The Beginning of the Gospel
"THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST" MARK 1:1
The gospel we preach in 2017, the self-same that we heard and believed ourselves, is that which the apostles preached so long ago. Did I say apostles? Yes, but prophets too, and patriarchs. It was promised beforehand, foreshadowed, prefigured, and prophesied. Mark records the beginning of its manifestation, but its end is nowhere in sight.
It goes on and on through the ages, advancing with the measured steps of inflexible reality. Now and again it flashes forth in sweeping revival. Kingdoms rise and fall, regimes flex and fade, waxing and waning while the kingdom of God advances on and on through the centuries, winning the souls of men and adding to its ranks people from every place.