Information Related to "The Real Gospel of Jesus Christ"
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Is the gospel a message ABOUT Jesus Christ, or is it the message He brought? You need to understand the real good news of Jesus Christ!
by Bill Bradford
hen Jesus Christ came to live on earth as a human, He brought with Him a message called "the gospel." What was this message Jesus preached?
Many have been taught that the "gospel," the "good news," is the story of Christ's life, birth, earthly activities, death and resurrection. Paul's words in 1Corinthians 15:1-4 are often used to support this definition of the gospel of Christ:
". . . I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand . . .- 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 . . ."
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The Bible calls the gospel "the gospel of the Kingdom of God" (Mark 1:14) or simply "the gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23, 9:35, 24:14). But the biblical writers used other names for it as well. For instance, the Bible speaks of the "gospel of Christ" and the "gospel of God." Do these names refer to various messages or different gospels? As we will see, these are other terms for the same message preached by Jesus Christ. For example, the term "gospel of God" simply means that it was a message of good news that originated with God. The apostle Peter tells us that the gospel was sent from God through Jesus Christ. Notice Acts 10:36,37: "The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ - He is Lord of all-that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached." It was in Galilee that the gospel of the Kingdom of God was first preached after John's ministry had ended. It was this same gospel which Peter says God sent to the children of Israel by the preaching of Jesus Christ. Hence we see the term "gospel of God" and also the words the "gospel of Christ." The gospel of God is God's gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the gospel Jesus brought as God's messenger. In a similar manner, Paul sometimes uses the term "my gospel" (Romans 2:16, 16:25, 2Timothy 2:8). This does not mean it originated with Paul, nor was it a gospel about Paul. It was a message he received directly from Jesus Christ. " ... The gospel which was preached by me ... came through the revelation of Jesus Christ," he said (Galatians 1:11,12). The term "my gospel" makes sense because he was the one preaching it. What about "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24)? From the beginning we are called by grace, then justified by grace and also saved by grace. The idea "gospel of grace" is another appropriate term for the same gospel Jesus preached. The good news of the Kingdom is also called "the gospel of your salvation" (Ephesians 1:13). Since the gospel of the Kingdom of God is about your entrance into the Kingdom of God and is synonymous with salvation, there is no conflict with the other terms for the gospel. In Revelation 14:6, it is called "the everlasting gospel." Why? Because God's kingdom was planned even before the first man was created. "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'" (Matthew 25:34). God's kingdom itself will last forever (Psalm 145:13; Daniel 4:3,34, 7:14,27; 2Peter 1:11). "The gospel of peace" is also used to describe this gospel (Romans 10:15; Ephesians 6:15). Peace is an important consequence of the gospel of the Kingdom. Prophesying of God's Kingdom, Isaiah said "Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end..." (Isaiah 9:7). These words and phrases all describe the same gospel. The writers of the New Testament simply used terms that emphasized various aspects of the same wonderful message. Jesus came preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:14,15), continued to preach it throughout His ministry (Acts 1:3) and taught His disciples to preach the same message (Matthew 10:7). Although the words to describe it varied, the message is the same. GN |
Is this the full definition of the gospel message Christ preached?
As we shall see, Christ's gospel message includes much more than simply the story that His life and death lead to our salvation. It includes not only what salvation really is and how God intends to save the human race from its present dilemma, but it reveals our glorious destiny in the Kingdom of God.
The gospel of the Kingdom
Let's first look at the message Christ Himself proclaimed while on earth. Mark records for us, in Mark 1:14,15, what Jesus preached during His ministry: ". . . Jesus 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.'"
Mark says this gospel is the news of the Kingdom of God, and this is the gospel we are commanded to believe in.
As mentioned above, the word "gospel" literally means "good news." Jesus brought as His gospel the "good news of the Kingdom of God."
Matthew also records for us the subject matter of Jesus Christ's preaching. In Matthew 4:17 he writes, after Jesus' temptation by the devil: "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' " Matthew's term for the content of Jesus Christ's preaching is "the kingdom of heaven," another term for the same message. Jesus began preaching the message of God's kingdom from the very beginning of His ministry.
Luke also confirms that Jesus preached the Kingdom of God, noting that Christ said, "Because for this purpose I have been sent" (Luke 4:43).
Luke's account continues in Luke 8:1: ". . . He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings (the gospel, or good news) of the kingdom of God . . ." Later Jesus sent the 12 disciples to preach this same gospel of the Kingdom (Luke 9:2). After that, He sent 70 others, instructing them to speak also of the Kingdom of God (Luke 10:9-11).
After His death and resurrection, but before He ascended to His Father, He "presented Himself alive" to the apostles, again "speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God" (Acts 1:3).
Paul describes his own preaching in Ephesus as relating to "the kingdom of God" (Acts 19:8). He discussed that Kingdom in most of his letters to individual churches. He referred to himself and his companions as "fellow workers for the kingdom of God" (Colossians 4:11). When Paul met the Jews in Rome, he preached to them about the Kingdom of God and Jesus (Acts 28:31).
It is noteworthy that Paul used the Old Testament scriptures - "the Law of Moses and the Prophets" - to preach the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ (Acts 28:23). The Bible has a consistent message from the beginning of the Old Testament to end of the New Testament concerning the Kingdom of God. The Bible is also clear why Jesus Christ brought this message of the Kingdom of God.
A literal kingdom
What is the Kingdom of God? Is it the Church? Is it something that resides in the hearts of Christians? Let's begin in Daniel 2.
It becomes apparent, when we read Daniel 2:28-44, that the Kingdom of God is a literal kingdom that has not yet been established on earth. In this passage we see that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had a dream in which he saw an image of a huge man. This image consisted of a head of gold, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of brass, legs of iron and feet a mixture of iron and clay.
Daniel, a prophet of God in Nebuchadnezzar's court, interpreted the king's dream for him. Through God's inspiration, Daniel revealed that the four parts of this image were actually four successive world empires. By God's inspiration Daniel identified the first of the kingdoms, the head of gold, as the Babylonian Empire (Daniel 2:38).
The next two kingdoms are identified in Daniel 8:20,21, which records a later vision that foretold the second and third empires. These two kingdoms are named as "the kings of Media and Persia" and "the kingdom of Greece." History has confirmed that the Babylonian Empire was succeeded by the Medo-Persian Empire and the Grecian Empire of Alexander the Great.
In chapter 7 these four kingdoms are pictured again, this time as four beasts. The vision in this chapter characterizes the empires as wild animals, predicting that their method of rule and domination would be cruel and oppressive. The fourth kingdom featured in chapter 7 is described as especially cruel.
We know from history that Alexander's Grecian kingdom was succeeded by the Roman Empire, the latter depicted here as challenging the very authority of God and persecuting His saints (Daniel 7:25). This entity is shown in vision as having 10 horns (verse 7), which are 10 extensions or resurrections of the fourth great empire to arise.
These resurrections of this fourth kingdom continue through history to our day, and the final resurrection is depicted as existing at Jesus Christ's return (verses 8-14).
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Some verses about God's kingdom, like Colossians 1:13, seem to imply that Christians are now in the Kingdom of God. Is this true? Part of the confusion in some minds is caused by the meaning of the word "kingdom." The Greek word basileia, translated "kingdom," denotes sovereignty, royal power and dominion (W.E. Vine, Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, art. "kingdom"). Colossians 1:13 shows that God's royal sovereignty and power begins in the life of the Christian at conversion. The NIV Study Bible accurately explains that in this verse the word kingdom "Does not here refer to a territory but to the authority, rule or sovereign power of a king. Here it means that the Christian is no longer under the dominion of evil (darkness) but under the benevolent rule of God's Son." Virtually all other occurrences of "kingdom" refer to the literal dominion which Christ will establish at His return (Matthew 6:33, Revelation 11:15). As "heirs of God" in training to inherit that future Kingdom (Romans 8:15-16; Matthew 25:34; Revelation 20:4,6), Christians are thus subject to the sovereignty and authority of that Kingdom now. Jesus Christ, ruler of that coming Kingdom, is the Lord and Master of Christians now (Philippians 2:9-11). God rules the lives of converted Christians who voluntarily obey Him and His laws. They submit themselves to God's basileia - His royal sovereignty and power. They individually are part of the Church, the Body of Christ which God also rules. But the Church collectively looks to God's coming world rule when the basileia will be fully established. Likewise the Kingdom does not reside in the hearts of men, as some assume from Christ's words that "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). The Greek word entos, translated "within," is better translated "in the midst of" (Vine, art. "within"). Christ could not have been telling the Pharisees here that God's kingdom was within them - after all, they wanted to destroy Him (Matthew 12:14, Mark 3:6). Jesus Christ was answering their question about when the Kingdom of God would come, and He told them that it was already in their midst. He, as representative and king of that Kingdom, was right there among them and they couldn't recognize it (John 18:36,37). Rather than telling them the Kingdom of God was something in their hearts, Jesus Christ was warning them that they were so spiritually blind they couldn't recognize the very personification of that Kingdom in Him. Some think that the Church is the Kingdom of God. Although there is a connection between the two, they are not identical. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22), which is the group of believers called by God to prepare for the coming Kingdom. Christ rules His Church and in that sense it is under his sovereignty and royal power. We might say that the Church is the precursor of the coming Kingdom of God. The Bible never uses the term kingdom to apply directly to the Church--instead it refers to a coming world-ruling government, as shown in the accompanying article. GN |
It is in the days of this fourth kingdom that God will replace these earthly kingdoms with His kingdom, according to Daniel's prophecies. "And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:44).
We see that the fourth kingdom continues to rule until Christ returns to establish His kingdom here on earth.
God's kingdom - foretold repeatedly in Daniel - is the same kingdom Jesus Christ spoke about. There can be no mistake about the nature of the Kingdom of God. The four kingdoms described in Daniel 2,7 and 8 ruled over people and lands. They were to be world empires with dominion and power to rule, warring against and conquering other nations. They had kings, governments and laws. They were literal kingdoms, whose ruins are visible to this day.
So, too, will the Kingdom of God be a literal sovereignty ruling over the whole earth. ". . . The God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever," said Daniel of this kingdom (Daniel 2:44).
This kingdom was the subject of Jesus' gospel. Jesus will return to the earth and establish the Kingdom. He will be the King of the Kingdom of God. "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!' " (Revelation 11:15).
Entering the Kingdom
When Jesus came preaching the Kingdom of God, He said it was "at hand" and commanded people to repent and believe the good news about it (Mark 1:14,15).
His kingdom is something we must enter (Mark 10:23,25). Jesus warned of obstacles that can prevent our entrance into the Kingdom (Matthew 5:20; 19:23-25; Mark 9:47; Luke 18:17; John 3:5).
Jesus was at that time inviting people to repent so they could enter the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15). His parables described what the Kingdom is, when it would come and how a person could enter it, and He clarified the requirements for and obstacles to entering it.
When does a person enter the Kingdom of God? Upon conversion, Christians become children of God and heirs of the kingdom (Romans 8:16,17). But they will not inherit the kingdom until the kingdom comes. Paul explains: "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 will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1Corinthians 15:50-52).
Many people stop reading after the first four verses of this chapter, thinking they describe the entirety of the gospel Paul preached. But, by continuing to read the chapter, we see clearly that there is much more to the story. Paul goes on to explain more about the resurrection from the dead and entrance into the Kingdom of God. We "inherit," or enter, that kingdom "at the last trumpet" (verse 52), the great blast that signals Christ's return to rule the earth forever (Revelation 11:15).
Salvation through Jesus' life, death and resurrection is indeed a part of the gospel message, but it is not exclusively (as many assume) the gospel message. Jesus Christ died, was buried and was resurrected (1Corinthians 15:1-4) for a reason: so we could have everlasting life in the Kingdom of God (John 3:3,5,16).
We can accept Jesus' command to repent and believe this gospel message. We can turn to God for forgiveness and reconciliation through Jesus Christ and begin to live by the laws of the Kingdom of God as taught by Jesus Christ. Those who refuse to live by God's holy laws will be refused entrance into the Kingdom of God and eternal life (1Corinthians 6:9,10; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:5).
Entering the Kingdom of God is synonymous with salvation. Thus, without understanding what the Kingdom of God is, we don't understand what salvation is.
Humans not in the Kingdom
This resurrection from the dead is to take place when Jesus Christ returns at the last trump and the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. Those who are resurrected from mortality to immortality will have entered His kingdom. The people who remain in the nations of the earth who are not resurrected will not yet be in the Kingdom of God because they are still mortal (human); they will be ruled by the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God's rule of the earth will consist of the reign of Christ and those who have been given eternal life (Revelation 20:4-6).
Jesus Christ is setting up His kingdom on this earth with His resurrected saints so that all may have eternal life in the Kingdom of God. God's desire is that everyone has the opportunity to escape death and inherit the Kingdom of God, each in one's own time (1Corinthians 15:20-26).
The message Jesus brought is called, appropriately, the good news of the Kingdom of God. It really is good news, the most wonderful news imaginable for mankind. Jesus Christ is asking you to believe that good news and "seek first the kingdom of God" (Matthew 6:33).
This publication is named for the same message Jesus proclaimed. Look for more articles in The Good News magazine explaining the teachings of Jesus Christ about the coming Kingdom of God and what you should do to enter that glorious kingdom. GN
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Table of Contents that includes "The Real Gospel of Jesus Christ"
Other Articles by Bill Bradford
Origin of article "The Real Gospel of Jesus Christ"
Keywords: Gospel Jesus Christ Plan of Salvation Good News
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