In what terms did you receive the gospel, live the gospel, and preach the gospel?

1 Corinthians 15:1-8
Psalm 18:2-5
John 14:6-14

In the first reading 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, St Paul reminds us of what terms he preached the gospel. He says, “that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures; that he appeared first to Cephas and secondly to the Twelve.”

In simple terms, he preached the Christ that lived, was crucified, died, buried, and resurrected.

If any of these “lived, was crucified, died, and resurrected,” is not in the Christ you receive(as taught), live or preach, then it’s incomplete and tantamount to half-truth. Half-truth can’t equate to truth, but falsehood.

In Christ, you see Christianity summarized and exemplified. He lived it , said it, taught it, worked it, etc. What He said is not different from whom He is, nor difference from what he taught, not different from how he lived, nor different from how he worked. His works defined His being, and his being is seen in his works.

It then makes sense that He told Philip, “You must believe me when I say
that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; believe it on the evidence of this work, if for no other reason.” If they find it difficult to believe that he is the same with the Father, let them look at what He does as evidence of that.

That explains more why Christ said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” What he does is always and ever true, never contradictory, no double standard, etc.

His Ways are liberating into righteousness, for the good of all and heavenly.

So, did you receive the gospel as a tool for business, or as a tool for miracle only without which you cease to be Christian? What about righteousness located in one’s daily life?

Do you live the gospel only as a miracle, or tool for intimidation and segregation, forgetting the mandate for love because we ought to be perfect as the same Father is perfect(Mathew 5:48).

Do you preach the gospel to make money which makes you to preach the sweatest part in order not to offend your patronizers?

Are you different from what you preach, teach, say and your doings? That’s an incomplete Gospel that Paul avoided unless you believed in vain.

Philip and James understood this well and lived like their Master to death. That’s why, “No speech, no word, no voice is heard yet their span extends through all the earth, their words to the utmost bounds of the world.”

Today, we have more learned, doctorate degree holders and professors in the vineyard but to what ends and results? Answer that personally.

©Fr. Henrycharles Umelechi