Some Scriptural Summaries of the Gospel

This list includes some
of the shorter summaries of the gospel and
clear references to it. It does not include the lengthy sermon
summaries in Acts, such as at Pentecost (Acts 2; see v. 36) and
at the “Gentile Pentecost” (Acts 10; see vv. 42-43).

Acts 5:42 “Day after day, in the temple courts and from
house to house, they never stopped preaching and proclaiming the good
news that Jesus is the Messiah.”

9:22 “Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the
Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.”
(This means the same as the summary in James 2:1—and similar
summaries—“believers in our glorious Lord Jesus
Messiah.”)

17:2-3 “As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue,
and…reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and
proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’
he said.”

18:5 “Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching,
testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.”

20:21 Paul reminded “the elders of the church” in
Ephesus that “I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they
must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

24:24 “Felix came with his wife Drusilla….He sent for
Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Messiah
Jesus.” (See also 8:12; 18:5, 28; 28:23, 31.)

Romans 1:1-4 God’s “Son, who as to his
human nature was a descendant of David and who…was
declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from
the dead.”

NOTE: Romans 1:16-17 does not summarize the gospel but
introduces the main theme, why the gospel is God’s power for
salvation. Likewise, 3:21-26 does not give the gospel’s
content but emphasizes that, unlike law, it works by faith. That
subject is developed in the next chapters. Romans 2:16 says that the
gospel includes judgment by Messiah.

6:3-4 Implies what was preached: “All of us who were
baptized into Messiah Jesus were baptized into his death…in
order that, just as Messiah was raised from the dead…we
too may live a new life.”

10:8-10 “the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if
you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.”

16:25-26 “Now to him who is able to establish you by my
gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Messiah….”

1 Corinthians 1:17-18, 23 “The cross of
Messiah…the message of the cross….we preach
Messiah crucified.”

2:2 “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except
Jesus Messiah and him crucified.” (Cf. 8:11, “weak
brother, for whom Messiah died.” 10:16 and 11:26, the Lord’s
Supper is participation in Messiah’s blood and body. 6:2-3 reminds believers that they will judge the world,
including angels. 6:9-10 reminds them that they will inherit
the coming kingdom.)

3:11 “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one
already laid, which is Jesus Messiah.”

8:6 “There is but one God, the Father…and there
is but one Lord, Jesus Messiah….”

12:3 “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’
except by the Holy Spirit.”

15:1-11 “I want to remind you of the gospel I preached
to you….By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to
the word I preached to you….What I received I passed on to
you:…that Messiah died for our sins according to the
Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on
the third day…and that he appeared to Peter…to
me also….This is what we preach, and this is what you
believed.”

NOTE: According to
Acts 18:5, the message (gospel) first preached at Corinth was simpler
and shorter: “Jesus
is Messiah.” The two versions can be harmonized by simply emphasizing the fact
from the longer version that it
was “Messiah”
who died and rose. The reason for His death was probably not
essential to the original message but was a corollary important to 1
Corinthians 15 (see v. 17). Even more important for that
chapter was the fact of His resurrection, as proof of our own
resurrection. See verses 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 22, and 23.

Galatians 3:6ff “The Scripture…announced the
gospel in advance to Abraham: ‘All nations will be blessed
through you.’”

2 Timothy 2:8 “Remember Jesus Messiah, raised from
the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel.”

Titus 2:13-14 “We wait for the blessed hope—the
glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Messiah, who
gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to
purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do
what is good.”

Hebrews 2:3-5 “This salvation, which was first
announced by the Lord…the world to come, about which we
are speaking.”

1 Peter 1:3 “Father of our Lord Jesus Messiah…has
given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Messiah from the dead.”

1:19-21 “redeemed…with the precious blood of
Messiah…chosen…revealed…raised…from the
dead and glorified” (also 2:21, 24, 25; 3:15, 18, 21-22;
etc.)

1
John 1:1-3 “We proclaim to you what
we have seen and heard [as recorded in the Gospels], so
that you also may have fellowship with us.”