What Is the True Gospel?
Summary
It is almost universally believed and taught that the death of Jesus Christ for your sins and mine is at the heart and core of the gospel. Is this true and biblical?
In this episode, you will discover the one original message Jesus Christ (Yahshua the Messiah) brought and preached from God the Father when He walked this Earth over 2,000 years ago. You will learn seven biblical truths about the gospel Christ preached.
1. The Apostle Paul Warned About Gospel Confusion and Deception.
Satan is responsible for blinding people to the truth. Also, Paul calls the one true gospel, "the gospel of the glory of Christ." He didn't call it "the gospel of the sufferings of Christ."
The Bible tells us that many people will be preaching different gospels.
2. “Gospel” Simply Means “Good News.”
According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition, the word "gospel" is a Middle English word which came from the Old English god (good) + spel (news), meaning "good news..."
Specifically, “the proclamation of the redemption preached by Jesus and the Apostles, which is the central content of Christian revelation.”
The original word translated as "gospel" in most English Bibles is the Greek word euaggelion (yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on), which means "a good message" or "good tidings."
3. There Is Only ONE True Gospel.
There is a double curse on anyone — man or angel — who would dare preach any other gospel! It's clear from Scripture that there is only ONE true and biblical gospel — there is no other!
4. Jesus (Yahshua) Preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
There's no confusion here. This is the only "gospel" we are commanded to believe — the one true, biblical gospel! And Christ did not change the focus of His preaching later.
Christ was sent by God the Father for the purpose of preaching the kingdom of God.
5. The First-Century Apostles Also Preached the Gospel of the Kingdom.
But some people assume that Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, preached another gospel.
But Paul Did Not Preach A Different Gospel — But the Gospel of the Kingdom!
Remember, this was after Christ was crucified, resurrected, and had ascended to heaven!
However, the identity of the Messiah was essential to the discussion about the gospel of the kingdom of God, as He was, and is, the fulfillment of many prophecies in what we call the Old Testament.
6. The Gospel of Grace and Salvation Is Only A Part of the Whole Gospel.
The "gospel of grace" or the "gospel of salvation" through faith in Christ is not a false gospel. But it is not the whole gospel, which is centered on the kingdom of God. The gospel of Christ is Christ's gospel — the message He brought from the Father about the kingdom of God soon to be established here on earth.
The facts about Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrection are very important. He makes it possible for us to enter and inherit the kingdom of God. As our Savior, He is the Door to the kingdom (John 10:7-10).
Christ's death, burial, and resurrection makes it possible for us to enter God's kingdom.
7. At the End Time, the Gospel of the Kingdom Will Still Be Preached.
The gospel did not change after the three-and-a-half year ministry of Christ, and He prophesied that the same original gospel will be proclaimed at the very end, before He comes again.
It is important to PREACH the right gospel — and to BELIEVE the right gospel — in order to be saved. This is not some small, inconsequential matter. Our eternity is literally at stake!
Conclusion
There is only one true gospel — the gospel of the kingdom of God.
Full Transcript
Since when did the death of a good person become good news?
Since when did the brutal murder of an innocent man become a reason for celebration?
Think about it. Yet, it is almost universally believed and taught that the death of Jesus Christ for your sins and mine is at the heart and core of the gospel. Is this true and biblical?
Or is it possible that we have also been deceived about the real gospel message? And could a sadistic, evil influence be behind this subtle deception?
In this eye-opening episode, you will discover the one original message Jesus Christ (Yahshua the Messiah) brought and preached from God the Father when He walked this Earth over 2,000 years ago. You will learn seven biblical truths about the gospel Christ preached. Let’s discuss...
Today, there are so many versions of the gospel. Do a quick Google search for "what is the gospel?" and you will find several websites about the gospel. Here are just some of the versions you will find:
- The Gospel of Jesus Christ
- The Gospel of Salvation
- The Gospel of Grace
- The Social Gospel
- The Israel Message
- The Prosperity (or Health-and-Wealth) Gospel
WHY is there so much confusion and conflicting opinions about what the true gospel really is?
Well, here are the seven biblical truths about the gospel Jesus preached. As in all our episodes, we challenge you not to believe what we say, but believe what you read in your own Bible.
So here’s the first biblical truth we need to learn and understand:
1. The Apostle Paul Warned About Gospel Confusion and Deception.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4: “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age [Satan] has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them.”
The first thing to notice is that Satan is responsible for blinding people to the truth.
The second thing to notice is that Paul calls the one true gospel, "the gospel of the glory of Christ." He didn't call it "the gospel of the sufferings of Christ." In the letters of Peter and Paul, glory is always contrasted with suffering (Romans 8:17-18, Hebrews 2:9-10, 1 Peter 4:12-13, and 1 Peter 5:1). It is this aspect — Christ's resurrection glory, His splendor, and His majesty as Messiah and coming King — that Satan the Devil tries so very hard to hide, obscure, and cover up.
2 Corinthians 11:4: “For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”
The Bible tells us that many people will be preaching different gospels. But before we go deep into this subject, let’s define our terms: Just what do we mean gospel?
2. “Gospel” Simply Means “Good News.”
According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition, the word "gospel" is a Middle English word which came from the Old English god (good) + spel (news), meaning "good news..."
Specifically, “the proclamation of the redemption preached by Jesus and the Apostles, which is the central content of Christian revelation.”
That’s what people usually mean when they talk about "the gospel."
The original word translated as "gospel" in most English Bibles is the Greek word euaggelion (yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on), which means "a good message" or "good tidings." It appears 77 times in the King James Version of the Bible and 74 times in the New King James Version.
The Olive Tree Enhanced Strong’s Dictionary has two definitions of euaggelion:
- The glad tidings of the kingdom of God soon to be set up, and of Jesus (Yahshua) the Messiah, the founder of this kingdom.
- The preaching about or concerning Jesus Christ (Yahshua the Messiah).
These two definitions can be confusing. They can give the impression that there are two gospels. But just how many gospels are there?
3. There Is Only ONE True Gospel.
Galatians 1:6-9: I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
This is not a small matter. There is a double curse on anyone — man or angel — who would dare preach any other gospel!
It's clear from Scripture that there is only ONE true and biblical gospel — there is no other! So, of the two definitions above, which is correct? Well, let’s examine what Christ Himself preached.
4. Jesus (Yahshua) Preached the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Mark 1:14-15: Now after John was put in prison, Jesus (Yahshua) came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” [KJV: believe THE gospel]
There's no confusion here. Absolutely no ambiguity. The gospel message Christ preached is called THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD! This is the only "gospel" we are commanded to believe — the one true, biblical gospel!
Was this only a "one-time thing" for Christ? Did He change the focus of His preaching later?
Matthew 4:23: And Jesus (Yahshua) went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
Matthew 9:35: Then Jesus (Yahshua) went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
Luke 8:1: Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him...
Luke 16:16: “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached [beginning with Christ], and everyone is pressing into it.
Luke 4:43: ...[Jesus (Yahshua)] said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.”
Wait a minute! Christ was sent for the purpose of preaching the kingdom? Yup!
Christ Was Sent From Heaven With This Message from God the Father
Malachi 3:1: “Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,”
Says the LORD of hosts.
Christ is the Divine Messenger. He came from His Father in heaven with a message. Many times, Christ said the words that He spoke were not His own:
John 8:38-42: I speak what I have seen with My Father, and you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus (Yahshua) said to them, “If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father—God.” Jesus (Yahshua) said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
John 12:49-50: For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
John 14:24: He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me.
Therefore, the true gospel of the Kingdom of God is not Christ’s own invention — but is the VERY message that He brought from God the Father in heaven!
5. The First-Century Apostles Also Preached the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Luke 9:1-2: Then [Jesus (Yahshua)] called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Luke 10:1-2,9: 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 He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest... And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
Acts 8:12: But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ (Yahshua the Messiah), both men and women were baptized.
The name of the Messiah is essential to the gospel of the kingdom of God, as He will be the King of the Kingdom of God.
But some people assume that Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, preached another gospel.
But here’s the truth:
Paul Did Not Preach A Different Gospel — But the Gospel of the Kingdom!
Acts 14:21-22: And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
This should be the goal of every Christian — to "enter the kingdom of God."
1 Corinthians 15:50: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.
Hebrews 12:28: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.
2 Timothy 4:1: I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ (Yahshua the Messiah), who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Timothy 4:18: ... the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever...
Acts 19:8: And [Paul] went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
Acts 20:25: And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.
Acts 28:23: So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus (Yahshua) from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.
The identity of the Messiah was essential to the discussion about the gospel of the kingdom of God, as He was, and is, the fulfillment of many prophecies in what we call the Old Testament.
And this is not some small topic. Paul preached on this theme from morning until evening!
And this is not just a one-time thing. Notice Acts 28:30-31:
“Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ (Yahshua the Messiah) with all confidence, no one forbidding him.”
Remember, this was after Christ was crucified, resurrected, and had ascended to heaven!
As you can see, you cannot talk meaningfully about the good news of the kingdom of God without also discussing the central role of Yahshua the Messiah (aka Jesus Christ) — the Anointed One — as the future King of that coming Kingdom.
6. The Gospel of Grace and Salvation Is Only A Part of the Whole Gospel.
How about the "gospel of grace" or the "gospel of salvation" through faith in Christ? Is that a false gospel? Not at all. It is an integral part of the gospel, but it is not the whole gospel, which is centered on the kingdom of God. The gospel of Christ is Christ's gospel — the message He brought from the Father about the kingdom of God soon to be established here on earth.
1 Corinthians 15:1-4: 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 of 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...
The facts about Christ's life, death, burial, and resurrection are very important. He makes it possible for us to enter and inherit the kingdom of God. As our Savior, He is the Door to the kingdom (John 10:7-10). But as one author wisely observed:
“The message of the Christian gospel over the past fifty years has increasingly emphasized the access door to the kingdom instead of what is behind the door. Jesus certainly did say, "I am the door." But we've overemphasized the door imagery as though "getting saved" is all there is to it. Christian evangelists and missionaries have worked so hard at marketing the entrance that it has itself become the gospel [rather than the Kingdom behind that door].”
~Jan David Hettinga, Follow Me (1996), p. 136.
Without the Messiah's death, we can never be reconciled to the Father, due to our sins (which are transgressions of God's law [1 John 3:4 (KJV)]). But He paid the penalty in our stead, the Innocent for the guilty, so that we can receive forgiveness upon repentance. And because of His miraculous and glorious resurrection — because He has conquered death — we can also receive immortality in a future resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20). That's the whole point of 1 Corinthians 15. Christ's death, burial, and resurrection makes it possible for us to enter God's kingdom.
But most preachers stop at verse 4 or 8. They should keep reading until the end of the chapter:
“Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death... Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed — in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed…”
~1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 50-52
7. At the End Time, the Gospel of the Kingdom Will Still Be Preached.
Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”
The gospel did not change after the three-and-a-half-year ministry of Christ, and He prophesied that the same original gospel will be proclaimed at the very end, before He comes again.
Mark 16:15-16: “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
He didn't say preach a gospel. He didn't say preach any gospel. But THE gospel! We cannot put our own interpretation on what this gospel is — it is the same one Christ preached — the only one He authorized! Yes, it is very important to PREACH the right gospel — and to BELIEVE the right gospel — in order to be saved. This is not some small, inconsequential matter. Our eternity is literally at stake!
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is only one true gospel — the gospel of the kingdom of God.
In our episode next week, we will explain what God reveals about the kingdom of God, because there are a lot of false ideas about it. But what is it exactly? And is it possible that this gospel holds the real solution to our world’s problems? Keep watching our weekly episodes to find out.
If this teaching has been helpful to you, please like, comment, and share this video with your family and friends. And if you’re watching this on YouTube, please subscribe and click the bell to be notified when we upload a new teaching video every week. Thank you for watching!
So until next time, this is Daniel Macaraeg of BiblicalTruths.TV, reminding you to always be growing, always be giving, and always be grateful.
