The phrase ‘this Gospel of the kingdom’ occurs in one place in the New Testament, in Matthew 24.14 where it is to be ‘preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and then will the end come’.

Mark in Mark 13.10 abbreviates the words slightly when he says, ‘and the Gospel must first be published among all nations.’

This suggests that Jesus equates ‘this Gospel of the kingdom’ with ‘the Gospel’. In other words the Gospel of the grace of God is the equivalent of the ‘Gospel of the Kingly Rule’ (basileia) (of God).

We also read of ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom (basileia - Kingly Rule)’ in Matthew 4.23 and 9.35. It is the Good News of God’s Kingly Rule over men.

Matthew 4.23 reads, ‘And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom (Kingly Rule - basileia), and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.’ Jesus also proclaimed at the same time, ‘Repent, for the Kingly Rule of Heaven is at hand’ (Matthew 4.17). The Gospel of the Kingdom (Kingly Rule) was that the Kingly Rule of Heaven was at hand.

In parallel with this Mark said that Jesus proclaimed, ‘The time is fulfilled and the Kingly Rule of God is at hand. Repent you, and believe the Gospel’.

So we note here that Mark equates ‘the Kingly Rule of God is at hand’ with ‘believe the Gospel’. Once again therefore Jesus in Mark speaks of ‘the Gospel’ in the same context as He speaks of ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom (Kingly Rule) in Matthew. To the Jesus of Mark’s Gospel the proclamation of the Kingly Rule of God WAS the ‘preaching the Gospel’.

This should not surprise us. The fact that the Kingly Rule of God was now present and could be entered into by men was Good News. But of course no one could enter under the Kingly Rule of God unless they were first forgiven. But the question that then arises is, is that different from the Good News of the Gospel? Mark suggests not, and indeed what better Good News could we have than that we can enter under God’s direct Kingly Rule?

However we do not have to leave the matter there because Acts also makes clear that preaching the Kingly Rule of God is the same as preaching the Gospel. In Acts 28.23 we read of those to whom Paul ‘expounded and testified the Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus both out of the Torah of Moses and out of the prophets.’ In other words in his mind to demonstrate Who Jesus was out of the Scriptures was to proclaim the Kingly Rule of God, and his end in mind could only be so that they would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved. Furthermore Acts 28 closes off (verse 31) with the statement that Paul was ‘preaching the Kingdom (Kingly Rule) of God and teaching those things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him.’

If words mean anything it is therefore clear that ‘the Gospel of the Kingdom’ is exactly the same as ‘the Gospel’. There is no other Gospel.

And this fits in with the whole Scriptural message. Salvation has only ever been by responding to God’s gracious provision of a substitute and representative Who died in our place. In the Old Testament that was applied through the sacrifices. In the New Testament it is applied through believing in Jesus Christ. There is no other Gospel. And entering under the Kingly Rule of God is only possible on that basis.

Furthermore to suggest that somehow there is a different Gospel from this one is to miss the whole message of Scripture that it is only through our Lord Jesus Christ that men can be saved. There is no other way to find salvation. And it is a Gospel which cannot be improved upon. To suggest otherwise is to denigrate the Gospel.

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