We desperately need to return to the spreading of the Gospel. McKnight systematically makes his case for this. He starts out explaining the current state of what passes for the Gospel. This is what he calls a salvation culture, where focus is on sin management. Jesus is viewed more as a get out of Hell free card than the Messiah. A tool, not the King. “Exhibit B… John Piper…asked this question: ‘Did Jesus preach Paul’s gospel?’ This cuts to the heart of the issue, we have got it backwards and don’t even realize it. McKnight defines the “salvation culture and the “Gospel culture.” He clarifies what the Gospel was and is, unchanged, but largely forgotten. In defining the Gospel, McKnight gives us the story of Jesus, he demonstrates how the “Gospels” are the same Gospel, the one Gospel. Jesus does in fact preach the Gospel, He preaches Himself, Paul and Peter preach this same Gospel. Scripture is used to prove this, largely drawing on the “Gospels” and Luke’s letter “The Acts of the …show more content…
The idea of the Gospel being anything other than Jesus was foreign to me, what could be better news? Reading through the book and preparing for this assignment I reflected on my personal experience with church and the salvation culture. I realized how the focus on sharing the Gospel is on salvation as a “kingpin” to Christianity, in America, maybe other places as well. As I began to think about my own experiences presenting the Gospel I came to realize some similarities in those presentations and the salvation culture described in this book. I draw on my experience in the “bush” of Zambia. We were revisiting a village which had been visited about a year prior, the mission organization lost contact and was uncertain of the spiritual state of the village, so we were sent in. Every person my group talked with professed a belief in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We asked questions to be sure they had a “proper” concept of what they were professing. This often resulted in detailed conversations about Jesus. One notable exception was the question concerning where Moses was buried. In discussing Jesus, His authority was often questioned and is He really the son of God. The answer was always a resounding yes and to Scripture to prove our claims. Once His authority was established then His promises were questioned. Would He really do these things if we simply believe? Again, we answer yes and go to Scripture. The results