The Gospel Which We Preach*

      Considering what we are seeing on the world stage in this hour and the signs of the end times that are being fulfilled, the command of Jesus to His disciples and to us is to take and preach the Gospel unto all the world. It is called The Great Commission.

     In his letter to Timothy, Paul clearly stated the mystery of the Gospel: "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." (1 Tim. 3:16). Paul taught and explained the Gospel using the only scriptures that existed at that time: the Torah and the Prophets. The New Testament did not exist then. The Gospel of Salvation is not just a New Testament teaching. It was spoken of throughout the Hebrew scriptures as well. The importance of preaching the Gospel in these times was also prophesied by Paul: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron." (1 Tim. 4:1-2).

     What Paul prophesied as happening in the latter times is what we are seeing today. There is a deception of minds that promotes the things that appeal to the flesh. Paul was concerned that the church could be subtly beguiled away from the simplicity that is in Christ, just as Eve was beguiled by the serpent. Paul wrote: "For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel (euangelion - gospel, good tidings, glad tidings of salvation), which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him." (2 Cor. 11:1-4). Paul thought that the church was in danger of accepting another or false gospel, rather than the simple truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

     Paul brought the Gospel to Gentiles in the ministry to which he was appointed by Christ. He wrote of the power of the Gospel in his letter to the Romans: "So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." (Rom. 1:15-17). The Gospel truth of Christ is for both the Jew, first, and the Gentile. God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Both the Jew and the Gentile come to salvation through faith in Christ. Jesus asked if when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith in the earth? Is the church teaching faith? Many are losing faith at this time.

     Paul continued to write that the wrath of God was against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold (katecho - hold back, restrain, hinder, withhold) the truth in unrighteousness. They are without excuse for their unbelief because the evidence of a Creator is clearly shown in the creation. They knew God but did not honor Him as God so that their heart was darkened: "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools." (v. 18-22). False intellectualism and pseudo-science have become substitutes for the simple truth that God has made obvious for all to see.

     Paul wrote of his call as an apostle "separated unto the gospel of God (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures.)." (Rom. 1:1-2). Here again, Paul sums up the Gospel: "(...his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name." (v. 3-5). Jesus is the Son with power - performing miracles, healing of all infirmities, raising the dead, and with His own resurrection, even as the prophets wrote centuries before the appearing of Christ (example see Psalm 22).

     Paul wrote of his appointment by God as an apostle of the Gospel. Many in the church do not believe that God still appoints apostles, but scripture says that God has given these gifts to the church to edify it and unite it in faith, and they remain until all come into the perfect man, the fulness of Jesus Christ. (see Eph. 4:11-13).

     Paul, in the Hebrew language of his listeners, gave the account of his miraculous encounter with Jesus Christ as the Lord spoke to him from heaven in Acts 22:1-22.  Paul, a Pharisee taught by Gamaliel, a renown rabbi, had been a persecutor of Jews who followed faith in Jesus and was on his way to Damascus to carry out further arrests when he was blinded by his encounter with Christ. Jesus told Paul to go into Damascus where it would be told to him of what the Lord had appointed for him to do. In Damascus, a man named Ananias met Paul, prayed for him to receive his sight and said to Paul: "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One (referring to Jesus), and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be a witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts 22:1-16). Paul then told the listeners that when he returned to Jerusalem, he was in the temple praying when the Lord told him to leave Jerusalem: "...for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me...Depart: for I will send thee unto the Gentiles." (v. 17-18, 21). Those hearing his testimony in Hebrew that day lifted their voices and said: "Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live." (v. 22). The Jews understood that they were God's peculiar people and believed that they could have nothing in common with the Gentiles.

     However, Moses prophesied in his song that as the Israelites would forsake God who formed them and lightly esteem "the Rock of their Salvation," sacrificing to false gods and devils, God would be provoked to jealousy and anger with them. Moses said that the LORD would then provoke Israel to jealousy: "...I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation." (Deut. 32:15-21, see also Mt. 21:43). Paul also wrote that the Gentile believers in Christ would provoke Israel to jealousy.

     Isaiah the prophet also brought the Word of the LORD to the scornful men "that rule this people which is in Jerusalem," which the LORD said had made a covenant with death and sought refuge under lies and falsehoods: "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overthrow the hiding place." (Isa. 28:14-17). As also promised in the prophets, the LORD would make a new covenant by which His law would be written in the hearts of men. This is God's plan and purpose for Zion.

     This Rock, this foundation Stone, is also mentioned in the Psalms in connection to salvation, while also mentioning to trust in the LORD rather than men: "The LORD is my strength and song, and is become my salvation (Yeshua in Hebrew, the name of Jesus). The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly...The stone which the builders rejected is become the head stone of the corner. This is the LORD's doing; it is marvellous (sic) in our eyes...Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD. God is the LORD, which hath shewed us light: bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar." (Psalm 118, excerpts, see also Mt. 21:42).

     Jesus is the Rock of our salvation and the Stone of our foundation. Jesus identified with this Stone and said: "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." (Mt. 21:44). As believers, are we broken by our Stone in salvation, or are we broken by the world? Jesus was the sacrifice on the cross who comes in the name of the LORD. Jesus entered Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday as the crowd cried out and He said that they would not see Him again until they said "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD", referring to the words of Psalm 118 above.

     Are we taking the Gospel to all the world using the gifts and talents given to us by our Creator before we were formed in the womb? This is what Jesus has commanded us to do.

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 2/22/26 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on the Facebook page of Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at the Kenneth Stevenson channel. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, which is evidence of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook. Also the book NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling, written by Dr. Stevenson, is available on Amazon.