The Apostle Gospel of His Royal Majesty Jesus the First in Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts:  God’s Greatest Global Announcement Ever!

Shalom, Peace be with you! All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. Therefore, go into all the world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.

This is what is written: His Majesty King Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance along with sin-forgiveness will be proclaimed in My Name to all nations.

You are eyewitnesses of all these things. I have appointed you as servant-testifiers of what you have seen of me and what I will show you.

I am sending you to open lost people’s eyes and turn them from darkness to light, from Satan’s power to God, so they may receive sin-forgiveness including a place among those sanctified by faith in me. They should repent and turn to God proving their repentance by their active altered behavior (true wisdom is justifiably proved right by its actions, bearing fruit in keeping with repenting faith.)

As you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the (singular shared) Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. I give you the keys to Heaven’s Kingdom. Whatever you bind or loose on earth will be bound or loosed in heaven. If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are unforgiven. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Receive the Holy Spirit. I send you the personal endowment my Father promised so you will be clothed with power from on high and baptized with the Holy Spirit’s coming upon you to be my testifiers to the ends of the earth. I have granted you authority to overcome all the enemy’s power.

Teach disciples to keep on obeying everything I have commanded you, including loving the Father and loving me with all your being, as well as loving each other and your neighbor as yourself.

Surely, I Am with you always, to the very end of the age.

 

Apostle Peter former fisherman, now a men-catcher:

Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you via miracles, wonders, and signs which God himself did among you through Jesus as you yourselves know (very well and can remember and can’t deny). This man was handed over to you (Jewish and Roman legal death penalty) by God’s own deliberate plan and foreknowledge, and you with the help of wicked men executed him by having him nailed to the cross. But God resurrected him from the dead freeing him from death’s agony because it was impossible for death (the grave) to keep its hold on him.

King David the patriarch-prophet knew that God had promised him on oath to place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he prophesied of the resurrection of the Messiah-Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave nor did the body of the Holy One see decay. God has resurrected this very same Jesus (of Nazareth King of the Jews, the sign Pilate fastened to his cross) to life, and we are all eyewitnesses of it. Exalted now to God’s right hand (in full ascended coronation, majestic glory befitting his heavenly kingship), he has received from the Father (as coronation gift by God’s authority to bequeath to his rightful subjects) the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out (this wondrous marvel of Pentecost Festival miracle tongues of fire and languaging of praises) what you now see (flames) and hear (major regional languages of worshipers in Jerusalem).

King David never ascended to heaven, yet he prophesied – “The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make a footstool out of all your enemies.”  Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made (manifested with power) this Jesus (of Nazareth now in heaven), whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ for sin-forgiveness. And (thereby) you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and all who are far away (residing in other lands) – for all whom the Lord our God will call. He warned them, pleading “Be saved from this corrupt generation (population/race of unbelieving sinners)!”

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has now glorified his Servant Jesus (Christ of Nazareth). You turned him over to be executed, even disowning him before Pilate who was ready to release him (as innocent of all charges unworthy of death penalty under Roman law.) You disowned the Holy Righteous One asking for a convicted murderer’s release (Barabbas) instead (as prisoner exchange). You killed the very Author of Life (including eternal life), but God resurrected him from the dead which we ourselves witnessed.

By faith in Jesus’ Name this crippled man you see and know was strengthened (healthy to walk). It is Jesus’ Name and the faith to believe which comes by/from Jesus that has completely restored him as you can all plainly see for yourselves. Now I realize that you acted in ignorance along with your leaders. But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets (Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, etc.), saying that his Christ would suffer (injustice, cruelty, violence, betrayal, death).

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing (soul shalom, peace with God, rest, and reconciliation) may come from the Lord – and that he may send the Christ (returning to bless and save you from wrath on Judgment Day) who has been appointed for you (who repent and believe in rejoicing in your Saving King in epiphany resurrection Kingdom glory) – even this Jesus (of Nazareth). Heaven must receive (welcome as coronated conquering king in celestial hosting celebration) until the time comes for God to restore everything as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.

For Moses said, ‘The Lord will raise up a Prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything That Prophet tells you. Anyone not listening to him will be completely cut off from his people (devoted to destruction, cursed with perdition, condemned).

Indeed, beginning with Samuel all the prophets who have spoken (in Scripture) have foretold these days (all their Scriptures now fulfilled). And you are heirs of the prophets (inheriting their legacy by faith) and of the covenant made with your fathers (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). God said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring (one seed who is Christ) all peoples on earth will be blessed. When God (fulfilling the mosaic ‘Prophet’ scripture) raised up (caused to arise on the scene, promoted, advanced, elevated, brought to the fore) his (Holy Righteous) Servant (Jesus Christ of Nazareth), he sent him first to you (people of Israel received the debut and first opportunity) to bless you (keeping his ancient promise to Abraham) by turning you (repentance to eternal life) from your wicked ways (unbelieving sinful lostness needing rescue ransom redeeming reprieve release recapture recovery restoring).

(Again) filled with the Holy Spirit Peter said, It is by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified but then God raised from the dead that this once lame man stands before you now healed. Jesus is the (prophesied by King David) ‘stone you builders rejected which have turned out to become the (chief) cornerstone.’

Salvation is found in no one else (not Moses, self-righteous performance of religious observance, human manmade effort, personal godly activity of one’s own, commandments, laws, rituals, sacrifices, temple observances rabbinic synagoging, any other heavenly or earthly source/sponsorship/security), for there is no other name (than Jesus Christ of Nazareth, plus/minus nothing, period) under heaven given to men whereby it is even remotely possible to be saved at all.

Peter (and apostles) prayed, Sovereign Lord, you created the heavens and earth and sea and everything in them. You spoke (prophesied in Scripture) by the Holy Spirit through the mouth (voice, sayings, Psalming) of our father King David your servant – ‘they all band together against the Lord and against his anointed one (King Christ)’. Indeed, Herod and Pilate assembled court trial together with Gentiles and Jews here in Jerusalem to conspire against your Holy Servant Jesus (Christ of Nazareth) whom you anointed (perfectly fulfilling this very scripture!) They did what your power and will had already decided beforehand should happen.

We must obey God rather than (you mere) men. The God of our forefathers resurrected Jesus (Christ of Nazareth) from the dead whom you are guilty of executing death-penalty-style by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand (in heavenly kingdom glory) as Prince (of Peace) and Savior that he might bring repentance for sin-forgiveness to Israel. We eyewitnessed all this and the Holy Spirit himself testifies (heavenly confirmed as validated) also whom God has given to those who obey him (by repenting faith trusting Christ not rejecting/disbelieving/disobeying).

Philip (one of the Seven commissioned by Peter and apostles) heard the Ethiopian reading this scripture from Isaiah, ‘He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb, before its shearers are silent so he did not open his mouth (in fear or protest). In his humiliation, he was deprived of justice (innocent treated guilty). Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken away from the earth.’ Philip began with that very scripture and shared the good news gospel of Jesus.

Peter proclaimed to Cornelius’ household, you know the message God sent to Israel’s people announcing the good news gospel of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all. You know what has happened all over Judea beginning in Galilee after the baptism (of repentance for sin-forgiveness) that John preached – how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all under the devil’s power because God was with him. We are witnesses of all Jesus did and how in Jerusalem the authorities (with popular support urged by Jewish leaders) had him executed (under Roman governor approval) by hanging him on a cross. But God resurrected him from the dead on the third day and arranged for him to be publicly seen by selective witnesses whom God had pre-chosen – including us apostles who dined and breakfasted with him after he rose from death. He commanded us to preach to the people testifying that he is the One God appointed as Judge of living and dead. All the prophets (Scriptures) vouch for him that everyone believing in him receives sin-forgiveness through his Name (authority, identity, permission, reputation).

I recalled Jesus telling us, ‘you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ So, if God gave these gentiles the very same promised gift he gave us (Jews) who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, I had no objection to dare disagree with God. So, God has even granted gentiles repentance leading to (eternal) life!

Some years ago, in Caesarea, God made a choice among you that from my own lips the gentiles might hear the gospel message and believe. God the heart-knower showed that he accepted them by gifting them with the Holy Spirit just as God did to us with no favoritism between Jew and gentile, purifying their hearts by faith.

Don’t test God by forcing a Jewish yoke upon gentile necks that even we Jews cannot bear up under (for justifying righteousness salvation sin-forgiveness before God).

No! Rather it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we Jews believe to be saved exactly the same as for the gentiles. (One Savior, one salvation, one faith, one baptism, One Lord. one church, one justification method – not Jesus + Moses, or Jesus + anything at all, just Jesus grace, just faith-faith, period).

The prophets agree with this – ‘After this I the Lord will return and rebuild King David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild and restore so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the (repenting believing) gentiles (chosen and called) who bear my Name, says the Lord who accomplishes all this as announced and known from long ago (promise to Abraham through his seed – Christ – to bless all nations).

 

Apostle Paul former Pharisee heresy hunter:

From King David’s descendants, God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus as he promised (see Abraham ‘seed’ prophecy, Moses ‘Prophet’ scripture). Before Jesus’ coming, John preached repentance and baptism to all Israel. Children of Abraham and God-fearing gentiles, it is to us that this salvation message has been sent.

Jerusalem’s people and their leaders did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the prophets’ words read every Sabbath. Though the officials found no proper ground for a death sentence, they demanded that Pilate execute him anyway. When they had carried out all that was written about him (sufferings to death), they took Jesus down from the cross and buried him in a tomb. But God resurrected him from the dead and for many days (40) he was seen by those who traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem (including the disciples, the 120 believers up to 500 eyewitnesses at one time). They are now his witnesses to our people.

We tell you the gospel good news: what God promised our forefathers he has fulfilled for us their children by raising up Jesus (putting forward, bringing to the fore, advancing, promoting, elevating, causing to arise per Moses’ prophecy of God raising up That Prophet).

As written in Psalms, ‘You are my son; today I have begotten/brought you to birth’. God resurrected him from the dead to never see decay. As God has said, ‘You will not let your Holy One see decay’. This man Jesus whom God resurrected from death never saw decay.

Therefore, I want you to know that through Jesus sin-forgiveness is proclaimed for you. Through Jesus everyone believing is justified from all that you could not be by Moses’ law. Take care that what the prophets have said never happens to you, ‘Look you scoffers, wonder and perish. For I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.’

When asked by the Philippian jailer ‘What must I do to be saved?’, Paul replied, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.

In the past God overlooked people’s ignorance, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with righteousness by the man Jesus he has appointed. He has provided credible evidence of this to all people by resurrecting him from the dead.

 

Conclusion: What is your Gospel you claim to believe? What Gospel does your church promote? Does your Gospel add to or subtract from the authentic original of Jesus and Peter and Paul and all the Bible? Are you willing to stake your eternal life on your believed Gospel? Are you willing to risk eternal hell in case you might be believing a quasi-gospel or almost-gospel or close-enough gospel or ‘so I’ve been told’ gospel?

Only the right faith in the right Gospel in the righteous Jesus will account you justified enough to be saved and not condemned forever. Please, please be sure. If Jesus healed lepers instantly once for all, has Jesus saved you instantly forgiving your sins once for all?

Instead of resting on the once-received free gift, are you constantly gradually drawing on it little by little? Applying for it over and over? Reapplying it like deodorant that wears off? Assuming forgiveness and grace have an expiration date? That they run down in your ‘faith tank’ needing refilling from the church by different sacraments or dues you have to keep paying? Like a mortgage debt that has continuous ongoing owing that won’t be fully paid off in this life? Like a grace-point-average, you must maintain to pass and graduate?

Repent of the “slavation” work-in-process eventually (Doing and Doing and Doing never quite done yet) and receive once for all the Salvation Finished Product Event (Done and Done Already).