What Is Your Gospel?
The gospel of the Kingdom is that Jehovah's Kingdom under Christ Jesus
will rule the earth, vindicate God's name, restore paradise, and bring
everlasting life to those who learn about Jehovah, get baptised as one
of his Witnesses, and prove faithful through preaching, meeting
attendance, and loyalty to the organisation.
Paul defines the gospel for us in — and he does it precisely so we can recognise a counterfeit. The gospel by which we are saved is: Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures — attested by hundreds of eyewitnesses. That is it. Then in Paul says twice: if anyone — even an angel from heaven — preaches a different gospel, let them be accursed. So the test is not 'does this group sound sincere' or 'do they use the Bible.' The test is: do they preach the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as the saving message? Walk gently through 1 Cor 15:1-8 in their own NWT, then ask: 'Does what you've described to me match this? Or have you been given something different?'
The gospel has a definition, given by an apostle, in writing, so it can be checked. The JW message — Kingdom under Christ, paradise restoration, faithful obedience — is the consequence of the gospel, not the gospel itself. Paul calls a 'different gospel' accursed regardless of who delivers it.
The gospel of the Kingdom is what Jesus preached — Matthew 24:14 says it must be preached as a witness to all nations.
Yes, Jesus preached the gospel of the Kingdom — and does say it must be preached. But ask: what is the content of that Kingdom gospel? Paul says in that the gospel he preached — by which they are being saved — is Christ died, was buried, was raised. He calls this 'of first importance.' If the Kingdom-of-God message and the Christ-crucified-and-raised message were different gospels, Paul would be contradicting Jesus. They are the same gospel: the Kingdom comes through the cross and resurrection of the King. Strip out the crucified and risen Christ and you do not have the Kingdom gospel — you have a kingdom without a Saviour.
Of course we believe Christ died and was raised — but salvation also requires obedience, baptism, and faithfulness.
That is exactly where 1 Corinthians 15 protects us. Paul says 'by this gospel you ARE saved' — present tense — 'IF you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.' The 'word I preached' is verses 3-4: Christ died, was buried, was raised. Not 'Christ died, was raised, AND you do field service.' is sharper still: if anyone preaches a different gospel — even an angel from heaven — let them be eternally condemned. The Watchtower magazine teaches a gospel Paul never taught: meetings, baptismal questions binding you to an organisation, faithfulness measured in hours. Galatians says: that's not a different gospel issue. That's an accursed issue.
Paul's gospel was for the 144,000 anointed — we 'other sheep' have a different hope.
That cannot be right. In Paul writes 'I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received... by which you ARE BEING SAVED.' The Corinthians are not the 144,000 anointed in the JW system — by Watchtower reckoning that ship sailed in 1935. So either the Corinthian gospel is the same gospel for everyone who is being saved, or it was a gospel that no longer applies — in which case the JW reading would have Paul writing a saving gospel for a class that no longer exists. The simpler answer is that Paul's gospel — Christ died, buried, raised — is THE gospel by which anyone is saved. Anything else is what Galatians 1 warns against.
But what about James — faith without works is dead?
James is not contradicting Paul; James is contradicting empty profession. says 'show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works.' Works do not earn salvation; they evidence that saving faith is alive. The order matters: gospel first (Christ died, buried, raised — believed), then fruit (love, obedience, witness). The JW system reverses that order — the works must validate the salvation rather than flow from it. Paul calls that order 'a different gospel' — and says '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 accursed.'
Don't accuse the JW of being an apostate or condemned — Paul's anathema is on the false-gospel system, not on the deceived individual. Don't rush. Let them stumble over 'what is your gospel?' — the question is the work. Many JWs have never been asked this directly and will reach for Kingdom Hall language they cannot explain. Be patient, be kind, read 1 Cor 15:1-8 with them slowly in their own NWT.
Ask the JW at the door: 'Could I trouble you to look at one passage with me — in your own Bible?' Then ask: 'Of all the things Paul says here — death, burial, resurrection — which one would you put first as the good news?' Listen, do not argue. Read together. Ask: 'Could I be wrong about my gospel? Could you?'