Scholars say:
"There can be no question that in the Lord Jesus' teaching the Kingdom of God is the representative and all-embracing summary of his distinctive message." "Preaching about the Kingdom of God sums up the ministry of Jesus, the apostles, Paul and the disciples."
"Extracting the Kingdom of God from the message of Jesus would be like blasting away the foundation of a skyscraper."
Anyone picking up the Scriptures will know that the Gospel [good news message] is the most important word in the Bible. It describes what a disciple of Jesus must believe and do in order to become a glorified immortal man/woman (salvation in the Kingdom). The Gospel has a "label," an identity marker. This defines what the Message is all about. Jesus was the first and definitive preacher of the Gospel. He said: "The reason why I was commissioned was to preach the Gospel about the Kingdom" (Luke 4:43; Hebrews 2:3; 1 Timothty 6:3). (All texts cited should be carefully examined in their context.)
Christians are to carry on the commission Jesus has given to his disciples: to preach, publish the message of the kingdom of God. This follows from the fact that we are meant to follow the example set by the Lord Jesus. No less than 18 times in Matthew, Mark and Luke and Acts the gospel is defined as the gospel about the Kingdom of God. This shows us what gospel message Jesus preached and what gospel message the apostles preached. Luke ends his second book (Acts) by telling us that Paul preached the gospel about the Kingdom (Acts 28:23, 31). In his farewell speech to the Ephesian elders Paul described his whole career as "the proclamation of the Kingdom" (Acts 20:25). When Jesus spoke to crowds he "welcomed the people and began talking about the Kingdom" (Luke 9:11). Wgen the public came to meet Paul in Rome "he welcomed them and testified to the Gospel about the Kingdom" (Acts 28:30, 31).
The Bible is a textbook revealing the plan of God for the human race. John the Baptist and Jesus were the first preachers of the gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 3:2; 4:17, 23, etc.). Jesus announced shortly before his death that "this gospel about the Kingdom" will be proclaimed to all the nations. In Mark’s account, Jesus said "the gospel will be proclaimed..." (Mark 13:10). Note carefully that "this gospel of the Kingdom" (Matthew 24:14) defines "the Gospel" (Mark 13:10). The latter is simply a shorthand form of the full definition: "This gospel about the Kingdom."
The Bible is a textbook revealing the plan of God for the human race. John the Baptist and Jesus were the first preachers of the gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 3:2; 4:17, 23, etc.). Jesus announced shortly before his death that "this gospel about the Kingdom" will be proclaimed to all the nations. In Mark’s account, Jesus said "the gospel will be proclaimed..." (Mark 13:10). Note carefully that "this gospel of the Kingdom" (Matthew 24:14) defines "the Gospel" (Mark 13:10). The latter is simply a shorthand form of the full definition: "This gospel about the Kingdom."
The word gospel appears some 101 times in the New Testament. In every case it refers to "this Gospel about the Kingdom." There is only one Gospel.
The Gospel about the Kingdom is the unifying thread tying together the ministries of Jesus and the apostles. Christian unity can be restored around a common decision to preach the same gospel as Jesus preached.
Do you hear the phrase "gospel about the Kingdom" today? Its absence from contemporary -preaching suggests that the heart of the faith has been obscured. This could account for the fragmentation of the Church into hundreds of differing denominations.
The following list of expressions provides first the "master definition" of the gospel and gives the equivalent gospel titles found throughout the New Testament. All evangelism in the Bible is evangelism about the Kingdom of God as Jesus preached it. All invitations to salvation are invitations not "to go to heaven," but to enter into, inherit the Kingdom of God. Following Jesus involves using his terminology, not our own. To speak like Jesus (allowing, of course, for translation into our mother-tongues!) means to think and do as he did and does.
If one combines references to "the gospel of the Kingdom," "the gospel" and "preaching" or "proclaiming," there are some 325 references to the gospel of the Kingdom. "Believing" in the New Testament means believing in "the gospel about the Kingdom and in the name of Jesus the Messiah" (Acts 8:12). The next verse (Acts 8:13) says that Simon "believed," i.e., believed in the gospel of the Kingdom and the name of Jesus. That is the meaning of Christian faith.
The Gospel about the Kingdom is the unifying thread tying together the ministries of Jesus and the apostles. Christian unity can be restored around a common decision to preach the same gospel as Jesus preached.
Do you hear the phrase "gospel about the Kingdom" today? Its absence from contemporary -preaching suggests that the heart of the faith has been obscured. This could account for the fragmentation of the Church into hundreds of differing denominations.
The following list of expressions provides first the "master definition" of the gospel and gives the equivalent gospel titles found throughout the New Testament. All evangelism in the Bible is evangelism about the Kingdom of God as Jesus preached it. All invitations to salvation are invitations not "to go to heaven," but to enter into, inherit the Kingdom of God. Following Jesus involves using his terminology, not our own. To speak like Jesus (allowing, of course, for translation into our mother-tongues!) means to think and do as he did and does.
If one combines references to "the gospel of the Kingdom," "the gospel" and "preaching" or "proclaiming," there are some 325 references to the gospel of the Kingdom. "Believing" in the New Testament means believing in "the gospel about the Kingdom and in the name of Jesus the Messiah" (Acts 8:12). The next verse (Acts 8:13) says that Simon "believed," i.e., believed in the gospel of the Kingdom and the name of Jesus. That is the meaning of Christian faith.
Note: To believe in the name of Jesus includes everything he represented to us as the Messiah, the uniquely begotten son of God. To believe all the the Lord Jesus is representative of in the scriptures.
In Acts 28:24 some were persuaded by the gospel of the Kingdom (v. 23) and some did not believe. To believe, therefore, in the New Testament is to be persuaded about the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is the key which unlocks the secret to the teaching of Jesus and gives us knowledge of God’s Plan for ourselves, the whole of the human race and the future of this earth.
In Acts 28:24 some were persuaded by the gospel of the Kingdom (v. 23) and some did not believe. To believe, therefore, in the New Testament is to be persuaded about the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is the key which unlocks the secret to the teaching of Jesus and gives us knowledge of God’s Plan for ourselves, the whole of the human race and the future of this earth.
The "parent definition" of the gospel comes from Jesus himself, as the model exponent of the gospel. Jesus was a herald of the message of the Kingdom that John the Baptist said was drawing nearf Matthew 3:2).
The gospel comes with a specific definition:
THE GOSPEL ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Matthew 3:2; 4:17, 23; 24:14; 9:35; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2, 6, 11, 60; 10:9; 16:16; Acts 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31)
A variety of interchangeable phrases describe the same Gospel about the Kingdom:
=THE WORD ABOUT THE KINGDOM (Matthew 13:19; see 2 Timothy 4:1, 2; Revelation 1:9)
=THE GOSPEL OF GOD (Mark 1:14 (= "believe in the Kingdom," v. 15); Romans 1:1; 15:16;
2 Corinthians 11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:2, 8, 9)
=THE GOSPEL (Matthew 11:5; Mark 13:10; 14:9; 16:15; Luke 3:18; 4:18; 7:22; 9:6; + 80 times)
=THIS GOSPEL ABOUT THE KINGDOM (Matthew 24:14)
=THIS GOSPEL (Matthew 26:13)
=THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD (Acts 20:24)
=PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM (Acts 20:25)
=DECLARING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD (Acts 20:27)
=THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION (Ephesians 1:13; Romans 1:16)
=THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST (Mark 1:1)
=THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (2 Corinthians 9:13)
=THE GOSPEL OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST (2 Corinthians 4:4)
=THE GOSPEL OF THE BLESSED GOD (1 Timothy 1:11)
=THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL (Ephesins 6:19; Romans 16:25)
=YOUR (GOD’S) WORD(S) (John 17:6; 17:8, — "receive WORD")
=THE WORD OF GOD (37 times) = HIS WORD (Titus 1:3; 1 John 2:5)
=THE WORD (46 times)
=THE WORD OF TRUTH (2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 1:13 Col. 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18)
=THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1; Hebrews 10:26)
=THE TRUTH (50 times)
=REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS IN JESUS’ NAME (Luke 24:47)
=THE WORD OF THE LORD (Acts 8:25; 12:24; 13:48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10; 19:20; 1 Thessalonians. 1:8; 4:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; I Peter 1:25)
=THE WORD OF THE GOSPEL (Acts 15:7)
=OUR GOSPEL (1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3)
=THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS (2 Thessalonians1:8)
=THE WORD OF HIS GRACE (Acts 14:3; 20:32)
=GRACE AND TRUTH (John 1:14)
=THE WORD OF THE CROSS (1 Corinthians 1:18)
=THE WORDS OF GOD (John 3:34; 8:47; Revelation 17:17; 19:9)
=THE WORDS OF THE LIFE OF THE COMING AGE (John 6:68)
=MY (JESUS’) WORD (John 5:24; 8:31, 37, 43, 51, 52; 14:23, 24; 15:20; Revelation 3:8)
=MY (JESUS’) WORDS (Matthew 24:35; Mark 8:38; 13:31; Luke 6:47; 9:26; 21:33; John 5:47; 14:10, 24; 15:7)
=MY TEACHING (John 7:16; II Timothy 3:10)
=THESE WORDS OF MINE (Matthew 7:24, 26)
=MY SAYINGS (John 12:47, 48)
=MY (PAUL’S) GOSPEL (Romans 16:25)
=MY (PAUL’S) WORDS (Acts 26:25)
=MY (PAUL’S) MESSAGE (1 Corinthians 2:4)
=MY (PAUL’S) PREACHING (1 Corinthians 2:4)
=THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10)
=THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST (Romans 16:25)
=THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST (Colossians 4:3; Ephesians 3:4; Colossians 1:27)
=THE MYSTERY (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 1:9)
=THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL (Ephesians 6:19)
=THE MYSTERY OF THE FAITH (1 Timothy 3:9)
=THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS (1 Timothy 3:16)
=THE WORD OF LIFE (Philippians 2:16)
=THE MYSTERY OF GOD (Revelation 10:7)
=THE WORD OF FAITH (Romans 10:8)
=THE WORD OF GOD’S MESSAGE (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
=THE WORD OF CHRIST (Acts 10:36; Romans 10:17; Colossians 3:16)
=THE ABIDING WORD OF GOD (1 Peter 1:23)
=THE IMPLANTED WORD OF GOD (James 1:21)
=OUR REPORT ("the word of hearing") (John 12:38; Romans 10:16)
=THE FAITH (32 times)
=THE WORD OF THIS SALVATION (Acts 13:26)
=THIS SALVATION (1 Peter 1:10)
=THIS SALVATION OF GOD (Acts 28:28)
=OUR COMMON SALVATION (Jude 1:3)
=THE FAITH ONCE AND FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS (Jude 3)
=THE MANIFESTATION OF TRUTH (2 Corinthians 4:2)
=THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION (2 Corinthians 5:19)
=THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT (Ephesians 6:17)
=THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Hebrews 5:13)
=THE WORD OF MY PERSEVERANCE (Revelation 3:10)
=THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY (Revelation 12:11)
=THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS (Revelation 1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4)
=THE GOSPEL ABOUT THE COMING AGE (Revelation 14:6)
Christians in the Bible are those who believe the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mark 1:14, 15). All "preaching" has one aim: to convey the gospel of the Kingdom and to secure intelligent belief in it (Acts 8:12).
THE GOSPEL ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Matthew 3:2; 4:17, 23; 24:14; 9:35; Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:2, 6, 11, 60; 10:9; 16:16; Acts 8:12; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31)
A variety of interchangeable phrases describe the same Gospel about the Kingdom:
=THE WORD ABOUT THE KINGDOM (Matthew 13:19; see 2 Timothy 4:1, 2; Revelation 1:9)
=THE GOSPEL OF GOD (Mark 1:14 (= "believe in the Kingdom," v. 15); Romans 1:1; 15:16;
2 Corinthians 11:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:2, 8, 9)
=THE GOSPEL (Matthew 11:5; Mark 13:10; 14:9; 16:15; Luke 3:18; 4:18; 7:22; 9:6; + 80 times)
=THIS GOSPEL ABOUT THE KINGDOM (Matthew 24:14)
=THIS GOSPEL (Matthew 26:13)
=THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD (Acts 20:24)
=PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM (Acts 20:25)
=DECLARING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD (Acts 20:27)
=THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION (Ephesians 1:13; Romans 1:16)
=THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST (Mark 1:1)
=THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST (2 Corinthians 9:13)
=THE GOSPEL OF THE GLORY OF CHRIST (2 Corinthians 4:4)
=THE GOSPEL OF THE BLESSED GOD (1 Timothy 1:11)
=THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL (Ephesins 6:19; Romans 16:25)
=YOUR (GOD’S) WORD(S) (John 17:6; 17:8, — "receive WORD")
=THE WORD OF GOD (37 times) = HIS WORD (Titus 1:3; 1 John 2:5)
=THE WORD (46 times)
=THE WORD OF TRUTH (2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 1:13 Col. 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18)
=THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1; Hebrews 10:26)
=THE TRUTH (50 times)
=REPENTANCE AND FORGIVENESS OF SINS IN JESUS’ NAME (Luke 24:47)
=THE WORD OF THE LORD (Acts 8:25; 12:24; 13:48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10; 19:20; 1 Thessalonians. 1:8; 4:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:1; I Peter 1:25)
=THE WORD OF THE GOSPEL (Acts 15:7)
=OUR GOSPEL (1 Thessalonians 1:5; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3)
=THE GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS (2 Thessalonians1:8)
=THE WORD OF HIS GRACE (Acts 14:3; 20:32)
=GRACE AND TRUTH (John 1:14)
=THE WORD OF THE CROSS (1 Corinthians 1:18)
=THE WORDS OF GOD (John 3:34; 8:47; Revelation 17:17; 19:9)
=THE WORDS OF THE LIFE OF THE COMING AGE (John 6:68)
=MY (JESUS’) WORD (John 5:24; 8:31, 37, 43, 51, 52; 14:23, 24; 15:20; Revelation 3:8)
=MY (JESUS’) WORDS (Matthew 24:35; Mark 8:38; 13:31; Luke 6:47; 9:26; 21:33; John 5:47; 14:10, 24; 15:7)
=MY TEACHING (John 7:16; II Timothy 3:10)
=THESE WORDS OF MINE (Matthew 7:24, 26)
=MY SAYINGS (John 12:47, 48)
=MY (PAUL’S) GOSPEL (Romans 16:25)
=MY (PAUL’S) WORDS (Acts 26:25)
=MY (PAUL’S) MESSAGE (1 Corinthians 2:4)
=MY (PAUL’S) PREACHING (1 Corinthians 2:4)
=THE MYSTERY OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD (Matthew 13:11; Mark 4:11; Luke 8:10)
=THE PREACHING OF JESUS CHRIST (Romans 16:25)
=THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST (Colossians 4:3; Ephesians 3:4; Colossians 1:27)
=THE MYSTERY (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 1:9)
=THE MYSTERY OF THE GOSPEL (Ephesians 6:19)
=THE MYSTERY OF THE FAITH (1 Timothy 3:9)
=THE MYSTERY OF GODLINESS (1 Timothy 3:16)
=THE WORD OF LIFE (Philippians 2:16)
=THE MYSTERY OF GOD (Revelation 10:7)
=THE WORD OF FAITH (Romans 10:8)
=THE WORD OF GOD’S MESSAGE (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
=THE WORD OF CHRIST (Acts 10:36; Romans 10:17; Colossians 3:16)
=THE ABIDING WORD OF GOD (1 Peter 1:23)
=THE IMPLANTED WORD OF GOD (James 1:21)
=OUR REPORT ("the word of hearing") (John 12:38; Romans 10:16)
=THE FAITH (32 times)
=THE WORD OF THIS SALVATION (Acts 13:26)
=THIS SALVATION (1 Peter 1:10)
=THIS SALVATION OF GOD (Acts 28:28)
=OUR COMMON SALVATION (Jude 1:3)
=THE FAITH ONCE AND FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS (Jude 3)
=THE MANIFESTATION OF TRUTH (2 Corinthians 4:2)
=THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION (2 Corinthians 5:19)
=THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT (Ephesians 6:17)
=THE WORD OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (Hebrews 5:13)
=THE WORD OF MY PERSEVERANCE (Revelation 3:10)
=THE WORD OF THEIR TESTIMONY (Revelation 12:11)
=THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS (Revelation 1:2, 9; 12:17; 19:10; 20:4)
=THE GOSPEL ABOUT THE COMING AGE (Revelation 14:6)
Christians in the Bible are those who believe the Gospel of the Kingdom (Mark 1:14, 15). All "preaching" has one aim: to convey the gospel of the Kingdom and to secure intelligent belief in it (Acts 8:12).
George Ladd remarks that "Jesus divides society into two antithetical camps: those who understand and believe in the gospel of the Kingdom and those who do not" (Matt. 13:19; Luke 8:12
Note: I highly recommend The Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God by George Eldon Ladd, You can get it on Amazon.
Christians are described as "believers," whose faith is modeled not only on the faith of Jesus but on the faith of Abraham:
Abraham is "the Father of all who believe" (Romans 4:11).
Christians are those who "belong to the faith of Abraham" (Rom. 4:16).
Christians are to "walk in the steps of our father Abraham" (Romans 4:12).
"The gospel was preached in advance to Abraham" (Galatians 3:8).
"Those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer [Christian]" (Galatians 3:9).
"Jesus Christ came to confirm the promises made to the fathers" (Romans 15:8).
The promises made to Abraham and Abraham’s belief in those promises appear in the New Testament as belief in the gospel about the Kingdom of God. The land promise made to Abraham appears in the teaching of Jesus as the promise of the Kingdom/earth (Matthew 5:3, 5). The promise guarantees the inheritance of the Kingdom/land (earth) and dominion in it (Revelation 5:10). The inheritance was given to Messiah (Galatians 3:19) as the singular seed (Galatians 3:16) and the corporate seed are those united to the Messiah by sharing his faith. "If you are Christians, you are reckoned as the seed of Abraham and become heirs of the promise" (Galatians 3:19).
The gospel of the Kingdom has suffered an eclipse because systems of Bible teaching, current in America that are receiving massive distribution, have systematically excluded the gospel of the Kingdom. The theory is that Jesus’ gospel of the Kingdom is not relevant for us. A false distinction has been drawn between the Gospel of the Kingdom and the gospel of grace. This contradicts Acts 20:24, 25. In addition it has been said that Jesus "came to do three days work." [to quote Billy Graham] This is not what Jesus taught (Luke 4:43; Luke 19:10; I Timothy 1:15).
For evidence of the gospel deprived of the Kingdom see Scofield Bible on Revelation 14:6 and the article "gospel" in Unger’s Bible Dictionary
Focus on the Kingdom Volume 1 No. 2, November 1998, edited by Bruce Lyon
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