Did Jesus preach the gospel?

Ever wonder if what we call the gospel is what Jesus and the New Testament authors believed was the gospel? What is the gospel? Is it the plan of salvation we share with someone who doesn’t know Christ as Lord? Is it the biblical narrative beginning at creation and ending with new creation? Is it the news that in Jesus we personally can be moved from estranged and lost to rescued and redeemed? Is it the good news of the Kingdom come to earth in Jesus? Does the gospel need to include the Old Testament, or can we take it or leave it?

Scot McKnight is a scholar I appreciate. He is scripturally sound and evangelical and (most impressively, in my opinion) not easily pinned down into a category within evangelicalism. He both wins over and offends Christians of all backgrounds and theological leanings. In this 17-minute video, he introduces us to the discussion going on right now concerning the gospel. As you watch it, you will most likely be bothered by some of what he says. And that’s a good thing. If there is anything we ought to wrestle with and be certain of, it is the meaning of the gospel- “for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

Check out the video here and leave a comment.

Lausanne Congress underway in S Africa

For ten days in 1974, Billy Graham and John Stott gathered together some 2,700 Christian leaders from virtually every corner of the world to discuss issues related to global evangelization. The event- held in Lausanne, Switzerland- was historic. No time ever in the history of the world was there such a diverse gathering of Christians. The convention produced one of the most influential documents in evangelicalism, called simply the Lausanne Covenant. Among other tenets, the document is best known for embracing a vision of evangelism that holds together the work of gospel proclamation and social justice. Fifteen years later Lausanne II was held in Manila, and right now the third Congress in in progress. This time over 4,000 leaders from about 200 nations have descended upon Cape Town, South Africa (Chinese leaders were banned from attending by the Chinese government, sadly but not surprisingly).

You can watch videos and read advance papers from the Congress at the Lausanne website here. Take a look at this short video to learn more about the history of the Lausanne Movement. And join me in praying for the leaders who are seeking the Lord for the future of global evangelism.

John Stott on the justice of God

I came across this quote today from John Stott and was reminded of the beauty of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, God in flesh in the midst of a broken world, not merely a poor man but an oppressed man.

“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross… In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? I have entered many Buddhist temples in different Asian countries and stood respectfully before the statue of Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the ghost of a smile playing round his mouth, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world.

But each time after a while I have to turn away. And in imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in Godforsaken darkness.

That is the God for me! He laid aside His immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. Our sufferings become more manageable in light of His (The Cross of Christ, 335-6).

Praise be to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who by the Holy Spirit, grants us faith to glimpse the beauty of God made flesh. For our sake and the sake of the world.

One gospel or many?

Is there just one gospel in the New Testament, or many? Depends who you ask.

Tim Keller thinks there is just one. And this one takes many forms or shades. I think he is right. This video is long but worth the time if you have ever wondered how to reconcile the many shades of the gospel, most importantly the tension between personal conversion and social justice, eternal life and Kingdom of God. The feel of Keller’s message moves from academic at the beginning to quite practical in the second half.