The God Culture: Who is the Messiah, What is the Gospel?

Continuing his Foundations Series Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has offered up a definition of the Messiah. Who is the Messiah? More importantly what has the Messiah done? Well, if we take Tim's definition at face value the Messiah is merely the divine creator. 

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FOUNDATIONS

Who Is the Messiah? (A Biblical Definition)

The Messiah (Hebrew Mashiah, “Anointed One”) is not a late theological invention, nor a figure introduced only in the New Testament. Scripture presents the Messiah as central to Elohim’s plan from the beginning of creation, not merely at its culmination.

1. The Messiah and Creation

The Bible teaches that the Messiah did not simply appear in history, but was present and active at creation itself.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with Elohim, and the Word was Elohim…

All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” (John 1:1–3)

This echoes the opening declaration of Scripture:

“In the beginning, Elohim created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

The New Testament does not introduce a new Creator—it reveals who the Creator is.

Isaiah affirms this divine identity unmistakably:

“For unto us a child is born… and His name shall be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty El, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

The Messiah is therefore not a created being, nor merely a messenger, but Elohim acting within His creation.

2. The Messiah as the Light of Creation

Before the sun, moon, or stars existed, Scripture records:

“And Elohim said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” (Genesis 1:3)

John identifies this light:

“In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.

And the light shines in the darkness…” (John 1:4–5)

The Messiah is not only the Light revealed during His earthly ministry, but the Light present from the very first act of creation.

This is why He later declares:

“I am the Light of the world.” (John 8:12)

This statement is not metaphorical alone—it is cosmic and creational.

3. The Messiah Revealed in Flesh

The Gospel message is not that Elohim created the world and later sent someone else to fix it. Scripture teaches that Elohim Himself entered His creation:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” (John 1:14)

The Messiah’s earthly life does not begin His existence—it reveals His identity.

“Before Abraham was, I AM.” (John 8:58)

This aligns with Isaiah’s declaration:

“I, YHWH, am the first and the last; besides Me there is no god.” (Isaiah 44:6)

4. A Note on Melchizedek (Further Study)

Scripture also identifies the Messiah with the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek (Psalm 110; Hebrews 7), indicating a role that precedes and transcends the Levitical system. This topic requires careful, dedicated study and is addressed separately.

Yah Bless.

The lack of trinitarian langauge is quite obvious and expected. There is no mention of His eternal Sonship or His being the second Person of the Trinity. Tim is an anti-trinitarian who is on record stating the Holy Spirit is likely a creation and Christ only became the Son when he was birthed in the flesh which are both species of the heresies known as adoptionism and Pneumatomachianism. 

13:08 There's no mention in Jubilees of the Holy Spirit specifically. Uh, Moses doesn't separate him out there, uh, and that may be telling, uh, but we're, we're not sure on that though we'll keep researching. Uh, he mentions all the spirits that serve before Him, uh, which are indisputably angels. Uh, whether the Holy Spirit is included in that we don't know. Uh, that's a topic for another series requiring a lot of research we're not going to touch yet but we will eventually. We'd like to get to that, anyway. We know He was there though and that the Angels weren't yet, uh, at that point on Genesis 1:2. Uh, so if if He was created per se He would have been created before, uh, the Angels not at the same time and certainly not lumped in with them. So, not sure that, that that's the case and He very well may be. Uh, yes he's the Eternal Holy Spirit but Eternal, uh, the angels are Eternal, man is eternal so that doesn't mean that He existed prior to being created if he was a creation like other Spirits. There's just no mention of Him as existing prior and the word Eternal does not denote no beginning, again. So, there's no scripture that really says, okay, and that may actually tell us much.

Restoring Creation: Part 14: Who Is The Light of Creation? Light and Darkness.

5:45 "But he that said unto him," Who's that? Yahuah. "Thou art my son. Today have I begotten thee." Now we know Yahusha is the only begotten son meaning birthed in the flesh by a woman but he existed prior.

Order of Melchizedek. The New Testament & Qumran Scrolls. Answers In Jubilees 38

What's really amazing is the lack of a single word about the Messiah's redemptive work! There is nothing about the cross, nothing about the atonement, nothing about the resurrection, and nothing about the defeat of sin, hell, death, and the devil. That proclamation of the work of Jesus Christ is what is known as the Gospel. So, what is the Gospel according to Tim?

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What is the Gospel?

The Gospel is the good news of what Elohim has been doing since creation—to restore humanity to Himself. It begins with creation, reveals the problem of sin, promises redemption, and is fulfilled in Messiah. 

What we call the “Old” and “New” Testaments are not separate messages, but one continuous story of redemption. 

This unity is unmistakable in the New Testament itself. Peter’s first great message of revival did not introduce something new—it proclaimed Joel and the Psalms, testifying that what the prophets foretold had now been fulfilled in the coming of the Messiah. 

One story. One promise. One redemption.

Tim has managed to give a definition of the Gospel which doesn't actually mention the Gospel! Let's hear what Paul has to say concerting the content of the Gospel. 

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

 

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

5 By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

6 Among whom are ye also the called of Jesus Christ:

The Philippian jailer asked Paul "What must I do to be saved" which is the same thing as asking what is the Gospel.

Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?

31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ's death on the cross bearing our sins and punishment and His resurrection from the dead. We who believe on Him have forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. This forgiveness was accomplished when Jesus said from the cross, "It is finished." The Gospel is not something "Elohim has been doing since creation." It is a done deal with the antoning death and resurrection of Christ.  

In his definition of the Messiah and the Gospel Tim completely omits the work of Christ which is not only the Gospel but is intrinsically tied to who He is. The Messiah is our Saviour. He is also the mediator of a better covenant established upon better promises. 

Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.

Tim's claim 

What we call the “Old” and “New” Testaments are not separate messages, but one continuous story of redemption. 

is true up to a point. There is a unity between the Old and New Testaments. They are not separate. However the Old find its fulfillment in the New through the redemptive work of the Messiah. 

Tim writes:

The Gospel message is not that Elohim created the world and later sent someone else to fix it. Scripture teaches that Elohim Himself entered His creation:

But then he has nothing to say about how The Messiah fixes the world once he entered creation. The fact is He doesn't fix the world. He came to redeem his sheep and save them out of the world through his death and resurrection. In the conflagration the world will be burned up and created anew. Based on Tim's previous Torah-centered definitions of faith, righteousness, holiness, and covenant it appears the Messiah entered the world not to save anyone but to remind people to keep the law so they can save themselves.

To ignore the soteriological work of Jesus Christ when defining the Messiah is to neglect who the Messiah is. Not only does Tim have a Christless Gospel, he has a Christless Christ!