It is important to remember that we are representing God and acting as though He is listening to what we have to say about his gospel whenever we get the chance to talk to someone about the Bible.
When it comes to preaching and spreading the gospel, realizing this inspires awe and a great deal of responsibility. As a result, we will discover how Paul and Peter share a central theme in their sermons, which will enable us to make our message just as biblical as theirs.
The preaching of Peter
“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified,” declared Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14–39).
“The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His servant Jesus, Whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him,” reads Solomon’s Portico (Acts 3:12-26).
“Let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Whom you crucified, Whom God raised from the dead – by Him this man is standing before you well,” he said to John and the other lame man when they appeared before the Council in Acts 4:8–12.
He discussed the “good news of peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)” in Cornelius’ home (Acts 10:16–41).
It is evident that the focal point of Peter’s sermons was Jesus Christ.
Paul’s preaching
Both Peter’s and Paul’s sermons have the same focal point.
“Of this man’s [= David’s] offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as He promised,” he declares in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:16–41).
Because “He has fixed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by a man Whom He has appointed; and of this He has given assurance to all by raising Him from the dead,” the reason for this is stated in Acts 17:22–31 in Athens.
He taught “that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles” in Caesarea (Acts 26:1-29) in front of Agrippa, Bernice, the main tribunes, and Festus.
Consequently, it is clear that Jesus Christ was the focal point of Paul’s preaching and the gospel.
Jesus Christ: the center of the gospel
Now that we know this, we may responsibly and correctly proclaim the gospel because we have discovered its central theme—the person of Jesus Christ.
Regarding whom are we speaking? According to 1 Corinthians 1:23-24, “We preach Christ crucified… Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
