Gospel “about” and “of” Christ, what?

To all Christians, the gospel is foundational to their belief. This is where they “stand or fall”. Without the gospel, their evidence-based faith has no anchor, is baseless and rudderless.

What really is the “gospel” (good news) “of” Jesus? This is a corollary to the gospel “about” him. It is what he himself was a messenger of, i.e., his message. The good news “about” Jesus has already been proclaimed in prophecies way before his human existence. These prophecies “about” him were spoken through prophets (Hebrews1:1 ), confirmed by apostles (Mark 8:29;John 1:1-36; Matthew 1:1-25;Luke 1:1-80) and by Jesus himself (Exodus 3:14;John 8:56–58)during his time on earth.

However, the message to us, the “good news”(gospel) spoken directly by Jesus, in his mortal and resurrected immortal bodies, is something else. It was not “about” him. It is way more complete, fulfilling, revelatory and copacetic. Indeed, that he is YHVH incarnate (John 1:1-14), the I AM (Exodus 3:14;John 8:56–58),the Christ (Mark 8:29), the Passover Lamb (1Corinthians 5:7) who died as a consequence of our sins imputed on one man Adam for our reconciliation (Romans 5:6-21) with the Father, are teachings that are essential to our evidenced-based faith. But, as important as they are, still they are comparatively “milk for infants” (1Corinthians 4:1-2). On the other hand, the fullness of the gospel, the “meat for adults”(Hebrews 5:12), goes beyond who Jesus is “about”.

Gospel “about” and “of” Jesus are prophecies

As the gospel “about” Jesus has been prophesied and fulfilled, the essence of the gospel “of” Jesus is also a prophecy that points to the future, although “still coming” and “ongoing” (1). The gospel preached by him (Mark 1:14-15; Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35;Luke 4:43) and on which he instructed his apostles (Mark 16:15; Matthew 10:7) was the coming God-kingdom. Read also this message of Jesus, his “good news” in Luke 8:1, Luke 16:16-17; Matthew 24:14.

But, it is not just “about the reign, the rule, the dominion, of God the Father, as well as of the Son…” in the Millenium on earth and afterwards. (2). More completely, it was about the “how” the God-kingdom will come to reality. It is the mechanism of forming or creating a God-kingdom (3,4) that is sine qua non to our salvation. This is how to have “eternal life”, aka be immortal. It is the mechanism of how to achieve a change in our “mortal bodies” into being spirit-composed in a “twinkling of an eye” (1 Corinthians 15:52).

How, is the gospel “of” Jesus

The mechanism of how salvation/immortality (5) is achieved is first and foremost through the in-dwelling of the “Helper-power” (Parakletos/John 14:26) in us. As a mortal man, a major sequela of Jesus’ advent, the gospel “about” him, was his death. But, “how much more” important than that, was his resurrection to life as in, Romans 5:10

“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!.”

With his resurrection, he received the Holy Spirit of power from the Father. He had to be “alive” to receive it and through his resurrected life, we are in the process of being saved through the help of the Holy Spirit of power given by Jesus to us. The “spirit-of-man” that was breathed into the nostrils of Adam in Genesis was the “power-spirit” directly from YHVH/Jesus to make the matter-composed body a “living being”. That was a life-giving power. On the other hand, this Holy Spirit of power received by the resurrected Jesus, at time of his Sonship, and given to those “called at appointed time” is , a “life-sustaining spirit” to develop a “new creation of beings“. It is a “Helper/Comforter”, to strengthen and guide the “willing spirit but weak flesh” towards becoming “one” with the Father. It is the power for us to be re-molded toward salvation/immortality as in:

Romans 1:-16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

So that all will be “one” altogether. In effect, this Holy Spirit is a “oneness-power”, that empowers us to be “one” with the Son and, by extension, with the Father.

Power to create humans into the God-kingdom

And, for what end was Jesus’ resurrection? The purpose was for Jesus to directly receive the promised Holy Spirit from the Father(John 15:16-17). This is the the power to create the members of the God-kingdom, through guiding, teaching, goading, advising towards good vs evil (John 14:26; John 16:13). The YHVH in Genesis who created all “visible and invisible” (Colossians 1:16) including spirit-composed angels and human beings have to be given this additional power only after incarnating as man-Jesus, then him having gone through the process of in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit at river Jordan (Luke 3:22; Luke 4:1), be “perfected through sufferings”(Hebrews 2:10; complete, finish his goal) to reconcile humanity to the Father by his death. And having been resurrected by the Father, Jesus was given this “power” (the Holy Spirit) to re-create and as a Potter re-mold(Isaiah 64:8;Jeremiah 18:1-6) us into the God-kingdom of “many sons(daughters) to glory”(Hebrews 2:10).

Post-resurrection event

When the Father raised Jesus from death (Acts 2:24, Acts 2: 32; Acts 3:15, Acts 3:26; Acts 4:10; Acts 5:30; Acts 10:40; Acts 13:30, Acts 13:33, Acts 13:34, Acts 13:37), he went to the fallen angels/devils in hell/tartaros (1 Peter 3:19; 2 Peter 2:4; ) as proof that he triumphed and proclaimed victory by having a mortal man becoming immortal. As a “trailblazer/pioneer/captain ” mortal human(Hebrews2:10), Jesus was made immortal and so shall other humans. His immortal spirit-composed body has the capability to be seen by our naked eyes as in (Luke 24:13-53;John 20:16, John 19-30; 1 Corinthians 15:6) and altogether for 40 days (Acts 1:3;John 21:25) “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” before ascending to heaven.

Gospel of Power to in-dwell in us

The gospel “of” Jesus is the good news of the power that will in-dwell in us to strengthen our disunity in “willing spirit and weak flesh”(Matthew 26:41), as a “Helper/Comforter”(John 16:7). It is the power “unto salvation” as in Romans 1:16 “...the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek….”

Similarly, John 1:12 “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name”

The end-goal is to be “sons(daughters) of God” as members of this developing God-Kingdom. Not an angelic kingdom nor plant or animal kingdom. But, the “image of God”, the “temple” or “template” is being re-molded into a spirit-composed being, as “one” with the Son and the Father.

Summary

The gospel “about” Christ refers to his standing and credibility. Whereas, the gospel “of” Christ is directed and referred to us regarding our salvation. Nonetheless, whether it is “about” or “of” Jesus, the gospel is a prophesied event. What was “about” him was fulfilled already, while the essence of the gospel “of” Jesus is still ongoing. This continuing work of Jesus to mold us (as a Potter)into a “new pot” refers to the mechanism towards eventual salvation, immortality. This current “marred clay” has to be re-molded starting from the “breath-of-life”(mind) towards the formation of a “new spirit-composed body“. He received this additional power directly from the Father only after he was resurrected. With this power, he is giving it to humans for in-dwelling in man’s “holy-of-holies”, in the “temple not made by hands”(Acts 7:48), and not in the matter-composed(flesh-composed body) made by hands of the Potter as in Isaiah 64:8; Jeremiah 18:1-6. Instead came into that component of man that came into being through breathing into the nostrils of humans, to bind with our “spirit-of-man”,to help, comfort, guide and teach and be “one” with the Father in deciding/choosing right from wrong and in similar “spirit-composition“. Notice that both life-giving spirit given to man in a Genesis creation of human Adam (the spirit-of-man, breath-of-life) and the “Holy Spirit” to in-dwell in man, came directly from a spirit-composed Creator of man in Genesis and Creator of “sons and daughters of God”(Hebrews 2:10).

As Ecclesiastes 9:11 says, “…time and chance happen to all”. Similarly, as in Psalm 75:2 “When I select an appointed time, It is I who judge with equity.” And because of the preceding principles regarding timing for each and everyone of us, those who are called in this dispensation, has to take very seriously this in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit and follow its teaching, direction and guidance. Do not “vomit it out”(Proverbs 26:11; 2Peter 2:22) leading to unforgivable sin as in (Matthew 12:24-32.;Hebrews 6:4-6). There will be others who will have this opportunity to be offered this gift of the Holy Spirit at and after the Millenium. And then, when all are in subjugation to Jesus, the Father will come down to earth from heaven, a new heaven and earth.

God bless 😇🙏

You a welcome to critique my post

References

1. Ongoing Creation. Retrieved November 16, 2018 from http://fact-s.net/2018/06/30/ongoing-creation

2. The gospel Jesus preached. Retrieved November 16, 2018 from http://www.biblicaljesus.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/basics.tour/ID/8/Gospel-Jesus-Preached.htm

3. What is the Kingdom of God? Retrieved November 19, 2018 from http://fact-s.net/2018/09/12/what-is-the-kingdom-of-god-2/

4. Kingdom of God in Human Anatomy. November 19, 2018 from http://fact-s.net/2016/12/21/kingdom-of-god-in-human-anatomy/

5. Salvation,Series 1:what? Retrieved November 19, 2018 from http://fact-s.net/2015/10/04/salvation-series-1what/

Original Post: November 21, 2018

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