THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE GOSPEL

In I Corinthians 15:1-4, the basic elements of the Gospel are given by Paul:
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto
you, which also you have received, and wherein ye stand;

By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you,
unless ye have believed in vain.
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that
Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures;
And that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to
the Scriptures. (I Corinthians 15:1-4)

The basic Gospel message is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, He
was buried, and He rose again according to the Scriptures. In its narrowest sense, the
Gospel can be summarized in the message of John 3:16:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that
whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
(John 3:16)

In its widest meaning, it includes all that Jesus taught His disciples:
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations. . . teaching them to observe all things,
whatsoever I have commanded you. . . (Matthew 28:18 and 20)

Men must be told about the Kingdom, challenged to enter it, and trained how to live as
Kingdom residents.

The Gospel we preach is not a social gospel to reform society, but the Gospel of God to
redeem sinners. The message of the Kingdom must include a call to repent from sin:
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the
Gospel of the Kingdom of God,
And saying, the time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: Repent
ye, and believe the Gospel. (Mark 1:14-15)

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the Kingdom
of Heaven is at hand. (Matthew 4:17)

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