Gospel 36

So - doesn't this passage, in fact, lend weight to the comments of the Pastor in the airport (see Nov. 12), and ChrisB on several of these posts: that the gospel is preached correctly by much of the evangelical church? Well not quite perhaps - one cannot preach the cross alone, because the victory didn't come with his death, but with his death and resurrection; one must include and even emphasize the resurrection.

The "gospel" of Jesus is the "so what" - the consequence of obedience. The consequence is reinforced, not negated in the writings of Paul, Peter, and John. So the word gospel is used with slightly different intent by Paul and by Jesus.

Of course we need to preach, teach, and practice the entire thing - not just a transaction.

Scot,

Why is probably a good Ph.D. dissertation topic - but...is it possible that the Gospel of Paul is that the death and resurrection of Jesus initiate the Gospel of Jesus, modeled and preached during his life - the good news of the present and coming kingdom of God?

In this case any privileging of Paul's gospel over Jesus's gospel misses the point. I think that this is also clear if we read all of Paul. Interesting to think about.

(By the way - I'm four for four on failed initial submissions this morning, fortunately I copy before submission, so the frustration level is minimal.)

Scot,
I’m with you in wondering why this text is used to prop up a reduced gospel--Jesus died, was buried, rose again, do you believe it? It’s as if Jesus and Paul never said anything else at all about the gospel. I think it is traceable to the penchant for proof-texting that so dominates some approaches to the Bible in the USAmerican evangelical church.

I have been rereading John Piper's "God is the Gospel" and thought I'd put in a defense for him on this matter (he occasionally gets bashed hereabouts as one of those Reformed types who would only preach "a reduced gospel--Jesus died, was buried, rose again, do you believe it?"). On page 29 he states, "But there would be no gospel if Jesus had stayed dead... This is why Paul's definition of the gospel in I Corinthians 15:1, 3-4 includes both the death and resurrection of Jesus... Jesus made clear that he would rise from the dead, and Paul made clear that this was an essential part of the gospel."