The "Gospels and The Church Part 1

     In the first sermon after the resurrection of Christ and the coming of the Holy Ghost Peter made this statement:

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:” (2:22)

·       The signs proving who Jesus of Nazareth was were known among Jews from every part of the world. (2:5). They witnessed them.

“The Gospel According To Matthew”, “The Gospel According To Mark”, and “The Gospel According To Luke” were written after the acts of the apostles recorded in “The Acts of the Apostles” took place. They were probably written before Luke penned “The Acts of The Apostles”

·       In these three books the Holy Spirit recorded the signs and wonders God did by the man Jesus of Nazareth spoken of by Peter in 2:22. “The Gospel According To John” declared that these sign and wonders were done by God through declaring the man Jesus of Nazareth to be God.

Another statement made in his first sermon Peter said “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.” (2:36)

·       In the four “Gospels” the Holy Spirit proved what Peter stated the Jews must undoubtedly know about the man Jesus of Nazareth.

Ø    Matthew [Behold your King - Zech 9:9] Matthew 28:18, 20

Ø    Mark [Behold my servant – Isa 42:1, 52:13] Mark 16:19

Ø    Luke [Behold the man – Zech 6:12] Luke 24:44

Ø    John [Behold your God – Isa 40:9] John 21:15-17

·       John 20:30-31 with Acts 2:21

The entire sermon of Peter in Acts 2 is proven in the “Gospels”

·       Acts 2:4 - Mark 2:16:17, 20   

·       Acts 2:24, 31 - John 10:17-18

·       Acts 2:33 - John 14:26; 15:26; 16:7,13

·       Acts 2:46 - Luke 22:19, 24:53

·       Acts 2:36 is the key to understanding the blindness that has happened to Israel spoken of in Romans 11:25. Most Jews reject Jesus being their Lord and their Christ. They rejected him as their King, rejected him as the servant, rejected him as the righteous man and rejected him as their God.

      These four books proved to the Jews who had believed upon the name of the Lord through Peter’s sermon that their faith was not in vain. To the unsaved Jew the statement of Jesus in John 3:7 “Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” is also true.

Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

       The church does not build church doctrine from the four Gospels or the first part of Acts, Church doctrine must be based upon Paul’s epistles. His epistles may be accepted as true because they are in agreement with the information contained in the four “Gospels”.

·       Romans 15:4; 2Timothy 3:16-17 The study “All scripture” is necessary for the Christian to be complete.

·       Here at Grace Baptist Church of Sidney Ohio and the in The Cornerstone Class all scripture is taught; In context.

·       Ephesians 2:20 The Holy Spirit used Paul to build church doctrine upon the apostles’ doctrine. Information added to or on top the apostles’ doctrine, proven by what is seen in the “Gospels” and embracing the knowledge of His grace and mercy through His death burial and resurrection and the promise of His return.

·       So the four “Gospels” were not just written to the Jews. They are to be studied by the church but in light of Paul’s epistles.

The four Gospels prove our faith is not in vain and the lost must be born again or suffer damnation. The books of the Bible the Holy Spirit inspired Paul, James, Peter, John, and Jude to write after the “acts” of the apostles are proven to be true by these four books we call the “Gospels”. These writers all build upon the apostles doctrine.

There is something Paul declares about the man Jesus Christ and the church that can not be claimed by the nation of Israel due to their blindness; Next Lesson.