TOO SMALL

We believers like to assume we know the definition of all the churchy words, but when we are called on to define one, we often stumble over our words.

It seems like people feel pretty confident about "faith", though. 

"Faith is just believing in the truth that Jesus died for your sins."

And "gospel"? People might be a little more hesitant, but eventually you would get a definition something along the same lines:

"The gospel is the good news that Jesus died for your sins." 

But what do we do when our assumed definitions make no sense in a particular Scripture passage? Do we even notice?

The Apostle Paul opens his letter to the church in Rome by praising their faith. He says their faith is "proclaimed all over the world" (v.8)! 

He goes on to explain that he is eager to visit them, in part that he and they "may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine" (v.12).

Wait a minute. If faith is just mental assent to some propositional truth about Jesus, what exactly does Paul anticipate upon arriving in Rome?

    Paul: Hey, guys! Do you believe Jesus died for your sins?

    Romans: Yup. You?

    Paul: Sure do! 

    Romans: This is really great. Very encouraging.

    Paul: I know, right? I'm so glad I came.

But there's more. Paul then throws us for a loop with his use of the word "gospel". He says another reason he would be excited to visit the church in Rome is because he is "eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome" (v.15). 

Wait. Have they not heard that Jesus died for them? 

Is Paul going to Rome to be encouraged by their belief that Jesus died for their sins and THEN tell them that Jesus died for their sins?

Either Paul is really confused about what "faith" and "gospel" mean or ... we are.

Could it be our own definitions of "faith" and "gospel" are too small?

THE IMPORTANCE OF PRETESTING

This past weekend I had the opportunity to put some of my dissertation thoughts into an hourlong workshop at a youth retreat at nearby Southeastern Baptist Youth Camp. 

In keeping with one of the basic principles of good teaching practices, I decided to ask the teens a simple question on Friday night before my workshop on Saturday. I was planning to talk about the gospel being bigger than the typical "you're a sinner so Jesus died for you and if you believe in Him you can go to heaven when you die" concept, and I wanted to know what the kids already knew.

So I asked the retreat organizers to hand out these cards and ask the teens to give their best responses:

When I came in the next morning, the cards had been filled out AND the other adult leaders - local pastors and youth pastors - had read over the replies.

They were aghast!

I had received responses like these: 

• "The gospel is what helps you get closer to God, like listening to Christian music, praying, reading your Bible, or talking to someone."
• "The gospel is the story of Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world."
• "The gospel is a place where you learn about God and what he did for you because he loves you."

The responses prompted talk among the camp leadership of revamping the summer camp teaching for next season! They realized they were entirely overestimating what the teens already knew.

Basic teaching: Before the lesson, find out what your students already know, what they don't know, and what they think they know.

THE GOSPEL IS BIGGER

We have reduced the gospel to "even though you are a sinner, Jesus died for you, and if you ask Him into your heart, you will be granted entrance to heaven when you die".

And it's so firmly ingrained in the church's mindset, that even the scholars with doctorates don't question it.

But the New Testament presents a much bigger gospel: God's Kingdom has been reestablished on earth, Jesus is the saving King, and He will one day return to earth to fully actualize His authority as King.

The first time the word "gospel" is used in the New Testament is at the advent of Jesus' earthly ministry:

(Mat 4:23) And Jesus went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

"The gospel of the kingdom"! This is His message 3 years before His death.

And then look at Luke 9:

1 And Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. 3 And he said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money; and do not have two tunics. 4 And whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. 5 And wherever they do not receive you, when you leave that town shake off the dust from your feet has a testimony against them.” 6 And they departed and went through the villages, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.

Here again, the gospel is clearly equated with Jesus' proclamation that the kingdom of God had arrived.

And, considering the disciples would later be completely caught off guard by Jesus' death and resurrection, they obviously were not proclaiming the same message that we today call "the gospel"! 

ALLEGIANCE

Once you start to notice the misalignment of the American gospel with the biblical gospel, it's hard to ignore. 

I am reading Salvation by Allegiance Alone by Dr. Matthew Bates and giving a hearty "Amen!" with every page. The subtitle is Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King.

Here's the book's argument, "reduced to its simplest terms":

1) The true climax of the gospel - Jesus's enthronement - has generally been deemphasized or omitted from the gospel.

2) Consequently, pistis has been misaimed and inappropriately nuanced with respect to the gospel. It is regarded as "trust" in Jesus's righteousness alone or "faith" that Jesus's death covers my sins rather than "allegiance" to Jesus as King.

3) Final salvation is not about attainment of heaven but about embodied participation in the new creation. When the true goal of salvation is recognized, terms such as "faith," "works," "righteousness," and "the gospel" can be more accurately reframed.

4) Once it is agreed that salvation is by allegiance alone, matters that have traditionally divided Catholics and Protestants - the essence of the gospel, faith alone versus works, declared righteousness versus infused righteousness - are reconfigured in ways that may prove helpful for reconciliation.  (p.9)

Not surprisingly, Bates briefly points backward to the era where the church started to get off track and it is the life and writings of one man: Saint Augustine. 

(Someday I would love to do a deep dive into Augustine - he seems like a fascinating individual and to say he had an outsized influence on the church would be the greatest understatement of all time.) 

I wholeheartedly echo this line from Bates: "I hope that the correct identification of the high point of the gospel as Jesus's kingship and a retargeting of "faith" as allegiance will reinvigorate the life and mission of the church today." (p.9)

In fact, this sentiment is what motivates my dissertation work. 

GOSPEL APPEARANCES

The word euangelion/gospel (literally, good news) appears 76 times in the New Testament. 

I think it's always interesting to examine the first appearances of key concepts in Scripture.

Here's the context of the first appearances of "gospel" in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John:

Matthew

4:23 And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.

Mark

1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 

1:14-15 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Luke

The noun form of gospel doesn't occur, but the verb form does:

The first to Zechariah. 1:19 And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.

The second to the shepherds in the fields. Luk 2:10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

John

None of the forms of the word "gospel" appear in John!

Interesting!

In Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the word "gospel" is most often attached to language about the "Kingdom of God" or the "Kingdom of Heaven". And it seems there are some historical connections between "good news" and human kings of the day. Worth exploring!

But all this raises the question in my mind: Why does modern talk of "gospel" sharing so often leave out any mention of the Kingdom?

ANEMIC THEOLOGY

I received a Christmas email from an innovative ministry providing rugged, affordable transportation to impoverished people in the boonies of Africa and elsewhere. 

I fully support the organization, but I cringed at their Christmas theology:

Merry Christmas!  Do you know the completion of the Christmas Story? It involves transportation. 

Jesus is coming back. He will come on the clouds, a unique form of transport. 

When I’m asked “What is the most affordable transportation in the universe?” I say it's the supernatural trip to heaven. If you believe Jesus died for your sins and that he is your Lord and Savior, you receive a spot on that heaven-bound, soul train. 

This is an anemic understanding of the gospel. 

Dictionary.com defines "anemic" as "lacking power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness; listless; weak". 

In other words, it's not as healthy as it needs to be.

Here are the main problems:

1) It implies that faith is primarily a matter of giving mental assent to propositional truths. 

2) It's very transactional: believe this and receive that.

3) It makes Christianity out to be an escape from this world. (The book of Revelation makes it clear that we don't get whisked off to heaven in the end. Heaven is brought down to a renewed earth. We stay put.)

In other words, it is a pretty good summary of most Americans' understanding of the gospel.