The Content of the Gospel
A Sermon on Acts 8:35
Originally preached Jan. 28, 1968
Scripture
35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
Sermon Description
What makes the gospel so unique? In the sermon “The Content of the Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones opens Acts 8:35 and shows how the good news of Jesus Christ is not a message of human invention. The gospel of Christ is by design opposed to the ways of sinful people who do not know God. For this reason, it is a great stumbling block to Jew and Gentile alike. This is because the Christian message is one of salvation from sins by the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who died upon a cross so that all who are sinful could be counted righteous before God. So, it is not a matter of personal experience nor is it about mystical revelations. The truth of Christianity is revealed truth and it is found in God’s holy and inspired word. This is the sure and steady foundation for Christianity, for in it is all that is needed to achieve godliness and holiness. It is in this word that the truth of what Jesus Christ did on Calvary’s cross is found. When the Christian stands to proclaim the truth of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, they do not come on the basis of experience, but with the very words of the living God.
Sermon Breakdown
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The sermon text is Acts 8:35 which reads “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
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Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch provide an example of how one becomes a Christian. While the details may differ, there are fundamental principles that are always present.
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Philip had authority and knew exactly what to say because he had a clear message from God found in Scripture. He did not speculate or share his opinions.
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The Christian message is not seeking or a quest for truth. Christians have found the truth in Jesus Christ.
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The Christian message is not just relating one’s experience. While experiences may differ, the fundamental message of the Gospel does not change.
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Philip began with the Scripture the eunuch was reading and used it to preach Jesus. There is a unity in the Bible's message from beginning to end.
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The message of the Bible is that the world has gone wrong due to sin but God has provided redemption through Jesus Christ.
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The Old Testament points forward to Jesus Christ. The Gospels show He has come. Acts looks back to Him. The Epistles explain Him. Revelation shows He is coming again.
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Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of a virgin, who lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died and rose again. He came to seek and save the lost by providing forgiveness and reconciliation with God.
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One becomes a Christian by repenting of sin, being baptized, and believing in Jesus Christ. This results in salvation and rejoicing.
Sermon Q&A
Philip's Sermon to the Ethiopian Eunuch: Understanding the Gospel Message
What did Philip preach to the Ethiopian eunuch according to Acts 8:35?
According to Acts 8:35, "Philip opened his mouth and began at the same scripture and preached unto him Jesus." This means Philip started with the passage the Ethiopian was reading from Isaiah and explained how it pointed to Jesus Christ. Rather than giving his own opinions or merely sharing his personal experience, Philip expounded the Scriptures and showed how they revealed Jesus as the promised Messiah who came to save sinners.
What is the difference between religion and Christianity according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the fundamental difference is that religion can never satisfy the deepest needs of the human heart, while Christianity can. He explains that the Ethiopian eunuch had already "changed from pagan religion for the Jewish religion. But still he hadn't found what he was looking for." Religion represents human effort to reach God through rituals, ceremonies, and moral behavior, while Christianity is about God reaching down to humanity through Jesus Christ. The Ethiopian was religious but still lacked understanding until Philip explained the gospel message to him.
Why does Lloyd-Jones argue that the natural human mind cannot comprehend the gospel message?
Lloyd-Jones argues that "it is the utter impossibility of the natural, unaided human mind to comprehend the message of the gospel." This is demonstrated by the Ethiopian asking, "How can I understand except someone should guide me?" Lloyd-Jones explains that the gospel is supernatural in nature and requires divine illumination. Unlike human subjects that can be mastered through study alone, the Christian message demands spiritual insight that comes only through the Holy Spirit's work. This is why the Ethiopian, despite being educated and religious, couldn't understand Isaiah's prophecy without Philip's Spirit-enabled explanation.
What does Lloyd-Jones say is the true nature of the Christian message?
Lloyd-Jones explains that the Christian message is not vague, mystical, or undefined, but is "a perfectly clear message" that "can be stated in propositions." He refutes the notion that "Christianity is caught, not taught," insisting instead that it has concrete content that can be defined and explained. According to Lloyd-Jones, the message of the Bible is that "this world is God's world, that it wasn't meant to be like this, that it's gone wrong... but that God is still concerned and God has got a plan and a purpose for its redemption." At the center of this message is Jesus Christ, whose birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension fulfill God's redemptive plan prophesied throughout the Old Testament.
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the authority of Scripture?
Lloyd-Jones states that Scripture is our "only authority" because it "claims to be God's word" and "a revelation from God." Unlike human writings which represent men's search for truth, the Bible starts on "an entirely different basis" as God's revelation to humanity. He points to several evidences for this authority:
- The prophets claimed God's word "came unto me" rather than being their own ideas
- The unity of the Bible's message despite being written by many authors over centuries
- The fulfillment of prophecies written centuries before events occurred
- The testimony of the apostles who were eyewitnesses to Christ
- The transcendent nature and glory of its truth
Lloyd-Jones insists this authority is not diminished by modern knowledge or science, as "the modern Christian has no advantage over the Christian of the first century" when it comes to understanding the fundamental questions of existence.
What is the unifying message of the Bible according to Lloyd-Jones?
According to Lloyd-Jones, the Bible has "one message in the whole book, from beginning to end" despite being written by different authors across many centuries. This unified message is that God created the world, it has gone wrong through sin, humanity cannot fix itself, but "God is still concerned" and "has got a plan and a purpose for its redemption." The Old Testament prophesies and points forward to Christ's coming, the Gospels tell of His arrival and work, Acts looks back to Him, the Epistles explain His meaning, and Revelation describes His future return and ultimate victory. Jesus Christ is the central focus that brings coherence to the entire biblical narrative, making it possible to begin at any Scripture, as Philip did, and arrive at the gospel message.
The Book of Acts
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.