What is the Gospel?

[Cow Poke]

How?

What if we disagree in the revelations of the gospel? Who's gonna be the judge of who truly understand the gospel?

And if we stand around arguing about it forever, nobody gets the gospel.

For cryin' out loud - tell people Jesus loves them, died for them, and wants to be their Savior, then go with the flow.

Tell people about Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.

[rogue06]

And if we stand around arguing about it forever, nobody gets the gospel.

For cryin' out loud - tell people Jesus loves them, died for them, and wants to be their Savior, then go with the flow.

Tell people about Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.

Yup. Stick to the basics. The fundamentals if you will. Which is Jesus' promise of salvation.

[footwasher]

Yup. Stick to the basics. The fundamentals if you will. Which is Jesus' promise of salvation.

Well, the writers did speak about following up with higher teachings, when the pupils had made progress:

1 Cor 3.2I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Even now you are still not ready.

Heb 5.12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the actual words of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.

When Paul talked with the disciples in Ephesus in Acts 19, he realised they were not benefitting from the Gospel. Basically, if you see a person who is not gathering, you know he hasn't grown.

Nicodemus saw that Jesus was turning many people to become more serious about their efforts to follow God, and he came to Jesus to find out how He could do it, live the eternal type of life, doing things that resulted in treasure that did not rust or perish.

There are so many instances of people in the Kingdom who impressed others with their ability to do meaningful work like that, like Joshua and Caleb, who motivated Rahab to follow God, and parallels:

1 Cor 14. 24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; 25the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you.

We really should get the full benefit of the Gospel, find out how to open spiritual as well as physical eyes, let people know how walking with God leads to a purposeful life, by better study.

[tabibito]

We really should get the full benefit of the Gospel, find out how to open spiritual as well as physical eyes, let people know how walking with God leads to a purposeful life, by better study.

Study is but a stepping stone: 2 Peter 1:3-8 (vv 5 - 7 in focus)

[FarEastBird]

Yes - but you need to work out what Paul meant when he referred to the "demonstrations of the Spirit and the power of God."

That's right. So it goes to say that " what the gospel is' is more than just the words that we share.

What makes you think that what you have described is the demonstration of the power of God?

That question is what I actually imply in my post. If the gospel is the demonstration, as you said, (and I agree), then we need ask ourselves if our preaching is really demonstrating the godhead. If not, then we are not truly preaching what the gospel is.

That is one of the things that the "lost" can't do, but it is reasonable to believe that Jesus came to seek and save them, and sends out his disciples to do the same.

Indeed, I urge all to do the same, but as the OP asks, "With WHAT gospel?"

[FarEastBird]

And if we stand around arguing about it forever, nobody gets the gospel.

Sorry if you see it that I just am after arguing. Yet to me it is all about SEEKING, LEARNING, and UNDERSTANDING the TRUTH.

The OP is asking WHAT is the gospel. Not about on HOW to spread FALSE gospels.

For cryin' out loud - tell people Jesus loves them, died for them, and wants to be their Savior, then go with the flow.

Tell people about Christ in the Power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.

If that is all you know about WHAT the gospel is, then you have done you part. So sit down and leave the results to God.

[Cow Poke]

Sorry if you see it that I just am after arguing. Yet to me it is all about SEEKING, LEARNING, and UNDERSTANDING the TRUTH.

The OP is asking WHAT is the gospel. Not about on HOW to spread FALSE gospels.

If that is all you know about WHAT the gospel is, then you have done you part. So sit down and leave the results to God.

That is not "all I know" --- it's a start, then you deal with the person one-on-one to see where he/she is, allowing the Holy Spirit to lead.

There is not a "one size fits all", and you don't have to have it all figured out to begin being obedient to the Great Commission.

But, please, do continue your non-arguing.

[footwasher]

Study is but a stepping stone: 2 Peter 1:3-8 (vv 5 - 7 in focus)

This is an interesting aspect of Gospel sharing.


We share the Gospel through preaching. The recipient of this information needs to act on it. So we can say that for him or her, receiving the Gospel is like being taught a practical skill. Your Bible verse implies that knowledge is not to make a person proud that he or she has become wiser, but it should make him more virtuous.


Take a look at time stamp 8.10 here:

https://youtu.be/PSieEAXSsXY


Right then, in the incident discussed, the jailer wants to know how to get out of trouble, not how to become more spiritual. Paul understands the question, but his answer is that by following Jesus, the jailer WILL be saved from his immediate problem, but that is not the only benefit.


So, of course, we know that people aren't immediately able to grasp the full meaning of the Gospel at first hearing, that different people become believers for different reasons, but the text expects us to follow up on the first lesson.


Heb 6.1Therefore leaving the [a]elementary teaching about the [b]Christ, let us press on to [c]maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2of instruction about [d]washings and laying on of hands, and about the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3And this we will do, if God permits. 4For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6and then have [e]fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, [f]since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7For ground that drinks the rain which often [g]falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and [h]close to being cursed, and [i]it ends up being burned.


Now the issue you raise implies that study should lead to becoming better people, have better character.


However, the task is gathering. This is a binary, we are either gathering or scattering.


Moses understood that God wanted him to prise Israel out of Egypt. Similarly, today, He wants us to persuade people to come out from worldly living. The method God gave to Moses to do his task was to do and say the things that God enabled:


John 14.10Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.


I repeat: God did not tell Moses to persuade people to come out of living lives pursuing selfish interest by becoming virtuous, but by revealing the benefits of being in union with Him. By walking with God, being in the Garden/Kingdom, in union with God, revealing God's help in great works, people could be turned away from following selfishness, serving mammon and leading futile lives, resulting in treasure that perished, to following God and leading lives that led others to God and resulting in eternal treasure in heaven.


I'm not saying we should not become virtuous. But virtue is not the end, it is ONE of the means. Israel was supposed to return collateral on the coming of the Jubilee even without being paid back the loan, to leave a portion of crops aside for the weak and poor. God would bless her. That would in turn impress the pagan Nations to turn to the true God. This is how virtue was supposed to be used. In miraculous, supernatural results that happened because God's finger was involved, HE was in the equation.


But virtue was only ONE of the works, crosses that had to be picked up. Other things that would motivate unbelievers to follow God would be picking up the cross of attempting to heal the blind, and also attempting to answer difficult questions. Jesus equates these attempts to laying down our lives: we set out on these tasks expecting God to answer our prayers.


Every time Jesus did a great work, it was a risk that was taken. There was always the possibility that there would be no help given. But Jesus never shrank back. The result was God's lost sheep were led back.


That's why it's important to be like Caleb, and not like the rest of Israel, to learn the lessons beyond the first one. Sure they could be saved from captivity to the world, but they needed to use that freedom to grow:


Heb 6.4For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6and then have [e]fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, [f]since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame. 7For ground that drinks the rain which often [g]falls on it and produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; 8but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and [h]close to being cursed, and [i]it ends up being burned.

Producing vegetation is possible only by learning from the miracles we see in our own lives, being changed, being transformed, being born again into resurrection believing people, and entering the Kingdom (where the ability to do people attracting things that Nicodemus observed is possible) through passing a test to show we learnt from experiencing those miracles, in turn through receiving the Holy Spirit.

[tabibito]

Maybe approaching the issue from the points of what the gospel is NOT will be appropriate.

To start - the gospel asserts the principle of TANSTAAFL. Neither Jesus nor any of the early apostles and evangelists ever promised a free ride, nor that discipleship was all beer and skittles. Proclamation of the gospel includes a full disclosure of the downside.

[footwasher]

Maybe approaching the issue from the points of what the gospel is NOT will be appropriate.

To start - the gospel asserts the principle of TANSTAAFL. Neither Jesus nor any of the early apostles and evangelists ever promised a free ride, nor that discipleship was all beer and skittles. Proclamation of the gospel includes a full disclosure of the downside.

Absolutely right. The problem is that we want to sugar coat the message in our seeker sensitive churches.

Just come forward and take the free gift!

Heb 5.8Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

Though He was a Son, He learned how to gather the lost sheep by revealing God through laying down His life and being lifted up.

[FarEastBird]

That is not "all I know" --- it's a start,

I agree, and we have to be clear that that is just a start. And so we have to be clear that the start is NOT the gospel in itself. It is for this reason that footwasher was asking about "continuity" to other messages and promises of God unto us.

We are saved through faith, but the word of faith is not just the words, but the demonstration of the power of God, and thus we need to explain why it is salvation by GRACE. So presenting the Gospel in one or more information we share in the Bible would not suffice to say that what we shared is the gospel. We have to explain the verity of what we are asserting about the good news in Christ.

In the end, I believe, that the gospel is the DEMONSTRATION of the power of God. In this perspective, we can relate to any other religious faith, or even to those non believers. Without this perspective we will be sounding like JUST ANOTHER BELIEF unto the believers, and that we are JUST ANOTHER SUPERSTITIOUS PEOPLE to the non believers.

[brightfame52]

Another Gospel

by Joe Terrell From time to time there arises a debate on what constitutes “another gospel.” We all know that there are differences among true and honest believers over various doctrines. When do these differences cross the line from mere differences to heresy? When must we cry, “That is another gospel!?” The answer is so simple that there should never again be a debate on the issue. It is “another gospel” when the message is of “another Jesus!”
This is the only issue worth dividing over, and on this issue we must divide with all who disagree. Who is the true Jesus? Of all the adjectives I could use to describe our Lord in the gospel, the one that seems most fitting to me is “the successful Jesus.” The true Jesus is the one who “by Himself (actually did) purge our sins” (Heb. 1:3), the one in whose hand the will of Jehovah prospered (Isa. 53:10), the one who is the Word from God that does not return to God empty but actually accomplishes what God sent Him to do (Isa. 55:11), the one who has already successfully “obtained eternal redemption for us, (Heb. 9:12) That Jesus, and only that Jesus in the Jesus of the gospel!
Other Jesuses may be very nice and kind; they may fill your heart with warmth and your eyes with tears, but they cannot save your soul! Only the Jesus of definite, successful, and therefore, particular redemption can deliver your soul to God without spot and blemish. Trust Him, and tolerate no other! Fix your soul fast to Him and your soul shall live! Trust any other Jesus and you shall perish.!!!

[Cow Poke]

I agree, and we have to be clear that that is just a start. And so we have to be clear that the start is NOT the gospel in itself.

Those of us who "get it" share it.
Those who don't endlessly argue what it is.

[footwasher]

Those of us who "get it" share it.
Those who don't endlessly argue what it is.

Just as long as what you share doesn't end up with the wrong results:

Matt 7
23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

[Cow Poke]

Just as long as what you share doesn't end up with the wrong results:

Matt 7
23And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; LEAVE ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’

Let's try this again....

Share Jesus in the Power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God.

My job is to share the Gospel -- I am not responsible for the person accepting it, rejecting it, or later departing from it or perverting it.