I have been doing a study on the concept of "the gospel." It has several nuances to it, but I am discovering two interrelated "gospel" messages. There is first the gospel of Jesus, which is inextricably linked to the Kingdom of God; and second, the gospel of the Apostles which is related to the death and resurrection of Jesus (with no specific mention of the Kingdom).
They are related in that the second gospel confirms the first. It is the death and resurrection of Christ that proves that he is the King and the Kingdom age has been ushered in. And, since he is the King, we, his subjects, must be about the work of the Kingdom.
I am sure that this is not original, has anyone else seen work done on this "two fold" gospel?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
5 comments:
No Comments? Really? I'm actually surprised, Bill. :)
Hey...you've made a nice distinction between the apostles and Jesus in relation to Gospel. Having said that, I would say that the way the two are related is more nuanced as well...not simply one as a proof for the other (although it IS that as well).
In response to your larger study, I would always reference the extensive work that Tim Keller has done on the Gospel. He isn't the 4th member of the God-head...but he really has a skill/gift for being very clear regarding the Gospel in "all its forms" as he says.
You might already be aware, but in case you aren't, his lecture "Dwelling in the Gospel" from the DWELL Conference and the following article are succinct treatments that put out many of the bigger ideas behind the Gospel.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2008/spring/9.74.html
Apologies if I'm treading on ground you've already hoed Dr. Can I call you Dr.?
Thanks for the comments Rick. The one thing that I've noticed about Keller is that his gospel talk (and a lot of others' gospel talk) is much more broader and does not focus on specifics. But I will admit, my knowledge of what Keller has done is not exhaustive and what I am trying to do is in no way an attempt to correct or even compete with what he has done. Just trying to do a campus Bible study on a topic that interests me. Thanks for the tip.
Oh...and I forgot to mention it, but just one small correction. While Jesus DID speak of the Gospel mainly in Kingdom terms, that was primarily in the Synoptics. In John, the Gospel is tied primarily to eternal life. For what it's worth...
True, but in John's gospel, the explicit term "kingdom" is not a major theme (only referenced three times). Good point though.
Yeah...in fact I'm intrigued by the fact that a few of the same occurrences/stories in John's Gospel are almost identical with the exception that Kingdom is replaced with eternal life. I would think this is either indicative of John's larger understanding of the Kingdom OR related to more related to the understanding of the Gospel he's trying to relate to his particular readership. Or...something I haven't thought of or read.
Post a Comment