My Questions About American Religion #8 - What is the Gospel?

This word "Gospel" has been tossed around in the Christian world for a long time. It has taken on several nuances over the years that make it hard to define.

When a person shares a salvation message, they are often heard saying that they were sharing the Gospel. And this ranges all over the spectrum of how we share the salvation message. If I walk up to someone and ask them if they died tonight would they go to heaven, then I am sharing the Gospel.

When I talk about the crucifixion, I am sharing the Gospel. When I walk someone through a set of steps (which is totally different from church to church) and say "This is how you get saved." (which if that is true then someone is right and someone is wrong and there are a lot of deceived people out there), this is called sharing the Gospel.

For some, anytime that I talk about Jesus, I am sharing the Gospel because I am talking from the "Gospels."

For some, anytime that I am acting like a Christian in front of someone I am sharing the Gospel. And so all the Gospel is simply amounts to lifestyle choices.

But there is a verse that haunts me. Paul in his writing to the Galatian Church says that if an angel of the Lord or even if they themselves come to them preaching another Gospel other than the one they had already received, that person preaching would be eternally condemned. Even an Angel!

The hard part is that all these examples of how we label the Gospel sound different to me. And I think it would do us well go simply go back to the text and let it speak what it speaks and then adapt to that. So let's define the the Gospel and go from there...

First, the word Gospel means "good news." it is the greek word euangelion and it is not a uniquely religious term. Caesar sent out a euangelion when he became emperor. A bearer of Good News to the empire. Zeus was called the bearer of Good News and Hermes was called the bringer of Good News. Paul uses a play on this in Acts 13.

So we need to know that Good News and Gospel are synonymous and it is a message that is supposed to bring hope to all mankind.

But what message actually is the good news? What message actually is the gospel? Let's take a brief look...

Matthew 4:23 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Matthew 9:35 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.

Mark 1:14-15 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

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 is near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Luke 4:42-43 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”

Luke 8:1 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him,

Luke 16:16 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

Acts 8:12 New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

So critical for us to get this!!! When Jesus was killed, what was the charge? That He was a king. Why? Because His message was all about the Kingdom. And without running too far down this trail, this was also the message of the New Testament writers as well.

So why does this matter?  I am glad you asked!!!

Again, people pick up a larger story based on how and what you say. When your Gospel is a salvation message, it becomes about getting people "in" and making them "okay" and finding that saved/unsaved line and getting them across. Well, once that happens, we have no more to talk about. We have no more leverage to get people to grow up and guess what it produces... baby Christians. And what is the church full of?

But they have done what they needed to do in order to get where they needed to get. They are "in" and that is enough. So we can preach all we want to about people growing up in their faith or getting involved or investing in others, but there is not a single reason other than guilt to get people to actually do it. and so churches have become guilt masters.

But what if the problem with churches full of immature believers isn't that they are selfish, it is that our "Gospel" isn't quite the same Gospel of Jesus? What if there is a better Gospel?

I wold suggest that the GOSPEL is not ONLY a salvation message.  While it no doubt contains a salvation message, the Gospel is an invitation to live in a Kingdom that is not of this world. As Dwight Pryor says, it is a power at work in our midst. The Kingdom and how we can live in it with power and freedom - THAT is the Gospel. That is the good news. And that is what we should be preaching!!!

So the next question is what is the Kingdom? Well, Jesus tells 38 parables that we have recorded. 20 of them directly say that the Kingdom is like ... So here is our task! To find the principles Jesus up held and taught and inviting people to live with these guiding principles in their lives. And the Good News is that we have a God who has given us the power to do just that. And the Good News is that when we live in this way, we are free. And the Good News is that when we live in this way we have real Peace. And the Good News is that as we live in this way, we get closer and closer in our knowing of God and our created purpose. And we are more free and more whole - and that is what God cares about. And THAT is good news!