Yahweh’s plan for mankind is much more than just getting as many people saved as will respond by faith. He is building a kingdom and His desire is for His people to live a kingdom lifestyle according to the rules and principles that He has laid down in His word (The Torah).
Yeshua and the Apostles preached the Gospel of the Kingdom, not just a message of salvation. Keep in mind that the next three Bible verses I quote are from the book of Matthew. Matthew uses the term “Kingdom of Heaven” instead of “Kingdom of God.” Most Bible scholars believe that Matthew directed his gospel primarily to the Jewish people and the Jewish people believed that it was blasphemy to pronounce or write God’s name too many times, so, he used the term “Kingdom of Heaven” instead of “Kingdom of God.”
“And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.” Matt. 4:23 (NKJV).
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.” Matt. 9:35 (NKJV).
“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” Matt. 10:7,8 (NKJV).
“but He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent. And He was preaching in the synagogues of Galilee.” Luke 4:43,44 (NKJV)
“He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick…” Luke 9:2 (NKJV) and verses following.
This is Luke’s account of the event that I quoted earlier in Matthew 10:7,8. In Luke 9:60, Yeshua exhorted his disciples to go and preach the kingdom of God.
“The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.”
Luke 16:16,17 (NKJV). ***Please note that verse 17 confirms to us that the law has not passed away, nor will it ever pass away, not even after Yeshua’s death and resurrection, as some claim.
“until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” Acts 1:2,3 (NKJV).
This verse tells us that Yeshua, in training His disciples, spoke to them about the kingdom of God. He did not train them in how to get people saved. I know of no scripture that tells us that Yeshua taught the disciples how to get people saved. It seems obvious to me that Yeshua expected the disciples to teach and preach the Gospel of the kingdom of God; He did not expect them just to teach people how to get saved. You may also note in that verse, that through the Holy Spirit, He gave commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen. That seems to tell me that He expected them to exhort people to obey those commandments. After all, Yeshua said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (NKJV).
Several verses in the book of Acts confirm that the apostle Paul preached the Gospel of the kingdom of God, and I want to share with you these two verses that close out the book of Acts.
“So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening.” Acts 28:23 (NKJV).
“Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.” Acts 28:30,31 (NKJV).
You may want to note that these 2 verses are the last two verses of the book of Acts. Many students of the Bible say that the book of Acts does not end with chapter 28, but that chapter 29 is still being written today in the lives of the followers of Messiah. I believe that the teachings of Yeshua in the Gospels and of the apostles, especially Paul, indicate to us that we must be about today preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and not just trying to get people saved.
The word “kingdom” in the English language is composed of 2 parts; the prefix, “king” and the suffix “dom.” Referring to the kingdom of God, it could mean the domain (dom) of the king (Yeshua, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords). However, more accurately, the suffix “dom” also gives reference to Yeshua because “dominio” is the Latin form of Lord, or “Adonai” in Hebrew, referring to Yeshua, The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
THE GOSPEL IS NOT JUST FIRE INSURANCE, IT’S A LIFESTYLE!!!!
Shalom!
Brian Barrios
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