What is the Gospel?

1 Corinthians 15

1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.

3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

We raed in Colossians 4:4 Paul’s heartthrob was to make the gospel clear. In 1Corinthians 15:1-8 we read how he did this. A well known preacher said, “Just tell them what Jesus did for you!” That is what Paul is doing here; Paul preached (v.1) what he received (v.3).

The word “brothers” (v.1) means Paul is addressing those who are united in the same spiritual family, those who are born again by the same Holy Spirit. He is reminding them of that which they: received (v.3) or embraced as being true, taken a stand on (v.1) professed it to someone else, and believed (v.2).

Paul used four verbs in defining the gospel (good news): died, buried, was raised, and appeared. We can see clearly that Christ died for our sins (v.3) according to the Scriptures; He was buried (v.4a) He was raised (v.4b) the third day according to the Scriptures; He was seen (v.5)

The gospel is made clear by Paul. The good news is that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead.

Will you receive it, embrace it and make it your own? When you do, or if you have, “Just tell them what Jesus did for you!”