The
Gospel of God
The
BIBLICAL messages ABOUT God... FROM God...
TO God's people
A
tablet from the on-going INTERNET BOOK,
"The Doctor's Terrific Tablets"
(
http://www.terrific-tabs.com
)
by John
N. Todd III, M. D.
(link)
The web-link to this
"tablet" is: http://www.terrific-tabs.com/print_gospel.htm
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(This "tablet"
interrelates closely with the tablet, "The
Faith OF
Jesus".)
"Doctored" 7/00; 6/01; 7/01; 9/01; 12/01; 5/02; 7/02; 9/02;
10/02; 3/03; 5/03; 12/03; 6/04; 7/04; 11/04; 12/04; 2/05;
3/05; 4/05; 5/05; 8/06; 11/06; 6/14/07;
6/15/07
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"The
gospel"..... the "good message" (or, as some translate
it, "the good news"). What is "the gospel"? What are the
messages that God intended to
portray.... through God-Incarnate --
and through the words of the
Bible? Some "denominations" (and some translations of
the Bible) have attempted to reserve the term
"gospel" to refer to what they define as the
"good news that Jesus died on the cross, for the redemption
of the sins of mankind". I do not agree with man-made
"churchy" interpretation of "the Gospel".... for reasons
which I describe, below.
I consider "The Gospel" to be the
Biblical "good news" ABOUT
God -- FROM God -- TO
God's
people
(link).... expressed in the words and
"messages" that God Himself
"spoke" throughout the
entire Bible.... and
revealed by God, in the
life and in the example and in
the words of
Jesus.... God-Incarnate. (See
link:
Jesus
is God; God is in Jesus.)
Can it be argued that there is more than
one "gospel"? Is there a Gospel
of God that JESUS
taught.... and a separate
"gospel" designed and complexified, through
the years, by various humanistic doctrinal
interpretations? The answer to that question:
No! There is only
one gospel.... the "Gospel
of God".
Any message ("good news" or "Gospel") that comes
through Jesus -- from either the
words of Jesus.... or from the life,
crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus --
is FROM God! Jesus did
not preach and teach a "gospel"
about Himself.... and about His
own life, death, and resurrection. Jesus taught and
described only the "Gospel
of GOD".)
(According to the
Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary (1967), "It was
not until circa A. D. 150 that the word
'Gospel' was applied to the writings
concerning the message of
Christ." [Clearly, there was no written
"gospel" about Jesus during the time of
Jesus's ministry on earth. Jesus never used the
term "gospel" to refer to His own life and
"ministry".] That is, it was long after the life,
works, words. crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus -- and
long after Paul's writings -- that those in
"church" authority decided to revise the
"definition" and implications of the term "the gospel".)
To restrict the
term "Gospel" to a denominational definition like: "The
'Gospel' is the 'good news' that God has provided a way of
redemption through His Son, Jesus Christ" -- omits
all the other "good news" from
God, and about God -- that
Jesus brought in His message to the
Jews and "Gentiles" of His
time -- and to all subsequent "Godspeople"
(God's
people;
see link).
(It must also be
remembered [obviously] that there is but one
"God". God came to earth, "incarnate" in Jesus. Jesus
is not another "god" -- a separate "deity" --
distinct from The One God. [See
link:
Jesus
is God; God is in Jesus.])
(Remember too,
the "Spirit of God" is not an "essence" that is different
and distinct from God. The Spirit of
God IS the "Holy Spirit" -- the "Spirit"
that indwells each of God's people. [See
link: God
the Holy Spirit.]
The "Spirit of God" that has existed throughout the ages is
no different from the "Holy Spirit" that
Jesus referred to as the Comforter, the
Counselor, and the Advocate. So, any "good
news" from Jesus, or from the Holy Spirit
-- is from God. No churchy revisions,
extrapolations, re-definitions and restrictions are
necessary, or proper.)
So, now, see what the Lord Jesus Himself said
about the "Gospel of the
Kingdom of God", and about the
"Gospel of God". Jesus does not
ever state that He was
"sent" into the World to preach the "Gospel of
Jesus".... or to proclaim "Christianity".... based on
His own life, death, and
resurrection.
The
"Gospel of God", and the "Gospel
of the Kingdom of God" are proclaimed by
God, through the spoken words of the Lord Jesus
(God "incarnate" in man) -- and by innumerable splendid
scriptural truths revealed in the Old
Testament and in the New Testament. Note the
references quoted below. Read these scriptures out
loud, so that so you can "see" and "hear" what
Jesus-God says:
Mark 1: 14 (KJV) Now after that John was
put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of
God, 15 And saying, "The time is
fulfilled, and the Kingdom of
God is at hand: repent ye, and
believe the
gospel."
Mark
1: 14 (NEB) After John had been
arrested, Jesus came into Galilee
proclaiming the Gospel of
God: "The time has come; the
Kingdom of God is upon you; repent,
and believe the
Gospel".
Mark 1: 14 (RSV) ......
Jesus came into Galilee,
preaching the Gospel of
God, and saying, "The time is
fulfilled, and the Kingdom of
God is at hand. Repent, and believe in
the Gospel."
Matthew
4: 23 (KJV) And Jesus went about
all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the GOSPEL of
the Kingdom (same RSV and
NEB), and healing all manner of sickness and all
manner of disease among the people.
Luke 4: 43 (KJV and NASV)
Jesus speaking: "I
must preach the Kingdom
of God -- for I was SENT
for this purpose."
Luke 4: 43 (Amplified Bible) Jesus
speaking: I must preach the good news
(the Gospel) of the Kingdom
of God ...... for I was
SENT for this
purpose.
Mark 8: 34 (NRSV) He (Jesus) called the
crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If
any want to become my followers, let them deny
themselves, and take up their cross and follow
me. 35 For those who want to save
their life will lose it, and those who
lose their life for my sake.... and for the sake
of the gospel, will save
it. 36 For what will it profit them to
gain the whole world, and forfeit their
life?"
(JNT note: Here, again, Jesus is
not referring to the "gospel" of His own
subsequent death and resurrection.... but to the
Gospel of God.)
Matthew 9: 35 (KJV) And Jesus went about
all the cities and villages, teaching in their
synagogues, and preaching the GOSPEL
of the Kingdom (same in RSV).
Mark 16: 15 (KJV) And He (Jesus) said
unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the GOSPEL to
every creature.
Romans 1: 1 (KJV) Paul, a servant of
Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated
unto the Gospel of
God.
Romans 15: 16 (KJV) That I (Paul) should
be the minister of Jesus Christ to the
Gentiles.... ministering the Gospel of
God....
2 Corinthians 11: 7 (KJV) (Paul speaking)
Have I committed an offence in abasing myself
that ye might be exalted, because I have
preached to you the Gospel of
God freely?
Matthew 24: 14 (NRSV) Jesus
speaking: "And this gospel of the
Kingdom will be preached in the whole
world, as a testimony to all
nations....."
Luke 16: 16 (NASV) Jesus
speaking: "The Law and the Prophets were
proclaimed until John (the Baptist). Since then,
the gospel of the
Kingdom of God is
preached, and everyone in forcing his way into
it. (Amplified Bible says:
"Everyone strives to go into the Kingdom in
his own way, rather than by
God's way.")
Acts 20: 24 (KJV) But none of these
things move me, neither count I my life dear
unto myself, so that I might finish my course
with joy, and the ministry, which I have
received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the
gospel of the grace of
God.
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There is much
more "good news"; and there are many more "good messages"
throughout the "Gospel of God". The
"good news" from God.... expressing the
INTENTION of God.... is found not only in the
words and examples and miracles of God-Incarnate, but also
in Paul's Biblical explanations and extrapolations of
Jesus's messages -- and, of course, in the revelations of
the other magnificent "books" of the "Old
Testament" -- and the "New Testament".
You, the reader, and I, and others, can make a long list of
"good messages" from God, that come from and
through the the Bible of God. In the paragraphs that follow,
I will enumerate a few of my favorite
"messages", from the "Gospel of God" -- the Gospel of the
Kingdom of God.... and you can add others,
for yourself, from your own thoughts, and
memories, and revelations.
In the following list, I have made "links" to several
"tablets" of this book. These links show numerous
Biblical references on each subject.
1.
Jesus, as quoted in the references above, said that He must
preach the gospel of the Kingdom of God, for He was
"sent for that purpose". (The "Kingdom of God" is the
spiritual dwelling place of God, and
His accepted people -- in this world.... and
in the life to come.) Now it may seem silly to say this, but
in the "Kingdom of God", God is the King. He is in
command. He makes the decisions. He does what He pleases, to
satisfy His own plans. The Kingdom of God is not
ruled by humans, or by rules and regulations and
doctrinal "Law", or by a "church", or by the plans and
machinations of any earthly group. The Sovereign God of the
Universe is in charge of you and me....
and He is the only One who decides about who is
qualified and acceptable to "enter" the Kingdom of God. (See
link: The
Kingdom of God.)
2.
God chooses ("elects") those individuals who
are to be included among His "children" -- His people. We
humans may not understand it, or like it; but
God has His own "selective process" -- not
based on what we humans think or claim for ourselves;
and not based on what a "church" or minister decides
-- but based only on God's own choice.
We humans do not choose God -- God does the choosing. (See
link: Chosen
by God.)
3.
God forgives sin.... and does not hold the
sins, "misdeeds", and "trespasses" of His
accepted people against them. (See link Sin
-- What is Sin, and who decides?")
4.
"Righteousness", in God's accepted individuals, is a
gift from God, granted to
(imputed to; ascribed to) God's people. "Righteousness", in
God's eyes, is not something that we humans "do", or
"earn"; and righteousness is not related to
deeds-done ("works"), or to creeds recited, or to promises
made. (The
Righteousness of God
-- link.)
5.
"Salvation is of the Lord". Salvation does not
come from humans, or from the church, or from the pope, or
from our own works, or from our "choices", or from our own
"decision". ("Salvation
is of the Lord")
6.
God's accepted ("chosen") individuals do not
come under judgment
(see link).
John
3: 18 (NASV) He who believes in Him (the Son)
is not judged. He who does not
believe has been judged already; because
he has not believed in the name of the only
begotten son of God.
Same (Amplified Bible) He who believes
on Him...... is not judged
(he who trusts in Him never comes up for
judgment; for him there is no rejection,
no condemnation; he incurs no
damnation).
John 5: 24 (NIV) (Jesus speaking): Very truly,
I tell you, anyone who hears my word, and believes Him
(God) who sent me, has eternal life; and does
not come under judgment, but has
passed from death to life.
7.
God's people are born
of the Spirit
(link);
and they are the children
of God
(link);
and they are brothers of
Jesus.
John 3: 3
(NRSV) Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no
one can see the Kingdom of God without being born
from above. 5 .... no one
can enter the Kingdom of God
without being born of water, and Spirit.
6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what
is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do
not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be
born from above'."
John 1: 12 (NIV) Yet to all who received him,
to those who believed in His name, He gave the right
to become children of God -- 13 children
born not of natural descent, nor of
human decision, or a husband's will,
but born of God.
Romans 8: 29 (NIV) For those God
foreknew, he also predestined to be
conformed to the likeness of his Son, that He (Jesus)
might be the firstborn among many
BROTHERS.
Romans 8: 14 (NRSV) For all who are led by the
Spirit of God are children of God. 16
.... it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our
spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if
children, then heirs, heirs of
God, and joint heirs with
Christ.
Hebrews 2: 10 (NEB) Both the One who makes men
holy, and those who are made holy, are of the
same family. So Jesus is
not ashamed to call them
BROTHERS.
8.
When an individual has been accepted by God, that
"acceptance" is irrevocable.
Romans 11: 29 {NRSV} Paul speaking: "The gifts of God, and
His calling, are irrevocable".
God does not change His mind, about His people. God's
children do not have to "squirm", every day, hoping
to please an angry and retributive
God. The "good news", according to this scripture, is
that God understands that we humans are indeed
only human. God knows us for what we are. After all,
He made us -- each of us -- just
as He intended. We belong to God. We live for
His pleasure, according to His plan, for each
of us. He will not "save" us today, and then
"revoke" our salvation tomorrow. God
does, indeed, "work" in each of His people,
day by day..... molding and bending and teaching and
edifying..... and yes, disciplining.
9.
(A personal note: The "really good news" that Jesus
explained, time and again, during His original days on
Earth, is that God was not, and is
not, owned and possessed by any religious group, or
doctrine, or "church". (See link Circumventing
God.)
During Jesus's days in this world, He had a constant battle
with the then "religious" authorities (Scribes,
Pharisees, chief priests, etc.). Those authorities claimed
God to be the sole "property" of the Jews, to the
exclusion of all who were not "born of Abraham", and
to the exclusion of all who did not follow the
prescribed Jewish religious traditions. (See link
Rigid
Doctrinism.)
(My personal
feeling is that Jesus functioned largely as a
"reformer", serving to awaken
God's
people
(see link) to understand that the "Kingdom of
God" was not restricted to Jews only. Jesus
wanted all of God's people, regardless of their
earthly kinship and national origin, to
know that all who are accepted by God are irrevocably
and irresistibly included among God's children ("God's
people") in God's "Kingdom" -- irrespective of the
assessment of any earthly humans, and
regardless of the opinion of any religious
church-group.)
10.
God has "enemies"; and the enemies of
God's people are enemies of God (see link,
Enemies
of God, and enemies of God's
people).
11.
"Vengeance" and retribution and revenge
are God's business. God "retaliates" against those who
harm His people; and God "repays" those who do
not satisfy Him.
Hebrews 10:
30 (KJV) For we know him that hath said,
Vengeance belongeth unto
me. I will recompense, saith the Lord.
And again, The Lord shall judge His
people.
Deuteronomy 32: 35 (KJV) To me belongeth
vengeance, and recompense.
Their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of
their calamity is at hand -- and the things
that shall come upon them make
haste. 36 For the LORD shall judge His
people, and repent Himself for His
servants, when He seeth that their
power is gone, and there is none shut up, or left.
(NRSV, verse 36:
Indeed the LORD will vindicate His people,
and have compassion on His servants, when He sees
that their power is gone -- neither bond nor free
remaining.) 37 And He shall say, Where are
their gods -- their rock in
whom they trusted, 38 Which
did eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drank the wine
of their drink offerings? Let them rise up, and help you;
and be your protection. 39 See now
that I am He, and there is no god
with me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I
heal -- neither is there any that can deliver
out of my hand. 40 For
I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.
41 If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand
take hold on judgment..... I will render
vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward
them that hate me.
12
The "Holy
Spirit" is God..... God the Holy
Spirit. (See numerous Biblical references on this point, in
the link: "The
Spirit of God").
There are not two "Holy Spirits"..... a "Holy Ghost"
of the resurrected Messiah..... plus, another Spirit,
the "Holy Spirit of God". See the Biblical references shown
in the above-link to the "Spirit of God".
My understanding is that the
effects of God, and the works of God, and the
indwelling power of God, and the bestowing of the
"gifts" of God, are all of the SAME
"origin"..... the same
"cause".... the same "source" --
whether one refers to this "source" as "God", or
"Lord", or "Lord God", or "Lord
Jesus", or "Jesus", or "Christ", or
"Christ Jesus", or "Savior", or
"Messiah", or "Spirit of God",
or "Holy Spirit of God", or
"Comforter", or "Advocate", or "Holy
Spirit", or "Holy Ghost", or
"Spirit of Truth".
13.
There are many other "good messages" in the Gospel of
God. I hope to "extrapolate" these, for
myself, later. Meanwhile, I hope the
reader will be considering what God
says, in His Bible, concerning the following
additional "elements" of good
news -- from God, for God's people.
Consider what God's "message" is -- about His mercy;
His grace; His guidance; protection;
teaching; discipline; forgiveness;
understanding -- and on and on. What else is on your
"list" of "gospel messages" from God.... about
God.
And so, you and I could, indeed, go "on and on" --
contemplating and remembering more and more "good news" that
comes from God (the "Gospel of God"....
"God's Doctrine".... the INTENTION of
God). However, it is sad but true -- in some denominational
groups, the meaning of the "Gospel" has been
restricted, and limited to a few "churchy" phrases
about the life and death of Jesus. Nevertheless..... the
real Gospel of God -- the
"good messages" from God --
through Jesus, and through Paul,
and through the written words of our
Bible -- are virtually innumerable. And, they are
fascinating, and exciting and enchanting -- to discover, and
to consider.... and to remember.
This is the end of my chapter on "The Gospel". I believe
that these scriptural references establish
my understanding that the Gospel of
God.... and the "Gospel of the Kingdom of
God".... are the real and true
GOSPEL.... the "good news" from God --
as portrayed in the Bible.
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