It is put most directly in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
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What is the Gospel?
- Thread starter Rival
- Start date
It is put most directly in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Wildswanderer
Veteran Member
Point them to the Bible
" I gave you the message that I received. I told you the most important truths: that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures say; 4 that he was buried and was raised to life on the third day, as the Scriptures say;"
" But Christ really has been raised from death—the first one of all those who will be raised. 21 Death comes to people because of what one man did. But now there is resurrection from death because of another man. 22 I mean that in Adam all of us die. And in the same way, in Christ all of us will be made alive again. 23 But everyone will be raised to life in the right order. Christ was first to be raised. Then, when Christ comes again, those who belong to him will be raised to life. 24 Then the end will come. Christ will destroy all rulers, authorities, and powers. Then he will give the kingdom to God the Father."
Aštra’el
Aštara, Blade of Aštoreth
Unconditional love. Compassion. Empathy. Selflessness. Kindness. Humility. Forgiveness. Sacrifice. Redemption. Salvation. Deliverance.
Worship God. Love people without expecting anything in return. Make an effort to turn the other cheek and forgive your enemies. Try not to be a hypocrite. Accept that you are imperfect but do what you can to be better. Help improve the lives of others. Bring happiness to people. Make the world a better place. Understand that there is “good” in everyone, no matter how tainted their heart is by “evil”, and that nobody- nobody- is beyond salvation. Etc.
This is how I would interpret the message of the gospel, and of Jesus Christ, from my previous experiences with Christianity. I have my own worldview now, but I remember these ideas quite well, and I have great respect for those who genuinely embrace them.
Worship God. Love people without expecting anything in return. Make an effort to turn the other cheek and forgive your enemies. Try not to be a hypocrite. Accept that you are imperfect but do what you can to be better. Help improve the lives of others. Bring happiness to people. Make the world a better place. Understand that there is “good” in everyone, no matter how tainted their heart is by “evil”, and that nobody- nobody- is beyond salvation. Etc.
This is how I would interpret the message of the gospel, and of Jesus Christ, from my previous experiences with Christianity. I have my own worldview now, but I remember these ideas quite well, and I have great respect for those who genuinely embrace them.
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RestlessSoul
Well-Known Member
It’s all there in the Gospels. The rest of The Bible is fascinating for many reasons, but Christ’s message, and therefore the essence of Christianity, is contained in those four books. But I’d you want to shrink it down to two verses, I’d say it’s all right there in John 13:34-35
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber
That's the "Good News" though. Not all of it, of course, but ultimately that's what it comes down to in the end. And among the changing beliefs of what happens to those who aren't allowed in, it used to be believed that all unbaptized infants went to Hell. I was taught that everyone (even Moses and Noah, Abraham and Daniel) who died before Jesus went to Hell until the Harrowing of Hell and Jesus took them to Heaven.
lostwanderingsoul
Well-Known Member
"Gospel" indeed means "good news" but it has nothing to do with heaven. It is the good news that God's kingdom will some day come to earth.
That's one version.
lostwanderingsoul
Well-Known Member
And another is ......?
Jesus Christ was the perfect Son of God who satisfied justice by being perfect but suffered for our sins anyway so that if we believe in Him He can plead our case with God.
Also, this helps us to be maximally good people by following His example and instruction. That second part is very important to me.
InChrist
Free4ever
It must have been a very weird church that taught infants went to hell or Abraham, Moses, Daniel, and those before Christ. I’ve never heard of such aberrant teachings in a Bible-believing church and I’ve attended and visited several and a variety over the last thirty years.
To me it's all of it (next world, current time, end times, current holy light connection, next world reward for believes) is included in the good news.
InChrist
Free4ever
What do you find coercive?
So, if it’s not just a particular dogma, but rather just simple reality that we all actually need a Savior, how would you feel?
It's impossible to connect to God without a connector like Jesus (a). And aside from that, we can't do without light of God. The light of God is with even those stuck in the darkness. Everyone benefits from light of God but the actual person that God channels his light through in the unseen world, we don't want to recognize and instead make up who we want is that light? Can that be accepted. Is that sincerity to moral goodness? The blessed word of God by which all good comes from, we all make use of it's light, but then the actual person on earth, who is that light in the unseen, we don't want to know, turn away from, or don't want God to prove who it is?
Aside from that, there is the interceders roles with respect to our sins. They are our way of redemption and praying through them to God and them leading us and with us, is the proper way to connect to God.
We pray to God (say direct words) but also recognize they witness us our deeds, and pray with us when we pray and advocate for us.
God wants us to seek intercession of intercessors before it's too late. On day of judgment, if we didn't seek it in this world, it won't benefit us.
It's too late to acknowledge the power and light of God's chosen on day of judgment.
For intercession to benefit on day of judgment, we have to ask them in current times to intervene for us and for them to intercede for us on day of judgment.
Revelations 21
InChrist
Free4ever
Thank you. I agree we are separated from God by our sins and it is impossible for a human to connect or reach the eternal Creator of heaven and earth while in our sinful state. Jesus has provided the way of reconciliation with the Father by paying for the sins of the world, and offering the gift of forgiveness and eternal life for all who believe and trust Him.
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, 1 Timothy 2:5
For me Jesus is one of the holy family of that time, the star from line of David, the exalted leader from offspring of Aaron. He was the last of the successors in that nation but Moses, Aaron, Elijah, John, they are with him and they are of his family. The ascend together.
Quran says to emphasize on one over others in terms of belief and emphasis is wrong. We don't separate between God's Messengers. Moses being the start point doesn't make him more important or higher then his successor Aaron. Nor Aaron having the task to guide after him making him better. Neither Jesus being end point make him better then his predecessor John.
They are one family ascending and God blesses them together.
We don't say Abraham is more important then Joseph in terms of faith and belief.
We see them together.
And God replaces one sign with another. One house with another.
The houses (peace be upon them) are the way. The last one being family of Mohammad (s) and God is truly the Lord of this house manifested by their beauty and glory.
It's not Hell they were said to go to, but Sheol; this is where, early Judaism believed, everyone went after death regardless. All rewards were in this world. Sheol is just a shadowy place where the souls of the dead are in a kind of sleep. So it was believed that Jesus came and took the good souls out of this shadowy afterlife and brought them to Heaven. The issue is the wording - "Hell" is not a great word nowadays, but back in the very early days the Saxon word "Hel" was much closer in meaning to Sheol. So this is where we get the Harrowing of Hell. This is a standard belief in Apostolic Churches (Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox) and is referenced in the Nicene Creed.
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There are not many options.
Paul is the earliest NT writer we have. His message is that if you believe in Jesus, you'll be connected to God and when you die you'll have an immortal spiritual body; and if you don't believe in Jesus, your death will be the end for you.
The author of Mark, apparently following John the Baptist's message, says that you, the citizens of Galilee and Judea in the first decades of the first century, should GET READY because GOD'S KINGDOM on Earth is going to be established VERY SOON. In Mark, thus in Matthew and Luke, VERY SOON expressly and out loud means "in the lifetime of some you listening to me now".
The respective authors of Matthew and Luke repeat this in much the same very direct words.
The author of John doesn't mention it ─ by the time John is written, it's something like sixty years since the traditional date of Jesus' death, so that notion is self-evidently a lemon.
So the surviving central message seems to be the promise of eternal life IFF you're a believer.
Whether unbelievers go to hell, or the burning lake of fire, or as Paul says, simply die forever, is unclear ─ the whole range is found in the NT.
Psalm23
Well-Known Member
Jesus did speak on his death and resurrection. He told parables on the kingdom of heaven. He taught about love and forgiveness. He spoke about trusting God. He spoke on a lot of subjects in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I find that in my life I am both challenged and comforted by his words.
The essence of the gospel ,as I understand it , is that Jesus' death and resurrection pays for sins and through faith in Jesus, people can receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
After faith , Christians are called to live for Jesus, to follow the example he gave.