Preach the gospel

January 31, 2021

Preach the gospel (1 Cor. 9:16)

“If I preach

The gospel,

This gives me no ground

For boasting.

An obligation

Was laid upon me.

Woe to me

If I do not preach the gospel!”

ἐὰν γὰρ εὐαγγελίζωμαι, οὐκ ἔστιν μοι καύχημα· ἀνάγκη γάρ μοι ἐπίκειται· οὐαὶ γάρ μοί ἐστιν ἐὰν μὴ εὐαγγελίσωμαι.

Paul said that if he preached the gospel (ἐὰν γὰρ εὐαγγελίζωμαι), this gave him no ground for boasting (οὐκ ἔστιν μοι καύχημα).  An obligation was laid upon him (ἀνάγκη γάρ μοι ἐπίκειται·).  Woe to him if he did not preach the gospel (οὐαὶ γάρ μοί ἐστιν ἐὰν μὴ εὐαγγελίσωμαι)! Only the Pauline letters used this word καύχημά, that means to boast, boasting, or a ground for boasting.  Paul explained that his preaching of the gospel of Jesus was not any grounds for boasting.  This was an obligation to him, not his choice.  He would be cursed if he did not preach the good news about Jesus Christ.  Paul was not doing voluntary work, but he was assigned a mission directly from Christ.  Do you feel that you have a mission from Jesus Christ?

January 21, 2019

Preach the gospel (Lk 4:43-4:43)

“But Jesus

Said to them.

‘I must proclaim

The good news

Of the kingdom of God

To the other towns also.

I was sent

For this purpose.’”

 

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅτι Καὶ ταῖς ἑτέραις πόλεσιν εὐαγγελίσασθαί με δεῖ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἀπεστάλην.

 

Luke indicated that Jesus said to them (ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτοὺς) that it was his duty (με δεῖ) to proclaim or preach the good news (εὐαγγελίσασθαί) about the kingdom of God (τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ) to the other towns or cities also (ὅτι Καὶ ταῖς ἑτέραις πόλεσιν).  He was sent for that purpose (ὅτι ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἀπεστάλην).  There is something similar in Mark. chapter 1:37-38, but there was no explicit message about proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God.  Mark simply recounted that Jesus said to his followers that they were going into the nearby neighboring towns or villages.  Thus, he could proclaim or preach his unspecified message there.  That was what he came to do, since it was time to get to work.  Jesus had to move on to the other nearby towns and villages to proclaim his message.

December 4, 2018

Preach the gospel (Mk 16:15-16:15)

“Jesus said to them.

‘Go into all the world!

Proclaim the good news!

Preach the gospel

To the whole creation!’”

 

καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Πορευθέντες εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα κηρύξατε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει.

 

This addition of Mark, is like the addition in Matthew, chapter 28:19-20.  This text indicated that Jesus told the 11 apostles (καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς) that they were to go into the whole world (Πορευθέντες εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἅπαντα).  They were to proclaim the good news or preach the gospel (κηρύξατε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον) to all creation (πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει).  Obviously, the mission of the early Christians was to preach the good news, the gospel of Jesus Christ, to everyone.