IS SIN AT THE CENTER OR CHRIST?

The King Jesus Gospel: Short review. 

 Scot Mc Knight

 

The author's focus throughout the book is the question: What is the Gospel?

The major differences between the “Gospel culture” and the “Salvation culture “intrigued me. McKnight (2011) argues that for so long Christianity “the gospel” has been how Jesus deals with our sin such that we may gain entrance to heaven upon death. Salvation culture henceforth focuses on getting people “deciding”, unlike the “Gospel culture” that leads to a life of discipleship and spiritual transformation (pg.29). 

As I followed his four arguments; that the gospel is defined by the apostles in 1 Corinthians 15 as the complete  story of Israel in the saving story of Jesus; that the gospel is found in the four gospels; that Jesus preached the gospel: and that the sermons on the Book of Acts are the best examples of gospel in the New testament, I had a moment of redefining what I considered being the “gospel”.  I would say he put in words something that has bothered me for some few years, and I agree on justification by grace through faith is critical to the gospel but is not the totality of the gospel (pg.39). 

McKnight draws upon Dallas Willard’s observation that this “reduction of the gospel” amounts to merely a “gospel of sin management” pp (74-75). In this reduced gospel, Christ’s cross principally clears the ledger sheet of human sin. Forgiveness of sin is good news indeed, buy the biblical witness to the gospel is more expansive (pg.108).

“Evangelicalism is known for at least two words: gospel and (personal) salvation. Behind the word, gospel is the Greek word euangelion and evangel, from which words we get evangelicalism and evangelism. Now to our second word. Behind salvation is the Greek word soteria. I want now to make a stinging accusation. In this book I will be contending firmly that we evangelicals (as a whole) are not really “evangelical” in the sense of the apostolic gospel, but instead we are soterians. Here’s why I say we are more soterian than evangelical: we evangelicals (mistakenly) equate the word gospel with the word salvation. Hence, we are really “salvationists.” When we evangelicals see the word gospel, our instinct is to think (personal) ‘salvation.’” (p. 29)

Perhaps understanding the gospels as the story of Jesus as Messiah and King can help us rethink the gospel and prioritize “making disciples” rather than focusing only on people making “the decision” (pg.44). The King Jesus Gospel ends with practical suggestions about evangelism and about building a gospel culture. This culture focuses on getting people to become participants in the Story of Jesus, living as citizens of the Kingdom of God who have been saved into this story. The King Jesus Gospel ends with practical suggestions about evangelism and about building a gospel culture (pg.169). His tour of the early church creeds and councils shows the consistency of Paul’s definition of the essential gospel; the Jesus' Story throughout the ancient history of the church brought a new understanding of the history of the creed.

 McKnight drawing a very hard line to separate the plan of salvation from the gospel is one I am still struggling with. He doesn’t though deny that the plan flows from the gospel, but I felt like it was robbing him of the beauty of simplicity. He seems to have essentially removed any easy way to recount the gospel to an unsaved person.  

Scot gives an explanation of the often neglected elements of the gospel. The burial, resurrection, and appearances of Jesus. The gospel is a ‘whole-life-of-Jesus’ story with Jesus at the center. “Jesus the Messiah, Jesus as Lord, Jesus as Saviour, and Jesus as Son”. (p. 54)

Gillian Mwaura