By Ronald W. Leigh
Appendix B1 - Sample Results - Topic Study - The Gospel Message
The topic chosen for this study is the content of the gospel message. You should not read this appendix until after you begin your own study of this topic. This appendix is not designed to present a full study of the topic; rather, it merely illustrates various parts of the study procedure. Thus, only selected portions from only five of the eight steps in the procedure are included. If you merely read this appendix without doing your own study of the topic, you will receive a distorted picture of the correct procedure. You will profit much more if you carefully work through each step given in chapter 18 on your own. Then, after you complete each step, refer to this appendix and compare your results with whatever results are included here.
It is not important that your results be identical to the results given here. It is important, however, that you do your own work by carefully following the procedure given in chapter 18.
Step 1 -- Pray
——————————————
Step 2 -- Delimit ——————————————
The general topic is the content of the gospel message (the plan of salvation). Some of the specific questions which pertain to this topic are:
Step 3 -- Recall ——————————————
Each person's prior ideas will be different. It is not important that you know what someone else's prior ideas were. But it is important that you identify your mental "baggage" before you proceed further with your study.
Step 4 -- Find and Sort ——————————————
After listing a few references from memory, many additional references are found by looking up key words in a large concordance or searching with your Bible study software. The key words in the two basic questions which were selected in step 2 are gospel, message, and content.
The English word content is not used in the Bible in the same sense we are using it in question 2. It is used as an adjective meaning happy or satisfied, but in our questions we use content to refer to the substance, data, information, or facts of the gospel. Thus, the word content does not lead to any useful references. Also, the word message, even though it leads to many references in the concordance, is of little help because those references discuss a wide variety of messages. The only ones we are interested in at the moment are those about the gospel message, that is, those that explicitly use the word gospel. Those references will be found when we do a concordance search under the word gospel .
It would be a mistake, however, to think that the time spent searching for references by using the words content and message is wasted time. In your efforts to locate every relevant passage, you will often follow leads which go nowhere. However, you should still follow every possible lead in locating references. Only by such a thorough search can you be sure that your subsequent study and conclusions are based on all that the Bible says about the topic.
It turns out that this particular study revolves around just one key word, the word gospel. Also, no English synonyms for gospel are used. Any selection of synonyms would have to be based on an assumption regarding the exact meaning of the word gospel. Such an assumption should not be allowed to enter into the study, especially since one of the two basic questions in this particular study has to do with the exact meaning of the word gospel.
The fact that this study revolves around just one English word without synonyms should not be taken as typical of most topic studies. Often, there will be several key words from the basic questions, each of which can lead to many relevant passages. Also, each key word may have several English synonyms which will in turn lead to more passages. For example, if you are studying the topic of Christian finances, you might use quite a long list of key words and synonyms, such as
When you look up the word gospel in the concordance, you discover that our English word gospel is usually translated from the Greek noun euaggelion (literally meaning good news or good message). The Greek verb which comes from the same root, euaggelizo (literally meaning to tell or announce good news), is sometimes translated with such words and phrases as declare good news, preach the gospel, bring good tidings, etc., depending on the translation you are using.
Your search for references should be based on the Greek rather than the English, and you should find all the occurrences of these two Greek terms. Depending on the type of concordance you are using, this may be done in different ways. If you are using a concordance organized around the Greek, the task is quite simple. You merely look up the Greek words euaggelion and euaggelizo to find all the references. Similarly, if you are using Bible software on your computer and it has search capabilities in the original languages, you will find all the references.
However, if you are using a concordance organized around the English, it involves the additional steps of finding out which additional English words the Greek terms are translated into, then using those English words to find the additional references. Be sure to check that the desired Greek term does in fact underlie the English in each reference.
Finding
You will find that the noun euaggelion is used over 70 times in the New Testament. If you are using the NIV translation, you will find that it is usually translated gospel, but there are a handful of places where it is translated good news. There is even one place (1 Corinthians 9:18) where, because of the wording in the context, the NIV uses the English pronoun it. Of course, the exact English terms used in any given passage will vary with different translations, and this underscores the importance of basing your search on the Greek terms rather than the English terms.
You will find that the verb euaggelizo is used over 50 times in the New Testament. The NIV translates with such phrases as preach good news, preach the gospel, tell good news, proclaim good news, etc.
By basing your search on the Greek terms euaggelion and euaggelizo you find approximately 130 occurrences of these terms in approximately 125 different verses.
Sorting
These 125 passage must be read in context, and the relevant passages must be tentatively sorted into the four categories described in chapter 18.
Four passages end up in category 1 — Definitive-Long Passages: Acts 10:36-43; Acts 13:32-39; Romans 1:1-7; and 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. Each of these passages meets all four of the requirements for category 1: definitely and directly on the subject; only one likely interpretation; not figurative; and extended. (These are passages which end up in category 1 after further study in step 5. Your initial sorting may produce a list of passages which is somewhat longer or shorter.)
More than a dozen passages end up in category 2 — Definitive-Short Passages. Typical of these passages is 2 Timothy 2:8, which meets all the requirements for category 1 except that it is brief rather than extended.
A few passages end up in category 3 — Inferential Passages. Acts 15:1-11 is one of those passages. Verses 8-11 state the fact that both Jews and Gentiles are saved the same way, that is, "by faith," "through the grace of the Lord Jesus," rather than by being circumcised and keeping the law of Moses (compare verses 1 and 5). The passage implies that the content of the gospel message which Peter preached to the Gentiles (verse 7) was in harmony with that fact. Thus, even though verse 7 does not explicitly state anything about the content of the gospel, the passage as a whole implies something about the content of the gospel and is thus placed in category 3.
A number of passages end up in category 4 — Vague Passages. One of these is Romans 16:25, which states that according to Paul's gospel, God (compare verse 27) "is able to establish you." However, the precise meaning of this clause is not clear. A study of the word establish (sterizo) shows that it is used only a few times in the New Testament, and that it is a very general word which is used in a variety of senses. Thus, this verse is placed in category 4.
In most of the passages in category 4, the description of the gospel is limited to such phrases as "the gospel of the kingdom," "the gospel of God," or "the gospel of Christ." Such phrases do indicate that the content of the gospel message is generally related in some way to the kingdom, God, and Christ. However, these brief phrases do not give any specific information as to precisely what the gospel says about the kingdom, God, and Christ. In themselves, these passages would be open to varied interpretations, and thus they also are placed in category 4.
It is probably worth mentioning at this point that when we categorize a passage as vague, we are not making an absolute pronouncement about the passage, but only stating that for the purposes of our study, it is vague. With any given topic, you will end up with certain passages you must label vague as they relate to that particular topic. In most cases these passages will make a significant contribution to the author's point as you read the larger context, and in that sense the passage will not be vague at all. But, of course, the point that the passage makes in its context may not be directly relevant to your topic, so for your study it may end up being categorized as vague.
Step 5 -- Scrutinize ——————————————
Beginning with the passages in category 1, each passage is scrutinized in turn. The four categories of passages are studied in order so that the less clear passages (categories 3 and 4) can be interpreted in the light of the clear passages (categories 1 and 2).
Only one passage is used as an illustration here, and only selected results from the use of the nine operations listed in chapter 18 are given. The passage is 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, one of the four passages in category 1.
Operation a. Careful reading of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and its context, in different translations, reveals Paul's main point in this passage. He is restating the gospel message, namely, that Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, and then appeared alive to many people. The statement of this main point centers in the sentence in verses 3-5. The sentence in verses 1-2 tells about Paul's previous delivery of this message to the Corinthians. The sentence in verses 6-8 merely lists additional appearances of Christ to various individuals and groups.
First Corinthians 15:1-8 relates to the verses following it much more directly than it relates to the verses preceding it. In verses 12-58 Paul's argument regarding future resurrection is built upon the fact of Christ's past resurrection, which is an essential part of the gospel according to verses 4-8. In fact, Paul may have included the restatement of the gospel solely in order to lay a foundation for his long discussion of resurrection in the rest of the chapter. This may be the reason that Paul devotes more words to Christ's appearances (which verify his resurrection) than he devotes to any other aspect of the gospel.
Operation b. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 respaced (NASB):
Operation c. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 outlined:
II. Paul's restatement of the content of the gospel (3b-8)
A. Christ died and was buried (3b-4a)
B. Christ was raised and appeared (4b-8)
Operation d. Many observations can be made by asking the questions who? when? where? what? how? and why? Only one such observation is mentioned here. Asking the question "when?" draws attention to, among other things, two references to time in verse 6. After his resurrection Jesus "appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep ..." If Paul merely wanted to list the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, it would seem that these time references are superfluous. Then how should they be interpreted? What is their significance? Consider the logic chain of ideas inherent in this passage. Paul's argument regarding future resurrection is supported by Christ's past resurrection, which in turn is supported by his post-resurrection appearances to more than five hundred brethren, which in turn is supported by two facts. First, they all saw Jesus "at one time" (which rules out hallucination in view of the extreme improbability of such a large number of people all having the same hallucination simultaneously). Second, many of the brethren "remain until now" and could confirm that the appearances actually did take place. Because of these two facts the appearances to more than five hundred cannot be dismissed easily. This means that these two time references are very significant; they lend concrete support for Paul's teachings regarding resurrection.
Operation e. A study of the grammatical details points up several interesting aspects of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. For example, note the present tense in the clause in verse 2, "you are saved" (instead of "you were saved," or "you had been saved," or "you will be saved"). Also note the passive voice in the clause in verses 2 and 4, "you are saved (instead of "you save yourselves"), and "He was raised" (instead of "He raised Himself").
Operation f. Many type of relationships can be identified in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, such as the supportive relationship discussed under Operation d above. Only one other will be mentioned here, namely, the evaluative relationship stated in verse 3. Paul says that four facts, about Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and appearances, were delivered to the Corinthians "as of first importance." This phrase indicates that, compared to any other facts which Paul could have told them, he evaluated these four as the most important. (Even though it is possible to translate this phrase differently, most translations use wording which means the same thing as the wording from the New American Standard Bible as quoted above.)
Operation g. Many interesting temporary alterations in the wording of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 can be made. Some of the most significant alterations have to do with the clause "Christ died for our sins" in verse 3. A few possible alterations are:
Operation h. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 paraphrased:
The findings from all the definitive passages (the passages in categories 1 and 2) are now brought together to form conclusions and to answer the two basic questions.
The answer to the first basic question was given earlier: the word gospel means "good news."
Answering the second basic question requires much more thought and integration. This particular study, more than some others, lends itself to the use of a summary chart such as the one below. This chart includes the elements of the gospel which appear repeatedly in the definitive passages.
The chart makes it quite obvious that there is a high degree of correlation among the definitive-long passages regarding what elements are included in the gospel message. And, of course, the definitive-short passages agree, even though they each include only one or two of the elements because of their brevity.
It is interesting to note that several of the other questions from step 2 are already at least partially answered by these definitive passages.
One simple way to summarize the content of the gospel message is to put all the relevant statements from all the definitive passages together into one long paragraph. The following paragraph is such a summary, following closely the wording of the New American Standard Bible.
As you carefully think through these relationships, it becomes apparent that Jesus' death for our sins and his resurrection form the logical core of the gospel. If we maintain that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, then logically we must also maintain that we have sinned (else how could he die for them?), that Jesus is divine (being declared the Son of God by the resurrection), and that Jesus lived a sinless life (as necessitated by his divine nature). In other words, maintaining the essential core of the gospel logically necessitates much of the rest of the chart. Furthermore, this logical necessity works only one way; it is not reciprocal. Jesus death for our sins and his resurrection logically necessitate Jesus' divine person and his sinless life, but his divine person and sinless life do not logically necessitate his death for our sins and resurrection. For this reason the death and resurrection are considered to be the heart and essential core of the gospel.
Because of these logical relationships, the heart of the gospel can be stated in its simplest terms as follows:
Step 2 -- Delimit ——————————————
The general topic is the content of the gospel message (the plan of salvation). Some of the specific questions which pertain to this topic are:
If you were to attempt to answer all these questions in one comprehensive study, you would probably become frustrated. Thus, two questions are selected which appear to be basic to the rest of the questions:
- What exactly does the word gospel mean?
- What facts make up the content of the gospel message? Or, what facts must a person understand and consider true before he can respond to the gospel?
- Is there one verse in the Bible which contains the entire gospel message, and thus can be considered the gospel in a nutshell?
- What was the content of the gospel messages which Jesus preached? Which the apostles preached?
- Are there different gospel messages? Is there a separate message for Old Testament times? For the Jews? For gentiles? For children? For people with different problems?
- What are the contents of the false gospels mentioned in the New Testament?
- What response is the proper response to the gospel?
- Should good works or anything else be considered a necessary part of one's response to the gospel?
- What is the proper means through which the gospel message should be communicated? Are there a variety of means which are acceptable?
- Is the evangelist's responsibility merely to explain the gospel message, or is his responsibility also to persuade the hearer to respond positively?
- Is it possible to understand or accept only part of the gospel message and still be saved?
- Can everyone understand the gospel message? How old must a person be before he can understand it?
- Has everyone who has ever lived heard the gospel message? If not, is there a different plan of salvation those who have not heard the gospel?
- What exactly does the word gospel mean?
- What facts make up the content of the gospel message? Or, what facts must a person understand and consider true before he can respond to the gospel?
Step 3 -- Recall ——————————————
Each person's prior ideas will be different. It is not important that you know what someone else's prior ideas were. But it is important that you identify your mental "baggage" before you proceed further with your study.
Step 4 -- Find and Sort ——————————————
After listing a few references from memory, many additional references are found by looking up key words in a large concordance or searching with your Bible study software. The key words in the two basic questions which were selected in step 2 are gospel, message, and content.
The English word content is not used in the Bible in the same sense we are using it in question 2. It is used as an adjective meaning happy or satisfied, but in our questions we use content to refer to the substance, data, information, or facts of the gospel. Thus, the word content does not lead to any useful references. Also, the word message, even though it leads to many references in the concordance, is of little help because those references discuss a wide variety of messages. The only ones we are interested in at the moment are those about the gospel message, that is, those that explicitly use the word gospel. Those references will be found when we do a concordance search under the word gospel .
It would be a mistake, however, to think that the time spent searching for references by using the words content and message is wasted time. In your efforts to locate every relevant passage, you will often follow leads which go nowhere. However, you should still follow every possible lead in locating references. Only by such a thorough search can you be sure that your subsequent study and conclusions are based on all that the Bible says about the topic.
It turns out that this particular study revolves around just one key word, the word gospel. Also, no English synonyms for gospel are used. Any selection of synonyms would have to be based on an assumption regarding the exact meaning of the word gospel. Such an assumption should not be allowed to enter into the study, especially since one of the two basic questions in this particular study has to do with the exact meaning of the word gospel.
The fact that this study revolves around just one English word without synonyms should not be taken as typical of most topic studies. Often, there will be several key words from the basic questions, each of which can lead to many relevant passages. Also, each key word may have several English synonyms which will in turn lead to more passages. For example, if you are studying the topic of Christian finances, you might use quite a long list of key words and synonyms, such as
money, treasure, possessionsBasing your search on the Greek
providence, provision, provide, supply
own, rich, poor
needs, necessity
stewardship
giving, tithe, tenth, offering
owe, debt, credit
taxes
greed
When you look up the word gospel in the concordance, you discover that our English word gospel is usually translated from the Greek noun euaggelion (literally meaning good news or good message). The Greek verb which comes from the same root, euaggelizo (literally meaning to tell or announce good news), is sometimes translated with such words and phrases as declare good news, preach the gospel, bring good tidings, etc., depending on the translation you are using.
Your search for references should be based on the Greek rather than the English, and you should find all the occurrences of these two Greek terms. Depending on the type of concordance you are using, this may be done in different ways. If you are using a concordance organized around the Greek, the task is quite simple. You merely look up the Greek words euaggelion and euaggelizo to find all the references. Similarly, if you are using Bible software on your computer and it has search capabilities in the original languages, you will find all the references.
However, if you are using a concordance organized around the English, it involves the additional steps of finding out which additional English words the Greek terms are translated into, then using those English words to find the additional references. Be sure to check that the desired Greek term does in fact underlie the English in each reference.
Finding
You will find that the noun euaggelion is used over 70 times in the New Testament. If you are using the NIV translation, you will find that it is usually translated gospel, but there are a handful of places where it is translated good news. There is even one place (1 Corinthians 9:18) where, because of the wording in the context, the NIV uses the English pronoun it. Of course, the exact English terms used in any given passage will vary with different translations, and this underscores the importance of basing your search on the Greek terms rather than the English terms.
You will find that the verb euaggelizo is used over 50 times in the New Testament. The NIV translates with such phrases as preach good news, preach the gospel, tell good news, proclaim good news, etc.
By basing your search on the Greek terms euaggelion and euaggelizo you find approximately 130 occurrences of these terms in approximately 125 different verses.
Sorting
These 125 passage must be read in context, and the relevant passages must be tentatively sorted into the four categories described in chapter 18.
Four passages end up in category 1 — Definitive-Long Passages: Acts 10:36-43; Acts 13:32-39; Romans 1:1-7; and 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. Each of these passages meets all four of the requirements for category 1: definitely and directly on the subject; only one likely interpretation; not figurative; and extended. (These are passages which end up in category 1 after further study in step 5. Your initial sorting may produce a list of passages which is somewhat longer or shorter.)
More than a dozen passages end up in category 2 — Definitive-Short Passages. Typical of these passages is 2 Timothy 2:8, which meets all the requirements for category 1 except that it is brief rather than extended.
A few passages end up in category 3 — Inferential Passages. Acts 15:1-11 is one of those passages. Verses 8-11 state the fact that both Jews and Gentiles are saved the same way, that is, "by faith," "through the grace of the Lord Jesus," rather than by being circumcised and keeping the law of Moses (compare verses 1 and 5). The passage implies that the content of the gospel message which Peter preached to the Gentiles (verse 7) was in harmony with that fact. Thus, even though verse 7 does not explicitly state anything about the content of the gospel, the passage as a whole implies something about the content of the gospel and is thus placed in category 3.
A number of passages end up in category 4 — Vague Passages. One of these is Romans 16:25, which states that according to Paul's gospel, God (compare verse 27) "is able to establish you." However, the precise meaning of this clause is not clear. A study of the word establish (sterizo) shows that it is used only a few times in the New Testament, and that it is a very general word which is used in a variety of senses. Thus, this verse is placed in category 4.
In most of the passages in category 4, the description of the gospel is limited to such phrases as "the gospel of the kingdom," "the gospel of God," or "the gospel of Christ." Such phrases do indicate that the content of the gospel message is generally related in some way to the kingdom, God, and Christ. However, these brief phrases do not give any specific information as to precisely what the gospel says about the kingdom, God, and Christ. In themselves, these passages would be open to varied interpretations, and thus they also are placed in category 4.
It is probably worth mentioning at this point that when we categorize a passage as vague, we are not making an absolute pronouncement about the passage, but only stating that for the purposes of our study, it is vague. With any given topic, you will end up with certain passages you must label vague as they relate to that particular topic. In most cases these passages will make a significant contribution to the author's point as you read the larger context, and in that sense the passage will not be vague at all. But, of course, the point that the passage makes in its context may not be directly relevant to your topic, so for your study it may end up being categorized as vague.
Step 5 -- Scrutinize ——————————————
Beginning with the passages in category 1, each passage is scrutinized in turn. The four categories of passages are studied in order so that the less clear passages (categories 3 and 4) can be interpreted in the light of the clear passages (categories 1 and 2).
Only one passage is used as an illustration here, and only selected results from the use of the nine operations listed in chapter 18 are given. The passage is 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, one of the four passages in category 1.
Operation a. Careful reading of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 and its context, in different translations, reveals Paul's main point in this passage. He is restating the gospel message, namely, that Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, and then appeared alive to many people. The statement of this main point centers in the sentence in verses 3-5. The sentence in verses 1-2 tells about Paul's previous delivery of this message to the Corinthians. The sentence in verses 6-8 merely lists additional appearances of Christ to various individuals and groups.
First Corinthians 15:1-8 relates to the verses following it much more directly than it relates to the verses preceding it. In verses 12-58 Paul's argument regarding future resurrection is built upon the fact of Christ's past resurrection, which is an essential part of the gospel according to verses 4-8. In fact, Paul may have included the restatement of the gospel solely in order to lay a foundation for his long discussion of resurrection in the rest of the chapter. This may be the reason that Paul devotes more words to Christ's appearances (which verify his resurrection) than he devotes to any other aspect of the gospel.
Operation b. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 respaced (NASB):
Operation c. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 outlined:
Paul Restates the Gospel
I. Paul's former delivery
of the gospel and the Corinthians' response and benefit
(1-3a)II. Paul's restatement of the content of the gospel (3b-8)
A. Christ died and was buried (3b-4a)
B. Christ was raised and appeared (4b-8)
Operation d. Many observations can be made by asking the questions who? when? where? what? how? and why? Only one such observation is mentioned here. Asking the question "when?" draws attention to, among other things, two references to time in verse 6. After his resurrection Jesus "appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep ..." If Paul merely wanted to list the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus, it would seem that these time references are superfluous. Then how should they be interpreted? What is their significance? Consider the logic chain of ideas inherent in this passage. Paul's argument regarding future resurrection is supported by Christ's past resurrection, which in turn is supported by his post-resurrection appearances to more than five hundred brethren, which in turn is supported by two facts. First, they all saw Jesus "at one time" (which rules out hallucination in view of the extreme improbability of such a large number of people all having the same hallucination simultaneously). Second, many of the brethren "remain until now" and could confirm that the appearances actually did take place. Because of these two facts the appearances to more than five hundred cannot be dismissed easily. This means that these two time references are very significant; they lend concrete support for Paul's teachings regarding resurrection.
Operation e. A study of the grammatical details points up several interesting aspects of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. For example, note the present tense in the clause in verse 2, "you are saved" (instead of "you were saved," or "you had been saved," or "you will be saved"). Also note the passive voice in the clause in verses 2 and 4, "you are saved (instead of "you save yourselves"), and "He was raised" (instead of "He raised Himself").
Operation f. Many type of relationships can be identified in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, such as the supportive relationship discussed under Operation d above. Only one other will be mentioned here, namely, the evaluative relationship stated in verse 3. Paul says that four facts, about Christ's death, burial, resurrection, and appearances, were delivered to the Corinthians "as of first importance." This phrase indicates that, compared to any other facts which Paul could have told them, he evaluated these four as the most important. (Even though it is possible to translate this phrase differently, most translations use wording which means the same thing as the wording from the New American Standard Bible as quoted above.)
Operation g. Many interesting temporary alterations in the wording of 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 can be made. Some of the most significant alterations have to do with the clause "Christ died for our sins" in verse 3. A few possible alterations are:
By comparing such alterations with the "original" wording, we can better appreciate its significance. The sinlessness of Christ, his actual physical death, and his substitutionary payment of the penalty we owe for our own real sins, are all implied in this very weighty clause, "Christ died for our sins."
- Christ died for his own sins.
- Christ showed us how we should die for our own sins .
- Christ suffered for our sins and appeared to die.
- Christ died because of the Jews' jealousy.
- Christ died because he was a threat to the Jewish (or Roman) establishment.
- Christ died for our mistakes.
- Christ died as our example.
- Christ died as a martyr.
- Christ died with our sins (our sins died with Christ) .
- Christ died (omitting "for our sins" altogether) .
Operation h. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 paraphrased:
1 Fellow Christians, I now repeat the same good news that I proclaimed to you before. You received it and still show confidence in it; 2 and you are saved by that same good news if you continue to adhere to it, unless you mistakenly trusted in something that cannot really save you. 3 For the message which I had received I then passed on to you -- the most important truths -- that Christ died taking the punishment for our sins (in keeping with the Scriptures) 4 and was buried. Then on the third day he was brought back to life (in keeping with the Scriptures) 5 and personally presented himself to Cephas and to the twelve. 6 Furthermore, he later presented himself to a crowd of over five hundred followers (most of whom are still living) 7 as well as to James and to all the apostles. 8 Finally, he even presented himself to me, suddenly removing me from my former way of life.Operation i. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 condensed:
I declare to you the gospel which you have already received: Christ died for our sins, was buried, was raised, and then appeared to various individuals and groups, including me.Step 6 -- Synthesize ——————————————
The findings from all the definitive passages (the passages in categories 1 and 2) are now brought together to form conclusions and to answer the two basic questions.
The answer to the first basic question was given earlier: the word gospel means "good news."
Answering the second basic question requires much more thought and integration. This particular study, more than some others, lends itself to the use of a summary chart such as the one below. This chart includes the elements of the gospel which appear repeatedly in the definitive passages.
|
The Elements |
Acts 10:36-43 |
Acts 13:32-39 |
Romans 1:1-7 |
1 Corinthians 15:1-8 |
Selected Definitive-short passages |
|
1. Sin |
"sins" |
"sins" |
----- |
"our sins" |
----- |
|
2. Person of Jesus |
"Jesus of Nazareth" "Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)" |
"Thou are my Son" "Thy Holy One" |
"a descendant of David" "The Son of God" "Jesus Christ our Lord" |
"Christ" |
"descendant of David" (2 Tim 2:8) "Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5:42) |
|
3. Death of Jesus |
"put Him to death by hanging Him
on a cross" |
"from the dead" |
"from the dead" |
"died for our sins" "buried" |
"the cross of Christ" (1 Cor 1:17-18) "the suffering of Christ" (1 Pet 1:11) |
|
4. Resur- rection of Jesus |
"God raised Him up on the third
day" "visible to witnesses who were chosen" |
"He raised up Jesus" "no ... decay" |
"the resurrection" |
"He was raised on the third day" "He appeared to ..." |
"preaching Jesus and the resurrection"
(Acts 17:18) "risen from the dead" (2 Tim 2:8) |
Other
Aspects of the Gospel
|
General statements |
"the gospel of peace
through Jesus Christ" (margin) |
"the good news of
the promise ... that God has fulfilled ..." |
"the gospel of God
... concerning His Son" |
----- |
----- |
|
Response to the gospel |
"everyone who believes in Him
..." |
"everyone who believes ..." |
"the obedience of faith" |
"you believed" |
"repent and believe in the gospel"
(Mark 1:15) |
|
Result |
"received forgiveness of sins" |
"forgiveness of sins" "freed from all things ..." |
----- |
"by which ... you are saved" |
"hope laid up for you in heaven"
(Col 1:5) |
|
The gospel is in keeping with O.T. |
"of Him all the prophets bear
witness that ..." |
"God has fulfilled this promise" "As it is ... written" etc. |
"promised beforehand through His
prophets in the Holy Scriptures" |
"According to the Scriptures" |
----- |
|
Misc. |
"God anointed Him with the Holy
Spirit and with power" "He went about doing good" "healing all who were oppressed" "God was with him" "Appointed ... Judge" |
----- |
"declared the Son of God by the
resurrection" |
"as of first importance" |
"God will judge the secrets of
men" (Rom 2:16) "the glories to follow" (1 Pet 1:10-12) |
The chart makes it quite obvious that there is a high degree of correlation among the definitive-long passages regarding what elements are included in the gospel message. And, of course, the definitive-short passages agree, even though they each include only one or two of the elements because of their brevity.
It is interesting to note that several of the other questions from step 2 are already at least partially answered by these definitive passages.
One simple way to summarize the content of the gospel message is to put all the relevant statements from all the definitive passages together into one long paragraph. The following paragraph is such a summary, following closely the wording of the New American Standard Bible.
This is the Gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures. It is a message of first importance and concerns His Son -- Jesus of Nazareth, Savior, Christ the Lord -- who was born in the city of David and of the seed of David according to the flesh. God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. He preached, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." He suffered and died for our sins according to the Scriptures. The Jews put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. Then He was buried. Then God raised Him up from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, no more to undergo decay (unlike David and his fathers who underwent decay). This resurrection was promised to the fathers, and God has fulfilled this promise. Jesus was declared with power to be the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness. God granted that he should become visible, not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to those who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles; and last of all, as it were to one untimely born, He appeared to Paul also. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone, Jew or Gentile, who believes in Him (exercising the obedience of faith, holding fast the gospel) has received forgiveness of sins, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which the Jews could not be freed through the Law of Moses. We are graciously saved by the gospel, receive peace through Him, and have a hope laid up for us in heaven. Jesus Christ is our Lord and the glorious Lord of all. He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead, for God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.A more difficult way to summarize the content of the gospel message is to attempt to state the heart or the essential core of the gospel in one sentence. In order to do this, it is necessary to examine the logical relationships (prerequisite, cause-effect, and supportive relationships) found either explicitly or implicitly in the definitive passages. The diagram below attempts to represent some of these logical relationships.
Logical Relationships Inherent in the Definitive Passages
which State the Content of the Gospel Message
which State the Content of the Gospel Message
As you carefully think through these relationships, it becomes apparent that Jesus' death for our sins and his resurrection form the logical core of the gospel. If we maintain that Jesus died for our sins and rose again, then logically we must also maintain that we have sinned (else how could he die for them?), that Jesus is divine (being declared the Son of God by the resurrection), and that Jesus lived a sinless life (as necessitated by his divine nature). In other words, maintaining the essential core of the gospel logically necessitates much of the rest of the chart. Furthermore, this logical necessity works only one way; it is not reciprocal. Jesus death for our sins and his resurrection logically necessitate Jesus' divine person and his sinless life, but his divine person and sinless life do not logically necessitate his death for our sins and resurrection. For this reason the death and resurrection are considered to be the heart and essential core of the gospel.
Because of these logical relationships, the heart of the gospel can be stated in its simplest terms as follows:
Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose
again.
If a person adequately appreciates the significance
of this statement, the rest of the ideas on the chart should easily
fall into place for him. It is very interesting to note that this
statement of the heart of the gospel, which is derived from a consideration
of the logical relationships, corresponds closely with what Paul labels
"as of first importance" in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5.
In answer to the second basic question, then, the following facts are listed as those which a person must understand and consider true before he can respond to the gospel.
This study has isolated several key topics which deserve further study:
Step 7 -- Compare ——————————————
Step 8 -- Apply ——————————————
The most obvious application growing out of this study is the response described in the definitive passages themselves. Since Jesus died for our sins and rose again, we ought to trust in him and in what he has done for us. For those who are already trusting in Jesus, another application is also important.
When we share the gospel with someone else, we must present the content of the gospel message accurately, being especially careful to include the heart of the gospel. Many so-called evangelistic messages, gospel tracts, and personal witnessing encounters do not adequately explain Jesus' death for our sins and his resurrection. If a person is not told the heart of the gospel, in what does he place his trust? When we share the gospel, we must be sure that it is the gospel.
In answer to the second basic question, then, the following facts are listed as those which a person must understand and consider true before he can respond to the gospel.
- Our sins and their consequences
- Jesus' divine (as well as human) nature
- Jesus' sinless life
- Jesus' suffering and death for our sins
- Jesus resurrection
This study has isolated several key topics which deserve further study:
-- sin and its consequencesEach of these topics deserves a thorough study of its own. It should be kept in mind that this present study is based only on those passages which use the Greek word for gospel and which explicitly say something about the content of the gospel message. However, after isolating the various facts which make up the gospel, it is quite apparent that the Bible says a great deal more about each of these facts than what is included in the definitive passages of this present study. For example, have you noticed how little the definitive passages say about God's attributes of holiness, justice, and love, or about the response of works as an improper means of gaining salvation? Yet these are definitely related to the gospel. Thus, follow-up studies would be very profitable in expanding your appreciation of this topic. And, of course, there are still many questions left over from step 2 which could also form the basis for further study.
-- the person of Jesus
-- the death of Jesus (especially the substitutionary aspect of his death)
-- repentance, belief, and faith
Step 7 -- Compare ——————————————
Step 8 -- Apply ——————————————
The most obvious application growing out of this study is the response described in the definitive passages themselves. Since Jesus died for our sins and rose again, we ought to trust in him and in what he has done for us. For those who are already trusting in Jesus, another application is also important.
When we share the gospel with someone else, we must present the content of the gospel message accurately, being especially careful to include the heart of the gospel. Many so-called evangelistic messages, gospel tracts, and personal witnessing encounters do not adequately explain Jesus' death for our sins and his resurrection. If a person is not told the heart of the gospel, in what does he place his trust? When we share the gospel, we must be sure that it is the gospel.