Because the Gospel is good news about what God has done through Christ, I always cringe a little when I hear people talk about living the Gospel. I know what they mean, but I can relate to what Graeme Goldsworthy says in Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics:
If something is not what God did in and through the historical Jesus two thousand years ago, it is not the gospel...[Christians] can only believe it, proclaim it and seek to live consistently with it. Only Jesus lived (and died) the gospel. It is a once-for-all finished and perfect event done for us by another.
That's good stuff.
But Glenn R. Kreider provides some counterbalance in a review of Goldsworthy's book in the latest issue of Bibliotheca Sacra:
Certainly the gospel (good news) is grounded in the work of Christ, but it would seem to include the future work of Christ as well (including His return and the new creation), as well as blessing for all believers (Gal. 3:8). Furthermore this limitation seems inconsistent with Goldworthy's definition of the gospel as "the event (or proclamation of that event) of Jesus Christ that begins with his incarnation and earthly life, and concludes with his death, resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father" (p. 58). Would not the proclamation of the work of Christ be something that Christians do, and would not that proclamation include living the message as well? In short, how does one separate the verbal and incarnational ministry of the gospel? Did not Paul indicate that Christians do live the gospel when he wrote that "we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus" (2 Cor. 4:10 NIV)? It would seem that one way to understand Paul's testimony in Philippians 3:10-11 is as affirming his desire to live the gospel. "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, to attain to the resurrection of the dead" (NIV). Also, Goldworthy's emphasis on the eschatological trajectory of the biblical story seems difficult to reconcile with the strong limitation of the work of Christ completed in the past. He writes, "God's plan from all creation was the new creation and a people created and redeemed in Christ. The blueprint of creation and of all history is the gospel" (p. 223).
I still cringe a little when I hear people talk about "living the Gospel" but I think Kreider has a point. One of our greatest needs is to keep our definitions of the Gospel centered on the work of God in Christ rather than our own works, but then to include all the work that God did through Christ as good news of what God has done and continues to do. Tim Keller's recent article in Leadership Journal is an excellent resource on this topic.
I think, perhaps, when people use the term, they mean "living in the Gospel". It is about living out the fullness of the Gospel in our lives (incarnational). I see your point, but wonder that it makes you cringe. Thanks for the thoughtful post!
Peace,
Jamie
Hi Jamie,
I think this comes from past debates about what the Gospel is. It's partially a reaction to thinking that "living the Gospel" simply means being a good person. Sometimes it seems that people focus on lifestyle and almost ignore the good news about what Christ accomplished.
But we can go to the other extreme as well. I think Kreider (and Paul) strike the right balance. It's a past event with continuing impact, and it's something we can both live and proclaim.
Darryl,
I'm with you on this- and more than a little uneasy with this and other ways we toss around the word gospel, without really having a precise idea of how the Scriptures themselves use it. I prefer Goldsworthy's statement because I feel pretty sure of what he means and I have pretty much come to the same tentative conclusion after having wrestled with it for some 40 years of ministry. I can't even begin to do justice to what I have discovered.
I will leave you and your readers with a few ideas.
1)What Goldsworthy is emphasizing is something like saying, in Scripture we have God's own once-for-all testimony to His Son Jesus Christ: in the O.T.that Jesus claims after His resurrection to speak of Him (Lk.24); in the gospel records of eye witnesses, including his disciples, but not limited to them; and then a third source that testify to what they were shown now from heavens throne-view of the exalted Christ- both John and Paul fit this testimony.
2)What Goldsworthy clearly sees and others have too, is that this and this alone is the first-layer witness to Christ and the gospel. All other witnesses do not carry the same authority for they are simply "hearsay" testimonies. All the Fathers of the Church and subsequent witnesses down to this present day would fit here.
3)If this is correct, and I really do believe that in the end we will all come to this for it is the only source of our unity: in Christ alone as he is testified to in Scripture alone. A good rule of thumb in interpretation is "It cannot mean today, what it did not mean to the original writers".
4)Finally, this shifts the center of responsibility for the whole Church to put the emphasis back on the text and the historical situation of God's people within the biblical narrative. I am finding evidence that more and more folks are beginning to catch this vision-Pastors, Theologians, and lay men and women who are serious Bible students.
I have posted a quote from Newbigin that speaks directly to this more eloquently than I can. Its from a book that is paying tribute to his contributions to the Church and her mission. I'm sorry I can not remember the link.If you are interested you won't have any problem finding it after a little work.
Thank you very much Darryl for your faithfulness and for listening to your discerning heart. I believe we are on the verge of a major break-through of some century-old logjams in biblical understanding of the Christ and his finished work.
John Paul Todd
e4unity.wordpress.com
I just checked and the quote wasn't from Newbigin (this time)but was from Bonhoeffer's "Life Together". It is currently the fourth post down from the current one.
In Christ,
John Paul Todd
Reclaiming the centrality of the gospel is exciting, but don't over-estimate the recent renaissance in this regard. There has been no centuries old logjam for solid classical Reformed Christianity, which has remained steadfast and immovable.
"I just checked and the quote wasn't from Newbigin (this time)but was from Bonhoeffer's 'Life Together'. It is currently the fourth post down from the current one."
Excellent quote! I'm really enjoying your blog as well.
What is the gospel ? Love God and love your neighbour as you love yourself.
I believe that Christians should practice more friendship evanglism. It was Jesus's approach. “Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said, ‘Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.’ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, ‘He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner.’ Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Look, Lord, I giver half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.’” And Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost’” (Luke 19:1-10). Jesus was called a wine biber and a glutton because he was a friend of tax collectors and other sinners.
Alpha has been a successful approach because it involves a soft sell approach that includes dinner and open discussion. The only problem is that after the 8 to 10 weeks the dinners stop and we welcome people to our usual small group discussions only with the occasional mens breakfast or potluck dinner.
If Churches would have more dinners and coffee houses and other social activities where the focus was on getting to know people and becoming their friends the Church would be further ahead. Not only would Christians have the opportuntiy to have more fun and fellowship together but anyone in our communities would feel that we were a friendly, normal bunch of people. It's not just children and young adults that are looking for fun, adventure and friendship. People of all ages are. I'm sure Zacchaeus and Jesus would agree.
Kevin
Kevin:
I agree with a lot of your comment, except for this statement:
"What is the gospel ? Love God and love your neighbour as you love yourself."
Doesn't that appear in the Bible as a summary of the law, not the gospel?
The gospel is:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him (and believes what he says) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
When we feel the love and forgiveness of God we will want to love others in return. Then like the Good Samaritan we will love not just in words and speech but in love and action.
Thanks, Kevin.
"When we feel the love and forgiveness of God we will want to love others in return. Then like the Good Samaritan we will love not just in words and speech but in love and action."
Well said.