The Authority of the Gospel

Since the gospel is God’s message, it bears the weight of His authority. Today, R.C. Sproul reminds us of our role as delegated messengers of the King.

The gospel is the possession of God himself. It belongs to God, and it is given to us by God. The good news that Paul has been consecrated to proclaim, the good news that was proclaimed by Jesus is, in the first instance, the good news of God. It is God's message, and Paul is simply being a messenger who has been delegated to proclaim the message whose author is God himself.

Now, that's important because when God gives an announcement, then that announcement carries the very weight of his authority. That's important for us to understand, that whatever the content of this message is, whatever the gospel includes, the authority of the gospel rests not upon the insights of human beings or the theological constructs of any human institution. It's not the authority of the minister that undergirds the gospel, and it's not even the authority of the church that undergirds the gospel. The authority for the gospel rests in the one whose announcement and message it is.