In our verse by verse study of Mark we are now in Mark 1:14-15; where after his evidence testing Jesus is launched into his ministry and He came "preaching the gospel of God" saying "repent and believe the in the gospel.
So we started a study on the "doctrine of the Gospel" and last time we stopped with the principle that understanding the boundaries of the Gospel helps believers to appreciate salvation, and gives them assurance regarding the hope of their calling. Eph 1:18;
In order to see how this helps believers appreciate salvation, how it provides them assurance regarding the hope of their calling we are looking at the Greek believers in Corinth who had a problem with the concept of bodily resurrection that is contained in the Gospel because of what they had been taught in their culture.
Paul is stating the boundaries of the Gospel for believers in 1Cor 15:3-4; "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins on the basis of the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was resurrected on the third day on the basis of the Scriptures."
The words translated "for our sins" is the Greek preposition "huper" plus the genitive of advantage of "ego" and "harmatia." Huper plus the genitive of advantage always expresses substitution. In this case, it teaches the substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ that occurred when he was being judged for ALL sins on the cross. 1John 2:2;
"Huper" plus the genitive of advantage of "ego" is found in three passages of scripture. One is Rom 5:8, "God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died instead of us (in place of us, or as a substitute for us)."
1Cor 15:3-4; "According to the Scriptures" could be translated "on the basis of the Scriptures" the Greek is kata" plus the accusative of reference from "graphe". This means that the scriptures disclose this information.
The salvation work of Christ on the cross is the issue to the unbeliever. He will often learn about resurrection later because resurrection does not need to be explained in the initial presentation of the Gospel.
Being buried refers to our Lord's unique, trichotomous physical death that followed His work of salvation. The omnipotence of the God the Father and of God the Holy Spirit were the agents of His resurrection.
That same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is the power that is now available to you for the execution of the eternal spiritual resurrection life or "zoe" that every believer receives at salvation. John 11:25-26;"
1Cor 15:4; "He was raised" means that Jesus Christ did not resurrect Himself. The present passive indicative of the Greek verb "egairo" means that Jesus Christ received the action of the verb.
He did not raise Himself with His own omnipotence even though He could have done so, and He stated that in John 10:17-18;. In verse 17 the words translated "may take it again" are in the subjunctive mood that means he may or may not do it Himself.
The passive voice of 1Cor 15:4 tells us that He did not do it himself, but instead under the principle of pivot power he received resurrection from God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
In resurrection, Jesus Christ received the restoration of His human spirit to His body in the grave from the omnipotence of God the Father, an agent in the resurrection according to Acts 2:24; Rom 6:4; Eph 1:20; Col 2:12; 1Thes 1:10; 1Pet 1:21;
The omnipotence of the Holy Spirit restored our Lord's human soul to His body in the grave was also an agent in His resurrection according to Rom 1:4; Rom 8:11; 1Pet 3:18;
God extended the power that was deployed the Hypostatic Union into the Church Age, so the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead is now available to us through the same spiritual power system that Jesus used.
We see from this that the Gospel starts with the saving work of Jesus Christ and terminates with His physical resurrection. This is the "good news" that comprises the gospel and establishes our hope (confidence).
The fact that we are born spiritually dead and commit sins, though true, is not good news, so discussing sins is not a part of the Gospel. In other words, preaching sin or repentance from sin does not result in salvation.
The Gospel is the solution to sin so preaching the Gospel is preaching the solution to sin. The Gospel begins with Christ being judged on behalf of our sins. He took our place and was judged instead of us.
Preaching sin is therefore not preaching the Gospel. Sin is a fact, and we need to realize that we are spiritually dead from birth and that we do sin, but it is not the Gospel. That is not "good news"
Preaching the Gospel is the explanation of salvation in terms of reconciliation, unlimited atonement, redemption, and propitiation.
The unbeliever cannot make a decision for eternal life until he hears that Jesus Christ took his place on the cross and became a substitute for his sins. That is where sin is brought in. Sin is not to be emphasized independently of our Lord's work, but is to be discussed in the context of it.
Jesus Christ was our substitute and was judged for all of our sins. Because He "despised the shame of our sins" Heb 12:2;, we have no right to shame or to guilt others about sins; if we do that we are being arrogant.
It's our job to present the gospel not make an issue of sins. Sins are the problem the gospel is the solution. Too many believers make an issue of sins and fail to present the gospel that is the solution. This is why many unbelievers are put off from the believer's message.
Resurrection is a part of the Gospel and is sometimes understood before salvation but more frequently is not understood. So the question is "What is really necessary to know to be saved?"
The information that you need to know to be saved is something about the substitutionary spiritual death of Christ on the cross so that, an unregenerate person, can respond to the pattern seen in Eph 2:8-9; "For by grace are you saved by faith, and that not from yourselves; it is a gift of God, not from works lest any man should boast."
This means that most of the Gospel, including resurrection, is not understood until after the person becomes a believer and already possesses eternal life. Obviously, the more information the better if it does not impede the process but most people believe in Jesus Christ and are eternally saved on practically no information.
This emphasizes the importance of believing in Jesus Christ. How much faith does it take to be saved? Just a little bit more than no faith at all because God the Holy Spirit is the one who provides the faith necessary for salvation.
No one can be saved by faith plus anything because unbelievers in spiritual death can't do anything that is acceptable to God so and it is also blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This includes faith plus commitment, baptism, or making Christ Lord or asking him into your heart.
Christ is Lord of all because of the baptism of the Spirit. But the believer doesn't know that until after he is saved and learns that doctrine. Some people never know this, and so they try to make it an experiential activity which becomes salvation by works.
Instead of faith, some propose substitutes like inviting Christ into your heart. But inviting Jesus into your heart is not a Biblical metaphor for salvation so it is wrong. It's based on a misinterpretation of Rev 3:20; "Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open, I will come in and have fellowship with him."
But this is a passage has nothing to do with salvation it the describes the recovery of the spiritual life and the restoration of fellowship with God by means of Bible Doctrine under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit.
Jesus will not be invited into a tomb, the "heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." So "inviting Jesus into your heart" is arrogance and salvation by works.
There are some legitimate metaphors for salvation, like eating, drinking, and following. "My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me." These are all non-meritorious functions and so they are analogous to faith alone.
No works can be added, because the only issue what do you think of Jesus Christ, not what you do. Jesus Christ alone on the cross was judged for sins so He alone is the issue. John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12;