What is the Gospel?

 

Anyone who is familiar with apologetics knows that we defend the Gospel and the truth claims of Christianity.

 Defending the truth claims of Christianity should always relate to the message of Jesus Christ. So, the question is, what is the Gospel? 

A pastor friend of mine once told me that he would ask people in his congregation to explain the Gospel in 60 seconds. Wow!

 Can you recite the Gospel in 60 seconds? Paul was able to!

 What comes to mind when you think of the gospel?

 

Most people have something like Romans 10 in mind when thinking about the gospel.

 

Romans 10:9–10 (NASB95)

9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;

10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

 We need to have a clear understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ before we can share it.

 

The most concise statement of the Gospel that I know of in the bible can be found in

1 Corinthians 15:1-8,

lets take a look.

 

Paul tells us about the Gospel in verses 1 and 2

 

  1.  Now I make known to you the gospel

 

 2. By which you are saved

 

 3. If you hold fast (to continue to believe..LN 31:48)

 

 Paul tells us the gospel in verses 3 and 4

 

• Christ died for our sins

• He was buried

• He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

 

 Verses 5 – 8 He explains the post resurrection appearances of Jesus

 

• He appeared to Cephas (Peter)

• Then to the twelve

• Then to more than five hundred brethren (most of whom remain until now)

• Then to James

• Then to all the apostles

• Then to Paul

 

Thanks to Paul, we are able to recite the gospel in 60 seconds according the to the Scriptures, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.