Preach the Gospel (Acts 14:7-10)

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW

There is the proverbial expression, "What you don't know, won't hurt you", but that is an extreme fallacy, even as scripture states, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." (Hos.4:6). Obviously, a lack of information, or the wrong information, can be detrimental to a person or persons.

ACTS 14:7 says, "...and there they preached the gospel".

PREACHED the GOSPEL

This is all one word in the Greek, (euangelizo), 2097, which literally means "to announce good news." Commonly, the concept is that, 'to preach the gospel' is to declare the salvation available to everyone, through the death, burial, and resurrection, of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is true. Furthermore, "The Lord is...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance" (2 Pet.3:9), but that's not all 'the good news' of the gospel.

FAITH to be HEALED

The rest of the text states that "...there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked: the same heard Paul speak: who steadfastly beholding him, and [Paul] perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud voice, 'Stand upright on your feet,' and he leaped and walked" (Acts 14:8-10).

FAITH by HEARING

The scripture clearly states, "...faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rm.10:17). What did the crippled man hear to receive faith to be healed? The scripture says, "...and there they preached the gospel" (Acts 14:7). Obviously, the GOSPEL must contain the message of healing for everyone, or the crippled man would not have had faith to be healed, from hearing "the gospel".

TESTIMONY of JESUS

"...Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and PREACHING THE GOSPEL of the kingdom, and HEALING all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people" (Matt.4:23).

"...Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and PREACHING THE GOSPEL of the kingdom, and HEALING every sickness and every disease among the people" (Matt.9:35).

TESTIMONY of the DISCIPLES

"These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them , saying,...'as you go, PREACH, saying, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. HEAL the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give' " (Matt.10:5,7-8).

"...He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to PREACH, and to have power [(exousia), 1849, 'authority'], to HEAL sicknesses, and to cast out devils" (Mk.314-15).

"...they went out, and PREACHED that men should repent, and they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and HEALED them" (Mk.6:12-13).

"...they departed, and went through the towns, PREACHING the GOSPEL, and HEALING everywhere" (Lk. 9:6).

"Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and PREACHED CHRIST unto them, and the people with one accord gave heed to those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did, for unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed; and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were HEALED" (Acts 8:5-7).

DIVINE PURPOSE

The ultimate purpose is for people to receive Jesus Christ, and to be "...born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which lives and abides for ever" (1 Pet. 1:25). Paul, by the Spirit of God said, "...I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, TO MAKE THE GENTILES OBEDIENT, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about to Illyricum, I have FULLY PREACHED the GOSPEL of Christ" (Rm.15:18-19). In other words, the signs, wonders, miracles, and healings are all part of the GOSPEL, intended to make people obedient, compliant, or submissive [(hypakoe), 5218], to the GOSPEL of the Lord Jesus Christ.

THE GOSPEL

"...my speech and my PREACHING was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Cor.2:4).

"For our GOSPEL came not to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit..." (1 Thess. 1:5).

"...so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by them that heard Him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with different miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will" (Heb. 2:4).

GOSPEL of MIRACLES and HEALING

The FULL GOSPEL includes signs, wonders, miracles, and healings that accompany it. "Go...into all the world, and PREACH the GOSPEL to every person...and these signs shall follow those that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues [languages]; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover" (Mk.16:15, 17-18).

"...they went forth, and PREACHED every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (Mk. 16:20).

You are God's Best and God's Best is Yours