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Introduction
The Gospel and the Kingdom of God
The gospel is God's message to lost humanity. Its content concerns the Kingdom of God. The message states: "The time is fulfilled, the Kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel." These words may seem strange to us, but to a Jew living in the first Century, they were easily understood, although seldom believed.
The gospel message concerns the coming Kingdom of God. God's agreement(covenant) with his creation, through the people of Israel, was that one day he would dwell with his people, giving them complete and eternal access into his presence, and complete and eternal protection. Jesus, through his death and resurrection, made this a reality for lost humanity - to Jews first and then to all of us. Jesus both announced the new covenant (the gospel) and made it real for us. The Kingdom is now. We can enter it now, eternally secure in the arms of our creator God. Our security and his eternal friendship, is freely ours for the asking through Jesus. This gospel of God's grace is the basis of the reformed doctrine of justification (a declared right standing with God) by grace (as a free gift) through faith (trust in the person and work of Christ).
A Gospel structure for Biblical Theology
Biblical theology is best studied within the structure of the gospel of the Kingdom of God:
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