The Book of Romans and the Gospel of God

 

Goal:

 

This is “The Book of Romans and the Gospel of God—Part 17 of our Paul and Hebrew Roots Series.” 

Today we will begin our extensive study of the many challenging Book to the Romans passages by examining one of Shaul/Paul’s foundational doctrines. This doctrine in particular is a mainline thread that is weaved into and throughout the entire Cepher/Book/Epistle. In addition, this doctrine is mentioned right off the bat in the very first-verse of the first chapter. And although many may not see this verse as a particularly challenging or difficult passage to understand, it really is a challenging concept for some to grasp in my opinion. It is challenging from the perspective that many folks both within and without our Faith are ignorant of the doctrine, or rather, the teaching’s true meaning for a number of reasons (such as prior denominational false teachings; personal biases against concepts that are believed to be uniquely Christian in origin; English translational issues; variations on the teachings found in Scripture; etc.). 

The doctrine or teaching I’m referring to is the “Gospel;” specifically the “Gospel of God.”

 

1. Attention:

 

Why is it so important for Torah Observant disciples of Yahoshua to understand the Gospel? Shouldn’t our focus be on Torah-keeping? Furthermore, why is understanding the Gospel relevant to our Book of Romans studies?

Well, for starters, the Gospel is mentioned right off the bat in the apostle’s (ie., Shaul’s/Paul’s) opening verse:

 

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God …” (1:1a; NKJV).

 

And if that weren’t enough, the term gospel is mentioned in Romans (ie., in the AV) some 9-other times. 

That’s just in the Book of Romans. The term gospel is used by Paul/Shaul at least 53-other times (i.e., in the AV) throughout the whole of his epistles/letters/cephers/writings. 

And the one thing serious Bible students inherently recognize when it comes to reading and studying Scripture is if you run into a term (such as “gospel”)  more than once, it’s a pretty fair bet that the term or concept has a great deal of importance attached to it. We know for a fact that preaching and teaching the “Gospel” to the lost sheep of Israel was our Master Yahoshua’s central theme and focus throughout His earthly ministry. 

Nevertheless, everyone within and without our Faith Community understands what the “Gospel” is. Right? 

Probably not. Especially given the pervasiveness of Biblical Illiteracy amongst the world’s Christian and Messianic population today, it would not be a stretch to conclude that most people of Faith do not understand to any appreciable degree what the Gospel is truly about. 

If it came right down to it, most of us would not be able to properly define or explain what the Gospel is. When Shaul wrote that he had been separated unto the Gospel of God, what in the world did he mean by that? 

The consensus in fundamental/orthodox Christianity today is that the Gospel is about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ and eternal life for those who invite Jesus into their hearts. 

That being said, if the Gospel is specifically about the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua HaMashiyach, how could the Gospel belong to or be about YHVH? I guess it can if one holds to the belief and understanding that Yeshua and YHVH are one and the same Person. But this only muddies the water as it relates to how the gospel message was delivered and understood by various individuals throughout biblical history. 

Would it surprise you to learn that the Gospel is so much more than the good news about the death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua Messiah? What if I were to say to you that Shaul/Paul mentions several different Gospels in the Book of Romans alone:

 

• The Gospel of God (1:1; 15:16)
• My (ie., Shaul’s/Paul’s) Gospel (1:9; 16:25)
• The Gospel of Peace (1:15)
• The Gospel (10:16; 11:28; 15:20)
• The Gospel of Christ (15:19, 29)

 

Does this all mean that Paul taught and preached different/competing versions or aspects of the Gospel? Was Shaul’s Gospels different from the Gospel Yeshua and His disciples taught and preached? Or by chance were all of these Gospel variations just different ways of viewing and expressing a single, overarching Gospel doctrine: the same Gospel that Yeshua and his disciples taught? 

The whole point behind my doing this series was that we, members of the Netzari, set-apart Faith Community, would gain a better understanding of Shaul’s many difficult and challenging passages, as well as be equipped to explain those difficult and challenging passages to those who may question or oppose our Faith. 

And as it relates to our discussion today, we cannot interpret Shaul’s difficult and challenging passages without gaining an understanding of how the apostle understood, taught and preached the Gospel. 

Why does any of this matter to our study of Shaul’s difficult and challenging Roman passages? 

Simply this: we clearly see from the get-go that Shaul wasted no time getting to the crux of the matter: that he was a bond servant (i.e., a doulos) of Yeshua Messiah, even an apostle (i.e., a schlicim; an emissary; a sent one), who had been set apart from the rest of humanity for the dissemination of the Gospel of YHVH. And by the way, that same Gospel of YHVH had been promised and declared by the ancient Hebrew prophets (1:2). 

So then, if the average orthodox-fundamental Christian, let’s say, is ignorant about the fundamental things of the Christian Faith (and certainly the Messianic/Hebrew Roots/Set-Apart/Netzari Faith should be included in there as well), what are the chances the average person of nominal Faith will really understand what the Hebrew concept of the Gospel is? 

Most professing Christians and not too few Messianics will have a limited, simplified, anemic Greek understanding of the Gospel: that it’s all about the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the truth of the matter is–and we’ll clearly see this as we progress through this and future studies of this series–that the various Gospels that Shaul mentions throughout his writings consist of more than just the life, death, burial and resurrection of Yeshua Messiah. 

And that’s what we aim to work out here today: what in fact did Paul mean by “the Gospel of God?” 

So by the end of this installment we will understand what Paul meant when he wrote that he was separated (ie., aphorismenos) unto the Gospel of YHVH (eis euaggelion Theo). 

And once we gain this understanding of what the Gospel of God is we will then be in a better position, spiritually and cognitively speaking that is, to carry out our personal assignments in the Great Commission; to be in a more enlightened position to walk out this Faith of ours; and to better understand the Creator’s Plan of Salvation/Redemption/Restoration. 

Indeed, our calling as Netzari, under the New Covenant and the Great Commission, inherently involves and includes our delivering to the nation peoples of the world the Gospel of God that Paul wrote so passionately about. Therefore, if we’re tasked with delivering the Gospel to the nation peoples of this world, we have to understand what the true Gospel is and what it truly means to the world.

 

1. Visualization:

 

When we think about Shaul’s/Paul’s difficult and challenging passages in Romans, we tend to focus our concerns upon those passages having to do with Torah-keeping. And those things that we don’t associate directly with Torah-keeping, we either outright ignore and briskly read over them; or we make-up things about them so as to make ourselves appear knowledgeable or spiritually-minded. And I would submit to you that Paul’s numerous mentions of the “Gospel” in Romans (actually some 13-times) is one of those things that many of us tend to read over and never really pay attention to. 

Indeed, Shaul mentions the Law in Romans 4-times more (52-times to be exact) than he mentions the Gospel. So Messianic’s concerns about Shaul’s position on Torah-keeping is certainly a valid one. However, this concern comes with a rather myopic perspective, especially when we’re talking about the Apostle’s understanding of the Gospel.

Clearly the Gospel, mentioned 13-times in Romans, is important to Paul/Shaul as well as it must be to us. And I submit to you today that Paul’s Gospel message is inextricably connected to YHVH’s Law, His Torah. Yet, this reality is not readily apparent to most for the very reason we’ve embarked upon this study. The Apostle Kefa (ie., Simon Peter) stated it best:

 

¹⁴ Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; ¹⁵ and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation– as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things (these things meaning the expected return of Yeshua to earth), in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. (2Pe 3:14-16 NKJ)

 

Instead of simply explaining what he meant by “the Gospel of God” in verse 1, the Apostle takes us on a whirlwind exposition on the topic of the Gospel, choosing along the way to attach a few “genitive” pronouns and descriptors to the term Gospel: such as my Gospel; Gospel of Christ/Messiah; and Gospel of peace. And this just leads to a lot of confusion and lends room for itchy-ear type teachers and preachers to assert things about the Gospel that may not entirely match up with what Shaul is discussing. 

For instance, one Messianic commentator I came across in my preparation for this study viewed Shaul’s mention of the “Gospel of God” as a confirmation that Yeshua and YHVH are one and the same Person. This commentator’s expressed understanding is not without a great many supportive Messianic and Christian fans. But such understanding, as I mentioned above, only muddies the water in terms of what the Gospel of God truly means. For the Gospel of God was never meant to be understood strictly from a Christological perspective (i.e., the theology that focuses on the Person, nature and role of the Christ). For when Yeshua preached the Gospel of God during His earthly ministry (Mar. 1), scripture defines His message as being that of the coming Kingdom of YHVH.  In fact Yahoshua hardly ever discussed or taught about His role as Mashiyach during his earthly ministry. Master’s message was consistently that of the coming Kingdom of YHVH. 

Nevertheless, given the context in which Paul wrote his statement that he had been “set-apart for the gospel of God” (vs. 1b) there appears to be no agenda on the apostle’s part to put forth any Christological doctrine to his Roman readers. What we have in this content rich verse is not a Christological doctrinal statement from Paul, but simply a statement about who he (Shaul) was (ie., a “doulos” or a bondslave of Yeshua Messiah) and what his overall mission was (i.e., that of being an apostle—a sent one—who had been set-apart to “preach”—Tyndale NT—the Gospel of God). 

That being said, we won’t venture into a defense of or discussion on the divinity or “Christology” of Yeshua here. Instead, we’ll attempt to sort out what exactly the apostle meant by “Gospel of God” in this verse. (If you’re interested in my perspectives on the Divinity of Yeshua Messiah, click this link to the first installment to my short divinity series.)

To begin with, the Apostle’s understanding of the Gospel Message extends well beyond any imagined “Christology” or even the baseline understanding that the Gospel is about the “death, burial, and resurrection of Yeshua Messiah. And the very fact that the sheliach (ie., the apostle) mentions the Gospel from various perspectives throughout his letters to the various assemblies he oversaw tells us that he understood the Gospel from a great many perspectives beyond the aforementioned perspective. 

In other words, Paul understood, preached and taught the Gospel from an overarching or general perspective–that being the coming Kingdom of God–just as much as he understood, preached and taught the Gospel from a great many perspectives–such as the gospels of peach, Messiah, salvation and grace to name a few. And if we are truly going to understand this gospel that Paul claim to have been set-apart to teach and preach, we probably should get as much of an understanding of what this Gospel is that he’s writing about. 

So if the Gospel of God that Paul wrote to the Romans about is not just about the Person of Yeshua Messiah, and it’s not about Yeshua and YHVH being one and the same Person, what then is it about? Is the Gospel that Paul preached and taught the same Gospel that our Master and His disciples turned apostles preached and taught? 

Let’s first take a look at the term “gospel” from a few perspectives. 

When we tap our cousins in Christianity for the meaning of “Gospel,” we get a whole host of definitions ranging from the good news concerning Christ and the way of salvation (the most prominent explanation) to the joy of Jesus Christ; from regarding atonement for sin to a belief in the Name of Jesus Christ; from an understanding of the Christian Faith itself to a genre of Christian music. And of course there are other definitions and variations on these aforementioned themes. 

But can these various definitions and beliefs regarding the Gospel be correct, especially as it relates to Paul’s mention of the Gospel of God? 

When we, on the other hand, tap our cousins in Judaism, we generally find a vehement rejection of anything having to do with the concept of “gospel.” Why? Because the concept of the Gospel to much of orthodox Jewish thinking is about Jesus Christ and orthodox Jews in general reject Jesus as their Messiah. Now, this is all the more tragic when we consider that the true biblical gospel was delivered to them (i.e., the Jewish/Hebrew nation) throughout the whole of Torah, the Writings and the Prophets. Most of them rejected the Gospel of God, turning instead to a false gospel that the Rabbis created and have taught now for over two-millennia. But in all fairness to our cousins in Judaism, they are awaiting the arrival of the long-prophesied Messiah. And with all that is going on in the world today, especially all that’s going on in and around Israel today, some orthodox Jews are rethinking Yeshua as their Messiah. Nevertheless, if one could apply an understanding of “gospel” to Judaism, it generally is understood from an institutional perspective; that being a focus on Judaism as a religion of the Jews and Judaism as a way of life. 

From a Catholic perspective, interestingly enough, the Gospel of God has more to do with a spreading of the Catholic religion or the Catholic way of life than anything else. There seems to be a similarity between Catholicism and Judaism in that each religion’s focus is on their respective institutions and way of life. So any biblical understanding of “gospel” when applied to various denominations appears to conflict with these institution’s general focus or thinking that any so-called good news is not to be had outside the confines of the religion’s doctrines and belief systems. 

In other words: join us and we’ll pass on to you some good news. And generally the good news these religions and denominations tend to pass on to you are teachings about their religion and way of life. 

So getting back to Scripture, what exactly was the Apostle Paul set-apart to teach and preach? Biblically speaking, what is the Gospel and the Gospel of God? 

When we look at the English term “Gospel” in its ancient koine Greek form, we find the term “euaggelion.” Euagelion simply means “a good message” (Strong’s 2098). It is derived from the Greek verb “euagelizo,” which means “to announce good news.” 

Digging a little deeper into the Greek term “euaggelion,” we find in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon a definition of “good tidings;” of “Glad tidings” tied to the coming Kingdom of God. And these glad or good tidings are tied to the work and Person of Yeshua Messiah (Mar. 1:14, 15; 13:10; 16:15). 

Thayer’s Lexicon ventures further in its explanation of the term “euaggelion” by defining the gospel as the true doctrine concerning Christian salvation (Gal. 1:6; 2 Cor. 11:4) and the Truth God extended to creation from eternity (Rev. 14:6, cf. Rom. 1:1). 

One can clearly recognize some orthodox and fundamental Christian influences sprinkled throughout Thayer’s work here. And of course the other mainstream lexicons I consulted expounded further upon the explanation offered by Thayer. 

But the bottom line, all things considered with these mainstream lexicons, is that the Gospel is simply good news or good tidings about something having to do with the Faith of Yeshua and of Shaul.

 

 

The Gospel of God

 

What exactly then is this Gospel of God; this good news or good message or glad tidings of God? Because Shaul mentions a handful of “gospels” in his letter to the Romans, is the gospel he mentions in this verse the same or a different gospel from those mentioned in his other writings? Is this and the other gospels the same gospel preached and taught by Yeshua? 

Just from Paul’s writings alone, the Gospel appears to have a number of facets attached to it. And depending on the context in which Paul is addressing his readers—the issue or topic he is addressing at the time he of his writing—determines what aspect of the Gospel Paul is specifically addressing. Clearly the “Gospel” as an overarching entity is vast in scope and complexity (ie., it encompasses the Person of Yeshua Messiah, the Coming Kingdom of Yah, the peace of Yah, the relationship we can now have with the Creator of the Universe, salvation, grace and so much more); yet it can be simply understood and viewed from the standpoint of the Person and Work of Yeshua Messiah or the Kingdom of God. Consider this list of “gospels” or gospel types (if you will) that Paul mentions in his various letters to the kehilas he oversaw:

 

 

• Gospel of Messiah—Rom. 1:16; 1 Cor. 9:12, 18; Gal. 1:7; Phi. 1:27; 1 The. 3:2
• Gospel of Salvation—Eph. 1:13
• Gospel of Peace—Eph. 6:15
• Glorious Gospel of Messiah—2 Cor. 4:4
• Gospel of His Son—Rom. 1:9
• My (Shaul’s) Gospel—Rom. 16:25
• The Gospel—Mar. 16:15, 16
• Gospel of the Grace of Yah—Act. 20:24
• Our Gospel—2 The. 2:14
• Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God—1 Tim. 1:11

 

 

So coming back to Romans 1:1b where Paul writes that he had been set-apart for God’s good news—euaggelion Theo in the Greek and “besorah YHVH” in Hebrew by the way–when we connect besorah or euaggelion to Theo (ie., YHVH; God), it is obviously implied that YHVH is the owner or originator of the glad tidings or good news that has been entrusted unto Paul to preach and or teach. 

What then is Yah’s glad tidings or good news about? 

Shaul admonished the Evangelist Timothy to follow him as he (i.e., Shaul) followed Messiah. So, one can safely deduce that the same Gospel message that Yeshua Messiah brought to the Nation of Israel is the same Gospel message Shaul was bringing to the Romans. Right? 

Well let’s reason this out even further: since Yahoshua did only that which His Father gave Him to do, it stands to reason that the gospel He brought to the world is His Father’s Gospel. So then that leaves us with figuring out what was the good news that Yeshua’s heavenly Father gave Him to preach and teach.   

We find in Mark chapter 1 verse 1 the author mentions a gospel that is directly associated with Yeshua Messiah. And depending on which English translation you reference, Mark is said to be documenting a gospel “about Yeshua Messiah” or a “gospel of—implying ownership of—belonging to–Yeshua Messiah.” 

So if Mark is documenting a gospel about Yeshua Messiah, then we the reader are being introduced to good news ABOUT the Person or work or mission or ministry of Yeshua Messiah. If on the other hand Mark is documenting a gospel belonging to or originating with YHVH, then we the reader are about to receive the good news or glad tidings that Yeshua taught and preached during His earthly ministry–that good news or glad tidings that YHVH gave to Yeshua to deliver to the world. 

In a general sense, regardless the English translation rendering, I believe Mark is introducing us to both perspectives of the gospel: good news about Yeshua as the Son of God, and the good news originating with the Creator that was to be delivered by Yeshua to the world. 

Mark then, from verses 2 through 8 of chapter 1, briefly describes the ministry of Yochanan (ie., John) the Immerser. And we learn from Mark that Yochanan the Immerser preached a message of baptism of repentance for remission of sins (verse 4) and of the one who was to come who was mightier than him, whose sandals he was unworthy to unlatch and who would baptize His people with the Ruach HaKodesh (verses 7 and 8). 

Then picking up at verse 9, through 16 of the same first chapter, Mark introduces us to Yeshua Messiah. According to Mark, after the imprisonment of Yochanan the Immerser, Yeshua began his earthly ministry by preaching repentance and THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD (verse 14). 

But the Greek text reads “to euaggelion tou Theo” which transliterates into “the Gospel of God!” Imagine that! The exact same “gospel” that the Apostle Shaul declared to the Romans that he was set-apart to preach and teach. 

But this still doesn’t answer the question of what the Gospel of God is about, right? Well no. But in letting Scripture interpret itself, we find in the very next verse a clear definition of what the Gospel of God—ie., the very Gospel that Yeshua and the Apostle Paul preached—was truly about:

 

“Jesus (aka Yeshua) came to the Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God, ‘This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel’” (Mar. 1:14b, 15; NAB; cf. Mat. 3:2; 4:17; Luk. 10:9).

 

Thus with this basis of understanding under our belts, I contend that the overarching understanding of the “Gospel of God” that Paul wrote to the Romans about is about the Malchut Elohim (ie., the Kingdom of Elohim/God). And the awesome thing to bear in mind here as we move forward in this discussion is that Shaul’s besorah message (ie., gospel message) to the Roman assembly was the same as that of his Master, Yeshua HaMashiyach. Amein? Amein. Does it exclude the Gospel being about Yeshua Messiah? No. The Gospel about Yeshua Messiah, if you will, along with all the other Gospel variants, all fall under the overarching good news that Yeshua taught during His earthly ministry about the coming Malchut Elohim (aka the Kingdom of Elohim). But when a denominational sect, let’s just say, limits their understanding to just the Person and or ministry of Yeshua as it relates to the overall gospel message, they risk not receiving a more complete understanding of what the true Gospel is all about.  

Now, presuming the Gospel in it’s overarching-broad sense is about the Malchut Elohim (ie., the Kingdom of Elohim), the Truth-seeker can now trace the “besorah,” the “euagellion,” the “gospel” all the way back to Gan Eden (ie., the Garden of Eden). Adam and Chuah (ie., Eve) were created to serve and worship YHVH in the earthly extension of the Malchut Elohim. But because of Adam’s transgression of Yah’s Torah (eating the forbidden fruit), the Malchut Elohim did not advance here on earth as it was supposed to. The Malchut Elohim remained here on earth in the form of Yah, throughout human history,  interceding in the affairs of fallen mankind—such as when He called His chosen ones out of Babylon; the giving of Torah to the nation of Yisra’el; and the ministry of Yeshua Messiah.  And while the Malchut Elohim was manifested in the lives of the patriarchs of old, it remained only an elusive hope and promise. So when Yeshua came declaring that the Kingdom of Yah was “at hand;” that it was near; that it had come, it made headlines: not just in the human realm; not just among the poor and rejected of the nation of Yisra’el; not just in the synagogues strewn throughout Yisra’el and the Sanhedrin headquartered in Yerushalayim,  but also in the spirit realm. Let us not forget that the enemy has ruled over this physical realm since man lost the title deed to this earth. So the enemy has been quite happy with the kingdom that they have been running and controlling upon this earth. They are understandably concerned and opposed to Yah’s coming Kingdom that Daniel the Prophet wrote:

 

“…shall never be destroyed and His kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall beat to pieces and grind to powder all other kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (2:44; LXX).

 

So to the first century disciples of Yeshua, this pronouncement of a coming Malchut Elohim was the greatest news they’d ever received in their lifetime. The advent of this coming Malchut (i.e., this coming Kingdom) would begin internally within the hearts, minds and lives of the disciple of Yeshua HaMashiyach. And it was back then and continues to be today a joyous promise for the would be Child of the Most High to understand and possess. But to the enemies of Yah—be they human or fallen spirits–the coming Malchut Elohim was and continues to be the worse news they could ever receive. 

Nevertheless, the Malchut Elohim to come here on to the earth will not see its fullest manifestation until Yeshua HaMashiyach returns and restores Paradise Lost and destroys the enemies of YHVH. 

In a sense, the Tree of Life that stood in the midst of Gan Eden (aka the Garden of Eden) was a visual (and arguably a physical) representation or signpost for the Malchut Elohim in earliest recorded human history. It offered Adam and Eve the opportunity to live eternally in the service of the Creator of the Universe. At the fall, however, that representation or signpost to the Malchut Elohim was removed from man’s access. 

Roughly 4-millennia later another tree-signpost or agricultural representation of the Malchut Elohim replaced the Tree of Life. Continuing with the agricultural paradigm, Isaiah the prophet foretold of an even greater signpost and representation of the Malchut Elohim:

 

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. ² And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. ³ And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, ⁴ but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. ⁵ Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. ⁶ The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. (Isa 11:1-6 ESV)

 

Now, does any of what Isaiah wrote here sound anything like a signpost leading to a full manifestation of the Malchut Elohim through the emerging of a branch (aka, a Netzer) from the stump of Jesse (aka, King David’s father)? Furthermore, is not this very writing of Isaiah’s a true “gospel” message of the coming Malchut Elohim? Of course it is. 

Clearly, the “Gospel” predates the earthly ministry of Yahoshua, despite all things in Torah and the Prophets regarding the coming Gospel message—the coming Malchut Elohim–pointed squarely at Yeshua Messiah as the primary instrument by which YHVH would usher in His eternal Kingdom here onto earth. Halleluyah! 

Throughout recorded Tanach history, only a small handful of individuals responded to the Gospel message—the Good News of the Malchut Elohim (eg., Noah, Avraham, Yitzhak, Ya’akov, Moshe, Yahoshua, King David, Daniel and Yah’s anointed prophets). We take special note of Avraham’s response to the Gospel message about two-millennia before Yahoshua arrived on the scene (Gal. 3:8). Of Avraham, the Apostle Yochanan (aka John) recorded the words of Yeshua when He declared that “Abraham rejoiced to see His day…” (John 8:56). This is clearly an early, ancient, Torah reference to the Gospel of God (aka Gospel of Yah) where Yeshua would become the mediator of the coming Malchut Elohim to earth. Even Avraham was familiar with the Gospel of God. 

Each patriarch’s receiving and or partaking of the Gospel message in their day was founded upon their obedience and unshakable Faith. 

As far as I’m concerned, one of the greatest examples of the Gospel of God message that we see portrayed in Torah and the Prophets is the story of the Exodus and the receiving of the covenant and Torah at Mount Sinai. For there at the base of Mount Sinai Abba declared unto us His Gospel message:

 

“you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Exo. 19:6).

 

And from Exodus 19 through to the end of Deuteronomy 34, we received the Gospel. How so? As Father passed to us His Besorah—His Gospel during our wilderness sojourn, we received a glimpse of the coming Malchut Elohim. Indeed, the nation of Yisra’el would become an integral part of that Malchut here on earth. 

So from that point moving forward in the history of Yisra’el, our whole existence was tied to the Malchut Elohim. And when Yeshua came heralding the message that the Malchut Elohim was at hand, it was the greatest news that any Jew/Hebrew could ever receive. It was what the first-century Jew/Hebrew lived for. That’s why Yahoshua’s disciples were so inquisitive on the Mount of Olives on the day our Master ascended to His Father:

 

“Master, will you at this time restore the Kingdom of Yisra’el” (Act. 1:6).

 

Indeed, the disciples on the Mount of Olives that day recognized the inextricable link that exists between the Nation of Yisra’el and the emerging Malchut Elohim. In other words, without Yisra’el there is no Kingdom of Yah.

But the advent of the Malchut Elohim was the Euaggelion/the Besorah that Yahoshua taught and preached about. And it is the same Euaggelion/the same Besorah that the apostles taught and  preached. The thing with Paul, however, is that His spiritual perspective regarding the overarching Gospel message was at such a heightened level that he could easily speak to his charges regarding any and all facets—aspects—elements of the overall Gospel message. Thus, depending on what he was addressing in his letters at any given time determined what aspect of the Gospel he would expertly apply (e.g., peach; the Person of Mashiyach; salvation; grace; etc.). 

So we’ve determined at this juncture that the Besorah-the Good News-the Gospel of God/Yah was first and foremost a message about the coming Malchut Elohim (ie., the coming Kingdom of God/Yah). However, there is even more to the overall Gospel of Yah than the coming Malchut Elohim. More important than the coming Malchut Elohim was the astoundingly good news of the means that Father put into place so that we, fallen man, may have a true and substantive relationship Him. Think about it: what happens to any kingdom on this earthly plane when the subjects of that kingdom do not have a loving and reverent relationship with their king? Eventually the kingdom will implode. 

The main problem Father has always had regarding His human creation since the Fall has been the impossibility for mankind to establish and maintain a true and substantive relationship with their Creator. Yes, there have been rare exceptions in history where Father found individuals whose willingness to believe on His Name and obey His voice resulted in such a relationship. 

Scripture describes Avraham and Moshe as being friends of YHVH (Jas. 2:23; 4:4; Exo. 33:11). 

King David is described as a man after YHVH’s heart (Act. 13:22). 

Yeshua is described as a beloved Son with whom Yah was well pleased (Mat. 3:17; 17:5).  

Both the physical and spiritual Malchut Elohim is based entirely upon the relationship that YHVH has and will have with his chosen ones—the Saints—the Children of Yah (Rev. 11:18). And that essential relationship forms the basis for the economy; the workings; the order; and the greatness of the Malchut Elohim here on earth. And unless one establishes a true and substantive relationship with the Almighty through the means that Father has established through the Person and ministry of His Son, Yeshua, he or she will in no wise enter the Malchut Elohim (Mat. 5:20; 7:21; 18:3). 

Now, this relationship aspect to the Malchut Elohim and the Gospel of Yah/God goes straight back to the foundations of the earth and time. Yah’s Torah has been the foundation upon which any true relationship with the Creator of the Universe has been formed and based. Without man’s adherence and obedience to Torah, no true relationship can be had with the Creator of the Universe. It’s just that simple. 

The problem has always been that man, using ancient Israel as the example, is inherently incapable of keeping the true substance of Torah because the heart of man is naturally, desperately wicked, or as the ESV declares, “the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick” (Jer. 17:9; cf. Mar. 7:21). Father declared through the prophet Isaiah that His (i.e., YHVH’s) thoughts were not our thoughts and our ways not His Ways (Isa. 55:8). Paul wrote of man’s inability to have a relationship with Yah: “the natural person does not accept what pertains to the Spirit—the Ruach—of God, for to him (i.e., mankind) it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually” (1 Cor. 2:14; NAB).

 

But there’s good news in all this. Part of the Gospel of the Kingdom is that Father is going to fix the heart of His would be children so that they willingly and gladly keep His Torah and enjoy an eternal relationship with Him:

 

“I will give you (talking about Yisrael) a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit—My Ruach HaKodesh–within you so that you walk in my statutes, observe my ordinances, and keep them” (Eze. 36:26, 27; NAB).

 

And so we see yet again just how expansive the true Gospel message is. The New Covenant, which this is speaking to, is another aspect or element to the overarching Gospel message leading to the Malchut Elohim. This is the embodiment of grace that Father is going to lavish upon His people. And although this promise was directed specifically to His people Yisra’el, we Gentiles can by virtue of Yahoshua’s atoning work, share in this promise and in the commonwealth of Yisrael. By virtue of the New Covenant that has been initiated and mediated by our Master Yeshua HaMashiyach, we are grafted into the commonwealth of Yisrael and all the benefits of the promised covenants are ours to share and enjoy alongside Yisra’el. 

But there is a problem when Christianity declares and teaches that Torah, the basis upon which a true relationship with the Almighty is maintained, has been abolished or annulled. Indeed, such a declaration and teaching, which has for many centuries  been held up as one of the many facets of the Gospel, is really an entirely different “gospel”—a Gospel that is in fact alien to the Gospel that Yeshua and His anointed disciples turned apostles taught and preached. 

Thus the Gospel of Yah/YHVH/God is the good news that YHVH is “a loving, merciful and forgiving Father,” who has made provisions for his human creation to have an eternal  relationship with Him. And under the New Covenant, Father graciously accepts a broken spirit and a contrite heart in place of animal sacrifices in order for us to have a true and substantive relationship with Him. Yeshua our Messiah made all this happen through His sacrifice and His obedience to the Will of His Father. Now, regardless whether we are Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor, etc., etc., we can now walk in the newness of life, receive empowerment to live a holy and righteous life, and enter the coming Malchut Elohim. This indeed is the summation of the Besorah of Yah—the Gospel of God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Action:

So then what do we do with all that we’ve been discussing today? As Torah Observant disciples of Yeshua Messiah, it is our responsibility to understand, receive and walk out the true Gospel message—the Gospel of Yah. And we certainly can’t walk out something that we  don’t understand. Thus, it behooves us to fully understand that thing that the Apostle Paul wrote to his Roman assembly members that he says he had been set-apart for. And that thing he had been set apart for is of course the Gospel of Elohim.

Now, Paul wrote that he had been called to be a schiliach—a sent one—an emissary—an apostle AND he had been set-apart to preach—declare—proclaim—teach—the Good News of Yah. Fully understanding the meaning of what Paul had been set-apart to do will help us  better understand our set-apart status as the redeemed of the Most High as well as ensure that we are in fact doing that which YHVH has called us to do.

And by us having fleshed out what Shaul really meant by the phrase Gospel of Elohim—of God—we will, as we move further along in our studies of the Book of Romans—better understand the various facets and elements of the Gospel that Shaul brings to the attention of the Roman Kehila.

We will next tackle verse 16 of Romans chapter 1, which tends to be one of those challenging Pauline passages that requires a little airing and discussion on our part.

Until next time. Shalom.