True Gospel

The term "Gospel" originates from the Greek word "euangelion," meaning "good news." In the Christian context, the Gospel refers to the good news of Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection, which provides salvation to all who believe. The true Gospel is centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ, as revealed in the Scriptures.

The Apostle Paul succinctly summarizes the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 : "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." This passage highlights the core elements of the Gospel: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all in fulfillment of the Scriptures.

The true Gospel emphasizes salvation by grace through faith, not by works. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." This underscores the belief that salvation is a divine gift, not something earned by human effort.

False Teachings

False teachings, often referred to as heresies, distort or deny the essential truths of the Gospel. The New Testament contains numerous warnings against such teachings. In Galatians 1:6-9 , Paul expresses astonishment that the Galatians are turning to a different gospel, which is no gospel at all. He warns, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse!"

False teachings can take many forms, including legalism, antinomianism, and the denial of Christ's divinity or humanity. Legalism adds human works to the requirements for salvation, contrary to the message of grace. Antinomianism, on the other hand, dismisses the moral law and promotes a lifestyle inconsistent with the teachings of Christ.

The Apostle John addresses the issue of false teachings in 1 John 4:1-3 : "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God." This passage emphasizes the importance of discerning truth from error, particularly concerning the person of Jesus Christ.

Discernment and Defense

Believers are called to discern and defend the true Gospel against false teachings. Jude 1:3 exhorts Christians to "contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to the saints." This involves a commitment to sound doctrine and a readiness to refute errors.

The Bereans are commended in Acts 17:11 for their discernment: "Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true." This example highlights the importance of Scripture as the ultimate authority in evaluating teachings.

In summary, the true Gospel is the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, grounded in Scripture and characterized by grace. False teachings, which distort or deny this message, are to be identified and rejected through careful discernment and adherence to biblical truth.