The Gospel Conference Series


The Gospel According to Abraham

Arizona Bible Conference

September 2–4, 2016

“And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the
gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’
So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham.” Gal 3:8–9
“Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’
as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” Gal 3:16
Gene taught “The Gospel According to Abraham” over Labor Day weekend in Prescott, Arizona.
We have recently completed studies in “The Gospel According to Isaiah” (No. Virginia April 2016) and “The Gospel According to David” (Colorado May 2016). The purpose of these studies is to show that the Gospel message—pointing men to Jesus Christ in faith—is declared throughout Scripture. In fact, this is the central message of the Bible. Certainly, in the Old Testament, the nature of the Gospel message is necessarily prophetic as His coming and redemption are spoken of as future events. Job’s statement regarding his “Redeemer” reveals that, in ancient times, the message of the coming Savior was clearly stated and understood.

In the future, we will also study “The Gospel According to Noah” (Uniontown October 2016) and then “The Gospel According to Moses” (No. Virginia Spring 2017). The combined weight of these studies should greatly strengthen our faith in the unity and harmony of the Scriptures and, at the same time, motivate us to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises,” Heb 6:12.

Paul states that the Gospel was “preached … beforehand [in advance] … to Abraham.” The content of that message was that “In you all the nations shall be blessed.” Let’s look at the repetition of the message first, then we will consider its implications. There are five passages in which this promise is made to Abraham. Each is significant in the life and history of Abraham.
By gaining an understanding of the unity and harmony of the biblical message, we come to see that, indeed, Jesus Christ is the focus from Genesis to Revelation; and faith in Him as Savior is the only way to enter into eternal life. This is just as true for Old Testament people as for those living after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Gene Cunningham - September 7, 2019

AZ 2019 Lesson 3

AZ 2019 Lesson 3

Context matters. Matthew is written to Jews about the age in which they live, not to or about the church. In Matt 8:10-12 Jesus is speaking to and about unbelieving Jews refering to them "sons of the kingdom" (i.e., in the lineage of Abraham physically only) and because they refuse to believe being "cast into the outer darkness," which at the time was commonly known as hell, to include "weeping and knashing of teeth." In Matt 13:37-42, Jesus is explaining the parable of the tares to His disciples, having sent away everyone else (Matt 13:36). The "good" seeds are believing "sons of the kingdom" (Matt 13:38), that are true "seed of Abraham (Gal 3:16, Gal 3:28-29.) The tares are really "sons of the wicked one" (Matt 13:39) that are gathered at the end of the age and are "cast into the furnace of fire," and with "wailing and knashing of teeth." (Matt 13:40-42). For much more detail, refer to pages 6 through 19 in the Conference Notes.

Scripture References: Matthew 8:11-12, Galatians 3:16-29, Matthew 21::33-46, Luke 13:28-29, Matthew 13:36-43

Related Topics: Prophecy | More Messages from Gene Cunningham | Download Audio

From Series: "Shedding Ancient Light on the Outer Darkness Controversy"

Summary of the 2019 Arizona Conference 1. The theme running all through Matthew is the presentation of the King, His rejection by Israel, and the justice of the coming judgment. 2. All of the parables/teachings we have studied are consistent in the promise of reward to those who believe and warning of eternal judgment to those who reject their King. In light of this, how significant is the act of Pilate in posting over Jesus’ head the crime for which He was crucified, “This is Jesus the King of the Jews” (Matt. 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:19)? 3. The term “outer darkness” was well understood by the Jews of Jesus’ time to refer to Gehenna/Hell. 4. Though the Jews assumed a right to enter the kingdom based on their lineage, Jesus makes it abundantly clear that each one “must be born again” by faith in Him. 5. Nowhere in these passages is the focus on the Church, nor are they describing events at the Bema Seat of Christ. 6. Sound biblical interpretation demands that passages be studied in the light of their literal, historical, grammatical, and cultural setting.

Conference Notes

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