Cru study – What is the gospel? – April 9, 2025

PDF DOWNLOAD LINK AT BOTTOM

1. Two broad categories of information from which to base our answers — divine or human.

2. The basic meaning of the gospel is good news.

3. Some relevant Scriptures — note how clear and understandable (perspicuous) are the words.

• (Romans 1:16 ESV)For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

• (1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV) Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.

• (Galatians 1:6–10 ESV) I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. 9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. 10 For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

• (Galatians 1:11–16a ESV) For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14 And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15 But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16 was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles.

4. We need to ask the most relevant questions.

• (Acts 2:37–38 ESV) Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

• (Acts 16:30–32 ESV) Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

• (1 Corinthians 1:17 ESV) For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

A strong translation of Acts 2:38 from the Greek.

• (Acts 2:38 ESV) And Peter said to them, “Repent and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ on the basis of the forgiveness of your sins.”

5. The “analogy of faith” principle in hermeneutics gives us a solid platform to resolve perceived contradictions or seeming paradoxes in our study.

The analogy of faith—”analogia fidei”—is a principle in hermeneutics that states all Scripture is in agreement and should be interpreted in light of other Scripture, assuming a unity and harmony of teaching throughout the Bible. 

Hermeneutics is the branch of knowledge that deals with interpretation, especially of the Bible or literary texts; the study of the general principles of biblical interpretation.

6. The “perspicuity of Scripture” gives us another solid principle in understanding the Bible.

Perspicuity means clarity, clearness or understandability. So the perspicuity of Scripture is the idea that God’s Word is clear about things that are necessary to be understood and obeyed in order for a person to be saved. An example is the simple, clear statement of the gospel we find in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.