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Answer   What is the difference between the Saving Gospel of Jesus’ message from the 5th Epochal Revelation and the message from the Church?

The Saving Gospel of Jesus as presented in The Urantia Book (the 5th Epochal Revelation) differs significantly from the traditional message of the Church (particularly mainstream Christianity) in several key ways. Below is a comparison of their core distinctions:

1. The Nature of Salvation

Jesus’ Gospel (5th Epochal Revelation)

• Salvation by faith and spiritual relationship—Jesus taught that trust in God’s love and living as His child brings salvation.
• Not dependent on rituals, creeds, or blood atonement—Jesus’ death was a supreme demonstration of love, not a legal transaction to appease divine wrath.
• Present reality of eternal life—The kingdom of God is already within those who believe (Luke 17:21).

Church’s Traditional Gospel

• Often emphasizes salvation through Christ’s sacrificial death (substitutionary atonement) as a requirement for forgiveness of sins.
• Many denominations teach that belief in Jesus’ death and resurrection is necessary for salvation (John 3:16, Romans 10:9).
• Eternal life is frequently framed as a future reward rather than a present spiritual reality.

2. The Role of Jesus

Jesus’ Gospel

• Jesus is the spiritual revealer of God’s fatherhood—he came to show humans how to live in relationship with God.
• He is our elder brother in the family of God, not an object of theological dogma.
• His life, teachings, and love—not just his death—are central to salvation.

Church’s Traditional Gospel

• Often focuses on Jesus as the divine Savior who died for sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).
• Many creeds (like the Nicene Creed) emphasize Jesus’ divinity, virgin birth, and resurrection as essential doctrines.
• Some traditions elevate church sacraments (baptism, Eucharist) as necessary for salvation.

3. The Kingdom of God

Jesus’ Gospel

• The kingdom is a spiritual brotherhood of believers living under God’s rule now.
• It is not a political or end-times event but a personal transformation leading to love and service.
• Entry is by faith, humility, and willingness to do God’s will (Matthew 5-7).

Church’s Traditional Gospel

• Often presents the kingdom as both a future apocalyptic reign (Christ’s Second Coming) and an institutional church.
• Some traditions conflate the kingdom with organized religion or denominational authority.

4. Sin and Forgiveness

Jesus’ Gospel

• Sin is primarily a failure to love God and others—a spiritual misalignment, not just legal guilt.
• Forgiveness is freely given to those who repent and trust God’s mercy (e.g., the Prodigal Son).
• Jesus forgave sins before his death (Mark 2:5), showing that sacrifice was not an absolute requirement.

Church’s Traditional Gospel

• Often defines sin as breaking divine law, requiring penal substitution (Jesus taking punishment in our place).
• Many teach that Jesus’ death was necessary to satisfy God’s justice (Romans 3:25-26).
• Some traditions require confession to priests or specific acts of penance.

5. The Fatherhood of God vs. Theological Dogma

Jesus’ Gospel

• God is a loving Father who seeks a personal relationship with each person.
• No complicated theology is needed—just childlike trust and love.

Church’s Traditional Gospel

• Often presents God through complex doctrines (Trinity, original sin, predestination).
• Some traditions emphasize fear of judgment over the assurance of divine love.

6. Universal Brotherhood vs. Exclusivism

Jesus’ Gospel

• All people are children of God—Jews, Gentiles, sinners, and saints alike.
• No one is excluded based on race, gender, or past mistakes.

Church’s Traditional Gospel

• Historically, some branches taught "no salvation outside the Church."
• Many still hold that explicit faith in Jesus is required for salvation (John 14:6).

Conclusion: A Gospel of Love vs. a Gospel of Dogma

• Jesus’ Gospel (5th Epochal Revelation) is about living in God’s love, trusting His fatherhood, and serving others—a religion of the spirit, not rituals.
• The Church’s Gospel often focuses on doctrinal beliefs, Christ’s death as a legal sacrifice, and institutional authority.

The Urantia Book suggests that the original message of Jesus was simplified, ritualized, and dogmatized over time, losing some of its transformative power. The true gospel is not about fear, guilt, or theological complexity—but about knowing God as a Father and loving others as Jesus did.

"The gospel of the kingdom is a living truth. It is not a creed to be believed, but a life to be lived." (The Urantia Book, Paper 170)*