What is The Gospel?
Lyn Mize
The two Greek words
translated “gospel” in the New Testament are euaggelion (yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on)
and
euaggelizo (yoo-ang-ghel-id'-zo).
They
mean
respectively
to
bring
good
news
or
a
good
message.
The good news or the good message that is
preached must be identified from another word
that is used or from the context of the use of
the word. There are several gospels that are
addressed in the Scriptures. The first gospel
addressed in the New Testament is the “gospel of
the kingdom”. This gospel was for the Jews and
simply stated “Repent and be baptized for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is addressed
in the following verse:
(Mat 4:23 KJV) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Signs and wonders (i.e., miracles) accompanied the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the Jews. Miracles were the credentials that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. This is confirmed in the following Scripture:
(Mat 11:5 KJV) The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the Jews continued for 40 years beginning with the ministry of Jesus and continuing until the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by Titus in 70 A.D. This is why the return of Jesus Christ to set up his kingdom was imminent during the writing of the New Testament. If the Jews had repented as a nation, then Jesus would have returned and set up his kingdom with the Jews as heirs of the kingdom of heaven. This was not part of God’s plan, so the kingdom of God (i.e., heaven) was taken from the Jews and given to the Church in accordance with the following Scripture:
(Mat 21:43 KJV) Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
The second gospel addressed in the New Testament is the good news of the death and burial of Jesus Christ as atonement for sin. This is confirmed in the following passage:
(Mat 26:12-13 KJV) {12} For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. {13} Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
“This gospel” of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is commonly called the gospel of grace. This gospel states very simply “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” The gospel of grace is for the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, while the gospel of the kingdom was for the Jews only. The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom ceased with the Diaspora in 70 A.D., and this was when the sign gifts of speaking in tongues and miraculous healing ceased. The Gospel of Grace has continued to be preached to both Jew and Gentile, and the Lord adds members to the Church daily.
The word gospel is used in other Scriptures to refer to specific aspects of good news for mankind. The “gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1) refers to the whole work of salvation, including justification, sanctification and glorification. Thus, the gospel of God refers to spirit salvation, soul salvation and body salvation. The gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16) is the good news preached to Christians, and it pertains to soul salvation and being established in the faith. The gospel of Christ is simply Christ in you the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). The passage is as follows:
(Col 1:26-27 KJV) Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: {27} To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The Greek word for Gentiles in verse 27 is ethnos (eth’ nos). It is Paul’s word referring to Gentile Christians. The gospel of Christ is for Christians to die to self and allow Christ to live his life in them. This results in soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the receipt of the inheritance in the coming kingdom of heaven.
Paul refers to “my gospel” in three verses of Scripture (Rom. 2:16; 16:25: 2 Tim. 2:8). Paul’s gospel also relates to soul salvation, and the qualifying for positions in the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ, but Paul’s gospel has special reference to the Gentiles. Paul’s special ministry was to the Gentiles, and the good news was that not only Jews can qualify for the coming kingdom of God, but Gentiles can also qualify to reign and rule with Jesus.
Summary
The Greek word for “gospel” simply means good news, but the good news referred to must come from another word in the Scripture or from the context in which the word is used. We have seen that the gospel of the kingdom was the message to the house of Israel, and the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom was accompanied with great signs and wonders (i.e., miracles). The kingdom of heaven was preached to the Jews during the three and one-half year ministry of Jesus Christ. It was during this ministry that the gospel of grace was also introduced, and Jesus alluded to the gospel of grace and the salvation of Gentiles. Jesus even alluded to the fact that many Gentiles would come from the East and the West and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom, but the children of the kingdom (i.e., Jews) would be disinherited (Matt. 8:11-12). The message of the gospel of the kingdom was to the Jews and stated simply “Repent and be baptized, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The gospel of the kingdom was preached for 40 years until the Diaspora took place in 70 A.D. The gospel of the kingdom is not now preached among the Jews, for the kingdom of heaven was taken away from them and given to those in the Church that qualify.
Currently, the word of the kingdom is taught in the Church, but the majority of the Church confuses it with the gospel of grace. The parables of the kingdom depict the primary teaching about the word of the kingdom to the Church.
It is very important to distinguish between the gospel of grace, which pertains to spirit salvation, and the gospel of Christ, which pertains to soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The gospel of grace pertains to the Covenant of Grace, and the gospel of Christ pertains to the Covenant of Works. The gospel of grace pertains to entrance into heaven, but the gospel of Christ pertains to entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
The gospel of the kingdom will be preached once again for three and one-half years upon the earth during the last half of the tribulation period, but it will be preached to the Gentiles upon the earth. Many will qualify to enter into the earthly aspect of the kingdom of God. The gospel of the kingdom is not a message to the Church, since the kingdom of heaven is not at hand. The word of the kingdom is the message to the Church, but the majority of the Church does not understand this message.
The following table summarizes the various Gospels:
(Mat 4:23 KJV) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
Signs and wonders (i.e., miracles) accompanied the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the Jews. Miracles were the credentials that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. This is confirmed in the following Scripture:
(Mat 11:5 KJV) The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom to the Jews continued for 40 years beginning with the ministry of Jesus and continuing until the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem by Titus in 70 A.D. This is why the return of Jesus Christ to set up his kingdom was imminent during the writing of the New Testament. If the Jews had repented as a nation, then Jesus would have returned and set up his kingdom with the Jews as heirs of the kingdom of heaven. This was not part of God’s plan, so the kingdom of God (i.e., heaven) was taken from the Jews and given to the Church in accordance with the following Scripture:
(Mat 21:43 KJV) Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
The second gospel addressed in the New Testament is the good news of the death and burial of Jesus Christ as atonement for sin. This is confirmed in the following passage:
(Mat 26:12-13 KJV) {12} For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body, she did it for my burial. {13} Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.
“This gospel” of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is commonly called the gospel of grace. This gospel states very simply “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” The gospel of grace is for the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, while the gospel of the kingdom was for the Jews only. The preaching of the gospel of the kingdom ceased with the Diaspora in 70 A.D., and this was when the sign gifts of speaking in tongues and miraculous healing ceased. The Gospel of Grace has continued to be preached to both Jew and Gentile, and the Lord adds members to the Church daily.
The word gospel is used in other Scriptures to refer to specific aspects of good news for mankind. The “gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1) refers to the whole work of salvation, including justification, sanctification and glorification. Thus, the gospel of God refers to spirit salvation, soul salvation and body salvation. The gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16) is the good news preached to Christians, and it pertains to soul salvation and being established in the faith. The gospel of Christ is simply Christ in you the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). The passage is as follows:
(Col 1:26-27 KJV) Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: {27} To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
The Greek word for Gentiles in verse 27 is ethnos (eth’ nos). It is Paul’s word referring to Gentile Christians. The gospel of Christ is for Christians to die to self and allow Christ to live his life in them. This results in soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the receipt of the inheritance in the coming kingdom of heaven.
Paul refers to “my gospel” in three verses of Scripture (Rom. 2:16; 16:25: 2 Tim. 2:8). Paul’s gospel also relates to soul salvation, and the qualifying for positions in the coming kingdom of Jesus Christ, but Paul’s gospel has special reference to the Gentiles. Paul’s special ministry was to the Gentiles, and the good news was that not only Jews can qualify for the coming kingdom of God, but Gentiles can also qualify to reign and rule with Jesus.
Summary
The Greek word for “gospel” simply means good news, but the good news referred to must come from another word in the Scripture or from the context in which the word is used. We have seen that the gospel of the kingdom was the message to the house of Israel, and the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom was accompanied with great signs and wonders (i.e., miracles). The kingdom of heaven was preached to the Jews during the three and one-half year ministry of Jesus Christ. It was during this ministry that the gospel of grace was also introduced, and Jesus alluded to the gospel of grace and the salvation of Gentiles. Jesus even alluded to the fact that many Gentiles would come from the East and the West and sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom, but the children of the kingdom (i.e., Jews) would be disinherited (Matt. 8:11-12). The message of the gospel of the kingdom was to the Jews and stated simply “Repent and be baptized, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” The gospel of the kingdom was preached for 40 years until the Diaspora took place in 70 A.D. The gospel of the kingdom is not now preached among the Jews, for the kingdom of heaven was taken away from them and given to those in the Church that qualify.
Currently, the word of the kingdom is taught in the Church, but the majority of the Church confuses it with the gospel of grace. The parables of the kingdom depict the primary teaching about the word of the kingdom to the Church.
It is very important to distinguish between the gospel of grace, which pertains to spirit salvation, and the gospel of Christ, which pertains to soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The gospel of grace pertains to the Covenant of Grace, and the gospel of Christ pertains to the Covenant of Works. The gospel of grace pertains to entrance into heaven, but the gospel of Christ pertains to entrance into the kingdom of heaven.
The gospel of the kingdom will be preached once again for three and one-half years upon the earth during the last half of the tribulation period, but it will be preached to the Gentiles upon the earth. Many will qualify to enter into the earthly aspect of the kingdom of God. The gospel of the kingdom is not a message to the Church, since the kingdom of heaven is not at hand. The word of the kingdom is the message to the Church, but the majority of the Church does not understand this message.
The following table summarizes the various Gospels:
| The Gospel |
Recipient |
Time Span |
| Gospel of
the Kingdom |
The nation
of Israel |
30AD-70AD:
40 years |
| Gospel of
Grace |
Anyone God
calls: Jew or Gentile |
30AD-today:
2,000 years |
| Gospel of
Christ |
Any
Christian |
30AD-today:
2,000 years |
| Gospel of
the Kingdom |
the
Gentiles |
the
Tribulation:7 years |
| Paul's
Gospel |
the
Gentiles |
30AD-to his
death: 40 years? |