If you’ve been in the Christian world for very long, you’re bound to hear this phrase a few times. If someone wants to be saved, they need to “obey the gospel”. But, what does that mean exactly? The Gospel is the good news that we bring about Jesus Christ. That anyone and everyone can be saved of their sins because He sacrificed His life for the entire world. But, how can you “obey” that? Let’s take a closer look.
The phrase only appears a couple of times in Scripture, depending on your translation. The first one appears in Romans 10:16. Here, Paul is discussing preaching the good news to people. They can’t believe something they haven’t heard before, right (v. 14)? So, people must hear about Jesus and what He has done for us because that’s how faith is produced in them (v. 17). In verse 16 though, the word we want to look at is hypakouo in the Greek. It means to harken or obey. To submit to something.
Paul uses the same word in 2 Thessalonians 1:8, where he writes this phrase again. This is the second time it’s used. Here, he writes that Jesus will take vengeance on those who do not submit to the gospel teaching. Those who don’t know about our God.
The last time it’s used is by Peter in his first epistle. In chapter four, he’s talking about the final judgment. The phrase appears in verse 17, but he uses a different word though. Here, Peter uses apeitheo, but the same idea applies. The word means unbelieving, or not being persuaded by. To not be in compliance with something. The root word where this comes from carries a negative connotation. It means you’re impersuasible and disbelieving. Someone you don’t want to be on the Day of Judgment.
Now, if you’ve studied the word faith before, you’ll know that it’s contrasted with disobeying. John 3:36 (ASV) is a perfect example of this. Why is that though? Because a true faith is an active faith. It’s a submissive faith. It’s not just a one-time belief, but a continuing obedient one. This stems from a gratitude of what God has done for us. For giving us the gospel.
That leads me into what that might be. The Greek word used is euangelion. It means “glad tidings” or “good news”. What is this good news that God has gifted us with? The forgiveness of sins through His Son Jesus. Paul puts it plainly in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. It’s harkening to and believing that Jesus died and then rose again the third day, conquering death. That is how God calls us to Him (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:14).
Paul uses this same imagery in Romans 6:17. He thanks God that these Christians in Rome obeyed the pattern of teaching that they were entrusted with. What was that teaching? He’s talking about baptism as we notice earlier in the chapter.
See, we go through our own death, burial, and resurrection, Like Christ did, when we go down into the waters of baptism. We die to our old life of sin and rebellion to God by repenting. We are buried in the water. We are then raised up to walk in a new life of Christ (6:3-6). The disciples of Jesus we told to teach repentance and remission of sins (Luke 24:47) and that is still what they are to be preaching today.
This is the gospel.
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