Gospel of Christ The Anointed King and Saviour

Over the past few years I have taken interest in how the term gospel or good news is used in Scripture.  I've posted a six part series on how the term gospel is used in the 4 books we call the Gospels. I've noticed that Jesus and His disciples preached the gospel or good news of the kingdom/reign/rule/authority of God.  I've also noticed a number of passages where Paul proclaimed the kingdom of God.

This week another combination of terms caught my eye.  In many of the books attributed to Paul we see the words "gospel of Christ".

The term 'Christ' means Messiah or anointed one.  The Jews were waiting for a Messiah to be their King and Saviour.

If we substitute the term Christ with its meaning "anointed King and Saviour", it helps clarify that Paul and Jesus were proclaiming the same good news.

Romans 15:19

"in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of the anointed King and Saviour."

1 Corinthians 9:12

"If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving? But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the  gospel of the anointed King and Saviour."

2 Corinthians 2:12

"Now when I arrived in Troas to proclaim the gospel of the anointed King and Saviour, even though the Lord had opened a door of opportunity for me,"

2 Corinthians 4:4

 "among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of those who do not believe so they would not see the light of the glorious  gospel of the anointed King and Saviour, who is the image of God."

2 Corinthians 9:13

"Through the evidence of this service they will glorify God because of your obedience to your confession in the  gospel of the anointed King and Saviour and the generosity of your sharing with them and with everyone."

Galatians 1:7

"not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the  gospel of the anointed King and Saviour."

Philippians 1:27

"Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the  gospel of the anointed King and Saviour so that..."

1 Thessalonians 3:2

 "We sent Timothy, our brother and fellow worker for  gospel of the anointed King and Saviour, ..."

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Related Posts:

• Good News
• Different Gospel Definitions
• Gospel in the Gospels - Summary - 6 part series
• What is the Gospel? - lists verses related to gospel in 'the gospels'
• Gospel in other NT verses
• Gospel of Kingdom in Romans
• Kingdom of God
• What Gospel does you neighbor need to hear?
• Jesus' Gospel vs Paul's Gospel
• What does evangelical mean?
• Why Did Jesus Come?
• Jesus sends out the 12
• My 95 Thesis point 2 Gospel

Different Gospel Definitions

Trevin Wax over at The Gospel Coalition has organized a great collection of different definitions of "the gospel" by different Christians both present and past. I appreciated reading summaries from some names I recognize like Martin Luther, Pope Benedict XVI, William Tyndale, Tim Keller, and many others.

Click here or here for a pdf version to see full list and where the following quotes came from.

I appreciate Gilbert Beebe's emphasis on "It is finished" or "finished redemption".

I appreciate W.A. Criswell's brief summary:

"The message from our Lord Himself is that Christ suffered and was raised from the dead and that remission of sins should be preached in His name to all people. That is the good news. That is the message. That is the gospel!"

I appreciate Robert A. Guelich's summary:

"The “gospel” then is the message that God acted in and through Jesus Messiah, God’s anointed one, to effect God’s promise of shalom, salvation, God’s reign.’"

I appreciate Martin Luther's summary:

"The gospel is a story about Christ, God’s and David’s son, who died and was raised, and is established as Lord. This is the gospel in a nutshell."

I appreciate how M.F. Sadler sees the term gospel being used in Scripture to announce different good news events, and that he does not see Scripture using the term to support a list of preferred doctrines or teachings, for example to summarize preferred views on things like individual election, calling, justification, and sanctification.

I appreciate Craig Bartholomew's summary:

“Gospel (from the Old English godspel, ‘good tale’) means ‘good news,’ and this is the best news there can be: in Jesus, the kingdom of God has come!”

I appreciate Jim Belcher's summary:

“The ‘gospel’ is the good news that through Jesus, the Messiah, the power of God’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world. Through the Savior God has established his reign. When we believe and rely on Jesus’ work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us. We witness this radical new way of living by our renewed lives, beautiful community, social justice, and cultural transformation. The good news brings new life. The gospel motivates, guides, and empowers every aspect of our living and worship.”

I appreciate Pope Benedict XVI's summary:

“The term has recently been translated as ‘good news.’ That sounds attractive, but it falls far short of the order of magnitude of what is actually meant by the word evangelion. This term figures in the vocabulary of the Roman emperors, who understood themselves as lords, saviors, and redeemers of the world…. The idea was that what comes from the emperor is a saving message, that it is not just a piece of news, but a changing of the world for the better.“When the Evangelists adopt this word, and it thereby becomes the generic name for their writings, what they mean to tell us is this: What the emperors, who pretend to be gods, illegitimately claim, really occurs here – a message endowed with plenary authority, a message that is not just talk but reality…. the Gospel is not just informative speech, but performative speech – not just the imparting of information, but action, efficacious power that enters into the world to save and transform. Mark speaks of the ‘Gospel of God,’ the point being that it is not the emperors who can save the world, but God. And it is here that God’s word, which is at once word and deed, appears; it is here that what the emperors merely assert, but cannot actually perform, truly takes place. For here it is the real Lord of the world – the Living God – who goes into action.“The core of the Gospel is this: The Kingdom of God is at hand.”

I appreciate C.C. Broyles summary:

"Gospel, or “good news,” designates Jesus’ message of the appearance of God’s kingdom, a message entailing liberty for those held captive to any form of affliction and demonstrated most dramatically in acts of healing. In some instances the term encompasses the whole story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus…"

I appreciate Robert F. Capon emphasis:

“Christianity is NOT a religion; it is the proclamation of the end of religion. Religion is a human activity dedicated to the job of reconciling God to humanity and humanity to itself. The Gospel, however – the Good News of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the astonishing announcement that God has done the whole work of reconciliation without a scrap of human assistance. It is the bizarre proclamation that religion is over – period.”

I appreciate Andy Crouch's summary:

“The gospel is the proclamation of Jesus, in [two] senses. It is the proclamation announced by Jesus – the arrival of God’s realm of possibility (his “kingdom”) in the midst of human structures of possibility. But it is also the proclamation about Jesus – the good news that in dying and rising, Jesus has made the kingdom he proclaimed available to us.”

I appreciate Tim Keller's summary:

The ‘gospel’ is the good news that through Christ the power of God’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world. When we believe and rely on Jesus’ work and record (rather than ours) for our relationship to God, that kingdom power comes upon us and begins to work through us.”
“Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, God fully accomplishes salvation for us, rescuing us from judgment for sin into fellowship with him, and then restores the creation in which we can enjoy our new life together with him forever.”

I appreicate Rick McKinley's point that some may emphasize two different gospels. Some emphasize the gospel of the kingdom that they see Jesus and His disciples preaching, and others emphasize a gospel about how Jesus saves that they see Paul teaching.  I agree that Jesus is both Lord and Saviour, and both aspects should be emphasized.

I appreciate Chris Seay's summary:

The gospel is the good news that God is calling out all people to be redeemed by the power residing in the life, death, and ultimate resurrection of Jesus the Liberating King. These “called-out ones” are rescued from a life of slavery, sin, and failure to become emissaries in a new kingdom set to join the redemption of the entire creation, groaning and longing to be redeemed.

I appreciate Tullian Tchividjian's summary:

”The Gospel is the the good news that in and through Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, God makes all things new.”

I appreciate N.T. Wright's summary:

“The gospel is the royal announcement that the crucified and risen Jesus, who died for our sins and rose again according to the Scriptures, has been enthroned as the true Lord of the world. When this gospel is preached, God calls people to salvation, out of sheer grace, leading them to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as the risen Lord.”

Personally I feel any definition of the gospel should be broad enough to fit in the majority of passages that reference the term gospel. For example when we look at passages where Jesus and His disciples are seen preaching the gospel, does the way we define the gospel make sense in that context? See Matthew 4:23, Matthew 9:35, Matthew 10:7, Matthew 24:14, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 4:43, Luke 8:1, Luke 9:6 or my Gospel in the Gospels 6 part series. I believe there is value in understanding what Scripture has to say on the importance of the cross, but I don't see Scripture defining the gospel consistently in terms of solving the mystery of what the cross means to us.


Anyways, I appreciated reading through these different gospel definitions. I see many great truths in them. It is interesting that these men have all came away with different ways to emphasize things after studying the same Scriptures. A good reminder to give each other grace as we seek to be faithful to Scripture as we share with others.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. How would you define the gospel?

Related Posts:

• Gospel in the Gospels - Summary - 6 part series
• Gospel Definitions - some concerns with how we try to define the gospel
• Good News
• Gospel of Kingdom in Romans
• What Gospel does you neighbor need to hear?
• What does evangelical mean?
• My 95 Thesis point 2 Gospel
• Secrets of the Kingdom Summary
• Jesus' Gospel vs Paul's Gospel
• Paul Proclaiming the Kingdom of God
• Importance of The Cross
• Jesus saves from religion

Jesus Saves From Religion

Has Jesus saved you from religion? This weekend as many consider the death and resurrection of Jesus you may hear the message that Jesus saves.   There are different verses that speak about Jesus saving us from sin, selfishness, and the powers of death, destruction, darkness, etc. However the message that Jesus can save you from religion doesn't get as much air time.

For this post to make sense you need to understand the definition of religion I am working with. For some people religion may simply mean caring for the needs of others as James puts it, or your personal connection with God. But religion often includes more than that.

When I use the word religion, I am talking about a commitment to systems of beliefs, rules, or rituals, and the institutions that maintain them.

If the idea that Jesus can save you from religion sounds shocking, take a minute to consider the life of Jesus. In the stories of the New Testament, if Jesus is the protagonist, who where the antagonists?  The main opponents Jesus faced during His life, and death were the religious leaders of the day.  The Jewish people were looking for a Messiah to save them from Roman political powers.  But that is not what Jesus primarily delivered. At the end of the day what powers were broken when Jesus died on the cross?  What was the significance of the temple curtain being torn in two?

Consider this quote in Bruxy Cavey's book "End of Religion":

"The Jesus described in the Bible never uses the word religion to refer to what he came to establish, nor does he invite people to join a particular institution or organization. When he speaks of "church", he is talking about people who gather in his name, not the structure they meet in or the organization they belong to (see Matthew 18:15-20). And when he talks about connecting with God, he consistently speaks not of religion but of "faith" (Luke 7:50; John 3:14-16). Jesus never commands his followers to embrace detailed creeds or codes of conduct, and he never instructs his followers to participate in exhaustive religious rituals. His life's work was about undoing the knots that bound people to ritual and empty tradition."

If you are still with me, here are some scripture passages to consider.

Galatians 2:15-21 (NET)   - The context for the "I have been crucified with Christ" seams to be that the old self that was mastered by the old religious law is now put to death.  If we continue to live under the control of religion, "Christ died for nothing!"

"We are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners, 16 yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by the faithfulness of Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not! 18 But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I am one who breaks God’s law. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I may live to God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!" 

Galatians 3:11-14 (NET) - Jesus freed us from the old religious laws

 "Now it is clear no one is justified before God by the law, because the righteous one will live by faith. 12 But the law is not based on faith, but the one who does the works of the law will live by them. 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we could receive the promise of the Spirit by faith.

Galatians 3:23 - 29 (NET)  - We used to be in bondage to religion.  Prisoners under the control of religion. Now we are 'in Christ Jesus' adopted as His sons. Our trust and submission is no longer directed towards religion, but towards the person of Jesus.

23 Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 Thus the law had become our guardian until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. 26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 4:5 (NET)  "to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights."

Galatians 5:1 (NET) "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke of slavery. "

Galatians 6:12-16 (NET) - The context of this passage is speaking about the old religious laws. When Paul says that the "world has been crucified to me" he is speaking about the hold that religion had on him is now dead.

12 Those who want to make a good showing in external matters are trying to force you to be circumcised. They do so only to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13 For those who are circumcised do not obey the law themselves, but they want you to be circumcised so that they can boast about your flesh. 14 But may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that matters is a new creation! 16 And all who will behave in accordance with this rule, peace and mercy be on them, and on the Israel of God.

1 Corinthians 15:50 - 57 - The power of sin is religious laws.

“Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters: Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.  Listen, I will tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.  Now when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will happen, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!

Colossians 2:13-14 (NIV)  - canceled the written code with it's regulations

"He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. "

So what has Jesus saved us from?  I believe a case can be made that trusting in Jesus saves us from the control of religion.   Life under God's rule free's us from bondage to our own selfish ways, as well as the grip of religion and other powers of the world.

"You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men." 1 Corinthians 7:23 (NET)

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Related posts:

• Importance of The Cross
• Two Types of Legalism
• Following Jesus and Following Christianity
• End Of Religion

Some Bible Gateway Definitions

I came across some definitions from Bible Gateway that I appreciate (by Dictionary of Bible Themes Scripture index copyright Martin H. Manser, 2009)

2423 gospel, essence of

"The chief characteristic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel is that Jesus Christ is both Lord and Saviour."

2375 kingdom of God

"Or, less frequently, “kingdom of heaven”, the kingly rule of God in the lives of people and nations. It refers to the recognition of the authority of God, rather than a definite geographical area, and begins with the ministry of Jesus Christ."

2376 kingdom of God, coming of

"The kingdom of God comes into being wherever the kingly authority of God is acknowledged. Although God is always sovereign, Scripture looks to a future “realm” or “reign” of salvation. This has come in Christ and yet will come in its fulness only when Jesus Christ returns."

The above links have many subheadings with links to related verses.  For example... 

"The kingdom of God was central in the preaching of Jesus Christ and the apostles"

Mt 24:14; Lk 8:1; Ac 28:31 See also Mt 4:17,23; Mt 9:35; Mt 10:7 Jesus Christ’s instructions to the Twelve; Mk 1:13-14; Lk 4:43; Lk 9:2,11; Lk 10:9; Ac 1:3,6-8; Ac 8:12; Ac 19:8; Ac 20:25; Ac 28:23

"The kingdom of God has come in Christ: it is present"

Mt 11:12 Following the Jewish convention of avoiding the use of the divine name, Matthew usually speaks of “the kingdom of heaven”. See also Mt 3:1-2; Mt 4:17; Mt 13:31-32 pp Mk 4:30-32 pp Lk 13:18-19; Mt 13:33 pp Lk 13:20-21; Mt 16:28 pp Mk 9:1 pp Lk 9:27; Lk 11:20;Lk 16:16; Lk 17:20-21

"The kingdom of God will come in its fulness only when Jesus Christ returns: it is future"

Lk 22:18 pp Mt 26:29 pp Mk 14:25 See also Mt 6:10 pp Lk 11:2; Mt 25:31,34; Lk 22:16; 1Co 15:24; 2Ti 4:18; Rev 11:15; Rev 12:10

I just thought I'd share links to this resource.

Paul Proclaiming the Kingdom of God

In Acts and into the epistles we see Paul proclaiming the message of the kingdom (reign/rule/authority) of God from town to town.

Paul:

"So Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God." Acts 19:8 NET

“And now I know that none of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom will see me again." Acts 20:25 NET

"They set a day to meet with him, and they came to him where he was staying in even greater numbers. From morning until evening he explained things to them, testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets."  Acts 28:23 NET

"proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with complete boldness and without restriction." Acts 28:31 NET

"For the kingdom of God does not consist of food and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Romans 14:17 NET

"For the kingdom of God is demonstrated not in idle talk but with power." 1 Corinthians 4:20 NET

... and more

The above verses show that Paul was committed to proclaiming the kingdom of God wherever he went. We see similar passages relating to the disciples in the gospels.

12 Disciples:

"Jesus sends out His 12 disciples: On your way proclaim (preach) that the kingdom (reign, rule, authority) of heaven (or God) is at hand." Matt 10:7

"Then they (the 12 disciples) set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the gospel (good news) and curing people everywhere." Luke 9:6

The disciples were obviously following the example of Jesus, as he was known to go from town to town proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom/reign/rule/authority of God.

Jesus:

"Jesus went all through Galilee, teaching in their Synagogues, proclaiming (preaching) the gospel (good news) of the kingdom (reign, rule, authority, realm, dominion), and curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people;" Mat 4:23

"Jesus went around all the towns and the villages, teaching in their Synagogues, proclaiming (preaching) the gospel (good news) of the kingdom (reign, rule, authority, dominion, realm), and curing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness." Matthew 9:35

"Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming (preaching) the gospel (good news) of God —“The time has come, and the kingdom (rule, reign, authority) of God is at hand; repent (change your way of thinking), and believe the good news.” Mar 1:14-15

"Jesus, however, said to them: “I must take the good news (gospel) of the kingdom (reign, rule, authority, dominion) of God to the other town also, for that was why I was sent.” Luke 4:43

"Shortly afterwards, Jesus went on a journey through the towns and villages, proclaiming (preaching) the good news (gospel) of the kingdom (rule, reign, authority, dominion) of God." Luke 8:1

My point here is that it would be wrong to assume the gospel message Paul preached was any different than the good news of the kingdom of God that Jesus and His disciples proclaimed.  Verses like the following should be read keeping in mind what message we know was proclaimed by Paul, Jesus, and the other disciples.  It would be wrong to assume Paul was proclaiming a new or different gospel message.

"not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ." Galatians 1:7

"in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem even as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ (the anointed King)." Romans 15:19 NET

"Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ (the anointed King), according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages," Romans 16:25

"Remember Jesus Christ (the anointed King), raised from the dead, a descendant of David; such is my gospel," 2 Timothy 2:8

"Now I want to make clear for you, brothers and sisters, the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ (the anointed King) died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures," 1 Corinthians 15:1 -4

When Paul proclaimed the gospel, he was proclaiming that Jesus was Christ, the anointed King, the messiah.  He was proclaiming Jesus as both Lord and Savior.  Paul was an example of someone who followed the commands in the following verses. 

For Us All:

Then he said to them: “Go into all the world, and proclaim the gospel (good news) to all creation. Mark 16:15

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Matthew 24:14

My desire is to also proclaim the gospel of God's kingdom (reign/rule/authority).  To proclaim that it is good news that Jesus is Lord and Savior.


Related Posts:

• Gospel in the Gospels - Summary - 6 part series
• Gospel Definitions - some concerns with how we try to define the gospel
• Gospel of Kingdom in Romans
• What Gospel does you neighbor need to hear?
• What does evangelical mean?
• My 95 Thesis point 2 Gospel 
• Secrets of the Kingdom Summary 
• Jesus' Gospel vs Paul's Gospel

Children of the Kingdom

I am continuing my series on the secrets of the kingdom, taking a look today at  Mark 10:13-16 (NIV)

"People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them.  When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.  Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them."

Why do you think Jesus would say such things?

Is it that some of us think we are more important than others? In many work environments it may be true.  Some people will be in positions of authority over others. In difference circles of influence it may also be true.

But in the kingdom of God it doesn't seem so. In this world you may be the king or president of a great nation, a CEO of a large company, or the leader of some organization... but we see Jesus saying that anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. 

Why would Jesus say this? I think kingdoms work best when there is only one king. If somebody wants to join the kingdom of God, but also want to be in charge somehow... it's just not going to work out well.

I'm sorry, but if you want to be a king in the kingdom of God, it seems like there is no room in the kingdom for you. That position has already been filled.

Children are welcome. There is always more room for children of the King. 

 Related Posts:

• Secrets of the Kingdom Summary
• Leading The Way 
• Church Hierarchical Leadership  
• Kingdom Without Hierarchy 
• The Kingdom of Heaven Belongs to... 
• Greatest in the Kingdom

Gospel Definitions

What is the deal with defining the gospel?  I am sensing there are different camps of Christians pushing their gospel definitions. I confess I have done some of this myself.

Trevin Wax has put together a collection of over 70 gospel definitions he has found here: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevinwax/category/gospel/gospel-definitions/

There are some that I like more than others.  But if I was asked to give a definition of the gospel I would likely write something slightly different.

So I am wondering if we should back off on pushing our different gospel definitions.

Should we take an honest look and recognize that the terms for gospel and good new get used in many different ways in Scripture.  We don't find one gospel definition in Scripture that gets used over and over again.


Is the problem that we have made the word gospel to mean something more than it meant in Scripture? When we try to define the gospel, are we trying to create a summary of the main points of the Christian faith?

Have we changed the meaning of "good news" into "most important beliefs"?

Consider the example of gospel or good news in Luke 2:10. The angles pronounce good news (gospel) that a savior was born.  Does the use of the term for gospel here give a main summary of the beliefs of the Christian faith?  When we share the gospel with others are we to simply repeat what the angels said here?


I do sense some Christians are hesitant to accept that Jesus preached a good news message about the kingdom of God - and that He sent His disciples out preaching in a similar way. There are at least 8 passages where the terms good news or gospel are linked to a kingdom message in the gospels. To be honest I am not sure what concerns they have over this message. I am trying to sort it out.

I am not ashamed of the gospel of the kingdom that Jesus and His disciples preached. I am also not ashamed of any of the gospel accounts of Jesus. Nor am I ashamed of the good news message of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Whenever Jesus and the writers of scripture say "this is good news", I want to agree and share the good news with others.


But I am recognizing there is no record in our Scriptures of a gospel presentation that includes a summary of all the main beliefs of the Christian faith.  If we simply look at all the times the words gospel, and good news show up, we do not see a pattern to piece together such a gospel presentation.  The same goes when we look at different passages where people share the message of Jesus to others.  Even Jesus gives different explanations to different people on how to be saved.

I have some concerns over how much proof-texting is required for most gospel presentations.  If you have to piece together a summary by cutting and pasting sentences from different places... don't you think it is odd that at least one, if not all the NT books had a complete summary like the one you have made? 


It is good to study the Bible and try to piece it together to understand what God is asking of you.  But we should notice that Jesus didn't really put together any creeds, doctrinal statements, or even a systematic gospel presentation that we should memorize, repeat, and spread. 

So as I strive to simply follow Jesus, I think I may be free from needing to have the best definition of "good news".  May Jesus be good news for those around me.

I guess I may need to re-word some of my old posts on this topic.

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Related Posts:

• Good News
• Gospel in the Gospels - Summary - 6 part series
• What is the Gospel? - lists verses related to gospel in 'the gospels'
• Gospel in other NT verses
• Gospel of Kingdom in Romans
• Kingdom of God
• What Gospel does you neighbor need to hear?
• Why Did Jesus Come?
• Jesus sends out the 12
• My 95 Thesis point 2 Gospel

The Reign of God vs the Empire

"The reign of God is in direct opposition to the Empire. In the political sense, if the world had to be operated on the principles of the reign of God rather than the principles of Empire, then there will be less a need for power and control, and more a sense of shared power or even a relinquishing of power. This is where Jesus’ kenotic act of emptying himself provides a glimpse of what the reign of God is all about (Philippians 2:1-11)."

Taken from from Council for World Missions Theology Statement.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this quote. Do you think it fits with the message of  good news of the kingdom of God that Jesus and His disciples preached from town to town?

Thanks Len for sharing this quote earlier on nextreformation.com.


Related Posts:

• Is Caesar Lord?
• Gospel in the Gospels - Summary - 6 part series
• Gospel of Kingdom in Romans 
• Dr Dwight Pryor on-Kingdom Of God - Part 1
• Dr Dwight Pryor on-Kingdom Of God - Part 2

Kingdom Good News

I am continuing my series on the secrets of the kingdom and am now moving into the gospel according to Mark.

Early into this good news account by Mark we have this passage that relates the good news to the kingdom of God.

Mark 1:14-15 (NIV)

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.  “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” 

Or... Young's Literal Translation 

And after the delivering up of John, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of the reign of God,and saying -- `Fulfilled hath been the time, and the reign of God hath come nigh, reform ye, and believe in the good news.'

I am sure many theologians wish there were more details here. 

What is the gospel that Jesus preached?

Or maybe the good news that Jesus preached was simply that the King was here.  Jesus is Lord. Repent, believe, change your way of thinking, submit to the King and submit to the reign of God.

Do you think this passage is missing some of the details of the gospel? Or could the secrets of the kingdom be simple enough for a child or simpleton like me to understand. :)

May God's kingdom come, Gods will be done, here on earth as it is in heaven.

That is good news!

Unpatriotic Blasphemers and Traitors

Today is Canada Day for me.  I am celebrating by being a bright shade of red - a sunburn from a day at the beach yesterday.  Today we plan to hang out with some friends and go see some fireworks in the evening. South of our border Americans will celebrate in a few days in a similar way, but on a larger scale.

Some food for thought from Tertullian as we join these patriotic celebrations.

We are charged with being irreligious people and, what is more, irreligious in respect to the emperors since we refuse to pay religious homage to their imperial majesties and to their genius and refuse to swear by them. High treason is a crime of offense against the Roman religion. It is a crime of open irreligion, a raising of the hand to injure the deity ... Christians are considered to be enemies of the State ... we do not celebrate the festivals of the Caesars. Guards and informers bring up accusations against the Christians ... blasphemers and traitors ... we are charged with sacrilege and high treason ... we give testimony to the truth.
-Tertullian (c. 160 – c. 225 AD)

The Christians were considered irreligious in their response to the religion of Rome.  They did not worship the Caesar like the nation expected.  They refused to confess that Caesar was Lord.  This is what made them enemies of the state, and they were persecuted for this.

The kingdom that Christians pledged allegiance to was the kingdom of God.  They confessed that Jesus was Lord.

Here are a few more quotes:

I recognize no empire of this present age.
-Speratus, from "Acts of the Martyrs"

“I do not wish to be a ruler. I do not strive for wealth. I refuse offices connected with military command” - Tatian (c. 120–180)

"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9 NIV)

So what do I think? You can quote me on these. :)

"I love the people in Canada, but my love for people sees no boundaries of politics or race."

"May God's kingdom come and God's will be done, here and now as it is in heaven."

The New Conversion

A friend passed along a Christianity Today article they thought I'd find interesting, and was curious what my thoughts were on it.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/aprilweb-only/new-conversion.html 


How is it that a respectable magazine like Christianity Today can publish some of the same crazy thought's that I've been having.  Does this mean I am not as crazy as I thought? Or does it mean there are lots of crazy folks out there?  Likely the latter.  :)

"Conversion was viewed to be a punctiliar experience: persons could specify with confidence and assurance the time and place of their conversion, by reference, as often as not, to the moment when they prayed what was typically called "the sinner's prayer."

I agree.  I used to think the sinners prayer was the way to become a Christian.
However I realize now that when people asked Jesus `What must I do to be saved`, I don`t see him responding `repeat this prayer after me`. For example Mark 10:18-25 and Matthew 25:34-45 don't mention a specific prayer as moment of conversion.

"The focus of conversion was the afterlife: one sought salvation so that one could "go to heaven" after death, and the assumption was that "salvation" would lead to disengagement from the world. Once converted, the central focus of one's life would be church or religious activities, particularly those that helped others come to this understanding of salvation that assured them of "eternal life" after death."

 I have also converted and repented (changed my way of thinking) on this as well.  :)

The gospel message that Jesus and His disciples preached from town to town was that of the Kingdom of God. This reign or rule of God is one that started in those days and can be a present reality for us today. God's power is available to us each and every day. He wants to defeat sin and death in our present lives.  He wants to heal and restore our lives to what He intended them to be. We can choose to live in the kingdom of darkness, or in the kingdom of light.  I believe there will be a future form of the reign of God as well, but that does not need to be our main focus today.

Further, the church was often defined as in the business of making conversions happen; its life and mission were oriented toward getting more people converted through whatever means possible. Successful congregations were characterized by numerical "conversion growth." 

I am discovering that Jesus was in the disciple-making business, and that should be my focus as well.  The focus shifts away from an agreement of some doctrine, statement of faith, and a prayer. To become a disciple means to follow the ways of Jesus, and that should also involve finding other followers to journey together with.

The article lists different scholars, theologians, historians, philosophers, and others that are contributing to movement on these topics. I found it interesting to see all the different sources of change within the evangelical community. Change is in the wind. 

This begs the question of what it means to be the church. The evangelical tradition is at a fork in the road and, given this sea change in the understanding of conversion and redemption, the most crucial issue at stake is what it means to be a congregation. Evangelicals will only be able to navigate these waters if they can formulate a dynamic theology of the church that reflects the Triune character of God, the means of grace—Spirit and Word—and a radical orientation in mission toward the kingdom of God.

Rethinking what the term 'church' meant to the early church is also changing my role with church. 

Yikes, yes this article sums up a lot of the process I've been going through. 

Related Posts:

• Good News
• Essentials For a New Disciple
• Disciple Making 101
• This is Discipling
• Church Etymology 

Favorite Topic

If you spend enough time with anyone you should eventually clue into what their favorite topics are. Christians are no different, we all have are favorite topic we like to emphasize. I know different Christians who are known to focus on different things.

For example I know many who focus a lot on the cross and Penal Substitutionary Atonement.

I know others who focus a lot on church.

I know others who really want to focus on God's holiness, and others focus on our need to live holy lives.

I know others who focus on creation, spiritual gifts, prosperity, end times, love, justice, grace, specific mission organisations, charity project, politics, or evangelism.

I really think it is good and great that we are all wired differently. And I acknowledge these topics can overlap and support each other.

However... how can I say this without sounding proud....

I am thankful Jesus has placed His favorite topic on my heart.

What was the favorite topic of Jesus?

When we read the stories of Jesus in the gospels, I think it is safe to say His favourite topic was that of the kingdom of God.

This blog started off focusing a lot on Church unity. And I still think that is a great topic worth looking at.

Right now I notice I have now written more blog posts about the Reign of God (kingdom of God) and kingdom secrets than any other topic. Those two labels are really the same topic. I just want to go verse by verse through all kingdom related passages, so I've separated these posts into a kingdom secrets series.

I will still blog about many other topics.

And I'm OK with people focusing on other topics. But I think I've found the best topic to focus on, and I'm glad to share what I'm learning here.

Whiteboard Whole Church Whole Gospel Whole World

I came across this video today. I often feel like I'm alone in some of the things I'm learning in regards to church and the gospel of the kingdom. I think this video does a great job expressing some of my thoughts. I didn't make it... but I think whoever did was reading my mind. :)

Thanks Jeff Maguire and Brian Hurst. Well said.

Not a Wimpy Gospel

Please don't read this as an attack on another side. I want to simply clarify my position.

I suspect some Evangelicals view the kingdom gospel as some kind of soft, fluffy, feel good gospel. Jesus loves the world, lets all do good deeds and all will be good. I sense some hesitation to explore it.

The gospel message they want to emphasize is the tough gospel with a greater emphasis on sin, hell, God's holiness and wrath. If you want a serious gospel, you don't want to stray too far from there.

But please consider another way to look at it.

The gospel of the kingdom, as I see it, is a get your hands dirty kind of Gospel.

It is not an academic gospel where you accept a certain set of truths and the rest is up to God. Is is not about believing in God, saying a prayer, and waiting for better days in heaven.

There is a battle going on!

There are two kingdoms at war!

Pick your side!

Put on your armor!

Get out of the grand-stands and join the front lines with your Lord!

This is how I see the gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus and His disciples preached.

I am not saying that Evangelicals do not get their hands dirty, or join in the battle.

My point here is that I'm not ashamed of the gospel Jesus preached. It is not a wimpy gospel.


Related Posts:

• Did Jesus preach the gospel?
• Gospel in the Gospels - Summary - 6 part series
  
• What is the Gospel? - lists verses related to gospel in 'the gospels'
  
• Gospel in other NT verses
• Which Tent Post Is The Cross?

Chart Kingdom and Church Emphasis

I've been wondering for awhile if I've placed too much emphasis on church.

From the Gospels we see Jesus was focused on His good news message of the kingdom of God.

The emphasis shifts with the other books in the New Testament to a greater emphasis on Christ's church.

Yet, across the whole New Testament the term kingdom beats the term church by around 154 to 116.

I think there is overlap between the two terms. I believe church is people of God, and whenever they get together. Those part of Christ's kingdom are part of Christ's church.

Maybe there would be less distinction if the meaning of church lines up with what we see in the New Testament.

What do you think?

How focused should we be on kingdom work and on church work?

Is there a difference?

Related Posts:

• Jesus on Church
• Church Etymology
• Recognize Church
• My Role with Church
• Plugins Extensions and Add-ons and the Church
• Secrets of the Kingdom Summary

Pray for Kingdom Unity?

Jan 18 - 25 is designated as a week of prayer for Christian Unity. My prayer for unity has changed over the years. I used to pray that all the true Christian denominations would strike up some merge type deal. I visited with Priests and Pastors, emailed denominational presidents, visited with a leader of an ecumenical organization, and tried to encourage dialog between different Christian traditions. I can't say I made much progress.

I still think such dialog would be helpful. But my prayer for Christian unity has changed.

I no longer view Christ's church as some groupings of a bunch of church organizations.

I view church as Christ's people, and whenever they get together.

I also recognize I've spent too much time focusing on church. We only have two records of Jesus talking about church, but we have over a 100 verses with Him talking about His Kingdom.

It is easy to wrongly assume there are lots of different churches - and see the need for them to unite. The reality is that Christ only has one church - it is everyone who submits to Him as Lord.

But when we think of the kingdom of God, we usually visualize one kingdom. One King, one Lord, one kingdom.

I don't pray that the kingdom unites. It's a no brainer. God's kingdom is united!

Now I simply pray that those who follow Jesus would recognize that we are united. It is not up to the leaders of the different church organizations to decide if we are One. And it's not up to us to decide who is in and who is out.

Here is another recent Prayer For Christian Unity.

How do you pray for Christian unity?


Related Posts:

• Prayer For Christian Unity
• Divided Kingdom
• Who says we are divided?
• Unity is Essential
• Week of Prayer For Christian Unity
• Church Etymology
• Judgemental Christians
• Kingdom and Weeds

Gates of Hades and Keys of the Kingdom

Part three of Matt 16:15-19. Working through passages dealing with the topic of the kingdom, I come to this passage which is too complex to deal with in one post.

Part 1: On What Rock
Part 2: I Will Build My Church
Part 3: Gates of Hades and Keys of the Kingdom

Matt 16:15-19 (NIV)

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Gates of Hades?

To understand what Gates of Hades could mean we should look at other passages that use a similar phrase. Job 17:16, Job 38:17, Psalm 9:13, Psalm 107:18, and Isaiah 38:10 make reference to the gates of death. It seems they refer to points where someone nears the passage from life to death.

Hades was the ancient Greek God of the underworld, but the term was commonly used to refer to the abode of the dead. Here in Acts 2:27 speaking about Jesus, 'realm of the dead' is the same term translated as Hades elsewhere.

Acts 2:27 (NIV)

because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, you will not let your holy one see decay.

Here is another verse that speaks of keys related to death and Hades.
Rev 1:18 (NIV)

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.

Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven?

I'm going to make a leap that the keys in this verse should go with the gates in the previous sentence. I know there are other ways to read this passage, but this seems to make the most sense to me.

When Jesus spoke about the kingdom of heaven, he was typically speaking about the reign and rule of God - the kingdom of light - the way of life. The kingdom of heaven has a present reality, as well as a future phase.

What sort of keys could there be that can open the gates that separate the realm of death with the realm of life?

Jesus is the keys. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life...

Jesus is the way to defeat and/or resist the powers of darkness, and live under the powers of life.

Bound in heaven?

The HCSB translation may do a better job on vs 19.
Matthew 16:19 (HCSB)

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is already loosed in heaven."

Peter isn't so much deciding what will be bound, and what will be loosed. The stuff that is already bound and loosed in heaven, that is the stuff Peter is binding and releasing here on earth.

In some mysterious way, Peter played a role in participating in the work that God in heaven had set in motion. We also are in a sense God's hands and feet as we work for the kingdom of God.

I know there are other ways to view this passage. I welcome your thoughts on this.


Related Posts:

• Kingdom of God
• Secrets of the Kingdom Summary

Kingdom like a Net

The Parable of the Net (Matt 13:47 - 50 HCSB)

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a large net thrown into the sea. It collected every kind [of fish], and when it was full, they dragged it ashore, sat down, and gathered the good [fish] into containers, but threw out the worthless ones. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out, separate the evil people from the righteous, and throw them into the blazing furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Continuing my series on the secrets of the kingdom. The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given to us (Matthew 13:11). Jesus came to share this kingdom message (Luke 4:43). So I'm examining different passages related to this kingdom message.

So here we have a large net that represents the kingdom of God.

It seems there may be good fish and bad fish in this net during the present era of the kingdom of God.

There are likely some people that appear to be part of the reign of God now, but are really citizens of another kingdom. Who or what is truly ruling other people's hearts? It is hard for us to judge.

They may be sick or diseased fish, or even dead rotten fish, but they are still in the net.

It is not the job of the good fish to get rid of the bad fish.

At the end of the ages, the angels will collect the good fish, and dispose of the bad fish. There is no value in keeping rotten fish around forever.

This parable seems parallel to the Kingdom and Weeds parable in Matt 13:24-29.

What does this parable mean to you?

Related Posts

• Kingdom of God
• Secrets of the Kingdom Summary
• Does Scripture say Hell is Eternal Punishment?
• Judgemental Christians

Small Is Big

I've been procrastinating on writing a review of Small Is Big (originally published as The Rabbit and the Elephant) by Tony Dale, Felicity Dale and George Barna. The problem with this book is there are so many parts to it that I find encouraging. I don't know if a short summary will do justice. I'd like to say "I like this part", and then quote the whole book, but that may break some copyright rules.

If I were to write a short summary of this book, this is a thought that kept coming to me as I read it:

"This is a record of somebody who is actually living the way I've been thinking lately."

I enjoyed reading their personal stories of their involvement in simple relational church life. I found it encouraging to read stories that had a familiar resemblance to what we find in the New Testament. Tony and Filicity have numerous first hand accounts where the living spirit of Jesus has made an impact on the lives of others and resulted in groups of people following Jesus together. They are actively making disciples of Jesus, building them up, and sending them out to make more disciples.

Unfortunately these stories are too many and too long to include in a blog post here. So you'll have to get your own copy of their book if you want to be encouraged by these stories. (and/or follow their blog here)

I will share a couple of sound bites of what they have learned along the way:

"The phenomenon that is occurring in front of our eyes is a rebirthing of the church - God is taking an event-based institution and re-forming it so that it is becoming life - and relationship-based.".


"The Gospel of the Kingdom. Jesus was very focused on His Father's Kingdom, speaking about it more than any other subject. The Gospels include more than a hundred references to the word Kingdom. Jesus preached about it (Luke 4:43) and told people to seek it above all else (Matthew 6:33). He told parables about it (Matthew 13; 25) and said that the Kingdom was near to people who were healed (Luke 10:9)"


"This Kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom. It takes the world's values and exposes them for what they are: hollow and superficial. And then it sets its own standards: up is down, death leads to life, law is transformed by grace, the poor are rich, leaders serve, and the humble are exalted."

"Liquid church happens when we stop inviting others to come to church and instead we go out into every sphere of society as the Lord leads. We reach out to our neighbors or our coworkers, and instead of asking them to come to church, we get together with those people right where they live or work. In this way segments of society that might never have experienced church life are affected by the Kingdom of God"

"Jesus is far more interested in our hearts than He is in our pursuit of correct doctrine or the right church structure. All who know Jesus as Lord are the body of Christ, no matter which spiritual family they may belong to (1 Corinthians 12:12-13). "

"Non-religious Christianity.... This kind of spiritual life cannot be put into a box or placed on an agenda. It cannot be programmed or reduced to a curriculum. As Wolfgang Simson likes to say "Programs are what the church resorts to when the Holy Spirit leaves."

"One of the biggest paradigm shifts within the simple church reformation is the understanding that when we are following the Holy Spirit, there is little need for organization and no neeed for hierarchical control. Ordinary people can be entrusted with the affairs of the church, and since Jesus is head of the church, we need to be willing to risk letting the Holy Spirit direct things as He wills."

Kingdom like searching for Pearls

Matt 13:45-46 (HCSB)

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it."

Continuing my series on the secrets of the kingdom. The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given to us (Matthew 13:11). Jesus came to share this kingdom message (Luke 4:43). So I'm examining different passages related to this kingdom message.

This short parable in Matt 13:45-46 is very similar to the previous one in Matt 13:44.

Here we have a merchant, a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit. This merchant was searching for fine pearls, something precious and of great worth. When he found one, he recognized it was a deal of a lifetime. He recognized that it was worth giving up all that he had to acquire this pearl.

A version of the parable also appears in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas:

Jesus said, "The Father's kingdom is like a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself. So also with you, seek his treasure that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat and no worm destroys."
— Gospel of Thomas 76, Patterson/Meyer translation

Some thoughts:

• Are we searching for the kingdom of heaven in our daily lives. Are we seeking heaven's rule, God's ways, God's will.
• Do we recognize the value of the kingdom of heaven, the reign of God?
• What are we willing to give up as we discover God's way?