The Full Gospel Of Christ Explained

My purpose for writing this will be to give the full council of the Gospel of Christ as presented by the Apostle Paul, that you might be saved. And with God's grace, I pray that I may. Things I'd like you to know after this study are; Where you stand without Christ. What He did about it. And, where you could stand with Him if you end up believing. This would be something you can not earn, do not deserve, but that He freely gives. I will be using the New King James Version translation for your ease of reading.

This is called the Gospel or "Good News" or "Good Tidings" because even though we are all in a terrible and hopeless position before we believe it, He has done all that needs to be done to save us if we do believe.

Let's start with where you are. I can trust that you will see it because God says that we have a conscience written in our heart. So I will simply ask questions for you to answer in your heart and your conscience will tell you the truth. The questions I ask will be based on the Law, because the Law is the “Tutor, guide or protector” which brings us to Christ so that we can be saved by faith.

No matter what your reason for doing so was, have you ever told a lie?

Ex 20:16 Rev 21:8

No matter what your reason was or the value have you ever taken something you did not own or buy, have you ever stolen?

Ex 20:15 I Cor 6:9-10

Have you ever looked at someone and lusted for them?

Ex 20:14 Matt 5:28 I Cor 6:9-10

Have you ever hated someone, or been angry at them without cause?

Ex 20:13 Mat 5:21-22 Gal 5:19-21 1 Jn 3:15

These are just four of the Ten Commandments which reveal the very nature of God, and the standard by which humanity is judged. If you're like everyone else on the planet you're in big trouble based on those questions. Because God says the price, or wages of sin is death. I trust the Holy Spirit has given you proof of this in your heart. I need not convince or accuse you of anything. You now know where you stand without Christ.

So let's look at what He did about it. First I will let you read the full thing and then I will take it verse by verse and show you some of what the Apostle Paul was explaining.

I Cor 15:1-8

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,
2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,
4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,
5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.
6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.
7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.
8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

See Jesus died for the very sins that the Spirit just revealed to you when you answered the above questions. He died to pay the price that had to be paid. If you receive, or believe this Truth for your salvation, that He died for your sins, and rose again three days later, then you are saved from Hell then He has saved you.

Now let's go verse by verse.

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,

Paul is saying he's about to write the Gospel he had previously preached to them, that they had “received” and now “stand” in. To receive here means to “to take to, to take with one's self, to join to one's self” and to stand in means “to make firm, fix establish” with the further implication of “to stand, be kept intact (of family, a kingdom), to escape in safety” It is something to be received, and held to without adding to it for your safety.

2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

By which also you are saved means that this is the thing that saves you. Eternally. 

UPDATE: I had previously defined a "vain belief" in a way that was false. Their belief could only have been in vain if what they were believing in was not true. They were not "holding fast" to what they had received because some were saying there is no resurrection. In which case the Gospel would be false and their belief would be in vain.  This is explained in 1Cor 15:12-19 and if our belief is in vain then we are of all men the most to be pitied!

3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

Paul says here that he had preached to them the “all” that he had also received. And as per verse 1, he is writing what he had preached to them. Thus we conclude that this is the Gospel, the full complete Gospel. There is nothing more to the Gospel than Paul presents here. This is what saves. There is nothing else one needs to know and believe in order to be saved. And then he starts to deal out the details of the Gospel.

That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. This is a packed verse. Christ is the title here and means that Jesus is God, and Messiah, the Sacrifice for sins. And he goes on to detail that He died for our sins according to or just as the Scriptures (the Old Testament) said He would.

Here are some of the Scriptures that said He would do this.

Isa 53:5 wounded for our transgressions Rom 4:25

Isa 53:8 Died for our sins I Cor 15:3

Isa:53:9 Died with the wicked Matthew 27:38, Mark 15:27-28, Luke 23:32-33

Isa 53:10 Was an offering for sin I Cor 15:3, Hebrews 10:12-14

Isa 53:11 Would justify many Acts 13:38-39, Romans 5:17-19

Psalm 22:16 His hands and feet pierced John 20:20, 25

Zech 12:10 His side would be pierced John 19:34-37

Psalm 31:5 Would commit His spirit to God when He died Luke 23:46

Psalm 40:6-8 That He would come, and die as a sacrifice willingly John 18:4-11

4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

Jesus was buried after He died and rose again on the third day. Here are some of the Scriptures Paul was writing about.

Isa 53:9 His grave was assigned to be with the wicked but ended up in the rich Matt 27:57-60

Jonah 1:17 Jesus would be dead for three days and nights Matt 12:40 Matt 27:63 Acts 10:40 Matt 28:1-10

5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles.

8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

In verses 5-8 Paul details all the men who saw Christ Resurrected. He details the men, but here is a list of all the people (men & women) who saw Him alive again after His death, in chronological order.

Mary - John 20:10-18

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary - Matt 28:1-10

Peter (Cephas) - 1 Cor 15:5

Two Disciples - Luke 24:13-35

Ten Apostles - Luke 24:36-49, John 20:19-23

Eleven Apostles - John 20:24-31

Seven Apostles - John 21

All Apostles - Matt 28:16-20, Mark 16:14-18

500 Brethren - 1 Cor 15:6

James - 1 Cor 15:7

All Apostles - Acts 1:4-8

Paul - Acts 9:1-9

It's very interesting to note that Paul says that most of the 500 people who saw Him alive after He was resurrected from the death He suffered on the Cross were still alive at the time of his writing that letter.

A Jailer once asked the Apostle Paul what He must do to be saved, Paul answered “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.” Similarly some people once found Jesus and asked Him what they should do that they would do the work of God and Jesus told them to believe in Him.

While considering your response to this, you should check out my post called What IS Repentance?

There you have it. Paul was clear that this is the full Gospel. If you believe this, trust that Christ did this for you because of your sins and you will be saved. This means you will be "baptized into the death of Christ" thereby the payment for your sins will be made and you'll be dead to sin, and the Law of Moses (basically the Ten Commandments). Since the payment will have been made for your sin debt you will be free and able to enter Heaven. See, that IS Good News!

Now read the Bible daily, grow in the Truth it reveals to you and obey it.