paulvipond
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What Is The Gospel?Well Davidh's challenge is so fundamental surely it deserves a thread of its own.
So here we go, colours in one hand, hammer and nail in the other. Now where's that mast?
We sometimes refer to the gospel "story" which perhaps helpfully reminds us that anything any of us say can at best be a potted version of that story.
So if you really want to distill it down to a single sentence:
"Jesus is Lord and Messiah[Christ]"
Romans is a great place to start with the essence of the gospel. In Paul's Jewish world the word gospel[euangelion] looked back to Isa 40:9 & 52:7, where a messenger was bringing to Jerusalem the good news of Babylon's defeat, the end of Israel's exile and the return of YHWH to Zion.
At the same time the pagan [esp. the Romans] used the same word to announce the accession or birthday of a ruler or emperor.
The gospel then is the announcement of Jesus, the Jewish Messiah[Anointed King] and the world's true Lord.
The gospel, for Paul at least, is not a system of personal salvation, a message first and foremost about how humans beings get saved [ though let me be clear that message is in there when you unpack it. It is an announcement about Jesus, the Messiah, the Lord.
Would that we might again here the complaint of the Thessalonians:
Acts 17:6 - 7 (ESV) 6And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.”
The message of personal salvation must not be lost but the church must also remember that to declare Jesus is Lord means that Caesar [Bush, Brown Putin etc.] isn't. Praise God that the western church is waking up to the fact that:
Mic 6:8 (ESV) "8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? "
..is also contained within "Jesus Christ is Lord".
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countrydancer
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what is the gospel?First let me say that I don't believe that the actual meaning of the gospel is as wide as your definition Paul.
The gospel of the kingdom is about the coming of the king (the Messiah, Jesus) who would rule in individuals lives. That rule is only possible because of the good news of what God accomplished in Christ through His death and resurrection. The gospel (good news) is primarily individual and personal. It has a societal impact in so far as it changes peoples lives and they change the society they live in.
To quote John Piper:
'What’s the gospel? I’ll put it in a sentence.
The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.
That’s the gospel.'
So the good news is primarily and fundamentally that our sins can be forgiven, we can be put right with God and receive the Holy Spirit giving us new life and enabling us to live it.
Hallelujah!!
So to return to Darth Millers' original post in Evangelism Wow!
The Gospel is only societal in that it changes individuals lives and they then influence the culture in which they live. We must continue to call people to repent, believe, be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit. The way in which that message is shared will of course include word and deed and let's pray that the way we live our lives will bring people to ask 'What is the good news for me?' and we will have the words to share with them.
(It is sad that so often we either have the words without the lives to back them up or the good deeds without the words to explain them and point to the Saviour who motivates us. And I certainly include myself in that)
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countrydancer
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What is the gospel?PS I also ought to add that in our 'postmodern', post Christian culture I agree with David H that we need to teach people about God. His nature and character and the Law ( the schoolmaster leading us to Christ). Otherwise they won't know what they need forgiveness for or why they need a Saviour!
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DavidH
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I hope you're not expecting me to disagree, CountryDancer!
There are many people who try to broaden the definition of the term "Gospel". The Bible teaches but one gospel from Genesis to Revelation. The Old Testament showed us the Law and God's righteous judgement. The New testament revealed God's Grace to the world in the sending of His own Son.
Basically, "Gospel" means "Good News". In actual fact, it comes from the Old English word "God Spell" meaning "Good Tidings"
The good news is that I'm assured of eternal life, because Jesus died in my place, taking the penalty for my sin on His shoulders. I should have faced the penalty for my sin but He hung there in my place. Three days later, He rose again from the grave, thereby defeating death itself and I stand, clean before God, not in any righteousness of my own - I have none - but through the imputed righteousness of the one who died in my place.
The amazing news is that I get to tell other people about this, before I take up my place in Heaven. I won't be able to do this when I'm there, so that's my task here and now. Glory!!!!
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paulvipond
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Re: what is the gospel? | countrydancer wrote: | First let me say that I don't believe that the actual meaning of the gospel is as wide as your definition Paul.
The gospel of the kingdom is about the coming of the king (the Messiah, Jesus) who would rule in individuals lives. That rule is only possible because of the good news of what God accomplished in Christ through His death and resurrection. The gospel (good news) is primarily individual and personal. It has a societal impact in so far as it changes peoples lives and they change the society they live in.
To quote John Piper:
'What’s the gospel? I’ll put it in a sentence.
The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.
That’s the gospel.'
So the good news is primarily and fundamentally that our sins can be forgiven, we can be put right with God and receive the Holy Spirit giving us new life and enabling us to live it.
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Hmmmmm. Just a point or three.
Firstly the kingdom is surely not primarily limited to ruling individuals' lives. Jesus rules over all - which by definition includes individuals - but without any limitation.
Secondly, I prefer Isaiah and Luke to John Piper, excellent fellow though he may be.
Thirdly, the danger of making the gospel only about personal salvation is that you get the individualistic, western variety of christianity [that I have to acknowledge I in practice have subscribed to] which when we get down to it is sub-Biblical.
Ever one to eat my cake and keep my halfpenny I think my alternative view provides everything yours does plus so much more.
Eph 1:7 - 10 (ESV) 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses [i.e personal salvation], according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth [the gospel].
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Darthmiller
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Re: what is the gospel? | paulvipond wrote: | | countrydancer wrote: | First let me say that I don't believe that the actual meaning of the gospel is as wide as your definition Paul.
The gospel of the kingdom is about the coming of the king (the Messiah, Jesus) who would rule in individuals lives. That rule is only possible because of the good news of what God accomplished in Christ through His death and resurrection. The gospel (good news) is primarily individual and personal. It has a societal impact in so far as it changes peoples lives and they change the society they live in.
To quote John Piper:
'What’s the gospel? I’ll put it in a sentence.
The Gospel is the news that Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, died for our sins and rose again, eternally triumphant over all his enemies, so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe, but only everlasting joy.
That’s the gospel.'
So the good news is primarily and fundamentally that our sins can be forgiven, we can be put right with God and receive the Holy Spirit giving us new life and enabling us to live it.
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Hmmmmm. Just a point or three.
Firstly the kingdom is surely not primarily limited to ruling individuals' lives. Jesus rules over all - which by definition includes individuals - but without any limitation.
Secondly, I prefer Isaiah and Luke to John Piper, excellent fellow though he may be.
Thirdly, the danger of making the gospel only about personal salvation is that you get the individualistic, western variety of christianity [that I have to acknowledge I in practice have subscribed to] which when we get down to it is sub-Biblical.
Ever one to eat my cake and keep my halfpenny I think my alternative view provides everything yours does plus so much more.
Eph 1:7 - 10 (ESV) 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses [i.e personal salvation], according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth [the gospel]. |
Surely the gospel is the starting point and the foundation of personal revelation, conversion and faith but that faith is proved true by the good works a believer does as compelled by their faith and love of Christ. Thus the gospel is both "Good news" to the individual and the world alike.
The kingdom is coming, it is at hand and it is here and kingdom values mean we who believe the gospel must act like we are in the kingdom and obey the commands of Christ, Loving God with all our hearts and loving our neighbor as ourselves
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Eli
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The Gospel is simply the assurance of eternal life and salvation from the penalty of your personal sin, through the sacrificial death and resurrection of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Don't accept any substitutes!!! 
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Darthmiller
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I agree totally Eli, but I also believe there is fruit which shows when the Gospel has taken hold in a person. And it is that fruit which benefits and helps to heal and restore a broken world
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paulvipond
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| Eli wrote: | The Gospel is simply the assurance of eternal life and salvation from the penalty of your personal sin, through the sacrificial death and resurrection of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Don't accept any substitutes!!! |
I have pondered our posts for a while. They were all broadly as expected and yet still left me a little disappointed. Finally I decided that perhaps most posts were trying to give a doctrinal answer to the question while mine was trying to be exegetical.
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Eli
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Tell us what "exegetical" means as opposed to "doctrinal", Rabbi.
We aren't all scholars, you know.
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paulvipond
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Exegesis to DoctrineHi, Eli. Thanks for the post and apologies to anyone who thought I was trying to be too scholarly.
Exegesis = explaining what scripture means [in this case a particular word]
Doctrine = a teaching of the Church and/or the Bible.
So Countrydancer's and DavidH's posts accurately set out the doctrine of personal salvation which is entirely biblical and is in deed "good news".
My own post was trying to highlight that early christians [particularly jewish christians] would have heard the word "euangelion" against the background of Isaiah's usage of euangelion [in the septuagint] and the Roman empire's use of euangelion in its imperial proclamations.
[Try googling Priene inscription and you should get one to Augustus caesar from about 9BC which reads: "the birthday of the god [Augustus] was for the world the beginnning of glad tidings [euangellia] which have gone forth because of him."]
It is anachronistic, that is a reading back into history our own ideas, to say that a first century beliver would have immediately understood "gospel" to mean a message about personal salvation. DavidH's post about the old english derivation of the word gospel is helpful to us but not to a first century jew. What he sets out is indeed good news but it is not waht euangelion means - at least not directly.
Sometimes Paul doesn't help us when Galatians 1:11 literally translates as "the gospel that was gospeled by me".
No, the "euangelion" is that Jesus is the Christ, the One true Lord of all the cosmos and this is evidenced foremost in his death and resurrection. It is of course by that same death and resurrection that our salvation is secured. Whiuch is why "gospel" and the doctrine of personal salvation are conflated.
Hope that clears up my original post.
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