Mark 16:15
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
– Jesus sends the apostles to preach the gospel!
Responsibility to Minister
1 Thess 2:4
4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
– As we learned in our previous study, Jesus entrusted the apostles with the gospel.
1 Cor 9:16
16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!
– Paul was a preacher of the gospel!
A Matter of Salvation
2 Cor 4:3
3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:
– We need the apostles gospel to be saved.
Rom 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
– Paul referred to the gospel as the power of God unto salvation.
Peter’s Question, Paul’s Answer
1 Pet 4:17-18
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
– What happens to those who don’t obey the gospel?
– Paul answers this in our next scripture!
II Th 1:7-9
7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
– In flaming fire taking vengeance!
– Punished with everlasting destruction!
– We need to obey the Gospel.
– The gospel is just as much about obedience as it is about faith and believing.
We are not to Change it or Preach Another
Gal 1:6-9
6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 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.
9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
– To pervert the gospel means to change it!
– This doesn’t mean a different message than your home church, this means different than the apostles!
– We must preach the same gospel the apostles preached. We have to get it right.
– Churches may have their differences but shouldn’t we at least all get The Gospel message of salvation right? (Accepting the Lord as your personal saviour is not a biblical means of salvation!)
– The sad truth is, not all churches and/or pastors preach/teach this God appointed method of salvation!
– Please see my study guide on “False Prophets”.
Doctrine and Proper Bible Study
1 Tim 4:16
16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
2 Tim 2:15
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
I’m going to throw in here a simple yet important point on understanding the Bible, breaking down the
New Testament;
The Gospels = life of Christ,
Acts = actions of the apostles (please note it is the only book in the bible with the word for word preaching of the apostles to the lost),
Epistles = letters written to churches or people who are already saved and
Revelation = a book of prophesy. (Don’t read something in the Epistles and assume it applies to you if you don’t have the salvation experience the Apostles taught in Acts! For example a reference about being the temple of the Holy Ghost, or being saved by faith.)
Heb 9:16-17
16 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.
17 For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.
– The New Testament as a time period begins at Jesus’ death on the cross therefore the thief next to Him was not the first in under grace but the last in under the law and should not be used as an example of New Testament salvation.
What is the Gospel?
1 Cor 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
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;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
– The gospel by which also ye are saved.
– The Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
– How can we obey this? By understanding that Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection are comparative to our repentance, baptism, and receiving the gift of Holy Ghost.
We Need to Love Truth!
II Th 2:10-15
10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
– Chosen to salvation through belief of the truth.
– We are called by the Apostles Gospel.
The Word of Truth and the Gospel go Hand in Hand
Eph 1:13
13 In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
– The truth and the gospel go hand in hand!
– Sealed speaks of being authenticated!
THE GOSPEL: A CLOSER LOOK
Even though we have three lessons to go on this topic of the Gospel, I want to lay some groundwork on our comparatives of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection; and our need to repent, be baptised and be filled with the Holy Ghost! ( see picture above for clarity)
Repentance
Death, our death, our dying to the flesh, our dying to sin.
John 12:24
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
– We believe in a good old fashioned repentance!
– We obey the death part of The Gospel through repentance!
Water Baptism
Our burial, when the old man dies he needs buried.
Rom 6:3-4
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:
Col 2:13
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
– All biblical baptisms were by immersion and from the cross on were in Jesus name.
Peter commanded Baptism
Acts 10:45-48
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
Receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost
(The Comforter, Christ in you the hope of glory.)
Acts 10:45-47
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,
47 Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Rom 6:4-12
4b…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 might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
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 once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
– Paul discussing their salvation experience and their need to walk the walk!
– We find here the comparatives of Christ’s resurrection and our walking in newness of life. Our old man being crucified has resemblance to our repentance; our being planted is baptism which is likened unto His burial after His death!
The Old Testament teaches it in the type of the Tabernacle
The approach to God was by way of the Altar of Sacrifice (our repentance), the Brazen Laver (washing, Our baptism) and entering the Holy of Holies (this signifying the presence of God, Our being filled with His Spirit)
Jesus Taught It
Luke 13:3
3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
-Jesus taught repentance.
John 3:5
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
– Jesus taught water and Spirit baptism.
Mark 16:15-18
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
– Jesus taught baptism (immersion) for salvation!
– Some pervert this scripture and turn Jesus’ words around to say, “He that believeth is saved and should be baptised!”
Matt 28:19-20
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
– Notice how Peter followed these instructions below!
Peter Taught It
Acts 2:38
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
– Peter’s understanding of the above was to at least in part preach the Gospel using the name of Jesus as the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost!
Paul Taught It
Acts 19:1-7
1 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
7 And all the men were about twelve.
– Have you obeyed the Apostles Gospel?
– Have you repented of your sins and self will?
– Have you been baptized (buried/immersed) in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins? (No other way is biblical)
– Have you received the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance?
– Have you experienced New Testament salvation the way the Lord’s appointed Apostles teach it to us in the Word of God?
In our study of The Gospel we find that it is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, which we must obey through repentance, water baptism and being filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost!
We learn that our obedience to The Gospel is a matter of salvation with dire consequences for those who choose another way.
We also find that those who fail to find this gospel are lost and those who change it or preach another shall be accursed! Moreover, without a love for this truth, God will send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie!
To believe and/or teach a method of salvation other than this apostolic gospel, such as simply accepting the Lord as your personal saviour or even sprinkling rather than immersion is a perversion of this gospel which the Lord entrusted to His Apostles!
