Think Wink.

Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13-14,

13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Continuing in my series on gospel, I see two items that describe the gospel in this text: “word of truth” and “salvation.” I want to talk about them one at a time in this post.

First, the word of truth. Paul writes in Ephesians 1:13, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” Paul here equates the word of truth with the gospel in this text. What is the word of truth? I believe that “the word of truth” is the truth that Jesus died for our sins and was raised for our justification. Look at Paul in Galatians 3:1-2, “It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” The answer to the question in v.2 is obviously “hearing with faith.” But notice what Paul says and how it parallels Ephesians 1:13. It was declared to them that Jesus was crucified, they heard it, and believed it, which led to their receiving the Spirit. God’s truth in Jesus Christ is the good news that is good to us.

This ties into the second as Paul parallels “word of truth” with “gospel of your salvation.” Paul more defiantly is speaking of Jesus’ work on the cross. Ephesians 1:13 says, “”In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.” Paul says that we believe in him, Jesus. Earlier in Ephesians 1:7-8, Paul says that, “In him [Jesus] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.” Salvation is part, an essential part, of what makes gospel good news.

Related posts:

When I think of “euaggelion” or “gospel”…

Another look into euaggelion

The Grace of “euaggelion”