What is the Gospel (2)

In the last post we sampled some Scot McKnight's ideas in The King Jesus Gospel. We concluded by saying that the author believes the gospel is the Story of Jesus as it is embedded in the Story of Israel.

McKnight's big idea is that the gospel is not equal to SALVATION. The gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom 1.16) and the gospel is preached so that hearers will receive salvation; but the gospel, the good news about Jesus Christ is not essentially salvation.

How does McKnight support this hypothesis?

He says, ponder 1 Cor 15.1-8, 12-28. Paul speaks expressly of the gospel he preached to the Corinthians and he starts with the fact that 'Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that he was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures and that he was seen by Cephas (Peter), and then by the twelve. . . seen by over five hundred brethren at once . . . . Then last of all He was seen by me also' (1 Cor 15.3-8). A death-burial-resurrection-appearances theme is evident.

So when the gospel is preached, Christ is preached as the One who died for our sins, who was buried and rose again on the third day etc. but Paul adds this crucial phrase: ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. He uses it twice in two verses.

Which scriptures is he talking about? He's talking about what we call the Old Testament (OT) and what the Jews call the Tanakh, a word based on the three parts of the OT: torah, prophets and writings. All but the first 11 chapters of the Tanakh document God's dealing with the Patriarchs, and with Israel. These OT Scriptures testify to the Christ, the Messiah. Isaiah 53 tells us in detail about the Messiah's dying for sin and our healing. We remember that Jesus used these scriptures with the two disciples he met on the Emmaus Rd.

McKnight then says, examine the preaching of the Jesus Christ and note that primarily Jesus preaches Himself as the realisation of the pious hopes of Israel! Jesus Christ is the good news embodied; revealed even in his name (Yahweh saves)! No wonder some of the leaders--not all--but many rail against Jesus because of what he says about himself. Jesus's primary message is 'Look at Me!'. (Young ego-centred children use that phrase but Jesus is centred in the will of his Father. His 'look at me' is a getting followers to look to the Father through Jesus.)

But we need to see that that's the gospel (according to McKnight)! The good news is that Jesus's story is the capstone and fulfilment of Israel's story. (I'm not so enamoured of the term 'story' which is big in theology circles at the moment but I'll say more about this at a later time.)

And then says McKnight, look at the 'sermons' throughout the Acts of the Apostles. If you go through them you will find that over and over they focus on Jesus death, burial and resurrection as the culmination of Israel's travail. Now in two places that does not happen (Acts 13, and Acts 17) but nevertheless we find it in Acts 2.14-39; 3.12-26; 8-12; 10.34-43 with 11.4-18; 13.16-41. McKnight adds Acts 14.15-17; 17.22-31 and Stephen's sermon in Acts 7.2-53.

McKnight's thesis is that Israel's story 'frames' all the apostolic preaching of the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome (Acts 28); however the point becomes whether he can fully sustain this thesis.