GOSPEL BASICS - 3

HOW, WHERE AND TO WHOM SHOULD WE PREACH THE GOSPEL?

We shall endeavor to attend to questions from the rear. That is, we will discuss "to whom" first, then "where" and then we finally talk about "how"

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the command he gave to his disciples was recorded in Mark 16:15, Jesus said "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature"

Some theologians have called this, the great commission, to which almost all of the disciples of Jesus Christ at that time obeyed and died with it. Jesus Christ opened their understanding to see the essence of his life, death and resurrection. That, he came for this same purpose – redemption. And since this is already settled, those who should hear about it will hear only by the preaching of it. He gave them the goal to reach every human with this good news. That God has reconciled us back to himself.

"Preach the gospel to every creature" he said.

In the next verse, Jesus went on to emphasize on BELIEVING the gospel, as we have discussed in the previous lesson. That, when the gospel has been preached, the hearers are expected to BELIEVE for them to be saved. In Paul’s epistle as discussed in the previous lesson, he added that the BELIEVER should STAND ON WHAT THEY HAVE BELIEVED. This is the only way they would be able to keep themselves from false teachers and doctrines.

Now, to whom should we preach the gospel? This has been answered in the words of Jesus - to EVERY CREATURE!

However, it is important to for one to know that someone cannot be saved twice. Therefore it is futile to preach the gospel to someone who has already believed.  

Let’s see how Paul puts it...

Romans 15:20-21 "Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, NOT WHERE CHRIST WAS NAMED, lest I should build upon another man’s foundation: But as it is written, To WHOM HE WAS NOT SPOKEN OF, they shall see: and THEY THAT HAVE NOT HEARD shall understand."

TO WHOM SHOULD WE PREACH THE GOSPEL as highlighted above?

(i) those who have not been named with Christ

(ii) those whom Christ have not been spoken of

(iii) those who have not heard

This is exactly what Peter, John, Philip, Paul, Barnabas, Silas and the rest followed throughout their earthly ministry. They never preached the gospel to those who have already heard it. That would be a waste of time, because they have already been saved through the gospel they first heard. What they need now is a proper upbringing in the way of sound doctrine. That's why Paul said, he "would be building on another man's foundation" if he preached the gospel to those who have already heard it.  

WHERE SHOULD WE PREACH THE GOSPEL? – Where Christ has not been named.

Although, we already established that "hearing" the gospel alone is not sufficient for salvation but "receiving and believing". That's why Paul first mentioned in that verse that Christ was not named among them before he preached. The phrase "Christ was not named" revealed that they were not believers. Therefore, it is possible that one might have heard the gospel, but not have believed. In this case, they can still be preached to.

Of course, in such cases where the hearers of the gospel did not believe the gospel at first, it may be due to the wrong presentation of the gospel message or a presentation of another gospel or that the word they heard was not meaningful to them - they were not convinced. The method of presentation is very important, and we need to learn it if we should preach at all.

HOW THEN SHOULD WE PRESENT THE GOSPEL? - The gospel should never be preached forcefully. The gospel is not a threat, but a peaceful invitation to partake in the Grace of God for all humanity. That's why Paul calls it the "gospel of peace".

The gospel should never be introduced with our words of wisdom, but by the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Ethiopian eunuch for instance got saved amazingly because of his confusion on a portion of the book of Isaiah - Philip never started his preaching from another place, but he explained his confusion and with is, he revealed the gospel to him. He preached Jesus. The gospel is all about Jesus. Therefore since we are vessels, we do not need to enforce the gospel on the hearers as though we are bound to saving the hearers ourselves. Every believer of the gospel today believed because they were convinced by the word they heard. And this conviction is an end product of their faith that is supplied by God himself. See how the writer of Hebrews puts it...

Heb 4:2 "For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith"

Jesus also revealed something similar in the book of John, see how he puts it…

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…"

So HOW should we preach the gospel? WITH LOVE AND WITH SIGNS AND WONDERS

To WHERE should we preach? WHERE CHRIST HAS NOT BEEN NAMED

To WHOM should we preach? THE SINNERS, UNBELIEVERS WHO HAVE NOT HEARD BEFORE.

(c) Philip Oklu