What Is the Gospel?

[TCGreek]

Even the evangel needs to be defined these days. There're some who call themselves evangelicals, but are as far from classic evangelicalism as the East is from the West.

Churches call themselves Evangelicals but really are not. Seminaries call themselves Evangelicals but really are not.

In our Pluralistic, Postmodern world, we must call a spade a spade and not fold to the culture around us.

What then is the Gospel/the Evangel?

1. The gospel is good news about historical events: the life and death and resurrection of Christ—1 Cor 15:1-4. The early church didn't invent the gospel. The death of Christ was not cosmic child abuse.

2. The gospel is good news about what above historical events accomplished. There would be no gospel unless those historic events accomplished something. The historic Christ is therefore not different from what some call the Christ of faith, who was invented by the early church. Rom 5:6-10

3. The gospel is good news about a divine transaction accomplished through the above historic events. Therefore it was not cosmic child abuse nor any other governmental moral theory nonsense. 2 Cor 5:21 must not lose its sweet, wonderful value.

4. The gospel is good news about how what the historic events of Christ accomplished through a divine transaction as appropriated through faith alone is experienced in our lives and in our world as we await the glorious return of the One who died for us to bring us back to the Father (1 Pet 3:18).

 

[David Lamb]

Even the evangel needs to be defined these days. There're some who call themselves evangelicals, but are as far from classic evangelicalism as the East is from the West.

Churches call themselves Evangelicals but really are not. Seminaries call themselves Evangelicals but really are not.

In our Pluralistic, Postmodern world, we must call a spade a spade and not fold to the culture around us.

What then is the Gospel/the Evangel?

1. The gospel is good news about historical events: the life and death and resurrection of Christ—1 Cor 15:1-4. The early church didn't invent the gospel. The death of Christ was not cosmic child abuse.

2. The gospel is good news about what above historical events accomplished. There would be no gospel unless those historic events accomplished something. The historic Christ is therefore not different from what some call the Christ of faith, who was invented by the early church. Rom 5:6-10

3. The gospel is good news about a divine transaction accomplished through the above historic events. Therefore it was not cosmic child abuse nor any other governmental moral theory nonsense. 2 Cor 5:21 must not lose its sweet, wonderful value.

4. The gospel is good news about how what the historic events of Christ accomplished through a divine transaction as appropriated through faith alone is experienced in our lives and in our world as we await the glorious return of the One who died for us to bring us back to the Father (1 Pet 3:18).

Thank you, TC. How important it is for us constantly to be reminded of what the gospel, the "evangel", the good news, really is.

 

[pinoybaptist]

Thye majority of what you said is why I protest when somebody says that believing the gospel results in the eternal salvation of the hearer, or that the gospel must first be heard and believed before eternal salvation is possible.

The gospel is good news of, good news about, and simply just good news.

Believing the good news does not make the good news true, the good news is true for those to whom the news is intended whether believed or not.

 

[skypair]

The gospel is good news of, good news about, and simply just good news.

Believing the good news does not make the good news true, the good news is true for those to whom the news is intended whether believed or not.

It's intended for EVERYONE, pb.

skypair

 

[skypair]

I'm curious, TC

What else have you heard the gospel called?

Why don't you consider those who use the name "Evangelical" to be living up to their namesakes?

Are you suggesting they all ought to just "out with it" and call the gospel "Calvinism?" and themselves "Calvinistas?" :laugh:

skypair

 

[pinoybaptist]

It's intended for EVERYONE, pb.

skypair

No, skypair, it is not intended for EVERYONE. It is intended for the people of God and only for the people of God.

Romans 15:4 says

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we (not mankind, not men, not all men, but we, Paul and those who name the name of Christ among the Romans and elsewhere to whom this letter was addressed, to the exclusion of those not in the church) through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

And the context is the gospel:

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:

In a similar vein, Paul wrote to the Corinthians -

Now all these things happened unto them (the disobedient Israelites) for examples: and they are written for our (again, not for mankind's, not for men's, but our, Paul and the Corinthian believers') admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11)

 

[npetreley]

Pinoy - I don't usually quote the NIV, but I remembered this particular wording and wonder what you think of it.

1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?

What they heard was the gospel (see previous chapters). The NKJV says "the hearing of faith", which can be different than "believing what you heard". Do you believe the NIV a mistranslation in this respect, or am I not understanding what you mean?

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

Thye majority of what you said is why I protest when somebody says that believing the gospel results in the eternal salvation of the hearer, or that the gospel must first be heard and believed before eternal salvation is possible.

The gospel is good news of, good news about, and simply just good news.

Believing the good news does not make the good news true, the good news is true for those to whom the news is intended whether believed or not.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17

Eph 2:8 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

 

[pinoybaptist]

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17

Eph 2:8 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Thank you for the Scriptures, I have five Bibles here, and I read them, have read the Bible cover to cover twice, and I can give you more verses than you can care for, but if eternal salvation is what the good news in the gospel is all about, then eternal salvation was secured by Christ only, not your faith or my faith in what He did.

If you insist that our faith had something to do with it, then that is your opinion, but may I say to you, you are adding to grace.

Him dying for His people and shedding His blood for their redemption is what the Father wanted Him to do, and He did it. This was a transaction between Him and the Father, and you and I have nothing to do with it but be its beneficiaries, whether we know it or not.

Now, God went a little further with you and I and worked in our lives for us to learn of this FINISHED salvation thru somebody, and having known it, we put our faith and trust in Christ and turn away from our old selves and look at all things new BECAUSE we have a new Spirit in us that testifies to our spirits that we are the children of God.

The gospel simply affirmed our salvation, brought it to knowledge for us, and it was never the cause of our salvation.

 

[2 Timothy2:1-4]

Thank you for the Scriptures, I have five Bibles here, and I read them, have read the Bible cover to cover twice, and I can give you more verses than you can care for, but if eternal salvation is what the good news in the gospel is all about, then eternal salvation was secured by Christ only, not your faith or my faith in what He did.

If you insist that our faith had something to do with it, then that is your opinion, but may I say to you, you are adding to grace.

Him dying for His people and shedding His blood for their redemption is what the Father wanted Him to do, and He did it. This was a transaction between Him and the Father, and you and I have nothing to do with it but be its beneficiaries, whether we know it or not.

Now, God went a little further with you and I and worked in our lives for us to learn of this FINISHED salvation thru somebody, and having known it, we put our faith and trust in Christ and turn away from our old selves and look at all things new BECAUSE we have a new Spirit in us that testifies to our spirits that we are the children of God.

The gospel simply affirmed our salvation, brought it to knowledge for us, and it was never the cause of our salvation.

Through faith cannot be ignored.

 

[TCGreek]

What else have you heard the gospel called?

Why don't you consider those who use the name "Evangelical" to be living up to their namesakes?

Are you suggesting they all ought to just "out with it" and call the gospel "Calvinism?" and themselves "Calvinistas?" :laugh:

skypair

1. From previous threads, I know that you are Anti-Calvinism. And that is ok. But do me a favor. Do your research.

2. Research what was involved in classic Evangelicalism.

3. Calvinism is biblical.

 

[TCGreek]

If you insist that our faith had something to do with it, then that is your opinion, but may I say to you, you are adding to grace.

The gospel simply affirmed our salvation, brought it to knowledge for us, and it was never the cause of our salvation.

1. I know that you are not a universalist. But how does one appropriate the benefits of the cross to be declared Justified/Saved?

2. Can you provide Scripture?

 

[pinoybaptist]

1. I know that you are not a universalist. But how does one appropriate the benefits of the cross to be declared Justified/Saved?

2. Can you provide Scripture?

Thank you for the questions, TC.
Right now, I am already at work, have logged in, and am simply using up my ten minutes pre-shift (time used to log in to all those myriads of software and try to remember the passwords).
Be back to this topic and will see if I can provide the answers to the best of my ability during my ten minute breaks, if not, it'll be tomorrow as I get off at 10:30 tonight, and then there's the thirty minute drive home and so on.
Catcha later.

 

[skypair]

No, skypair, it is not intended for EVERYONE. It is intended for the people of God and only for the people of God.

Romans 15:4 says

In a similar vein, Paul wrote to the Corinthians -

Those aren't even the gospel, pb. Of course those are not for them!

skypair

 

[pinoybaptist]

Those aren't even the gospel, pb. Of course those are not for them!

skypair

yeah, right.
Whatever, skypair, whatever.