The Necessary Christian Conception of the Gospel

1. The Gospel’s Contents According to Paul (v. 16; 1 Cor. 15:1-11)

A. The Death of Christ (1 Cor. 15:3)

i. Bodily, Physical Death - “Christ died…He was buried”

1 Pet 2:24 “...and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.”

ii. Atoning, Substitutionary Death - “for our sins”

1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;”

iii. Prophesied, Written Death - “according to the Scriptures”

Isaiah 53:5-6 “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.

B. The Resurrection of Christ (1 Cor. 15:4)

i. Bodily, Physical Resurrection - “He was raised”

ii. Necessary, Certain Resurrection - “…on the third day”

iii. Prophesied, Written Resurrection - “…according to the Scriptures”

Psalm 16:8-11 “I have set the Lord continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will dwell securely. For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.”

2. The Gospel’s Authority Expressed by Paul (v. 16-17a)

A. It is the Salvific Power of God - “…the power of God for salvation...”

The gospel is not simply a display of power, but the effective operation of God’s power leading to salvation.

It includes the full scope of deliverance from the results of Adam’s sin. It involves justification (being set right with God), sanctification (growth in holiness), and glorification (the ultimate transformation into the likeness of Christ).

Becoming a child of God requires deliverance from what we are as children of Adam.

This requires “the power of God for salvation...,” or the gospel.

B. It is the Salvific Purpose of God - “…to everyone who believes, to the jew first and also to the Greek...”

Everyone = pas (Hebrew) = all, the whole, every, everyone, total

The Gospel does not negate a person’s free will...God does not force himself upon people against their will.

“To the Jew first”

Chronological and progressive revelatory distinction

C. It is the Salvific Plan of God - “…the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith...”

The gospel reveals a righteousness of God that is distinct from human righteousness.

Differing views of what this ‘righteousness of God’ is.

I’ll offer the view I believe fits best:

The ‘righteousness of God’ refers to someone’s righteous status that resulted from God’s justifying activity through their faith in Christ. Here’s why:

Much of Paul’s use of righteousness support this view (e.g., Rom 5:17; 10:3; Phil 3:9; 1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21)

The emphasis on faith in v. 17b favors the view that righteousness is a status conferred on persons rather than an activity of God

The quotation from Habakkuk 2:4 focuses attention on the one justified and not on God’s activity

The structure of Paul’s argument in Romans lays heavy emphasis on the status of one who has received God’s gift of justification.

“From faith to faith...” has had many explanations throughout history:

“from the faith of the OT to the faith of the NT,”

“from God’s faithfulness to man’s faith,”

“from one degree of faith to another,”

“from the faithfulness of Jesus in his mission as Messiah to those who, by faith, enter into covenant relationship with him.”

My perspective:

To me, ‘from faith to faith’ seems to be connected to ‘everyone who believes’ within the context in Greek.

This would mean something like ‘from faith to faith to faith to faith to faith...”

It is a singling out of the faith of each individual believer.

This is God’s plan: The gospel as the power of God unto salvation which reveals the righteousness of God from one person’s faith, through the proclamation of the gospel, to another person’s faith. And so, from faith to faith to faith to faith.

3. The Gospel’s Impact Exemplified in Paul

A. The Biblical Faith of Paul - “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.”

Quote from Habakkuk as the basis for Paul’s view of the righteousness of God being revealed in the gospel by faith.

Habakkuk 2:3-4 ““For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. “Behold, as for the proud one, His soul is not right within him; But the righteous will live by his faith.”

Faithfulness or steadfast loyalty to the covenant (i.e. Faithfulness to God)

Galatians 3:11 “Now, that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, “The righteous man shall live by faith.””

Faith in Jesus

Point to Clarify: Believers are righteous (justified) through faith and by faith but never on account of faith. Faith is not itself our righteousness, rather it is the outstretched empty hand that receives righteousness by receiving Christ.”

B. The Bold Shamelessness of Paul - “For I am not ashamed...”

This bold proclamation of Paul “is a sober reflection of the reality that the gospel is something of which Christians will, while still in the world, continually be tempted to be ashamed (see Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 2 Tim. 1:8).

-David Dockery