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Scripture Reading: Mark 1:1, 14-15; Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; Matt. 17:2-8; Rom. 10:4; 16:25
I. Most Christians have a limited, superficial, and mistaken view concerning the gospel, and they preach a gospel that is low and superficial; this should not be the situation in the Lord’s recovery — John 3:16; 8:32; 14:6; 17:17; 18:37; Eph. 3:8; 1 Tim. 2:4.
II. The gospel is “veiled in those who are perishing” — 2 Cor. 4:3-4:
А. In principle, anything such as philosophy, religion, or cultural traditions that hinders people from apprehending the gospel of Christ is a veil — 3:14-15.
B. On Mount Zion God “will swallow up / The covering that covers up all the peoples, / Even the veil that veils all the nations” — Isa. 25:7:
1. Today the people on earth are covered with a veil that keeps them from seeing God’s economy — 2 Cor. 3:15; 4:3-4; 1 Tim. 1:4.
2. In the restoration God will take away this covering; then all the people will see something concerning God’s eternal economy — Eph. 3:9; 2 Cor. 3:16.
III. The gospel of God is the totality of the divine truths — Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5:
А. The truth is the gospel, and our preaching of the truth is the preaching of the gospel — Eph. 1:13; 1 Tim. 2:4, 7.
B. The gospel of God includes all the divine truths; the expression the divine truths refers to the New Testament economy of God, which is the gospel — Gal. 2:5, 14; Eph. 3:9; 6:19.
C. The entire New Testament is the gospel; because the New Testament as the gospel is typified by the Old Testament, we may say that the gospel actually includes the entire Bible — Luke 24:27, 44-45; John 5:39, 46.
D. The gospel includes all the truths in the Bible; the entire Bible is the gospel of God — Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; 1 Thes. 1:5; 2 Thes. 2:13-14; 1 Tim. 2:4:
1. The truth is the gospel, and the light of the truth is the light of the gospel — Mark 1:1, 14-15; John 8:12, 32.
2. To preach the truth is to preach the high gospel, because the real gospel preaching is the speaking of the truth — Mark 1:14-15; John 18:37.
3. If we would spread the Lord’s recovery today, we must bear the burden to diligently study the truth to the extent that we can expound the truth and announce the truth — 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Thes. 2:4; Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15.
IV. The gospel of God is the fulfillment of the Old Testament — 1:1, 14-15:
А. In order to know what the gospel is, we need to read the Old Testament and be enlightened concerning the revelation that is given there — Luke 24:44-46.
B. The gospel is the fulfillment of the promises, prophecies, and types and the removal of the law; this is the full definition of the gospel — Matt. 17:2-8:
1. The gospel is the fulfillment of the promises, such as:
a.The gospel is the fulfillment of the promise that the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent — Gen. 3:15.
b.God promised that Abraham’s seed would be a great blessing to all mankind, for all the nations would be blessed through this seed — 22:17-18.
2. The gospel is the fulfillment of the prophecies, such as:
a.Christ was the One born in Bethlehem — Micah 5:2.
b.Christ was the One wounded because of our transgressions — Isa. 53:5.
c.Christ was the One raised from the dead on the third day — Hosea 6:2.
d.Christ was the One begotten as the firstborn Son of God — Psa. 2:7.
3. The gospel is the fulfillment of the types, such as:
a.The Lord’s action in making coats of skin for Adam and his wife is a type — Gen. 3:21.
b.Other types include the ark (7:13), the passover (Exo. 12:3-13), the manna (16:31), the cleft rock (17:6), the tabernacle (25:9), Joshua (Josh. 1:1-2), David (1 Sam. 16:13), and Solomon (1 Kings 6:1).
4. The gospel is the removal of the law — Rom. 10:4:
a.The gospel annuls the custody of the law — Gal. 3:23-26; John 10:1-9.
b.For Christ to be “the end of the law” means that He has completed and terminated the law — Rom. 10:4:
1) Christ came to fulfill the law; by fulfilling the law He terminated the law — Matt. 5:17.
2) The result of Christ’s terminating the law is that God’s righteousness is given to everyone who believes — Rom. 3:21-26.
5. Christ, the unique One, is the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament; the fulfillment of the promises, prophecies, and types and the removal of the law are a living person, Jesus Christ — Matt. 17:2-8; Rom. 10:4; Heb. 1:1-3.
V. The gospel of God is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery — Rom. 16:25:
А. We are established according to the pure and full gospel of God; Paul’s gospel is the full gospel, including the teaching concerning Christ, the Body, and the local churches — 1:3-4; 2:16; 3:23-26; 12:4-5; 16:1, 4, 16, 25.
B. The gospel is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery — v. 25:
1. The gospel of God is a proclamation, an official public announcement; the Lord Jesus and the apostles proclaimed the gospel — Matt. 26:13; Mark 1:14; 16:15; Rom. 1:15; 10:15; Col. 1:27-28; cf. Rev. 14:6-7.
2. The gospel is the proclamation of Jesus Christ — Acts 8:5, 12; 9:20; 17:18.
3. The proclamation of Jesus Christ is according to “the revelation of the mystery”; this mystery is mainly of two aspects — Rom. 16:25:
a.The mystery of God is Christ, who is in the believers as their life and everything for His Body — Col. 2:2; 1:26-27; 3:4-11; Rom. 12:4-5.
b.The mystery of Christ is the church as His Body to express His fullness — Eph. 3:4-6; 1:22-23.
