What is the gospel? - R.C. Sproul and Sinclair Ferguson

Sproul: When I would teach in the doctor of ministry program — and Sinclair has had the same experience, I’m sure — when we’d have the clergy in there, I would ask them to define the gospel. And if I got 10 percent of them to give an adequate answer to it, I would be happy. Because that word’s thrown around so much it’s died the death of a thousand qualifications. In New Testament terms the gospel is the proclamation of the person and work of Jesus Christ plus how the benefits of that work can be appropriated to us by faith and by faith alone. So, the gospel has a narrow definition: it’s the message about Jesus. Now, there are other good tidings; the kingdom of God, all of that. But specifically if you look at what we call the kerygma in the New Testament, the apostolic proclamation of the gospel, it focuses on Christ, who He is, what He did and how we receive His benefits. So if I tell you that if you come to Jesus you can get meaning for your life or you can have peace in your soul or you — God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. That may be true — that’s not the gospel. Don’t confuse that with the gospel. The gospel’s about Jesus. Ferguson: You know, if a student asked me that question I would say, well, Paul has told us in the first few verses of 1 Corinthians, 15. He says, “These are the things that are of first importance.” And he states facts with an interpretation. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, third day rose again. And that is, I think, probably in the New Testament, at least in Paul’s letters, the simplest foundation. But, as we, as we grow as Christians — well, here is Paul saying in Romans twice, I want to explain my gospel to you, and there he’s taking that statement, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, third day rose again,” and he’s saying let me now unpack more and more of the significance of that. So that from one point of view, you can sit down with a child and say this is the gospel. And from another point of view, since Christ Himself person and work — as Calvin says Christ clothed in the gospel, is the gospel. You know — we are ransacking the Scriptures all the time to discover the fullness of that. But as to the — you know, as to the foundation of it, you know, the answer is really pretty simple and clearly stated in Scripture. And as R.C.’s saying, kind of different from what people often say.

Channel: Ligonier Ministries

Views: 36,764

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Id: HhhgyDnrILQ

Length: 3min 21sec (201 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 01 2018