Gospel Basics

In several conversations recently, I have realized how important it is to define my terms. Where words have multiple, or ambiguous meanings, this is all the more necessary.

I talk a lot about the Gospel. For someone without a background in the Church, that might mean nothing at all; for some in the Church, it may have an entirely different meaning than what I take to be the Biblical reading. So, for the sake of clarity, I want to take time in a number of posts to explain the Biblical Gospel, and why it becomes the centerpiece of all of life for those who embrace it. I am going to use a New Testament letter from the Apostle Paul to a young man named Titus to explain the Gospel because this letter contains some of the most concise statements of the foundations of the Gospel.

I hope that by setting forth the Gospel clearly:

1. My readers who have never heard it may receive it and embrace it.
2. My readers who have misunderstood it formerly may also now receive and embrace it.
3. My readers who have already embraced it may be thrilled again with the beauty of it, and see afresh how it reorients everything around King Jesus.

As always, dialogue refines both articulation and understanding, so please feel free to comment!