Approaching a More Complete Gospel Understanding

Just some thoughts spurred on by my study in Mark this morning. There’s been much talk in theological circles (particularly missiological and emerging church) regarding the Gospel of the Kingdom. I think this has been, in part, because for so long the evangelical church has preached a Gospel message of the cross without taking seriously the message that Jesus preached before he actually went to the cross.

As a result, the Gospel that has been communicated has taken on a 20th/21st century individualistic consumer quality: “Acknowledge the death and resurrection of Jesus so that you can go to heaven.” This is a terribly incomplete message when we look, not only at the cross and resurrection, but at the life and message of the Crucified and Resurrected One.

Taking that life and message into account, we can paint a more holistic picture of just what the Gospel is: “Trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus to reorient your life around His ways and around the mission of God to bring healing to the world.” I’m not daft enough to believe that this is the ultimate propositional expression of the Gospel. I’ve come to believe that the Gospel is so much more than a propositional statement anyway. However, I definitely think that this statement carries much more of the meaning and impact of the Gospel that the church is meant to embody.

Which brings me to another change in understanding and conviction: the Gospel is further truncated when it is not communicated in the context of the Church. Scripture seems to make it clear that the message, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus initiated a communal reality meant to serve as His continued presence on the earth, somehow embodying that same message, life, death and resurrection.

(Related thoughts here and here.)