The word gospel literally means ‘good news’ in Greek.

The good news was that God has reached out to man to make a way for a relationship to be established

 

In the Old Covenant this was alluded to

 

Isa 61:1-2

61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,

Because the LORD has anointed Me

To preach good tidings to the poor;

He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,

To proclaim liberty to the captives,

And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,

NKJV

 

1 Chron 16:23-24

23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

24 Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

NKJV

 

In the New Covenant it arrived

 

The scriptures show that Jesus death for us was God's way that we could be brought into relationship.....our part is to BELIEVE!

 

Mark 16:15-17

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.     NKJV

Luke 9:2-6

2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 3 And He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. 

4 "Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart.  5 And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them." 

6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.   NKJV

2 Cor 5:18-21

18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.     NKJV

 

Preaching was frequently accompanied with signs and wonders!

Matt 4:23-24

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.    NKJV

Mark 16:15-18

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.  17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."    NKJV

Luke 9:2

2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.   NKJV

Luke 9:6

6 So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.    NKJV

Luke 7:22-23

22 Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.    NKJV

 

So what exactly was the gospel?

 

Good News

God’s grace (His love and goodness and mercy and favor) extended towards man

Reconciliation with God through the work of Jesus...He died for us and bore ALL the sins of all mankind on the cross

Salvation by faith for those who believe

The guarantee was in Jesus resurrection from the dead

 

This is described in many places but the most frequently used scripture is

 

John 3:16

16 For God,    salvation is a sovereign work which starts in GOD

so loved           LOVE is His very nature and heart towards us

the world         this love extends to ALL who would receive it

that He gave His only begotten Son, JESUS His son dying for us is the way

that whoever believes in Him             Our part is to believe…trust…rely on

should not perish but have everlasting life.    ETERNAL life is knowing God

NKJV

  

2 Cor 11:3

3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity  that is in Christ.

NKJV
 

The gospel is simple.....trust God and Jesus as His way of salvation.....He will cleanse you and look after the rest!

 

So what about repentance from sins?

 

Many argue that because John the Baptist and Jesus both preached '"REPENT" that the first thing that must be preached as part of the gospel is repentance from sins. This ignores the fact that both John and Jesus came preaching ONLY to Israel who were under the Old Covenant. (John was 'the messenger of the OLD covenant'  Mal 3:1 and his message was for Israel... Acts 13:24, Luke 16:1 Acts 13:24......and according to Jesus He also ONLY came preaching to ISRAEL...see the scripture below) It seems that many religious 'legalists' want 'repentance from sins' to be preached as a pre-requisite to salvation claiming that those who don't repent of their sins before hearing the gospel are frequently not genuinely saved.

Brethren whether you can hear it or not...the message of REPENTING from sins was addressed to the Jews who HAD a covenant which they had broken. (Rom 3:20, Rom 5:13, Rom 7:8)

Matt 15:24

24 But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."     NKJV

 

This in NO WAY supports christians not repenting of sins when they fall AFTER THEY HAVE COME TO FAITH. Repentance will happen through our whole lives from the moment of salvation as the Spirit of God shows us how to walk with Him....and empowers us to overcome our weaknesses.

 

The Jews HOWEVER committed the one sin which results in people NEVER being saved…they rejected Jesus …their promised Messiah! For them to participate in the New Covenant they HAVE TO repent of this sin.

John 1:11

11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.     NKJV

Matt 27:25

25 And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."    NKJV

John 16:8-11

8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me; 10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;  11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.    NKJV

Acts 2:36-39

36 "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.     NKJV

Acts 3:14-19

14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

17 "Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,     NKJV

Acts 4:8-12

"Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'   12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."    NKJV

Acts 5:27-31

And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, "Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!"

29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: "We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.   NKJV

Acts 7:51-52

"You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,   NKJV

 

This was the SPECIFIC sin they were called to 'repent' of. If they did not they would not be saved because they had rejected Jesus

 

John 8:24
24 Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.   NKJV
 

 

But 'killing Jesus' was not something which Jews in other cities…..or other nations (Gentiles).... had done!

 

The Samaritans    were not told to repent

Paul the Jew    was not told to repent....he just had the revelation that Jesus was Lord

The Jews at Antioch    Jesus was preached as messiah...not repentance from sins

Jews at Thessalonica   they were persuaded to believe that Jesus was the Christ

Jews at Berea     they searched the scriptures and believed

 

Were the Gentiles EVER told that they have to ‘repent of their sins' to be saved?

 

Repent in  Greek means ‘change your way of thinking’….’turn from one way of thinking to another’…Lets see this in the scriptures!

 

The Eunuch      said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."   

Cornelius and his house       whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins 

Acts 11:18

"Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life."     NKJV

 

Hellenists at Antioch    a great number believed and turned

Proconsul    he believed the teaching of the Lord

The Gentiles at Antioch   

Acts 13:48

48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.    NKJV

 

Gentiles at Lystra    turned to the living God

Gentiles generally      the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 

Lydia at Thyatira     The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul 

Jailer at Philippi      Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved 

Greeks at Athens     some men joined him and believed 

Gentiles at Ephesus     those who had believed through grace 

 

Acts 26:17-18

17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.'     NKJV

Turning from darkness to believing in the right God is what brings forgiveness of sins…and sanctification is by faith! (rather than repentance and our own right behavior!...2 Cor 5:19-21, Heb 10:14)

Acts 26:19-20

"Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.     NKJV

 

Paul preached Jesus and not John’s gospel of repentance from sins! (Acts 19:1-6) The repentance preached to the Gentiles was to TURN to God. This would produce fruit ... (2 Tim 2:19...1 Cor 1:2)

  

So what about those scriptures which seem to disagree?

 

2 Cor 7:9-10

9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance . For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.   NKJV

 

The context is clearly addressed to believers in Corinth (‘for the destruction of his BODY that his SPIRIT may be saved’)

 

We ARE saved in our spirits by faith  when we believe….we become saved in our bodies as Christ’s Spirit produces transformation in us into His image.

 

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.   NKJV

 

This refers to ‘repentance to LIFE’….ie that which God grants us when we get the revelation that Jesus IS the Son of GOD…LORD and Savior! This is ‘turning TO God’ from false gods

 

So what do we preach?

 

God’s grace towards man…your sins are forgiven if you believe in Jesus!

God’s way of salvation is for us to put our faith in or believing in or trusting in Jesus…who became flesh.…lived a sinless life died for us…..and was raised by God for our salvation!

 

Those who believe are saved and become ‘children of God’ and receive the Holy Spirit and are ‘born again’

 

(Believing is not a mere mental ascent…..it is a heart conviction …which God gives to us when we accept by faith the revelation of who Jesus is …which results in the transformation of our lives.)

  

Other presentations of the Gospel

 

2 Cor 5:18-21

18 Now all things are of God,

who has reconciled us to Himself

through Jesus Christ,

and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,

19 that is, that God was in Christ

reconciling the world to Himself,
not imputing their trespasses to them,

and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ,

as though God were pleading through us:

we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us,

that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.     NKJV

 

Coming to God in faith to be reconciled to Him is what is sufficient!

 

Rom 10:8-13

8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach):

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus

and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness,

and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame."   12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."      NKJV

 

Calling out ...from your heart...to God in faith to save you is what is required!