Gospels in the Bible | Rightly Dividing Basics
Gospels in the Bible
All people in all dispensations are saved by grace through faith because of the finished work of the cross, and not by their works. However, in each dispensation there have been different gospels to believe based upon God's progressive revelation. The word "gospel" means "good news". Let's look at just a few mentioned in the new testament. This is a subject well worth your time to study out more for yourself using a King James Bible.
It is important to understand that different gospels does not mean that some people are saved by their works. All believers in all dispensations are saved by grace through faith foremost and in some dispensations, like during the tribulation period, works of faith are also required (like "endure until the end" by not taking the mark of the beast or worshipping the image of the beast during the tribulation period). It is the finished crosswork of Christ that saves people regardless of the dispensation. However, in each dispensation we are to believe something different. The main thing is to understand that we are sinners and that we cannot save ourselves, then we are to believe and trust in God to save us.
Different Gospels:
"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." Matthew 4:23.
"When they saw that the GOSPEL OF THE UNCIRCUMCISION was committed unto me (Paul). As the GOSPEL OF THE CIRCUMCISION was unto Peter." Galatians 2:7.
Are these really just talking about the same exact gospel? No.
The GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM pertains to Israel's prophetic program. During Christ's earthly ministry the literal kingdom on earth was at-hand (so was the coming wrath of God). The Jews knew perfectly well about the coming kingdom and that it is NOT some "spiritual kingdom in our hearts," but rather a literal physical kingdom on the earth that was promised to them in the old testament. The King and Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, had arrived. John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to Israel. The Jewish people were required to turn away from their apostate Jewish religion, recognize their sin nature, trust in God to save them, be water baptized and keep God's law covenant with them. The water baptism (also practiced in the Old Testament by Jewish priests) was to make them a Kingdom of priests and even the Lord Jesus Christ was water baptized to be their High Priest, fulfilling the law requirements. Jesus preached to the lost sheep of the house of Israel only, and sent his disciples during his earthly ministry to Jews only as well.
“But he answered and said, I AM NOT SENT BUT UNTO THE LOST SHEEP OF the HOUSE OF ISRAEL” (Matthew 15:24)
“And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people” (Matthew 9:35).
“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: But GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. HEAL the sick, CLEANSE the lepers, RAISE the dead, CAST OUT devils: freely ye have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:5-8).
Jesus and his disciples healed the sick, raised some people from the dead and cast out devils to cleanse the land of Israel for the coming kingdom. It was also a way for the Lord to prove that he was their Messiah and that the kingdom was at-hand. **please note: NO ONE IS DOING THIS TODAY. This was Israel's commission. Today, we are ambassadors for Christ with the ministry of reconciliation. We preach Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for our sins and we are NOT commissioned to heal the sick, raise the dead and cast out devils. The Holy Ghost works differently in us today. He teaches us God's word as we read and study it rightly divided. As we mature spiritually through the word, we are earning rewards for our positions in the heavenly places. So, God's will for us today is to share a clear gospel message with the lost and to teach sound grace doctrine to believers so that each member of the body of Christ is properly established and edified in sound grace doctrine.**
However, Israel rejected the message from God that came through John the Baptist and they crucified the Lord Jesus Christ rejecting God the Son. But, God would give them another opportunity.
After the apostate nation of Israel rejected their Messiah, the Lord sent his Apostles to preach the gospel to any other Jews who might believe. The kingdom was taken from the unbelieving, apostate nation of Israel and given to the remnant of believing Israel, called the "little flock".
“Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof” (Matthew 21:43).
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom” (Luke 12:32).
In Acts 7 after the apostate religious Jews stoned Stephen to death who was full of the Holy Ghost, God decided to set the nation of Israel aside temporarily and begin a new dispensation. Instead of God immediately pouring out his wrath on a predominantly unbelieving world, he began the dispensation of grace. This interruption in Israel's program was a secret that God had kept hid in himself, until it was revealed to our appointed Apostle Paul.
The Gospels of Circumcision and Uncircumcision
The Gospel of the circumcision is regarding the promise that was made to Israel that through them the world would be blessed.
Genesis 22:17-18
"17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."
It would be fulfilled among the circumcision in Christ, the true sons of Abraham according to prophecy.
The GOSPEL OF THE UNCIRCUMCISION
The gospel of the uncircumcision concerns the good news of how uncircumcised people can receive blessings apart from the channel of Israel and their circumcised covenant promises.
The good news to the uncircumcision is that according to the mystery of Christ, you did not need a covenant to receive God’s blessings. As believers today, we are not under a covenant, rather, we have the riches of God's grace.
Eph 1:7 KJV -
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
The gospel of the grace of God, also known as "Paul's gospel".
This mystery dispensation began in Acts chapter 9 after the risen and ascended Lord Jesus Christ saved and then sent the Apostle Paul to preach this new, mystery gospel. The next event on God's timeline after Israel rejected their Messiah and stoned Stephen after their one year extension of grace, was to be the prophecied 7 year tribulation on the earth, also called Jacobs trouble. However, God had a secret kept hid in himself that through Jesus's finished work of the cross, he would form a new body of believers called the Church the Body of Christ to fill the heavenly places.
Our dispensation of grace was a SECRET kept hid in God until it was revealed first to Paul. It is no longer a secret since it was revealed but it is referred to as "the mystery" because it had previously been a secret. Satan is blinding most people today from knowing anything about it!
Ephesians 3:1-11 in the KJB says,
1 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words,
4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
5 Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit;
6 That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:
7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
Today, no one is being saved into the Kingdom on earth program, rather those who believe the gospel of the grace of God become citizens of heaven, and members of Christ's body. God will resume His program with Israel after the rapture of the Church the Body of Christ. The finished work of the cross included reconciling the earth unto himself and the heavenly places, both of which Satan had corrupted.
The Gospel of God
The gospel of God is more of a general term to describe the good news of God in any dispensation, but each dispensation would have a different gospel message. The gospel of God during Christ's earthly ministry was that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. The gospel of God in our current mystery dispensation is that Christ Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again for our justification and that we are to simply believe that gospel (without any works) to be saved unto eternal life.
Its important to understand again that all people in all dispensations are saved by grace through faith but in some dispensations works of faith are required. Salvation in all dispensations is based first and foremost upon the finished work of the cross, but in our dispensation "works of faith" are NOT required and we are eternally secure from the very moment that we believe the gospel. We cannot loose our salvation. We are saved today by grace through faith alone PLUS NOTHING. We are also not to be looking for the kingdom to come on earth and all of the many signs that precede it (that pertains to Israel's program which resumes after the church the Body of Christ is raptured out), rather we are to simply trust in Christ's death, burial and resurrection as atonement for our sins and then as believers we are eagerly awaiting Christ to meet us up in the air at the rapture of the Church the Body of Christ in which he will then take us up to the heavenly places, which is our eternal home.
To understand this more, see my video bible study regarding the revelation of the mystery to learn more about our mystery program today.
How to be saved today:
Understand first that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself.
Romans 3:23 in the King James Bible says,
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Isaiah 64:6a,b says,
6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
God is perfect and holy, and unholy people cannot stand before a Holy God.
1 Samuel 2:2 - There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.
God is also a righteous judge and will judge all people according to their works. All people will be judged according to Paul's Gospel which is according to whether or not they have simply believed the Gospel of the grace of God or not, which is how that Christ Jesus died for our sins, was buried and rose again for our justification.
Romans 2:16
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my [Paul's] gospel.
This gospel is also known as the Gospel of the grace of God and the gospel of Christ.
You cannot earn your way to salvation, you must simply believe how that Christ Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again for your justification. The moment that you SIMPLY BELEIVE that glorious gospel, you are saved forever!
1 Cor 15: 1-4 KJB "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, 👉how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures"👈
Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
The gospel ALONE is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, not to everyone that worketh! This faith that we have isn't just a mere intellectual understanding of something occurring in history, but a true trust that Christ Jesus is your savior and that what He did for you was sufficient to save you.
Salvation is the gift of God by grace. It is not a product of:
• – Prayer
• – Popes
• – Baptism
• – Confession
• – Good works
• – Turning from sin
• – Commandments
• – Church membership
• – Mass or the Lord’s Supper
Or ANY OTHER WORK.
What about repentance? To repent is to have a change of mind. You go from not believing the gospel to believing it! In Genesis 6:6, God had repented. It simply means that he had changed his mind. "And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart." (This was right before the flood of Noah's time). Repentance does NOT mean trying to turn away from sin, because God never sins!
To repent, you understand first that you are a sinner and you can't save yourself. Then, you simply believe that Jesus is your savior and that he died for your sins, was buried and he rose again for your justification. Repentance is NOT trying to change your ways in order for God to accept you because that is a work. God only justifies believers. No one will ever be able to boast before the Father for any kind of work that he's done in his flesh, including a person who decides that they can try to get into heaven by giving up their old lifestyle and trying to keep the law. Righteousness doesn't come by the law or else Christ is dead in vain!
Gal 2:21 KJB
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Romans 3:24
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
So, to be saved, recognize that you are a sinner and that you cannot save yourself. Then, simply believe how that Christ Jesus died for your sins, was buried and rose again for your justification.
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