(This is the next stop along the way to my idea of presenting the gospel. It appears to be more related to the topic; never fear, I’m sure we’ll meander a few different directions before we get “there.”)On our path to deciding how to present the gospel, it’s necessary to settle on just what the gospel is. This is not important merely to determine the content of our presentation; it also affects the context and the method of presentation.

There are several competing views of the gospel, with plenty of shades in between. First, the gospel is frequently seen as the message of justification—Christ died so we might be reconciled to God. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some view the gospel as the message that Christ came to make things right, end poverty and injustice and tyranny, or correct other social ills. In the last couple of decades, the New Perspective on Paul has emphasized the social and cultural context of Paul’s proclamation of the gospel, arguing that Paul’s writings on the gospel were intended to announce Christ as Messiah-King and were a direct challenge to the rising emperor-worship flooding the Roman Empire. More »