Friday, December 23, 2022

The Apostles' Gospel

The so-called "Romans Road" is not the Gospel message. The "Romans Road" is soteriology (the doctrine of salvation). Romans was written to Christians. It is not the Gospel the apostles preached to the lost.

The apostolic letters are written to congregations, scattered groups of believers, or specific individual believers. Only the "Gospels" and the book of Acts record the Gospel as the apostles preached it to the lost. If you are looking to the epistles for the Gospel message to preach to the lost, then you are looking in the wrong place and you are engaging in proof text methodology (ripping random isolated verses out of their immediate context and forcing them into your own imaginary context). Anyone who directs you to the epistles for the "Gospel" message is ignorantly leading you astray because they do not know any better. They were taught these errors and so they perpetuate them.

The message preached by the apostles was always the same. When you look throughout Acts, all the preaching of the Gospel to the lost contains these same elements:

  • The Jews killed Jesus (2:32; 5:30; 10:39; 13:28-29).
  • God raised Him up (2:24; 5:30; 10:40; 13:30).
  • The apostles were witnesses of the resurrection (2:32; 5:32; 10:41; 13:31).
  • The resurrection proves that Jesus was anointed as King and appointed by God to judge the living and the dead (2:36; 5:31; 10:42; 13:33).
  • Everyone who believes in Him can receive forgiveness of sins (2:38; 5:31-32; 10:43; 13:38-39).

The same points over and over again. The blood, propitiation, life after death, and even Hell are all true, but none of these were preached by the apostles to the lost. No one is told they are sinners. No one is told they are going to Hell. No one is told they cannot save themselves. Heaven is not mentioned, nor are any free gifts. There is no "Romans Road" to be had here; no "Four Spiritual Laws." The resurrection—not the crucifixion—was the focus of the apostolic Gospel. Why?

The Biblical Gospel!