The Gospel According to Jesus?

[Robin]

What precisely was the gospel proclaimed by Jesus?

Mark 1:14-15

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

(I mean, is this IT?)



Robin

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

Originally posted by Robin
What precisely was the gospel proclaimed by Jesus?

Mark 1:14-15

Jesus Begins His Ministry

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

(I mean, is this IT?)



Robin

Well, Robin, the problem I see with this approach is that you haven't solved anything, but are setting up a round-and-round circular argument for what the gospel is. Consider this for a moment, if you will... I'm replacing the word Gospel with Pickle:

Is this the Pickle according to Jesus?: The kingdom of heaven is at hand, repent and believe in the pickle.

So... WHAT is the pickle? That still isn't solved! Jesus isn't defining the gospel here, he is proclaiming it... but what is IT? More needs to be taken into account in order to know how Jesus defines the evangelion.

The PICKLE can't be BELIEVE IN THE PICKLE, because you still don't know what the PICKLE is.

Hopefully that makes sense.

[Edited on 12-13-2005 by WrittenFromUtopia]

 

[Robin]

Actually, Gabe.....I thought/think Jesus' Gospel is "the Kingdom is at hand"....and since Jesus IS the King of the Kingdom, something differenct and important is being said by Him. (We evangelize by recounting the information about Jesus.) But Jesus had to do evangelism a bit differently since he IS the Gospel.

Using your model, try this: "the PICKLE of heaven is at hand; repent and believe the Gospel."

Attempting to get my head around this.....if "the Kingdom" information is the proclamation of Jesus throughout his teachings, then perhaps we're on to something?



r.

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

I think Paul defines the Gospel at the beginning of Romans at this point. I may be wrong.

Rom 1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, 2 which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, 3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 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

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Remember Robin that Biblical narratives are not the best place to develop a precise understanding of a doctrine. Jesus Himself said that He spoke in parables and would explain things to His apostles. Not everything is "spelled out" in the way an epistle with didactic teaching would be.

You don't want to read too much into the passage and say "Ah, well, Jesus says the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand and therefore, Jesus' Gospel is much simpler and basic..." Certainly part of the Gospel message is that Christ has come but you cannot try to mine a Biblical narrative to develop the idea of "...what did Jesus say the Gospel was...."

Jesus left us His Apostles to flesh that stuff out.

 

[cultureshock]

The gospel is, in the most general terms, the good news concerning the kingdom of God. At the particular phase of redemptive history in which Jesus' earthly ministry took place, the good news was his presence--simply the fact that he was there--because he was Isaiah's righteous servant who was about to justify many. In the fullness of the New Covenant era, we understand that significance in greater detail, as described in Rom. 1:1-4 and 1 Cor. 15:1-4.

Brian

 

[Saiph]

The gospel is not merely a flat two dimensional doctrine scribbled in a book on systematic theology, but a living Word that became flesh. The "good news" is that God has been born in flesh, to die, and rise again, and take our hand to show us the way back to a new garden where we will walk with God for eternity. The gospel is the eternal voice that spoke all creation into existence, now calling to every Lazarus dead by the fall, "come forth" and "follow me".
The call of the gospel is just as effectual as fiat lux speaking into the void and formless matter.

The gospel is the person, work, and words of Christ.

The verse could be changed to read:

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming who He was, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in who I AM, and what I have said, and what I will accomplished for you."



[Edited on 12-18-2005 by Saiph]

 

[Larry Hughes]

Well if nothing else this passage certainly so early in mark points to the fact that the Good News was not a novelty before Mathew 1 never known or expected.

I agree with Rich in that you have to be careful and not isolate a passage. The Gospel and the battle for the Gospel in- and outside of the church never ever really changes and is always between a religion of "œdo" versus a religion of "œdone" it never really gets any more complicated than that in terms of the dynamic, whether your discussions be justification or sanctification and so forth. The complication is due to us and our fallen nature always seeking a way back in to do a bit of work. It is also notable what Martin Luther said concerning John 14:6 that Jesus did NOT say, "œI show you the way, the truth and the life" but rather, "œI AM the way, the truth and the life." The Gospel will become all too clear to us in our suffering. If at no other point than at each of our last dying moments, a suffering we will all go through. Then, the Gospel becomes very simple - "œyou´ve" done nothing pre-, now and post Christian worthy of heaven but only of wrath and hell, "œI Am the Way, the truth and the life." Pure beggars we are or we will never ever see the Kingdom of Heaven. That´s the joy and hilarity of the simple Gospel, out of death comes resurrection and life and that alone is what God works with - calling into being that which is not. The old Adam, the doer, simply will not remain and live for the opposite of sin is not virtue, but faith and faith being utter and naked trust, pure reception. The obedience of faith is to be convinced Christ FOR YOU.

Grace and peace,

Larry