Things you never learned in Church

Gentle Reader,

We now return to the examination of the various gospels that we have delineated previously. Ready? We have:

"THE GOSPEL (or GOOD NEWS) OF GOD".

This is the Gospel unto which Paul the Apostle was separated (Rom. 1:1), and is supplementary to "the Gospel of the Kingdom", of which it was another aspect. "The Gospel of the Kingdom" was first proclaimed by John the Baptist and the Lord. But both were rejected and put to death. The Lord, however, was raised from the dead and the Gospel of God has to do with a risen Messiah. It characterizes the ministry of the Acts rather than that of the Gospels; especially Paul's share in it. The Gospel of a risen Messiah, re-proclaimed as about to come and restore all things, was the burden of the apostolic proclamation during the dispensation of the Acts. See Acts 2:23-36; 3:12-18; 4:2, 10-12.

"With great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus; and great grace was upon them all" (4:33). Also 5:29-32; 10:34-43; 13:23-29.

This too, was the burden of Paul's proclamation, as we may see from Acts 17:1-3, 7. He proclaimed "Jesus, and the resurrection" (vv. 18, 31, 32). True, it was the proclamation of the Kingdom, and, in its wider aspect, "the kingdom of God" (14:22; 19:8); because it was He Who had raised Christ from the dead, and the proclamation was being sent out by God Himself. It was His own special good news. It was of His own motion and will. And it was all of grace. If "His own" would even now receive Messiah, He would "send Jesus Christ" (Acts 3:20). In spite of all their sins, and their heinous crime in murdering His beloved Son, He would blot out all their sins and fulfill all His promises. Truly, this was in very deed :--

 

"THE GOSPEL (or GOOD NEWS) OF THE GRACE OF GOD".

This is why, in the canonical order of the books of the New Testament, God's overruling is seen in the fact that the first writing which comes to us following on the double rejection of His Son (in the Gospels and the Acts) is the word and good news of His grace in Rom. 1:1. In spite of all that we should consider the unpardonable nature of Israel's crime, the first written words which meet our eyes are these :--

"Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, a called Apostle (or, an Apostle by Divine calling), separated to God's Gospel (or glad tidings), which He before promised by means of His prophets in sacred writings concerning His Son, Who came of the seed of David according to the flesh, Who was demonstrated [to be] God's Son, in power, with respect to [His] holy spirit [body, 1Cor. 15:45], by resurrection of the dead --even Jesus Christ our Lord, by Whom we received GRACE -- yea, apostolic grace, with a view to the obedience of faith among all the nations, on behalf of His Name (or for His glory), among whom yourselves also are [the] called of Jesus Christ" (Rom. 1:1-6).

Here we have the sum and the substance of the good news of the grace of God. It was not new. It was promised before and written down by His prophets. The sufferings, death and resurrection and glory, were all foretold. But now "those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all His prophets that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled. THEREFORE, Repent ye, and turn again that your sins may be blotted out, so that [haply] may come seasons of refreshing from the presence (or face) of the Lord, and [that] He may send Him Who was before proclaimed (or according to all the critical texts, "was foreordained") for you -- even Jesus Christ" (Acts 3:18-20).

Thus "God's Gospel" was based on the prophecies of the Old Testament, and was the logical development of them. It is in this that it is distinguished from that which had not been before revealed by the prophets in the concluding verses of Romans. That epistle begins with what had been written in the Scriptures; it ends with what had never been written till "now", when the SECRET which had been kept in silence from times eternal, or during [the] times of [the] ages was then at length made manifest (Rom. 16:25, 26. Eph. 3:1-12. Col. 1:26-28).

The time had come fro this secret to be revealed, and to be committed to prophetic writings. This revelation is contained in the three Epistles written by Paul from his prison in Rome, to the Ephesians, Phillippians, and Colossians. Thus "the Gospel of the Kingdom" was the proclamation by and concerning the Messiah made by John the Baptist and Himself, and is the subject of the Four Gospels.

Thus "the Gospel of the Kingdom" is the proclamation concerning the same Messiah, made by the Twelve, the apostle Paul, and "them that heard" the Lord, during the dispensation of the Acts of the Apostles, and is the subject of their testimony and of their writings and the earlier Epistles of Paul. Seeing it was good news sent after the resurrection of Christ, it is all of pure grace and favour, and hence is "the Gospel of the Grace of God".

 

THE GOSPEL (or GOOD NEWS) OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST (2COR. 4:4).

This is connected with Christ's exaltation as Head over all things to His church, which is His body, which is developed and revealed more fully in the Prison Epistles (Eph. 1:21-23. Phil. 2:9-11. Col. 1:14-19). It not only involves the present glory of Messiah, but includes the final defeat of Satan, the crushing of his head, and the subjugation of all spiritual beings, be they powers, principalities, authorities, dominions, or thrones, &c.

Hence, it is Satan's great aim now, at this present time, to blind the eyes of them that believe not, so that they may not learn of his coming defeat, as foretold in Gen. 3:15, and seen fulfilled in Rev. 20 (see 2Cor. 4:4). Knowing his object, and being "not ignorant of his devices", we know also what should be our own object : viz. the making known this good news which he would seek to hide; and proclaiming "the Gospel of the glory of Christ".

Next time we look a wee bit deeper into the Gospels that we call Matthew, Mark Luke and John

Love.

Denis