================== What is the Gospel of Christ?

Greetings to All,

Let us first look at these verses:

Matt.3
[2] And saying, Repent ye: {{{for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.}}}

Matt.4
[17] From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent:{{{ for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.}}}

Matt.10
[7] And as ye go, preach, saying, {{{The kingdom of heaven is at hand.}}}

We can surely trust that this was true that "the kingdom of heaven is (was) at hand". Many believed this good news concerning Christ the King, and "trusted that it had been He Who should have redeemed Israel" (Luke 24:21).

But, after the Kingdom had been rejected, and the King crucified, it was again proclaimed to Israel, and the announcement made that the King was ready to return (Acts 2:38; 3:19-21), on the one condiiton of national repentance. But the making of this proclamation was still opposed by the People through their rulers (Acts 4:17,18); and the preachers of this "Gospel of the Kingdom" were "threatened" (vs. 21).

When Peter's Ministry to the Circumcision (Gal. 2:7) ended in his imprisonment (Acts 7), and Paul was raised up and sent forth, it was with the added good news of Grace. This was what is again and again claimed by Paul as "my Gospel". Then after all this: after the rejection and Crucifixion of the King, after the Martyrdom of Stephen, and after the Imprisonment of Peter, the Epistle to the Romans (which stands first of the subsequent Canonical writings) opens with the words, "Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be (or, by Divine Calling) an Apostle, separated unto "God's Gospel."

This was {{{good news of a different character}}}. This was {{{news of grace}}} proclaimed, not to Israel only, or to any one nation, but to individual transgressors of the Jews, and sinners of the Gentiles alike; {{{to all without distinction}}}, It was grace proclaimed to Jews who deserved wrath, and to Gentiles who deserved nothing... AND is called "the Gospel of the Grace of God". This was further good news, as set forth in Romans and the other Church Epistles. It was the good news that those who are in Christ are reckoned by God (and hence are to be reckoned by us) as having died with Christ and having risen with Him; and that when this Gospel shall have accomplished its object and {{{gathered out from Jews and Gentiles all the members of the one Body}}}, these shall be gathered together unto Christ the Glorious Head in glory (2 Thess. 2:1)... AND this good news is called "The Gospel of the Glory". And this Gospel was committed to Paul's trust (1 Tim. 1:2).

Rom.1
[16] 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.

God Bless,

Eve