1. The Gospel

2. What is the Gospel? “What is the gospel? Before one can designate a thing as ‘another gospel’ he must be able to identify the original gospel. The gospel, by etymology, is good news. It is not a system of doctrine, a philosophy of life or a code of ethics. It is good news about a person and what that person has done for us in our helpless, hapless and hopeless condition. It is not a message for the saved but for the lost. It is never addressed to the church but to the world. It is designed to make believers instead of providing food for them.” Carl Ketcherside “Another Gospel”, Twisted Scriptures, pp, 4, 7-9 2

3. What is the Gospel? The gospel “consisted of the life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, coronation and glorification of Jesus.” Mission Messenger, Dec. 1972, p. 180 Not one apostolic letter is a part of the gospel of Christ…the Roman letter was not a part of the gospel...the letter to the Galatians was not a part of the gospel.” Mission Messenger, Feb. 1973, p. 20 3

4. The Gospel…  Is sound doctrine, 1 Tim 1:10-11  Is preached to Christians, Rom 1:15 (1 Ths 2:9; 3:2)  Does not exclude the epistles, Gal 2:2, 5  Can not overstate the importance of the gospel, Mark 16:15 4

5. The Gospel is God’s Message  Good news of a Messiah and His kingdom, Lk 2:10-11 (Matt 4:23; 24:14)  Good news of salvation through Jesus Christ, 2 Ths 2:13-14  Good news of grace available and obtained, Titus 2:11-12 5

6. The Gospel is Good News About Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:1-4)  Preached, 1 Pet 1:12; 2 Pet 3:2; 1 Cor 14:37  Received, Acts 18:8; 2:41 (2 Cor 11:4)  Stand, Rom 5:1-2; Col 2:6-7 6

7. The Gospel is Good News About Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:1-4)  Saved, Rom 1:16 (2 Ths 2:10); Jas 1:21; 1 Pet 1:22-25  Facts to believe, Jno 20:30-31 (Mk 1:1)  Commands to obey, Matt 7:21; 2 Ths 1:8 (Gospel is “sound doctrine”, 1 Tim 1:10-11) – Promises to be received, Titus 1:2; Col 1:5 (Eph 3:6) 7

8. The Gospel is…  For the whole world, Mk 16:15-16; Acts 10:34-35; Matt 28:18-20  Alien sinners, Mk 16:15  Christians, Rom 1:15; 16:25 8

9. The Gospel is…  Nothing to be ashamed about, Rom 1:16 (1 Tim 2:4; Heb 5:9)  To be ashamed of the gospel is to be ashamed of Christ, Mark 8:38  To be ashamed of faithful brethren is to be ashamed of the gospel, 2 Tim 1:8, 16  Boldly proclaim it, Eph 6:19 (2 Tim 4:2-5; Acts 20:20) 9

10. The Gospel is…  The message of peace  With God, Rom 5:1; Eph 2:16-18; Rom 10:15, 16-21  With man, Eph 2:14-15 (Isa 11:6-10; 65:25)  With self, Phil 4:4-7 10

11. The Gospel…  Must be obeyed, 2 Ths 1:8 (Matt 7: 24-27, 21)  Immediately, Acts 16:33; Heb 3:12-13  Completely and always, Jas 1:22  Profitable when mixed with faith, Heb 4:2; Rom 10:17  Calls sinners to repentance, Acts 3:19; 26:20 11

12. The Gospel…  Endures fore ver, 1 Pet 1:23-25  Do not wait for a different message or a “more convenient season”, Gal 1:8-9; Acts 24:25  Will judge us in the last day, Heb 2:1-3 (Jno 12:48) 12

13. The Gospel of Christ Phil 1:27: Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel… 13