Monthly Archives: September 2011

Book Review: The King Jesus Gospel

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The King Jesus Gospel
9780310492986
By: Scot McKnight
Zondervan (2011)

Review By: Kevin Stern

What is the gospel? Did Jesus preach the gospel? How could he have preached it if He hadn’t died yet or risen? Scott McKnight, in The King Jesus Gospel, argues that the evangelical church has too narrowly defined the gospel. That definition has limited the gospel to a decision an individual makes rather than a larger call to discipleship under the kingship of Jesus.

After discussing the problem and its repercussions, McKnight walks through the New Testament trying to develop a proper definition. He concludes that the plan of salvation must be explained by the story of Jesus, which in turn is founded on the larger story of the Bible.

McKnight begins with Paul’s gospel in 1 Corinthians 15, then continues with the gospel writers’ versions in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and how Peter and others preached it in Acts. The bottom line is that the gospel is the whole story of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Jesus, by preaching Himself as the Messianic King, is telling the same good news as the other gospel writers.

I have much to agree with in Scott McKnight’s presentation. I, too, am frustrated that the gospel in some circles has been reduced to a quick presentation that is aimed at a decision. Any pitch that gives the impression that a decision is the end of a process rather than the beginning of a relationship is off-based. Likewise, repentance should be a continual surrendering of your will to the submission of Christ’s rule. I applaud McKnight’s synthesis of New Testament teaching and believe with him that the whole Bible needs to be communicated to fully understand the gospel.

I’m not sure, however, that the full communication of the Word is the solution to the decision/disciple problem. At some point, an individual has to make a decision. Whether that is a decision to follow Christ as a disciple, or the realization of our own inadequacy to meet God’s standards and thus see the need for a Savior—it is a decision made. The journey from that moment will be a series of decisions to bring ourselves under Christ’s sovereignty. I would argue that making that decision is the beginning of the discipleship process.

I also wonder if Scott McKnight’s analysis of the Reformation was misguided. Yes, the reformers did put an emphasis on justification by faith, but the only other option was justification through the sacraments. I guess any discussion of justification could lead to distortion, but I think the “counter stories” of individualism and consumerism identified by McKnight are far more to blame than Reformation theology.

Finally, I was left wondering about the practical aspects of Scott McKnight’s proposal. His pared down summary of the gospel was a four-page whirlwind through the Bible. I smiled in appreciation at the Meta story beginning in Genesis and ending in Revelation. Did McKnight believe that each time we present this message to an unbeliever we need to show them Israel’s failure and the Babylonian exile? As a Bible student, I have an appreciation for this finesse in the story, but my non-Christian friends would need at least a semester or two to absorb that much information. And once they understood the message, wouldn’t they, as they begin this journey, need just as much guidance, teaching and encouragement as a person who had come through a “salvation culture” experience?

Scott McKnight has provided a helpful critique of evangelical culture. We have often presented too narrow a gospel pitched at an individual to reach a decision. Understanding the gospel as a bigger concept will help create disciples, but discipleship is a more involved process than simply understanding the larger truth. Living that truth will always require the help of a discipler walking along side.

A Note from the Director on the Future of Books

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In my email today, I had an ad from Borders announcing the last days of being in business. In some ways, I’m saddened. Although I work here in the Book Center, I spend hours in the evenings and on weekends in bookstores. The Borders on Preston at Forest was my go-to for finding books on topics that went beyond the Biblical/theological niche that we fill.

I love it when I find a book that is just what I needed sitting near the one I thought I wanted. That’s an experience that’s really hard to get online. No matter how many books I tell Amazon I already own or am not interested in, they’ve never quite figured me out. I buy a commentary on Acts and they assume that I want everything in that series or that I need ten commentaries on Obadiah.

Lately, I’ve been asked what I think the future holds for books. E-books and print, online and bricks-and-mortar stores, Kindles and iPads–where are we going to be? Honestly, I don’t know. If it was my call, I would like a combination. The lightning-fast searches I can do on Accordance leaves some of my print copies gathering dust. But I hate using commentaries on a computer. I have five open at a time and am flipping back and forth to remember what was on the last page
or in the introduction. I can always flip a page to what I’m looking for faster than scrolling.

If there were websites where I could find what I need and could screen out what I don’t, I’d probably mostly use an iPad. Last weekend I was searching for images to use for teaching Paul’s journeys and pulled up thousands of shots of celebrities vacationing in the Greek islands (not what I wanted). Before I can consume the content, someone has to create it. A Biblical encyclopedia that functioned like a website with hundreds of layers of quality content written by evangelical scholars may be a long time coming.

I hope the future provides books that will allow us to explore easier and find hidden treasures. But I hope that it doesn’t focus on predigested, junk-food offerings that appeal to the majority, but take away our ability to think. Thoughtful books written by quality authors, published with talented editors will never go away. We just have to figure out the format.

Kevin Stern
Director, DTS Book Center

Top 10 Things Students Need to Survive Seminary: #10

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We are going to be posting 1 of these each week for the next 10 weeks. This very funny and artistic collection was done by the Book Center’s own Camille Holland. Enjoy!

Art by: Camille Holland

Title of Interest: Why, O God?

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Why, O God?: Suffering and Disability in the Bible and the Church
9781433525803
Editors: Larry Waters & Roy Zuck
Crossway Books (2011)

Including articles by many of Dallas Theological Seminary’s professors, Why, O God? is a book that Christians should read if they want to become better equipped to minister to the hurting and disabled or if they are struggling with hurt or disability themselves.

Publisher Marketing:

Uniquely combines a firsthand theological perspective on suffering with real-world application to guide the body of Christ in ministering to the millions who suffer with disabilities.

With two in seven American families affected by disability, the body of Christ has a great opportunity for ministry. This new anthology uniquely points the way, training churches, caregivers, pastors, and counselors to compassionately respond.

The book’s contributors–ranging from Joni Eareckson Tada and others living with disabilities, to seminary professors, ministry leaders, and medical professionals–do more than offer a biblical perspective on suffering and disability; they draw from very personal experiences to explore Christians’ responsibility toward those who suffer. The volume addresses various disabilities and age-related challenges, end-of-life issues, global suffering, and other concerns–all the while reminding readers that as they seek to help the hurting, they will be ministered to in return.

This unprecedented work, which includes a foreword by Randy Alcorn, belongs in the hands of every Christian worker and caring individual who is seeking a real-world, biblical perspective on suffering.