What is the Good News that the apostles preached and how does it compare to the one that JWs preach;
Here are two examples from the Bible. The first example is preaching to someone who already has faith in God, and the other example is preaching to those who do not have faith in God.
The first example is taken from Acts 10:34-44 (RSV edition)
34 And Peter opened his mouth and said: "Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality,
35 but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
36 You know the word which he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all),
37 the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.
39 And we are witnesses to all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;
40 but God raised him on the third day and made him manifest;
41 not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead.
43 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
44 While Peter was still saying this, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
Here Peter preached to someone who has strong faith in God and the message was simple and Peter summarized it in Acts:10:42 "And he commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that he is the one ordained by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that every one who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
What is interesting to note is what Peter DID NOT mention.
1- Name of Jehovah
2- Terrible world conditions and the means of salvation from these conditions
3- Life on paradise Earth.
4- Two classes of Christians
5- Faithful & Discreet Slave
6- Organization
7- End real soon
Though Peter never mentioned the above, yet we read that the Holy Spirit descended upon those listening to him in show of God's approval.
The other example is again taken from Acts 17:23-31 (RSV edition)
23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, 'To an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
24 The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by man,
25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all men life and breath and everything.
26 And he made from one every nation of men to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their habitation,
27 that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after him and find him. Yet he is not far from each one of us,
28 for 'In him we live and move and have our being'; as even some of your poets have said, 'For we are indeed his offspring.'
29 Being then God's offspring, we ought not to think that the Deity is like gold, or silver, or stone, a representation by the art and imagination of man.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all men by raising him from the dead."
What is noteworthy of Paul's message is what he DID NOT mention.
1- Name of Jehovah (although this would have been a wonderful opportunity to do so, as Paul started to talk about the "Unknown God"
2- Terrible world conditions and the means of salvation from these conditions
3- Life on paradise Earth.
4- Two classes of Christians
5- Faithful & Discreet Slave
6- Organization
7- End real soon