THE GOSPEL AND DOCTRINES OF THE CHURCH PREACHED BY CHRIST IN THE 4 GOSPELS PART-1

Pastor Art Watkins of Coden Bible Church (Coden, Alabama)

April 13, 2019

Modern dispensationalism makes the claim that it has the keys that unlocks the scriptures, when in fact their so called keys lock up the scriptures. They have put up a no trespassing sign on the Old Testament scriptures, on the Four Gospels and Hebrews through Revelation and some of them have even put a no trespassing sign on the epistles Paul wrote in the so called Acts period. They tell us that the gospel and doctrines of the church are not found in any books but Romans through Philemon. The Scofield Bible has a note at the bottom of Ephesians 3 that says: that in Paul’s writings ALONE is found the doctrine for the church. He is wrong and so are many people today who call themselves dispensationalists. The facts are, Paul based at least 60 church doctrines in his epistles on the Old Testament scriptures and quotes it nearly 200 times in his epistles, 70 times in the book of Romans alone.

In these articles we will focus our attention on the Four Gospels. Many dispensationalists teach that the gospel and doctrines of the church cannot be found in the Four Gospels. They say Christ was sent to Israel only and what he preached pertained to Israel only and not the church. They say we should follow what he said to Paul in Romans through Philemon only. But the fact is, every major doctrine we believe today was preached by Christ in the Four Gospels and by the apostles also. I personally believe that if you do not read and study and understand what Christ preached and did in the Four Gospels you do not and cannot really know him in all his glory and magnificence which precisely why the devil will try to keep you out of them.

In these articles you will see 26 major church doctrines in the Four Gospels that we preach every day. These are not minor doctrines either. These are major doctrines that the apostles and we preach constantly. If we say that church doctrine is found in the Four Gospels then we should first find the church in the Four Gospels. Can we? Many dispensationalists say no and base their theory on one verse of scripture: Matthew 15:24: But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

To most dispensationalists this verse sums up Christ’s ministry in the Four Gospels and so they close the books and say they are for Israel only and not the church. But what they willingly ignore is what he said in the next chapter about the church he said he would build...

****THE CHURCH****

Matthew 16:18: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This verse sets the pace for the Four Gospels. It gives us one of the main reasons he came into the world and what he and his apostles did while they were in the world. He and his apostles built his church. In Acts 1 after spending 40 days teaching the apostles he went back up into heaven and sat down at God’s right hand. Mark 16:19 says: So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. When he sat down at God’s right hand God made him the head of the church. It says in Ephesians 1:20-23: that God: raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Jesus Christ became the head of the Church of God when he sat down at God’s right hand when he ascended back into heaven in Acts 1. This is why he is called the beginning of the church in Colossians 1:18 which says: And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. He is the beginning of the church because he is the head.

10 days after Christ became the head of the church believers were added to the church in Acts 2:47. It says: And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. In Acts 5:14 it says: And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. One verse says they were added to the church and the other says they were added to the Lord because the church was Christ’s body. In Acts 2 God sent the Spirit of Christ to dwell in the hearts of believers and at the same time they were baptized into Christ thus making them the body of Christ. Throughout the book of Acts 1000’s of believers both Jews and Gentiles were added to the church that Christ came to build in the Four Gospels.

If he built his church doesn’t it only stand to reason that we should find the gospel and doctrine for his church in the Four Gospels? Of course. And if Paul wrote his epistles to the church that Christ built shouldn’t we find him preaching the same gospel and doctrine as Christ? Yes. In these articles we will compare what Christ and Paul preached to prove beyond a doubt that they both preached the same gospel and doctrine to the same church that Christ said he would build in the Four Gospels.

(Next: Part 2)