What is the Gospel?
- Thread starter kingofkings
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I'm not sure that would even qualify as a cryptic answer to my question 
I will answer your main OP question, which is what I stopped by to do actually, but I'd like to hear your answer to my question first.
Thanks again!
~Deut
I will answer your main OP question, which is what I stopped by to do actually, but I'd like to hear your answer to my question first.Thanks again!
~Deut
1. You are deriving the word "comment" from 2Peter3:16 ONLY by using one particular translation, the New Living Translation, which is by no stretch even a good translation.
The New Living Translation is nothing but a revision of a bad paraphrase, the Living Bible. This is not even a serious translation.
The translation you're relying on isn't a serious translation, and the Greek word you want to translate as "comment" is an indefinite article that means nothing more doctrinally earth-shaking than "things."
No reliable translations translate this word as "comments."
This is really straining at at gnat to fabricate some way to discredit Paul.
2. Even if the word "comment" were in the Greek, and it is not, you still couldn't extrapolate that to get our modern concept of "commentary." That would be a huge and erroneous linguistic leap through time, space, and etymology.
3. Even if the Greek word which doesn't mean "comment" actually did, and even if this word "comment", WHICH ISN'T THERE, could be extrapolated to mean 'bible commentary", which it cannot... you would STILL be left with the problem that ALL SCRIPTURE IS BREATHED BY GOD, and thus it is ALL EQUALLY TRUE, and ALL EQUAlLY AUTHORITATIVE.
Conclusion:
1. There is no rational way to remove Paul's writings from your argument about defining the gospel.
2. Paul's words, by virtue of being scripture, have authority and veracity equal to any other part of scripture.
3. You hang this whole argument on a bad translation of one Greek word found in a revision of a terrible paraphrased Bible.
4. Even if this bad translation was correct, and it's not, it still couldn't lead to your conclusions: not logically, not linguistically, and not theologically.
5. This is all just nonsense, no matter how you slice it.
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The gospel according to Jesus must have to do with the Kingdom of God. After being tempted by Satan in the wilderness and hearing that John the Baptist had been arrested, Jesus began to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven has come near.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 4:17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version. (1989). (Mt 4:17). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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This is the Gospel
Mark 1:14-15 New Living Translation (NLT)
14 Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.[a] 15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
43 But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”
Luke 16:16 English Standard Version (ESV)
16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.
Mark 1:14-15 New Living Translation (NLT)
14 Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.[a] 15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
43 But he replied, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.”
Luke 16:16 English Standard Version (ESV)
16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.
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Repent, and believe the gospel
The pre-announcement, in Malachi’s prophecy, says: “Behold, I will
send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the
Lord, whom ye seek [the Messiah], shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant …” (Mal. 3:1).
It is recorded in Mark’s Gospel, chapter 1: “The beginning of the
gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets
…” (vv. 1-2). Then follows the citation from Malachi, written above.
The account of John the Baptist, preparing the way before the Messenger.
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching [the gospel of the kingdom of God],
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.” That is, believe the good news!
Jesus’s whole message—His gospel—was about the Kingdom of God!
A kingdom is a) a nation composed of people,
and b) the government of the nation.
Now Jesus the Messiah was to come as “the Messenger of the covenant.”
The “Old Covenant” had established the human children of Israel as a nation or kingdom
of humans, called the kingdom of Israel. Jesus came as the Messenger—heralding the
message of the New Covenant that shall set up the Spirit-composed children of God
as the Kingdom of God!
As the ancient kingdom of Israel was composed of the human family of the human man Israel,
so the Kingdom of God will be composed of the divine family of the divine God!
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The Prophet Daniel wrote of this Kingdom of God. In his second chapter,
after foretelling of the Chaldean Empire (Babylon), the Persian Empire,
the Greco-Macedonian Empire with its four divisions, and the Roman
Empire, stretching even into the now-forming resurrected “Holy Roman
Empire” in Europe, we read the following:
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall
never be destroyed … but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
and it shall stand for ever” (Dan. 2:44).
To “stand for ever” it will, of necessity, be a Kingdom of immortals, not mortals.
It will be a world-ruling Kingdom! Daniel’s 7th chapter portrays it again—and shows
the connection with being “born again.” The four world empires—Babylon through
Rome and its coming resurrection in Europe—are pictured as four beasts—wild animals
Verses 17-18: “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings [kingdoms],
which shall arise out of the earth.
But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever,
even for ever and ever.” To possess it for ever, the saints will have to be immortal!
“made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days
[Christ at Second Coming] came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High;
and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom” (vv. 21-22-27).
The Second Coming of Christ is described thus: “And the seventh angel sounded;
and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”
(Rev. 11:15).
-
Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.”
What did He mean? Why had this message never been proclaimed before?
When Jesus was baptized by John (Mark 1:9-11), immediately He underwent
the most titanic struggle ever, in His temptation by the devil (vv. 12-13).
Jesus had come to qualify to replace Satan—to restore the government of God on Earth,
and bring back world peace! But, as the first Adam had undergone and succumbed to Satan’s
temptation, Jesus had to face and overcome this disqualified Satan.
Then (Mark 1:14), having qualified for the executive administration of the
government of God on Earth, Jesus came into Galilee, saying, as quoted above,
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand”! (v. 15).
The pre-announcement, in Malachi’s prophecy, says: “Behold, I will
send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the
Lord, whom ye seek [the Messiah], shall suddenly come to his temple,
even the messenger of the covenant …” (Mal. 3:1).
It is recorded in Mark’s Gospel, chapter 1: “The beginning of the
gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets
…” (vv. 1-2). Then follows the citation from Malachi, written above.
The account of John the Baptist, preparing the way before the Messenger.
“Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching [the gospel of the kingdom of God],
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand:
repent ye, and believe the gospel.” That is, believe the good news!
Jesus’s whole message—His gospel—was about the Kingdom of God!
A kingdom is a) a nation composed of people,
and b) the government of the nation.
Now Jesus the Messiah was to come as “the Messenger of the covenant.”
The “Old Covenant” had established the human children of Israel as a nation or kingdom
of humans, called the kingdom of Israel. Jesus came as the Messenger—heralding the
message of the New Covenant that shall set up the Spirit-composed children of God
as the Kingdom of God!
As the ancient kingdom of Israel was composed of the human family of the human man Israel,
so the Kingdom of God will be composed of the divine family of the divine God!
-
The Prophet Daniel wrote of this Kingdom of God. In his second chapter,
after foretelling of the Chaldean Empire (Babylon), the Persian Empire,
the Greco-Macedonian Empire with its four divisions, and the Roman
Empire, stretching even into the now-forming resurrected “Holy Roman
Empire” in Europe, we read the following:
“And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall
never be destroyed … but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
and it shall stand for ever” (Dan. 2:44).
To “stand for ever” it will, of necessity, be a Kingdom of immortals, not mortals.
It will be a world-ruling Kingdom! Daniel’s 7th chapter portrays it again—and shows
the connection with being “born again.” The four world empires—Babylon through
Rome and its coming resurrection in Europe—are pictured as four beasts—wild animals
Verses 17-18: “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings [kingdoms],
which shall arise out of the earth.
But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever,
even for ever and ever.” To possess it for ever, the saints will have to be immortal!
“made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days
[Christ at Second Coming] came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High;
and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom” (vv. 21-22-27).
The Second Coming of Christ is described thus: “And the seventh angel sounded;
and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become
the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”
(Rev. 11:15).
-
Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.”
What did He mean? Why had this message never been proclaimed before?
When Jesus was baptized by John (Mark 1:9-11), immediately He underwent
the most titanic struggle ever, in His temptation by the devil (vv. 12-13).
Jesus had come to qualify to replace Satan—to restore the government of God on Earth,
and bring back world peace! But, as the first Adam had undergone and succumbed to Satan’s
temptation, Jesus had to face and overcome this disqualified Satan.
Then (Mark 1:14), having qualified for the executive administration of the
government of God on Earth, Jesus came into Galilee, saying, as quoted above,
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand”! (v. 15).
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