We shouldn’t take for granted that the gospel we hear each week is the same one Jesus and Paul preached, the Gospel of the Kingdom. Just because familiar Gospel terms and phrases are used does not mean what we’re hearing is the true and only Word of God. Here is a brief excerpt from page 14 of our book The Gospel of the Kingdom:
“In every age, our own included, the Gospel of the Kingdom has come under assault from false preachers who, in the guise of proclaiming the Truth that is in Jesus, preach a ‘different gospel.’ In one way or another, the telltale signs of a ‘different gospel’ can be discerned. Meanwhile, multitudes are happily following the teaching of false preachers in the belief that the gospel they have embraced is the very Gospel preached by Jesus and the Apostles.
“In fact, what many have come to cherish is not the Gospel of the Kingdom but a ‘different gospel’ – bearing many similarities to the true Gospel, to be sure, but a ‘different gospel’ nonetheless, and therefore, no gospel at all.
“We can only discern these wayward ‘winds of doctrine’ when we have a clear understanding of the Gospel of the Kingdom.”
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
1. Is a gospel that omits or minimizes the Kingdom of God the true Gospel of Jesus Christ? Explain:
2. What place does the Kingdom of God have in the gospel you have believed?
We’re not straining at gnats here. The Kingdom of God is the heart, driving force, and ultimate end of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Share today’s podcast with a friend and get together to talk about these matters. You can order our book, The Gospel of the Kingdom, from the Ailbe Bookstore or our home page at The Fellowship of Ailbe.
T. M. Moore
