To preach "Christ" as the prophets and apostles announced him demands a knowledge of the coming Kingdom of God, for which he is the appointed, ordained One; and thus having a proper understanding of his covenant relationship to the Kingdom as "the Anointed One," we can the better appreciate him as "the Crucified One," though whose perfect obedience and sacrifice the requisite provisions are made by which the Kingdom of God can be most gloriously re-established under an immortal son of David; and by which we can become "heirs of the Kingdom."
Glorying in the cross of Christ and exulting in the crucified One as essentials in the redemptive process, we receive these, like Paul did, as important parts of the Gospel, but not as the whole Gospel, for without the divine purpose/plan exhibited in the Kingdom of God, the death of Christ Jesus would lose much of its significance. Paul by no means confined himself to the name and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ only, but showed, as his writings abundantly evidence, the relationship that these sustained to our obtaining the Kingdom of God, and to the Kingdom itself.
Let us remember that there can only be but one Gospel of the Kingdom of God and that is the one proclaimed by the prophets, preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, the seventy disciples, and the twelve apostles. Now that Gospel of the Kingdom of God is precisely the same one held by the primitive [1st century] Church; and its good news was dependent upon the covenants confirmed by oath to Abraham and king David; the predictions of the prophets; the declarations of Jesus Christ and his apostles; and the provisions made by God in Christ for the Kingdom.
There is really no difficulty in understanding what the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is, IF, we only allow the scriptures to speak in their naked, natural, grammatical sense, and receive that meaning so apparent upon its surface as did the early Church.
A definite Gospel of the Kingdom of God was proclaimed by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, the disciples, etc., and this is the identical Gospel that we should still hold fast to; sealed and attested by the death and resurrection of Jesus, confirmed by the predictions of postponement fulfilled before our eyes. Indeed, our hope is in the coming of Jesus Christ to inaugurate the Kingdom of God and take his seat on the throne of David at Jerusalem as God's anointed Messiah over Israel. May that day soon come!
Glorying in the cross of Christ and exulting in the crucified One as essentials in the redemptive process, we receive these, like Paul did, as important parts of the Gospel, but not as the whole Gospel, for without the divine purpose/plan exhibited in the Kingdom of God, the death of Christ Jesus would lose much of its significance. Paul by no means confined himself to the name and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ only, but showed, as his writings abundantly evidence, the relationship that these sustained to our obtaining the Kingdom of God, and to the Kingdom itself.
Let us remember that there can only be but one Gospel of the Kingdom of God and that is the one proclaimed by the prophets, preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, the seventy disciples, and the twelve apostles. Now that Gospel of the Kingdom of God is precisely the same one held by the primitive [1st century] Church; and its good news was dependent upon the covenants confirmed by oath to Abraham and king David; the predictions of the prophets; the declarations of Jesus Christ and his apostles; and the provisions made by God in Christ for the Kingdom.
There is really no difficulty in understanding what the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is, IF, we only allow the scriptures to speak in their naked, natural, grammatical sense, and receive that meaning so apparent upon its surface as did the early Church.
A definite Gospel of the Kingdom of God was proclaimed by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, the disciples, etc., and this is the identical Gospel that we should still hold fast to; sealed and attested by the death and resurrection of Jesus, confirmed by the predictions of postponement fulfilled before our eyes. Indeed, our hope is in the coming of Jesus Christ to inaugurate the Kingdom of God and take his seat on the throne of David at Jerusalem as God's anointed Messiah over Israel. May that day soon come!
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