Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 2)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 2 --- To the Jews first)

We continue, from this post, to work through the comparisons, differences, and nuances, between the gospel of God and the gospel of Christ through the transition period.

To the Jews first, then to the Greek vs. to all men or nations

During the Kingdom gospel, Jesus, on multiple occasions, mentioned that He had come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel, (Matt.15:24). By saying this, He was excluding the Gentiles from His ministry. This was because of the plan of God to save the Jews first so that they, according to prophecy, could be the light to the Gentiles, (Isa.60:3).

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 1)

Understanding the New Testament Gospel Differences (Part 1 --- Introduction)

Preface

This multi-part study continues from the previous study where we discussed how Paul, during the first half of his ministry, —that is, his missionary ministry represented in ACTS, —preached two gospels. The general trend that Paul would follow is;

He would preach the gospel of God to those Jews and Gentiles (friends of the Jews) who came together, typically, but not exclusively, in the Jewish synagogues. The gospel of God in summary was,

• believe in Jesus' resurrection and 2nd coming, repent, be water baptized, receive the Holy Spirit, obey the law, prove your faith with works, and endure to the end.

Then, to those who believed Paul's preaching of the above gospel, he would introduce them to the 'mystery' gospel of Christ.

• that Jesus died for their sins and that they could trust in nothing else but the all-sufficient cross-work of Christ (death , burial, resurrection) for salvation.

The purpose of this study is to familiarize oneself with how the gospel transitioned through the time of ACTS where God was turning from the Jews to the Gentiles in a new dispensation called, Grace. Understanding the gospel iterations will provide you with greater insight into the ministry of Paul, the origin of the Body of Christ, and your purpose and freedom as a grace-age believer today.

How the Gospels Transitioned through ACTS (Part 5)

How the Gospels Transitioned through ACTS

(Part 5 --- The Gospel of Christ)

As we build on the transition of the gospels through the book of Acts, it is important to keep in mind a progression of events that influenced its message. To do this, I'd like to reflect on the details we have already discussed, and just build it up again to get a good understanding of the progress of change, not only from the gospels, but also from the practicality and presentation of the good news to the people of that day.

How the Gospels Transitioned through ACTS (Part 4)

How the Gospels Transitioned through ACTS

(Part 4 --- The Gospel of God)

Before I get into the topic, I'd like to remind you of the infallibility of God's Word as printed in the King James Bible (1611). As I have written in other posts, we can trust that every word of every paragraph in this version is accurate and has inspired meaning and context. 

So, when we read of the 'gospel of God' in some places, and in other places of the 'gospel of Christ', we, as students of the Word, should take note and understand that it's not just an inconsistency or a reference to the same gospel with two different names. No! 

The Gospel (Song)

Ryan Stevenson - The Gospel (Official Lyric Video)

I heard this song for the first time today, —very appropriately since I'm busy with a series on 'the Gospels". It stirred my heart and gave me 'goose bumps'. 

Thank you Ryan for an wonderful and inspiring song!

View on YouTube

From the new album 'NO MATTER WHAT'. 

Download or stream at https://rs.lnk.to/nmw 

The gospel for our salvation today is,

1️⃣ Hear the message of why Jesus Christ had to save us:

Because of Adam's sin, we are all born with the nature of sin in us and this separates us from God. Jesus Christ (God incarnate), born 'without' the sin nature, and who lived a perfect life required by God's standards, freely gave up His life for us by dying on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, so, Jesus, by dying on our behalf, and in our place, paid the sin penalty for us. Because of His death, we are imputed (freely given) His righteousness. In other words, because He freely took our sin upon Himself and died in our place, we are freely given His life which is pleasing to God. 

This encapsulates the 'good news' of the gospel of grace, —that Jesus paid our sin debt and freed us from the penalty of eternal death that we all are guilty of.

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So, now that you know what the good news of the grace gospel tells you, and you are informed of what Christ has done for you, you need to decide what you want to do with this news. That's it! You do not need to do anything else but to believe that what Jesus Christ did for you is the truth.

2️⃣ Believe what He has done to save you:

 If you choose to believe that Jesus died for your sins, and that He was buried and rose again from the dead, so that by His shed blood you are forgiven, and by His resurrection you are justified [declared innocent, pardoned, acquitted], then you are saved. The fact that you trust in the cross work of Christ as your ONLY means to be made right before God, is your salvation. That's IT! It's not about feelings or sensations! It's not about anything else you must do to prove your faith! It's not about being baptized or joining a church! It's not about what you did in life and how bad you were! It is ALL about JESUS CHRIST and what HE has done FOR YOU. It's His life accredited to you that saves you! All you need to do is believe that and trust Him to do what He said He would.

Eph.2:8 

For by grace are ye saved through faith;
and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

(Also see: 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Romans 4:25)

For more details, see the 'Salvation' page in the menu above.

Was Jesus Christ a Dispensationalist During His Earthly Ministry

Was Jesus Christ a Dispensationalist During His Earthly Ministry?

Article by Shawn Brasseaux

Opening Statement

Dispensational Bible study has its critics—and that is no secret. Allegedly, we who “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15) are “Bible choppers,” “church splitters,” “troublemakers,” among other names. Additionally, we are told, “I do not follow some man such as the Apostle Paul, I follow Jesus!” Immediately after stating thus, our opponents flee to Matthew through John, the Lord Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry (which they assume is Christianity for today), and proceed to denounce us as “heretics” for “taking away” from Jesus’ words. They have made some serious accusations against us, so do we have Biblically-based answers for them? In this, our special-edition 900th Bible Q&A article, we examine this matter in light of God’s Word. “For what saith the Scriptures?”

See the full article on Shawn's site here, including the opening statement, the conclusion, and 3 conclusive proofs that Jesus Christ divided the scriptures during His earthly ministry.

The Simplicity of our Salvation

It is my opinion that one of the 'easiest to understand' topics in scripture is our salvation through the grace gospel today. But on the other hand, it is also the topic that has largely been complicated, distorted and pulled out of context because of mixing up scriptures based on the gospels that belong to other dispensations and people groups.

In this short discourse, I'd like to address what the Bible says about our salvation, keeping it in the right context, and proving its simplicity, which is the singular act of placing our faith in the work of Christ on our behalf.