Kenney On The Gospel

I'm really enjoying David Kenney's continuing series on the gospel. He starts with a simple discussion on the difference between being evangelical and being a "soteriologist" which he defines as a person who "concerned with the plan of salvation." He wants to remind us that there is a difference, that the gospel is not the same as salvation, that "the gospel saves people… but saving people is not the gospel." This resonates with me because so much of my own theological reflection has been a reaction to the disembodied gospel--a gospel of fleeing the world and escaping hell to get in to heaven after death--in which I used to believe. He then goes into what the gospel actually is in simple and accessible terms.

It's good stuff. You should check it out. It starts with "Evangelism vs Soteriology," goes into "Well then, what is the gospel?," and continues with "What ELSE is the gospel?" ...and he's not even done yet...

Comments

Agent X said…
This was the very issue that first hooked me on N. T. Wright. He defined the gospel, which literally means "good news" as boiled down to "the royal announcement that Jesus is Lord".

He went to Isaiah and to ancient Rome to look at both Hebrew and Greek uses of the word. He convinced me.

As to the dualist issues of heaven/hell (leave this world for another kind of stuff) I think that is a seperate issue even from salvation... but related of course. And I suspect those that hold to traditional doctrine of Hell will find it particularly difficult to see the differences.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I appreciate your comments there and your proclamation here.

Keep it up!