What is the Gospel?
14 Apr 2009
I’ve been asked to write a short post around the title/topic of, ‘What is the Gospel’. It will be part of series over Easter, by practitioners, professors, authors and bloggers (including David Fitch, Eugene Cho, Raffi Shahinian, Kurt Fredrickson, Christine Sine, Len Hjalmarson, J.R. Briggs, J.R. Rozko, John Chandler, Kathy Hanson, Raffi Shahinian, John Santic), put together by J R Woodward.
In particular my answer must respond to this brief:
‘If your local city newspaper asked you to write 300 to 500 words on: What is the Good News? or Describe the Good News – what would you write? The unique twist to this is that you are obviously writing to a wide group of people with various backgrounds and life issues – the people in your city.’
So whilst I mull that over and write something, I wondered what short answers you would give to your city?
21 comments
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Comment by NGlancy
7.51 am on 14 Apr 2009
Maybe you could look at the gospel in the NT and tell me…J It seems to change every time it is told. Love is at the core; the core character of God throughout the OT (justice and mercy) and seems to carry on through the NT.
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Comment by Jason Clark
6.40 am on 21 Apr 2009
I’ll post my thoughts later this week
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Comment by Dave Lynch
8.09 am on 14 Apr 2009
The Gospel is….the life you see me living
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Comment by Dave Kay
7.16 pm on 20 Apr 2009
Is this you saying this or is it Jesus speaking?
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Comment by Jason Clark
6.41 am on 21 Apr 2009
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Comment by Rick Cruse
1.37 pm on 14 Apr 2009
The gospel is God’s Great Story (GGS!)of redemption, reconciliation and restoration in Jesus Christ.
We live in a world broken at every level: individual, family, community, world. Our brokenness flows out of and into the lie that “life is all about me/us; I’m/we’re the centre of everything.” To deal with this pervasive brokenness, God called a man, Abraham, who became a nation, Israel. This nation was to declare and to demonstrate GGS, a calling in which it ultimately failed.
In the person of Jesus, God entered his broken world, to re-establish His Kingdom rule over all creation. Jesus announced and illustrated God’s intention, then–in the face of Israel’s rejection–took upon himself the cause and the outcomes of brokenness.
Suffering, dying, and, as God’s ultimate proof of Jesus’ identity, being raised back to life, Jesus inaugurated God’s Kingdom, a “now” Kingdom, as declared and demonstrated by the new people of God, as well as a “Coming” Kingdom in which all creation will be restored to God’s original intention.
God’s new people, the church, are those who embrace by grace through faith, the risen Jesus as Lord. They now serve, individually and corporately, as the agents, servants and first fruits of this now/coming Kingdom, declaring and demonstrating GGS.
The call of the gospel is to join in GGS, becoming partners with God in His redemptive purposes.
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Comment by Jason Clark
6.43 am on 21 Apr 2009
Sounds great Rick, and much bigger than eternal life insurance prayer policies.
It includes, ‘the human condition’, ‘god’s response to that in Jesus’, and ‘what we do with Jesus in response to Jesus’.
Jase
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Comment by Rick Cruse
1.41 pm on 14 Apr 2009
Oops, one final thought: the call of the gospel is NOT to receive Jesus so you can be saved and go to heaven after you die. The call of the gospel is to embrace Jesus Christ, becoming a dynamic part of GGS, both now and in the future when God restores all things.
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Comment by AJ Swoboda
8.03 am on 17 Apr 2009
The gospel is a 4-Act Play:
Jesus Came
Jesus Loved
Jesus Died
INTERMISSION
Jesus Loved Even More
Curtain.
AJ
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Comment by Jason Clark
6.44 am on 21 Apr 2009
Put down the NT Wright, Nicolas Healy, and Hans Urs von Balthasar
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Comment by Existential Punk
8.12 pm on 19 Apr 2009
Rick,
i LOVED your second point when you said, ‘the call of the gospel is NOT to receive Jesus so you can be saved and go to heaven after you die. The call of the gospel is to embrace Jesus Christ, becoming a dynamic part of GGS, both now and in the future when God restores all things. AMEN! i wish more Christians got this!
The gospel for me is the story of the Divine interacting with his creation and how we are invited to interact and be co-creators with G-D. We are to be mirrors and reflect the love of G-D to all of creation, be it other humans or animals, the environment, or whatever else makes up and is a part of creation. It is not about assenting to a list of rules, beliefs and doctrines/dogmas. It is living and being and doing. Ok, my 2 cents/pence worth!
EP
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Comment by Rick Cruse
9.29 pm on 19 Apr 2009
I confess I am absolutely beholden to NT Wright for the concept if not also the actual words. I’ve found him to be most helpful in defining my understanding.
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Comment by Jason Clark
6.45 am on 21 Apr 2009
Sounds great, but where does belief fit in? Can you believe anything? What you lay out involved belief about how things are and how they should be?
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Comment by Existential Punk
6.50 am on 21 Apr 2009
Belief in G-D wanting a relationship with us and inviting us to be co-creators with G-D. Living out love, justice for the poor, loving enemies, etc. Make sense?
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Comment by Jason Clark
6.53 am on 21 Apr 2009
So there are some correct beliefs for you, and bad one? It’s more about how we interact with beliefs isn’t it? Just playing with you mate.
I agree!
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Comment by Existential Punk
6.54 am on 21 Apr 2009
Good, iam glad you agree with me!
Comments won’t nest below this level.
Reply here
Comment by Dave Kay
6.37 pm on 20 Apr 2009
Very Rabbinical of you – or just a ploy to get some good answers from others!!
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Comment by Jason Clark
6.48 am on 21 Apr 2009
What do you think Dave?
A rabbi posed a question to a Gentile inquirer, trying to illustrate this different style of thought. I will ask you some questions,” he said, “to see if you can logically come to the right answers. Two men fell down a chimney. One was dirty, and the other was clean. Which one washed?”
“The dirty one, of course,” replied Gentile.
“Wrong!” exclaimed the rabbi. “The dirty one looked at the clean one and thought Amazing! We just fell down a chimney but we didn’t get dirty. But the clean man saw the dirty man, presumed that they were both dirty, and immediately went to wash up.”
The Gentile smiled. “Oh, I see.”
“No, you don’t,” said the rabbi. “Let me ask you the second question: Two men fell down a chimney; one was clean and the other—”
The Gentile was puzzled. “You already asked me that question,” he said.
“No,” contended the rabbi, “—the other one was dirty. Which one washed?”
“The clean one,” said the Gentile.
“Wrong again,” said the rabbi. “It was the dirty one. He looked at the clean man and thought, It’s amazing that he should fall down the chimney and remain clean, whereupon he looked at his own hands and realized that he was dirty, and went and washed. And now for my third question. Two men fell down a chimney; one was dirty and the other was clean. Which one went and washed?”
The perplexed Gentile shrugged. “I don’t know whether to say it was the dirty one or the clean one.”
“Neither!” said the rabbi. “The whole question is ridiculous! How can two men fall down a chimney together, and one come out dirty and the other come out clean?”1
Tnx to:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/workplace/articles/rabbinicquestioning.html
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Comment by Existential Punk
6.52 am on 21 Apr 2009
i have heard Pete Rollins tell this same story, but changing who the 2 people are, several times and i LOVE it!
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Comment by Dave Kay
11.50 am on 21 Apr 2009
Rabbi – You are way too clever for me – but somehow I still feel the answer must be Jesus!!
If the Gospel is “good news” – then won’t aspects of what is the Gospel depend a little on how the person(s) requires/receives the good news? Therefore the mechanics of the gospel remains the same(The Trinity acting on behalf of humanity/human) but the application or description will vary according to who tells/describes it. The prostitutes description of the Gospel will differ from Nicodemus’s – or will it?
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Comment by Jason Clark
2.35 pm on 21 Apr 2009
I think the gospel is beyond description, it is so immense, and at the same time has many facets we can see/experience, such as you describe.
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