I'd have to agree that "the gospel" content, as we find summarized post-first-advent (1 Cor. 15:3-4, or Rom 4:25) cannot be the same in this sense: that the Apostolic gospel was directly connected to the finished work of Christ. But the focus of the gospel was indeed the same, had to be the same, because the gospel is Christological, inescapably.

In the latter sense, the Prophets too were gospel preachers. The gospel began to be preached in Gen. 3:15. The various contexts being: the Messiah is coming, he's here, he came and was successful. All three of those are "gospel," but all three sound slightly different, and contain content suited to the conditions into which the gospel is proclaimed.

Take the books of Isaiah (OT) and Romans (NT) as perhaps the "standout" examples of gospel from the two economies. Both proclaim THE gospel, as having reference to Jesus Christ. Note Luke 4:16ff. "18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has appointed me to preach the gospel...." That is from Isaiah, and Jesus announces: "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (v21). In Romans Paul systematically explains the gospel of our age, full of clarity and confidence in the accomplishment of all that the OT had promised.

This is the "gospel" in each age: Christ the promise (1) // the fulfillment (2), and the explanation (3). And in each instance, there is the implications for life in the context of the hour that we walk about on the stage. And at some point, all the saints are brought into a common eschatological context (do you like that, Robin?), where we live/work/worship in the everlasting kingdom in the same context as those whose historical contexts were parallel to our own and very different. It is in that future/eternal context that "gospel" will have one, single, historical meaning for all of us (OT/NT). IOW, that which is true in principle now (in Christ), becomes the reality. For it will be the common spring for the New Beginning, the New Genesis.

__________________
Rev. Bruce G. Buchanan
ChainOLakes Presbyterian Church, CentralLake, MI


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