What is the GOSPEL?

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piningforChrist

Puritan Board Freshman
<P>The apostle Paul states in Chapter 2 of&nbsp;his first letter to the Corinthians,</P>
<P><SPAN class=chapter-num><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana color=#0066cc size=2>2:1&nbsp;</FONT></STRONG></SPAN>And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. <STRONG><SPAN class=verse-num><FONT face=Verdana size=2>2&nbsp;</FONT></SPAN>For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.</STRONG> <SPAN class=verse-num><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana size=2>3&nbsp;</FONT></STRONG></SPAN>And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, <SPAN class=verse-num><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana size=2>4&nbsp;</FONT></STRONG></SPAN>and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, <SPAN class=verse-num><STRONG><FONT face=Verdana size=2>5&nbsp;</FONT></STRONG></SPAN>that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.</P>
<P>Can we pool together and establish a declaration of the Gospel that is short and will be adequate to preach in both an edifying way for the church and in a evangelizing way for the world?</P>
<P>Please list helpful Scripture texts, especially, that explain the Gospel in a way that avoids the mistakes of merit presented by Popery and adequately deliniate THE essential of the Christain faith, both its abstract reality and the means to attain its benefits.</P>

[Edited on 11-3-2005 by piningforChrist]
 
from Counterfeit Gospels

The word "Gospel" means "good news." The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about what you can do to get into Heaven, nor even about what God can do to change your life, and certainly not about success, prosperity, health, or money. The Gospel is not advice about improving your own experience, raising your self-esteem, or being good.

Jesus´ disciples made the mistake of confusing the Gospel with their personal religious experience, and he tells them about it in Luke 10:

"After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before his face into every city and place where he himself was about to go.... Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "˜Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name.´

"And he said to them, "˜I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. Behold, I give you authority to trample serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven."

These seventy men were chosen and sent out by Jesus himself. The demons were subject to them. God was doing wonderful things in their lives. Their evangelism was a spectacular success. But Jesus solemnly commands them: "Do not rejoice in this." Christ gave them a direct command not to rejoice in their own experience, not because their personal experiences were not cause for rejoicing, but because they were ignoring a far more important fact, a fact that was not a part of their experience at all: Their names were written in Heaven.

The disciples were focusing on their own experience rather than on what God had done for them from all eternity and what Christ was shortly going to do in carrying out God´s plan of salvation. Christ commanded them to rejoice in something that they had never experienced, something that God had done wholly outside of them before they were born.

Most so-called Christian books, essays, television programs, and sermons today are little more than stories about the wonderful experiences people are having. The football players, the movie stars, the prominent lawyers, politicians, preachers, and priests -- all tell their personal experiences and rejoice in them. None of them tells the Gospel. They use words like "feelings," "felt," "impression," "sensed," "excitement," "leadings," "emotions" -- all centered on themselves and their experiences. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ has nothing of this self-centeredness and obsession with personal experience in it.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ does not tell us to be spiritual navel watchers; it does not tell us to seek emotional highs or to be guided by impressions or leadings. It does not tell us to boast, except in what Christ has done on Calvary.

The Apostle Paul tells us what the Gospel is in 1 Corinthians 15:

"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the Gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that Word which I preached to you (unless you believed in vain) -- for I delivered to you first all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures."

That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In his letter to the Christians at Rome, Paul explained the Gospel further:

"By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in his [God´s] sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by The Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God which is through faith in Christ Jesus to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation [something that appeases the wrath of God] by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his [God´s] righteousness, because in forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness, that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.... Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law."
 
I'm looking for one, long sentence, if that is possible, that we can use for explaining the gospel, both its essential nature and the means of attaining its benefits, for those in the church and for those in the world. Please, if someone would be so kind as to formulate such a sentence, that would be wonderful. I LOVE 1 Cor. 15 and Romans....something that would combine these two texts would be excellent!

Thank you :bigsmile:
 
"For my sake and the gospel's go
And tell redemption's story";
His heralds answer, "Be it so,
And thine, Lord, all the glory!"
They preach his birth, his life, his cross,
The love of his atonement,
For whom they count the world but loss,
His Easter, his enthronement
."
--E.H. Bickersteth (understanding "resurrection" for "Easter" obviously)
 
Can we pool together and establish a declaration of the Gospel that is short and will be adequate to preach in both an edifying way for the church and in a evangelizing way for the world?

Matthew, while I commend your desire for brevity, we should be careful in limiting the scope of the gospel message. There is no one verse (to the exclusion of others) that is the sum total of the gospel message. The word for gospel (euangellian) means "good news." In a general sense, the entire counsel of God is good news. In a restricted sense, the good news is the message of redemption through Jesus Christ. You may, as an individual, have developed a concise method of sharing your faith in Christ. But we should not seek to have our methodology effect the totality of the gospel message.

:2cents:

[Edited on 11-3-2005 by BaptistInCrisis]
 
Exo 15:13

"You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed; you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

[Edited on 11-3-2005 by Saiph]
 
Mr. Brown,

While I appreciate and agree with you in that the whole counsel of God concerning the good news of Jesus Christ can and should never be limited to one long sentence, I strongly believe that formulating a sentence the combines 1 Cor. 15 and Romans may be of much help to us, because we are to preach the gospel not only to unbelievers, but to ourselves as well. Memorizing the essentials of it, therefore, will be of much use.

Can someone formulate a sentence combining 1 Cor 15 with the essential portion of Romans in order to help us to treasure and proclaim the gospel regularly?

[Edited on 11-3-2005 by piningforChrist]
 
Note that in Exodus 15:13, that I quoted above, the entire purpose of creation and the gospel is spoken.

God is redeeming His people (election), for His pleasure (divine will), through His plan (redemption) in His strength (justification), for His glory (abode).
 
Originally posted by Saiph
Note that in Exodus 15:13, that I quoted above, the entire purpose of creation and the gospel is spoken.

God is redeeming His people (election), for His pleasure (divine will), through His plan (redemption) in His strength (justification), for His glory (abode).
:up::up:

[Edited on 11-3-2005 by houseparent]
 
<P>Since the Gospel is Christ and Him Crucified, what better summation of the Gospel, then to present Christ and Him Crucified?&nbsp; I am finding THIS is what it means to preach the Gospel to ourselves and&nbsp;what it means to preach it to the church and what it means to preach it to the world.</P>
<P>For one of THE BEST explainiations of the excellencies of Christ, my recommendation is:</P>
<P><A href="http://www.ccel.org/e/edwards/sermons/excellency.html">The Excellency of Christ</A>, a sermon by Jonathan Edwards</P>
<P>So much for one sentence!</P>
 
As I am studying 1 Timothy now, I am partial to 1 Timothy 3:16: "Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory."
 
Originally posted by piningforChrist
<P>Since the Gospel is Christ and Him Crucified, what better summation of the Gospel, then to present Christ and Him Crucified?&nbsp; I am finding THIS is what it means to preach the Gospel to ourselves and&nbsp;what it means to preach it to the church and what it means to preach it to the world.</P>
<P>For one of THE BEST explainiations of the excellencies of Christ, my recommendation is:</P>
<P><A href="http://www.ccel.org/e/edwards/sermons/excellency.html">The Excellency of Christ</A>, a sermon by Jonathan Edwards</P>




<P>So much for one sentence!</P>
;)
 
1 Cor 15
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you"”unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

In unpacking this we have sin, and by necessary implication then the wrath and justice of God, the atonement, the resurrection, and faith - we must believe according to what the Scriptures say.
 
I have to say that sermon by Edwards is AWESOME. You can download it in mp3 from sermonaudio. SDG publishing has a small book of Edwards sermons called Altogether Lovely with it. I've read one other in the book on Psa 73 "whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth I desire besides thee" also very good.

As for the gospel encapsulated into one sentence maybe...

God, having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery and bring them into an estate of salvation by a Reedemer... The only redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, who being the eternal Son of God became man and so was and continueth to be both God and man in two distinct natures and one person forever.
 
Eph 2:1-10

And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
NKJV
 
These are all good, I think.

The Heidelberg Catechism isn't one sentence, but it is one document. And the purpose behind it is to sum up the necessities of the gospel into one structured lesson book for renewed minds. Were we to pick one of the lessons as pivotal, as the basic teaching, we would be hard pressed between Lord's Days 1 and 7, if not more of them. To me these stand out immediately.

Question 1: What is your only comfort in life and in death?
Answer 1: That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death,[1] am not my own,[2] but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ,[3] who with His precious blood [4] has fully satisfied for all my sins,[5] and redeemed me from all the power of the devil;[6] and so preserves me [7] that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head;[8] indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation.[9] Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life,[10] and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto Him.[11]

1. Rom. 14:7-8
2. I Cor. 6:19
3. I Cor. 3:23
4. I Peter 1:18-19
5. I John 1:7; 2:2
6. I John 3:8
7. John 6:39

8. Matt. 10:29-30; Luke 21:18
9. Rom. 8:28
10. II Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14; Rom. 8:16
11. Rom. 8:1

Q2: How many things are necessary for you to know, that in this comfort you may live and die happily?
A2: Three things:[1] First, the greatness of my sin and misery.[2] Second, how I am redeemed from all my sins and misery.[3] Third, how I am to be thankful to God for such redemption.[4]

1. Luke 24:46-47; I Cor. 6:11; Titus 3:3-7
2. John 9:41; 15:22
3. John 17:3
4. Eph. 5:8-11; I Peter 2:9-12; Rom. 6:11-14; 7:24-25; Gal. 3:13; Col. 3:17
Q21: What is true faith?
A21: True faith is not only a sure knowledge, whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in His Word,[1] but also a hearty trust,[2] which the Holy Ghost [3] works in me by the Gospel,[4] that not only to others, but to me also, forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation are freely given by God,[5] merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits.[6]

1. James 1:6
2. Rom. 4:16-18; 5:1
3. II Cor. 4:13; Phil. 1:19, 29

4. Rom. 1:16; 10:17
5. Heb. 11:1-2; Rom. 1:17
6. Eph. 2:7-9; Rom. 3:24-25; Gal. 2:16; Acts 10:43

Q22: What, then, is necessary for a Christian to believe?
A22: All that is promised us in the Gospel,[1] which the articles of our catholic, undoubted Christian faith teach us in summary.

1. John 20:31; Matt. 28:20; II Peter 1:21; II Tim. 3:15

Q23: What are these articles?
A23: I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
 
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