R.C. Sproul (0:00)

If we presume to be preaching the gospel and either ignore or deny that Jesus is the Son of God, we've obscured an essential element of the gospel. If we ignore or deny his being the Messiah, we have not preached the gospel. And if we ignore or deny the lordship of Christ, we have a truncated gospel.

Nathan W. Bingham (0:32)

What does it mean to share the gospel? If you share your testimony, what God has done in your life is that technically evangelism? What content must be present to be able to say that someone preached the good news of the gospel? Today, on this Tuesday edition of Renewing youg Mind, RC Sproul will continue his overview of the good news and fill in those essential elements of the gospel. Yesterday he said, we are in a period of crisis with respect to our understanding of the actual biblical content of the gospel. So I do hope you request today's resource offer when you give a donation@renewingyourmind.org before midnight tonight. When you do, we'll send you his book saved from what? Two copies of his book, what is the Gospel? Plus add this series on the meaning of the Gospel to your digital library in the free Ligonier app, but respond today as this offer ends in only a few hours so how did the apostles use the word gospel, and what content did they include? Here's Dr. Sproul.

R.C. Sproul (1:43)

We've been looking at the question what is the gospel? We saw the origin of the term gospel from the Greek word euangelion, and we look briefly at the way in which this idea of the gospel functioned in the preaching of Christ. But then, as I said, when we get to the apostolic use of the term gospel, particularly as we find it in the epistles, the abbreviated description of it is simply the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, before we fill out the content of that any further, I want to turn your attention to the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans. In the introductory statements that Paul makes of this very important epistle, Paul begins his letter to the Romans with these words. Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the Gospel of God, which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Now notice that Paul introduces the weightiest epistle that he ever writes, which epistle focuses on Paul's own elaboration of the content of the gospel by introducing the subject in the very beginning of his letter. After he introduces himself as an apostle and as a bondservant of Christ, he speaks of one who has been set apart or consecrated for the task of doing what? For the task of the ministry of the gospel. But here Paul calls the gospel. Not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is what he normally calls it. But here he calls it the Gospel of God. Now, when we talk about the language using words like of. Sometimes the word of is used as a substitute word for the word about. And we could misunderstand the apostle here. And have him saying to us that he has been separated to proclaim the good news about God. But this is a possessive form of the genitive here in the text in. In which the apostle Paul is really saying that the gospel is the possession of God himself. It belongs to God, and it is given to us by God. So really, what the apostle is doing here is speaking about the author and the origination of point of this good news. The good news that Paul has been consecrated to proclaim. The good news that was proclaimed by Jesus. Is, in the first instance, the good news of God. It is God's message. And Paul is simply being a messenger who has been delegated to proclaim the message. Whose author is God himself. Now, that's important because when God gives an announcement. Then that announcement carries the very weight of his authority. And that's important for us to understand that whatever the content of this message is, whatever the gospel includes. The authority of the gospel rests not upon the insights of human beings. Or the theological constructs of any human institution. It's not the authority of the minister that undergirds the gospel. And it's not even the authority of the church that undergirds the gospel. The authority for the gospel rests in the one whose announcement and message it is. And notice that Paul also says here with respect to God's involvement in this gospel. When he says that he is separated to the gospel of God. Which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures. So this gospel that is now being elaborated and declared by the apostles. Is the gospel that God not only has announced at this time in history, but it is a gospel that He, God, had promised centuries and centuries ago. And how did he promise it? Through his prophets. So again, we see the role of both apostle and prophet. As being not independent messengers, but messengers who are appointed by God. And who are authorized by God to proclaim a message from God. So again, it's important for us to understand that the biblical gospel is the gospel of God. But something else is said about God's relationship to the gospel in the first chapter of Romans. But before I get to that, let me just finish this first part. To the Gospel of God. Which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. We're already getting a hint of what I called the kerygma in our last session. Something of the content that this is the promise of God, of good news, a good announcement, a good message. Its chief concern is regarding the person and work of Christ concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now do you realize in that very, very brief terse recapitulation, the apostle has declared this about Christ with respect to the Gospel. A he's the Son of God, B He is the long awaited Messiah and C he is our Lord. So the sonship of Christ, the messianic office of Christ and the lordship of Christ are all essential elements of the New Testament gospel. Let me say it again. The sonship of Christ to the Father, the Messianic vocation of Christ and the lordship of Christ are all essential elements of the content of the New Testament gospel. That is, if we presume to be preaching the gospel and either ignore or deny that Jesus is the Son of God, we've obscured an essential element of the gospel. If we ignore or deny his being the Messiah, we have not preached the gospel. And if we ignore or deny the lordship of Christ, we have a truncated gospel. And he goes on who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead. Again, an affirmation of the resurrection of Christ is virtually every time the kerygma is proclaimed in the Scriptures is included as one of the most important key elements of the good news, that God has raised this Christ from the dead. I only mention that in passing because there have been numerous attempts from the Corinthian community in the first century through Botmanian theology in the 20th century to have a gospel without resurrection. We saw at the end of the 19th century the construction of the so called social gospel that said that the basic good news of the New Testament has to do simply with interpersonal human relationships and God's concern for the welfare of the poor and oppressed. And there was an attempt to strip the New Testament message of any supernatural element, such as virgin birth or an atonement or chiefly a resurrection. But that gospel is not the biblical gospel, because essential to the apostolic gospel is the affirmation of the resurrection of Christ. Now, later on in the first chapter, Paul speaks of the obligation imposed upon him as an apostle by virtue of his mission to preach the gospel. He says in verse 13 of chapter one. Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you, but was hindered until now that I might have some fruit among you also. Just as among the other Gentiles, I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to wise and to unwise. And so as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. What is Paul saying here? He is saying that his ministry, to which he has been called by God, has imposed an obligation upon him, which obligation reaches far beyond the borders of Israel to include people from every tongue and tribe and nation. Here we have Paul's version of the appropriation in his own ministry of the Great Commission whereby the church in its gospel ministry is called to proclaim this good news of God to the whole world, to every tongue and tribe and nation. And Paul says, I am in debt. I am obligated both to the Greek and to the Gentile, to the wise and the unwise, that is, that the proclamation of this message is not to be restricted to one ethnic group of persons or to one social class, only the rich or only the intellectual community of a given society. But this is a gospel that is to be proclaimed to people no matter what their ethnic background is, no matter what their level of education is, or whatever their social standing may be. As a minister of the gospel myself, I share in that apostolic obligation, that apostolic indebtedness. Then he goes on to say, for I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Let me just comment on that. Why in the world would any human messenger ever be ashamed of communicating a message whose author is God himself? Why would it be a shameful, disgraceful or embarrassing thing to pass on a good announcement that comes to the world by God or from God? Well, I think the answer is obvious, that the Gospel is good news to those who receive it, but it is bad news to those who reject it. That's why in the technical literature of the scholars who analyze the use of that term, a one galleon in the biblical literature say that there are many times where that word gospel, which means etymologically good news, carries within it a thinly veiled threat of judgment to those who remain unrepentant. And so it's a two edged sword. On the one hand it's good news, on the other hand it's bad news. And we read the record of the early church and the writings of the apostles, and we see that everywhere they went to proclaim this good news, they were greeted with various levels of hostility. They were thrown into prison, they were beaten, and in some cases they were killed because people did not receive God's announcement of good news as good news. So it became what the Greeks called a scandalon or a scandal or a stone of stumbling where people resisted it at times fiercely. And so now there were those who began to be afraid to proclaim the gospel or who didn't want to be embarrassed by the guilt of association, to be known as a Christian one who is putting their trust and confidence in this message of God in a hostile environment. Now, I think we all know in our own day that there are strong pockets in our own culture where there is a disdain that is leveled against anyone who proclaims allegiance to Christ or who would embrace his gospel. And so we become somewhat intimidated and embarrassed lest anyone might find out that we are Christians. Some have become what is called secret service Christians. That we do everything we can to hide our light under the bushel lest we would participate in the humiliation of Christ. In the embarrassment of Christ. Paul says, hey, I'm not ashamed of this gospel. He shouldn't be ashamed of it. There's nothing shameful about is the truth of God. But why does Paul say he is not ashamed of the gospel? Well, let's look at what he says. Because this is a very important part of our understanding of the gospel. He said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it, that is, the gospel is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. For the Jew first, and also for the Greek. I want us to pause here for a moment and look at what the apostle said. The reason why he's not embarrassed by this message is that because in the first instance, it is a message of power. It is a powerful message. And it's not the message whose power is found in the skill of the messenger, in the eloquence of the preacher, in the rational prowess of apologetic defense, in the theologian or the philosopher who communicates it. The gospel contains the power of God, and it is the saving power of God. I don't have the power to save anybody. And again, human eloquence, human intelligence, human debating skill. None of these human qualities has the power to convert. The power to bring somebody into a state of redemption or of salvation. The means by which God has chosen to save the world is the preaching of the gospel. And it is in that message, in his word, that God works his power of redemption. It is God who refuses to allow his word to return to him void. Let me Just say this in terms of practical application. Sometimes the only kind of evangelism we can do, particularly if we're young Christians, is to tell other people what Christ means to us. Just like the woman of the well who went to the market square and told everybody about Jesus, or the man who was born blind, he came and gave his personal testimony of. Of the benefit that he had derived from his encounter with Christ. And people were asking him all kinds of sophisticated theological questions, and he didn't have a clue. He had no training in theology or doctrine or anything. And he says, hey, all I know was once I was blind and now I see. Now that is a very significant witness by his personal testimony. It is a valid and valuable thing for Christians to bear witness to what Christ has done in their lives. But the point I want us to understand today is as valuable as that testimony is, it's not evangelism. It's pre evangelism, because it is not the gospel. The gospel has to do with the definite content about the person and work of Christ. Let me put it another way. All evangelism, all true evangelism, is witnessing. But not all witnessing is evangelism. You know how people say, I don't need to talk to people about Jesus. I show it to them with my life. I try to live it and be an example. I in one sense envy people like that who can communicate their Christianity just by the sterling example of their own modeling. I don't have that luxury. Anybody looks at me, they're not going to be impressed by Christ. I have to give words. I have to use the content. And the power of God is not in your testimony. The power of God is not in your evangelistic technique. The power of God is not in your program in the church. The power is in the gospel. That's why we need to know what that gospel is and how it is to be proclaimed. Today. When I gave emphasis to the Gospel of God, which God has commissioned his church to proclaim and which God himself authorizes and which God himself empowers. I don't want you to go away thinking that the efforts that you make that fall short of articulating the gospel itself are worthless or powerless. God does use the programs of the church, the testimonies of God's people, to touch other people's lives. This is not an either or. But I want us to understand that we can never be satisfied with whatever effectiveness we find in these programs or these techniques, because the real power is in the gospel itself. That's why I encourage my students in the seminary. I said it'd be nice if you're eloquent, it would be nice if you're dynamic as a speaker, that those are all wonderful additives to the ministry. But your chief task is to proclaim the gospel accurately and clearly and then watch out, get out of the way. It's like letting a lion out of the cage, because it's comforting to pastors to understand that the effectiveness of the Word of God does not rest on our abilities or on our skills. But we are called in the first instance to be faithful to the preaching of that gospel.