What did the apostles preach?
The Old Testament already testifies about Jesus Christ
So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.Acts 28:23 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our own eyes, which we have gazed upon and touched with our own hands - this is the Word of life. And this is the life that was revealed; we have seen it and testified to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. We write these things so that our joy may be complete.First John 1:1-4The apostles testified about Jesus, Whom they physically saw, knew, met after His death, and Whom they saw taken up into heaven.
They testified about the resurrection of Jesus Christ
God has raised this Jesus to life, to which we are all witnesses.Acts 2:32You killed the Author of life, but God raised Him from the dead, and we are witnesses of the fact.Acts 3:15Then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised.Acts 4:10With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.Acts 4:33The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging Him on a tree. God exalted Him to His right hand as Prince and Savior, in order to grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.Acts 5:30-32Every day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.Acts 5:42We are witnesses of all that He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And although they put Him to death by hanging Him on a tree, God raised Him up on the third day and caused Him to be seen. Acts 10:39-40Unless it was this one thing I called out as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’Acts 24:21Paul was judged and beaten because he testified about the resurrected Jesus Christ.
They testified about repentance through faith in Jesus Christ
And He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins will be proclaimed to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.Luke 24:46-47They testified about the kingdom of God, into which a person enters only through faith in Jesus Christ
Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.Acts 28:31Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.John 3:5,9,14-15Preaching about the kingdom is again just preaching about Jesus Christ.
They testified about the person of Jesus Christ
Men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.Acts 15:26They preached the gospel in such a way that they risked their lives for the testimony of the Lord Jesus.
But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.Acts 11:20Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Acts 4:18So what bothered their opponents? The name of Jesus.
They testified to what Jesus Christ said
The apostles preached the word that Jesus preached.
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” Acts 15:36How did the apostles preach the gospel?
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses.Acts 1:8The apostles did not preach the gospel by routine and rational narration of what they saw, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.
What is the evidence of the true gospel?
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, then to the Greek.Romans 1:16The salvation of a sinner is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ, which is manifested by obedience to His Word.
For the gospel reveals the righteousness of God that comes by faith from start to finish, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”Romans 1:17God's justice is revealed in faith in the resurrection and in following Jesus Christ.
Not proclaiming the resurrection is a violation of God's command
God, whom I serve with my spirit in preaching the gospel of His Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you.Romans 1:9Paul serves God by preaching the gospel of His Son.
If the disciples did not proclaim what they had witnessed, they would have violated God's command.
But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God. For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”Acts 4:19-20I am amazed how quickly you are deserting the One who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!Galatians 1:6-9