IntroductionPhilip “preached Christ” to the Samaritans (Acts 8:5) and then “preached Jesus” to the Ethiopian official (Acts 8:35). Paul affirms that at Corinth he and his companions preached “the Son of God, Jesus Christ” (2 Cor. 1:19). Peter declares, “we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ...” (2 Pet. 1:16).1 But the broader context of these passages clearly shows that the person of Jesus Christ, the primary focus of the gospel message, is not the sum total of what is taught.
Preaching “Christ” to the Samaritans included the kingdom of God, the name (authority) of Jesus Christ, and baptism (Acts 8:12-13). Preaching “Jesus” to the Ethiopian helped him understand his need to be baptized (Acts 8:36-39). Preaching “the Son of God, Jesus Christ” at Corinth included the Lord's death, burial and resurrection (1 Cor. 1:23; 2:2; 15:1-4), baptism into his body (Acts 18:8; 1 Cor. 12:13), and all the other teachings that were passed on to them (Acts 18:11). Peter, in his recorded sermons and two inspired epistles, obviously taught more than just the person of Jesus.
To preach “Jesus,” in the biblical sense, not only involves transmitting the doctrine about Jesus but also the doctrine from Jesus (including what is conveyed through his inspired agents), “the doctrine of Christ” (John 7:16-17; 2 John 9), “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
Beware of an Overly-Simplified Condensed Gospel
How do we answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” This question is asked on three separate occasions in the book of Acts (2:37; 16:30; 22:10), with a different response given each time. The answer depends on who is asking and where the inquirer is along his or her spiritual journey.
The Jews in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost (chap. 2) and the Ethiopian official on the road to Gaza (chap. 8) were already deeply committed to God and to the authority of the scriptures, whereas the Philippian jailer (chap. 16) and the Athenian philosophers (chap. 17) were not. Still today each prospective convert is unique, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach that is suitable for every person.
Martin Luther preached an abbreviated gospel of justification by faith alone. And if we’re not careful, we can also be guilty of reducing the gospel message to a fraction of what the Lord originally intended.
“Hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized” is the standard formula often cited as the gospel plan of salvation, typically accompanied by a single-verse Bible reference for each. Surely we recognize the need to “remain faithful” after baptism, but what all does this entail? We don’t want to overly complicate what ought to be simple and straightforward, but at the same time we don’t want to oversimplify something so important that it could result in the gospel being insufficiently taught. The bottom line is, what exactly is to be heard and believed and obeyed? And where’s the church in God’s plan?
The Book of Conversions
While the fifth book of the NT has historically been labeled “the Book of Conversions,” let’s not forget that it is actually the sequel of a two-volume set. As Dr. Luke composed the historical narrative of Acts, he could reasonably assume that his readers were already familiar with “the former account” (Acts 1:1).
The Acts narrative is not an intricately detailed report of all that was said and done in each recorded event. In fact, thirty-two years of history have been compacted into only twenty-eight chapters! Acts consists of selective highlights of the conversion stories it recounts rather than comprehensive details of each. Although there is no explicit reference to confession of faith in chap. 2, or to baptism in chaps. 3-4, or to repentance in chap. 8, or to belief in most of chap. 9, surely we understand that it is the totality of information that provides the complete picture.
Peter’s sermon on the Day of Pentecost, which led to the conversions of about 3,000 souls, is boiled down to merely twenty-six verses (which can be read or quoted in less than two-and-a-half minutes!). These verses do not contain the sum total of the apostle’s message, as the inspired historian clearly explains: “And with many other words he testified and exhorted them ...” (Acts 2:40).
The next recorded gospel sermon is summed up in only fifteen verses (Acts 3:12-26), even though it appears to have lasted for several hours. While the events that instigated this evangelistic opportunity started around 3 o’clock in the afternoon (3:1), the preaching continued on into the evening (4:3).
Where’s the Church in the Gospel Plan of Salvation?
Penitent baptized believers are added to the church (Acts 2:37-47), baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13), the church (Col. 1:18). Jesus is the Savior of the body/the church (Eph. 1:22-23; 5:23). The Greek word ekklēsía, translated “church” in our English Bibles, occurs no less than twenty-two times in Acts with reference to the congregated disciples of Jesus.2 As we trace the gospel story through Luke’s first volume (the Gospel) and on through the second (Acts), it is clear that the ekklēsía of Acts fulfills the numerous basileía (kingdom) prophecies of the Gospel.3
Jesus came to earth to “preach the kingdom of God” (Luke 4:43; 8:1; 9:11), and he commissioned his disciples to do the same (Luke 9:2; 10:9, 11). He promised that within their lifetime they would actually see this spiritual kingdom realized (Luke 9:27). Following his death and resurrection, and for several weeks prior to his ascension, the Lord continually reminded the apostles “of things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).
On the Day of Pentecost, when the gospel was communicated in its fullness, penitent baptized believers were forgiven of sins and added to the community of the saved (Acts 2:21-47). From this point onward the church that Jesus had promised to build and the kingdom he had repeatedly foretold is coming are no longer spoken of prospectively. The church is present (Acts 5:11; 8:1, 3; 20:28)4 and the kingdom is present (Acts 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31).5
While the kingship of Jesus is implied and his lordship affirmed in the Pentecost-day discourse (Acts 2:30, 36), Peter preached “many other words” (v. 40). The Samaritans who obeyed the gospel “believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God …” (Acts 8:12) and were counted among the newly established churches in the region (Acts 9:31). The Galatians were warned by Barnabas and Paul of inevitable afflictions when entering “into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22), which incorporated the churches of that area (Gal. 1:2). In planting the church in Thessalonica (1 Thess. 1:1), Jesus was proclaimed as “king” (Acts 17:7). Paul consistently taught those in Ephesus about “the kingdom of God” (Acts 19:8; 20:25), and as “fellow citizens” (Eph. 2:19) they comprised the church (Eph. 1:22; 3:10, 21; 5:23). In Rome he preached “the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus …” (Acts 28:23) and spent two whole years “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ …” (v. 31).
Can we preach “Jesus” without including the church that he purchased with his own blood? (Acts 20:28). Who are we to sever the head from the body (Eph. 5:23), or to keep the foundation while removing God’s spiritual house that he built on it? (1 Cor. 3:9-16). Can we divorce the bride from the bridegroom? (Rev. 21:9). How can Jesus be King without his kingdom? (Col. 1:13). If Jesus is “the Way” (John 14:6), can we dismiss his church that is also called “the Way”? (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). Jesus and his church are not mutually exclusive, and to preach one without the other is insufficient and detrimental to his cause.
The Commitment Requirement
The Great Commission involves the worldwide proclamation of the gospel and making disciples of all nations.6 In the first volume of his two-volume set, Luke records in chap. 14 the words of Jesus, prior to issuing the Great Commission, where he unequivocally states three times that one “cannot be My disciple” unless he or she counts the cost of discipleship and is totally committed all the way to the end (vv. 26-33). As we continue obeying the Great Commission today and seek to make disciples, we do a grave disservice when we try to rush people into the baptistery who are insufficiently taught, not entirely committed to the Lord, and uninformed about what is expected after baptism.
The Gospel Plan of Salvation
Simply stated, the gospel plan of salvation is our gracious God seeking to reconcile sinners to himself through the life, death, burial, and resurrection of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, in a unified collectivity of forgiven disciples. Our response to this divine plan can be summarized as follows:
o Hear (listen to, understand, heed) the gospel message (Mark 4:23-24; Acts 2:22, 37; 3:22), and keep on hearing, receptively and responsively (Rom. 10:17; Eph. 4:21, 29; Phil. 4:9; Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29).
o Believe the gospel message (Acts 4:4; 18:8; 9:42) and continue believing and increasing in faith (Rom. 3:22; 4:11, 24; 10:4; 2 Pet. 1:5-7).
o Repent of sinful attitudes and behaviors (Acts 2:38; 3:19), and don’t stop repenting as it is needed (Acts 8:22; Rom. 6:1-18; 2 Cor. 7:9-10).
o Confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 10:32; 1 Tim. 6:12) and keep on confessing (Rom. 10:9-10; 2 Cor. 9:13; Heb. 4:14; 10:23).
o Be immersed in water for forgiveness of past sins by Christ’s blood (Acts 2:38; 8:36-39; 22:16), entering (“into”) Christ and his emblematic body, the church, the saved community (Acts 2:41-47; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 2:20-21), raised to live a new life (Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:11-13; 3:1-3).
o Remain faithful (Acts 2:42; 14:22) as an active and devoted member of Christ’s body—universally (Eph. 3:6; 5:23; 1 Pet. 2:17) and locally (Rom. 12:3-13; 1 Cor. 12:12-27)—a loyal citizen of his spiritual kingdom (Eph. 2:19; Col. 1:9-18).
Conclusion
In our humble attempts to evangelize, how do we help people encounter Jesus in his word? We show them Jesus by introducing them to the gospel of Christ in its entirety, without abridgements, shortcuts, or compromise.
--Kevin L. Moore
Endnotes:
6 Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-47; Acts 1:8.
*Prepared for the 2025 FHU Lectureship as part of the series Missions and Church Growth: Personal Evangelism. Full title, “Conducting the Study: Encountering Jesus in His Word.”
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