Romans 1:1
The Gospel of God (Rom. 1:1) is the foundational and a trans-dispensational Gospel running from eternity past to eternity future. Its subject and focus is enlarged and magnified progressively through the Old Testament prophesies as the Gospel of His Son (Rom. 1:9), and the Gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16).
The ancients, of ages and dispensations past, did not see as clearly or know as much as this present age concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ. However, they were told (Heb. 1:1-2) of Jesus Christ and His role in the salvation of men; for example: Adam (Gen. 3:15), Abraham (Gen. 15:5-6; Jn. 8:56; Gal. 3:8,16, 29), Moses (Jn. 5:46; Heb. 11:24-26), Jews in the Wilderness (Heb. 4:2; 1 Cor. 10:4), Old Testament Prophets (Acts 7:52; 10:43), David (Ps. 22), Isaiah (Isa. 53; Acts 8:35; Jn. 12:41), other Old Testament Saints (Heb. 11:13). This is what Paul calls the Gospel of God in Romans 1:1 (cf., Rom. 1:9, 16; 15:16, 19; 1 Pet. 4:17).
Jesus Christ is the essence, center or personality of the Gospel of God (Rom. 1:3-4; 1 Cor. 15:1-4) which is consistent with the eternal truth of John 14:6. The Gospel of God is the source of our salvation according to Romans 1:16 as well as being the source of righteousness, faith, justification and life (Rom. 1:17).
Dr. C.I. Scofield in the Old Scofield Bible (page 1343) gives an excellent outline on the “different forms of the Gospel.” I repeat, it should be observed that the “Gospel of God” is the “foundation stone” of all other forms of the Gospel and runs all the way from eternity past to eternity future. It is the common denominator that bridges the gap between Prophecy and Mystery.
When God terminated the Dispensation of the Gentiles (from Adam to Abraham) and established the Jewish race, He added to this “foundation stone” the “Covenants” and their conditional clauses (Deut. 28:1-2, 8-9, 58-64).
In the Dispensation of Israel (shortly after God brought them safely out of the land of Egypt), God made another addition to this “foundation stone” because of sin (Gal. 3:19). God added the Law.
Now that God’s dealings with the Jews have been temporarily terminated (Rom. 11:12, 15, 17, 20, 25) and the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the Cross is an accomplished fact, those additions of the Law and Covenant requirements have been canceled (Col. 2:13-15), leaving this world once again with “the Gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1, 9, 16; 15:16, 19). With the conversion and calling of the Apostle Paul, the revelation of the Mystery is added. This began the new Dispensation of Grace, and redefines the Gospel. Paul called it “the Gospel of Uncircumcision” (Gal. 2:7), “My Gospel” (Rom. 2:16; 16:25), and “the Gospel of the Grace of God” (Acts 20:24)!
