This post is an extended response to a question recently posed on my good friend Nick's blog. His post entitled "Social Justice (vs?) the Gospel" raised a question concerning the relationship between meeting people's physical needs and the proclamation of the gospel. I think this is a very worthy discussion, and would offer my meager insight on the issue.
First, let me ask this question, What does it mean to "proclaim the gospel"? What, in fact, is "the gospel"? I think this is one of those ideas that we speak about often, but rarely ask ourselves what we mean by it. Are we talking about a simple doctrinal formula--maybe the Apostles' Creed, maybe 1 Cor. 15:3-8--that we recite, possibly along with some sort of explanation, and then ask people to agree to?
It is interesting to note the etymology (word origins) of the word "gospel." The word used in the New Testament is euongelion. It is used exclusively in the NT in the singular, but was a word widely used in the Greco-Roman world in the plural: euangelia. In Greco-Roman culture euangelia usually denoted the "glad tidings" of some sort of recent military victory. A herald would come into a city or village and declare the "glad tidings" of the Emperor's conquest of some distant land. When the New Testament adopted this particular word to describe its own proclamation, and used the singular form of the word, a distinct political message was sent: As opposed to all the other "good newses" out there, this is the one "good news"!
And what was the content of this "good news"? We could argue that when Jesus was on earth, the content of the good news was "Repent, for the kingdom of God/heaven is near!" (Mt. 3:2; 4:17; Mk. 1:15) This is the summary of the "good news" that Jesus preached, according to the Gospels. The good news of the Church post-Easter, however, is quite different. [After reading this sentence, I have realized that it would have been better for me to say, "The good news of the Church post-Easter, however, is something quite more (not something different).] Whereas the kingdom of God was the content of the "good news" Jesus preached, after his ascension and Pentecost the content widens to include Jesus himself. The Proclaimer becomes the proclamation. Not only is the good news that the kingdom of God has entered victoriously into "this present evil age," but there are certain things about this man named Jesus that everyone needs to know and believe.
Thus, we need to realize that when we proclaim "the gospel," we are proclaiming both that Jesus is who we believe him to be (Son of God, who died, rose, was seen, and ascended into heaven) and that the kingdom of God has broken into our midst in a decisive way. To be sure, from Acts on the New Testament focuses more on the former than the latter, but they are never completely disjointed.
Now here's the rub for the present discussion: The "good news" that is proclaimed by Jesus and by His followers is always accompanied by what we might call "mercy ministries" or "compassionate ministries." Ask yourselves, How many compassionate miracles did Jesus perform for the people that sought him even as he taught them about the kingdom of God and called them to repentance? Then think of the Book of Acts: How many miracles and compassionate deeds did the Early Church perform even as it proclaimed that Jesus is Christ and Lord, and that his kingdom had broken into this world? Even one of Paul's main ventures during his ministry of "the gospel" was collecting money from churches he planted in order to help the impoverished church in Jerusalem (see Acts 11:27-30, 1 Cor. 16, & 2 Cor. 9). It seems clear from the NT witness that "the gospel" can be understood as something which can be communicated verbally through "proclamation" (although the word here in Greek is not "preaching" or "proclamation" but rather a verb form of the noun euangelion: literally, most texts that speak of "preaching/proclaiming the gospel" say "gospeling the gospel."). It also seems clear, however, that the ministry of the gospel--the proclamation of the "good news"--is always accompanied by acts of charity (meaning godly love, not just giving money to a poor person)--often demonstrated in quite miraculous ways!
If we follow the example of Christ and his apostles we will be hard pressed to see a need to continue the debate that asks, "What's more important--sharing the gospel or meeting people's needs?" The question is a moot point in a Church living under the example of the NT. The gospel demands that we call people to a decision because it's content includes certain affirmations about who Christ is and what God is doing in the world. It also, however, necessarily includes acts of charity because the gospel includes the message that God's kingdom has broken into the world in a decisive way. Because the kingdom of God has broken into this world, because Christ became Incarnate in this world, the gospel affirms every action we take--miraculous or mundane--to meet the needs of people who are still living in this world.
To share "the gospel" in its entirety demands that we call people to a decision about Christ and that we extend the influence of his kingdom into their lives in whatever way we can.
No comments:
Post a Comment