The Biblical Perspective of
The Gospel of ChristBy Kola AjibolaIntroductionIn the religious world today, it appears several things are being regarded by several people as the Gospel of Christ. To confirm this, just ask ten or more people who profess to be Christian: “What is the Gospel of Christ?” Definitely, you will receive as many answers as the number of people questioned and alas, differing and sometimes contradicting answers. The situation is worse, when the question is asked from those who do are not “Christians”.
According to the founder of Christianity, it is a taught religion, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” (John 7:17). Paul, wrote under the influence of Holy Spirit that we should “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). John, another apostle of Christ said that “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1). It is from this standpoint that we want to implore you sincerely to reason along as we consider the Biblical perspective of the Gospel of Christ.
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST DEFINEDGospel is “a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, and meaning "God's spell", i.e., word of God, or rather, according to others, "good spell", i.e., good news. It is the rendering of the Greek _evangelion_, i.e., "good message." It denotes (1) "the welcome intelligence of salvation to man as preached by our Lord and his followers. (2.) It was afterwards transitively applied to each of the four histories of our Lord's life, published by those who are therefore called 'Evangelists', writers of the history of the gospel (the evangelion). (3.) The term is often used to express collectively the gospel doctrines; and 'preaching the gospel' is often used to include not only the proclaiming of the good tidings, but the teaching men how to avail themselves of the offer of salvation, the declaring of all the truths, precepts, promises, and threatenings of Christianity." It is termed "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24), "the gospel of the kingdom" (Matt. 4:23), "the gospel of Christ" (Rom. 1:16), "the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15), "the glorious gospel," "the everlasting gospel," "the gospel of salvation" (Eph. 1:13)” (Easton Bible Dictionary).
According to Romans 1:16:-18, “… the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness.”
Jesus Christ commanded His disciples that they should “… Go … into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16).
Paul inferred that the gospel must be heard having been preached by a Preacher (Romans 10:13-17). The gospel of Christ has FACTS to be preached, heard and believed, COMMANDS to be obeyed and PROMISES to be received.
FACTS OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRISTThree facts were presented in the Bible about Jesus Christ. When writing to the Corinthians, Paul said, “Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain; For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: ” (I Cor. 15:1-4).
Fact Number One - Christ died for our sins: Jesus Christ died because of your sins and mine. Sin, according to the Bible is “All unrighteousness…” (1 John 5:17). “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). James said, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). John proclaimed with all clarity that “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).
Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God that was presented to the world as sacrificial Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the world. John, the baptizer, “… seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Jesus Christ was born for that purpose. “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin … For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:5, 8).
He is the only one that is qualified to take away our sins because nobody condemned Him of sin. Listen to the challenge He threw in those days: “Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?” (John 8:46).
Jesus Christ died because of your sins and mine and not because of His own sins for He has none. The Bible is full of testimony that He did not sinned. Peter testified that He “… did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:” (1 Peter 2:22). For this reason, God “… hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus Christ once lived in this world of sin, and “was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15).
Some may claim that they are without sin, Bible referred to them as liars (I John 1:8). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23; 5:12; 3:9; 6:16). Bible then inform us that “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23). That is why we need Jesus Christ who died for us – the ungodly (Romans 5:5-8).
Some still maintains today that Jesus did not died by relying on statement(s) of a man who was born around 570 A.D. The story of death of Jesus Christ could not be better narrated by such person who was not yet born than those who were eye witnesses. Paul, in his defense before King Agrippa and Festus said, “For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner” (Acts 26:26). The death of Christ is not hidden and none of the incident happened in a corner in 33 A. D. and suffice to say that it cannot be sufficiently be disprove by person or some group of persons after more than 600 years of occurrence.
That He will died has been in the eternal plan of God: “For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Hebrews 9:26) and that He did when He offered Himself “to bear the sins of many;” (Hebrews 9:28). Your sins and mine killed Jesus Christ!
Did Christ die? YES, He did. Having being molested, humiliated, tortured and scourged, Jesus Christ was crucified on the Cross in a place called in the Golgotha Hebrew language meaning a place of a skull in between two criminals (John 19:17-18). His garment was taken away from Him (John 19:23) and was divided into four parts thereby fulfilling Psalm 22:18. He became thirsty (John 19:28; Psalm 69:21) and was made to drink a vessel full of vinegar. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and He bowed His Head, and gave up the ghost (John 19:29-30). Luke, a physician, in his account said the same thing (Luke 23:46). Likewise, Mark and Matthew also testified to the same fact (Mark 15:37; Matthew 27:50).
I also, hereby “ delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.”
Fact Number Two - Christ was Buried: The second fact of the gospel is that Jesus Christ was buried. Account of His burial can be read in Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-47; Luke 23:50-56 and John 19:33-42. Let us consider the account of John.
“But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. And after this Joseph of Arimathaea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus: and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore, and took the body of Jesus. And there came also Nicodemus, which at the first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about an hundred pound weight. Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.”
Again, with humility of heart I say that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried.
