This is a great subject and we shall have to keep to the dispensational settings of his preaching, for Paul's

ministry itself needs to be divided aright - one part falling within the Acts period and being exercised while Israel

were a nation before God, the other being exercised after Acts 28, and after Israel had been set aside. Concentrating

upon the first part of Paul's ministry, we find that the gospel he preached may be summed up by the following titles

:

`The gospel of God', `The gospel of Christ', `My gospel'.

Let us consider some of the outstanding items of this good news. The earliest use of the title `The gospel of

God' is found in 1 Thessalonians 2:2,8,9. No explanation is there given as to its distinctive terms, but a reference is

made in the second verse to the apostle's shameful treatment at Philippi and his subsequent visit and preaching at

Thessalonica. We accordingly turn to Acts 17:1-3 where we find the apostle's visit recorded, and although no actual

mention is made of the gospel of God in so many words, we find it all there in actual fact.

`And three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs

have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, Whom I preach unto you, is Christ'.

If we are correct in our thought that here we have a summary of the `gospel of God' as preached by Paul, that

gospel is evidently based upon Old Testament Scriptures, and focuses attention upon the fulfilment of Old

Testament prophecy in the Person of Jesus Who is the Christ, and further stresses particularly the sufferings, death

and resurrection of the Saviour, as prophesied before hand in the Old Testament Scriptures, and fulfilled to the very

letter by the Lord Jesus Himself. Those who are already acquainted with the apostle's preaching will have Romans

1:1-4 in mind as we make these observations. In this passage, the gospel of God is clearly defined and upon

examination we discover that it is the same in substance as that given in Acts 17:1-3.

`Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called (to be) an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God (which He had promised

afore by His prophets in the holy Scriptures,) concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the

seed of David according to the flesh; and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of

holiness, by the resurrection from the dead' (Rom. 1:1-4).

Here we have the same insistence upon the fulfilment of Old Testament Scriptures and the same focusing of

attention upon the person and work of Christ. Liddon's analysis of the passage is suggestive. This gospel of God he

more specifically describes by :

`(1)

Its relation to earlier religious history. It was :

promised by God in preceding ages,

by the agency of God's prophets,

in Sacred Scriptures.

Its subject is the SON OF GOD (peri tou huiou autou) Who

`(2)

in respect of His Manhood (kata sarka) was born of the race of David;

in respect of His Holy, superhuman Being (kata pneuma hagiosunes) was decisively marked out

as the SON OF GOD, as a result of His resurrection.

is known by the

human name

.. .. Jesus

official designation .. .. Christ

title of authority

.. .. Our Lord;

conveys from God the Father to the writer (di' hou elabomen) whatever graces and powers he has

The only other occurrence of this title `the gospel of God' is found in Romans 15:16 :

`That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God'.

The explanation of the gospel given in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 is much the same as that of Romans 1:1-4 :

`The Gospel which I preached'.