The Tripartite Gospel
The world’s religions tend to be a means of controlling societies by giving them both an ethic to live by and a reason for living that way. It is often taught that it is man’s responsibility to live such a good life that God will be satisfied with him. It is true that the ethics taught in most religious societies overlap; most teach the need for honesty, family values and hard work. The Bible is unique in that it teaches that man, on his own, can never satisfy the holy God who created us, it teaches that salvation must be won for him and then accepted as a gift.
The Bible says that mankind’s essential problem is sin. We need to be forgiven for this, our innate rebellion against God, and we need to be empowered to live in a way that pleases him. Neither of these can we do for ourselves. We need a Saviour who can achieve these for us. These three facts are precisely what the Christian gospel gives us, and that other religions do not, as the following passages confirm.
John the Baptist’s tripartite message
One of the reasons many people today find it hard to talk about Jesus is that they do not know what to say. Many preachers could learn from the emphasis of John the Baptist. Everything he said centred on Jesus. It is Jesus that mattered to him. But note who John says that Jesus is and what he wants to do for people. It is difficult to find three better sentences to summarise the gospel than the three that John the Baptist uses.
“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” John 1:29
“He is the one who will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.” John 1:32
“This is the Son of God.” John 1:34
This is the Christian gospel in a nutshell. Jesus, who was sent to this earth by his heavenly Father, came to forgive our sin and to empower us to live a new, godly life.
Jesus’ tripartite message
Jesus and subsequently his apostles taught the same message.
a. Sin is our greatest problem
The greatest work of God was to send his son to repair the broken relationship between us and himself, a relationship that has been broken because of our natural rebellion against him, our sin. This rebellion, called sin, results in many different symptoms called sins. These include selfishness, pride, lying, stealing, promiscuity and the like. In the Old Testament this rupture was symbolically repaired by the offering of animal sacrifices. A lamb would take responsibility for the sin of a people or family and would then be killed as their substitute. These sacrifices had to be repeated again and again, so indicating their symbolism. This reminded people that sin, rebellion against the one true God, was the most serious of all their failings but that a final remedy was coming in the form of God’s Messiah. This is a problem that we are all born with.
“There is no-one righteous, not even one; there is no-one who understands, no-one seeks God.” Romans 3:10-11
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
b. The only remedy is Jesus the Christ
John the Baptist introduces Jesus as God’s own son who has come as the remedy for the problem of our sin. John the Baptist concluded,
“I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.” John 1:34
When saying how he was to be the remedy, he is surely alluding to the great prophecy in Isaiah that depicts what the Messiah, God’s suffering servant, would enter this world to do.
4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Isaiah 53:4-9
If Jesus is not part of the God who created us and has entered his world in the flesh, then his death cannot atone for our sin. Only the person sinned against can forgive.
Jesus said to a paralysed man, just before healing him,
“Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark 2:5
The teachers of the law who were present recognised the significance of what Jesus had said, saying,
“Why does this fellow talk like that. He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone.” Mark 2:7
The greatest need we all have is to be forgiven before it is too late, before we come face to face with our maker in judgment. Jesus alone has the authority to forgive us because of who he is. It is vital therefore to know for certain whether the penalty for our sin has been taken from us. To say, ‘I hope so,” suggests that a person is unsure and therefore at great risk. However, if Jesus has become the focus of our life and has taken control, he has given us the promise that we have been forgiven because he has already paid the price for our sin on his cross. John the apostle wants us all to be certain. At the end of his gospel John explained why he had written his gospel, he wants people to be certain they have been forgiven and reminds us how this comes about,
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” John 20:31
Jesus came ‘to take away the sin of the world’. Yet how many today pass by Jesus and his cross although this is their only hope.
c. Jesus empowers his people
The same divine Jesus, who takes responsibility for our sin, then drenches us in the life of God, he baptises us with the Holy Spirit. It is important to note that the two works of God in us come simultaneously. The ‘baptism of the Holy Spirit’ is not a second blessing. The work of Christ is both to forgive our sins and to baptise us with the Holy Spirit. When I come to Christ to be forgiven my sin, he gives me the gift of the Holy Spirit as evidence that I have been forgiven. No-one is yet forgiven if the life of the Holy Spirit is not developing in them. The apostle Paul wrote emphatically,
“If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9
Forgiveness and empowerment go together. Although we call John, the cousin of Jesus, ‘John the Baptist’, it is in reality Jesus who is The Baptist. John only baptised symbolically with water, whereas Jesus gives us the reality, the power of God to live new godly lives for him.
d. Jesus is for all
The apostle John has already made it clear who the message about Jesus is for,
“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.” John 1:9
It is clear throughout the Bible that this message about Jesus being the ‘Saviour of the World’ is for people of all nations and for all classes of society.
How do people receive these gifts of forgiveness and empowering? The answer is simple, by entering into a personal relationship with Jesus, asking him to be both your Saviour and Lord. His empowering then enables us to live this new life with him in control. The apostle explains this,
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed on his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12
This new life as a member of God’s kingdom begins with an individual coming to Christ, recognising his sin.
The tragedy is that most people do not know of this because we have not shared it with them.
People may have received water baptism, perhaps as a baby, but are uncertain whether they have been forgiven and are not being changed by the Holy Spirit into becoming like Jesus, with his character and ambitions. It is irrelevant whether we carry an Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Methodist or other label, these groups cannot save us, only a personal relationship with Jesus can do that.
God has given us his Holy Spirit so that our lives will be on fire for him. Isn’t this why, at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came down on the whole church as ‘tongues of fire’?
There are some who have asked Jesus into their life but have not noticed a great change. Many years ago, a short man called Mr Falconer was working as a missionary to the sailors at Port Chalmers in New Zealand. He had just finished a short service for the seamen, which was held in a large loft used to store the ship’s sails. A young sailor, Frank Bullen, stayed behind to talk. Frank explained that he did believe and had prayed a prayer of commitment to Jesus as his Saviour and Lord, but no obvious change had occurred. He felt no assurance that he had been accepted by God. Mr Falconer read him one of the important sayings of Jesus:
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24
‘Ah, I see how it is,’ exclaimed Mr Falconer, ‘you are waiting for the witness of your feelings to the truth of him who is himself the Truth. You dare not take him at his word unless your feelings, which are subject to a thousand changes a day, corroborate it. You must believe him in spite of your feelings and act accordingly.’
Frank Bullen recorded many years later:
’In a moment the hidden mystery was made clear to me, and I said quietly, “I see, sir; it is the credibility of God against the witness of my feelings. Then I believe God!”
’Let us thank God,’ answered the little missionary and they knelt down and prayed. Little more was said. There was no extravagant joy, or effervescent enthusiasm, but just a quiet satisfaction of having ‘found one’s way after a long groping in darkness and misery’.
The real proof that the Holy Spirit is active is the presence of a new priority—a desire to live for and with Jesus! If anyone is unsure about how they stand with God, start again and open or reopen your life to God. He wants you to know that your sin has been forgiven, that you have been obviously given the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that you can go out confidently into God’s world to live for him.
The tripartite gospel
This tripartite gospel that the Son of God, the Messiah would enter this world, would die as the ultimate sacrifice for sin and would empower his people by baptising them in the Holy Spirit of God can be found throughout the Bible
John 3
Nicodemus was an eminent Jewish scholar who sat on the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jews. He knew all about the need for an animal sacrifice to take responsibility for people’s sin. Yet his religious status and understanding were not sufficient to admit him into the kingdom of God. He did not understand that Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” or that Jesus was the person who will baptise his people with the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus talked to Nicodemus he explained how a person can enter the Kingdom of God. A kingdom requires a king. The whole Old Testament is about the coming of the Messiah, God’s chosen king, into his world.
“Jesus declared, ‘I tell you the truth, no-one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” John 3:3
Jesus repeats this three times to make the point absolutely clear.
“I tell you the truth, no-one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.” John 3:5
“You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again’. John 3:7
Notice the emphasis Jesus gives. ‘I tell you the truth’ is a phrase Jesus used when he wanted to emphasise something strongly. ‘Must’ leaves no room for doubt - even good religious people ‘must’ be born again to enter God’s kingdom.
What is this ‘kingdom of God’? It is a phrase commonly used by the writers of the first three gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke but seldom by John. John usually speaks more of ‘eternal life’. A kingdom speaks of the rule of a king. It is a dynamic relationship. God’s kingdom is entered when we become subjects of King Jesus, but will be fully experienced later when the king returns. Matthew, Mark and Luke look forward to this fulfilment a lot. John emphasises what God gives to his people now – eternal life when they become followers of the King.
Here Jesus speaks to Nicodemus in terms of God’s kingdom. If he wants to see the kingdom of God – then he must be born again and accept the king, yes, even a man such as Nicodemus must submit. The king has arrived, his kingdom has now begun, and he is still not a member of it.
Nicodemus is puzzled even though Jesus is using Old Testament language that is clearly found in Ezekiel’s prophecy.
Ezekiel 36
In Ezekiel, God describes the new beginning that God will give to his people.
“I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.” Ezekiel 36:25
Ezekiel is saying that God himself will wash away peoples’ sin and give them a new spirit that will enable them to live as he wants.
In John chapter 3, Jesus is repeating Ezekiel’s message. In the Kingdom of God, God will cleanse his people from all their sin and furthermore, he will give us his Spirit so that we will want to live for God. Ezekiel is also talking of the tripartite gospel.
I recently attended a conference of a missionary society. One of its striking features was the way many of these missionaries were so content and satisfied, even though they were working in very tough areas with little or no public recognition. Their ambitions were different to those of many religious people, they really wanted to live for God and not themselves.
A minister asked a young boy in his church this profound question,
“What do you have to do to go to heaven?”
He thought for a moment before replying,
“You’ve got to die.”
How true this reply was. Clearly no-one can experience heaven until we have died physically. However to be admitted to God’s kingdom we have to die to self now. Paul understood this,
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus) who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Nicodemus, for you to be admitted to God’s Kingdom you must die to self and be born again.
It is a popular misconception that if we are pleasant, moral, religious people then God will look favourably on us when the judgment comes. This is not true. Nicodemus had to learn this, just as all religious people today must understand this.
Jeremiah 31
Jeremiah also looked forward to the time when a new covenant would be established by the Lord with his people. This also describes the Tripartite Gospel but in the reverse order.
“‘This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.” Jeremiah 31:33
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jeremiah 31:34
When will this new covenant be introduced and who will introduce it? Jeremiah has already explained that this will happen when God’s Messiah enters his world. This Messiah will be called ‘The LORD’. Whenever the word Jehovah is translated into English the four letters are all in capitals – LORD.
“The days are coming,’ declares the LORD ‘when I will rise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD our righteousness.” Jeremiah 23:5-6
The Lord has promised that he will always have a people to represent him, they will be the descendants of Abraham because they share his faith.
Luke 24
After Jesus’ resurrection, when he appeared to his disciples in the upper room, he showed them how everything that had happened to him had been prophesied about in the Jewish Scriptures. He emphasised the essentail threefold core of the Christian message. The Bible’s message centres on why he, God’s chosen king, the Messiah or Christ, the Son of God would treated in the way he was.
“This is what is written, ‘The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day.’ “ Luke 24:46
The significance of this for those who accept his rule is clear,
“ . . . and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations.” Luke 24:48
God knows that for anyone to continue living for Christ they will need God’s power and this is what Jesus emphasises next,
“I am going to send you what my Father promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.” Luke 24:49
This power, to live Godly lives for Christ, comes from the gift of the Holy Spirit whom all Christians are given.
Acts 2
When Peter gave his first sermon seven weeks after the death and resurrection of Jesus he explained to the crowds gathered in Jerusalem that when they heard the disciples explaining the gospel in their own languages they were witnessing an extraordinary miracle caused by the Holy Spirit being poured out on Jesus’ followers. The Holy Spirit always points people to Jesus and this is what Peter proceeds to do. He describes Jesus as God’s Messiah. Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah.
“God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Acts 2:36
When the people heard this they were ‘cut to the heart’ and asked the apostles, ‘What shall we do?’ Peter responds using the same tripartite good news, Jesus is the Lord God, he forgives our sin and he baptises us in the Holy Spirit.
“Repent and be baptised every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38-39
Galatians
When Paul wrote to the Galatians, he begins by stressing the first two points of the tripartite gospel,
“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age. Galatians 1:3-4
Later in the book Paul emphasises the work of the Holy Spirit.
“Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or believing what you heard. After beginning with the Spirit, are you trying to obtain your goal by human effort.” Galatians 3:2-3
Again an apostle stresses the tripartite gospel. Jesus is Lord, who gave himself for our sins and gives us the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians
Paul again emphasises the tripartite gospel starting with an emphasis on the divinity of Jesus,
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 1:3
He then emphasises the forgiveness of our sin that Jesus has won for us,
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins . . .” Ephesians 1:7
Paul then moves on to the empowerment and guarantee that Christians are given,
“Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14
Titus
Paul again links all three aspects of the gospel,
“But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we have done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, who he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” Titus 3:3-6
Peter
In his second letter, Peter also emphasises the tripartite aspects of the gospel. Firstly he stresses that Jesus is divine.
“To those who through the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours.” 2 Peter 1:1
He continues,
“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him.” 2 Peter 1:3
These gifts are given so that,
“. . . through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”
The gospel is that the divine Son of God entered this world to die for our sin and to empower his people to become like him.
In the past there have been movements that have emphasised ‘The Full Gospel’. These movements wanted to emphasise the three aspects of the Christian gospel that the Bible so clearly emphasises but then they want to add something. This addition is about how the Holy Spirit will be experienced, and they stress such gifts as supernatural healing, tongues of angels, words of knowledge, and the like. The Bible stresses that God is a supernatural God who can break the laws of nature if he wants but he does not do this at man’s beck and call. The Bible does urge us to ‘test the spirits’, we must not be gullible.
“Dear Friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” 1 John 4:1
“Test everything.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21
It is apparent that many who claim to have supernatural ‘gifts of the Spirit’ do so for their own ends.
We must be careful however to emphasise that God is just as alive today as he has ever been and his Holy Spirit is changing people’s lives today as he has always done. In the gospel, because of the coming the Lord Jesus Christ, his followers are forgiven, have been washed of their sins and simultaneously have been baptised in the Holy Spirit to enable us to live new lives that honour our God and redeemer.
BVP