When Jesus came to earth, he taught the gospel, and he then died and shed his blood for that new gospel.
Faith in Jesus' blood makes those belonging to God perfect, even those who died before Jesus’ ministry on earth; however, they still had to wait till Jesus' blood was shed. The Old Testament righteous people who died before Jesus came to earth, they did not in their time get to see the promised salvation through Jesus Christ, the grace that was to come (1 Peter 1:10-12; 2 Peter 1:19; Romans 16:25-26; 1 Corinthians 4:1). Paul says about the faithful in the Old Testament times, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." God's grace through faith in Jesus made the spirits of the righteous, those who had died before Jesus, they in the spirit were made perfect together with Paul and the other first Christians (Hebrews 12:23; 11:39-40). The Old Testament faithful were alive in the spirit watching from above. Paul says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses..." Jesus also tells us Abraham waited to see his day, Abraham saw it and was glad (John 8:56). Abraham died, yet was alive in the spirit.
There were those who disobeyed and died before Jesus came to earth, though they were dead their spirits went to a prison, unlike the spirits of the righteous. After Jesus was crucified, he preached to those who were dead, he preached to the spirits in prison, the spirits of those who had died and disobeyed long ago (see 1 Peter 3:18-19). Those people who disobeyed and died before learning of Jesus...Jesus preached the gospel to them, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit (1 Peter 4:5-6). For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God, even those who lived and died before Jesus.
You see, Jesus came to earth and taught those on earth. Then Jesus descended to the spirits in prison to preach to them, to those who disobeyed long ago. Jesus then ascended higher than all the heavens. Jesus filled the whole universe (see Ephesians 4:10).
These scriptures show there is one gospel that was finished by Jesus dying. What he taught to his disciples were that if they continued in what he taught, then they will receive the Holy Spirit, and that is what Paul did, he taught the gospel and people then received the Holy Spirit.
If there are two different gospels, how then did Jesus preach the gospel to the dead so that they could live according to the Spirit?[/QUOTE
Jerry's assumption about 9:6 is mistaken and he won't take questions on it. He doesn't get the storyline of the synoptics and he doesnt' contrast them with John.