Gospels and Raptures (God - Part 14): Additional

The Gospels and their Raptures (God - Part 14)

Additional

I will use this section to cover my tracks and remind you of things I may mentioned in previous posts about the gospel of God. Tracing one's steps and reminding one of things said is quite scriptural as both Peter and Paul did this, based on these verses,

Phil.3:1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous [tedious], but for you it is safe.

2 Peter 1:12 For this reason I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.

Learning the same things over and over embeds them and makes them part of you. What better thing can we embed within us and make part of the fabric of our being than the Word of God.

#1

The gospel of God was the message of the Kingdom with two extra details added to it.

1. Jesus Christ was risen and that meant He was coming back to establish His kingdom
2. It was not just John's water baptism that was now required. The gospel of God now taught about the anointing of the Spirit; that one needed to receive the Holy Spirit, the Helper, the Teacher, the One who would empower them to endure and testify and remain faithful to the end.

#2

The gospel of God, like the Kingdom gospel, promised redemption, but that redemption was future. 

Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

This gospel promises that its believers would be justified in the future when Jesus would come back at His second advent. These people who heard and believed the gospel of God, who repented and were baptized, weren't yet justified. They had to work and endure and keep believing, —in other words, this is not a message of justification immediately, it is a message of justification that they can have (future) if they believe in Jesus as the Messiah, and do certain things (works); get baptized in water and Spirit, keep the laws, sell their possessions, pick up their cross and follow Christ, endure to the end and keep the faith.  

#3

The gospel of God was accompanied by signs and miracles as validating proof that the message was of God and true. The 12-apostles, including Paul, who also taught this gospel in the synagogues, performed incredible miracles during their ministries. Healings, casting out devils, raising the dead, being escorted miraculously out of prisons, and more, were not extraordinary in those days, but rather ordinary and commonplace.

#4

The gospel of God can be found in the scriptures,

Acts 3:18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. 20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

#5

The gospel of God did not recognize the cross-work of Christ but rather His identity. 

Peter's message was that Jesus was the Messiah, that they had crucified Him, and that He had risen from the dead. In response to his message, his audience asked, "Brethren, what shall we do?" (Acts 2:37). NOTE: Peter did not tell them to believe that Christ died for their sins, was buried and was raised from the dead. What did he tell them?

Acts 2:38-39 Peter said to them, "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself".

#6

In the gospel of God, Jesus death and resurrection were kept secret, (only later revealed by the risen Christ to Paul. See: 1 Cor.2:6-8 – Christ's death and its meaning was a secret kept hidden!)

The Gospels indicate clearly that the Twelve had no clue about the good news of Jesus' death and resurrection as we believe today. In Luke, we read,

Luke 18:31-34 Then He [Jesus] took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things which are written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. 32 For He will be handed over to the Gentiles, and will be mocked and mistreated and spit upon, 33 and after they have scourged Him, they will kill Him; and the third day He will rise again." 34 But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.

Part 15 will continue with the 'summary' of the gospel of God.