In preparation for the kingdom, Christ chose 12 apostles. He told them, “when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel.” They were to be his cabinet, so to speak. He sent these 12 to preach to Israel only, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He gave them the signs of the kingdom. Note that “the gospel of the kingdom” preached by Christ and his apostles is not the gospel we preach today. For one thing, those who believed the gospel were promised eternal life in the kingdom God will establish on this earth, not eternal life in heaven. In addition, when the apostles preached “the gospel of the kingdom,” they did not preach the cross, which is central to the gospel today. They did not yet understand that Christ would have to die and be raised. In fact, late in their ministry, when Christ began to tell them of his coming death, Peter responded by saying, “Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” Additionally the scriptures are careful to tell us the following: “they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.”
We are a Grace organization proclaiming the salvation by grace through faith in finished work of Jesus Christ in the cross of Calvary.