Jesus Defined the Gospel Before Paul Ever Preached It.
Jesus declared: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”Mark 1:15. Many speak as though the Gospel began with Paul, or that Paul was the one who revealed the “true Gospel.” Yet the Gospel did not originate with Paul. Jesus Christ Himself proclaimed and defined the Gospel before Paul ever began his ministry.
Jesus brought the Kingdom of heaven into the midst of humanity, and we must live our lives in this world through the words of Jesus. Therefore, before looking at the writings of the apostles, the believer must first listen carefully to the words of Jesus Christ Himself. Despite what many dispensational preachers may say, the apostles did not come to replace Christ’s words. Their ministry was:
To bear witness, and to testify of Jesus Christ.
Their respective ministries were to proclaim Him.
And to establish what He had previously commanded.
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising 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.” Amen. Matthew 28:18-20.
When Jesus Christ came into this world, one of the purposes of His coming was to bring the life of the Father into the realm of fallen humanity. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10.
Jesus did not leave the question of eternal life unclear. He said: “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”John 3:36. Jesus Himself defined the importance of believing in the Son. But Jesus also made clear that genuine faith cannot be reduced to merely making a verbal profession. Jesus issued a sombre warning: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”Matthew 7:21
The words of Jesus Christ make demands upon all who will hear them. It is the personal responsibility of every believer to examine what it truly means to believe in Christ: As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must guard our lives by giving strict observation and obedience to the commands of Jesus. It must become a reality in our lives that:
It is possible to say, “Lord, Lord,” while refusing to do the will of the Father.
It is possible to speak about Jesus while resisting His commands.
It is possible to possess knowledge about Christ without actually following Christ.
Therefore, it is imperative that we understand that Jesus did not just present discipleship as merely believing certain truths about Him:
He called people to hear His words.
Believe Him.
Follow Him.
And obey Him.
Jesus also directly connected love for Him with obedience. He said: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”John 14:15. And again: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me.”John 14:21
These words must not be pushed aside simply because they confront human self-will. Jesus Himself said that love for Him would be demonstrated through obedience to Him. Obedience to Christ is the response of a heart that has heard His voice and is willing to follow Him, irrespective of the cost to ourselves. The issue is not whether human beings can earn salvation through their own efforts. The issue is whether the person who claims to belong to Christ is actually willing to hear and obey Christ.
Every word of Jesus Christ must be believed and received into our lives; they are not to be merely left to our consideration; they must be fully endorsed. This is why the words of Jesus must never be treated as though they are secondary to the writings of the apostles; their writings must never be used to silence, minimise, or set aside the words of Jesus Christ.
The apostles were witnesses and ministers of Christ; they did not become greater than Christ. The believer must therefore take the words of Jesus seriously before using the writings of any apostle to interpret what it means to follow Him.
Jesus Christ did not call people merely to hear His teaching. He said:“Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock. Matthew 7:24. Hearing Jesus is not enough. Following Jesus requires a life that responds to His words.