The apostle Paul was instrumental in spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ to Gentiles (non-Jews) in the first century AD. Though he did not know Jesus during His earthly ministry, Paul had a dramatic conversion experience where he encountered the risen Christ on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). After this, Paul dedicated his life to preaching the gospel everywhere he went. The core aspects of the gospel according to Paul can be summarized as follows:
Jesus as the Messiah
Paul taught that Jesus was the Messiah or Christ that the Old Testament prophets foretold would come (Romans 1:2-4). As the fulfillment of prophecy, Jesus was the Savior sent by God to redeem humanity. Paul expounded on Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection as the centerpiece of the gospel message. He focused especially on the atoning work of Christ on the cross and His defeat of sin and death through the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
Salvation by Grace Through Faith
A major emphasis for Paul was salvation coming through God’s grace, not human works. He taught that right standing with God is “not by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16). No one can earn salvation; it is the free gift of God received when someone places their faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). Paul explained that trying to justify oneself by good works only leads to condemnation under God’s law. But by trusting in the redemptive work of Jesus, people can be declared righteous before God.
The Inclusion of Gentiles Into God’s People
Paul’s gospel broke new ground in proclaiming that Gentiles could be fully accepted into God’s family. Contrary to some early Jewish believers, Paul taught that Gentiles did not need to become proselytes to Judaism and take on circumcision or the Law of Moses to be saved (Galatians 5:1-6). The Abrahamic covenant was fulfilled in Christ so that all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike, are sons of Abraham by faith (Galatians 3:7). Paul preached the radical inclusion of Gentiles as equal partners in God’s promises.
New Life in Christ
Paul emphasized that those who put their faith in Christ begin an entirely new way of life. They go from being enslaved to sin to being freed and empowered by God’s Spirit (Romans 6:6-7, 8:9-11). Their old self is crucified with Christ so their new resurrected self can walk in obedience to God (Galatians 2:20). Believers live with Christ’s ethics and values, being led by the Spirit to fulfill God’s will. This new creation and spiritual rebirth is possible because of Christ’s work within His followers.
The Return of Christ
Paul often wrote of Jesus’ promised return to judge the world, raise the dead, and establish His eternal Kingdom (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). He described this as a fundamental part of the Christian hope that energizes and motivates believers. Paul believed he was living in the last days so Christ could return at any time. He reminded churches to be ready and live holy lives in anticipation of that day. The resurrection of the dead at Christ’s coming Fact Checks out this core eschatological component of Paul’s preaching.
Life in the Spirit
For Paul, the Christian life is all about living in the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit was the presence of Christ in believers, guiding them into truth, producing godly virtues in them, and empowering them for ministry (Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11). Believers had the ability to walk in the Spirit by keeping in step with His promptings. This brought victory over sin and resulted in spiritual fruitfulness. Life in the Spirit was essential to experiencing true freedom in Christ.
The Church as Christ’s Body
Paul used the metaphor of the Church as the body of Christ to describe believers’ interconnection in Him (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Members of Christ’s body are given spiritual gifts to build up others and work together in unity. Jew and Gentile unite as one new humanity in this body. The Church is called to make Christ’s reign and authority visible in the world as it lives out its calling. Believers have a responsibility to use their gifts, work together, and function properly as the corporate body of Jesus on earth.
Christian Freedom
For Paul, the freedom Christ provided was one of the great joys of the gospel. Believers are set free from bondage to sin, condemnation by the Law, meaningless religious rituals, and fleshly desires to serve God wholeheartedly (Galatians 5:1, 13-14). This is not a freedom to sin but a freedom from sin’s power and penalty. It is the freedom to live as the new creation God has made them in Christ. But Paul also emphasized that with freedom comes responsibility to love others and build them up in Christ (1 Corinthians 8:9, 10:23-24).
The Centrality of Love
Paul stressed that love should be at the heart of Christian life and ministry. Believers are to “owe nothing to anyone–except for your obligation to love one another” (Romans 13:8). The spiritual gifts believers have mean nothing without love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3). Paul prayed that churches would “overflow with love for one another and for everyone else” (1 Thessalonians 3:12). He emphasized that only faith working through love avails anything (Galatians 5:6). Love fulfills the Law’s demands and should motivate all believers do (Romans 13:10).
In summary, the gospel according to Paul focuses on the redemptive life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. This accomplishes salvation for all who place faith in Christ rather than seeking to justify themselves by the Law. Believers are spiritually reborn in Christ and live a life of freedom and love empowered by the Spirit as part of the Church. One day Christ will return to usher in the fullness of God’s Kingdom and the resurrection of the dead. This good news transformed Paul’s life and he spread it passionately so that all nations might come to obedient faith in Jesus.