Vision for Mission: Nurturing an Apostolic Heart

Ses s i on 2: The Power and Verac i t y of the Gospe l 23

The preachers co-operate with God because they speak for him, or rather, because he uses them to convey his message to men. The conclusion to be drawn from this statement is striking: “To proclaim the Gospel” in Paul’s missionary theology was to make actual and available the reality of God’s salvation in Christ that is announced. The Gospel does not merely bear witness to salvation history; it is itself salvation history.” ~ International Standard Bible Encyclopedia . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995. p. 530.

2 Corinthians 2.14-17

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C. The Gospel is personalized by the apostles: “my/our Gospel”

1. The apostles did not peddle or sell their message or its benefits: false gospel preachers who preached “another Jesus” and “a different gospel”

This false gospel was probably a mixture of legalistic Judaism (works religion) (cf. Rom. 2-4; 2 Cor. 10-13; Phil. 3) and Hellenistic Gnosticism (denial of the earthly Jesus and an exalting of a heavenly “aeon” Christ) (Col. 2-3).

a. In Galatia, Gal. 1.1-11

b. In Corinth, 2 Cor. 11.4

c. In Philippi, Thessalonica, and Ephesus, cf. 1 Tim. 4.2; 2 Tim. 2.17-18

d. “False apostles,” 2 Cor. 11.13

e. Satan’s servants, 2 Cor. 11.15

2. The apostles recognized the authority of their message and censured anyone who told the story differently, Gal. 1.8-9.

3. The apostles rejoiced in the proclamation of the Gospel regardless of the motive of its presentation, Phil. 1.12-18.