Leadership Journal Article - “Is the Gospel Too Small?” II
April 8, 2008
In case you missed part one of my response to the Leadership Journal article by Tim Keel that suggests that the gospel today is too small - here are some highlights:
Now let’ s continue the interaction with Mr. Keel’s article. He continues his argument for the gospel having a broader scope than the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. “Where might the Holy Spirit be forcing his people to reckon with the scope of God’s work in the world, to once again consider the nature and scope of the gospel?” He continues, “There is no aspect of our lives outside the scope of God’s salvation and purposes. Salvation is not just then and there, it is also here and now.”
I would argue that the gospel is not about what we do; rather, it is simply about what Jesus has done. Ephesians 2:8-9 says it best, “8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.” We must be careful to see salvation as trust in Christ alone and not Christ plus anything else.
In the final section of Mr. Keel’s article he suggests that the gospel is about more than Christ and his role as redeemer. According to Keel, “It is obviously true and good news that Jesus and his life and work function redemptively. But when we reduce Jesus to redeemer only, we miss another essential element of our faith: that Jesus is also creator.” It seems his motivation here is that in a time that so many people are searching and exploring spirituality that the gospel as Jesus as Redeemer only is too narrow to answer the questions that seekers may have. If the Holy Spirit uses one’s search for understanding of creation or the Trinity as a means to open their eyes and ears to the gospel of grace that is great. But let’s not confuse Trinitarianism with Soteriology. I have no problem when Trinitarian explanations become a bit complex, but let’s keep the gospel clear and simple.
Keel is wrestling with cultural relevance and I respect that; however, I believe that Keel is trying to be relevant to the point that he is changing the gospel. The Bible is 66 books, whereas the gospel can be summed up in 10 words: Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead.
He is changing not only the method, but the message as well. I think it is fair to say that Mr. Keel has performed an eisegesis of the gospel. We must be committed to a clear and simple gospel that is based upon sound doctrine and a careful handling of Scripture. That is the motivation behind my response to Mr. Keel.
What are your thoughts on Mr. Keel’s article? Remember to read the entire article and even check out Part I of my response to Tim Keel’s Leadership Journal Article, “An Efficient Gospel?”
Comments
One Response to “Leadership Journal Article - “Is the Gospel Too Small?” II”
Got something to say?
Every time I think about the simplicity of the gospel message, I get a renewed “fire” to tell it to somebody else. Nothing has affected my motivation more than the simplicity of the message. The thrust of our message to lost people should be God’s offer of eternal life. A non-Christian might say, “What relevance does the offer of eternal life have to the life we live here and now?” I would answer that we must address first things first. A lost person does not need to know how to live the Christian life as much as they need to know how to enter it. The assurance that we have of life everlasting is what gives purpose, meaning, direction, and a future outlook to our lives here. Its relevance is seen in the fact that we are never prepared to live until we are prepared to die.