[?] I have given you what I have also received: that Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, and that He was buried and resurrected on the third day, according to the scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). )
In the text above, we learned two important truths about the gospel. First, it was not the result of a human invention, but of men animated by the Holy Spirit. [1] He therefore carries all the authority of the scriptures as a message that God has breathed. [2] Second, it was a message once and for all delivered to the Saints, and each generation of Christians is responsible for transmitting it unchanged to the next generation.
- When the Apostle Paul writes that he has received the gospel.
- He asks for a special revelation; did not manufacture the message or borrow it from others.
- On the contrary.
- It came to him through an extraordinary revelation of Jesus Christ.
- In Galatians 1:11-12.
- Paul describes his experience in more detail: “But I let you know.
- Brethren.
- That the gospel I have preached is not according to man.
- For I have not received it.
- Nor learned it from any man.
- But from the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- ?.
Paul’s purpose in reporting on this unique experience is to demonstrate that his gospel has a divine origin; he did not write to exalt himself or to suggest that his gospel was somehow different from that given to the other apostles or the church as a whole. In fact, in the same letter, after reporting that he presented his gospel to those who had a great reputation in the church in Jerusalem and who did not correct it or add anything to his understanding [4]. Paul wants to show with all this that there is only one true gospel, which was born in God’s heart and was given to the church by the apostles, is an eternal and immutable word that transcends both time and culture. modified or adapted to please palates of different cultures or epochs, but should be considered with the highest esteem as an absolute and immutable truth.
Therefore, those of us who have become recipients and guardians of the gospel must learn to deal with it very carefully and even in fear. Judas, the Lord’s half-brother, urges us to fight diligently for this evangelical faith that once and for all given to the Saints, and the Apostle Paul urges us to keep it as a treasure entrusted to us. [5] He even cursed any man or angel who, for any reason, changed its contents: “But even if we or even an angel of heaven preaches to you a gospel that goes beyond what we have preached to you, be anathema, so, as we said, and now I repeat, if someone preaches to you the gospel that goes beyond that which you have received , be anathema. . ? [6]
Every generation of Christians must understand that they have been given an eternal gospel. [7] As stewards, it is our duty to preserve the gospel without additions, abductions, or modifications. Changing the gospel in any way is bringing a curse upon you and transmitting a corrupt gospel to the next generation. For this reason, the Apostle Paul warned the young Timothy to be suspicious of the truths entrusted to him, and Paul promised him that in doing so he would guarantee salvation for himself and for those who heard him [8].
We who have received the gospel have a terrible obligation to deliver it in all its fulness and apostolic purity. This obligation concerns not only God, but also our own generation and the next generation. The Apostle Paul told the church in Rome that he was “a debtor of the Greeks and barbarians, both wise and ignorant. “[9] We are also indebted to all living men and the countless generations to come. So much so that if we do not do this, we will be enemies of the cross of Christ, stumbling in the midst of the kingdom and guilty of ruining the faith of many. [10] As ministers of the gospel, a terrible and wonderful trust has been placed in us, but who is enough for these things?Who is competent for this task? [11]
Knowing the seriousness of our mission allows us to be diligent in presenting ourselves as approved workers who do not need to be ashamed, who properly handle the word of truth[12]. Let us imitate Ezra, the scribe, who set his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to fulfill it and teach in Israel its statutes and judgments. ? [13] Let us follow the example of the pious priests whom God honored, through the prophet Malachi:?he feared and trembed because of my name. True instruction was in your mouth, and injustice was not on your lips; walked with me in peace, justice and wickedness, separated many of them. Why would the priest’s lips keep knowledge, and why would men seek instruction from his mouth, because he is a messenger of the Lord of armies?[14]
There is something worse than being silent as the lost of this world run to hell: the crime of preaching a gospel different from that passed on to the saints, so we must avoid the gospel of modern evangelism, because it is a watery gospel. , sculpted by culture and truncated that allows men to cling to a form of piety, while denying him power, profess to know God, yet deny him for his works and call Jesus?Lord, Lord, while you do not do the will of the Father. . [15] Even if we do not preach the gospel, but the worst will happen to us if we preach it incorrectly![16]
Excerpt from the fifth chapter of the book “The Power and Message of the Gospel?by Paul Washer, who will publish Faithful Editor. We had the opportunity to translate it and the privilege of being able to share with you brief excerpts from each chapter.
Translation: Vin-cius Musselman Pimentel. Un revised or modified version. Published with permission.
© Faithful Editor. All rights reserved. Original: A Gospel of the Utmost Importance (Paul Washer) [5/26]
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