There is a common assumption that there is only one Gospel message in the Bible. This is a misconception. We can avoid it by understanding there are at least two basic Gospel messages in the Bible. While there is only one Gospel message today, God did not reveal the grace gospel for today until the Apostle Paul received it from the Ascended Lord Jesus. God has had other Gospel messages valid at other times in human history.

We read in Matthew chapter 16:13-23.

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? [14] And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. [15] He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? [16] And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. [17] And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. [18] And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. [19] And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. [20] Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

“[21] From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. [22] Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. [23] But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

The 12 Apostles are often assumed to be preaching in the Four Gospels, “Jesus Christ will die for our sins, He will be buried, and He will rise again.” However, the 12 Apostles had no idea about Calvary. In fact, the only piece of information these Apostles were expected to know about Jesus was, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). In verse 17, Jesus approved of these words of Peter: Jesus did not censure Peter for not talking about Calvary since Calvary had not yet been revealed yet. Notice how Peter did not say, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, who will die for our sins.” Peter was preaching “the Gospel,” but he was not preaching our Gospel. Peter’s Gospel message was that Jesus was Messiah/Christ/Son of God. There is nothing about Calvary in Peter’s confession. The Gospel of the Kingdom committed to Peter and the 11 involved who Jesus was (Christ/Messiah), not what He was going to do at Calvary (as in our Gospel of Grace). We must be careful to “study… rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Read in Matthew 16:21 how Jesus “began” to tell His disciples about how He was going to go to Jerusalem, and suffer, and be killed, and rise again the third day. This means that He had not mentioned Calvary to His disciples prior to Matthew 16:21!!!! Furthermore, when Peter learns of Jesus’ coming death, Peter denies it will happen! Matthew chapter 16 again:

“[21] From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. [22] Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. [23] But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

Luke 18:31-34 is the parallel account:

“Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. [32] For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: [33] And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. [34] And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”

Calvary was hidden from the Apostles!!! They could not have been preaching our Gospel in Matthew through John! They were preaching “the Gospel of the Kingdom” (Matthew 4:17; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 24:14)—Jesus is Messiah/King/Christ. Hence, we say that when we believe the Gospel of the Grace of God, we have God’s righteousness imputed to us. It is not merely enough for us today to believe Jesus is Christ/Son of God (as in the Gospel of the Kingdom). We have to believe “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3), this distinguishes our Gospel message from the Gospel the 12 Apostles preached.

If we just say “Jesus saves us,” that is true in both the Gospel of the Kingdom for Israel and the Gospel of the Grace of God for “the church which is His body” today.

“Jesus saves us” is too general a Gospel message, for why does Jesus save us? Not merely because He is Messiah/Christ, as in the Gospel of the Kingdom. But, when we say, “Christ died for our sins,” that is more specific and that is the Gospel Message that God through the Apostle Paul gave us.

“Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and He rose again the third day.” (1 Cor. 15:1-4)

That is the Gospel message we should preach, the Gospel of the Grace of God. “Jesus saves” is too simplistic, and does not go into enough detail to serve as an adequate basis for faith today