Scot McKnight: What is the Gospel?

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What is the gospel? Most people in the church will mention something about the death of Jesus, the forgiveness of sins, and spending eternity in heaven. In today's Seven Minute Seminary, Dr. Scot McKnight affirms that all of these are truths to be found in the Bible. However, he uses key texts to demonstrate that the gospel preached by the apostles focused primarily on the life, death, burial, and the resurrection of Jesus.

In this way, the gospel was first and foremost about telling the story of Jesus Christ. The significance is that our presentations of the gospel move toward being Jesus-centered rather than human-centered. Because of the work of Jesus, the Holy Spirit transforms people, resulting in our justification, sanctification, and ultimately, glorification.

[samuel.selvin]

I think it is so important to hear what people like Scot McKnight and N. T. Wright are saying about the gospel. We really think we know what we mean by the word 'gospel', but we always need to keep reforming our understanding on the basis of scripture.
thank you Dr. McKnight for pointing towards the biblical gospel.

[StevenKozarMessedUpChurch]

For some reason, Scot read that great Gospel passage in 1 Corinthians 15, but he just ignored the second part of verse 3 that says: "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures..." So the Gospel is more than telling the story of Jesus, it is telling the story of how/why Jesus died for our sins. That's according to the Apostle Paul, who "knows what he's talking about."

[dben]

Thank you Dr McKnight l have read so many long winded and varying doctrines of men on this and was getting so confused. This message is like a fresh wind of truth and grace that has blown all that away, I am truly grateful.

[JCATG]

The more you listen to and internalize what Dr. Scot McKnight has said, you will eventually realize that it was not supposed to be 'controversial' in any sense whatsoever. His explanation about the Gospel was the unadulterated and biblical one—which is what the Gospel is in the first place.

It is all about the story of the Lord Jesus Christ to begin with. His life, death, and resurrection is the central theme of the Christian faith and all the other things are supplemental. That is not to say that those other matters are not important, we just have to realize that the whole of salvation history is Godʼs revelation of who He is as Lord and Redeemer of all.

Jesus is the one who gets all the glory in this faith we profess and live. We are loved, yes. But that is primarily due to His glorious grace, first and foremost. If it wasnʼt for His atoning sacrifice from which that grace flows from, there wouldnʼt be even any Gospel. And in that gracious atoning sacrifice comes His vicarious death and resurrection, eternally proving that He is Lord and Savior of all creation.

At the end of it all, the Gospel is about Him. May He forever be glorified for who He is and what He has done.

Soli Deo gloria!

[LaLynn-ct]

Thank you, Dr. McKnight. I have been wondering how I could hear you on-line. I've finally found you on this program. Your message was honest and straight to the point. The truth on the Gospel always wins.

[Gospelogian]

For me, one of the biggest issues is our understanding of the Gospel. When I left being a paramedic to be in ministry, I didn’t realize how many people misunderstand how the Bible applies to our lives! That’s why I have centered my channel on helping people understand the Bible in a practical, relevant way that keeps the true Gospel at the heart of every teaching.

[mickeyfoeller]

Pauline Mid-Acts Dispensationalism will put all your puzzle pieces together perfectly. God Bless you!

[sethjohnson]

That is absolutely beautifully spoken!

[tb]

Gospel means GOOD NEWS! what is the Good News? That Jesus paid in full for ALL our sins!

[stephend]

Thank you Scot. Your message is much appreciated.

[calebking]

I agree with McKnight about the Gospel being a very straightforward testimony of who the Messiah was and did, obviously focused on his death an resurrection, but like many McKnight doesn't include the second coming as central, which I think to a apocalyptic first century Jew was as Central to what a Messiah was as the death and resurrection. Why have we overlooked this? Am k missing something?

[edmundwong]

So sounds to me that most Christians confuse a theory of atonement as the gospel. Gospel is who Christ is, Christ as King, and he died for our sins (not the nitty gritty as to how, why of it, to what extend?, and so on and so forth), and He has been bodily raised from the dead. And that is the gospel.

[monicadhaliwal]

Thank You Jesus for Paying for All my Sins Thank You Jesus for Shedding Every Last Drop of Your Perfect Redeeming Innocent Blood For The Forgiveness Full Remission of All my Sins Thank You Jesus for Dying in my place on The Cross ✝️ ❤To Pay for All my Sins as The Perfect Sacrifice because You have No Sin Thank You for Being Buried Thank You Jesus for Coming Back ALIVE 3 Days After Your Death because You Are The Son of God and God At The Same Time!!! I LOVE You Heavenly Father ABBA I LOVE You Jesus I LOVE You Holy Spirit Not 3 Different Gods But The 1 The Only True Living GOD Most High Revealed to us in 3 Ways ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[edwinhathaway]

Absolutely agree with this biblical definition of the gospel. However just as important as how is the gospel applied to my life. The gospel story does me no good but if it is doesn't help me. It is applied the way Paul and Peter both said it was. Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

[DiTorrealba]

Pleaaase make this subtitles available in spanish, I would love to share this with my seminary students!

[edwinhathaway]

1Cor 15:1-9
Romans 6:1-9
Acts 2:38
Peter answers the "What" question and Paul answers the "Why" question.
This is how the gospel saves a believer.

[tallmikbcroft]

Amen the Torah of Yeshua is the Good News

[churchunderground]

I would say this is a very short-sighted explanation of the gospel. The Bible tells us that Isaiah preached the gospel, John the Baptist preached the gospel, and Jesus preached the gospel before His death, burial, and resurrection.

So we know there is definitely more components to the gospel. I usually oversimplify it by saying the components of the Good News are
1. Resurrection of the dead
2. Deliverance from sin (New Heaven/New Earth)
3. Removal of the wicked and rewards for the righteous (Eternal Judgment)
4. Kingdom of God established on the earth

And that the death, burial, & resurrection of Jesus is the central cornerstone of these components and stamps a realized hope on these future events to take place on the Day of the Lord.

The people in Corinth would have already understood these components because Paul preached in Jewish synagogues. Jesus is the New News but the original components of the gospel from the Old Testament/Tanakh remain the same.

[troystevens]

It's the "gospel of the kingdom" that Jesus said must be preached in all the world, not the gospel of personal salvation. The forces of darkness are not threatened by the latter, but simply go nuts with panic when the former is announced along with a demonstration of its power. That's what Jesus & his disciples did.

[bretnicholson]

What’s so odd about this is....in his very first biblical example he quotes 1 Corinthians 15 and rightly notes THIS IS THE CENTRAL thing. Then he reads it and it says—literally: “that Christ died for our sins...”. But, having set it up by downplaying the atoning part of the gospel he hydroplanes over the fact that “he died for our sins” is the central defining statement of the very thing he just read. I agree that the gospel is the telling of the story of Jesus but Paul and others very directly say (MCKnight read it!) he died FOR OUR SINS is central to the story of Jesus. McKnight’s approach here is just strange imo