‹—A bilingual site! See the button to the left!
by Herbert W. Armstrong (1892-1986)
SHOULD THERE BE such perplexity – such confusion – in every phase of life
today? It should be the function of religion to point the way. Yet
here, too, we find only confusion of tongues – hundreds of religious
denominations and sects, in a babylon of disagreement. Even in the
professing Christian religion of the western world, we find different
sects and denominations preaching a variety of different gospels! Some
designate their Gospel as "The Gospel of Jesus Christ". Others
call their Gospel "The Gospel of Salvation". Still others
profess the "Gospel of Grace;" some "The Gospel of the
Kingdom;" and some call their gospel "The ISRAEL Message".
Why have they lost the only true gospel which God sent by Jesus Christ? WHY?
How Many Gospels
Are There?
Does
it make any difference which Gospel we believe? Listen to the answer
of the Eternal God as
inspired in Paul's letter to the Galatians – the first chapter, the
8th and 9th verses: "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach
any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,
let him be accursed." And it is made a double-curse! For the next
verse says: " ... so say I now again, if any man preach any other
gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed!"
WHY, then
has the world lost sight of that Gospel? WHY do people believe different
gospels today?
Jesus Christ said it
is necessary to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL to be saved! Yet the many – the
hundreds of millions – today, do not know what that Gospel is! Again,
His parting commission to His apostles, being sent out as His ministers
to build His church, was this: "Go ye into all the world, and
preach the Gospel." They were to preach the gospel.
Jesus
then said: "He that and is baptized
shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark
16:15). Notice! Jesus said, "He that believeth". Believeth
what? Why, believeth that which they preached, of course – the gospel! Not A gospel. Not any gospel. The gospel! On the authority of Jesus
Christ, it is necessary to believe that precise identical gospel in
order to be saved! And to BELIEVE the true Gospel, we must first come
to KNOW what it is!
Now with whom, and from where, and to whom, did the
true Gospel originate? With Christ? No, not with Christ!
The Message Sent
from Heaven
God
the Father had promised to send a Messenger into this world from
heaven, bearing a Message
from HIM – God the Father! God had promised that in Malachi 3:1: "Behold
I will send my Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me;" – and that messenger, as explained in Mark 1:2, was John the baptist,
preparing the way before Jesus Christ; "and the LORD, whom ye
seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in."
The very first sermon by which God had the Gospel
preached to Gentiles, when Peter was sent to the house of the Gentile
Cornelius, recorded in the 10th chapter of the Book of Acts, gives
us very explicit directions for locating the one and only TRUE GOSPEL.
Open your own Bible! I want you to read this with your own eyes! This
is what the inspired Peter said, as recorded in Acts 10:36-37:
"The
Word which GOD sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace
by Jesus Christ
(he is Lord of all): That
Word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and
began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached."
Which Gospel Did
Jesus Preach?
Notice
carefully these points: 1)With whom did this Message – this Gospel
– originate? Peter said: "The
word which GOD sent." 2) To whom did God send it? Peter said "unto
the children of Israel." Although now, ten years later, this same
Gospel is being opened up to Gentiles of ALL nations, originally it
was sent to the children of Israel, and it was sent by GOD the Father.
It did not originate with Jesus Christ, nor with Peter, nor with the
Apostle Paul. It was sent by GOD the Father of Jesus Christ! 3) BY
WHOM was it sent? Who was the divine Messenger who brought and preached
the Message? Peter said "by Jesus Christ." Jesus Christ was
the divine messenger. Malachi called Him the Messenger of the covenant.
That Message, then, is the NEW Covenant Message, for Moses was the
mediator of the Old Covenant, and Jesus Christ of the NEW, as affirmed
by many Scriptures. This Message, then, is the New Testament gospel.
Now, 4) WHERE was it first preached? To what geographical location
shall we look for its beginning? Peter said. "began from Galilee." Yes,
Galilee, then is the place where it was first preached.
When did
Jesus begin to preach this particular Gospel in Galilee? Peter said "after the baptism which John preached." The
true gospel of the NEW Covenant, then, did not begin with John the
baptist. It was after John had completed his baptismal ministry.
Now these
very definite directions lead us directly to the first chapter of
Mark. The first verse tells
us this is the
record of the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Then it relates
the baptizing ministry of John, preaching, NOT the Gospel, but "the
baptism of repentance", which prepares the way for salvation through
Jesus Christ. And then we come to verses 14 and 15: "Now after
that John was put in prison" – there is the exact time for
the beginning of the preaching of the true gospel ... "JESUS" –
there is the divine Messenger by whom God sent it ... "came into
GALILEE" – the precise geographical location. So we now have the
TIME, the Israelites residing there TO WHOM God sent the Message, the
PLACE, and the MESSENGER – so whatever we find Jesus preaching here
is the one and only true gospel.
And what
do we read? "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.
What About the Gospel
of Jesus Christ?
But if the one and only true Gospel is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, what about the Gospel of
Jesus Christ? Is that a false gospel? Not at all. The Gospel of Jesus
Christ IS the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. The Gospel of Jesus Christ
IS NOT man's gospel ABOUT the PERSON of Christ. It is CHRIST'S Gospel
– the Gospel Jesus PREACHED – the Gospel GOD SENT by Him, and therefore
it is also called, in Scripture, the Gospel of God. We hear a great
deal, today, of the gospel of MEN about the PERSON of Jesus Christ
– confining the message solely to the things ABOUT Jesus – what he
DID. As a result, millions believe on Christ, who do not BELIEVE CHRIST!
But Jesus' Gospel IS HIS Message!
And yet
it was not His, but His Father's who sent Him, as He Himself said.
In John 12:49-50,
Jesus said: I have not spoken
of myself; but the Father which sent me, HE gave me a commandment,
what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that HIS commandment
is life everlasting; whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father
said unto me, so I speak." Yes, the Father sent Jesus bearing
a Message, which is the Good News of THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Jesus is God's
spokesman – the WORD that was made flesh and lived, and taught, on
this earth! In John 14: 24 Jesus said, "The word which ye hear
is NOT MINE, but the Father's which sent me." And descriptive
of the religion of the Old Testament, and the GOSPEL of the NEW, it
is written in Luke 16:16: "The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the KINGDOM OF GOD is preached."
What Is the Kingdom
of God?
And
yet there are some in this modern day of religious confusion who
believe the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is not for this age – this New Testament time of grace. They
reject and therefore do not believe the true Gospel as Jesus commanded
and thereby reject the very conditions to SALVATION, saying the Gospel
of the KINGDOM is a gospel for some future age yet to come. But as
the apostle Paul said to the Thessalonians, I would not have you to
be IGNORANT of the very Gospel which alone can bring us eternal life!
There was a definite TIME for the beginning of the Gospel – since John.
The law and the prophets were UNTIL John. Since John's special preparatory
ministry, THE KINGDOM OF GOD is preached. There was a definite TIME
for this true New Testament Gospel to begin. And after John was put
in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, saying, "The TIME is fulfilled", and
preaching the Gospel.
And so now, WHAT
IS that Gospel?
The English word Gospel comes
from the word Godspell, and means GOOD NEWS. Daily, we read the news of world happenings – mostly bad news! We live in a troubled, chaotic
world. And the very best news you can hear in this day, or any other,
is the good news of the Kingdom of God.
But what is a KINGDOM. Primarily, it is a GOVERNMENT
– a NATION and the GOVERNMENT which rules it. And especially in this
biblical sense, there is the DUAL sense of the NATION, including all
its subjects or citizens, and the GOVERNMENT by which it is ruled.
Again – in BIBLE usage, a Kingdom is often a family from a single parent
grown into a NATION.
Four things are necessary to constitute a KINGDOM.
1) The TERRITORY, with its specific location and definite boundary
lines, of 2) a KING or Supreme Ruler or governing agent, ruling over
3) SUBJECTS or citizens within that territorial jurisdiction, with
4) LAWS and a form of GOVERNMENT. If we leave out any one of these
vital requisites, we do not have, and cannot BELIEVE, the true GOSPEL
for this time.
We must know whether the Kingdom of God is here NOW,
or coming later; whether its territory is THE EARTH, or up in heaven;
whether it is a literal kingdom of human mortals, or a kingdom of immortals;
whether it is literal or figurative, real or unreal. And on many of
these things, a great many people are ALL MIXED up! But now what about
the Gospel of GRACE – the Gospel of SALVATION?
Born Into the Kingdom
Notice,
when Nicodemus came to Jesus secretly, as recorded in John the 3rd
chapter, Jesus said
to him: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be BORN
AGAIN, he cannot see the KINGDOM OF GOD." Jesus was proclaiming
the KINGDOM OF GOD – explaining a most important phase of it. As Paul
wrote to the Church at Corinth, 1 Corinthians 15, flesh and blood – that is, a mortal human – cannot enter IN to the Kingdom of God. It
is NOT, then, a kingdom whose citizens are mortal flesh-and-blood humans.
Jesus went on to show Nicodemus that we who are born of the flesh ARE
flesh – just mortal flesh and blood. We were BORN that way – HUMAN
– MORTAL. But it is possible for us to be BORN, AGAIN – this time,
not as a mortal flesh-and-blood baby, but born of the SPIRIT. Now in
the 4th chapter of John we read that GOD is a SPIRIT. The Kingdom of
God is composed of those BORN of GOD. And as I have explained previously,
GOD is not a single person, but the Hebrew word for God – "ELOHIM" portrays
God as a FAMILY of persons – a single family, or kingdom, but composed
of MORE than one person. We have the mineral kingdom – the plant kingdom
– the animal kingdom.
The Bible reveals an angel kingdom, created by God
and composed of spirit, not matter. And then, high above all is the
very CREATING Kingdom – the GOD kingdom, or, in other words, THE KINGDOM
OF GOD! God is REPRODUCING HIMSELF! God created man in GOD'S IMAGE,
so that man may become impregnated, BEGOTTEN, by the very Spirit of
GOD, and then, by a resurrection, be BORN as an immortal SPIRIT-COMPOSED
person in the KINGDOM OF GOD. The Apostle Paul made very plain to the
Corinthians that while mortal flesh and blood cannot inherit, or enter
into, the Kingdom of God, that thru the resurrection of those BEGOTTEN
BY THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD during this mortal life, this MORTAL then
puts on IMMORTALITY, and we, like the very God Himself, become IMMORTAL,
INCORRUPTIBLE, actually, literally, BORN of God's Spirit INTO the very
GOD FAMILY.
Conditions of Entering
Now,
HOW may we enter into that glorious KINGDOM? Jesus came preaching
the Gospel of the Kingdom
of God, and saying, "REPENT", and "BELIEVE THE GOSPEL." Just
TWO things we do – REPENT, and BELIEVE. To BELIEVE means to believe
the Gospel, and that means also believing on JESUS CHRIST, the KING
of the Kingdom of God, and coming KING of kings over all the families
of the earth. It means believing in Him as personal SAVIOUR, as High
Priest now, and as coming KING.
But to
repent is to completely CHANGE THE MIND in respect to SIN, and sin
is the transgression of
the LAW – the law of
GOD by which God RULES the Kingdom (1 John 3:4). It means a total,
complete CHANGE OF MIND AND OF LIFE. It means we REPENT of transgressing
the rule, the will, the laws, of GOD. What did Jesus say to the young
man who asked Him HOW to inherit eternal life? He said, "IF thou
wilt enter into life, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS" (Matt. 19:17) and
went on to show that He referred to the TEN COMMANDMENTS, God's great
SPIRITUAL LAW, summing up, in principle, the WHOLE duty of righteous
living. It is a WAY OF LIFE, and a way contrary to human nature, and
to the ways and customs of this world! – It is the basic spiritual
law, and way of life, of the KINGDOM OF GOD – the WAY to peace of mind,
to world peace, to happiness, prosperity and JOY – the WAY to eternal
life.
Kingdom of God To
Be Preached TODAY
Yes, JESUS proclaimed and taught
the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
But did
He command His ministers, in BUILDING HIS CHURCH, to preach this
same Gospel? Quickly let us
notice the Scriptures.
Luke 9:1-2: "Then called He His twelve disciples together ...
and He sent them TO PREACH THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
Luke 10:9: "After these things, the Lord appointed
other seventy also, and sent them two and two before his face into
every city and place whither He Himself should come, Therefore He said
unto them ... heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The
Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." In Jesus' prayer, so commonly
called "The Lord's Prayer", He said, "THY KINGDOM COME" – then it wasn't here yet, and it isn't here yet, today – but He taught
us to pray for it to COME – for His KINGDOM and that ALONE, shall bring
PEACE, and HAPPINESS, to this sin-sick war-weary earth! "Thy Kingdom
COME – THY WILL BE DONE on earth, as it is in heaven." The FATHER'S
WILL.
What Gospel did the early evangelists preach, in first
sending out the faith once delivered? How did the early Church carry
out the commission?
Notice
PHILIP preaching at Samara! Acts 8:12. "But
when they BELIEVED Philip, preaching the things concerning THE KINGDOM
OF GOD, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men
and women." Philip preached the things concerning the Kingdom of God.
PAUL!
Acts 20:25, 21: "I have gone preaching
the Kingdom of God testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks,
repentance toward God, and FAITH toward our Lord Jesus Christ." And
notice the Gospel Paul preached to GENTILES, after he had turned completely
away from the Jews. Acts 28:30-31: "And Paul dwelt two whole years
in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him preaching
the Kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord
Jesus Christ.'' And, lastly, what gospel did Jesus say should be preached
today?"
Matthew
24:14, speaking of the present: "And
this GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM shall be preached in ALL the world for a
witness" – for a WITNESS – "unto ALL NATIONS, and then shall
the END come!'' – the end of this AGE.
Copyright 1955
Ambassador College
