It is vital in understanding the Gospel to give priority to the testimony of those who witnessed Jesus' resurrection and proclaimed the Gospel of Christ immediately after Jesus returned to His Father (Acts 1:9). The testimony of personal witnesses is always critical in understanding any historical event.

Much of this testimony is found in the New Testament historical account written by Luke known as the Book of the Acts of the Apostles.

This testimony is important both for those who are considering becoming followers of Christ and for those already committed to doing so. I am increasingly convinced we must not skip to the application of the Gospel to contemporary issues without first understanding the Gospel as did the church in the Book of Acts, then proclaiming it while responding personally also in faith and obedience to it.

 

Please review the words of the following witnesses in Acts to clearly understand the message of Jesus who invites you to follow Him.

 

In the Book of Acts the witnesses to the Resurrection express the Gospel this way:

• Jesus: in Acts 1:5,8 and 26:18

• Peter: in Acts 2:14-36, 38-40; 3:6, 12-26; 4:10-12, 19-20; 5:29-32, 42; 10:34-43;

• Stephen: in Acts 6:48-53; 

• Paul: in Acts 13:23-41; 16:31; 17:22-31; 19:8; 20:21,25,27; 23:6; 24:14-15; 26:6-8; 28:23, 31.

Simple as it may seem, the best way to engage, understand and remember the essence of the message of the Gospel is to write out these foundational verses on a piece of paper. Even if you think you are familiar with the Gospel, I invite you to do so. I'm confident you'll be surprised by what you discover.