which we deserve death and hell; God sent His only-begotten Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, who by His righteousness and life, His suffering and death, His resurrection, ascension (and, indeed, His coming again on the Last Day) God will bring about His good and gracious purposes for us and, indeed, all creation. The guilt of our unrighteousness has been meted out through the perfectly satisfying righteousness of Jesus, and His death by which He died the death for all men and bearing the weight of all sin has rendered and brought justification to all of Adam's progeny. And this we receive, as grace, through faith--not through our efforts and striving, but as the pure gift of God by the very power of this proclaimed Gospel. For the faith through which we are justified by grace alone is from God alone, through this Gospel-word. So that the Gospel is the very power of God to save all who believe, for by it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith--that is, the righteousness by which God declares us righteous on Christ's account, which is ours through faith.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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Guojing

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But, can you explain the Gospel? That's the question.

We have to do more than describe the Gospel with simple catchphrases. We need to do what Philip did as he got up and into the chariot . . . Philip explained the Gospel, showing Christ to the eunuch through the Old Testament Scrolls that he, the eunuch, had.

Do you agree that with my next paragraph, "There are various types of good news found in scripture, with different content and different audience."

So, when you ask someone to explain the gospel. that is a vague question.

Which gospel are you talking about? If its the gospel that saves today, then it is found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
 
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Oneofhope

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Do you agree that with my next paragraph, "There are various types of good news found in scripture, with different content and different audience."

No, sorry. That doesn't make any sense to me.

Which gospel are you talking about?

I have chosen Gospel number 1027a. Which Gospel. haha :clap:
 
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Guojing

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No, sorry. That doesn't make any sense to me.



I have chosen Gospel number 1027a. Which Gospel. haha :clap:

You don't agree that gospel means good news?

If you do, are you implying that there is only ONE good news found in the ENTIRE bible?
 
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Oneofhope

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You don't agree that gospel means good news?

If you do, are you implying that there is only ONE good news found in the ENTIRE bible?

The "Gospel" is the Story of God, also known as the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. However, I don't take such a shallow approach and refer to the Gospel as the "Good News." Telling a person that the Gospel is the "Good News" accomplishes what, exactly?

When a person can explain the Gospel in the below three concepts, then perhaps, they know and understand the Gospel:

1) The Purpose of Christ
2) The Work of Christ
3) The Holy Effect of Christ
 
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Guojing

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Telling a person that the Gospel is the "Good News" accomplishes what, exactly?

My question to you is a simple yes or no question:

If you do, are you implying that there is only ONE good news found in the ENTIRE bible?
 
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Danthemailman

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The gospel is the "good news" of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) 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.
 
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Oneofhope

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My question to you is a simple yes or no question:

If you do, are you implying that there is only ONE good news found in the ENTIRE bible?

There is only one Story of God. If anyone creates an alternate Story of God, let them be anathema.

Galatians 1:8 KJV - "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

This is a bizarre conversation we're having here. :)
 
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Guojing

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There is only one Story of God. If anyone creates an alternate Story of God, let them be anathema.

Galatians 1:8 KJV - "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

This is a bizarre conversation we're having here. :)

So, your answer is Yes, there is only ONE good news from God to Man, in the entire bible.

Galatians 1:8 is hardly implying that.
 
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Mr. M

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That man may hear the Voice of God, and live.
Deuteronomy 4:
32
“For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth,
and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard.
33 Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?
John 5:
25
Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God;
and those who hear will live.
26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.
 
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Mr. M

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26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself.
John 10:10b I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Hebrews 2:
14
Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same,
that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

Simply a matter of life and death.
The Good News is that we have been given a choice.
Choose Life.
 
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Mr. M

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That man may hear the Voice of God, and live.
To know someone is to recognize their voice.
John 17:
2
As You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him.
3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

Access that Life now, through the Spirit of Holiness, by the Resurrection from the dead.
Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead
will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
1 Corinthians 15:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
Romans 10:
9
that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him
from the dead, you will be saved.
10
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Good News? He is risen!
 
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Soyeong

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This thread is inspired, in part, by Bible Highlighter's thread 'What is the Gospel?', so I have a question for you all:

What are the essential elements or theological points of the gospel in your view? Does it include predestination? Or hell? What are the essential points that constitute the gospel? I placed this in the controversial theology section for those whose views may not be mainstream.

The problem is that it is easy to say something like that we need to believe in Jesus and easy for someone to affirm that they do, but it is not easy unpack exactly what that means because the purpose of everything in the Bible is to teach us what it means to believe in Jesus. What exactly are we supposed to believe about Jesus? Who is he? What did he accomplish? In Matthew 4:17-23, Jesus began his ministry with the Gospel message to repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. What exactly should we be repenting from? What is the Kingdom of God? Many of the parables that Jesus taught throughout his ministry were specifically describing what the Kingdom of God is. In Acts 3:25-26, Jesus was sent as the fulfillment of the promise to bless us by turning us from our wickedness. What is the promise all about? In what manner are we blessed through it? In Galatians 3:8, the Gospel was made known in advance to Abraham in accordance with the promise, so exactly what was made known in advance to him? Or unpacking what exactly it means to believe in Christ and him crucified. Does it do someone any good to simply believe that it is an historical fact that Jesus rose from the dead, or do we need to understand what he accomplished through the cross and apply it to how we live our lives? In Romans 15:18-19, Paul fulfilled the Gospel message by bringing Gentiles to obedience in word and in deed, and in Romans 10:16, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, and 1 Peter 4:17, it speaks against those who do not obey the Gospel, so what were they obeying?
 
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TrevorL

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Greetings Jonaitis,
I have a question for you all:
What are the essential elements or theological points of the gospel in your view? What are the essential points that constitute the gospel?
I like to start with the following passage as it gives a summary of the Gospel as comprising two main elements, and even then it indicates that each of these two elements have significant detail:
Acts 8:5,6,12 (KJV): 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Luke does not see the need to explain what these two elements are, but he has already summarised the two speeches of Peter and much of the detail of these speeches could be examined and discussed here, for example Peter's quotation and exposition of Psalm 16:8-11 and Psalm 110:1.

One aspect that I consider to be neglected is an understanding of what constitutes a correct understanding of "the things concerning the Kingdom of God". I like to quote the following as an important aspect of the Kingdom of God, the return of Jesus and the establishment of the Kingdom of God upon the earth:
Acts 3:19-21 (KJV): 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Kind regards
Trevor
 
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atpollard

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What are the essential elements or theological points of the gospel in your view?
  1. God is holy.
  2. Man is sinful.
  3. Christ bridged the gap.
  4. Decide what you are going to do about this information.
 
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TrevorL

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Greetings Guojing,
You got this from Campus Crusade for Christ or Navigators?
Interesting that you should mention the Navigators. In my younger years I had an apprentice attached to me for three months. He had been a Catholic but had become associated with the Navigators. He invited me to the Navigators meeting, and told some of the senior members of the fact that he had invited me. I received the message that I would have to be interviewed as they had some doubts about my beliefs, especially the fact that I did not accept the Trinity. The interview was brief. I was asked "What think ye of Christ?" and my answer was that Jesus is the Son of God and I did reference Luke 1:34-35. That was the end of the meeting and I was excluded from the Navigators. Quite some years later my apprentice resigned and became a Baptist Minister.

In my previous post I mentioned some aspects concerning "the things the Kingdom of God". Considering the other part of the Gospel, "the things concerning the Name of Jesus" can any one claim that Peter taught the Trinity and that the 3000 believed the Trinity on the occasion of the speech in Acts 2? Foe example consider
Acts 2:22–24 (KJV): 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: 24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Also the quotation and exposition by Peter of Psalm 110:1 which clearly is contrary to the Trinity:
Acts 2:32–36 (KJV): 32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

Kind regards
Trevor
 
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msortwell

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1 Cor 15:1-4 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
For I delivered 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,
 
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atpollard

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You got this from Campus Crusade for Christ or Navigators?
Sort of …
I believe that the original came from Campus Crusade, but I learned it from a man named Hank DeWeerd. He is an interesting man with lots of letters after his name that graduated from Moody with a degree in theology and an MBA. Campus Crusade was one of many careers that he had and VP of sales for Coca Cola was another.

One of the things he taught both his “salesmen” and his “adult Sunday school students” was the need for what Hank called an “Elevator Speech”. You need to be able to communicate your message in the time it takes to ride in an elevator. The Campus Crusade mnemonic God-Man-Christ-Decide helps any speaker remember to hit ALL of the critically important parts of sharing the Gospel and avoid any flawed ‘easy believism’ that is more fire-insurance than salvation or a ‘God loves you’ speach that fails to mention the human sin problem at the heart of our need for salvation.

It is an ironic paradox that after decades of reading the Bible and London Confession and WCF and writings of Spurgeon and Wesley and struggling to find the truth, that ultimately, truth is found in messages as simple as:

Jesus loves me! This I know,​
For the Bible tells me so;​
Little ones to Him belong;​
They are weak, but He is strong.​
Jesus loves me! He who died​
Heaven’s gate to open wide;​
He will wash away my sin,​
Let His little child come in.​
Jesus loves me! He will stay​
Close beside me all the way;​
Thou hast bled and died for me,​
I will henceforth live for Thee.​
- Anna B. Warner (1860)​
 
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