Perhaps the biggest mistake people make when reading their Bible is coming to the conclusion there is but ONE gospel in the Bible and it all is about us. If asked what is the gospel, a great percentage of people will respond with a bumpersticker verse almost everybody can quote a portion of...you guessed it...John 3:16. That is a great verse indeed, but it doesn't in anyway tell us the information that saves our never dying soul as does 1st Cor 15:1-4 in that Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose the 3rd day. People tend to read information back into the scriptures where that information was not given, and in this case, it was hid from them!
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Do you know what that says? It says there is NO WAY the 12 apostles were preaching the information that constitutes the gospel that saves US in this present dispensation of the grace of God. It was hid from them!
Before the crucifixtion, the 12 apostles had no idea, nor did it cross their minds that Jesus would die at all, even more so that He would die for the sins of uncircumcised gentiles. And while this information was hid from them, they went about preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and proclaiming the kingdom to be at hand. What had been prophecied since 2nd Samuel had finally arrived, so it seemed, if they would only repent and believe the gospel. John the baptist first began preaching the kingdom is at hand in Mathew 3.
Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Also, Jesus preached the exact same message, repent for the kingdom is at hand.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Six verses later, what Jesus is preaching is called the gospel of the kingdom.
Matthew 4:23 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.
So, by preaching the kingdom is at hand, we see the gospel Jesus was preaching is called the gospel of the kingdom, Not only was Jesus preaching the gospel of the kingdom, He sent His 12 apostles to preach the same message to the house of Israel...NOT TO THE GENTILES.
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Matthew 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The 12 apostles preached the gospel of the kingdom as they were instructed, only to the house of Israel, and at the same time they had no information about the death, burial and resurrection being good news to anyone. For 3 years, the 12 apostles were with Jesus, preaching the kingdom gospel before Jesus told them of His crucifixtion. Clearly, the gospel of the kingdom does not include the preaching of the cross. Let's see some examples.
Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Matthew 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Matthew 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Jesus began to shew his disciples for THAT TIME FORTH. You know what that means? It means He didn't show them before that time and yet they were preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Clearly, the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God given to Paul to usward are not the same thing! Let's see it again in the OT book of Mark.
Mark 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mark 9:32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
They not only did not understand it, they were afraid to ask. Let's see it again in Luke.
Luke 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
Luke 9:45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
They did not understand it, were afraid to ask, and it was hid from them! And yet, they were preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Let's see it again in the book of John after the death burial and resurrection. Peter and John arrive at the sepulchre to witness the tomb is empty to their surprise.
John 20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Need I say it? The 12 apostles had no idea Jesus would die, let alone be resurrected. And yet, they were preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Clearly, the gospel they preached did NOT include the fact Jesus would die for anyone's sins let alone would raise again for anyone's justification.
Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
God's kingdom will at some point be established on the earth just as is prophecied. Today in this present dispensation of the grace of God, the kingdom is not being offered and is not at hand but has been delayed. The gospel of the kingdom is not applicable today since there is no salvation apart from the gospel of the grace of God on the merits of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God are different, and not the same.
1 Corinthians 2:7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
1 Corinthians 2:8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Do you know what that says? It says there is NO WAY the 12 apostles were preaching the information that constitutes the gospel that saves US in this present dispensation of the grace of God. It was hid from them!
Before the crucifixtion, the 12 apostles had no idea, nor did it cross their minds that Jesus would die at all, even more so that He would die for the sins of uncircumcised gentiles. And while this information was hid from them, they went about preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and proclaiming the kingdom to be at hand. What had been prophecied since 2nd Samuel had finally arrived, so it seemed, if they would only repent and believe the gospel. John the baptist first began preaching the kingdom is at hand in Mathew 3.
Matthew 3:1 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Also, Jesus preached the exact same message, repent for the kingdom is at hand.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Six verses later, what Jesus is preaching is called the gospel of the kingdom.
Matthew 4:23 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.
So, by preaching the kingdom is at hand, we see the gospel Jesus was preaching is called the gospel of the kingdom, Not only was Jesus preaching the gospel of the kingdom, He sent His 12 apostles to preach the same message to the house of Israel...NOT TO THE GENTILES.
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:
Matthew 10:6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 10:7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The 12 apostles preached the gospel of the kingdom as they were instructed, only to the house of Israel, and at the same time they had no information about the death, burial and resurrection being good news to anyone. For 3 years, the 12 apostles were with Jesus, preaching the kingdom gospel before Jesus told them of His crucifixtion. Clearly, the gospel of the kingdom does not include the preaching of the cross. Let's see some examples.
Matthew 16:21 From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.
Matthew 16:22 Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.
Matthew 16:23 But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.
Jesus began to shew his disciples for THAT TIME FORTH. You know what that means? It means He didn't show them before that time and yet they were preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Clearly, the gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God given to Paul to usward are not the same thing! Let's see it again in the OT book of Mark.
Mark 9:31 For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.
Mark 9:32 But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
They not only did not understand it, they were afraid to ask. Let's see it again in Luke.
Luke 9:44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
Luke 9:45 But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they feared to ask him of that saying.
They did not understand it, were afraid to ask, and it was hid from them! And yet, they were preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Let's see it again in the book of John after the death burial and resurrection. Peter and John arrive at the sepulchre to witness the tomb is empty to their surprise.
John 20:9 For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.
Need I say it? The 12 apostles had no idea Jesus would die, let alone be resurrected. And yet, they were preaching the gospel of the kingdom. Clearly, the gospel they preached did NOT include the fact Jesus would die for anyone's sins let alone would raise again for anyone's justification.
Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
God's kingdom will at some point be established on the earth just as is prophecied. Today in this present dispensation of the grace of God, the kingdom is not being offered and is not at hand but has been delayed. The gospel of the kingdom is not applicable today since there is no salvation apart from the gospel of the grace of God on the merits of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of the kingdom and the gospel of the grace of God are different, and not the same.
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