What Does the Bible Say About Sharing the Gospel?
One of the reasons that the Europeans gave for colonizing Africa, Asia, and the Americas was to share the Gospel. Sometimes this biblical injunction was taken to violent extremes as in the conquests of the Aztecs or the Crusades. Other times it was done in the spirit of humility and spread education, salvation, and increasing freedoms, especially for women and slaves. So, just what does the Bible say about sharing the Gospel?
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Identification
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The word "Gospel" means "good news." In a nutshell, most Christians believe that the essence of the Gospel is summed up in one verse, John 3:16. God loved the world. God sent his son, Jesus, and he was his "only begotten" son. Anyone who believes in Jesus gets eternal life. By implication, believing in Jesus means to accept the biblical assertion that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died vicariously, rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and will return for the believers.
Features
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The Gospel is a message that includes many attributes and ideas. It is a message of salvation through faith in Jesus. It is a message of peace that proclaims that God has a heavenly kingdom which is spreading through the Gospel across the earth. The Gospel is also considered a mystery according to Ephesians 6:19. Colossians 1:5 says that the Gospel is the truth, and Colossians 1:23 says that it brings hope.
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Significance
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Preaching is the biblical means by which the message of the Gospel is to be spread. Paul considered that preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles was his "priestly duty" according to Romans 15:16. Just days before he died, Jesus declared that the Gospel will be preached throughout the entire world. It will be delivered to all the nations of the world before the world itself comes to an end. See Matthew 24:14. After Jesus rose from the dead, he commanded his disciples to share the Gospel. He said, "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creatures." See Mark 16:15.
Effects
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Sharing the Gospel through preaching is how the listeners come to the kind of faith which results in salvation according to Romans 10:16. Then, once the Gospel has motivated faith, it sets a standard of behavior. Paul exhorts the Philippians to live in such a way as to be "worthy" of the Gospel. See Philippians 1:27. However, if anyone dared to preach a different message, calling it the Gospel, Paul ascribed them to an eternal curse in Galatians 1:8.
Expert Insight
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Perhaps the most famous preacher of the Gospel was Paul. He considered the task his duty, and called it work. Even though he did not accept payment for sharing the Gospel, he defended the rights of other preachers who did in 1 Corinthians 9:14. He even accepted the difficulties of being arrested and taken as a prisoner to appeal to Caesar in Rome as only serving to "advance" the sharing of the Gospel. He decided that he had been taken to Rome to defend the Gospel. See Philippians 1:17.
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