Luke 9:6 simply says that the twelve disciples went around "preaching the gospel." Verse 2 of this same chapter explains how the Lord had sent them "to proclaim the kingdom of God" (Lk 9:2). They couldn't have been preaching "the word of the cross," as Paul later did (1 Cor 1:17-18), because it wasn't until at least two years later that the Lord began to tell them how He must suffer and die (Matt 16:21) and Peter "began to rebuke Him" (Matt 16:22) and none of the twelve even knew what He was talking about (Lk 18:31-34). So what were they preaching?
"Gospel" simply means "good news." God has not proclaimed only one item of good news down through the ages, but many. He has qualified the word "gospel" by distinctive titles like the "gospel of the Kingdom" and the "gospel of the grace of God." When we come upon the word "gospel" without any qualifying title, we should immediately ask "Which gospel?" and the context will give us the answer. That the earthly kingdom was "at hand" was the good news of the kingdom, whereas the "gospel of the grace of God" is that God is extending grace, totally apart from works, to anyone who simply believes. The "gospel of the kingdom" was committed to the twelve while Christ was on earth (people were still under the law at that time). "The preaching of the cross" as good news —"the gospel of the grace of God" — was later committed to the Apostle Paul (and to us) (1 Cor 1:18; Acts 20:24).
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