What is the Gospel?
Posted by Brad BriscoJul 19
I like this definition of the gospel from John Dickson:
“The gospel is the announcement that God has revealed his kingdom and opened it up to sinners through the birth, teaching, miracles, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, who will one day return to overthrow evil and consummate the kingdom for eternity.”
Later in a section titled “Underestimating the Mission” Dickson makes a helpful distinction between proclaiming the gospel and promoting the gospel.
I want to make a distinction throughout this book between the specific activity of proclaiming the gospel and the broader category of promoting the gospel. The former is properly called “evangelism,” a word that derives from the New Testament term evangelizomai, which only ever means “announcing (grand) news.” The wider category of promoting the gospel includes any and every activity that draws others to Christ (including, of course, evangelism). People sometimes use the words “mission,” “out-reach” or “witness” for this larger work, but I prefer the expression “promoting the gospel” (I’m sure I pinched this from someone else but I can’t remember from whom) because it reminds us that at the heart of our mission to the world is the news about Christ, the gospel. In my view, when “mission” becomes disconnected from the gospel, as it sadly does in some church circles, it no longer deserves to be called Christian mission.
– John Dickson in The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission: Promoting the Gospel with More Than Our Lips
7 comments
Pingback by Got Good News? — Ben Sternke on July 19, 2010 at 1:14 pm
[...] is has content. That’s why I liked seeing this definition of the gospel from John Dickson (ht): The gospel is the announcement that God has revealed his kingdom and opened it up to sinners [...]
Comment by Torey on July 29, 2010 at 9:27 pm
“In my view, when “mission” becomes disconnected from the gospel, as it sadly does in some church circles, it no longer deserves to be called Christian mission.” You are right there
Comment by Pete Brookshaw on August 3, 2010 at 8:15 am
I like the distinction between proclaiming the gospel and promoting the gospel. Quite often we fall into the traps of business marketing strategies, that we use to promote the gospel, though sometimes a more incarnational proclamation of the gospel might be more effective.
Comment by Rick Cruse on August 8, 2010 at 7:45 am
Gospel: the good news that, through repentance and trust in Jesus Christ— crucified, risen, and coming again—one receives
* forgiveness and an eternally-restored relationship now with the Father,
* membership now in his redemptive new covenant family/community,
* participation now in his newly-inaugurated, not-yet Kingdom rule,
* partnership now in His ongoing redemptive purposes for all creation, and
* a share now/then in the promise of His rule in a renewed heaven and earth.
Comment by Georges Boujakly on August 8, 2010 at 9:48 am
Brad,
A wonderful gem of a book. A corrective to the main idea of much gospel preaching: Get your sins forgiven so that you can gain entry to heaven.
I am enamored with the idea of promoting the gospel because it is freeing. It is freeing for many (truth be told most Christians) who are not “proclaimers” or evangelists. Promoting the gospel allows those of us who love to pray, give, witness, respond to questions about the hope in us, worship as an expression of the work of the gospel in us, to be part of the whole plan of God for spreading his kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
I’m glad you’ve reviewed this book. Would you consider doing several posts on what promoting the gospel versus proclaiming the gospel entail?
Thanks for keeping up the missional conversation.
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