How
many Gospels are there? Again, this blog was inspired by a recent sermon at our
Ft Myers church. In fact, it was the
Easter Sunday service. Again, this blog
is my thoughts and reflections on that
sermon. The sermon focused
primarily on two
statements made by Paul, one to the Ephesians:
For it is by grace you have been
saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God not
by works, so that no one can boast.
And one to the Galatians:
I am astonished that you are so
quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are
turning to a different gospel which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some
people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of
Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other
than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have
already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other
than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
The Galatians were practicing a “different
gospel”, one of works, requiring the Gentiles to follow the Jewish laws under
the Old Testament Abrahamic covenant, including particularly circumcision. Paul rebuked them and warned them that if
salvation is dependent on observing Jewish laws, it was not by grace, but by
works. And, if it is by works, we are
all headed for Hell along with the person preaching it. The word at the end of Paul’s statement to
the Galatians, “curse” is only used 5 times in the New Testament. It can also
be translated anathema. One of those times is in 1 Corinthians 16:22:
If anyone does not love the
Lord, let that person be cursed! Come, Lord !
What happens to the person
who does not love the Lord? Hell
Now most people are
thinking, “Well, I don’t believe that or our church does not believe that” or “We
don’t preach a different gospel”. Let’s
examine ourselves. If we teach that God
loves us more because of what we do or that if we don’t do “X”, you are not a
faithful Christian, we are very close to preaching different gospel, if not
there already. If we act or think that
our works make us more pleasing to God or make Him love us more, have we not
added a works requirement. If anything
is added to the Gospel of Grace, it is no longer a Gospel of Grace.
Some believe that baptism is
necessary to wash away sins or is required in order to insure salvation,
thereby, salvation by works. What about
tithing? Many believe or require
tithing. Tithing was mandated in the Old
Testament law. In fact, it’s requirement
post-dates circumcision. The Galatians required that the Gentiles be circumcised. Paul tells them if they do that, they are
then “debtor(s) to do the whole law”.
Requiring tithing is part of the same law that required circumcision. If tithing is required, something has been
added. It was and is part of the Old
Covenant.
Are there other areas that
we practice different gospel? Some teach,
in effect, that there is a pre-Pentecost gospel, a post-Pentecost apostolic
gospel and a post apostolic gospel. How
do I say this? Is the gospel preached by
the twelve apostles and the Seventy, while Jesus was on earth, the same as the
gospel that the apostles and evangelist preached after Pentecost? Is there a third gospel preached after the
apostolic period. In spite of their
denial, in essence, this is what is taught in many churches today.
When Jesus sent out the 12
in Luke 9, Luke records”
“Then He called His twelve
disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to
cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick….
So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing
everywhere.”
When Jesus sent out the 72
in Luke 10, He said:
“The harvest is plentiful, but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out
workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among
wolves. …. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, The kingdom of God has
come near to you…I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions
and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”
Just prior to His ascension,
Jesus charged those present at His ascension:
"All authority has been
given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go
therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end
of the age."
What had Jesus taught
them? What had He commanded them? What was the gospel Jesus taught? What gospel did they preach in the early
church in Acts? What gospel did they
practice in Acts? What happened when
they preached that gospel?
They went forth , and
preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs
following .
Did God stop “confirming His
Word”? Or is it that we are preaching different
gospel?
Paul instructed Timothy:
This know also,
that in
the last days perilous
times
shall come
. For men
shall be
lovers of their own selves,
covetous,
boasters,
proud,
blasphemers,
disobedient
to parents,
unthankful,
unholy,
Without natural affection,
trucebreakers,
false accusers,
incontinent,
fierce,
despisers of those that are good,
Traitors,
heady,
highminded
, lovers of pleasures
more than
lovers of God; Having
a form
of godliness,
but denying
the power
thereof:
from such
turn away
. For of
this sort
are they
which creep
into houses,
and
lead captive
silly women
laden
with sins,
led away
with divers
lusts,
Ever learning
, and never
able
to come to
the knowledge
of the truth.
Then Paul charged Timothy:
Preach the word; be prepared in
season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and
careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with
sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around
them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They
will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep
your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
discharge all the duties of your ministry.
There are many who believe, teach
and/or act as if the gifts and manifestations of God ceased when the apostolic
period ended. How foolish to think that
the gospel that Jesus charged the 12 and the 72, somehow, somewhere, sometime,
changed when the last apostle died.
These same people use Jesus’
words to the 72:
“The harvest is plentiful, but
the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out
workers into his harvest field.”
to send out missionaries, but ignore,
or worse deny the remainder of Jesus’ charge:
Heal the sick who are there and
tell them, the kingdom of God has come near to you…I have given you authority
to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy;
nothing will harm you.”
Sounds like different
gospel to me!
Does that mean that these people
are cursed like the Galatians preaching a false gospel? I hope not and think not. The “different gospel” of the Galatians was
false in that it taught a “works” gospel as a means to salvation. The “different gospel” that I hear too often
today, is not a “works” gospel. It is an
“incomplete gospel” Today’s “gospel” means something different than the “true
gospel. Call it a “diminished gospel”. The “means” to the gospel is still faith; but the “gospel” has
taken on a different or diminished meaning. I personally know many brothers and
sisters in Christ, who truly love the Lord, who are saved; but, who have short
changed God’s grace in their beliefs regarding the totality of what Christ
purchased for us on the cross. In doing
so they are diminishing the goodness and grace offered to the body and to the
lost. The author of Romans asks the
reader:
“do you despise the riches
of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God's kindness
is intended to lead you to repentance?”
By
diminishing the accomplishments of Christ’s atonement that are available to use
through faith, we are a stumbling block to the body; but, more so to the
lost. In a few weeks we will celebrate
Pentecost; when Christ poured out on His body, the church, the Holy Spirit,
filling the body with His power. The
word used for “power” in Acts 1:8 is in Greek, “dunamis”. It’s is the word from which we get the word dynamite.
The Holy Spirit fills the body of Christ
with dynamite power, miraculous power, abundant power, mighty power. He did it on Pentecost and still does it
today! It’s still available. We, the
body of Christ, need to use it. Instead,
we are walking around like we have a fire cracker, rather than a stick of dynamite. Will we have to give account of our misuse, disuse,
and diminishment of the gifts given to the church? I think so! Jesus said to the religious
leaders of His day:
May we pray that it is never said
of us. May Christ never say in reference
to your church, my church, His church:
