The Gospel in plain English

What Kingdom did Jesus teach?
The Kingdom of Heaven.
This is Jesus’ main teaching, plain and simple.  What follows is what I believe God put in my heart two years ago when I started reading the Gospel of Matthew with a fresh perspective.  It emphasizes on Jesus’ sayings about the
The Kingdom of Heaven, which He said can be lived here on earth.  Here is how:

Gospel of Mathews chapter 5, (Lk.6:20-23)
“You will live in joy if you:
3 accept your dependence in God (poor in spirit), for the KH belongs to you.” (Lk.6:20)
4 allow yourselves to be weak v(blessed are those who mourn), for you will be supported” (Lk. 6:21, Jn.16:20-22))
5 are simple and humble (blessed are the meek), for you will own the earth
6 treat others with respect and fairness (blessed are those who hunger for righteousness), for it will happen to you in your lives (Is. 55:1)
7 have compassion (blessed are the merciful), for others will have compassion for you (Lk. 6:37, Jn. 13:34)
8 are honest (blessed are the pure in heart), for you will know God
9 resolve conflicts (blessed are the peacemakers), for you will be called sons of God
10 fight for justice in spite of the opposition of the unjust (blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness), for the KH is yours (Jn.15:18-27)
11 and continue to follow my teachings and example in spite of what this world says about you (blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, lying about you, for my sake).
12 Be glad because you will be eternally rewarded for living the KH, like the prophets were.”

13 – 16 “You are special because you live the KH and therefore reflect God” Mr. 9:50, Lc. 14:34, Jn. 8:12
17- 20 “Don’t misunderstand me, my teachings of the KH do not contradict the Law, and if you practice it, you will be recognized as great, but you must be honest and treat others fairly, unlike the Pharisees.”
21-26 “Do not be angry with anyone, it is the same as committing murder, and resolve any conflicts with anyone, before others act against you”
27- 28 “Do not lust, it is the same as adultery,”
v. 29-30 “Get rid of anything that leads you to be greedy to live the KH.”
31- 32 “Divorce is the same as adultery”
33-37 “It is not necessary to swear if you are honest”
v. 38- 48 “Love your enemies and do not retaliate, to be like God”
Ch. 6
1-4 “Give charities to please God, not men”
5-8 “Pray to God to please God, not to be seen by men”
v.9 “Father you’re in Heaven and you are Holy
v. 10 Let your Kingdom be lived on Earth
v. 11 We depend on you
v. 12 Be merciful with us as we are with others
v. 13 help us to resist opposition
and keep us away from selfish ones
the KH comes from you.”
14-15 “Forgive others so that God will forgive you.”
16-18 “Fast to be seen by God, not men.”
19-21 “Don’t be materialistic, but seek to have characteristics of the KH”
v. 22-23 “What you decide to dedicate time for, that is what your heart will live for.”
24 “You cannot be both materialistic and live the KH.”
25- 34 “Do not worry about your basic needs, God will supply, but worry about living the KH”
Ch. 7
1 “Do not think negatively about others prematurely, because the same will be done about you.”
v.2- 6 “You have faults to amend, so don’t try to amend faults of others first, Don’t spoil what you have accomplished (relating to others) by trying to amend the faults of others.”
7- 12 “Trust that what you ask God, He will give to you, because if you would not refrain from feeding your child, neither would God. Do to others what you want others to do to you, because this is the main teaching of the KH.”
13 – 14 “Always do what is good for others, even it it is difficult and few do it.”
15 – 20 “Your intentions will be revealed by your deeds.”
21- 23 “If you help others genuinely, God will recognize you, not if you help others for selfish reasons”
24 “If you practice the life of the KH that I am teaching you, you will have a strong foundation”
Ch. 8
1- 4 Jesus cleans a leperd
5- 10 Jesus heals a Centurion’s servant
11- 13 “If you have faith in God, no matter where you are from, you will be healed”
14-15 Jesus heals Peter’s Mother-in-Law
16-17 Jesus healed many
18- 22 “To follow my teachings of the KH has its consequences, for it requires to abandon comfort, contrary to what this world teaches.’
23-27 Jesus calms wind and waves.
28-34 Demons flee away from Jesus.
Ch. 9
1- 8 Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic. “Even though it seems more permitted to say “Get up and walk”, the Son of Man has been permitted to say “Your sins are forgiven.” Jesus proves this by showing then that the paralytic man is healed, for sickness was directly associated to having sins.
9-13 Jesus calls Mathew. “Those who don’t live the KH will not receive my teachings, but those who admit their faults, for God desires mercy and not self righteous acts as it is written in Scriptures.”
14-17 “If you follow my teachings of the KH, you will be joyful and no need to fast, but when this world takes away your joy of the KH, you will need to fast again. You don’t fast when you practice the KH, or the joy will vanish.”
v. 18-26 Jesus shows he heals woman and giving life to girl. “Be joyful, your faith helped you to be well”
v. 27-31 Jesus heals a blind man. “Do you believe I can do this?”
32-34 Jesus cast out out demons.
v. 35-38 Jesus felt people were confused. “There is a great need to teach about the KH.”
Ch. 10
1-15 Jesus sent out his disciples to heal and teach the KH. “Teach others, and do not hold contempt towards those who do not accept your teachings.”
v. 16-20 Be wise because not everyone will accept the KH and will try to deliver you to the authorities, even family members will persecute you. If they call me Belzebu, how much more will they call you?! But Do not worry, God will guide you, and will reveal their hypocrisy eventually.”
27-31 “Be honest and fear God, who can determine your fate and love you. You are more important to God than the birds sold for two copper coins which God takes care of also.”
v. 32-33 “If you teach the KH, I will honor you before God”
34-39 “Don’t think that my teachings of the KH will bring union, but division, because not everyone will accept it and will accuse you for being different. But those who decide to conform to the selfish ways of their families, do not deserve my teachings of the KH, if you’re not willing to sacrifice by living the KH, you will not receive my teachings. He who strives for gaining the acceptance of their selfish families, will lose the life of the KH” (Jn. 14:27)
40-42 “Whoever accepts your teachings of the KH, accepts me, and you will be rewarded for being just”
Ch. 11
v.1-19 John the Baptist wanted to confirm that Jesus was the expected messenger, and Jesus explained that His deeds proved HIs identity. Jesus then praised John the Baptist for doing the same thing Jesus did prior. But he also said “People still tend to reject messenger of the KH because of their selfishness”
20 -24 “People that refused my teachings of the KH will suffer consequences”
25-27 “God, I praise you for allowing the simple and humble ones receive the teachings of the KH, because they are willing to learn, but those who are selfish and arrogant do not accept the KH., which has been given to me to teach you.”
28-30 “I recognize that it is not easy to live the KH in this world, but this sacrifice is short term, because my teachings, even though they are difficult at the beginning, bring eternal reward. Follow my example of being humble and meek, and you will see.”
Ch. 12
v. 1- 8 The Pharisees criticize Jesus’s followers for eating off of a field in the Sabbath. “If God allowed David and the priests to do what is illicit in the Sabbath, even more will He allow the One He sent to do the same, for I am Lord of the Sabath, God prefers mercy and compassion”
9 – 14 Jesus heals a man with injured hand, but Pharisees criticize him for doing it in the Sabbath. “Won’t you recover something lost even if it is during the Sabbath? It is licit to help others in the Sabbath”. Pharisees, because of their envy and selfishness, started plotting Jesus’s death.
15 – 21 Jesus knew his danger and escaped and healed others in secret, fulfilling the prophecy of the ‘chosen Servant’ (Isaiah 42:1)
22 – 37 Pharisees started criticizing Jesus when they heard he healed a possessed man, claiming Jesus did this with evil spirit. “A divided Kingdom cannot stand, therefore, I am freeing others from evil with good, not evil. I heal with the power of God, who teaches the KH. We have to abolish the selfish life of evil, before the KH is practiced. If you don’t live the KH, you are against it; if you don’t help, you destroy. He who teaches against the spirit of God, has no forgiveness. Your deeds will prove if you are for or against the KH. Whatever you say will reveal your intentions.”
v.38-42 Second test, Pharisees demanded a sign. “You want to see signs in order to believe in my teachings, but I will not give you any signs, because you are stubborn. The only sign will be when I resurrect after three days of being dead, like Jonas was inside the whale. Ninive and the queen of the south believed in the KH when it was preached to them by Jonas and Solomon, but you don’t believe even when it is preached by me, who am greater than Jonas and Solomon.”
43-45 “If you stop practicing the selfish habits, but don’t practice the characteristics of KH, your selfish habits will return even worse than before.”
46-50 “My family are the ones who practice the KH”

Ch. 13
v. 1-9 “If you open your heart you will be able to appreciate and practice the KH and will enjoy its reward”
10-17 ”If you decide to understand the KH, you will understand even more, but if you close your heart and remain stubborn in selfish lifestyle, you will not understand the KH. You are blessed for receiving the teachings of the KH, because the prophets longed for this teaching.”
18-22 “When you don’t understand the KH and the selfish ways overcome = seed on the walkway. When you receive the KH with joy but does not last long because you allow the sacrifice and the suffering to take the joy away = the seed that falls on stones. When you receive the KH but the temptation of the materialistic and self-serving lifestyle takes away the joy = seeds that fall on thorns.”
23 When you receive the KH with joy and maintain the joy = seeds that fall on fertile soil.”
24-30 “Those who do not practice the KH will live with those who do, but God will separate them at the end”
31- 33 “the KH is not popular in this world, but the reward is much greater”
34-35 Jesus talks directly to those who are willing to listen
36-43 “The one who plants the seed = Jesus. The field = the world. The good seed = those who practice the KH. Weed and its planter = those who do not practice the KH and the evil one. The reap = end of the world. Reapers = angels. I will send angels to take out the weed (those who don’t practice the KH) and burn them. Those who practice the KH will shine”
44-46 “The KH is so important that you give up everything for it”
47-50 The ones who practice the KH will be separated from the ones who don’t at the end.
v. 51-52 In the KH, you cease old habits and start new habits. .
53-58 People in Nazareth did not believe in what Jesus taught.

Ch. 14
1-12 John the Baptist dies.
13-21 Jesus felt compassion for the people and fed them all.
22- 33 Jesus tested Peter’s faith, but he failed. Jesus is frustrated
34-36 Jesus heals others.

Ch. 15
v 1-20 The Pharisees tempted Jesus for the third time, and Jesus responded and confronted the Pharisees, emphasizing on their earthly (selfish) traditions, using the example of the commandment of honoring the parents. “Isahia prophesized well about you when he said you don’t obey God in a genuine way. “Whatever you think, that is what contaminates you, it determines your level of purity, not what comes inside your mouth. “
21-28 Jesus tested the faith of a woman, and she succeeds.
29-31 Jesus heals many people.
32-39 Jesus had compassion for people and fed them again.

Ch. 16
1-4 The Pharisees and the Saducees tried to tempt Jesus for the fourth time, “I will not give signs to those who do not want to practice the KH”
5-12 “Beware of the teachings of the Pharisees, who refuse to live the KH because they are selfish”
13-20 Peter confesses the identity of Jesus, and Jesus admires him for letting God reveal it to him and not for what men have said.
21-23 But Peter would not accept Jesus’ announced death, and Jesus rebuked him for letting his selfish nature dictate his thoughts.
24-28 “He who wants to practice the KH, has to abandon their selfish habits, because if you decide to abandon the selfish lifestyle, you will find the true Life. God will reward you according to how you practiced the KH”

Ch. 17
1-13 After Peter’s confession, Jesus wanted to confirm to Peter, John, and Jacob who is Jesus. John the Baptist is the “Elijah” prophesized to come prior to the Messiah.
14- 21 Jesus heals a possessed man. “You have to have faith in order to perform miracles”
22- 23 Jesus announces his death for the second time. (Wanted to prepare them as much as possible.)
24-27 “Pay taxes, to avoid offending anyone, even if it is unjust”

Ch. 18
1- 9 “He who is as humble as a child, will be the most important in the KH. And if you treat well those who are like children, will honor my teachings. But those who mistreat those who are like children, do not deserve to live. Get rid of everything in your life that makes you mistreat those who are like children, or keeps you away from the KH”
10-14 “Don’t mistreat the meek, because I came to save them. God wants everyone to be saved”
15-18 “If you have conflicts with anyone, try to resolve this conflict as soon as possible and use help if needed. If he does not agree to resolve conflict, then he is not your friend. whatever you try to resolve on earth will be seen from heaven.”
v. 19-22 “If you agree to receive anything you want on earth using my teachings of the KH, it will be provided by God. Never stop forgiving others.”
23-35 “In the KH you have to forgive others the same way you ask God to forgive your faults”.

Ch. 19
1-12 Pharisees tried to tempt Jesus for the fifth time with the topic of divorce. “What God united, man should not separate, because marriage is holy, although not for everyone”
v. 13-15 “Let the children be who they are, because the KH belongs to them”
16-26 Jesus tells a rich young man to sell everything and give to the poor, thus emptying himself from all material bondage, but the rich man is saddened. “It is difficult for a man to live the KH if he also wants to keep his selfish lifestyle. But with the help of God, it is possible”
27-30 “If you let go of everything and live the KH genuinely, then you will be rewarded. The least important now will be the greatest in the KH.”
Ch. 20
v. 1-16 Jesus gave a comparison of laborers in the field and the KH. “Everyone is treated the the same in the KH, for God is generous to everyone equally. Those who are considered the least will be the greatest, and those who think they are the greatest, will be treated as the least, because many will be invited to live the equality of the KH, but few will accept it”.
17-19 Jesus announces his death again, trying to prepare his disciples more.
20- 28 The mother of Zebedee’s sons requested a celestial positions for them. “I am not here to appoint positions, but to serve. Unlike the Kingdoms of this earth, In the KH, everyone will serve everyone else”.
29-34 Jesus gives sight to two blind men.

Ch. 21
1-11 Jesus enters Jerusalem “gentle and riding on a donkey” as prophesized by Zachariah, to show his humility and authority. the people praised Him.
v. 11-13 Jesus is disappointed when he sees merchandise being done in the temple, and drove them out by force, quoting the Prophet Jeremiah (7:1), when God told the Priest that they have been acting against God’s will, and claiming that they were doing the right thing in His Temple. Jesus compared the merchants to these acts, implying that the marketing that was done in the Temple conflicted with God’s will.
14-17 Children continued to praise Jesus as He healed the sick, but the Pharisees and the Scribes, feeling threatened by Jesus’ rebellious acts against their marketing, questioned the children’s praise. “Children’s praises are the best, because they are genuine and humble”, quoting David’s eight Psalm (v. 2).
18-22 Jesus, still angered by the marketing in the Temple, was frustrated when he could not eat from the fig tree, and then He cursed it. His disciples asked how could this happened. “If you have enough faith, you can do great things”.
23-27 The Pharisees and Scribes, feeling increasingly threatened by Jesus’ authority, started plotting questions, for the sixth time, to trap Jesus with his own words, questioning his authority first. But Jesus asked them a question about John the Baptist, which they could not answer because of his controversy. Jesus then refused to answer their questions.
28-32 Jesus used the Parable of the two sons to teach about obedience “the least will enter the KH before you because first they lived selfish lives, but later they changed their minds, and you first said you wanted to, but then lived selfish lives”.
33-46 Jesus gave another parable foretelling how the Pharisees will treat Him and those who follow the KH, by describing himself as the ‘son of the Father’ and ‘center stone’. “The joy of living the KH will not be giving to you because of your selfishness, but rather to the least, because they have decided to live the KH. Whoever tries to eliminate this ‘stone’ (Jesus), will be perished” The Pharisees wanted to apprehend Jesus, but were afraid of the people who believed in Him.

Confrontation: Who is Jesus vs. His Opponents?

Ch. 22
v. 1-14 Jesus gave another parable describing the KH, teaching that the ones who were originally called to practice the KH will refuse to do so because of their selfishness, and will be excluded, but God will then call others who are willing to practice KH. “If you are not genuinely and joyfully practicing the KH, you will be excluded”
15-22 The Pharisees were desperately trying to trick Jesus, for the seventh time, and show his followers that Jesus must be incarcerated, using the question about paying taxes to the government. “Give back to the government its materialistic possessions… Give to God your love by practicing KH.”
23-33 Upon learning that the Pharisees could not trick Jesus, the Saducees tried to trick Him, for the eighth time, by asking about the doctrine of the resurrection, trying to confuse Jesus in front of the people “Upon the death of our bodies, we will no longer need to engage in earthly rituals, because we will be living the True Life (KH)”
34-40 The Pharisees were increasingly frustrated and continued to plot a trick, for the ninth time, to justify Jesus’ incarceration by asking Jesus if He knew what the greatest commandment was. “The greatest commandment is to genuinely love God and love your neighbors, the same way you love yourselves. Everything else falls under these two commandments”
41-16 Jesus then became frustrated himself and began to ask the pharisees about their knowledge about the prophesized Messiah. The Pharisees answered that the Messiah is the son of David. “How then can David call the Messiah “Lord” if He is David’s son?”. On earth, Fathers never call their sons “Lord”. The Pharisees expected a conquering Messiah—but a Messiah that was only a mere man. But this scripture proves that the Messiah was more than a mere conquering man, because David called him Lord, a title reserved for a Divine Being, a supernatural King. Pharisees could not respond, because they admitted that the scriptures could not be explained except by accepting that the Messiah, being the earthly son of David, was also a Divine Lord. Jesus then implied that He himself was the Messiah, because of this passage, plus His teachings and miraculous works, that He was more than a mere man.

Ch. 23
v. 1-7 Jesus then talked directly to the people, about the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and their true intentions, silencing them for good. “You must follow the teachings of the Pharisees, but not their examples, because they live superficial, selfish lifestyles, who long for men’s approvals”
v. 8-12 “Serve each other equally. ”
13 Then Jesus directed his teachings to the Pharisees. “You are hypocrites because:
“You silence those who genuinely want to practice the KH”
14 “Rob from the widows, trying to deceive them through useless prayers, but you will be condemned even more”
15 “Travel long distances, to make others more selfish than yourselves”
16-22 “You ignore the true meaning of God’s presence in our lives, and give more importance to the material, to the point of swearing in its useless value!”
23-24 “You ignore the most important teachings of the KH: justice, mercy, and faith”
25-28 “You ignore transparency, emphasizing more on maintaining a superficial appearance, while maintaining injustice and selfishness as hidden true intentions. Have selfless intentions so that the appearance can be genuine and pure. ”
29-33 “You adorn tomb stones of the prophets, and yet admit that your fathers persecuted and killed them, why don’t you just finish their sins by killing me? You will not escape the damnation of hell!”
34-36 “ I will send you more prophets, wise men, and scribes to teach the KH, but you will continue to kill them everywhere, the same way your fathers did to Abel and Zachariah!”
v. 37-39 “Hear me Jerusalem, you kill the Prophets, and I have tried to bring your people together as one, but you refused because you wanted to live selfish lives! I will soon leave you, until I return and you will recognize that I come from God!”

Ch. 4

1-3 Jesus announced that the temple will be destroyed by enemies.  Apostles were alarmed by this announcement and asked further. “People will try to confuse you, saying they have the right message about the KH.  People will talk about wars, and you will experience famine and earthquakes, but do not let these things discourage you.”

9-14 “Because of practicing the KH, you will be hated and put into jail. Many will be discouraged from living the KH and will hate each other.  But if you remain strong, then you will continue to live the KH, and the life of  KH will continue to be taught throughout the world.