Laurens, Groot plesier.

Dagsê Laurens, Jammer ek kom nou eers by jou uit. Jou vraag is baie uitgebreid en ingewikkeld en dit is uiters moeilik om met sekerheid ‘n aanvaarbare antwoord te gee omdat die Bybel nie ronduit vir ons sê wat die doring in Paulus se vlees was nie. Daar is verskeie sienings maar niemand kan met sekerheid sê wat dit was nie. Dit skyn dus dat die Heilige Gees nie die klem wou lê op die verhouding tussen God se genade en gesondheid/siekte nie maar eerder op ’n gesindheid/houding teenoor God self in ondraaglike omstandighede.

Om te verduidelik wat ek hiermee bedoel wil ek graag eers vir jou ’n vraag vra. Wat sou jy sê, is sonde – hoogmoed of ’n fisiese tekortkoming/siekte? Die antwoord is natuurlik hoogmoed omdat die Heilige Gees ons leer dat die Here die hoogmoediges weerstaan en genade skenk aan die nederiges (Jakobus 4:6). Wat is nederigheid? Nederigheid is in die eerste plek om in alle omstandighede, hoe goed of sleg dit ook al mag wees, die knie in aanbidding voor God te buig en te sê, “Laat U wil geskied.” En dit, soos die Woord ons leer, is om gelykvormig gemaak te word aan die lyde van Christus (2 Korintiërs 1:5; 1 Petrus 4:13; 1 Petrus 5:1) As sodanig, ontsluit dit vir ons die moeilike vrae rondom Paulus se ervaring in die derde hemel en daarná.

Onthou dit gaan hier, in 1 Korintiërs hoofstukke 11 en 12, oor Paulus se stryd om God se kuddes teen valse apostels en profete te beskerm. Een van die uitnemendste kenmerke van hierdie valse apostels en profete was hulle sieklike gewoonte om in hulle “geloofsbriewe” (na die vlees) te roem (2 Korintiërs 11:18), veral dan ook as afstammelinge van Abraham. (vers 22). Paulus, hoewel hy ook ’n Hebreër, ’n Israeliet en ’n afstammeling van Abraham was, het eerder in sy swakhede geroem (vers 30). Sy roem was gesetel in sy bereidheid om ter wille van Christus te ly, soos hy dit in verse 24 tot 29 vir ons omskrywe.

Dit is teen hierdie agtergrond waarmee ons jou vrae en ook ander s’n rondom hierdie saak moet beantwoord. Stel jou voor, hier’s ‘n man (Paulus) wat op ’n dag skielik weggeruk is (“harpazo;” 2 Korintiërs 12:2) na die derde hemel en toe weer teruggestuur is met die opdrag dat hy niks daarvan mog vertel het nie. Die derde hemel is God se woonplek, die wonderlikste, aller-heerlikste, mees fantastiese plek om te wees. Nogtans is Paulus verbied om enigiets, insluitende die woorde (nie tale nie) wat hy gehoor het, oor te vertel. Soos jy seker weet, is die hedendaagse valse profete vol bravade wanneer hulle vertel hoedat hulle kwansuis opgeneem is in die hemel en toe op ’n toer geneem is om die heerlikheid van God en sy woning te aanskou. Sommiges weet te vertel dat hulle selfs op Christus se skoot gesit het.

Paulus, daarenteen, se ware en waaragtige ervaring in die derde hemel was so oorweldigend, so grandioos, en so skouspelagtig dat net God hom daarvan kon weerhou om sy mond verby te praat toe hy terug was op aarde. Die doring in sy vlees was waarskynlik so pynlik dat hy die Here drie maal gesmeek het om dit te verwyder. Daarom skryf Paulus, “En dat ek my oor die voortreflikheid van die openbaringe nie sou verhef nie, is my ‘n doring in die vlees gegee, ‘n engel van die Satan, om my met die vuis te slaan, dat ek my nie sou verhef nie.” Die Griekse woord vir “voortreflikheid” is “huperbolē” en beteken op Engels “abundance, (far more) exceeding, more excellent, beyond (out of) measure.” Die woord “huperairomai” (verhef) wat, soos jy kan sien, van dieselfde stamwoord “huper” kom, beteken om jouself hoogmoedig te hou. Daarom was dit vir God, en niemand anders nie, nodig om ’n engel van die Satan die reg en toestemming te gee om Paulus met die vuis te slaan want net Hy kan so-iets doen. Nog meer, net Hy, en niemand anders nie, kon Paulus oortuig dat sy genade altyd veel groter is as enigiets wat Hy oor jou pad toelaat. Ook dit leer ons om nie ons oë gerig te hou op ons omstandighede nie maar alleenlik op God se genade wat altyd, maar altyd, veel groter is.

Die groot vraag is: Kan ons vir iemand wat baie siek is, sê “God se genade is vir jou genoeg?” Sal so iemand nie miskien dink, ”Hoe kan jy wat gesond is deur God se genade vir my sê God se genade is vir my genoeg in my siekte en lyding? Vir jou wat gesond is, is dit maklik om dit te sê.” Die eintlike vraag wat ons moet vra is, “Is God se genade altyd groter as al ons omstandighede, goed of sleg?” Is daar enige bewysstukke in die Bybel wat dit kan bevestig? Om dit bevredigend te beantwoord moet ons eers bepaal wat die heel ergste ding is wat ’n mens teister. Die antwoord hierop is natuurlik die sonde. Sonde veroorsaak skeiding tussen ons en God en nie ons omstandighede nie. Het ons enige sekerheid dat God se genade altyd groter is as ons sonde. Halleluja, daar is beslis.

Want soos deur die ongehoorsaamheid van die een mens baie tot sondaars gestel is, so sal ook deur die gehoorsaamheid van die Één baie tot regverdiges gestel word. Maar die wet het daar bygekom, sodat die misdaad meer sou word; en waar die sonde meer geword het, het die genade nog meer oorvloedig geword; sodat, soos die sonde geheers het in die dood, so ook die genade kan heers deur die geregtigheid tot die ewige lewe deur Jesus Christus, onse Here. (Romeine 5:19-21).

As God se genade soveel grroter is as ons sondes, dan moet sy genade ook oorvloediger en genoeg wees in al ons omstandighede – goed of sleg.

Dagsê Laurens, Ek is besig om ‘n antwoord vir jou voor te berei, en soos dit tans lyk, sal dit nog ”n hele rukkie neem. Ek waardeer jou geduld.

2Kor 12:1-10 1 Dit is waarlik vir my nie nuttig om te roem nie, want ek sal kom tot gesigte en openbaringe van die Here. 2 Ek weet van ‘n man in Christus, veertien jaar gelede—of dit in die liggaam was, weet ek nie, of buite die liggaam, weet ek nie, God weet dit—dat so iemand weggeruk is tot in die derde hemel. 3 En ek weet van so ‘n man—of dit in die liggaam of buite die liggaam was, weet ek nie, God weet dit— 4 dat hy weggeruk is in die Paradys en onuitspreeklike woorde gehoor het wat ‘n mens nie mag uitspreek nie. 5 Oor so ‘n man sal ek roem, maar oor myself sal ek nie roem nie, behalwe in my swakhede. 6 Want as ek sou wil roem, sou ek nie ‘n dwaas wees nie, want ek sou die waarheid praat; maar ek laat dit ná, sodat niemand my hoër mag skat as wat hy van my sien of wat hy van my hoor nie. 7 En dat ek my oor die voortreflikheid van die openbaringe nie sou verhef nie, is my ‘n doring in die vlees gegee, ‘n engel van die Satan, om my met die vuis te slaan, dat ek my nie sou verhef nie. 8 Hieroor het ek die Here drie maal gebid, dat hy van my sou wyk. 9 En Hy het vir my gesê: My genade is vir jou genoeg, want my krag word in swakheid volbring. Baie liewer sal ek dus in my swakhede roem, sodat die krag van Christus in my kan woon. 10 Daarom het ek behae in swakhede, in mishandelinge, in node, in vervolginge, in benoudhede, om Christus wil. Want as ek swak is, dan is ek sterk.

Teoloë sê deurgaans hierdie “doring in die vlees” is ñ siekte of ñ fisiese ongesteldheid. Dit maak nie vir my sin nie en wel om die volgende redes.

1. God het vir Paulus gesê “my genade is vir jou genoeg”. As God die “siekte” sou wegneem dan sou die “genade” vir my sin gemaak het, maar Hy neem nie die “siekte” weg nie. Dit is mos nie “genade” nie. Genade in die Bybelse konteks gaan gepaard met vergifnis, ñ gawe of present. As God nie die siekte wegneem nie dan kan dit mos nie ñ gawe wees nie. Die griekse betekenis van hierdie “genade” is die volgende:

G5485

χάρις
charis
khar’-ece
From
G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude): – acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy).
Hierdie “doring in die vlees” moes iets gewees het wat teen God se wil was, dalk ñ sonde, wat God se genade [vergifnis,present] geregverdig het.

1. As dit ñ fisiese ongesteldheid was sou Paulus nie “skaam” gewees het om dit by die naam te noem nie. Hy het nooit probeer om sy fisiese swakhede te verberg nie.

2Kor. 11:23-33: 23 Is hulle dienaars van Christus? —ek praat in uitsinnigheid—ek nog meer: in arbeid oorvloediger, in slae bo die maat, in gevangenskappe baie meer, in doodsgevare dikwels. 24 Vyf maal het ek van die Jode ontvang veertig houe op een na. 25 Drie maal is ek met stokke geslaan, een maal is ek gestenig, drie maal het ek skipbreuk gely, ‘n nag en ‘n dag het ek op die diepwater deurgebring—
26 dikwels op reis, in gevare van riviere, in gevare van rowers, in gevare van my volk, in gevare van die heidene, in gevare in die stad, in gevare in die woestyn, in gevare op see, in gevare onder valse broeders; 27 in arbeid en moeite, in slapelose nagte dikwels, in honger en dors, dikwels sonder ete, in koue en naaktheid. 28 Behalwe dit alles my daaglikse bekommernis, die sorg vir al die gemeentes.
29 Wie is swak en ek is nie swak nie? Aan wie word ‘n struikelblok in die weg gelê en ek is nie aan die brand nie? 30 As daar geroem moet word, sal ek in my swakhede roem. 31 Die God en Vader van onse Here Jesus Christus, geseënd tot in ewigheid, weet dat ek nie lieg nie. 32 In Damaskus het die goewerneur van koning Arétas die stad van die Damaskéners laat bewaak om my te vang; 33 en ek is in ‘n mandjie deur ‘n venster in die muur neergelaat en het aan sy hande ontkom.

3. Ek dink nie God verwag dat ons, ons sondes teenoor mekaar moet bely nie. Sondes word net teenoor God bely, maar ek is nie seker nie.
Jak 5:16 Bely mekaar julle misdade en bid vir mekaar, sodat julle gesond kan word. Die vurige gebed van ‘n regverdige het groot krag.

Verwys “misdade” ook na sondes?
Die griekse woord vir misdade is:
paraptōma
par-ap’-to-mah

Die griekse woord vir sondes is:
hamartia
ham-ar-tee’-ah
4. Ek dink dat Paulus se “doring in die vlees” ñ sonde van een of ander aard was- iets wat net satan kon bedink. Siekte of ñ fisiese ongesteldheid is nie noodwendig teen God se wil nie.
Joh 9:1-3: 1. En toe Hy verbygaan, sien Hy ‘n man wat blind was van sy geboorte af. En sy dissipels vra Hom en sê: Rabbi, wie het gesondig, hierdie man of sy ouers, dat hy blind gebore is? 3 Jesus antwoord: Hy het nie gesondig nie, en sy ouers ook nie; maar die werke van God moet in hom openbaar word.

Hierdie siening sal egter getoets moet word.

Hi Jonathan.

The term “Lordship Salvation” is, in essence, a denial that Jesus Christ is already and has always been Lord over all his creation, animate and inanimate. The notion that He becomes your Lord when you make Him your Lord is, therefore, a non-sequitur. The designation “I am the Lord” appears 161 times in 163 Scripture passages. Note carefully, He says “the Lord” and not just “Lord” which means that He alone is worthy to be Lord over all his creation, believers and nonbelievers. I can make Him Lord a million times over and it would still not change his position as Lord which He had from the beginning. One of the strongest evidence that He is the Lord of all is the fact that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. These knees and these tongues belong to both believers and unbelievers. However, the confession of unbelievers will be too late for them. It will be something similar to the antediluvian sinners who cried out to be let into the ark when the rains came but it was too late.

The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) (Act 10:36).

Indeed repentance plays a key role in salvation. A very good example is the man on the cross who initially reviled Jesus together with the other criminal who was crucified alongside Him but eventually changed his mind (metanoia). He merely asked Jesus to think of him when He entered his Kingdom. He obviously believed in Jesus Christ’s resurrection and his subsequent entrance into heaven and that he as a sinner deserved to be barred from his Kingdom. His change of thought and attitude led to his salvation when Jesus Christ said to him, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43). There was not the slightest hint that He first made Him Lord before He could be saved.

You wrote:

“– Who is the source of repentance? The Holy Spirit. Without the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, no one will repent and believe the gospel no matter how much evangelism is done.”

Forgive me if I’m wrong, but it seems though you are saying that the Holy Spirit only convicts some people of their sin and passes over the rest without convicting them. Indeed, Scripture says that the Holy Spirit convicts the world (all people) of sin. Conviction and evangelism (preaching the unadulterated word of God) go hand in hand. If, as God’s Word says, “faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the preaching of the Word of God” then both the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the preaching of the Word are equally important. You cannot imply that the one is more important than the other. Sinners do not resist repentance because the Holy Spirit does not convict them of sin but because they resist the truth He conveys to them through the preaching of the Word. The rabble who slew Stephen were cut to the heart (convicted) by his preaching and yet stoned him. (Acts 5:33).

You wrote:

“When a professing believer does not have good works, is he truly saved in the first place? My answer is maybe yes maybe no. If he did not truly believe the gospel, it is no wonder he is not producing good works. However, 1 Corinthians 3 clearly speaks of Christians who will see their useless works burnt up at the Judgement Seat of Christ but yet are saved so as by fire. It is tremendously difficult therefore to distinguish between a carnal believer and a false believer; only God knows who is truly His.”

You have answered your own question. It is very easy to distinguish between false believers and carnal Christians. False believers won’t be at the Bema throne judgment whilst carnal Christians will indeed be there. Remember carnality does not necessarily mean to be void of any good works. It is primarily the doing of good works in the flesh (wood, hay, and stubble) or through the Holy Spirit (gold silver and gem stones) that the Word speaks of. How many times have you and I and every other Christian not done some kind of good works in the flesh? By the way a professing Christian is quite capable of doing good works (eg. Mother Teresa). Does it please God? No! because our best works (in the flesh) are like filthy rags in God’s sight (Isaiah 64:6).

I am not claiming that my theology is perfect; far from it. But this is a learning process I am going through and hope that people who disagree will be patient with me.

Scott wrote:

Repentance is not ceasing from sinful bad habits, nor even being willing to turn from one’s sins;

It is a rather dangerous statement. In fact, it goes against the grain of what Jesus said in Matthew 9:13 “But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

Sinners and only sinners who realize they are lost have a strong desire for a Saviour and will come to Him for their salvation. (Matthew 9:12). The word “metanoia” does not only mean to change your mind from one paradigm of thought to another, especially regarding Jesus Christ and his finished work on the cross.

There are billions of people who have changed their minds to believe in the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ but have never been saved (Matthew 7:14). It also involves emotions of deep regret for your sins and a strong resolve to be saved from those sins.

The publican in Luke 18 would never have cried out in agony, unable to even lift his eyes to heaven if he had not been so strongly convicted of his sins. If his agony was not also intermingled with a desire to turn from his sins, he would probably not have even mentioned his sins but merely said, “Jesus, I believe in you.” (James 2:19). Imagine presenting the Gospel by saying to people “Repentance is not ceasing from sinful bad habits, nor even being willing to turn from one’s sins;” and “You only need to believe in Him for your salvation.”

Although none of us can turn from our sins in our own power to be saved, to say something like that leaves the impression that salvation has nothing to do with sin and its consequences. However, one can be willing and should, in fact, be willing to turn from your sins and no longer wish to do them.

Does the willingness to turn from sin save you? Of course not. Nonetheless, the statement “Repentance is not ceasing from sinful bad habits, nor even being willing to turn from one’s sins,” sends people a wrong message and can cause them to believe that they can go on sinning because they already believe. This is precisely against which Paul warns in Romans 5 and 6.

Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom 5:18-21)

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? (Rom 6:1-3).

Some seemed to have believed that, to glorify God’s grace, they were free to sin because God’s grace was always abundantly exceeding their sins. Not so, says Paul. A corpse cannot sin. You are dead in Christ so that you may no longer live in sin but in holiness through your new risen life in Christ Jesus.

The precondition for it not having to be destroyed by God is that Nineveh repented of her sins and ceased from their bad habits. (Jonah 1:2).

For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not. (Jonah 3:6-10).

Here we find man having to repent so that God may repent of his anger and righteous judgments. Can we say that Nineveh influenced God in his decision, or that she contributed something to her salvation, i.e. obedience to turn from her bad habits and be willing to turn from her sins?

Also, note the word, ” And God saw their works . . .” Wow, God acknowledged their works and as a consequence did not destroy them?

They then said, What are we to do, that we may [habitually] be working the works of God? [What are we to do to carry out what God requires?] Jesus replied, This is the work (service) that God asks of you: that you believe in the One Whom He has sent [that you cleave to, trust, rely on, and have faith in His Messenger]. (John 6:28-29 Amplified Bible).

What is faith? The word means to rely or to rest. Faith is not just believing that Jesus Christ lived in history; it is not mere mental assent to historical facts. Neither is faith some dim, vague hope for God to help us through life.
We must Rely solely on Christ’s death to pay the penalty for our sins. This means we must reject trust in anything else to bring us to heaven. For example, we cannot rest in the Cross plus good works, the Cross plus baptism, the Cross plus surrendering to the Lordship of Christ (etc..). Christ must be Lord in the sense of God in order to be a qualified Savior (Rom. 10:9), but Christ’s personal lordship over the individual’s life is not a condition pertaining to salvation. The term “surrender” is never used in the New Testament for salvation. Lordship should be a consequence of salvation and is a condition for dedication in full discipleship.

To Trust in the Cross plus anything else is to not Trust the Cross. The Cross plus anything else means that we don’t Fully Trust in the Cross but rather in our own idea to get to Heaven.
As soon as we lean on other things in addition to the Cross then it is NOT Biblical saving faith. Biblical saving faith is a total change of mental attitude from trusting anything else to simply Resting/Trusting in the Cross to take away every sin that we have ever committed and that we will ever commit. We must Rely on what Christ did; that is He died for our sins. When we do that then God declares us righteous as God Himself (imputed righteousness)!! (copied from versebyversecommentary.com “terms of salvation” and his salvation tract- edited).

In desperation, the Philippian jailor cried, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul’s reply was simple: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts:16:314. The great apostle said nothing about baptism or sacraments, candles, incense, church attendance, reforming one’s life, or anything else being necessary or even helpful for salvation.

From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible makes it clear that there is nothing a sinner can do, much less must do, to pay the infinite penalty required by God’s justice. One can and need only believe in Christ, who paid the penalty in full: “It is finished” (Jn:19:30)!

Scripture could not be clearer: “[T]o him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom:4:5); “For by grace are ye saved, through faith…not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph:2:8-9). To attempt to do anything for one’s salvation beyond believing “on the Lord Jesus Christ” is to deny that Christ paid the full penalty for sin on the cross and to reject God’s offer on that basis of forgiveness and eternal life as a free gift of His grace. Clearly, we can be saved only by faith in Christ !!! (copied from thebereancall.org ).

What, then, is the connection between repentance and salvation? The Book of Acts seems to especially focus on repentance in regards to salvation (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20).
To repent, in relation to salvation, is to change your mind in regard to Jesus Christ. In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2), he concludes with a call for the people to repent (Acts 2:38). Repent from what? Peter is calling the people who rejected Jesus (Acts 2:36) to change their minds about Him, to recognize that He is indeed “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36). Peter is calling the people to change their minds from rejection of Christ as the Messiah to faith in Him as both Messiah and Savior.
Repentance and faith can be understood as “two sides of the same coin.” It is impossible to place your faith in Jesus Christ as the Savior without first changing your mind about who He is and what He has done. Whether it is repentance from willful rejection or repentance from ignorance or disinterest, it is a change of mind.
Biblical repentance, in relation to salvation, is changing your mind from rejection of Christ to faith in Christ.
The word “repent” means to change the mind. The idea is to reverse direction of belief from one’s own ideas to God’s belief system. Repentance means to change from believing one thing to believing another thing. The act of believing is the essence of repenting. The cause of repenting is Christ and His
message. ( copied from gotquestions.org -edited )

Repentance is not ceasing from sinful bad habits, nor even being willing to turn from one’s sins; Repentance is turning to the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved from one’s sins (Romans 4:5). Salvation is receiving; NOT giving. Eternal life is the free gift of God (Romans 5:15;6:23), paid for by Jesus’ precious literal blood (1st Peter 1:18,19). To be saved we simply need to come as a guilty sinner to Jesus Christ to have our sins washed away by His redeeming blood (1st John 1:7). Salvation is turning to Jesus to be forgiven of one’s sins; NOT turning from one’s sins in order to be forgiven by Jesus.
You Are Saved by Your Faith in Jesus Christ . The man who believes has repented, and the man who repents has believed. God promises “TO SAVE THEM THAT BELIEVE” (1st Corinthians 1:21). Repentance and faith happen together, at the same time, like flipping a coin. One side of the coin is “heads” and the other side “tails.” You cannot turn one side over without also turning the other side over. Repentance is NOT a separate act from believing. “Repentance” is thinking differently (Greek verb: metanoeo) toward God. Thus, we repent (think differently) and believe the Gospel to be saved.

Repeatedly in the Holy Scriptures we are taught to simply “believe” on the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved (John 3:16; John 3:36; John 6:28-29; John 6:40; John 11:25; John 20:31). The apostle John mentions the words “believe” and “believed” 85 times in the Gospel of John, but he never mentions the word “repent,” not even once. This tells us that the man who believes has also repented. Thus, repentance is not a separate act required to be saved, If a man didn’t change his mind (i.e. repent), then he wouldn’t believe (John 3:20). Hence, we don’t need to tell people to repent AND believe to be saved. All we need to do us teach them to BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, which is, “THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERY ONE THAT BELIEVETH” (Romans 1:16). ( copied from jesus-is-savior.com)

The Gospel according to 1st Corinthians 15:1-4 is that Jesus DIED on the cross for our sins, He was BURIED, and then He bodily RESURRECTED three days later. This is “the Gospel.”

Where did you get the above from? Did you copy it from somewhere? Just asking because you need have to give a reference if you did. So please tell me where you got it from so I can go and add in the references in your comment. If you read the terms and conditions of commenting that you agreed to, it states that if you copy information from other websites or books you are to give a reference.