The four gospel (good news) commands:
- The Ministry of Reconciliation, which we are all called to participate in – God, in Christ, is actively seeking to reconcile the world to himself. This message connects us all the way back to Adam, who is responsible for alienating all of humanity from God through sin. The faith of the operation of God is reconciliation! Romans 5:1-12, 10:9-13, 11:15, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, Colossians 2:12-15
- The Gospel of the Uncircumcision / Grace – the dispensation of the grace of God revealed to Paul by our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the gospel message of the dispensation of the grace of God, and directly connected to the ministry of reconciliaiton. Progressive revelation establishes this gospel message superseding the message given to the apostles during the ministry of Christ. This gospel connects us to Abram, who believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. He believed what God said concerning a people and a place to dwell, as Genesis 13 states below. From our perspective in the dispensation of grace, we can see two groups of people who will be the descendants of Abram:
A. The dust of the earth = a terrestrial people — physical children of Israel Genesis 13:16-17
B. The stars of heaven = a celestial people – spiritual children of grace through faith Genesis 15:5-6
Genesis 13:14-17: And the LORD said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever.And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee.
- The Gospel of the Circumcision – the gospel message that was uniquely Jewish, and preached to Israel / the Jews by the apostles after the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is directly connected to the gospel of the Kingdom that was preached in the gospels. Genesis 17:3-12, Acts 2:29-38, 3:19-26, Galatians 2:7
- The Gospel of the Kingdom – the gospel message preached by John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, as prophesied in Malachi 4:5-6. Jesus said if the Jews would accept John’s message, he is Elijah. They did not accept his message, and they did not accept the message of Jesus, either. The kingdom has been put on hold until the accepted time of the return of Christ. Psalms 89:34-37, Jeremiah 31;31-34, Matthew 1:17, 3:1-2, 4:17,23, 9:35, 10:7, 24:14
We will complete our study of the four gospel messages this coming Sunday.