The Gospel—One True, Many False

Next Part The Apostles Preached the True Gospel

The greatest single doctrine in the Bible is the knowledge of the true gospel. Understand. There is only one correct gospel. All others are perversions designed by Satan to replace the incredible truth of its Message. It is this enormous understanding that Satan’s ministers always seem to pervert first.

At the very beginning of His ministry, Christ taught, “Repent you, and believe the GOSPEL” (Mark 1:15). But what is the true gospel? Is there more than one that God approves? The answers to these and other questions about the gospel are found in the Bible—and they are absolutely VITAL for you to understand. But the answers have remained hidden from the vast majority.

Thousands of new books on religion are published each year in America! And there are over two thousand separate denominations and sects in America, as well! Yet, there has never been more confusion and disagreement among professing Christians, or in the world as a whole, about the true answers to life’s biggest problems. WHY? Why is there so much knowledge available, while at the same time so much ignorance of the truth about life’s BIG questions? The answers to these questions have everything to do with the GOSPEL!

The vast majority have been taught—and believe—that the gospel is merely about the Person of Jesus Christ. Certainly, Christ’s role is an extremely important subject, but He is not the gospel. The Bible shows that Christ is preached in conjunction with the gospel. Again, His role is vital to Christianity and must be understood, but He is not the gospel!

Some proclaim a “gospel of salvation” or “gospel of grace.” Others believe a “gospel of miracles” or a “social gospel” or a “gospel of foods” or “healing” or “faith.” Still others merely think of “gospel music” when they hear this word. These are all man-made ideas that ignore the truth of the Bible!

Let’s return to Mark 1:1-45, and notice Mk 1:14: “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the KINGDOM OF GOD.” This is the gospel Jesus preached. And it was in the same context that He said, “Repent you, and BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.” Again, what gospel? The gospel of the “kingdom of God.” Mk 1:1 refers to this message when it states, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Christ’s gospel was about the KINGDOM OF GOD—not something else! One must believe that gospel, not a counterfeit or substitute. The world simply does not know of this gospel!

Few comprehend. But why? Why do so few today grasp the awesome future of the Christian calling? Paul was inspired to explain: “But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love Him. But God has revealed them unto us by His Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (I Cor. 2:9-10). Without God opening the mind, it is impossible to understand any of the things of God. It is also impossible to even come to God (John 6:44, 65). Quite literally, this verse states that God’s purpose has never entered man’s thinking!

God, for His own marvellous purpose at this time, has opened the truth of the gospel to a very few—and has put them into His Church. The rest of the world remains blinded. Understand this! The devil does not want human beings to enjoy what is forever denied to him—membership in the God Family.

Most will not wake up to the deception—the mass delusion—of a seduced Christianity that denies the plain truths of the Bible! God’s plan for mankind is staggering—incomparable to anything human beings have devised to replace it. The world ignores plain, clear scriptures found throughout God’s Word about the kingdom of God. This booklet explains the astonishing truth that so many ignore—and reveals what can be your future!

Strong Warning Not to Pervert

This subject is so important that God inspired Paul to issue this warning to the Galatians then and to us now: “I marvel that you are so soon removed from Him that called you into the grace of Christ unto ANOTHER GOSPEL: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 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. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL unto you than that you have received, let him be accursed” (Gal 1:6-9).

This is a very strong statement! A little later, Paul stressed his hope that the “truth of the GOSPEL might continue with you” (Gal 2:5). So there is one true gospel—with all others false. You can now better understand Paul’s warning of Galatians 5:7-9, referenced earlier.

Although some assert that Paul taught a different or additional gospel, it is plain that he never did. Ironically, God used Paul to warn against ever allowing such false teaching by pronouncing a curse on man, angel or even any apostle—“But though we [apostles]…preach any other gospel”—who choose to violate this command (Gal 1:8).

What a powerful scripture—and WARNING!

Paul explained that the apostles were entrusted by God to preserve the true gospel. Notice I Thessalonians 2:4: “But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which tries our hearts.” That is a responsibility not to be taken lightly. True ministers must always teach what God commands, not what pleases men(including Bible “scholars”). So any claim that Paul taught a different or second gospel (usually thought to be about Christ or of “peace”) is impossible. He would have literally been pronouncing a curse on himself!

Jesus Was Prophesied to Bring the Gospel

Jesus came as a newscaster carrying an announcement. Everywhere He went He made the same announcement concerning a coming, world-ruling SUPER GOVERNMENT to be established at His Return.

When speaking to a group of listeners in the desert, Christ explained His purpose—His responsibility. Notice how He explained His commission: “And He said unto them, I must preach the KINGDOM OF GOD to other cities also: for therefore am I sent” (Luke 4:43).

Matthew amplifies this: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people” (Matt. 4:23). Christ’s job was to take the message of God’s kingdom throughout the cities of Israel. He was “sent” for this purpose.

In the Old Testament, Jesus was prophesied to come as a MESSENGER. Notice Malachi 3:1: “Behold, I will send My messenger [John the Baptist], and he shall prepare the way before Me: and the Lord, whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the MESSENGER[Christ] of the covenant, whom you delight in.” Christ was the “MESSENGER,” not the message. His message about God’s kingdom is the very core—the CENTREPIECE!—of the entire Bible.

Now compare the passage in Malachi with another: “The law and the prophets were until John [only the Old Testament scriptures had been preached before John the Baptist]: since that time the KINGDOM OF GOD is preached, and every man presses into it” (Luke 16:16). Recall that, in Mark, Christ preached the “kingdom of God” and called it the gospel.

Satan, who knew that Christ was foretold to preach the Message that he hates, sought, through King Herod, to kill Him in His infancy. This is also why the devil sought to tempt Him in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11). He knew if he could be successful in either attempt, he could thwart God’s Plan and retain power over the nations of the world.

Meaning of “Gospel”

The word “gospel” is an old English word meaning “god spell” or good news. The word “kingdom” is also an old English term, simply meaning government. We may accurately say that Christ preached “the good news of the government of God.” We will learn the who, what, where, when, why and how of this GOOD NEWS and how it relates to the Bible’s greatest prophecy.

The word gospel is found 101 times in the Bible. Sometimes it is found alone, and sometimes “of the kingdom” follows it. Other times it includes “of the kingdom of God” or the equivalent phrase “of the kingdom of heaven.” Note that it says, “of heaven,” not “in heaven.” It is heaven’s kingdom and there is a big difference. Just as kingdom of God means God’s kingdom, not the kingdom in God, the same is true of the kingdom of heaven or heaven’s kingdom. This is critical to understand.

Throughout the New Testament, the word “kingdom” is found 27 times, “kingdom of God” 75 times and “kingdom of heaven” 34 times. All are clearly one and the same.

Now grasp this point. The subject of the kingdom of God is not only the dominant theme in the New Testament, but it is also the dominant theme of the ENTIRE Bible. Yet, incredibly, most know little or nothing of it. The ministers of this world’s churches are ignorant of the true gospel and never preach about it. Therefore, virtually the whole world stands in complete ignorance of the single greatest truth in God’s Word. And ALL those who once learned it must constantly beware lest it slip away (Heb. 2:1).