What is the Gospel?
The rules have changed down through history. It's important to know in what dispensation you are referring to first.
What is a dispensation?
(1) ORDERING, ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT; specif : a divine ordering and administration of worldly affairs (2) : a system of principles, promises, and rules divinely ordained and administered (3) a period of history during which a particular divine revelation has predominated in the affairs of mankind.
Put succinctly, a dispensation is a God-revealed body of information given for man's obedience during a certain period of time.
So During what dispensation do we live? We live during the dispensation of grace.
For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,
If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:
How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, (Ephesians 3:1-3)
The dispensation of grace was committed to Paul by God himself. This answers the question posed at the beginning of the booklet as to which instruction the believer should follow in choosing his diet. We should follow Paul because we live during the dispensation of grace, and Paul received the revelation of the dispensation of grace.
How do we know that we live during the dispensation of grace as opposed to another dispensation? Under the principle of progressive revelation, we should follow the
most recent information that God has given to man on how to live. We cannot simply choose what we like. The program that God currently administers is the one entrusted to the Apostle Paul.
In other words, what was practiced in Moses' time is not practiced today. Moses was alive during the Dispensation of the Law.
A simple example of this is: We all know we don't need to offer animal sacrifices today. What was commanded at one time in one dispensation is no longer required now. So obviously there are divisions in the Bible that we must account for.
If we are going to make divisions in the Bible, what principle should we use to make divisions?
We should believe every word of the Bible literally.
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
(2 Peter 1:20)
When God wrote the Bible, he said exactly what he meant to say. The prohibition against private interpretation instructs us to believe the Bible literally: to interpret the verses according to the plain, everyday meaning of the words.
The most important principle for studying the Bible is to ask the following question: TO WHOM IS THIS PARTICULAR PASSAGE ADDRESSED? Every word of the Bible is true, but not every word of the Bible is written for us to apply today.
In the Bible, God has recorded information from before the creation of the earth and continuing onward into eternity future. During this vast period of time, God does different things according to His eternal divine purposes. While accomplishing His purposes, God gives different instructions to different people at different times.
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
This verse tells us that we can learn something from every verse of the Bible, but that does not mean that every verse of the Bible is an instruction for our lives. This is a principle that we all implicitly recognize.
For example, when we read about Noah we can learn a great deal about patience and faithfulness, and yet, we understand that God has not commanded us today to build very large boats. We gain a spiritual benefit from reading about Noah, but it would be disastrous if we attempted to carry out the instructions that were given to Noah. Instead, we must find our doctrine for living in the part of the Bible that is specifically addressed to us.
So what parts of the Bible are addressed TO US as believers today?
The Gospel of Grace given to the Apostle Paul by Jesus Christ is the gopel for us today.
If Paul taught the same gospel as those before him, then why did he call it “my gospel” three times?
Paul uses both the phrases “the gospel” and “our gospel” in his epistles, but when Paul mentions “my gospel” it shows that he had a unique message.
My Gospel: to Jew and Gentile
Paul’s gospel made no distinction between Jew or Gentile. All are counted in unbelief as sinners, and are judged by God without respect of persons whether given the law or not.
Therefore, Paul says:
“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.“ – Romans 2:16
During time past, Jesus’ earthly ministry, and up to encounter with the Roman Cornelius there was a distinction between Jew and Gentile in Peter’s ministry preaching. The Jews had a special spiritual standing with the Lord. Gentiles did not.
My Gospel to Stablish
Paul says “my gospel” is how God stablishes the Romans.
“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began…” – Romans 16:25
To the Corinthians, Paul claims to be the masterbuilder who lays the foundation of the grace of God upon which other men build.
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.” – 1 Corinthians 3:10
Resurrection According to My Gospel
Resurrection was a part of Jewish prophecy, Jesus foretold his own, and Peter preached the resurrection of Christ before Paul was saved. So how could Paul say this?
“Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel” – 2 Timothy 2:8
The fact of the resurrection was prophesied, and both Paul and the twelve taught it (1 Cor 15:11). However, the resurrection of Christ was preached by Peter as proof of his Messiahship, and assurance of the kingdom come.
Paul preached the resurrection of Christ as the means of salvation and sanctification for all humanity as part of a new creature, the church the Body of Christ.
Unique to Paul
Paul’s gospel message was entirely of Christ, and so Paul stands alone in calling it “the gospel of Christ” and “Christ’s gospel”, but that he also calls it “my gospel” can only be explained by the fact that Christ gave it first to Paul exclusively.
No one else in scripture could claim “my gospel”, nor can we. We learned the gospel from Paul’s writings, and the twelve apostles taught the same gospel as John the Baptist and of which the prophets spoke (Mark 1:4; Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19-21).
Paul repeatedly says that the dispensation of the grace of God was given to him (Eph 3:2; Eph 3:7; Col 1:25; Rom 15:15).
The Lord revealed to Paul a mystery kept secret since the world began (Rom 16:25; Eph 3:3). Paul was the chosen vessel of the Lord appointed to the office of apostle of the Gentiles (Rom 11:13; 2 Tim 1:11).
A “dispensation of the gospel” was committed unto him (1 Cor 9:17). His gospel was not received by man, nor was it of man, but given to him first by the Lord (Gal 1:1; Gal 1:11). Even Peter had to learn that God had given Paul further information about God’s grace (Gal 2:9).
It was truly his gospel from Christ, and it was his responsibility to preach his gospel wherever he went.
“If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward…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” – Ephesian 3:2-9
You will find the Gospel of Grace in the 13 books written by the Apostle Paul... Romans through Philemon.
So what is the Gospel for Today?
It is believing Christ died for our sins ALL OF THEM was buried, and arose again.
I Corinthians 15:1-4
1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
It's realizing that no matter what we do we can NOT obtain righteousness in the sight of God.
Since man "COMES SHORT" and cannot make himself righteous, righteousness will have to be given to him from God, otherwise there is no hope for man. This is exactly what Romans 5:17 says:
This God-given righteousness is available to man "BY THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST" according to Romans 3:22. That is to say, the righteousness of God is available to man because of the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. God is not giving out His righteousness as a reward to us because of OUR faithful service to Him. God is giving out His righteousness as a gift to us BECAUSE OF CHRIST'S FAITHFUL SERVICE TO HIM.
Ephesians 2:8:
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: and he goes on to say, in the next verse that it is:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
So the Gospel of Grace today is believing the death burial and ressurection of Jesus Christ + nothing.
Its not what we do, It's what Christ HAS ALREADY DONE FOR US.
