The Design of the Gospel - Dual Plan

The Design of the Gospel

What is the design or the purpose of the gospel? Is it not to reveal to man how he may live eternally? John says about the Word of life:

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life. For the life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." (1 John 1: 1, 2.)

The apostle Paul writes to Timothy about the same Word of God and says:

"But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death (by his resurrection) and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Tim. 1: 10.)

Life and immortality are brought to light by the gospel, which teaches the doctrine of the resurrection and reveals the eternal kingdom connected therewith. Christ himself declares how the way to life and immortality is opened for those who seek it.

"For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself." (John 5: 26.) "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life (Greek soul), that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again," etc. (John 10: 17, 18.)

Christ laid down his soul in order to open for man the way to immortality. He was the Word made flesh; as such, he gave his soul as a ransom for man. Hence the prophet says:

"Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief." (For what purpose?) "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." (Is. 53: 10.)

His soul was planted in the kingdom of death as a seed which the Father quickened into immortality; hence, he "became the first-fruit of them that slept." (1 Cor. 15: 20.) In regard to those who believed in him as the Word made flesh, he says himself:

"Verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." (John 12: 24.)

Those who claim that he gave his mortal body only and that the soul of Christ did not die, really deny that he gave his soul as a ransom for man; they deny also that he is the immortal life, upon which man's soul depends in order to live eternally. Yet, the Scripture is very clear on this point.

Peter says to the Jews, that they "killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead." (Acts 3: 15.) And Paul says:

"It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." (1 Cor. 15: 44, 45.)

Christ was born from the dead. How? He was quickened by the immortal power of God so that he became an immortal being.

Both his body and his soul were quickened by the life-power of God. Paul explains this and at the same time gives the reason why the believers become immortalized. He says, "But if the Spirit of him that raised Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ (the eternal King) from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit, that dwelleth in you." (Rom. 8:11.)

Christ himself declared, even after his ascension, that he had been dead. He says to John, "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." (Rev. 1: 18.) No part of him was excepted from death, and no part of him was excepted from the immortalizing power of God, who quickened him. As the quickened Word, he is the Bread of life that has come down from heaven; as such he says:

"I am the living bread, which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread (the Word of God as it is in Christ) he shall live forever… Whoso eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood (accept him as the Resurrection and Life) hath eternal life: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6: 48-54.)

Immortality is set before us as an object to be sought. The gospel of Christ reveals it. When found by the seeker thereof, it is held by the power of faith. The testimony of God is a guarantee that the seeker will finally realize the blessing thereof. John says:

"And this is the record (an authentic register to keep in mind), that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5: 11, 12.)

The seeker of immortality and eternal life must first have the Son of God—not God incarnate, but the Word made flesh. When he in a practical sense has received the Son of God (the Word), what does he then look for? Paul reveals it in the following words:

"But ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." (Rom. 8: 23.)

The words immortal soul or never dying soul cannot be found in the Scriptures. Neither can the words immortal, nor immortality be found in the Old Testament. In the New Testament they occur only a few times, but not in connection with the word soul. The Greek word athanasia is the only word that can be correctly translated immortality. It consists of a and thanatos. Thanatos means death or the extinction of life, but when a (Alpha) is added to the word as a prefix, its meaning is reversed; then it means immortal or never ending. It occurs in the following texts:

In 1 Tim. 6: 16, referring to God, the Father, the apostle writes, "Who only hath immortality." No one else possesses it independently. Even Christ, as he says, has received it from the Father. He became immortalized by the resurrection.

In 1 Cor. 15^th chapter, the same word occurs twice: namely, in the 53^rd and 54^th verses; there it has reference to man. Speaking of the resurrection, the apostle says:

"This mortal must be clothed with immortality. And when this corruptible shall be clothed with incorruptibility, and this mortal shall be clothed with immortality, then will that word be accomplished, which has been written, Death is swallowed up in victory!"