Toward A Biblical Theology of Show and Tell | The Gospel?

In the introduction for this series (or what will eventually be a series) of posts I suggested that perhaps the gospel; the good news of the Kingdom of God, was meant to be both told and shown to really be effective.  Like show and tell time in elementary school, without the tell, what is there to believe?  Without the show, can I really receive it?  Well, it occurs to me, that before we move in the direction of the gospel as show and tell, there is a begging question:  What is the gospel?

Now, I don’t know about you, but I have never had anyone ask me that question.  It sure would make sharing the gospel easier, both with Christians and non-Christians alike, if people did ask it.  But they don’t.  Certainly not in so few of words.  This may be because there is already adequate and prevailing understanding of the gospel in our culture, Christian and non-Christian culture alike.  However, that seems a bit naïve, doesn’t it…to assume lack of inquiry equals an already understanding of what the gospel is.  I suspect, contrary to that assumption, we do well to instead assume lack of inquiry equals either a lack of understanding or a misunderstanding and confusion of just what the gospel is, to the point evidently of embarrassment unto inquiry.  Thus, if I’m going to, as they say, “make an ‘a**’ out of ‘u’ and ‘me’” (perhaps you have heard what happens when we ass-u-me something?), I would rather do it by offering up extra understanding instead of not enough or none even.

So…what is the gospel?  Biblically, and perhaps especially according to Paul, since he uses the term more than any New Testament author anyway, what is the evangelion or the good news of the Kingdom of God?  It may be a simple enough answer to let your Bible fall open to Romans 1:16 and reply in quick wit, “the gospel is ‘the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…’”  But that feels a bit like defining a word with a different tense of the same word.  Like suggestion being defined as “an idea suggested for consideration” or thunder being defined as “a loud deep thundering noise.”  The gospel is certainly the power of God for salvation, but I wonder if that gets anyone any closer to believing.  Maybe?  Maybe not?  But in this very context, at the opening of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we have a statement that better helps us by actually putting some flesh on “the power of God for salvation.”

In Romans 1:1 Paul introduces himself as “a servant of Christ Jesus,” and as one “called to be an apostle,” and as one “set apart for the gospel of God.”  And then, in direct reference to the gospel of God, this brief rambling from Paul in verse 2-4:

“…[The gospel] he (God) promised beforehand…concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord…” (ESV, throughout)

Did you catch that?  As you read, did you hear what Paul did there?  Read it again…or read this verse from 2 Timothy 2:8:

“Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel.”

Did you hear it that time?  In both these passages, and throughout much of Paul’s letters, He associates the gospel of God; which he has been set apart for, with the historical events and facts about “Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Jesus was declared to be a descendent of David, the great King of Israel from ages past.  But only according to His flesh; His familial lineage and physical likeness or presence.  According to His spirit He “was declared to be the Son of God in power.”  And this particular aspect may be of greater implication because, as Paul says, this latter declaration as “Son of God” is in perfect accord with “the Spirit of holiness,” or the essential signifying quality of the Godhead; indeed the third person of the trinity himself, the Holy Spirit.  Where the former declaration determined Jesus Christ as being fully human, the latter declaration determined Him as being fully divine.  And all this is established firmly and finally by Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead.  Powerful stuff this gospel is; power unto salvation even!  And it is all about Jesus Christ.

We hear it all again in 1 Corinthians 15.  Paul has set heal and toe to remind the Corinthians of “the gospel [he] preached” to them (vs.1).  Somewhere along the way they must have missed it or forgotten it or turned it into something less powerful than that which is the actual power unto salvation; that which is “of first importance,” namely Jesus Christ.  Starting in verse 3 then, and continuing through verse 8 at least, Paul reviews the gospel he received:  “That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared [to a whole bunch or people…including Paul himself].”  Here again, the gospel is Jesus Christ…died, buried, raised, and appeared.

Finally, in Acts 13:13-41 the narrative grants us a peak at Paul in action and the delightful thing about Scripture is it affords us the opportunity to sit quietly and listen in as Paul preaches the gospel in Antioch in Pisidia.  The careful listener will hear the very same gospel that he presents to the Romans in their letter and reminds Timothy of in his letter and reminds the Corinthians of in their letter:  Jesus Christ, descendant of David (vs. 23), put to death (vs. 28), buried (vs. 29), and raised to life (vs. 30), appearing then to lots of people (vs. 31), finally declared to be the Son of God (vs. 32-33).  That is real good news.  That is the gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Certainly Paul does not leave out the effects of the gospel; not in this context or in the context of the other passages quoted above.  I don’t mean to either.  The gospel’s achievement is epic in scope.  Later in his sermon Paul says in verse 38 and 39, “through [Jesus] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed” and “by [Jesus] everyone who believes is free.”  On the back side of the gospel is new life; real life, defined by things like redemption and reconciliation.  Indeed, much of Paul’s writing is thick with the effects of the gospel.  But here we are particularly concerned with the gospel itself.  And, frankly, there are numerous other passages we could discuss that illuminate the gospel itself in a manner brighter even than I have here.  I suspect this is cursory at best.

But what is important to notice and what I am hopefully building toward in respect to showing and telling the gospel is the gospel itself is essentially Jesus Christ; who he is and what he has done for us.  It is particularly centered on a person.  John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God…”  There is not, as best as I can see, any promises of wonderful plans for our lives or pictures of bridges or prayers to recite.  There is simply Jesus Christ; the God-man, died, buried, and raised to new life.  And He is what we show and people receive and tell and people believe in.  He is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes.  He is the gospel; the good news of the Kingdom of God.

To read the introduction, click here:  Toward A Biblical Theology of Show and Tell | An Introduction.