Well, it's about time you define the Gospel and set things straight.
I doubt I will "set things straight" ... this is what I have to manifest the confusion. In the end, everyone can be partly right and partly wrong.
Gospel – good news ... now for the confusion
“The Gospel” is an ambiguous term for has a different meaning to each person. The word
gospel means “good news”, but the contents of the good news varies from person to person.
In new testament terms the gospel is the proclamation of the person and work of Jesus Christ plus how the benefits of that work can be appropriated to us by faith and faith alone. R.C. Sproul
The Gospel of the kingdom: The kingdom over which Christ will rule for 1,000 years. 2 Samuel 7:16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” The kingdom is spoken of by John the Baptist, Christ and his disciples and ending with the Jewish rejection of the King. Matthew 24:14 And this
gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 3:1-2; Matthew 4:17; Matthew 10:5-7)
The Gospel of the Grace of God: This is the good news that Jesus Christ, the rejected King, has died on the cross for the sins of the world, that he was raised from the dead for our justification, and that by Him all that believe are justified from all things.
The Everlasting Gospel: Revelation 14:6 Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an
eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. This is preached at the end of the great tribulation immediately preceding the judgment of the nations. It is the good news to Israel and those saved during the Tribulation.
That which Paul calls, “my Gospel” (Romans 2:16, 1 Corinthians 15:2-4): This is the Gospel of the grace of God in its fullest development, but includes the revelation of the result of that Gospel in the out calling of the Church, her relationships, position, privileges and responsibilities. There is “another Gospel” (
Galatians 1:6,
2 Corinthians 11:4) “which is not another,” but a perversion of the Gospel of grace of God, against which we are warned. It has many seductive forms, but the test is one – it invariably denies the sufficiency of grace alone to save, keep, and perfect and mingles with grace some kind of human merit.
The Person of Christ:
Mark 1:1 The beginning [of the facts] of the
good news (the Gospel) of Jesus Christ,
the Son of God.
Mark 1:14 Now after John was arrested
and put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the
good news (the Gospel)
of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The [appointed period of] time is fulfilled (completed), and the
kingdom of God is at hand; repent (have a change of mind which issues in regret for past sins and in change of conduct for the better) and believe (trust in, rely on, and adhere to) the
good news (the Gospel).
Mark 8:35 For whoever wants to save his [higher, spiritual, eternal] life, will lose it [the lower, natural, temporal life which is lived only on earth]; and whoever gives up his life [which is lived only on earth] for My sake and the Gospel’s will save it [his higher, spiritual life in the eternal
kingdom of God].
Mark 10:29 Jesus said, Truly I tell you, there is no one who has given up
and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for
the Gospel’s
Mark 13:10 And the
good news (the Gospel) must first be preached to all nations.
Mark 14:9 And surely I tell you, wherever the
good news (the Gospel) is proclaimed in the entire world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.
Mark 16:15 And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach
and publish openly the
good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].
Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you
good news of a great joy which will come to all the people.
Other gospels: Galatians 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to
you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
The Second Helvetic Confession - WHAT IS THE GOSPEL PROPERLY SPEAKING?
And although our fathers had the Gospel in this way in the writings of the prophets by which they attained salvation in Christ through faith, yet the Gospel is properly called glad and joyous news, in which, first by John the Baptist, then by Christ the Lord himself, and afterwards by the apostles and their successors, is preached to us in the world that God has now performed what he promised from the beginning of the world, and has sent, nay more, has given us his only Son and in him reconciliation with the Father, the remission of sins, all fullness and everlasting life. Therefore, the history delineated by the four Evangelists and explaining how these things were done or fulfilled by Christ, what things Christ taught and did, and that those who believe in him have all fullness, is rightly called the Gospel. The preaching and writings of the apostles, in which the apostles explain for us how the Son was given to us by the Father, and in him everything that has to do with life and salvation, is also rightly called evangelical doctrine, so that not even today, if sincerely preached, does it lose its illustrious title.
