The Big Picture of the Bible: Chapter 02 There Is Only One Gospel

2 THERE IS ONLY ONE GOSPEL As Jesus prepared to leave earth He gave final verbal instructions to His followers. His last instructions must have been of critical importance to Him-nothing trivial here. These words are His parting command, known today as “the Great Commission.” He instructed His followers to ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16.15). In His final words on earth, Jesus commanded His followers to go and tell His story-the gospel. God’s Power to Save Jesus’ instruction certainly elevated the importance of the gospel, and Romans 1.16 tells us why: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God to salvation.” God could have chosen, as some religions today profess, that people are to be converted at the point of a sword. God could have chosen to take over people’s minds and save them against their will. Romans 1.16 tells us that the gospel is the means God uses to save people. It is a message to be communicated to people that can save them-a message from God that stands between man and salvation. As such, the gospel is objective truth. Second Thessalonians 1.7-8 stresses the importance of the gospel in a different and more serious way: “When the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.” Our response to the gospel requires obedience. Because the gospel is so important, a special warning is given to the Christians in the churches of Galatia who were beginning to change the gospel message. Beware of False Gospels Paul was amazed that Christians in Galatia were already following “a different gospel.” The Galatians were preaching a way to be saved different from what they were originally taught! Paul strongly insisted that there is only one gospel (and that they must know it!) by declaring that even should he (an apostle) “or an angel from heaven teach a different gospel,” he would be condemned (Gal 1.6-9). The fact that the Galatians were Christians, sincere in their beliefs, and even well-intentioned would not protect them from the promised condemnation if they changed the gospel message. What Christians were so specifically warned about in Galatians 1 has hap- pened! Consider the following important, politically incorrect observations: Continued by book author Kenneth W. Craig