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  • What is the Gospel? What are the Gospels?

    What is the Gospel? What are the Gospels?

    Ask five Christians,

    What is the Gospel?

    And you may hear THREE different answers, see an empty puzzled look and perhaps hear an honest, “I don’t really know; how do you define the gospel?”

    Go ahead: EMAIL ME your definition BEFORE you read the following OR add your definitive COMMENT at the bottom of this Christian Jargon post.

    Gospel & Gospels – Two Definitions

    photo of earth from the moon

    You have probably heard from one version of this Scripture:

    “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

    Gospel of Mark 16:15b NIV

    I mention ‘Gospel‘ in two different contexts here:

    1. Gospel from a quote of the risen Lord Jesus Christ
    2. Gospel identifying the written account of the disciple John Mark

    Four Gospels recorded by four witnesses

    Briefly:

    1. Matthew
    2. Mark
    3. Luke
    4. John 
    We've quoted these four writers of the Gospels many times AND we cross-reference these Scriptures in other accounts as well.

    TalkofJESUS.com treats the GOSPELS as a single category due to the connected importance of the Good News of Jesus Christ reported LIVE and IN PERSON from different perspectives.

    manger of a timeless Christ "I will be with you always even to the end of the earth

    Gospel of Matthew 28:30 – Quote of JESUS after the Lord’s resurrection.

    that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.
    Gospel of LUKE 1:4
    John Mark (mentioned above) and Luke, the physician who continued his detailed account of Jesus and the early Church with Acts of the Apostles, were both gentile (non-Jewish) believers who interviewed the Twelve and other witnesses of JESUS. 

    Matthew (quoted above) and John are two of the Twelve Apostles. Jesus includes John and his brother James along with Simon Peter in the Lord's inner circle of closest confidants and friends.
    about the Author the Gospel of John - photo of quill and pen & computer talkofJesus.com
    The GOSPEL of JOHN

    Luke also introduces himself in both volumes of his accounts Luke-Acts.

    The Gospel: Definition

    εὐαγγέλιον

    Strong’s G2098 – euangelion

    a reward for good tidings

    good tidings

    And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

    Topical Encyclopedia

    The term “Gospel” originates from the Old English word “godspel,” meaning “good news” or “glad tidings,” which is a translation of the Greek word “euangelion.”

    In the context of the Christian faith, the Gospel refers to the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, encompassing His life, death, resurrection, and the promise of eternal life for believers.

    gos’-pel (to euaggelion): The word gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word which meant “the story concerning God.”

    The Gospel is simple really, yet with the mysterious depth of God proclaimed as the good Word of saving sinners. 

    I have written topically about the Gospel at least twice:
    Go into all the world (and SHARE the Gospel) – 1

    (Go into all the world and) SHARE the Gospel – 2

    Further Study

    Vine’s Expository Dictionary of NT Words offers a deeper study of biblical words used in the English language. English entries are mapped to each applicable Greek root according to the Strong’s reference numbers, and include biblical usage, main occurrences in the Bible, English transliteration, and definitions.

    εὐαγγελίζω – euangelizō – verb

    Strong’s Number: g2097

    Gospel (Noun and Verb: to Preach):“to bring or announce glad tidings” (Eng., “evangelize”), is used

    (a) in the Active Voice in Rev 10:7 (“declared”) and Rev 14:6 (“to proclaim,” RV, AV, “to preach”);

    Some claiming Christ, christians or even churches, will claim the Gospel without understanding.

    OR worse, pulpits may proclaim the Gospel while hiding behind it.

    AND some christians and churches take no action at all in evangelization or preaching the Gospel to our own personal need of Christ Jesus for salvation.

    Good News before our inevitable end

    death — and the JUDGMENT of ALMIGHTY GOD!

    2025 of the Common Era seems to have begun with story after story and yet more of the continuing BREAKING NEWS of our fallen world.

    Common Era NEWS begins with the same old sins of the world wrapped in the false idolatry: MOTHER NATURE and a world out of control * and a human-created environmental apocalypse – impending DISASTER out of reach of all their hand-holding gods.

    God as provided a paradise for man but the Lord will take vengeance who will not fear the fire of His wrath and judgment. Maui fires of AD 2023 are not the Lord's first warning to the idolaters of the earth
    Fire Maui Hawaii US
    A Kurdish Syrian woman walks with her child past the ruins of the town of Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab, on March 25, 2015. (Yasin Akgul/AFP/Getty Images)
    1945 dead slave labors
    Tens of thousands of protesters marched through the driving rain (Pic: Andrew McGowan)
    prepare for Judgment! Revelation 8:2 KJV apokalypsis of the 7th seal pictured 2 (of seven trumpets) shofars - Prepare, Christians, for Jesus' return on the clouds!
    And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound…

    .. but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He proclaimed G2097  good G2097  news G2097 to His slaves, the prophets.

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 10:7 LSB

    WHAT NEWS TODAY?

    How many died THIS TIME? And how many were SAVED for nothing more than BAD NEWS? (And for how long until the inevitable return of each broken body into the dust of the grave?)

    Does the world’s news end with a feel-good story? *Do YOU feel good about YOURSELF now?

    What percentage of us will die sometime soon?

    What does the Gospel of JESUS CHRIST mean to your eternal soul

    — your deeper human created in God’s image — the YOU by which so many souls you love in this world (or perhaps just a few) know you well as more than flesh and blood?

    DON’T YOU think, mere mortal, that God in his Only Son Jesus Christ enbraces and knows your soul more than any?

    Of course! the GOSPEL proclaims.

    Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out - Acts 3: Peter preaching repentance
    Repentance!

    and BELIEVE the Gospel.

    “Many false prophets will arise and will deceive man.

    And because lawlessness is multiplied, most people’s love will grow cold.

    But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

    Gospel of Matthew 24:11-13

    Talk of JESUS .com

    “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in the whole world as a witness to all the nations,
    and then the end will come.

    Matthew 24:14 Legacy Standard Bible

    Comment on Scripture + Share the Gospel

  • Doctrines of the Common Era

    Doctrines of the Common Era

    2025 Common Era christians only

    Are christian pulpits erasing Christ’s line in the shifting sands of Biblical DOCTRINE?

    Is our Church proclaiming JESUS Christ in these last days?

    SATURDAY Series – Biblical Jargon for Common Era Christians

    JAN & FEB 2025 CE

    FOR the first two months of 2025 C.E. we examined true teachings of the Bible to understanding a few COMMON christian terms.

    Take ANY commonly used christian jargon such as: gospel, grace, saved, redeemed, soul, flesh, sanctified, justified, forgiven, hell, heaven, lord, king, priest, prophet.. and MANY MORE..

    2024 C.E.

    Here’s a QUESTION for fellow believers about our terms of teaching, preaching and our personal fruit of the faith:

    Christian Doctrine —What’s the Point?

    WHAT teachings did YOUR ‘christian‘ church preach in 2024 of the Common Era?

    How has DOCTRINE from Scripture evolved in two millennia of Church teaching into a blurred line in the sand erasing Biblical Truth?

    Which doctrines will fit into a Common Era culture that no longer lives in Truth or desires a relational church?

    Is YOUR Gospel simply GOOD NEWS for a COMMON ERA AUDIENCE to APPLAUD?

    IS corporate worship of JESUS Christ as God our Savior, the One Redeemer from SIN INCLUDED in YOUR Common Era evangelism?

    As a Christian follower of the Lord JESUS Christ, Roger invites you to examine our evolving COMMON ERA culture in ‘christian‘ worship and practice.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com
    • Does worship by your church resist the temptation to ERASE Christ’s DOCTRINES commanded by Scripture?

    Compare and apply the teaching and preaching of

    • The Life of the Common Era church 
      • to Scripture

    God-willing, we will continue our focus on preaching in 2025 C.E. by defining, applying and comparing the TEACHING of the church with the Word of the BIBLE.

    Find the Way, the Truth and the Life in our Everlasting Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.

    For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. –

     Hebrews 5:12

    2025 CE Doctrine

    SATURDAY POST SERIES – Biblical Jargon

    January & February

    Biblical Jargon for Common Christians

    Category: Doctrines CE

    Comment on Scripture (you who believe).

    MORE looks back at DOCTRINE 

    Although we began this category in 2023 C.E. as an updated look at DOCTRINE, in our travels with the Apostle Paul in ACTS and re-reading some of his LETTERS to the churches I have once again begun ASKING US the QUESTIONS of our Biblical Christian Doctrine and hope to hear your answers about these foundational beliefs. - RH

    Proclaim the scriptural doctrines of the Gospel.

    Followers of Christ must always expect an attack against Scripture. Church doctrine is a line in the sand. - How will a leader or council of leaders choose what the Church will teach?
    About Roger – TalkofJESUS.com Doctrine & teaching
    Do you REALLY believe? Is DOCTRINE of the Bible a line in the sand for you? OR has DOCTRINE of the COMMON ERA become a blurred line in the sand of 21st century CE?
    2024 of the COMMON ERA DOCTRINE

    Please comment on any DOCTRINES C.E. post listed chronologically below:

    DOCTRINE DEFINED
    GOD
    SCRIPTURE
    THE DOCTRINE [teaching] of JESUS CHRIST [3-post SERIES].

    (Perhaps the most controversial of all BIBLICAL revelation of GOD.)

    JESUS
    JESUS – 2
    JESUS – 3

    Don’t miss our look at the Trinity

    Holy Spirit
    Trinity

    Talk of JESUS .com

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  • ‘You’re NOT MY Father!’ – the prodigal C.E. Evangelical

    ‘You’re NOT MY Father!’ – the prodigal C.E. Evangelical

    Son and Father
    young woman in tee-shirt with no mention of a father (only mothers)

    ‘You’re not my father,’ the young woman yelled at the top of her voice as her mother tried to take control of the situation. (The prodigal teen might just as well been a son rejecting the authority of his father.)

    Our Family Prodigal

    Most Christians are no doubt familiar with the scenario of Jesus’ parable about the prodigal son with its two brothers questioning their relationships with their father.

    We have perhaps neglected a theological relationship of the Trinity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit of God.

    Today in PART 2 of our examination of the role of the FATHER we continue in our study of doctrines of the Common Era by looking at contemporary family relationships AND parallels to the Son Jesus‘ parable of the prodigal son (which of course HE is not).

    God our Father estranged from Trinity
    Part 1 of God our Father and His role in the Trinity

    Parable of the prodigal son

    You'll find an archaic former view of 'the prodigal' in the New King James version of the Bible from Before the Common Era referring to the son's prodigal living common to this era.
    Proverbs 28:7 applied to the prodigal or riotous sons of a father

    Root word from the Greek translated as prodigal or riotous.

    This parable of Jesus is part of three illustrations of those whose faith is LOST as answer to why the Lord receives and dines with SINNERS.

    Gospel of Luke 15:

    The Parable of the Lost Son

    Luke 15:11 NKJV
    Then He said:

    “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.

    But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. ..when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him,

    “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’

    HERE is the riotous Common Era christian as well! You, me and others BEFORE some realize that WE may return to GOD the FATHER in humility — BEFORE some become acceptable in the Father’s house through the saving grace of the SINLESS Son JESUS our only hope and Savior.

    (You likely know more of the parable and its additional lessons from this father.)

    “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

    God the Father is Not MY father photos of two young girls

    Why do Common Era prodigals deny the Father’s love?

    Our cover PHOTO, christian family photo album or church member directory could include THOUSANDS of FACES we know who were once near and dear to our hearts.

    As noted previously the truth of SCRIPTURE has not changed. 

WE cannot quite grasp the mystery of the Holy Spirit. 

AND in Common Era preaching Jesus can be promoted more like WE like on the stage of 'worship.'

YET the fruit of FALSE teaching may easily rot souls JESUS would save had WE prodigal evangelicals returned to the Father.

    Jesus welcomes ALL sinners with the love of a friend. This Common Era king embraces sinners of ALL cultures and beliefs without requiring any turn toward His righteousness and away from The Life of this world.

    FALSE! According to Scripture.

    Witness of a dad

    I know a man in Christ.. —such a man was caught up to the third heaven. 

    The Apostle Paul in witnessing a true event without disclosure of his source of witness writes to Christians in Corinth.

The 'man' in Christ may have been Paul, John during his Revelation from Jesus Christ, perhaps even Peter or another. The witness is authentic. Therefore the truth and impact of these scenes require no identification of its narrator.

    ‘I knew a dad..’ I could say, ‘I know a man’ or ‘I know a woman’ or even ‘I knew a 21st century common era mom.’

    Here is true witness of several sad stories of sin:

    common fathers in the Common Era:

    • Their father insisted, “not in my house you don’t,” but they did.
    • Her older sister ran away with her boyfriend, then her father came into her at night!
    • Their ‘christian‘ mother was caught in the arms of another man, then threw her father out of their house.
    • The church had no idea who the father of a single mom leading worship might be.
    • Their father cheated with a woman at work, then they all moved to another town where this prodigal pastor did it again.
    • The PK (Pastor’s Kid) was known to be sleeping with a significant other.
    • When their son got his girlfriend pregnant mom helped pay for her to get an abortion.
    • She changed schools so no one would know what her mother dared not tell her father.
    • A father suspected his son partied all night with guys and girls alike.
    • “HE’S NOT MY FATHER! You have to choose between him and ME,” insisted the step-daughter to her mom.

    These are all lost sheep, prodigal sons and daughters of FATHERS who are also sinners.

    JESUS would invite ANY to the great feast of Heaven..

    YET MANY will die in their sin

    still refusing to turn back to our Father God

    from so many pigsties of the Common Era.

    Further resistance against fathers

    SOMETHING CHANGED, but I’m not certain when.

    Roger@TalkofJesus.com

    What is certain in 2023 of the Common Era is that:

    • Christians have again become a minority.
    • Marriages between one man and one woman for life are rare (even among ‘christians.’)
    • Children need not be born into a Common Era home with values of God our FATHER.
    • Parents of the Common Era reject accountability to a father, a family and to God.

    Fathers (present or absent) may NOT raise, teach or discipline ANY human progeny.

    a few more facts:
    • The 1960 Census showed a record proportion married, 67.4 percent, among persons 14 years old and over.
    • The number of families in the United States in 1960 was 45.1 million. (A family is a group of two or more persons who are related to each other and living in the same household.)

    • In 2011, the Pew Research Center found that 51 percent of Americans were married, compared to 72 percent in 1960. However, rates of cohabiting couples are rising
    • according to private research company Demographic Intelligence, less than half a million couples were cohabiting in 1960, compared to 7.5 million in 2010 [C.E.]

    America’s Families and Living Arrangements: 2022 – U.S. Census

    • 4.2% Cohabiting with joint biological child (actual # may be higher than survey sample)
    • 2.6% Cohabiting with NO joint biological child

    • 21.3% or ONE IN FIVE – NO partner present (at time of survey)
      • A few are single fathers — MOST are culturally priased as SINGLE MOMS in the Common Era

    WHY does Common Era culture reject JESUS?

    GOD, the authority of any church and especially FATHERS are anathema to the majority of this COMMON ERA.

    Roger@TalkofJESUS.com on Rejection of the Father of Trinity

    It’s quite easy for some to worship MARY, the ‘single mom’ of the child Jesus we celebrate each ‘Christmas.’

    Yet in the Common Era Mary could easily have made a CHOICE to ABORT this BABY before the Census in Bethlehem!

    BUT since SHE chose to live with Joseph (who is NOT the FATHER of Jesus),

    Mary was a ‘single MOM’ we can look up to — even worship as the mother of god.

    Of course A.D. first century culture was intolerant of such things.

    What does JESUS say about ‘the Father’ that is so offensive to so many in Common Era churches in these last days?

    “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

    So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that am He, and I do nothing from Myself, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.

    “I and the Father are [in essence] one.”

    Gospel of John: 6:40, 8:28, 10:30 Legacy Standard Bible

    apokalypsis iēsous christos which God gave Him to show to His slaves the things which must soon happen; and He indicated this by sending it through His angel to His slave John,

    The Revelation of Jesus Christ 1:1 LSB from Morphological Greek New Testament
    Revelation 3:19-22

    ‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. Therefore be zealous and repent.

    Reproof, discipline and certainly that ‘slave‘ thing WE dare not proclaim to Common Era christians.

    ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

    Jesus standing at a door knocking

    ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”

    Revelation of Jesus Christ to John

    Talk of JESUS .com

    Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

    Matthew 28:19-20 LSB – Command of the Risen Christ Jesus

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