There’s a popular Christian video out right now called “The Gospel in Four Minutes”. I admit that it’s interesting, creative, and even quite sound theologically. However, there is one thing I wish to take up with it.
I don’t believe that we can explain the gospel for all its worth in four minutes. What do I mean by this?
Jesus was an excellent teacher. Last week I talked about the fact that often times Jesus’ teaching was a bit enigmatic, or even mystic, or subtle. Often times his listeners weren’t entirely clear about what it was (or wasn’t) that he was saying. They often times had to work that out later on for themselves.
One of the features of Jesus’ teaching contributing to this reality is the fact that he was saying so much in so little words. In other words, Jesus’ teaching was so vast and multi-faceted that one can hardly mine his teaching for all its worth in a single sitting. This is a part of why his teaching was so, well, interesting and intriguing.
By the way, this is also one of the reasons why the church has a history of getting it wrong from time to time. Sometimes we’ve made the mistake of missing the forrest for the trees in Jesus teaching. We need to work out what the Bible says and what it doesn’t say before making any dogmatic statements about things.
Regardless, Jesus’ best teaching was done not in words but in action. This is evident through the fact that Jesus’ most controversial teaching was not in what he said but in what he did. For example, when Jesus allows his disciples to eat grain from the stalk on the Sabbath, and when he healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, it caused quite the controversy. The greatest example was Jesus’ cleansing of the temple. This really upset people. This was the straw that broke the camels back. This event is what convinced Jesus’ enemies that he needed to be crucified. Jesus wasn’t only cleansing the temple, he was teaching about the redefinition of the temple from the physical structure to the body of Christ (see John 2).
What I find most intriguing is that in his two last lessons to his disciples, he didn’t give them parables, or abstract theology or philosophy. No, he gave them a meal. Two of the greatest teaching moments of Jesus were (1) the Last Supper, and (2) the breakfast on the shore after his resurrection. This is astounding.
Jesus has one last opportunity to teach them something, and he breaks bread with them and feeds them. Granted, the meal itself has a deep and profound theological meaning that changed the course of history, but it was still a meal, not a theology lecture.
This says a lot about the nature of humanity. This says even more about the gospel itself and how it’s best shared.
The older I get, the more I read, the more I study, the more I pray, and the closer I get to Jesus, the more I’m convinced that there is no gospel without discipleship; the more I’m convinced that there is no such thing as a “simple Gospel”. The gospel is the most complex and profound thing that has ever been. One or two lines about substiutionary atonement and dying and going to heaven doesn’t suffice.
When students hear me teach about the gospel, they often ask, “If the gospel is all of ‘that’, then how would you share the gospel to someone next to you in an elevator?” My response is always, “I don’t believe that you can share the whole gospel in a short time, if you could, Jesus’ ministry would have been much shorter.” I also respond by sharing a story that N.T. Wright is known to share. In response to the question, “What is the minimal gospel? The bare bones of it needed for salvation?”, N.T. Wright responds, “I don’t want the minimal gospel, I want the WHOLE gospel!”
Give me the whole gospel.
Happy Lent, dear brother! I’m thrilled about this book the Lord has led you to publish. I already look forward to giving a copy to my pastor. This recent post really intrigued me. I fully understand the notion that there should be no gospel without discipleship. Yet I can’t help but think that there has to be a way to share the gospel with people in elevators. Paul’s proclamation to the Phillippian jailer, “Believe in Jesus Christ and be saved,” seems like one such example. At least that instance seems like it was one or two lines that sufficed. Other instances of sharing the gospel in brief durations without any apparent discipleship come to mind, e.g., Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch; Paul to the Athenians; Peter to the lame beggar, “Silver and gold have I not…”
I would love to hear more of your thoughts on this. Sharpening from your iron would be an honor. And thank you for posting all this great food for thought.
Peace and grace to you,
Ricky
Hey Ricky! Thanks for the comment. I’m not saying that the gospel cannot be shared in a few lines, I’m simply saying that the gospel is also infinitely MORE than what we can share in a few minutes, or even in a lifetime. This post is a simple and humble reminder to folks not to reduce the gospel to substitutionary atonement. The Gospel, more than anything else, is an eternal relationship. That, my good friend, can’t be summed up in an elevator. It can, however, be summed up in a cross. 🙂 Blessings
Okay. I want this conversation in the book. Change my name to Reuben. Seriously, though, I like that quote: “The Gospel, more than anything else, is an eternal relationship.” Profound.
🙂 Love and miss you buddy.
Matt