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| P.2 Is the gospel in every book of the Old Testament? On his website he asks, What is the Gospel? It's defined in different ways, but it is generally agreed to be the Good News of personal salvation offered to us by Jesus' atoning sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection . (I underline this because he then challenges this as the meaning.) But why did Jesus have to die for us? For that you need some background. 1. In the beginning, God created the world and proclaimed it to be "very good." (Genesis 1:31) 2. Then, the world was corrupted by sin and death caused by man's disobedience of God by yielding to temptation by the serpent, or Satan. (Genesis 3) 3. When mankind's relationship with God was broken, the Earth's corruption grew, causing God to destroy all human life save for the seed of one righteous man, Noah, and his family. (Genesis 6) 4. God called another man, Abraham, to righteousness through faith, to be the progenitor of what would become a "peculiar people unto Himself, above all nations on Earth," from whom the Holy One, the Redeemer-Savior-King would be born. (Genesis 18, Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2, Isaiah 54) 5. From the foundation of the world, God has had a perfect plan of self-sacrificing atonement for those who would call on the name of the Lord and repent – leading to everlasting life. That's what Jesus offered in His death on the cross and resurrection. (Revelation 18:1, Romans 10:13) Farah presents five points that represent a very quick summary of the history of the world and the Good News message presented. All of this is agreeable with Scripture and should be understood as such. But he then says it is not conveying the actual gospel message. Because he asks “ But is it complete? Is it possible there is a missing component in the way most of us think about the Gospel today? Is there something more we as believers, disciples, teachers, authors and preachers are ignoring or forgetting – something essential about our future, our eternal destiny?” underline mine Knowing something that is future is not applicable to a gospel that saves us now; we are given the gospel. I would say if there is anything missing by the message today it would be including the God/man who died for sins and resurrected to save us from sins penalty, which continues from the day of our salvation forward. There is nothing else to add of the future. He asks, “Is there an element of the Gospel too often overlooked – a component that ties the beginning and the end together in glorious, miraculous and broadly appealing fashion? Is there something more to the Gospel than even the amazing message of personal salvation?” This is where he jumps off the cliff, for the gospel that saves is a completed message of salvation and is portrayed in both doctrine and preaching examples in Scripture (The book of Acts). To say this is just wrong. There is NOT MORE to the gospel message. What he is doing is adding the application of prophecy to the gospel message. To me, if it’s not what Paul said IS the gospel then you are adding to it and making it another gospel, which is exactly what he warned in Gal. 1:6-7 of “ turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.” How did they do this to the Galatian church? By adding to the message of ‘the law,’ which was good and given by God. Paul goes on to say V.8-9 If any “ preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” This would include adding and subtracting, even that which is the law, which Paul is addressing in his letter. So this becomes a serious breach of the message. What Farah then includes is the application of what the gospel brings, which is not part of the gospel message that saves but one of the results from it. Here’s his answer: “I believe there is – without question. It's the message Jesus preached, the one He called "The Gospel of the Kingdom." What is this often forgotten sixth component of the complete Gospel ? 6 . Jesus the Messiah, the Creator of all things, will return to judge the living and the dead and restore the world, as King of kings and Lord of lords, to its intended state of perfection before the fall. (John 1, Acts 3:21, Revelation 19:16) This is all true but knowing this does not save anyone, it is not ‘the gospel of salvation;’ nor is it forgotten from the message, unless one wants to believe Paul left doctrine out of his explanation. In fact referring to the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” ( 1 Peter 4:5-6) Farah goes on to say “When we're evangelizing, carrying out Jesus' Great Commission, this denouement is often left out of the message.” Ultimately, when Jesus spoke in Matthew 24:14, He was talking about this closing act: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." The question is: Are we still preaching and teaching the Gospel of the Kingdom? Do even most believers understand that God's Son, the Creator of all things on Earth, is the rightful King of the Earth who will ultimately judge mankind and Satan while restoring paradise on Earth?” I would hope so, or they have not learned yet in whom the person of the gospel is about. This is his proof that there is a ‘missing part’ of the gospel - the future role of the messiah on earth, which I find as a Catachresis. Farah,“ In other words, the Gospel could well be summarized thusly: It's the story of our Creator-King who died for our sins so that those who know and love Him will inherit the very Kingdom He purchased for them with His suffering and death on the cross and His resurrection and return.” With the world rapidly decaying in corruption like it did in the times of Noah, should we not be rediscovering the message of hope and promise that the Gospel of the Kingdom embodies – especially since Jesus commands us to do so before He returns? Wouldn't you agree that the Bible's promise of a restored paradise on Earth , marked by peace, truth, prosperity, justice and health, is a compelling but overlooked Gospel message the world is waiting to hear? Is this what we are to speak for people to have salvation or to enter the kingdom? Sounds like the Jehovah Witnesses message of paradise on earth. This complicates the simple message on Christ pertaining to salvation. I would like to point out that we must believe that our sinful state brought his dying for sin and resurrection as the solution; not a future paradise. Paul tells us this is the gospel he delivered, (which all the apostles would agree on). It says nothing of the future as part of the gospel to be discovered because we neglect it, it is focused on Jesus dying for our sins for us to avoid eternal judgment. What Farah is referring to comes from learning as a disciple AFTER believing the gospel. And what did Jesus tell us must happen before His return? That this Gospel of the Kingdom must be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations.” Some use this scripture literally to say that every tribe, every person in every city on this earth must hear the gospel before Christ returns. That Christ cannot return until this missionary work has reached all individually. The passage in context belongs to the time period of the future Great Tribulation, the missionary venture would be completed by the 144,000 Jews selected by Jesus. Farah asks “Has it been completed? It has not been. Not by a long shot. Just take a look at this world! He then Quotes 2 Peter 3:9 asking Do we need more time? You bet we do? We need about 1,000 years more.” This is a disturbing conclusion that I would have to disagree with. Farah ignores the previous verses pertaining to the promise of his coming. Again, this sounds like the message of the Jehovah Witnesses. Revelation 7 speaks of a great revival will be conducted during the Tribulation by the 144,000 anointed Jewish evangelists to whom are preaching the gospel to Israel and the world. They will be proclaiming the same message that the Apostle Paul did V.10 salvation for people to be saved. 7:14 “ and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” Is the "gospel of the kingdom" different to what we are to preach today for salvation? In Mark 16:15 Jesus says to his disciples “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” what gospel is he referring to? Does he say he changed the gospel? What gospel is Christ talking about? There's only one gospel, he's telling them the same gospel that you've been preaching continue to preach that to the whole world. That is the gospel of the kingdom. Farah’s gospel message is the Kingdom. Which means when we preach salvation by the gospel contained in 1 Cor.15 we are missing God’s kingdom message. That the “gospel of the kingdom” is different and more important than Gospel of Salvation. Thus changing or diminishing the Gospel of Salvation for the “gospel of the kingdom.” Many cults say we have neglected the actual gospel, purporting to teach the true "gospel of the Kingdom." Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, the late Herbert W. Armstrong's Worldwide Church of God, Igleisia Ni Christo and even the Latter Rain. Some claim no one has preached the Gospel of the Kingdom before they came, and they often proclaim that their church (not Jesus) will usher in the Kingdom of God because they have the missing portions. They all go beyond the gospel of salvation message of Christ crucified. furthermore it need to to be mentioned that Numerous NAR apostles and prophets also teach there is a distinction between two gospels, the “gospel of salvation” and the “gospel of the kingdom.” The “gospel of salvation” encompasses the good news through Christ’s death and resurrection, providing salvation from sin. But this is incomplete gospel, this is what Farah happens to agree with. That the “gospel of the kingdom” is the completed gospel, which goes beyond salvation from sin, but our taking dominion. (source: C.P. Wagner, Dominion, p.67-68; Johnny Enlow, The Seven Mountain Prophecy (Lake Mary, FL: Creation House, 2008), p.41. The gospel of the kingdom The gospel of the kingdom was preached when Jesus was among the people BEFORE his crucifixion. Jesus was present physically preaching the gospel of the Kingdom spoken of by the Jewish prophets and performing miracles to authenticate his person. When Jesus came into Galilee, 'speaking of the gospel of the Kingdom of God,' saying the `time is fulfilled', repent and the Kingdom of God is at hand,' he was telling them the Kingdom of God-was at hand, the age they were waiting for. He proclaimed the kingdom of God which is about him. The book of Matthew shows Jesus performing miracles to authenticate his person, this was done for them to accept him as their messiah. He was offering the kingdom to his people (which he knew they would reject, Scripture must be fulfilled). The particular narrow application was for Israel to accept his messiahship, as their king while he was among them. As was written, and prophesied in the Scripture, this messianic kingdom to be established by the Second Coming. John the Baptist came to Israel preaching the gospel of the kingdom (Matt.3:2) to Israel, to prepare them for Christ when he is revealed among them. The kingdom is with Jesus. Luke 16:16 “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached” Mark 1:14-15 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel ." Matt 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom” Matt 9:35 Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” The only scripture that mentions ‘the gospel of the kingdom’ being preached in the future is Matt. 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” In the Olivet Discourse, he first speaks generally of what is to take place to the world,’ the end of the age.’ In ‘the sign of his coming’ (v.15 onward) Jesus is giving instruction concerning the Tribulation that is to come. It has a “Jewish audience primarily as its focus,” as it encapsulates Israel and the Jews, it speaks of Judaea, the Sabbath day, the holy place, the Temple, and the coming of the King with his Kingdom. Meaning the end of the age, its completion is the Tribulation period. The gospel of the Kingdom is to be preached to all nations. This “end” spoken of in Mt. 24:14 speaks of is contingent upon the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom. According to Farah this is specifically about the whole world hearing the Gospel of the Kingdom prior to the end (which is in the Tribulation period until Christ comes to end it). All who believe the message will go into the Millennium Kingdom saved, and live through one thousand years of peace that the world has not seen since after the fall. But the actual beginning of this kingdom would not occur until the Second Coming, when Christ returns and is present on earth. Paul writes, " Then comes the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to the Father and God shall be all in all ” (1 Cor. 15:24-28). Even Millennial Kingdom is not the ultimate kingdom, when Christ is on this earth reigning over both transformed saints, the saved and unsaved in the Millennium. The unsaved have a rebellion at the end of his earthly kingdom rule, they rebel when Satan is loosed. The kingdom of God’s endless peace will fully come by the new heavens and new earth being established after the 1,000 years. When the Millennium ends we will have a whole new beginning for the entire universe. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God is the Gospel of Christ. Believing the Gospel of Christ provides God’s salvation through which one is born again of the Spirit. There is only on entrance into God’s Kingdom (Jesus is the way) it is by receiving Gods gospel (Christ crucified and resurrected). Only those who obey the Gospel; by repenting of their sin, have faith in Christ for salvation will be grafted into the new covenant, become part of Church now. The Bible calls the one who believes the gospel “a new creature” in Christ for whom “old things are passed away [and] all things are become new” (2 Cor. 5:17) The gospel is the grace of God (Acts 20:24; Rom. 2:16; 2 Tim. 2:8) as the only means to be saved now and through the tribulation. One cannot enter the kingdom of God without being born again. The gospel that SAVES is not changed, for we read in John 3:3-7 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." V.5 Jesus explains to Nicodemus, " Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” This is what is described in Eph. 1:13 the gospel of your salvation. There is only one Gospel: this is by a spiritual birth to see the kingdom of God. The Gospel of salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ. This Gospel (the gospel, meaning good news) contains the kingdom that will be established by Jesus is coming again to establish His visible earthly reign which is the "Gospel of the Kingdom." Farah has an addition to the gospel that is misguided. The gospel has only three active components, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, the God-man, God whom came from heaven to be sacrificed in a body for our sin. A spiritual birth (the Holy Spirit taking up residence inside those who believe) comes ONLY from believing the death burial and resurrection of Jesus as the way into the kingdom of God, that is the gospel we are to preach. The message of this kingdom gospel is that Jesus Christ, who died for your sins is coming back to engage his Messianic rule (Isaiah 9:6-7 and Dan. 2:44) Luke 24 46-47 "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” That is the gospel they were instructed to preach after the resurrection and it has not changed, Jesus died for our sins and rose from the dead. That is what goes out to the nations at the beginning AND at the end. I guess it all comes down to what you identify as the gospel. 1 Cor. 15:1-2“I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved”V.3-4 “For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: 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.” Where did Paul receive more than this as the gospel? The fact is, if one adds all the applications in prophecy to the gospel as Farah does, they can find the gospel in all of the books of the Bible; but these portions (whether figurative or literal) are not part of the gospel that gives salvation according to 1 Cor.15, which is the gospel we are to speak. According to Farah’s added doctrines of future application, he is redefining the gospel by his addition through these applications. The Bible both Old and New are integrated because of the continual stories of redemption via prophecy and in figurative and symbolic writings. There are portions of the gospel throughout the Old Testament, but not in every book. If the gospel was in all these books than why do they teach on continual sacrifices from under the law? The foreshadows of Christ show of the salvation He would offer to mankind because Jesus, Himself, is the Gospel. Once Jesus went to his crucifixion and raised to life, this is the message one must speak and believe. Not that there is a kingdom he will rule over – in the millennium. What is disturbing is that there has been no correction on this. I’m dismayed that more have not challenged his premise that the future kingdom is the complete message of the gospel, and is what we are to preach. He may be sincere but then he is sincerely wrong. Knowing what it brings in the future does not save, by itself, or when added to 1 Cor.15. |
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