"Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
After Jesus returned from Satan's temptation He began to preach the "gospel"; "The time is fulfilled, and THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND".
What we, today, refer to as "the Christian gospel" could not be what is referenced in today's quote. Jesus, at that time, taught a message of repentance and preparation to the Jews. The Christian gospel that we preach today could not yet have been preached because Jesus had not fulfilled His divine destination as a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. Therefore, the "gospel" that Jesus is herein said to have preached is the same (gospel) message that John the Baptist taught as a part of "the baptism of John", "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND."
That "gospel" message is also the same "gospel" Jesus instructed His apostles to preach; "These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye go, preach, saying, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND." (Matthew 10:5-7).
It is important to note that the Christian gospel is not the same as the "gospel" that was taught to the Jews during Jesus' ministry. The gospel to the Jews of Jesus' day stated that they should repent their ways and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. The Christian gospel of Jesus Christ is salvation by grace through faith in the life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.~
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