The Defense of the Gospel

August 27, 2013

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you…  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)

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians he defended the gospel.  He wrote that when he came to them he determined to know nothing among them but Christ and Him crucified.  He did not use enticing words of man’s wisdom because he did not want their faith to be rooted in the wisdom of man but in the power of God (1Corinthians 2).

When he brought his letter to a conclusion he reminded them of the gospel he had preached in a very clear summary.  It is simply two facts about Jesus Christ: He died, and He was raised from the dead for our sins.  That was what Paul preached, that was what they believed, that was what saved them, and that was the foundation upon which their faith was to stand.  Furthermore, if they believed anything else they were lost (Chapter 15).

We who are preachers often go beyond the gospel Paul proclaimed.  Perhaps we are trying to make it more interesting for ourselves.  We may be preaching to each other.  Whatever our reasons may be we need to return to the simple presentation of the gospel Paul preached in Corinth and all over the world.

I know of no one who did that in my generation like Billy Graham.  He wrote that early in his preaching when a meeting was not right, in prayer the Lord showed him that he was making it too complex.  He then returned to an uncomplicated gospel and never wavered from that clear gospel message.

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Posted by Dick Woodward

The Confirmation of the Gospel

August 24, 2013

“…  In the…  confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me…” (Philippians 1:7)

When the Apostle Paul writes the confirmation of the gospel he is referring to a great experience he had in his preaching ministry.  As a great scholar, (and because he could do it), Paul quoted Greek philosophers and poets while preaching in Athens.  But as a result of that sermon very few believed; just a few individuals are named.  There is no letter of Paul to a church in Athens found in the New Testament.

When he was called to preach the gospel in Corinth immediately after Athens, he was frightened.  You would have been frightened too.  Jesus Christ had never been preached there.  The city of Corinth was exceedingly sinful.  It was considered profanity to call someone a Corinthian.  Corinth had many temples where temple prostitutes were offered to those who worshiped an erotic god by engaging in all kinds of sexual perversions. A worshiper would be offered little boys or little girls if that was their pleasure.

God appeared to Paul in Corinth and told him not to be afraid because He had many people in that city.   God told Paul if he would simply preach that Christ died and was raised again for our sins he would find out who those people were.  That is what he meant by the confirmation of the gospel.  He preached the gospel in Corinth and many believed. He wrote to the Romans that he was eager to preach the gospel in Rome because everywhere he proclaimed the gospel he found out who God’s people were.  He was sure that would happen in Rome also.

Do you have the faith to share the gospel – and find out who God’s people are?

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Posted by Dick Woodward

The Furtherance of the Gospel

August 21, 2013

“But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel…  ”   (Philippians 1:12)

Paul is in prison as he writes to his favorite church.  While he was free he preached the gospel with passion and great zeal, but when he was put in prison and could not preach other men in the Church at Philippi began preaching.  That rejoiced the heart of the apostle.

In the New Testament when you study the letters of Paul and others you find that the early churches had pastors.  Anytime the word pastor is found it is in the plural unless it is referring to Jesus Christ.  He is the great Shepherd of the sheep; otherwise, churches have pastors.  Strictly speaking you will not find a precedent for “Dr. Pete Bunny the pastor of the First Community Church of Chicago” in the New Testament.

I am convinced that the first churches also had a plurality of preachers.  That’s why the fact that many men in the Church at Philippi were preaching rejoiced the heart of the apostle.   Church is a team sport.  Based on their cluster of spiritual gifts some are called and equipped to preach.  They should preach.  Some should heal, some should teach and some should evangelize.  All of this should result in the furtherance of the gospel.

Our churches would be more effective in furthering the gospel and we would solve so very many problems if we took our blueprints from the New Testament.  We would not need as many retreat centers for burned out pastors if we did.

When will we ever learn that when all else fails we should follow the directions?

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Posted by Dick Woodward