Gospel, The

From: Doctrinal Definitions: A Handbook of Doctrinal Terms & Expressions in the New Testament By: Stanley Bruce Anstey

• 5 min. read • grade level: 8

The word “gospel” means ”glad tidings” or “good news,” and it is used in Scripture to indicate that God has good news for man. This fact shows that God is interested in the blessing of man.

Scripture records that there have been different gospel messages that were preached to men at different times in history, promising different forms of blessing from God. To meld these gospel calls into one message is a mistake and does not take into account the dispensational ways of God.

God’s good news was first announced to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. It promised the eventual crushing of Satan under the judgment of God (Gen. 3:15¹⁵And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15); Rom. 16:20²⁰And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. (Romans 16:20); Rev. 20:10¹⁰And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)), but it was not specifically called the gospel. Good news was announced to Noah by which he was moved to build an ark to the saving of his house (Heb. 11:7⁷By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith. (Hebrews 11:7)), though again, this was not called the gospel.

“The gospel” was preached to Abraham, promising the blessing of being reckoned righteous by God (Gal. 3:8⁸And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. (Galatians 3:8)).

“The gospel” was preached to the nation of Israel promising them deliverance from bondage in Egypt and a material inheritance in the land of Canaan (Ex. 3:7-8⁷And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; ⁸And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (Exodus 3:7‑8); Num. 13:26²⁶And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. (Numbers 13:26); Heb. 4:2-3²For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. ³For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. (Hebrews 4:2‑3)).

“The gospel of the kingdom” was preached to the nation of Israel by John the Baptist (Matt. 3), the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 4), and the apostles (Matt. 10). It promised that if they accepted Christ as their Messiah, He would establish the kingdom in the literal way in which the Old Testament prophets portrayed it. But the Jews rejected the Lord Jesus Christ (Isa. 49:4; 50:5-7; 53:1-4⁴Then I said, I have labored in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God. (Isaiah 49:4)
⁵The Lord God hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. ⁶I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. ⁷For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. (Isaiah 50:5‑7)
¹Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? ²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. ³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:1‑4); Micah 5:2²But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)), and consequently, this gospel offer of the kingdom was postponed (Micah 5:3³Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. (Micah 5:3); Matt. 12:14-21¹⁴Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. ¹⁵But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; ¹⁶And charged them that they should not make him known: ¹⁷That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ¹⁸Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. ¹⁹He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. ²¹And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. (Matthew 12:14‑21); Rom. 11:7-11⁷What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded ⁸(According as it is written, God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear;) unto this day. ⁹And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them: ¹⁰Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their back alway. ¹¹I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy. (Romans 11:7‑11)). It will be preached again in a future day (in the 70th week of Daniel 9:27²⁷And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)) by the faithful Jewish remnant (Psa. 95-96; Matt. 24:14¹⁴And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)). Many in that day will be blessed through it—including Gentiles (Isa. 55-56; Rev. 9:7⁷And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. (Revelation 9:7)). They will participate in the earthly blessings of the kingdom which this gospel promises.

The gospel preached in these Christian times has at least seven titles, conveying various aspects of the message of God’s good news to the world today. This gospel announces that God in grace has come down to man in the Person of Christ, and through His atoning sufferings, death, and shed blood has secured salvation for sinners who believe. More than this, it announces that God has raised Christ from the dead and has seated Him at His right hand on high, and the believer now has a place of acceptance in Him, in whom are all his blessings. The person who believes this great message is sealed with the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13¹³In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (Ephesians 1:13)) and made part of the Church of God, the body and bride of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, ²³Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:22‑23)). Thus, this gospel is a heavenly call of believers to a heavenly destiny with Christ (1 Cor. 15:48-49⁴⁸As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. ⁴⁹And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. (1 Corinthians 15:48‑49); 2 Cor. 5:1¹For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (2 Corinthians 5:1); Eph. 1:3; 2:6; 6:12³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)
⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: (Ephesians 2:6)
¹²For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6:12); Phil. 3:20²⁰For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: (Philippians 3:20); Col. 1:5; 3:1-2⁵For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; (Colossians 1:5)
¹If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. ²Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. (Colossians 3:1‑2); Heb. 3:1; 8:1-2; 9:11; 10:19-21; 11:16; 12:22; 13:14¹Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; (Hebrews 3:1)
¹Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; ²A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. (Hebrews 8:1‑2)
¹¹But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; (Hebrews 9:11)
¹⁹Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; ²¹And having an high priest over the house of God; (Hebrews 10:19‑21)
¹⁶But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city. (Hebrews 11:16)
²²But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, (Hebrews 12:22)
¹⁴For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. (Hebrews 13:14); 1 Peter 1:4⁴To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, (1 Peter 1:4)). All who believe this gospel will live and reign with Christ in the heavens over the millennial earth (Rev. 21:9⁹And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. (Revelation 21:9)–22:5).

• When it is termed “the Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24²⁴But 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. (Acts 20:24)), it is referring to Christ’s coming down from heaven in grace to die for sinners.

• When it is called “the Gospel of the Glory of God” (1 Tim. 1:11¹¹According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. (1 Timothy 1:11)), it is emphasizing Christ’s ascension on high in glory and the believer’s acceptance in Him there before God. (Paul called this aspect “my Gospel” – Romans 2:16; 16:25¹⁶In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2:16)
²⁵Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, (Romans 16:25); 2 Timothy 2:8⁸Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel: (2 Timothy 2:8).)

• When it is called “the Gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1¹Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, (Romans 1:1)), it is pointing to the source of the good news—God Himself who drew salvation’s plan.

• When it is called “the Gospel of His Son” (Rom. 1:9⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers; (Romans 1:9)), it is referring to the love of God that would cause Him to give the dearest Object of His heart to save sinners.

• When it is called “the Gospel of Christ” (Phil. 1:27²⁷Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; (Philippians 1:27)), it is referring the great subject of the Gospel—Christ and His glory.

• When it is called “the Gospel of Peace” (Eph. 6:15¹⁵And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (Ephesians 6:15)), it is referring to the practical peace that our feet preach (i.e. our lives) as we walk through this troubled world.

• When it is called “the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:8⁸In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: (2 Thessalonians 1:8)), it is not only emphasizing the salvation of our souls, but also the salvation of our lives by making Christ the Lord in our lives practically.

This distinctly Christian gospel must not be confused with the gospel of the kingdom. As mentioned, the destiny of those who believe the gospel of the grace and glory of God is to live and reign with Christ in heaven in His millennial kingdom. Whereas, the destiny of those who believe the gospel of the kingdom is to live on earth in Christ’s millennial kingdom (Rev. 7). These are two different spheres of blessing—heavenly and earthly. These distinctively different messages are not going out to the world at the same time; it would be confusion if they did.