𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 '𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭𝟱:𝟭–𝟰'

𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹?

Paul writes in 𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭𝟱:𝟭–𝟰:

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you THE GOSPEL which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved… For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how 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.”

Here Paul clearly 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 in three points:

𝟭. 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝘀 (the payment).
𝟮. 𝗛𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 (proof of His death).
𝟯. 𝗛𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗱𝗮𝘆 (victory over sin and death).

This is the message by which men are saved today — no additions, no works, no rituals (Romans 3:28; Ephesians 2:8–9).

𝟮. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺—𝘀𝗶𝗻.

• “Christ died for our sins” (v.3).

• Only the blood of Christ can take away sins (Romans 3:25; Ephesians 1:7).

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗱.

• He was buried (v.4). A burial confirms a real death.

𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲.

• He rose again (v.4). His resurrection is the seal that the debt is paid (Romans 4:25).

• Without the resurrection, there is no hope (1 Cor 15:17).

𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 “𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻”?

Romans 1:16 says:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth…”

• The gospel is 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, because it accomplishes what no human effort can—eternal forgiveness and life.

• Works, law, and religion can’t save (Galatians 2:16).

• Only the cross and resurrection provide salvation for “all who believe.”

𝟰. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄, 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸, 𝗟𝘂𝗸𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻?

This is where many people get confused. The four Gospels are 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁’𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹 (Romans 15:8).

• Jesus preached “𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺” (Matthew 4:23; Luke 9:2).

That message focused on Israel’s promised kingdom on earth.

It required repentance, baptism, and following the law (Mark 1:15; Matthew 19:17).

• The apostles in the four Gospels did 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁 as good news (Luke 18:31–34; John 20:9).

How could they preach something they didn’t understand?

Therefore, the saving gospel for today (1 Cor 15:1–4) was 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 as part of the dispensation of grace (Galatians 1:11–12; Ephesians 3:1–9).

𝟱. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻?

• 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Christ died for our sins (Isaiah 53:5–6; 2 Cor 5:21).

• 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: His blood paid the full price (Colossians 1:14).

• 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳: Burial shows it was real, not symbolic.

• 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆: Resurrection means eternal life is secure (Romans 6:9–10).

𝟲. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁?

Paul warns in 𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭:𝟴–𝟵 that any “other gospel” is accursed.

• Adding works, rituals, or law nullifies grace (Galatians 2:21; Romans 11:6).

• Preaching the kingdom gospel instead of the grace gospel creates confusion.

Salvation is simple:

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:31).

𝟳. 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹’𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹

𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 (𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘄–𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻, 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘀)
– Preached to Israel (Matt 10:5–7)
– Good news: Kingdom is near (Matt 4:17)
– Requirement: Repent, be baptized, keep law (Acts 2:38; Matt 19:17)
– Focus: Earthly kingdom (Acts 1:6)
– Apostles didn’t understand the cross (Luke 18:34)

𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹’𝘀 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 (𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗿 𝟭𝟱:𝟭–𝟰, 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘀–𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻)
~ Preached to all nations (Rom 11:13)
~ Good news: How Christ died for our sins & rose again (1 Cor 15:3–4)
~ Requirement: Believe, faith alone (Rom 3:28; Eph 2:8–9)
~ Focus: Heavenly position in Christ (Eph 2:6)
~ The cross is central (Gal 6:14)

𝟴. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

The gospel of salvation for today is found in 𝟭 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝟭𝟱:𝟭–𝟰—the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins.

• It is 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 all who believe.

• It is 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗴𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗹 preached in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

• It was revealed through Paul as the apostle of the Gentiles.

That is why we must “rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Tim 2:15).