Leadership Journal Article - “Is the Gospel Too Small?”
April 7, 2008
In a recent article in Leadership Journal (a publication of Christianity Today) pastor Tim Keel asks the question, “Is our gospel too small?” Allow me to interact with this article for a moment. Feel free to click here to open the article in a new tab or window. Stay with me…
First of all, let me give you the most important quote, the main idea of Mr. Keel’s article:
“In a modern world, we tend to reduce the complexity and diversity of the Scriptures to simple systems, even when our systems flatten the diversity and integrity of the biblical witness.” In other words, he is saying that modernity is to blame for what he considers to be a narrow definition or even oversimplification of the gospel. Keel continues, “And the gospel itself gets reduced to a simplified framework of a few easily memorized steps.”
In response to Mr. Keel, I want to make my argument as clear and simple as the gospel. Check out Paul’s explanation of the gospel in I Corinthians 15:1-8:
1Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8and last of all he appeared to me also…”
Paul used four verbs to define the gospel in this passage. Christ died. He was buried. He rose again. He was seen. Based upon this passage we can define the gospel by which we are saved in just 10 words: Christ died for our sins and rose form the dead. That is the gospel - clear and simple.
Is our gospel too small? I would say most of the time it is too large. Either someone clouds the issue by using “churchy” language such as, “give your heart to Jesus” or “give your life to God”. That is not what the New Testament asks non-Christians to do. Another phrase, “pray to receive Christ”, has some serious theological problems. See Dr. Larry Moyer’s article, “Is the Sinner’s Prayer Essential for Salvation” for more on those issues, including lively comments from 43 pastors and church leaders.
Mr. Keel also discusses his concern with the gospel when it is “reduced to a simplified framework of a few easily memorized steps.” I would argue that if we are going to be consistent and clear in our presentation of the gospel that we should be prepared with a basic method that we can use to present the gospel. Why? Because the method will help make you more confident in talking to others about the Lord. Knowing how you are going to present the gospel, you can relax, enjoy the conversation, turn it to spiritual things, and clearly explain the gospel. Watch the video at Evangelism.net for an easy method of sharing the gospel called the Bad News/Good News method.
In fact, go ahead and check out the video and other content at Evangelism.net and I will continue my thoughts on the article, “An Efficient Gospel?” by Tim Keel tomorrow.
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Some of the most helpful advice I could give anyone who wants to be consistent in evangelism would be three words: master a method. That way when you are face-to-face with a lost person, wanting to share Christ but frozen with fright, you can relax in one thought. That is, as the conversation is turned to spiritual things, you know how you are going to present the Gospel. Having confidence in a method that you have mastered does more than anything to help generate the courage you need. Although there may be many things you are uncertain of about what the non-Christian might say or ask, your boldness is increased by the fact that you know how you are going to present the Gospel to him or her. And after all, what other message is more important to share with a non-Christian than the message of the Gospel?