THE GOSPEL WE WERE SENT TO PREACH
Mark 16:
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Our Lord Jesus Christ commissioned the disciples to go preach THE GOSPEL to all creation. 'Whoever believes' shows humans were the primary target because they only have the capacity to 'believe'. '... and is baptised' goes beyond immersion in water or spirit. These are only symbolic acts of a grand spiritual initiation. (John 3:5; 1 John 5:5-7).
So THE GOSPEL is what our Saviour and Lord sent the disciples (by extension- us) to preach. That word 'THE; is definite. We must identify that THE GOSPEL because this was not the first time Jesus would send His disciples to go preach. Since, it was the last time He told them to go preach, we must check to see what THE GOSPEL actually is.
Just to butress the fact that these disciples, especially the twelve had been sent to preach by Jesus before that Mark 16:15 scenerio, see the scripture below;
Matthew 5:
5 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:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
So we see here that they had preached some gospel before. The content of that 'gospel' was 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand'. And take note that they were told to exclude the 'Gentiles'. ANother place where Jesus did send them (seventy two of them) to preach is in Luke 10 and the instructions and modalities followed the same pattern as Matthew 10.
What could possibly diffentiate the 'gospels' preached in Matthew 10 and Luke 10 from THE GOSPEL in Mark 16? It is in the Content, Scope and Context.
CONTENT. The disciples were told to preach that the Kingdom of God (or heaven) was at hand. In other words, the big deal about THE GOSPEL in Mark 16 must be that THE KINGDOM OF GOD (OR HEAVEN) IS LIVE!
SCOPE: The disciples were told not to go beyond Israel, now they were sent to 'ALL CREATION'. We know that this means 'THE GENTILES' could now hear THE GOSPEL.
CONTEXT: When the disciples first went out to preach before Mark 16, Jesus had not died, had not been buried, had not resurrected. These three events are very profound components of THE GOSPEL. We know this by the words of Paul, an apostle separated unto THE GOSPEL (Rom 1:1). Paul said in the scriptures below (please read carefully).
1 Corinthians 15 (KJV)
15 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:
So it is clear the THE GOSPEL could not have been preached if Jesus had not died, had not been buried, and had not risen again.
In the same light, Paul had emphasied that the culmination of THE GOSPEL was the resurrection of Jesus (not diminishing His death and burial). See it here,
1 Cor 15
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
So we see that THE GOSPEL was perfected and ready for the whole creation when Jesus rose from the dead. And whosoever believes THE GOSPEL is NO MORE IN HIS SINS. See Romans 4. (Once again, read carefully).
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Righteousness was IMPUTED. Whatever is imputed must be what we did not have. It was PUT IN us. What was in us before then was SIN.
This happens WHEN WE BELIEVE. Not when we perform. If it was imputed, how else could we have received it except through FAITH?
By believing, we are JUSTIFIED. JUST-AS-IF-I-DID-NOT-SIN; this was the way the fathers once defined JUSTIFICATION.
This is THE GOSPEL we were given. IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. That must be why it is THE GOSPEL. By His resurrection, we are justified BY FAITH (that is, when we believe).
ADDENDUM.
The same statement by Jesus in Mark 16 was captured by Matthew in this manner;
Matt 28: (NIV)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
PREACHING THE GOSPEL is like making the child.
MAKING DISCIPLES is like making the man.
THERE IS NO MAN WITHOUT THE CHILD. THE MAN INFACT REMAINS A CHILD TO HIS FATHER.
BEWARE OF MAKING DISCIPLES OF NON-CHILDREN. ONLY THE CHILDREN CAN BECOME DISCIPLES. AND THEY WILL, FOR THEIR FATHER IS RESPONSIBLE.
PREACH THE GOSPEL NOT COMMANDMENTS.
TEACH IN LOVE. THE COMMANDMENT OF CHRIST IS LOVE.
THE CHRISTIAN IS GOD'S BELOVED.
Amen.
#Thetruegospel
#Justificationbyfaith
#radicalgrace
- Adeolu O. V.
Mark 16:
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
Our Lord Jesus Christ commissioned the disciples to go preach THE GOSPEL to all creation. 'Whoever believes' shows humans were the primary target because they only have the capacity to 'believe'. '... and is baptised' goes beyond immersion in water or spirit. These are only symbolic acts of a grand spiritual initiation. (John 3:5; 1 John 5:5-7).
So THE GOSPEL is what our Saviour and Lord sent the disciples (by extension- us) to preach. That word 'THE; is definite. We must identify that THE GOSPEL because this was not the first time Jesus would send His disciples to go preach. Since, it was the last time He told them to go preach, we must check to see what THE GOSPEL actually is.
Just to butress the fact that these disciples, especially the twelve had been sent to preach by Jesus before that Mark 16:15 scenerio, see the scripture below;
Matthew 5:
5 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:
6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
So we see here that they had preached some gospel before. The content of that 'gospel' was 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand'. And take note that they were told to exclude the 'Gentiles'. ANother place where Jesus did send them (seventy two of them) to preach is in Luke 10 and the instructions and modalities followed the same pattern as Matthew 10.
What could possibly diffentiate the 'gospels' preached in Matthew 10 and Luke 10 from THE GOSPEL in Mark 16? It is in the Content, Scope and Context.
CONTENT. The disciples were told to preach that the Kingdom of God (or heaven) was at hand. In other words, the big deal about THE GOSPEL in Mark 16 must be that THE KINGDOM OF GOD (OR HEAVEN) IS LIVE!
SCOPE: The disciples were told not to go beyond Israel, now they were sent to 'ALL CREATION'. We know that this means 'THE GENTILES' could now hear THE GOSPEL.
CONTEXT: When the disciples first went out to preach before Mark 16, Jesus had not died, had not been buried, had not resurrected. These three events are very profound components of THE GOSPEL. We know this by the words of Paul, an apostle separated unto THE GOSPEL (Rom 1:1). Paul said in the scriptures below (please read carefully).
1 Corinthians 15 (KJV)
15 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:
So it is clear the THE GOSPEL could not have been preached if Jesus had not died, had not been buried, and had not risen again.
In the same light, Paul had emphasied that the culmination of THE GOSPEL was the resurrection of Jesus (not diminishing His death and burial). See it here,
1 Cor 15
17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
So we see that THE GOSPEL was perfected and ready for the whole creation when Jesus rose from the dead. And whosoever believes THE GOSPEL is NO MORE IN HIS SINS. See Romans 4. (Once again, read carefully).
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
Righteousness was IMPUTED. Whatever is imputed must be what we did not have. It was PUT IN us. What was in us before then was SIN.
This happens WHEN WE BELIEVE. Not when we perform. If it was imputed, how else could we have received it except through FAITH?
By believing, we are JUSTIFIED. JUST-AS-IF-I-DID-NOT-SIN; this was the way the fathers once defined JUSTIFICATION.
This is THE GOSPEL we were given. IT SEEMS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. That must be why it is THE GOSPEL. By His resurrection, we are justified BY FAITH (that is, when we believe).
ADDENDUM.
The same statement by Jesus in Mark 16 was captured by Matthew in this manner;
Matt 28: (NIV)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
PREACHING THE GOSPEL is like making the child.
MAKING DISCIPLES is like making the man.
THERE IS NO MAN WITHOUT THE CHILD. THE MAN INFACT REMAINS A CHILD TO HIS FATHER.
BEWARE OF MAKING DISCIPLES OF NON-CHILDREN. ONLY THE CHILDREN CAN BECOME DISCIPLES. AND THEY WILL, FOR THEIR FATHER IS RESPONSIBLE.
PREACH THE GOSPEL NOT COMMANDMENTS.
TEACH IN LOVE. THE COMMANDMENT OF CHRIST IS LOVE.
THE CHRISTIAN IS GOD'S BELOVED.
Amen.
#Thetruegospel
#Justificationbyfaith
#radicalgrace
- Adeolu O. V.
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