From Jesus to Paul

In our previous discussion, we saw that Jesus’ declaration of the gospel was direct and simple:

“Repent ye, and believe the gospel!” — Mark 1:15

Jesus proclaimed this message because the kingdom of God was at hand. The King had come, and He was calling sinners to turn from their sin and believe the good news.

Jesus told His disciples:

John 14:1

“Ye believe in God, believe also in me.”

Jesus was calling people to believe in Him.

But what exactly were they to believe?

As we move from the Gospels into the writings of Paul, we find Paul explaining the gospel that Jesus proclaimed.

Paul doesn't give us a different gospel.

Paul explains the gospel.

Jesus proclaimed:

Repent and believe the gospel.

Paul explains:

Here is the gospel you are to believe.

The Gospel According to Paul

Paul gives us one of the clearest summaries of the gospel in all of Scripture.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4

“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you…”

Paul reminds the Corinthians that this is the gospel they had already received and upon which they were standing.

Then he gives them the substance of that gospel:

“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;”

“And that he was buried,”

“and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:”

Notice Paul's emphasis:

Christ died.

Christ was buried.

Christ rose again.

And Paul says all of this happened:

“according to the scriptures.”

Paul isn't introducing something new.

He is declaring that Jesus Christ fulfilled what God had already promised through the Scriptures.

According to the Scriptures

What Scriptures was Paul talking about?

The Scriptures available to Paul and the early church were the Old Testament—the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.

Paul's point is that the story of Scripture was pointing toward Christ.

Isaiah 53:3–5

Isaiah describes the suffering servant who would be:

despised and rejected

wounded for our transgressions

bruised for our iniquities

bearing the punishment that brings us peace

Psalm 16:10

“For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.”

Peter would later use this passage in Acts 2 to explain the resurrection of Christ.

We may not know every passage Paul had in mind when he wrote 1 Corinthians 15.

But we know Paul's conclusion:

Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised in the Scriptures.

And He accomplished exactly what the Scriptures said He would accomplish.

The Problem of Sin

If Christ came to save sinners, we need to understand what sinners need to be saved from.

Paul spends much of Romans explaining the problem.

Romans 3:9–18

Paul describes humanity in its natural state:

There is none righteous.

There is none that understands.

There is none that seeks after God.

They have all gone out of the way.

Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

Their feet are swift to shed blood.

Destruction and misery are in their ways.

They have no peace.

There is no fear of God before their eyes.

And Paul sums it up:

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

Paul doesn't present sin as merely making bad choices.

Sin has placed us in a condition from which we cannot rescue ourselves.

Paul explains this even further in:

Ephesians 2:1–3

“And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins…”

We were:

Dead in sin.

Walking according to the world.

Following the desires of the flesh.

Children of wrath.

This is the condition of mankind apart from Christ.

And this makes Paul's next words some of the sweetest words in Scripture.

But God…

Ephesians 2:4–5

“But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us…”

Paul moves from our condition to God's intervention.

We were dead.

But God made us alive.

We were sinners.

But God showed mercy.

We were under judgment.

But God provided salvation.

And Paul tells us how:

“by grace ye are saved.”

The Promise of Salvation

Paul explains exactly what God accomplished through Christ.

Romans 3:23–26

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

But then:

“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

And then Paul uses a very important word:

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood…”

Propitiation

The word carries the idea of atonement—the satisfaction of God's righteous judgment against sin.

Paul's point is not simply that Jesus died.

Jesus died for sinners.

He became the sacrifice by which our sin could be dealt with and we could be reconciled to God.

Paul explains this beautifully in:

Romans 5:6–11

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Not when we were good.

Not when we had cleaned ourselves up.

Not when we had made ourselves worthy.

“While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

And notice how Paul describes us:

Without strength.

Sinners.

Enemies.

Yet Christ died for us.

Jesus Christ did what only Jesus Christ could do.

He became the perfect atonement for our sins.

Salvation Is Not Something We Earn

Paul makes another point very clear:

We don't save ourselves.

Ephesians 2:8–9

“For by grace are ye saved through faith…”

And then:

“Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Paul tells Titus the same thing:

Titus 3:5

“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”

This is important because our natural tendency is to think:

“What do I have to do to make myself right with God?”

Paul's answer is:

You cannot.

Your salvation is not something you accomplish.

It is something God accomplishes.

Christ has done what you could never do.

The Path to Salvation

But if salvation is not earned by our works, how do we receive it?

Paul answers that question directly.

Romans 10:9–13

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Paul isn't telling us to earn salvation.

He's telling us to believe the gospel.

Christ died.

Christ was buried.

Christ rose again.

And Paul says:

“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Notice the connection back to Jesus.

Jesus said:

“Repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

Paul says:

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus called people to Himself.

Paul calls people to the same Christ.

Paul Still Calls Men to Repent

Paul doesn't leave repentance behind when he begins explaining salvation.

Acts 17:30

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”

Acts 20:21

Paul describes his message as:

“Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

And that is almost a perfect bridge between last week's message and this week's message.

Jesus:

Repent and believe the gospel.

Paul:

Repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ.

The message hasn't changed.

The explanation has expanded.

What Happens When We Believe?

Paul doesn't present salvation as merely receiving forgiveness and then continuing exactly as we were.

Salvation produces a new life.

2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature…”

Romans 6:4

“…even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

The gospel changes us.

We were dead.

Now we are alive.

We were enemies.

Now we are reconciled.

We were sinners.

Now we are justified.

We were walking according to the flesh.

Now we walk in newness of life.

From Jesus to Paul

So what have we learned?

Last week we heard Jesus proclaim the gospel:

“Repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

This week we have heard Paul explain the gospel:

Christ died for our sins.

He was buried.

He rose again.

All according to the Scriptures.

We learned that:

Our problem is sin.

Our condition is helplessness.

God's provision is Christ.

Salvation is by grace.

The means of receiving it is faith.

The response is repentance and belief.

And the result is a new life in Christ.

Paul didn't preach a different gospel than Jesus.

Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus proclaimed it.

Paul explained it.

The Scriptures promised it.

Christ accomplished it.

And now the call remains the same:

Repent.

Believe.

Call upon the name of the Lord.

Romans 10:13

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”