Lesson 6: The Gospel of Jesus

As discussed in the previous lesson, Jesus abolished the Old Covenant with the Jews and established a new covenant with those who would obey the gospel. Jesus and the apostles taught the gospel and offered it to all people beginning on the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. What is the Gospel? The heart of the gospel is the message of Jesus’ sacrifice to save men from the penalty due for their sins. We are to tell lost souls about the love and grace of God in offering salvation to humanity and the need to submit to Christ’s rule. Some teach that this is the whole of the gospel message, but the New Testament clearly teaches that it is only a part. Some people want to separate the doctrine of Christ from the gospel of Christ. They want to separate the things that Jesus and the apostles commanded from simple belief. This is an unscriptural distinction. Paul used the terms law, doctrine, and gospel interchangeably in 1 Timothy

1:9-11. Furthermore, Romans 16:17

points out that Christians obey a

“form of doctrine” that calls them from sin. Those who would separate the gospel and doctrine forget that Paul told Timothy that by following the doctrine, he would save himself and his audience, 1 Timothy 4:16. The New Testament makes no distinction between the gospel of Christ, His law, or His doctrine. They all constitute the gospel of Christ. Law and Grace If the gospel is the law of Christ, what does that do to grace? Does grace oppose the concept of Christ’s law? Not at all, men have made a distinction where the Bible does not. We are saved by God’s grace, the Bible clearly teaches this. Salvation is a gift of God and it would be unscriptural to argue otherwise. Yet salvation through grace does not remove man from any obligation of obedience. Salvation is a gift from God, Ephesians 2:8-9. Yet God has promised gifts to His people for which they had to work. God told Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the nation of Israel that He would give them the

Promised Land (Genesis 12:7; 13:15-

17; 26:3-4; Exodus 6;2-4; Numbers

14:6-9; De ute ronomy 32:49). However, Israel had to fight to take the land that God gave them (Joshua 1:12-15; 21:43-45). It was a gift from God but they had to conquer the land in order to possess it. Their efforts did not diminish the gift of God for they would not, of their own power, been able to conquer the land. Though they had to fight, it was still a gift. As Israel began to conquer the land, the first city they encountered was Jericho. God told Joshua that He was giving Jericho to them, Joshua 6:2. However, the Jews still had to take the city. Furthermore, God gave them the instructions on how to take the city (Joshua 6). They had to obey God’s commands to receive His gift. Though they did something every day for seven days, they did not earn nor deserve the city; they simply did what God required. The Hebrew writer, in commenting on this event, said that the walls fell by faith, Hebrews 11:30. Salvation by grace through faith does not mean that God does not require efforts on our part. In fact, faith unaccompanied by works is dead, James 2:14-26. Obeying the commandments of God does not earn our salvation (Luke 17:10) but if we do not keep His commandments we will be lost (Romans 2:6-11; 2

Thessalonians 1:8; 1 John 2:3-6)

God has grace towards man, gave Jesus as a sacrifice to satisfy the penalty of sin and calls men by the gospel to obedience of faith. Man must respond by obedience of faith, by believing the word taught in the gospel, turning from sin which leads to further unrighteousness, dying with Christ being buried with Him in baptism, and being raised to walk a new life that maintains good works. We do not earn our salvation, but we are justified by faith, a faith that made perfect by good works, that is, works commanded by God.

New Testament Authority

God

Hebrews 1:1

Source of All Authority

Christ

Mt. 28:18; Eph 1:20-23

Apostles

Mt. 16:19; 18:18;

Revealed Word

Pattern

2 Peter 1:3

Phil 3:16-17; 4:9

2 Tim 3:13-17

1 Thess 2:14

Jude 3

1 Cor 14:16-17

As the chart illustrates, all authority flows down from the Father, through Jesus to the apostles. The authority from the apostles consists of their teaching and example. The Bible condemns those who do not abide in Christ’s doctrine (2 John 7-11), who follow traditions devised by men (Matthew 15:1-9), and any other authority but God’s word (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus and the apostles revealed their authority in several ways that will be discussed in the next several lessons. We learn how to interpret the New Testament from the New Testament itself. Here is a brief overview: Explicit commands are the simple “do this” and “don’t do this” commands. The apostle’s commands carried the weight and force of the commands of Jesus recorded in the gospel, John 16:13-15; Matthew 18:18-20. Necessary Inference is a necessary conclusion derived from God’s word. In Acts 15:7-11, Peter concluded that since God gave the Gentiles the Holy Spirit as He gave Him to the Jews, that keeping the Old Law was not necessary to their obedience. Approved Examples show us how to obey the commands by demonstrating God’s approval on others who have acted in harmony with His will. In Acts 15:12, Paul and Barnabas declared the work of the Spirit among the Gentiles by their hands as evidence of God’s approval of the Gentiles who only obeyed Jesus, not the Old Law. Expedients are scriptural ways to fulfill the commandments of God. At the end of the meeting in Acts 15, the apostles decided to send a letter to the Gentiles to tell them that they did not have to obey the Old Law in order to be saved. They sent the letter by several brethren. Both the letter and the messengers were expedient ways to deliver the instruction to the Gentiles. Other scriptural methods could have been chosen. Expedients must be lawful, 1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23. Biblical Principles are taught by the spirit of the commands. A particular type of lustful dance might not be explicitly condemned (named) in scripture but since creating lust is condemned and modesty, holiness, and goodness is commanded, the dance would be wrong.

Questions for Discussion & Study

1. Why do you think some people want to separate gospel and doctrine?

2. Explain the relationship between commandments (law) and grace in the New Testament. Are they contradictory terms?

3. How do the apostles still exercise authority today?

4. Read Acts 15:6-29 and note the way the apostles established authority.